Charism and Spirituality
Learn more about the charism and spirituality of our congregation.
en 
en Mary Ward’s spirituality
We are an international congregation of about 1800 sisters active in 40 countries worldwide.
“Verity Speech” is not an official title, but rather a keyword. It refers to the first of three addresses that Mary Ward gave to her fellow sisters in the community in Saint-Omer.
This first address focuses on the topic of women and what they are believed to be capable of or not capable of, what they can do or cannot do.
On an occasion when the layman Thomas Sackville was commending the Sisters, a Father Minister who was present said: ‘It is true whilst they are in their first fervour, but fervour will decay, and when all is said and done, they are but women.’
The ‘Verity Speech’ was delivered by Mary Ward to her associates in response to this. Mary Ward addressed her sisters in the following words:
I would know what you all think he meant by this speech of his, ‘but women’, and what ‘fervour’ is. Fervour is a will to do good, that is, a preventing grace of God, and gift given gratis by God, which we could not merit. It is true that fervour doth many times grow cold, but what is the cause? Is it because we are women? No, but because we are imperfect women.
There is no such difference between men and women. Therefore it is not because we are women, but as I have said before, because we are imperfect women, love not verity, but seek after lies. ‘Veritas Domini mane in aeternum’ – the verity of the Lord remaineth forever. It is not ‘veritas hominis’, verity of men, nor verity of women, but ‘veritas domini’, and this verity women may have as well as men. If we fail it is for want of this verity, and not because we are women …
Divers religious, both men and women, have lost their fervour, because they have been unmindful of this preventing truth, which is a gift of God, and a sign of predestination, as you have often heard, I am sure I have, of those that are wiser than I. Fervour is not placed in feelings, but in a will to do well, which women may have as well as men.
There is no such difference between men and women that women may not do great things, as we have seen by example of many saints who have done great things. And I hope in God it will be seen that women in time to come will do much…
would to God that all men understood this verity, that women if they will be perfect, and if they would not make us believe we can do nothing, and that we are but women, we might do great matters. What can it profit you, to tell you you are but women, weak and able to do nothing, and that fervour will decay? I say what doth it profit you, but bring you to dejection and without hope of perfection. All are not of this opinion.
