Women of Holy Week | The Church of England

Women of Holy Week is a series of nine stories about nine different, but interlinked, women written by Paula Gooder, originally as Holy Week, Easter and Ascension Day reflections for Southwark Cathedral in 2021.

Starting with Palm Sunday and finishing with Ascension Day, these nine stories imagine what it might have been like to accompany Jesus in this final week of his life from the perspective of nine women. Some of them we know with certainty were there because the Gospels tell us they were: the widow with two coins, the woman with the ointment of pure nard, Mary wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of Jesus. Some are not mentioned at all, but someone like them was probably present: a woman journeying to Jerusalem for the Passover, the wife of a scribe, and a female disciple at the Last Supper. The stories also aim to travel from the outside in: from people who had the most fleeting encounters with Jesus at the start of the week to his most devoted followers at the end.

Explore the content below and find out more about the Women of Holy Week book and Kindle e-book, published by Church House Publishing, which features accompanying readings, questions and notes in addition to the nine stories by Paula and artwork by Ally Barrett.