Digital Archive of Lay Women

Born in Utrecht on April 10, 1875, Petronille Aimée Florentine Engeringh, better known as Florentine Steenberghe-Engeringh, was a pioneering figure in Dutch Catholic social and women’s organizations. Raised in an upper-bourgeois family, she received her education from the Sacred Heart nuns in Belgium. Although societal norms prevented her from attending university, she benefited from a rich…

In July 2024, the Vatican announced that its doctrinal office would prepare a document on women in leadership roles within the Catholic Church, marking a significant step toward acknowledging their participation in ecclesiastical life. While Pope Francis has reaffirmed the ban on women priests, he has also appointed women to high-ranking Vatican positions and encouraged…

To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, TheoFem is launching a new initiative: Women’s Wednesday, a biweekly publication forming part of the Digital Archive of Lay Women. This space aims to bring visibility to the lives, legacies, and contributions of laywomen—those often overlooked in official narratives. It also seeks to highlight and support the work…