BCMC Program



3rd Annual

Boston Catholic Women’s Conference

[pic]

The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength

April 18, 2008

Boston College – Conte Form

| |[pic] | |[pic] | |

| |Part of the celebration of the | |Taking part during the historic journey | |

| |200th Anniversary of the | |of Pope Benedict XVI | |

| |Archdiocese of Boston | |to the United States | |

Schedule

|Prior to Conference |

|4:00 pm |Doors open for check-in and visits with Exhibitors/Adoration/Confession |

| |(Please pick up your dinner ticket at Registration. Dinner boxes are available in Conte Forum, for pick up all night, at any time.) |

|5:00 |Music program begins. Charlene & Martin Doman & Others |

| |Rosary recited in Adoration room. |

|5:20 |“Catholics Coming Home” Initiative |

| |Quick overview of an exciting new initiative having success bringing Catholics back to the Church. |

| |Tom Peterson, breakout speaker at the Men’s Conference, will present the initiative briefly. |

|Conference |

|5:30 |Cardinal Sean O’Malley |

| |Video Message to Attendees, “Welcome Women of Faith” |

|5:45 |Stacey McGovern |

| |“Do Not Be Afraid” – Trusting that God’s Love will bring Joy and Strength” |

|6:30 |Kimberley Hahn |

| |“The Strength of the Humble” |

|7:30 pm |Break |

| |Confession (main level of Conte) |

| |Adoration (upstairs in Conte) |

| |Visit Exhibitors (in Rec Plex across from Conte) |

| |Worship Music – begins at 8:05 |

|8:15 |Catholic of the Year Awards |

| | |

|8:25 |Collection Baskets passed. (Please help to cover the costs of the Conference with your donation.) |

|8:30 |Patti Mansfield |

| |“Joyfully Living through the power of the Holy Spirit” |

|9:15 |Eucharistic Procession |

| |From Adoration room, through main venue to the altar on the main stage. |

| | |

| |Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament |

| |Prayer/Music to be led by Patti Mansfield and Martin Doman. |

|10:00 |Last chance to visit Exhibitors in Rec Plex, on your way out. |

| |Last chance to attend Confession in Conte Forum on your way out. |

| | |

|10:30 pm |Doors Close |

Welcome

Dear Sisters in Christ –

Thank you for choosing to be here at the 3rd Annual Boston Catholic Women’s Conference. We prayerfully chose our theme for this year’s conference to be: “The Joy of the Lord is our Strength”. We pray that the depth of this year’s program will allow each one of you to experience God’s Love, Peace and Joy in a very real way, in your own lives.

Pulling off a Conference like this takes a lot of support. We would like to recognize and thank:

• President Leahy and all those at Boston College that worked very hard to make this event a success. What a blessing it has been to work with such highly talented and committed people!

• All of you here today that invited a friend, sister or relative

• Our 100+ event day volunteers

• All of our 200+ parish captains particularly those women parish captains who joined this year

• All the priests of the Archdiocese and surrounding Dioceses who are here for Confession

• Our speakers for rearranging their busy schedules because they wanted to be here with all of us for our Women’s Conference

• David Thorp for his constant spiritual guidance and support regarding our program, team and speakers.

• The Men’s Conference Team for the creation of a Men’s Conference in Boston and their help with the Women’s Conference.

• George Martell () for providing event photography and marketing.

• Father Reed and the team from CatholicTV for all their help with promoting the Conference.

• Antonio Enrique & the team, Father Roger Landry & The Anchor team.

• Holy Cross Family Ministries in Easton for the donation of rosaries.

• Decolores Bookstore for their generosity.

• The Knights of Columbus for providing us the gift bags.

• Father Mike Harrington and the Vocations Office for their help in facilitating Adoration.

• All those who so generously donated the use of religious articles.

• Mrs. Lynn Kenn and World Apostolate of Fatima, for loaning us the Pilgrim Statue of our Our Lady of Fatima.

