Sr. Philippa Rath and theology students from Freiburg accepted the award from the Austrian church reform movements in Enns
For the sixth time, Austrian church reform movements have presented the "Trumpet of Jericho" award. It honors individuals "who stand up against outdated church rules."
Previous recipients include Doris Reisinger, Josef Pampalk, Jens Ehebrecht-Zumsande, the initiative "#OutInChurch – For a Church Without Fear," Monika Schmid, Martin Lintner (OSM), and David Steindl-Rast (OSB).
On October 16, 2026, in Enns, the German religious sister Philippa Rath and a group of theology students from the University of Freiburg were honored with the award.
For years, Sr. Philippa Rath has been a staunch advocate for opening ordained church ministries to women. Her books—“...because God wills it: Women Speak About Their Calling to the Diaconate and Priesthood” and “Women into Ministry: Men of the Church Show Solidarity”—have brought significant attention to the "question of women" within the Church. Sr. Philippa also champions gender equality in the Church through her work with the Synodal Path and the Central Committee of German Catholics. Fr. Andreas Batlogg (SJ, Germany) delivered the laudatory speech, thanking Sr. Philippa for consistently raising her voice—"whether in season or out of season"—and for thereby prompting many personal "journeys of learning" for others.
The eleven theology students—three of whom were present to accept the award on behalf of the entire group—officially applied for admission to the local seminary in the spring of 2025. In doing so, they publicly demonstrated that they feel called to the priesthood and wish to become priests within the Catholic Church. Their application to the seminary and its subsequent rejection—which was, however, accompanied by several discussions and a clear expression of appreciation from the rector in charge—garnered significant media attention. The laudatio for the theology students was delivered by Monika Schmid (Switzerland). Drawing connections between the students' story and her own experiences as a pastoral minister, Schmid—visibly moved—thanked the students for the courage they showed in standing up against the prevailing injustice.
The award recipients and the individuals delivering the laudatory speeches were met with prolonged applause. In keeping with tradition, Martina Wirth honored both awards with a virtuoso trumpet solo—the iconic passage from Beethoven’s “Leonor”* Overture. Many guests were particularly struck by the intergenerational dimension of the evening: on one hand, there was Sr. Philippa Rath, a long-standing advocate for gender justice within the Church; on the other, there were young female students who have consciously taken up the cause, expressing explicit gratitude for the work of their predecessors while now contributing their own unique perspectives. In this spirit, Sr. Philippa Rath offered her own heartfelt thanks to the students present.
The awards ceremony took place against the backdrop of the exhibition "The Church Is Female" (Die Kirche ist weiblich), which adorned the event hall and the entire Enns–St. Laurenz parish center. Created by the Women’s Commission of the Diocese of Linz, the photographic exhibition features large fabric panels displaying images of women engaged in a wide variety of roles within the Church—a powerful visual testament to the significant influence women already exert on the Church today. There was a clear consensus among all those present that the time is long overdue to open ordained ministries to women.
Photo: Knell