Spiritual Growth and Fellowship

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I spent the weekend at the annual convention of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. Almost 200 women attended, and it lived up to the description Father Ariel Durian gave it in his opening comments as the organization’s spiritual advisor: “… a significant moment of unity, inspiration and empowerment for women within our faith community.”

Fr. Durian acknowledged it was a gathering of women from different walks of life, each with unique stories, experiences and backgrounds, but it also true that we were “united with a common good – the timeless and profound teachings of our Catholic faith, which binds us together as one family and as one community of faith,” as he said.

That diversity and unity was especially evident in the recipients of the Woman of the Year awards. Each of these women has spent countless hours over the years volunteering for the common good of their parish, the Church in Utah and the wider community, but each of them has a unique story. Some of them were born and raised in Utah, others moved here from elsewhere, including some who are from other countries.

One of the most difficult aspects of writing about the Women of the Year is that, because of space, we can’t describe all of what they do. This year, 28 women were honored. Giving even a paragraph to each in these pages just isn’t practical, not when we have so much other news going on in the diocese. Therefore, I’m faced with the task of choosing a representative few to include in the story about the awards. For several years we selected one woman from each deanery and the Catholic Woman’s League, but then it occurred to me that was a little unfair because there are only a couple of parishes in the Southwestern Deanery and about a dozen in the Salt Lake Deanery. So this year I chose women who have given decades of service. Each of them is unique: they maintain altar linens, help with fundraisers, serve as lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, participate in music ministry, organize funeral luncheons, and hold leadership roles in the parish and in the Council of Catholic Women. They also are active in the broader community in a wide variety of efforts.

The theme of the convention was “Path of Renewed Encounter,” taken from Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti (on fraternity and social friendship). This theme was very appropriate for the times we live in, Bishop Oscar A. Solis said in his remarks at the Women of the Year banquet. “Society has lost its sense of unity, as a community,” he said. “We have not only lost civility, but even the ability to be friends amid disagreements. There is a necessity to forge a path of renewed encounter that transcends differences and divisions, and a productive dialogue that fosters understanding, empathy and solidarity that goes beyond mere superficial encounters.”

The bishop went on to note that in the encyclical the Holy Father “encourages us to stop, look, listen and act, and recommends compassion to be the heart of our encounter to break down barriers that divide and get engaged in the lives of others, so we can begin building bridges and relationships.” The DCCW women – not only those who were recognized with the awards but all the others – do act and get engaged with others.

The convention also offered plenty of inspiration and empowerment, not only from the examples of the Women of the Year but also from the speakers. One message that I am carrying in my heart right now was given by the keynote speaker, Yen Fasano, who said God will always “call you by your name; he will never call you by your sin or your shame.” This resonated with me because I too often focus on my faults, which are many, as God knows. But to have him call me by my name, lovingly? That is a truth of which I need reminding, and it was wonderful to hear.

Marie Mischel is editor of the Intermountain Catholic. Reach her at marie@icatholic.org.