Women Of The Church National Conference Planned For October
Registration is now open for “Women of the Church: Strength of the Past. Hope for Tomorrow. A Catholic Leadership Conference.” The national conference will be held Oct. 7-9 in Ferdinand.
Responding to Pope Francis’ call for “a more incisive female presence” in the Church, Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, St. Meinrad, and the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand are co-hosting the conference, which will be held at Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand.
The conference seeks to recognize and support the many ways that women participate in the mission of the Catholic Church. Three nationally known speakers will be featured at the national gathering:
- Dr. Carolyn Woo, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, will speak on “Working for a Better World: God, Neighbor, Self.”
- Dr. Kathleen Sprows Cummings, director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame and an associate professor of American studies and history, will speak about models of Catholic women’s leadership.
- Sr. Mary Catherine Hilkert, OP, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, will be speaking on “Go and Tell: The Testimony of Women and the Faith of the Church.”
Bishop Charles C. Thompson of Evansville and Archbishop Joseph Tobin of Indianapolis also will participate in the program. Topics for the breakout sessions will include leadership formation, vocational discernment, spirituality, Catholic health care, youth ministry, the Benedictine charism, and cultivating leaders for a multicultural Church.
The conference is designed for women and men in the Church, including professional lay ecclesial ministers, scholars, teachers, youth and campus ministers, parish leaders and volunteers, healthcare providers and social workers, religious and those discerning a call. Conference participation will be limited to 300.
Early-bird registration is now open, at $150 per person, through July 14. The regular conference rate is $190. For the complete schedule and to register, visit www.womenofthechurch.org.
