From October 21 to 26, 2026, Malta hosted the meeting of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO) and the Fourth Meeting of Women from the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Among the participants was Sister Caterina Ciriello, FI, who serves on the WUCWO Council as a representative of the UISG ( International Union of Superiors General).
What is the UMOFC?
The UMOFC (World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations, known in English as WUCWO) is a global network that brings together Catholic women’s organizations (as well as mixed organizations represented by women). It has a history spanning more than 115 years: it was founded in 1910 by women from eleven countries, with the desire to defend the faith and religious freedom and to promote social action under the guidance of the Pope. In 2007, it received official recognition and today operates under the auspices of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life.
This is an important organization because it gives a voice to women around the world who would otherwise have no voice. For this reason, it carries out its mission in collaboration with other organizations, associations, and various embassies.
Mission and Objectives
- Holistic Development: promotes the active participation, leadership, and shared responsibility of Catholic women, both in the Church and in society.
- Evangelization and dignity: It promotes women’s evangelizing mission, respect for fundamental human rights, the defense of life and the family, and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.
- Global reach: It represents millions of women through its member organizations and coordinates its work with international organizations, associations, and faith-based communities. It has representatives at the FAO, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and the UN.
Testimony of Sister Caterina Ciriello, FI
The meeting in Malta was attended not only by the Council (Executive Committee), of which I am a member as a representative of the UISG, but also—from Friday the 23rd through Sunday the 25th—by no fewer than 90 women from Lebanon, Palestine, the Holy Land, Egypt, Iraq, Greece, and Malta attended from Friday the 23rd through Sunday the 25th to participate in the Fourth Meeting of Women from the Middle East and the Mediterranean, titled: “Women: A Safe Haven for a Humanity in Distress.”
Many of these women, who have shared their stories of commitment and resilience, came from countries in a state of constant war. In these contexts of violence and suffering, women bear witness to their strength and to what it means to be mothers in situations of extreme uncertainty, where bombs can destroy homes and families in an instant. They are courageous, generous, and self-sacrificing women who, even in the midst of exhaustion and fear, do not lose hope and teach us not to respond to pain with vengeance. These stories tell us what it means to be a Christian in the Holy Land, Iraq, or Lebanon: a voiceless minority, yet always ready to offer help and compassion, regardless of religion. In fact, in many cases, they collaborate with Muslims to build communities of life and peace.
UMOFC works on behalf of these and many other women who are facing dire situations of abuse and violence, and also to help women build a future for themselves through ongoing education, employment opportunities, and, above all, leadership training, so that women can play a significant role and have a voice in the places where the world’s future is decided.
A Safe Haven for a Humanity in Distress
The theme of the gathering, “Women: A Safe Haven for a Humanity in Distress,” sums up what these women have experienced: even where violence threatens everything, they continue to be a source of home, care, and hope. We, the Daughters of Jesus, give thanks for the presence of Sister Caterina in this space of listening and shared reflection, and we join in prayer for peace and for women throughout the world.
