Women study JPII's 'Letter to Women'

Susan Bailey
CFP Correspondent
Recently, while listening to a podcast, Sarah Berry, a mother of two small children, was inspired after hearing about Endow, a nationwide association founded on St. John Paul II’s “Letter to Women,” which advocates for the dignity of women.
“I first heard of the organization on ‘Fountains of Carrots,’ a podcast for women hosted by Haley Stewart and Christy Isinger,” said Ms. Berry, a Worcester resident and member of St. John Parish.
It took a nudge from her younger sister (who lives Houston, Texas) for Ms. Berry to take action; her sister had joined a small discussion group supported by Endow. “She really enjoyed the study as well as the opportunity to meet new Catholic women in her community, and she encouraged me to find a group to join. While there have been a few groups in Boston, there was not a group in Worcester. So after putting it off for a few months, I finally decided to just dive in and start one myself! I got in touch with the Endow team in Denver, and they were excited to hear a new group would be forming,” Ms. Berry said.
The first meeting took place in Ms. Berry’s home on Jan. 11. Seven women gathered and the response was overwhelmingly positive.
“I thought the first meeting for the Endow group was great! Everyone was very welcoming,” said Rachel Crouse. “It was a blessing to hear the others’ journeys of faith, as well as some hardships they’ve experienced. It’s really encouraging to be gathered in a small group of women of all different ages, looking to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and encourage each other in our faith. I can’t wait to learn from others and the Endow study, and look forward to how the Lord will bless this fellowship.”
Donna Hamalainen added, “I left our first group eager to come back the following week. It was a real blessing to sit in a room listening to women honestly and openly talk about their walk with the Lord and how they view and work at overcoming obstacles that so many of us face.”
Ms. Berry explained the purpose and goals of Endow: “Its mission is to bring women of all ages and vocations together to grow in knowledge of the Church’s teachings on women, to encourage a new kind of feminism informed by the Christian faith and Church doctrine.”
Begun 15 years ago in Denver, Endow has established groups in over 130 dioceses across the United States.
According to Endow’s website ( endowgroups.org), the organization encourages women to gather in small groups to study the Pope’s letter and discuss the vital and unique role of women in the Church. They write, “The absence of the Church’s active involvement educating women has resulted in nearly 60 years of a distorted understanding of true feminism and the role of women as carriers of faith.”
Participants are encouraged to purchase the workbook titled “Letter to Women” for the sessions, which can be procured from the Endow website.
“The material is designed so that the whole group works through it during the session – so there is no ‘teacher’s copy’ with the answer key,” said Ms. Berry, an English professor at the College of the Holy Cross.
“There also isn’t any homework before the sessions,” she noted. “Our first study is going to be Pope John Paul II’s ‘Letter to Women.’ After this eight-week session is finished, our group can pick a new study from the Endow curriculum.”  The curriculum has studies based on papal encyclicals, the lives of women saints and doctors of the Church, and even “Aquinas for Beginners,” she explained.
It was clear from the first meeting that the attendees were delighted to be with other women interested in learning more about their faith. Having heard of the group through church bulletins, email and social media, they represented varied backgrounds and experiences. Covering two generations, the group consisted of young mothers, working women and grandmothers, providing for lively conversation. Ms. Berry facilitated the session.
The meeting began with an opening prayer calling on the Holy Spirit, followed by a short video based upon a portion of Pope John Paul II’s letter. The video highlighted the many roles women fill as mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, working women and consecrated women. In each case, the Pope offered thanks for these women and the special work that they do: “You enrich the world’s understanding and help to make human relations more honest and authentic.”
During the two-hour session, various portions of the pope’s letter were shared along with an analysis of the key points. Discussion questions covered such issues as: where we might find our worth and dignity apart from God and whether this has been harmful; if there are people in our lives whom we have not treated with the dignity due them; how we image God as icons of him; and how our femininity affects our roles as wives, mothers and working women.
“During our discussion period, when we talked about how we are tempted to find our self-worth apart from God, it was a real blessing to watch heads bobbing up and down as we could all identify with one another,” said Ms. Hamalainen.
Of particular concern in the group was teaching children to love their faith and what to do if, as adults, they abandon it. Other topics included the disparity between a world view of feminism and the Church’s view, and the challenges involved in living as a Catholic woman.
There was talk of the pursuit of holiness and the need to immerse themselves in the Word of God. In discussing feminine vocations, members shared moving stories of the spiritual mothers in their lives and how these women nurtured and supported them, inspiring them to be spiritual mothers to others.
As the meeting closed with the Memorare (a prayer for the Blessed Mother’s intercession), the spirit of fellowship was palpable.
“I thought our first meeting was a great success,” said Ms. Berry. “I was surprised – pleasantly surprised! – by everyone’s honesty and generosity of spirit even at our first meeting. I look forward to getting to know these women better.”
New members are always welcome, she said.

– If you wish to join this Endow group, please contact Sarah Berry at 214-632-3399 or email her at sarahlizberry@gmail.com.