When courageous women break barriers, they turn hope into history and make the impossible possible.
I never saw it coming.
I prayed, voted, and watched in awe as courageous women made history in the November 3, 2026, midterm elections. When the results became clear the next day, I felt grateful, amazed, and hopeful.
Women who had been told that certain doors were closed to them walked through them. They did not walk alone; they carried the hopes of generations of women who had struggled, sacrificed, prayed, organized, and refused to give up.
What seemed impossible only a week ago suddenly became possible!
Keisha Lance Bottoms made history as the first Black woman elected governor in the United States, winning in Georgia. Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, became the first Native American woman elected governor in New Mexico. Peggy Flanagan became the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate, representing Minnesota. Gina Hinojosa became the first Latina elected governor of Texas.
There were more breakthroughs. Juliana Stratton's election in Illinois means that, for the first time, three Black women will serve together in the U.S. Senate. Amy Acton became Ohio's first woman governor, and Marsha Blackburn became Tennessee's first woman governor.
These women bring different backgrounds, experiences, and political traditions to their leadership. Their victories remind us that leadership is not limited to one race, gender, religion, or political identity.
Doors are opening, the circle is widening, and history is changing before our eyes.
Thinking about these remarkable women brought to mind the courageous biblical figures in my book, The Impossible Circle. https://www.amazon.com/clp/B0HJXS3N87?lv=shuf&channelId=500
They, too, believed that Divine Love could open a way when none seemed possible.
I think of Sarah, who laughed when she was promised new life at a time when it seemed too late. In the end, her laughter turned to joy.
I think of Hagar, an enslaved woman left alone in the wilderness, who encountered the God who sees her. Her story reminds us that Divine Love sees everyone.
I think of Miriam, who led her people in song and dance after they were freed from slavery. She reminds us that freedom is not only something to receive, but also something to celebrate and share.
I think of Ruth and Naomi, whose love for one another crossed boundaries of nationality, age, and belonging. Their story reminds us that strangers can become family.
I think of Mary, the mother of Jesus, whose courageous yes opened a new chapter in the story of God’s people. In her Magnificat, she envisioned a world where the powerful are brought down and the lowly are lifted up.
I think of the woman who suffered from hemorrhages and reached out in faith despite the barriers that kept her isolated. She refused to let exclusion have the final word.
I think of the Samaritan woman at the well, who crossed religious and cultural boundaries to share good news.
I think, too, of Mary of Bethany, whose love and spiritual wisdom challenged expectations of women's roles.
These women did not wait for permission to live out Divine Love. They trusted the possibilities unfolding in their lives.
Isn't that what we have just witnessed in America?
Women from different backgrounds are stepping into leadership, challenging assumptions, and showing the next generation that yesterday's barriers do not have to limit tomorrow.
But there is something even more important here.
This moment is about more than women; it is about all of us.
It includes Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, Latino, and white Americans; women and men; transgender and nonbinary people; immigrants and longtime citizens; and people of every faith, as well as those with no religious tradition.
It includes children who deserve a future full of possibility, families struggling to make ends meet, people seeking justice, and communities longing for peace.
It also includes people around the world who are struggling for freedom, equality, safety, and human dignity.
Celebrating these historic victories should go hand in hand with working for the common good. Representation matters, but leadership will ultimately be judged by whether it improves people's lives, protects those most at risk, and helps build a more just and compassionate society.
And now another door may be opening for our Church.
Recently, Vienna Archbishop Josef Grünwidl said publicly that he hopes women will one day be ordained, while noting that the decision would require a future council of the universal Church.
In a radio interview on October 31, he said he wants women to be ordained, though he does not see the Church making that decision anytime soon.
I welcomed his words with hope and gratitude, and I found myself asking:
If a future Church council is needed to consider women's ordination, why not start preparing for it now?
Imagine Pope Leo XIV bringing bishops, theologians, women priests, and inclusive Catholic communities together for a Vatican-sponsored dialogue about women's ordination.
Imagine hearing from women who have already answered God's call, and from the communities their ministries have transformed.
Imagine a Church that recognizes the Holy Spirit speaking through women and people of all genders.
As a Roman Catholic woman priest and bishop, I know what it is like to face doors that others say will never open.
Twenty years ago, when I was ordained a priest, many believed that women priests were an impossibility in the Roman Catholic tradition.
Today, women priests serve inclusive Catholic communities that welcome everyone to the Eucharistic table, celebrate spiritual gifts, and share leadership.
We did not wait for someone to tell us equality was possible; we began living it.
Archbishop Grünwidl's words remind me that new conversations can begin even in institutions resistant to change. His statement does not change current Church teaching, but it does create an opening for dialogue.
What if something the institutional Church deems impossible today becomes a reality in the future?
What if we began making that future possible now?
I see that same Spirit of courage and possibility at work in our democracy and our Church.
I believe Divine Love is always calling us to imagine a wider circle, where no one is excluded, differences are welcomed as gifts, and everyone has a place at the table.
Elections alone cannot heal our divisions or guarantee justice, and one archbishop's hopeful words cannot change centuries of Church teaching overnight. There is still much work to do. Even so, these breakthroughs show that change can begin in surprising ways.
Now the work belongs to all of us.
What seemed impossible a week ago can become possible today and in the days ahead.
Can we imagine a country where political differences do not end friendships, every child has enough to eat, immigrants are treated with dignity, people of all genders have equal opportunities, and peace outweighs fear?
Can we imagine a world where the voices of those long excluded are finally heard?
Can we imagine a Church that welcomes every baptized person as an equal and does not deny anyone a calling because of gender?
I can.
And I believe we can make it happen together.
The women of Scripture remind us that courage begins with trust. The women who made history in this election show us that courage also requires action. And the growing conversation about women's ordination reminds us that even long-standing barriers can be challenged.
We should do more than admire these breakthroughs; we should carry their hope into our communities.
We can make the impossible possible through acts of kindness, courageous conversations, standing up for justice, and choosing love rather than fear.
The circle is widening.
The Spirit is moving.
The future calls us to take part in the sacred work of making all things new.
What impossible dream is Divine Love inviting you to make possible today?
Sources
