Hey, sister.
Letters From a Catholic Feminist is a top Substack publication by award-winning Catholic writer Claire Swinarski (that’s me).
I’ve been writing on the Internet since I had a Xanga page in 6th grade, but I started diving into faith + culture topics in 2013. After launching the Catholic Feminist podcast in 2017, I helped reignite the conversation on what faithful, feminist discipleship looks like for modern Catholic women. Letters From a Catholic Feminist is another reiteration of that podcast: a corner of the internet where we can sit around the campfire, sip virtual bubbly, and talk about how to love Jesus and each other.
I’ll scoot over. There’s room for you here.
What you will get:
Back in the day, essayists and writers were more independent. They had complete control over what they covered without being beholden to advertisers or publishing houses. I’d like to get back to that space. I’m tired of the exhausting race for more followers, eyeballs, and outrage. I want to do as Mary Oliver instructed: pay attention, be astonished, and tell about it.
Full subscribers will get access to the thrice-monthly letter (typically an essay on a topic relating to women and the church), as well as commissioned work from other Catholic writers I admire, a peek onto my bookshelf, and quarterly Q & A’s. There’s also a comments section, so that I can interact with you in this space more than ever before. You’ll have access to any audio series we put out, such as our Advent mini-podcast, and the serialized version of my latest book, FOLLOW: Logging Out and Leaning In.
What you will not get:
Shamed. Belittled. A space where you’re not allowed to speak your mind. A space where you can tell others not to speak their mind. Personalized advice. A space that doesn’t respect the church and her teaching. A space that doesn’t question, since Israel means to wrestle with God. Dehumanized.
Also, tech help. Please email Substack support if you’re having technical issues or can’t seem to receive Letters, after first checking your spam folder.
What others are saying:
“Claire writes like your whip-smart friend: she gets you thinking but never makes you feel dumb.”
“You approach all topics with charity and clarity and it is SUCH a breath of fresh air and makes me feel like I’m not alone especially when it comes to getting frustrated with the Church (and its people) but still loving being Catholic.”
“I trust and have seen how the letters she writes is intended to draw us ultimately closer to Jesus. She is not afraid to ask the tough questions. I appreciate book/reading recommendations too!”
“The first resource I found that feeds my Catholic Feminist views, everything just clicked!”
“You use too many f words. It sounds trashy.” (That was my mom.)
