ISSN 2664-4002 (Print) & ISSN 2664-6714 (Online) South Asian Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Abbreviated Key Title: South Asian Res J Human Soc Sci | Volume-1 | Issue-2| Aug-Sep -2019 | DOI: 10.36346/SARJHSS.2019.v01i02.027 Copyright @ 2019: This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non commercial use (NonCommercial, or CC-BY-NC) provided the original author and source are credited. © South Asian Research Publication, Bangladesh Journal Homepage: www.sarpublication.com/sarjhss 179 Original Research Article Challenges Faced By Lay Women in Promotion of Socio-Spiritual Roles in ST Charles Lwanga Hambale Catholic Parish in Vihiga County-Kenya Dr. Rose Njoroge* Department of religion, theology and philosophy, Maseno University, p.o box 333-40105, maseno, Kenya *Corresponding Author Rose Njoroge Article History Received: 08.08.2019 Accepted: 16.08.2019 Published: 30.09.2019 Abstract: This paper assessed challenges faced by lay women in promotion of socio-spiritual roles in St Charles Lwanga Hambale Catholic Parish in Vihiga County, Kenya. It discusses various roles various challenges lay women faces in their various socio-spiritual roles in the church. The study was conducted among various lay women in the five sub parishes within St Charles Lwanga Catholic Parish. This was based on the fact that lay women in the parish are the majority and the most active in their roles in the church hence a need to assess the challenges they face. Respondents were drawn from members of Small Christian Communities (SCCs), Leaders and some members from three lay women organizations which are: Catholic Women Association (CWA), Legion of Mary, and Sacred Heart. The study was based on both primary and secondary data collected and was descriptive in nature. Keywords: Catholic Church, challenges, lay women, Roles, Small Christian Communities. BACKGROUND In an age of turmoil over the roles and rights of women, Johnstone [10] noted that, it is small wonder that religious organizations worldwide have themselves became microcosms of the women’s role. Women for a long time have had no role or responsibilities in their churches. All that was expected of them was to attend to the church service, sit down and listen to the preaching and then return back home. In addition, Kasomo [10] pointed out that in the unbroken tradition of the Catholic Church women have never been admitted to the holy orders, with which the orthodox tradition also concurs. Jesus Christ did not call any woman to be part of the twelve disciples, even his own mother. The apostolic church faithfully carried out this exclusion of women from priesthood that was instituted by Christ. This is a challenge to women roles in the church as it hinders their potential. It is apparent that the contemporary church’s view of women is that she is an aesthetically child centered individual who has no talent for ordination ministry or policy making position. This implies that women are not interested in highly demanding and challenging positions. This is a sex role stereotype and has a lot of effect even in denominations that ordain women. They still do not consider women for higher positions. Their roles in the church are limited on the basis of their gender [10]. This is a challenge to women as it hinders their potential in participating fully in church activities to higher levels of church ministry. As noted by Getui and Theuri [5] a woman in the Judeo-Christian traditions was subordinate and only honored as a wife and a mother. She was to keep out of the public eye and assume passive roles in the public whenever a need arose. At the temple and synagogues, a woman had to remain silent with a segregated place. Johnstone [6] also observes that within the church we find a long history of second class, citizenship for women. St. Paul set the stage and tone for nineteen centuries that follow as he says in 1 st Timothy 2:11-14. Let a woman learn in silence with all submission and I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first then Eve. And Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived fell into transgression.