From left: Francesco Marfè, Noemi Falla, Stefano Giannatempo, Ilenya Goss,
Stanislao Calati.
Gospel and saying the time is fulfilled. And the Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel. ‘It may be offensive to our modern secular
Christianity, which may be our alibi, nevertheless Jesus insists on permanent
repentance. This is our alibi. However, we must imitate Jesus.’
2017 also marks 50 years since the first three women ministers were or-
dained. Now women pastors represent 40 per cent of the ordained ministry.
2017 is also notable in seeing an exceptional five Candidates being or-
dained: two women and three men. Indeed, all three of the latter come from
the Catholic world; one is an ex-seminarist.
Ilenya Goss hails from Luserna San Giovanni and studied Philosophy
and Medicine and also Music. This eclectic background brought her
to teach Medical Ethics and History of Medicine at Turin University.
She eventually felt a strong call to study Theology through distance
learning via the Waldensian Faculty in Rome. Already a lay preacher,
after spending her year abroad in Strasbourg she did a probationary
year in Genoa.
Our Committee knows Noemi Falla from Scicli in Sicily well, since she
spent her year abroad in Cambridge. A Methodist, originally she was
studying to be an Art Teacher, but her widowed mother and her Pastor
John Hobbins encouraged her vocation, which also entailed study-
ing Latin, Greek and Hebrew. After serving in Bologna, she is now in
Parma. ‘For me female clergy are an enrichment for the Church since
a woman is able to bring a different approach and sensibility also in
the interpretation of the Bible.’
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