• ParishComm for their help with these program booklets and the Adoration prayer guides.

The Boston Catholic Women’s Conference Organizing Team

Linda Calabrese, Colette Crowley, Mary Jo Kriz, Susan Martell, Irene Moschetto, Lynne Roberts, Jennifer Schiller, Michelle Trosett, and Jaymie Stuart Wolfe.

Kimberley Hahn

| |Kimberley Hahn is a renowned author, lecturer and Bible study leader. She is married to Dr. Scott Hahn and together they home |

| |school their six children. Kimberley has an advanced degree in Theology and is a Research Fellow and the Secretary/Treasurer of The|

| |St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. |

| | |

| |Her most recent book is Life Giving Love: Embracing God’s Beautiful Design for Marriage (Servant 2002). She is also the co-author |

| |with Scott Hahn of the best-selling Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism (Ignatius, 1994) and Catholic Education - Homeward |

| |Bound: A Guide to Home Schooling written with Mary Hasson (Ignatius, 1996). |

|In addition to her contributions to numerous books, dozens of her talks and Bible studies have been issued as popular audio cassettes, including Dating and |

|Courtship: a Catholic Perspective, and Children: A Model for Family Growth. Kimberley Hahn has been a highly-request speaker by attendees of the Boston Catholic |

|Women’s Conference for the previous two years. We are very grateful that Mrs. Hahn was able to accept our invitation this year. Please visit her website |

|. |

Patti Mansfield

|[pic] |Patti Gallagher Mansfield was a participant in the February 1967 "Duquesne Weekend" which marked the beginning of the Charismatic |

| |Renewal in the Catholic Church. From the earliest days of the Renewal she has served as a leader through teaching, writing and |

| |pastoral ministry. Patti’s testimony has been widely published and she has been a speaker at conferences and retreats for laity and |

| |priests in the United States and around the world. She is a frequent guest on Ralph Martin’s television program, The Choices We |

| |Face. |

| | |

| |Patti has authored several books including: Proclaim His Marvelous Deeds, As By A New Pentecost: The Dramatic Beginning of the |

| |Catholic Charismatic Renewal with a Foreword by Cardinal Suenens and Magnificat: A Mother's Reflections on Mary. All are available |

| |through her ministry office. |

|Patti is married to Al Mansfield, Coordinator of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of New Orleans, Louisiana, and is the mother of four children. She and Al serve |

|together in pastoral leadership of two weekly prayer meetings, the Holy Spirit Retreats and an annual Catholic Charismatic Conference. The Mansfields are Liaisons |

|to the Archbishop of New Orleans for the Charismatic Renewal and are recipients of the Papal Medal, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For the Church and the Pope). Patti |

|addressed Pope Benedict XVI on behalf of all ecclesial movements and new communities before a crowd of 400,000 people in St. Peter’s Square on the vigil of |

|Pentecost, June 3, 2006. Further information can be found on her website AlAndPatti.php. |

Veni Creator Spiritus

Come, O Creator Spirit blest!

And in our souls take up Thy rest;

Come, with Thy grace and heav’nly aid,

To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

Great Paraclete! to Thee we cry;

O highest gift of God most high!

O fount of life! O fire of love!

And sweet anointing from above!

Thou dost appear in sev’nfold dow’r

The sign of God’s almighty pow’r!

The Father’s promise, making rich

With saving truth our earthly speech.

Kindle our senses from above,

And make our hearts o’erflow with love;

With patience firm and virtue high,

The weakness of our flesh supply.

Far from us drive the foe we dread,

And grant us Thy true peace instead;

So shall we not, with Thee for guide.

Turn from the path of life aside.

O may Thy grace on us bestow

The Father and the Son to know,

And Thee, through endless times confessed,

Of Both th’ eternal Spirit blest.

