Friday in May. March 2024
I spent the weekend at the Catholic Women’s Diocesan Council’s annual conference. Nearly 200 women attended, marking what Father Ariel Dorian, as the organization’s spiritual advisor, described in his opening comments as “…an important moment of unity, inspiration, and empowerment for women within our faith community. It was a fitting description.
Father Dorian acknowledged that this congregation is a gathering of women from all walks of life, each with unique stories, experiences, and backgrounds, but that we “have a common good; It was also true that we were united by the timeless and profound teachings of the Catholic faith. Together as one family and as one faith community. ” he said.
That diversity and unity was especially evident among the winners of the Woman of the Year award. Each of these women has dedicated countless hours of volunteer work over the years for the common good of their parish, the Church of Utah, and the broader community, and each has a unique story. . Some of them were born and raised in Utah, while others immigrated here from other places, including some from other countries.
One of the most difficult aspects of writing about Women of the Year is that space does not allow me to describe all of the work they do. This year, 28 women were honored. It’s not practical to give each one a paragraph on these pages, unless there’s a lot of other news going on in the diocese. I am therefore faced with the challenge of selecting a representative few to include in my award story. For several years we had chosen one woman from each dean and the Catholic Women’s Union, but the Southwest Dean has only a few parishes and the Salt Lake Dean has only about 12 parishes. So I thought that was a little unfair. So this year, we chose a woman who has served for decades. They are each unique. They manage altar linens, assist with fundraising, serve as lecturers and interim ministers of communion, participate in musical services, host funeral luncheons, and serve in leadership roles in parishes and Catholic Women’s Councils. . They are also active in various initiatives in the wider community.
The theme of the conference was “New Paths of Encounter,” taken from Pope Francis’ encyclical. Fratelli Tutti (On fraternities and social friendships). This theme is very appropriate for the times in which we live, Bishop Oscar A. Solis said in his remarks at the Women of the Year banquet. “Society has lost its sense of community togetherness,” he says. “We have lost not only civility, but even the ability to be friends in the midst of disagreements. We need to build a productive dialogue that fosters understanding, empathy and solidarity.”
The bishop went on to say that in the encyclical, the pope “encourages us to stop, look, listen, and act, making us centers of encounter to break down the barriers that divide and engage the lives of others.” He encourages us to be considerate.” Then we can start building bridges and relationships. ” The women of DCCW are hands-on and engaged with others, not just award-winning women, but other women as well.
The conference provided a lot of inspiration and strength not only from the Women of the Year examples but also from the speakers. One of his messages that I have in mind right now was from keynote speaker Yen Fasano, who said that God always “calls you by your name; Please call me.” God will never call you out for your sin or shame. ” This quote resonated with me too because, God knows, we often focus on our own shortcomings. But how do I get him to lovingly call me by my name? That’s a truth I have to remember, and I was so happy to hear it.
Marie Michel is the editor of Intermountain Catholic. Please contact marie@icatholic.org.
