A new opportunity is emerging for women in the Australian Church.
The Australian Women’s Canon Law Scholarship is a collaborative initiative being developed by a group of women religious congregations and religious institutions in Australia. It responds to a shared concern about the future availability of canon lawyers who understand women religious, religious life, governance, Public Juridic Persons, stewardship, safeguarding, and the civil–canonical interface.
The scholarship is intended to support the formation of one or more women to undertake formal study in Canon Law, with the Licentiate in Canon Law through Saint Paul University, Ottawa as the foundational qualification. It is not simply a study scholarship — it is a formation pathway that includes academic study, mentoring, engagement with congregations and Church governance contexts, participation in relevant conferences, regular reflection, and post-study service.
What is on offer
- Financial and other support to facilitate study — a stipend, limited accommodation and approved study costs
- A flexible study pathway — full-time or part-time, in Canada, in Australia, or a mix of both, with a proposed start date of August/September 2027
- A formation pathway — mentoring, engagement with congregations, governance exposure, conference participation and ongoing reflection
Who are we looking for?
Women with an interest in Canon Law — particularly religious life, governance, and the civil–canonical interface — and the maturity, reflective capacity and willingness to participate in ongoing formation. Applicants should be committed to becoming a resource for religious institutions, especially women religious, be an Australian citizen or have the right to work in Australia, and have the academic capacity and appropriate theology prerequisites met, or be able to meet them before the scholarship start date. Gifts or experience in governance, ministry, theology, law, education, leadership, Church administration, safeguarding, or service within Catholic organisations are all relevant.
The scholarship is a collaborative initiative of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, the Dominican Sisters, the Ursuline Sisters, the Sisters of Mercy ISMAPNG, the Sisters of Mercy Parramatta, and the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. It is grounded in a “charism of the collective”, where knowledge is shared across communities and benefits the collective.
The aim is not simply to fund academic study, but to form women who can serve the Church with legal clarity, pastoral sensitivity, maturity, and a deep understanding of religious life and the Australian Church context.
If you have any questions, please contact Molly Payne, Canon Law Collaborative Coordinator, at molly.payne@ismapng.org.au or 0437 694 722.
Expressions of interest are open now — for further information and to register your interest, visit Australian Women in Canon Law Scholarship. The Expression of Interest form can also be completed directly.