April 23, 2017

Women pray and strengthen their faith at annual Catholic conference

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Julie Beaulieu

CHICOPEE – Four hundred women gathered for the 10^th annual Catholic Women’s Conference at Bellamy Middle School in Chicopee to listen to speakers, pray together and strengthen their faith Saturday, April 22.

“We all have, inside of us, the ability to become a saint,” said Mother Olga, of the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth.

Born and raised in Iraq, Mother Olga has won several awards, both in her homeland, and here in the United States. In 2011, Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley entrusted to her the mission of establishing a new religious community in the Archdiocese of Boston, Daughters of Mary of Nazareth. Some sisters in the congregation accompanied her to Chicopee.

Mother Olga spoke of a mother’s love, and how women, as mothers, love “our children to pieces,” just as Mary loved Jesus. She added that with the Holy Spirit inside of us, water and fire guide us through our life, from baptism to natural death.

“What I think I loved most about her is how she brought baptism, and the birth of our current children, and mirrored it with that of Jesus. I thought that was a beautiful analogy that I had never thought of in that way,” said Lind Bathel, a parishioner at Sacred Heart parish in Feeding Hills.

“The other thing I took away from her was striving to be a saint, and I had been reading a book as to how everyone should strive to be a saint, and I very much liked hearing that from her. Her message was just so simple, very pure, and something that everybody could follow,” Bathel said.

Patricia Livingston, author of, Lessons of the Heart and, This Blessed Mess, warmed up a morning audience with her inspiring lecture, ‘Turning Toward Joy.’

“It’s hard to keep your joy alive when you’re having some kind of real struggle, difficulty, sadness, or even in a world where there is such turmoil,” said Livingston.

“For us being able to trust God, we have to know that goodness is his gift to us, and to focus on it in the present moment, to let it in, and to know that it comes from God’s love. And, for me, that has been the most important development of my spiritual life,” she added.

Following a break, Therese Wilson Favors, author and former director of the Office of African American Catholic Ministries for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, spoke on how, God’s grace resuscitates faith.

Wilson Favors recalls her mission in the inner city.

“We wanted to make sure our people knew that African-American men had not left the village. We were very motivated by a quote I got from an African proverb that says an undecided person is the worst disaster in a village. So, we wanted to make sure people knew that the Catholic Church was present in our communities and that our men were there to share the most important thing in their lives, to know Jesus,” she said.

Sister of St. Joseph Catherine Homrok served as committee chair for the past seven years.

“It’s been wonderful. I think that this year, we made three really wonderful choices with our speakers,” said Sister Homrock.

The day also included Catholic vendors, book signings, reconciliation, eucharistic adoration, Benediction, and Mass celebrated by Springfield Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski. The Dan Kane singers provided the music.