Catholic Women’s Conference lights path to Advent

By Christina Galeone
CFP Correspondent
Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press

    WORCESTER – The Worcester Catholic Women’s Conference, with its theme, “The Eucharist: The Source and Summit of Our Faith,” lit the path to Advent and beyond for hundreds of women.
    Presented by the diocese and held at Assumption College Saturday, the sold-out conference included Mass celebrated by Bishop McManus, and presentations by speakers: Benedictine Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God, Michelle Schmidt, Kathleen Beckman and Tim Francis.
    The conference also offered music, the opportunity to go to confession and booths of vendors and non-profit organizations.
    An unexpected addition to the conference was an announcement that the Archdiocese of Boston will hold a Year of the Eucharist from Holy Thursday 2020 to the Feast of Corpus Christi 2021.
    Sharing the news was Father Paul Soper, the archdiocese’s secretary for evangelization and discipleship. He told about a Pew Research Center survey which showed that more than 60 percent of Catholics do not believe the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ, and more than half of those think the Church teaches that the Eucharist is only a symbol.
     Father Soper showed a video by Cardinal Seán O’Malley, who he said sings to the Eucharist during his nightly holy hour.
    “I’m not good at prayer,” Father Soper said. “I do it. … My mind goes in every … direction.” He said he likes praying in front of the tabernacle because he doesn’t have to make Jesus be there; Jesus already is there.
    Through the Eucharist, Jesus transforms people, who then commit to telling everyone about it, Father Soper said.
    Neeni Francis, of St. Gabriel, the Archangel Parish in Upton, appreciated Father Soper’s announcement.
     “Everyone’s, like, ‘What can we do?’” she said. “We’re wringing our hands. Now it’s the Year of the Eucharist … for us to take it and run with it and bring Christ to others. Talk about evangelization! I’m so excited!”
    Sue Leighton, a parishioner and administrative assistant at St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge, was thrilled to be at the conference for the second consecutive year.
    “This is amazing; I’m blown away by the love and the joy,” she said. “Mother Miriam was amazing. All of them were great.”
    “I teared up during Tim’s talk,” said Marylou Corriveau, a conference committee member from St. Brendan Parish in Bellingham.
    “He spoke to the heart of every mother,” added her fellow parishioner and committee member Sonya Doyle. “He’s hope for us because our tears are the same as his mother’s,” as she prayed for him.
    “They had some really good talks,” said Linda Barrows, a parishioner and secretary at St. Edward the Confessor Parish in Westminster, noting that the content was especially relevant. “It’s been very inspiring.”
    She was so determined to attend that she registered in April. She had attended a women’s conference years ago at the DCU Center and enjoyed it, but was unable to get a ticket to last year’s, since it was sold out.
    “It’s an awesome turnout,” said Laurie D’Errico, a clinical liaison for Saint Francis Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Worcester, who was at the center’s vendor booth. “It’s a great conference to make contacts … We want to get the word out that we are a Catholic facility.”
    Sister Mary Bernard of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was there with others from their Still River convent.
    “It’s powerful, because you realize there’s a big support group of women who are living their faith,” she said. She added that it’s encouraging to see that there “are people on the same side of the fight as we are. Our faith is being attacked from so many angles.”
    Christ’s cross is the only answer to human beings’ questions about why bad things happen to good people and who can save them from death, Bishop McManus said at the closing Mass.
    “Christ is our King not despite the cross, but because of the cross,” he said in his homily for the feast of Christ the King. The fact that he could seek forgiveness for his executioners “indicates that Christ is a king,” he said. His words to the “good thief” on the cross also showed he’s a king, for only God can give us eternal life, the bishop said.
    He talked about meeting Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who is to be beatified Dec. 21, and considering him a saint. The archbishop called Jesus’ cross his throne, the crown of thorns his diadem, he said.
    A collection raised nearly $1,450, which the conference will match, to send priests to The Theology of the Body Institute in Pennsylvania, said conference organizer Corinn Dahm.
    Father James  James M. Boland, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Rutland, told how the institute helped him: “It started to kind of put back together some of the pieces the world had ripped apart.” He asked listeners to pray for priests to go and for it to affect them.
    As many conference-goers prayed the rosary outside after Mass, the light present in the morning adoration was reflected in the soft glow of candlelight. Despite the evening chill, the candlelit rosary provided a warm way to end the conference and journey forth to Advent. 

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