This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the Catholic Women of the Year Awards and a special celebratory luncheon was held on Friday 10th October at the Marble Arch Thistle Hotel in London to honour this year’s four recipients of the Award.  300 people attended.

This year’s four women are Sister Ann Teresa, founder of the Medaille Trust; Dr Suha Rassam, founder of Iraqi Christians in Need; Mrs Diana Sanderson, who was born with spina bifida and went on to train as a social worker and probation officer; and Mrs Julia Houlston Clark who works with young offenders at Cardiff Prison.  They were presented with their awards by His Excellency Archbishop Faustino Sainz Munoz, the Apostolic Nuncio. 

L to R:  Dr Suha Rassam, Mrs Diana Sanderson, Mrs Julia Houlson Clark and Sister Ann Teresa The Keynote address was given by Father Aidan Nichols on the theme of ‘Finding God in Today’s World’. 

The chosen charity for this year was Youth 2000 and Charles Connor spoke about this. Kingswinford Section in Birmingham Branch of the Catholic Women’s League nominated Sister Ann Teresa for her award and 10 members of Birmingham Branch were present at the luncheon in support of Sister Ann Teresa, a sister of St Joseph of Annecy. The Catholic Women’s League as a whole have been supporting her work. Sister Ann Teresa is a founder and trustee of the Medaille Trust which works to empower women, young men and children who have been freed or escaped from the sex trafficking industry here in the United Kingdom. This is done by providing safe housing and offering opportunities for physical and psychological healing and rehabilitation, thus enabling these people to regain their dignity and self worth. Sister Ann Teresa has been widely acclaimed for raising awareness of the reality of this modern form of slave trading.  She has also highlighted the government responsibility in the ratification of the European Convention on Trafficking. The participants at a seminar of religious held in Rome, at which Sister Ann Teresa was a speaker, established the International Network of Religious Against Trafficking to which the Vatican has given unequivocal support and encouragement.  In taking on the task, Sister Ann Teresa has chosen to support the poorest, most vulnerable and least able women, children and young men in our world today.

Members of Birmingham Branch of the Catholic Women’s League pictured with Sr Ann Teresa with her award at the Luncheon

The other 3 Catholic Women of the Year

Diana Sanderson is a respected wife, mother and professional woman although this description does not take into account her well developed concept of vocation nor her lifetime struggle with congenital disability  Born with spina bifida and developing hydrocephalus and pneumonia it would have been easy to give up; however, with the support of truly caring and aware parents, and after two years of home tuition, she attended school, a college of further education and then Manchester University graduating with a BA in Social Administration.  It was during her student years that having overcome considerable family opposition; Diana was received into the Catholic Church.

Diana met and married Phil and they have two sons.  She worked in various social service departments, studied for and obtained professional qualification in Social Work at Hull University and moved on to the Probation Service where she has worked since despite experiencing difficulties with those in the probation hierarchy who saw her disability as an insuperable barrier.  In 1991 and 1994 Diana suffered breast cancer but neither surgery nor other treatments could keep this woman down!  She is active in her parish particularly in the Bereavement Group.

Julia Houlston Clark is the Catholic Chaplain of HM Prison Cardiff and has been responsible for developing the SORI course.  The acronym stands for Supporting Offenders through Restoration Inside.  It is a programme of restorative justice aimed to turn offenders actual and potential away from crime and so reduce the number of visits. 

“Offenders go through a tough programme.  They play out roles of their victims and meet victims of similar crimes – matching like for like.  In some cases, then it is deemed safe to do so, prisoners have sent letters of apology to their actual victims” says Julia.  The programme is also designed to boost professionals in the criminal justice community.

Julia is a strong family woman, active in her parish where she plays the organ and is very well respected by her work colleagues at all levels and by her home community.

The SORI course is being piloted in six English prisons as well as in Wales and is based on the Christian principles of restorative justice and of reducing the harm done by crime in the community.  The course is run by Chaplains because of confidentiality so as a bi-product, it encourages offenders to think about spiritual values, faith and their place in everyday life.

Dr Suha Rassam is a practising Chaldean Catholic from her youth.  Married with three grown up children, she and her husband have always been involved with Christian Youth in Baghdad.  Suha graduated in Baghdad but obtained her specialist qualification in the UK where she settled after the first Gulf War.

During her medical career as a Gastroenterologist, she has published papers on tropical medicine and chapters in text books.  Her faith has governed her choices and has mapped her path in life.  Despite her professional life as an eminent physician and her busy family life, she had an active role in the Christian community in Baghdad including organising and running Bible study groups.  These groups were invaluable in a country where Christian sources and books are scarce.  She mentored and supported several Christians on their journey in faith.

Settling in the UK allowed Suha to pursue her passion for research and learning at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University.  She underpinned her faith and conviction by expanding on her knowledge of biblical and church history.  The success of her recently published book ‘Christianity in Iraq’ has proved a moving experience for many, especially the Iraqi Christians because it restored pride in their history and origin.  The book was also an educational instrument, in that it brought the chronicle of the Eastern Church to the attention of the Western world.

Recently, Suha was instrumental in setting up a charity called Iraqi Christians in Need.  The aim of the charity is to help Christians suffering from persecution and religious discrimination in Iraq.

Story by: Bernie Townsend, Liaison Officer, Birmingham Branch.

back to the top >