This session delves into the importance and role of self-knowledge to spiritual growth. We look to our Blessed Mother as the model of pondering all things in her heart to better understand God's purpose. As Women of Grace facilitators we can reflect on our growth achieved through the Foundational Study and the importance of prayer in developing our capacity to hear and respond to God's voice in our lives. St. Catherine of Siena provides inspiration for us on our journey: "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire!" Read More …

Description: As we develop as leaders, it's helpful to review our progress on growing in virtue. This session begins with a checklist to assess how well we are living the virtue of magnanimity. In becoming more aware of who we are, who we are not, and what we are called to do and why, we are better able to respond to the longings in our hearts and to develop a deeper relationship with our Lord. We then focused on the heart, reflecting on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, exploring what our heart has to do with virtue, leadership, and spiritual development. Read More …

As Catholic women leaders, we must remain steadfast and courageous in being attentive to and accepting of the mission that God gives each of us. This session explores how we can learn from Our Blessed Mother's example of living the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity (Love) and help her in carrying out her mission. In doing so, we also strive to fulfill our personal missions aided by God's graces and grow in these virtues by understanding and using the gifts that God has given us. In the Q&A/last section of this session facilitator Cindy Westbrook from Birmingham, Alabama shares her inspiring story of how the Lord called her to lead a Young Women of Grace study with middle-school girls. Read More …

This session reinforces the essential role that prayer plays in our growth as Catholic women leaders. In the story of Martha and Mary, the Lord reinforces the value of spending quiet time with Him and opening our hearts to his teaching. We need to ask God to show us the gifts He has given each of us and how, when, and where to use these gifts to achieve His will and grow in holiness.  Read More …

This session delves into common challenges of being a Catholic woman leader, drawing inspiration from St. Joan of Arc and encouragement from Archbishop Fulton Sheen. The discussion explores how women can grow as leaders by overcoming obstacles as well as striving to live a virtuous life as modeled by the Blessed Virgin Mary. Read More …

This session explores how we can learn the foundations of leadership by "walking in the footsteps" of our Blessed Mother. Specifically, Mary through her example teaches us that a Catholic woman leader is not only magnanimous or "great souled," but also has the heart of a handmaid and demonstrates receptivity, trust and surrender to the will of God. Read More …

This session focuses on the role and importance of the virtue of magnanimity for Catholic women leaders. The teaching explores the "active enterprise" of how Catholic women can bring the world to Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ to the world by emulating the Blessed Virgin Mary's magnanimity of soul, servant's heart, and the conformity to the will of God. (Luke 1:38) Read More …

This meeting builds on last month's teaching on humility as a key evangelical virtue of our Blessed Mother Mary and an essential characteristic of authentic Catholic Women's Leadership. Several facilitators share perspectives on striving to lead with humility, recognizing that God gives us the grace needed to be humble and to accomplish the work entrusted to His daughters. Mary Dillenback, Regional Coordinator Liaison, then provides a teaching on the role of our "feminine genius," incorporating Pope St. John Paul II's insights from his Letter to Women that encourages all women to accept and appreciate the gifts and talents God has given to them and reinforcing the great role that Holy Mother Church has given women. Read More …

This session begins with reflections on how Catholic women leaders can put their influence at the disposal of God. Several participants share how the Lord is working through them and their influence to impact others. Mary Dillenback, Regional Coordinator Liaison, then leads a teaching on the importance of humility, drawing on lessons from the bible and the writings of numerous Saints and Church leaders. We learn how the humility modeled by the Blessed Virgin Mary provides the essential foundation for growing in self-knowledge and virtue and in turn fulfilling our mission as Catholic women leaders. Read More …

In this month's meeting Mary Dillenback, Regional Coordinator Liaison for Women of Grace, explains the 10 evangelical virtues of Our Blessed Mother and how all of us are leaders by virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation. As Catholic women leaders, we are called to put our faith into action each day and to "claim our influence" by recognizing the positive impact we can have on our circles of influence -- from immediate and extended family to co-workers, friends, and community. Q&A includes a discussion of options for offering the Foundational Study over shorter or longer time periods (e.g., 9 weeks vs. 16+ weeks). Read More …