All glory, while the ages run,

Be to the Father and the Son

Who rose from death: the same to Thee,

O Holy Ghost, eternally. Amen

Stacy McGovern

|[pic] |Stacey McGovern was born and raised in Massachusetts and graduated from Montrose School and Framingham State College. After |

| |graduation, she worked as an elementary school teacher, teaching third grade. Her career blossomed, as was evident when she was |

| |nominated twice for Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. Stacey soon married husband Jim McGovern. |

| | |

| |Returning from her honeymoon, she began to experience progressive hearing loss at 25. Doctors could not find any reason for the |

| |rapid deterioration of her hearing nor stop its progression. Just after her twenty-sixth birthday, her medical charts read |

| |“profoundly deafened adult.” |

|Her journey through this tragic experience did not cause her to lose faith or turn away from God. In fact, quite the opposite occurred. Incredibly, she clung to God, |

|through Jesus and Mary, and endured this painful time, which caused her many physical and emotional trials. |

| |

|After five years of silence, Stacey opted for cochlear implant surgery and she soon returned to a world of sound. She successfully learned to hear via the implant |

|through rehabilitation. Tragically, the next year found this mother learning to walk again after she and her young children survived a horrific accident. Stacey will |

|share her experiences with sudden deafness, the comfort God brought to her through strangers, the strength she gained through her struggles, and the blessings He |

|promised and delivered. Her story will demonstrate the power of prayer and patience and the importance of having faith in God’s plan, even when things seem |

|impossible. Her deep faith serves as a model for women everywhere. |

| |

|Stacey has shared her experiences with others throughout New England and New Jersey and has written her story for several magazines. Stacey has been a guest speaker |

|at many schools, churches, and conferences. She is also a Bionic Ear Association Volunteer for Advanced Bionics where she councils others who are considering cochlear|

|implant surgery. |

|Stacey, age 34, and her husband and three children reside in Holliston, where they are members of St. Mary’s Parish. |

|Thank You to Our Priests! |

|We are blessed by so many wonderful priests here today, in the Archdiocese of Boston and in surrounding |[pic] |

|dioceses. Despite their hectic weekend schedules, so many priests are here with us today because they want | |

|to show their support for us men and because they want to help us celebrate the Sacraments – particularly the| |

|Sacrament of Reconciliation. | |

| | |

|Please take a moment today, search out one of these fine priests, and thank him. | |

Please Visit our Exhibitors

There is a great gathering of exhibitors awaiting your visit. There are many opportunities for you to meet organizations that you might enjoy or organizations that you could refer to a friend. Also many of our speakers will be meeting attendees there – so please make a visit during the breaks! Thank you.

|Please take our Post-Conference Survey |

| |

|We would like to hear about what you liked best about the 3rd Annual Boston Catholic Women’s Conference and to hear your|

|suggestions on what we should change next year. |

| |

|Please see our website beginning on Monday April 21 to complete the online feedback survey. |

|Thank you! |

Cardinal Seán O’Malley

|[pic] |Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley was appointed Archbishop of Boston July 1, 2003 and installed as Archbishop on July 30, 2003.  He |

| |was nominated a Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI on February 22, 2006 and elevated in a Consistory on March 24, 2006.  |

| | |

| |He was born June 29, 1944, in Lakewood, Ohio. He attended St. Fidelis Seminary, Butler, Pennsylvania, and Capuchin College and the |

| |Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. He holds an advanced degree in religious education, and speaks Spanish, |

| |Portuguese, French, Italian, and German. He was professed as a member of the St. Augustine province of the Order of Friars Minor |

| |Capuchin, July 14, 1968, and was ordained to the priesthood on August 29, 1970. |

| |

|He was director of the Apostolate for the Spanish Speaking in the Archdiocese of Washington for 14 years when he was named Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of St. |

|Thomas, Virgin Islands, in 1984. He became Bishop of St. Thomas on October 16, 1985. He was then appointed by Pope John Paul II as Bishop of Fall River, |

|Massachusetts, June 16, 1992, and served there until September 2002. Pope John Paul II later appointed him Bishop of Palm Beach, September 3, 2002, where he served|

|until July 2003 until being appointed our Archbishop.  He became the first “blogging” Cardinal in September 2006 when he launched . |

