St. Rita Catholic Church in Alexandria, LA, under the mentorship of Reverend Craig Scott, Pastor, graduated 110 women from the Women of Grace® study program on the evening of May 4, 2015. Friends and family were in attendance for the Mass, graduation ceremony, and dinner to witness the women as they rejoiced in the Lord, who had called them to complete their Lenten journey for 2015.
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Women of Grace of Boca Raton Crown Mary
May is one of the months that Catholics around the world celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary in a special way. Women of Grace® encourages this ancient tradition and many of our facilitators lead their study groups in a May Crowning ceremony.
Make This Summer the One That Changed Your Life!
This year’s Women of Grace® Retreat, which will be held from July 17-19 on the historic 120-acre campus of Orchard Lake Schools in Orchard Lake, Michigan, is the ideal setting for an encounter with the Architect of your life.
Entitled, "My Grace is Sufficient for You: Woman and God's Divine Plan," this retreat will feature Johnnette Benkovic, Fr. Philip Scott, FJ and Dr. Monica Miller in an intensive three-day immersion in what it means to be a daughter of God, and how to live out that call in this our day and time. These restful grounds, which were so dear to the heart of St. John Paul II, are the perfect place to escape the world and acquire the spiritual and emotional nourishment you need in order to empower you to engage in the unique cultural battles of our time.
“The Women of Grace Retreat always awakens what has been hiding inside of me,” says Mary Dillenback of Fishers Landing, New York. “I leave with renewed courage and joy – grateful to know I am a daughter of the Most High God and that much closer to who God needs me to be!” The retreat will be preceded by the Benedicta Leadership Institute for Women on July 16 – 17. Johnnette and Dr. Miller will discuss, “The Authority of Woman: Her Influence, Effect, and Power."
St. Joseph’s Hands by Claire Dwyer
Richard Zeidler, my “Uncle Dick”Nine years ago I went for a walk with Alice von Hildebrand. The lovely Catholic philosopher and theologian had come into Phoenix to give a talk on God’s love, and desiring to enjoy the weather and the views around Camelback mountain, she found me a willing companion. Our conversation turned to my uncle, who had recently died after a terribly painful battle with stomach cancer. I had described his life to her, and then she stopped me, looked into my eyes, and said in her beautiful accent, “You’ve got to write that.” Firmly. And I knew I should, not just because when Alice von Hildebrand tells you to do something, you probably should, but also because deep down I knew it was true. So…it took me nine years, but here goes, and intentionally in time for the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, May 1st.
Olé! Women of Grace Begins in Spain
We recently received the exciting news from Regional Coordinator, Monique Russo, who is based in Gibraltar, of the successful completion of our very first Women of Grace Foundational Study program in Spain.
Am I Listening, or Just Waiting to Talk?
Commentary by Mandy HowardIt felt righteous. I was speaking God’s Truth and I was standing up for the life of the most defenseless. “Abortion is murder,” I said with strength and courage, “murder is not the same as natural death!”
Spiritual Motherhood Abounds at St. Rita's!
St. Rita Catholic Church Lenten Women of Grace CommencementOn the evening of February 9, 2015, St. Rita Catholic Church in Alexandria, Louisiana gathered 110 women who have committed to the journey of a Lenten Women of Grace® study program. These women are inspired by the life of St. Rita, a woman who well interpreted the "feminine genius" espoused in the study, by living it intensely in day-to-day life and particularly in her gift of spiritual motherhood. The Women of Grace study program is their path to a deeper understanding of their God-given, unique feminine gifts, and the discovery of their particular role in bringing Jesus Christ to the world.
Join Our #50ShadesofGrace Rosary Novena!
"Those whose hearts are pure are the temples of the Holy Spirit." - Saint Lucy
We invite you to participate in our #50ShadesofGrace Novena to pray against the potentially devastating impact of the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movie. This prayer campaign will begin on February 6th and end on February 14th, the Feast of St. Valentine, coinciding with World Marriage Day.To join this effort, just pick up your rosary beads and fervently pray the rosary every day for the intention of helping people embrace the gift of true intimacy versus the perversion of it that is so rampant in our culture today.Here are some helpful links to aid you in your participation in this Novena along with some other resources to work against the impact of the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movie.
- Join our St. Valentine Novena of Masses for Marriage.
- Click here to learn how to pray the rosary via EWTN.
- Support "Old Fashioned," an alternative movie that upholds virtue and God-honoring courtship, also opening on St. Valentine's Day.
- Say "no" to porn by joining the "50 Shades Boycott" here.
- Help someone who is struggling with pornography by sharing this book.
- Click here for free videos on the rosary, pornography addiction, and recovery from sexual abuse.
Please be sure to share this information as widely as possible via Facebook, Twitter, and every means of media using the hashtag #50ShadesofGrace so that we can create a tidal wave of grace upon our land.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Young Mothers Reclaiming Authentic Femininity in Phoenix!
Claire Dwyer and her family.In 1995, I was nearing graduation as a student at the Franciscan University with a degree in theology when I learned about the tragic impact of the radical feminist movement in Beijing, China. My father was a lobbyist at the UN conference on Women in Beijing and I remember sitting on the floor of my dorm room as he told me with great concern about their move to redefine gender. I knew this was wrong, very wrong, and I wanted to find out more about what the Church, in her wisdom, had taught about authentic femininity.
Women of Grace Comes to Folsom, Louisiana!
Pictured from left to right: Dr. Theresa Wilfert, Vickie Adams, Regional Coordinator Brenda Dooley, Facilitator Karen Brown, and Pam BilliotKaren Brown has been Catholic Charismatic Renewal of New Orleans (CCRNO) retreat devotee for 20 years. Karen answered the "call" to become a Women of Grace Facilitator at the 2014 CCRNO Retreat. She recalls, "I desired to do more to share what I had experienced in my life through the Holy Spirit." Karen’s desire and her heartfelt "yes" has certainly born the fruit of that response. The Women of Grace in attendance at this year’s CCRNO Retreat definitely agree as do all the participants from St. John's Parish. We are grateful for the faith-filled support and encouragement of Father Robert Cavalier, Pastor of St. John the Baptist's Parish whose support is indispensable!
