On December 14, 200 women from all over the Diocese spent a few hours abiding in the love of Jesus Christ at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Allentown. Hosted by the Bishop’s Commission for Women in collaboration with the Catholic Women’s Society of Giving, the morning included Mass celebrated by Bishop Schlert, breakfast, a keynote by Father John Frink, Parochial Administrator of St. Francis de Sales parish in Robesonia, raffles, and a candlelit closing ceremony.
“I truly hope you will be able to put aside all that is worrying you at this time of year,” said Bishop Schlert. “Let your husbands untangle the Christmas lights, and just be with Our Lord.”
The Angelorum Choir led attendees in beautiful Advent hymns during the Mass. During his homily, Bishop invited the women to imitate Mary, whom he called “The Mother of Expectant Hope.”
“Like her, we trust that God’s plan is good, even if we can’t see how right now,” Bishop said. “Mary had profound trust and hope that God would make all things right in the end.”
Bishop also offered the women an important reminder that “Hope is not something we can muster on our own. It is a theological virtue that comes from the Holy Spirit. We are never alone; God is with us at every step.”
After Holy Mass, retreatants mingled over continental breakfast, meeting ladies of all ages from 30 different parishes.
“What a joy to be surrounded by so many holy women!” One attendee gushed.
Father John Frink took the podium after breakfast, offering his talk titled: “Finding Hope Through Prayer.” He spoke about St. Ignatius of Loyola and what he reveals about why we pray. Then, he shared stories about St. Thérèse of Lisieux to tell what prayer is. He quoted her definition: “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart…it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”
Father referenced several other saints in his talk, including St. Francis de Sales, St. John of the Cross, and St. Teresa of Avila. Using their examples and writings, Fr. Frink explained that “Prayer is about a relationship with the One who is first Love,” and “We pray to conform our wills to what God wants, because God wants to exalt us. And when we desire His will, we receive our heart’s desire.” With a smile, he added: “And if that isn’t a cause for hope, I don’t know what is!”
But Father Frink insisted that the most important message he wanted the women to remember was regarding their identity.
“You are the beloved daughter of the Eternal Father,” he declared. He asked the whole group to repeat it back, then continued. “Recognizing your identity is a ‘surge of the heart,’ a prayer.”
The retreat concluded with four verses of “Silent Night,’ sung acapella by everyone in attendance. Each woman held a small candle, and as people passed their lit flames to their neighbors, the room filled with more and more light as the song progressed.
“My favorite aspect of the retreat was to see so many women of all ages and from all parts of our Diocese come together to pause for a brief moment to celebrate the Eucharist,” shared Mary Ann Guman, Chair of the Commission for Women. “It was beautiful to hear the joyful noise of women nurturing holy friendships and sharing their faith with one another.”
Photos by Vargas Photography.
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