Martin Doman

|[pic] |Martin has been working as a Catholic musician, liturgical music minister, songwriter and worship leader for the past 15 years. He|

| |has released several recordings of Catholic praise and worship and led music for many conferences and retreats. Wrote 2008 Boston|

| |Catholic Conference Bicentennial Themesong: You Are Our Legacy and 2007 Boston Catholic Men’s Conference Theme Saint Patrick’s |

| |Breastplate. Since 2004, Martin has been the Coordinator of Laudatio ministry for the Diocese of Harrisburg. Laudatio was formed|

| |out of a desire that Martin had to bring renewal to the Church through the power of music and the Eucharist. Martin is married |

| |and he and his wife Charlene have six children. He is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. For more info on |

| |Martin’s albums, please see . |

Tom Peterson

|[pic] |Tom Peterson is the President & Founder, Catholics Come and , educational non-profit media apostolates |

| |dedicated to Catholic principles. With the vision to combine his innovative professional media background with Catholic virtues, |

| |Peterson dedicated himself to producing and airing powerful national-quality Catholic television and radio commercials worldwide. |

| |Since his conversion calling, Tom has presented to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, been featured on EWTN, filmed |

| |the Holy Father at the Vatican, and has spoken at hundred of conferences, churches, and ministry events. An authority on consumer |

| |behavior and marketing strategy, Peterson directs Catholics Come Home with a refined knowledge of media’s power to shape people’s |

| |decision making and the culture at large. |

| |Tom and Tricia, his wife of 22 years, and their three daughters live in the Atlanta suburbs, where they are active members of their |

| |parish. |

|Interested in starting or joining a WINGS group in your parish? |

| |

|For more information about WINGS, please visit . New website live by May 1, 2008. |

Guide For Confession

|[pic] |“To those who have been far away from the sacrament of reconciliation and forgiving love, I make this appeal: Come back to|

| |this source of grace; do not be afraid! Christ himself is waiting for you. He will heal you, and you will be at peace with|

| |God!” |

| | |

| |- Pope John Paul II |

| | |

| |The basic requirement for a good confession is to have the intention of returning to God like the Prodigal Son and of |

| |acknowledging our sins with true sorrow before his representative, the priest. |

Before Confession

• Try to recognize sin in our lives – Modern society has lost a sense of sin. As a Catholic follower of Christ, I must make an effort to recognize sin in my daily actions, words and omissions. The Gospels show how important is the forgiveness of our sins. Lives of saints prove that the person who grows in holiness has a stronger sense of sin, sorrow for sins, and a need for the Sacrament of Penance or Confession.

• Make an examination of Conscience – What sins have I committed since my last confession? A good confession is one in which I confess all the mortal sins I am aware of and their frequency. A short examination could follow the ten commandments along these lines:

o Do I give God time every day in prayer?

o Have I used God's name in vain: lightly or carelessly?

o Have I tried to observe Sunday as a family day and a day of rest?

o Do I honor and obey my parents? Have I neglected my duties to my spouse and children?

o Have I engaged, in any way, in sins against human life? Have I been angry or resentful?

o Have I stolen what is not mine? Do I waste time at work, school, and home?

o Have I lied? Have I gossiped? Am I critical, negative or uncharitable in my thoughts of others?

o Have I consented to impure thoughts and actions?

o Do I envy the families or possessions of others? Are material possessions the purpose of my life?

During Confession

• Remember that the priest can help you – If you need assistance – especially if you have been away for some time – simply ask the priest and he will help you by "walking" you through the steps to make a good confession.

• A helpful way to begin is: “Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been ... since my last confession. These are my sins.”

