More than three decades have passed since Pope St. John Paul II asked that as part of the universal call to holiness, all would “acknowledge the indispensable contribution of women to the building up of the Church and the development of society.”
As we emerge from the isolation and dislocation if the last years – we have warmly invited women of all ages and vocations to a day in Keilor Downs in Melbourne, devoted to rekindling this light. If you have suddenly found that you have this Saturday free you are very welcome to sign up here.
This first Retreat day – begins as a collaborative work of the Anima Women’s Network and the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia which will take up the great Pope John Paul II’s insights and hopes.
This day will feature talks, conversations, prayer and the Sacraments through which we will ponder the mystery of this beautiful vocation in the company of Our Lady who first ” treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). How is woman as daughter, sister, spouse and mother a manifestation of her inherent dignity and vocation to love?
An overview of the topics are below:
- Beloved Daughter of the Father– Fr Paul Rowse OP
- Spouse of the Word- Sister Mary Helen OP
- The Gift of Spiritual Motherhood– Anna Krohn.
The Lamps Alight exploration will take up this exploration in a series which continues in 2023 with a Saturday morning mini-retreat each month at St Mary MacKillop in Keilor Downs.
In the mini-retreats, we’ll deepen our understanding of the “indispensable contribution of women” with a reflection on the holy women who encountered Christ in the Scriptures, those who were spouses, mothers, professionals, intellectuals, or influential in political life, all at the service of Christ and the Church.
The first of these will start on the 8th February with the topic – The Dignity of Woman and the Order of Love.
We are very excited to be working witht the Sistors, keep your eyes out for the full set of dates coming out soon!
