Women’s Ordination Conference 50th Anniversary

DETROIT, MICHIGAN •
MAY 22-24, 2026

Together we will embark on a pilgrimage to honor the feminist thought-leadership of our 1975 landmark gathering and *energize* our movement for the future.

Conference Logistics

Early Bird Registration

Early Bird registration begins on August 8 and lasts until October 1! Registration includes all meals and transportation from the Westin Southfield hotel to Marygrove.

Book Your Stay

We encourage all attendees to book their stay at the designated conference hotel, the Southfield Westin Detroit! Our special rate is $149/night + free parking for those driving in! WOC will provide shuttle service from the hotel to the conference site.

Become a Sponsor

Sponsor opportunities are available to support immediate expenses for Jubilee Year events and help build WOC’s finances for sustainable action and organizing into the future.

Featured Speakers

Featured Speakers

  • Dr. Natalia Imperatori-Lee is Associate Professor of Systematics with a focus on ecclesiology, feminist theologies, and Latinx theologies at Fordham University.

  • Dr. Teresa Delgado is Dean of St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of theology and religious studies at St. John’s University.

  • Dr. Nontando Hadebe is an African Catholic woman feminist theologian based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

FAQs

  • The registration includes all conference programming, meals and breaks (Friday evening - Sunday morning), including a Saturday evening reception! WOC is also providing transportation from the conference hotel (Westin Southfield) to the conference venue (Marygrove Conservancy).

  • The conference will take place at Marygrove Conservancy. Established in 2018, the Marygrove Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that manages operations and stewards a 53-acre campus in northwest Detroit, the site of the former Marygrove College which operated from 1905 until 2019.

  • Conference attendees are encouraged to book their stay at the Westin Southfield Hotel. The special rate is $149/night which includes free parking!

  • This conference is an opportunity to be part of the movement for women’s ordination! We hope you feel empowered, connected, and energized by attending this conference.

  • Catholics and friends :) who are ready to see women ordained in the Roman Catholic Church! You don’t have to be an activist or a long-time member of WOC. All are welcome to join at this important time!

  • Please plan to be in Detroit by Friday early evening for the start of the conference. We will conclude with a Pentecost liturgy on Sunday, ending at 12 noon.

  • WOC intends to offer a limited number of scholarships to cover the cost of registration and/or provide lower cost lodging options (such as at a local university). For more information, please email us: woc@womensordination.org

Why detroit?

In December 1974, Mary B. Lynch wrote a letter to 70 Catholic leaders to express her enthusiasm for women’s ordination, and the urgency of the moment to work for change. Of the people who received her letter, thirty-one of them attended a meeting a few weeks later to begin to plan the first Women’s Ordination Conference.

More than 1,200 people, including many religious sisters and priests, participated in the first ordination conference from November 28-30, 1975 in Detroit, Michigan.

The Women’s Ordination Conference is a grassroots-driven movement that uncompromisingly calls for women’s ordination and gender equity in the Roman Catholic church through bold activism; dialogue; and creative, prayerful witness.

“Oh, I’d ordain women tomorroW. And it would change everything.

— Cokie Roberts

Contact

Feel free to contact us with any questions, or if you are interested in volunteering for the conference.

Email
woc@womensordination.org