• Tell your sins simply and honestly to the priest. If you are not sure about the degree of seriousness of something you confess, just ask the priest to help you.

• After the confession of sins, the priest will give you a penance, and then absolve you of your sins. Try to perform your penance soon. The priest may also ask you to say a short act-of-contrition.

• An act of contrition: “O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you. I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.”

• At the End of Confession – Listen to words of absolution, the sacramental forgiveness of the Church through the ordained priest. As you listen to the words of forgiveness you may make the sign of the cross with the priest.

• After Confession – Reflect on God’s infinite mercy. Imagine God embracing you with the big hug that the Joyful Father did in the parable of the Return of the Prodigal Son.

| |

|Reflections and Journaling |

|[pic] | |

| |This space is provided for you to write down any meaningful thoughts that you may have after listening to our speakers. |

LEADERSHIP TEAM’S TOP 10

In an effort to provide you with ways to continue deepening your relationship with God after the Conference, the members of the Boston Catholic Women’s Conference Team offer you their “Top 10” list. (Outlined in no particular order.)

1. Adoration. Praying in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament is a beautiful way to become intimate with our Loving Father. Even though it may be hard to do sometimes, if you try to sit and listen for the voice of God, you will hear Him.

2. Daily Mass/ Eucharist. The Sacrament of Eucharist is so important and nourishing in our lives. Pray about making the commitment to receive Jesus as often as possible in the Eucharist. Once this commitment has been made, the life changing experience is immense. The days you are not able to receive Him, you find yourself longing for Him all the more.

3. Daily Devotional/Scripture: There are many catholic devotionals available to help you stay connected with the daily readings of day. The Word of God, along with the spiritual reflections help draw you closer to Him, as you go about your busy day. Or, you might consider grabbing your Bible from the shelf, and making a commitment to read from it daily. Truly the Word of God will nourish your soul, and bring you His peace.

4. Faith Enrichment Group. If you are looking for an opportunity to deepen your faith with fellow catholic women from your parish, consider joining a WINGS group (Women in God’s Spirit). On May 1, 2008, there will be a new website for this ministry at .

5. Journaling. Taking a few moments of your day to write to God in “Praise and

Thanksgiving” for the many gifts in your life, is a wonderful way to draw closer to Him. Sometimes our prayers involve only “asking”, but this is a good way to give praise and recognize the ways that Jesus is always working in your life.

6. Reconciliation. Make a commitment to take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation on a regular basis. It is a beautiful way to experience the Love and

Mercy of God, our Father, and will certainly draw you closer to Him.

7. Retreats. Going on a weekend retreat is a great way to re-focus, reflect and be reminded of where you have been and where you are going in your walk with Jesus. A group retreat is another way where you can share in small groups on a more focused faith related subject, in an effort to deepen your relationship with Jesus. There are many wonderful retreat places around the archdiocese offering day and weekend retreats. If you don’t know where to start, check out the Cursillo Movement or the Diocesan Office of Spiritual Development Worship_SpiritualLife/HomePage.html .

8. Rosary. Praying the rosary alone or with a friend is one of the best ways to draw closer to Jesus, through his Blessed Mother. Try to add just one rosary to your week, and experience the difference it can make in your life.

9. Share Christ: Nothing draws us closer to Christ than to try to share his love with others. Think of a busy mom, friend, or co-worker and pray for them daily. Commit to doing one unseen act of love for your husband or family member each day. Join a ministry that visits prisoners and shares the good news with them. Start a group in your church to share Christ with your neighbors. Help your parish start visiting a homeless shelter each month to help out. There are many possibilities. Pick one and get started next week.

10. Quiet Prayer. Make a commitment to find at least five minutes a day to sit quietly and pray. It can be early in the morning, before you go to sleep, or some time in between. What matters is that you set aside some time for silence, to listen for the voice of God speaking to you. Prayer is not only asking, it is also listening.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download