Catholic women to be honoured

By Citra Sidhu
A WOMAN who founded a new religious order and a mother battling against blindness to care for her incapacitated husband, are among the four Catholic Women of the Year announced this week.
Another of the four, Stella Lilley. has run the Padre Pio Information Centre for the last 30 years and has been responsible for many hundreds of people rediscovering the Sacraments and Confession.
She told The Catholic Herald: "My work has given me a great sense of proportion. Padre Pio showed that suffering wasn't a disgrace or a punishment, but that it is to be treasured.
"I've met many people who've really shown that suffering can be made positive by offering it up to God."
Another of this year's winners, Cecilia BromleyMartin, works for Aid to the Church in Need, the international charity helping persecuted Catholics worldwide.
She acted as their courier in taking aid to Catholics faithful to Rome in China and her subsequent reports were the first news of China's underground seminaries to reach the West.
She said: "A number of the international staff at ACN confront difficult and sometimes dangerous situations. In this, I think 1 represent them. The people in China risk so much it's very humbling and it has made me aware of )1ow much we take for granted."
This year's third winner is Sister Roseann Reddy, founder of the Sisters for the Gospel of Life, the first new women's community in Scotland since the Second Vatican Council, Sr Roseanne set up the order dedicated to promoting the Church's teaching on life and love, after several years as the head of Cardinal Thomas Winning's pro-life initiative. She said: "I'm honoured in that it's nice to get recognition for what you do. More importantly, it's good to recognise the role of Catholic women and it shows that the people of the Church play an important role in our society."
The fourth winner, Eileen Murphy, has given a lifetime's dedicated service to Catholic and community organisations and has cared for her husband who suffers from Alzheimer's Disease for the past 10 years despite a history of poor health that recently culminated in loss of sight.
The four were chosen after a nationwide consultation and will be honoured at an awards luncheon in June.