WEBSTER – The centrality of God, significance of saints and sanctity of life were highlighted at the Worcester Catholic Women’s Conference Saturday at St. Joseph Basilica and school. The day of prayer, talks and exhibits of ministries and items for sale, drew about 320 attendees and about 70 exhibitors from around New England, according to organizer and emcee Corinn Dahm.
“It was uplifting – the speakers, and this Mass is so beautiful,” enthused Pauline Lareau, of St. Aloysius-St. Jude Parish in Leicester, after the closing liturgy celebrated by Bishop McManus, speaker Father Carlos Martins and Fathers Grzegorz Chodkowski and Anthony S. Kazarnowicz of St Joseph’s. She said she liked the question-and-answer period with Father Martins, who gave talks about spiritual warfare and saints’ relics, and that she looks forward to the conference every year.
Joan Laracy of St. Columba Parish in Paxton said she thought she knew a lot about her faith, but learned much from Father Martins.
“The culmination [of the conference] in the Mass was like being lifted up by a choir of angels,” she added. (Mrs. Dahm said the choir was put together by Michael Olbash, a choir director for the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of the Saint Benedict Center in Still River. They sang in Latin and English.)
“Everyone was so friendly,” said Patricia Faron, of St. Peter Parish in Worcester and St. Aloysius-St. Jude in Leicester. “You felt like you were in a sisterhood of women, and God was at the center – and he is.” She said she would like a formal discussion time to help participants share their thoughts.
“I know God’s with me all the time,” Joan Brigham, of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in Worcester, said after Ester Munt-Brooks’ talk about finding hope. But “it strengthens your faith” to hear that other people believe that too.
“I feel healing,” Nancy Ahrens, of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Milford, said after touching religious items to a relic of the Blessed Mother’s veil that Father Martins brought. She said she asked him what to say to help bring people healing when touching them with such third-class relics, and he said, “Just speak from the heart.”
He also brought brown scapulars attendees could buy and touch the relic with, thus making religious items relics too.
Father Martins said wearing the brown scapular symbolizes “clothing ourselves in Our Lady’s mantle”; it is a sign that we are protected by her and belong to God.
Denise Voisine, of St. Anne and St. Patrick Parish in Sturbridge, commented about the “beautiful” opportunity to touch the veil relic “so the scapular is now a ... relic.” She said she has a scapular at home, doesn’t wear it, but will wear the one she got at the women’s conference “because of my devotion to the Blessed Mother.” She also got one to share with someone else, she said.
These women were among many who flocked to the relic.
A relic of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who received revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the 1600s, was available for veneration in a room where conference participants could do their penance after confession and write prayer requests on papers that were brought to Mass.
Along with a Madonna and Child statue, an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus adorned the stage. The conference theme was, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Prov 3:5-6).
Candles beneath the picture burned in memory of Bishop Reilly, Father Walter J. Riley and Jack Mackin, son of a conference organizer, who all passed away this year. Also remembered was “the diaper lady,” who for years donated diapers to Problem Pregnancy in Worcester.
In his homily Bishop McManus said it was providential that the women’s conference was in October – Respect Life Month and a month dedicated to the Blessed Mother. He told of the Knights of Columbus Mass for life he was celebrating at the cathedral the next day and of 40 Days for Life prayers outside the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Worcester.
He shared a reflection about someone holding a sleeping baby and realizing she was a living prayer, by being alive and resting in God’s presence; she taught a lesson of prayer beyond words.
Bishop McManus lamented that the legalization of abortion caused people to think it must be moral. He called for constant prayer and said it is a mortal sin to kill a child in her mother’s womb.
“God will never be mocked; he will have the last word on the day of judgment,” he said. The bishop rejoiced that legislation to legalize physician assisted suicide in Massachusetts did not pass, after parishes stormed heaven.
“Our prayers were answered,” he said and asked the congregation to join him this month and during the Mass to thank God, then led them in a “Glory Be.”
Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary gave brief talks about vocations and confession. Sister Mary Jacinta Brizek said each vocation has challenges that allow people to prove their love.
“Be open to the religious vocation that your children may receive,” she said. She said a good home life lays the foundation for a religious vocation, and includes stability, prayer and meals in common, and all family members contributing to the home’s upkeep.
Sister Katherine Maria Mueller said confession is simple: “God already knows what you did. ... He wants to hear you say you’re sorry.” Confession is easier “if you walk with Jesus in your life.” – Editor’s note: Since speaker Pamela Acker had to cancel, her scheduled talk about avoiding the errors of scientism is to be sent via Flocknote to those who registered for the conference. Others who want to receive it can text wcwc to 84576.
Sin, saints and forgiveness
Exorcism, evangelization, sacraments, relics and saints were topics Father Carlos Martins addressed in talks and question-and-answer periods at the Worcester Catholic Women’s Conference Saturday at St. Joseph Elementary School.
A member of the Companions of the Cross who lives in Detroit, he told of starting his popular docudrama podcast “The Exorcist Files” to reach young adults, many of whom surveys say have left religion yet believe demonic possession is possible.
“We have to make religion relevant for people,” he said. “Jesus ... went out” to people. Father Martins told conference participants they are to be evangelizers and, if they pray, God will guide them.
He asked attendees to pre-order his book being released Nov. 19, also called “The Exorcist Files,” which he said he wrote because people are getting lost without a compass. Those who pre-ordered would be sent prayers pertinent to the book and be included in his Masses. “My goal is to hit the bestseller list” to open the way for discussion in the media, he said. Father Martins also talked about original sin, mortal sin, salvation being offered but not automatic, and the importance of obedience and of the sacraments.
He urged listeners to get someone who will ensure they receive last rites if their children will not ensure that. God is not bound by the sacraments, he said, but encouraged attendees to pray for the souls of unbaptized babies who died. Baptized babies who died are saints, he said.
We are constantly in spiritual warfare, and nothing will help more than the sacramental life of the Church, he said. Some people may think they need an exorcism when what they really need is to go to confession, eliminate sinful actions and live their faith, including by attending Mass.
Speaking of the devil, he said, “I don’t fear him. ... Next to God he is a ... minor reality. Our job is to remind the devil how small he is.”
Father Martins warned against getting involved with the occult, Ouija boards, fortune tellers and sexual sins.
After giving information about relics of saints and healing coming through them, Father Martins, director of the “Treasures of the Church” relic ministry, told of St. Maria Goret-ti. The 11-year-old, who lived in Italy (1890-1902), avoided rape attempts and died after her aggressor stabbed her.
Father Martins gave attendees a private devotion card with a “prayer for the glorification of Alessandro Serenelli,” that aggressor-turned penitent. The prayer praised God for “the way he was converted by the heroic forgiveness that St. Maria extended towards him.” Her mother, whose other children were sent elsewhere after Maria died, forgave him, Father Martins said, and crowds flocked to her daughter’s canonization – “all because Maria chose to forgive.” – For information about pre-ordering an autographed copy of Father Martins’ book see the website wcwconference.com.
Story of abandoned baby, lessons about hope shared
A newborn in China was abandoned – a tragedy.
But her mother didn’t abort her; maybe she had hope that somebody would give the baby a better life.
A woman in the United States, who had sons, kept dreaming about a little girl. She didn’t understand why, but finally convinced her husband that they needed to adopt. Domestic and South American adoptions didn’t work for them. Hearing there were many girls in orphanages in China, they adopted this girl.
God turned the tables with the tragedy. Twenty-one years later this girl is a Mass attendee and preparing to be commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Ester Munt-Brooks, a national speaker originally from Spain and now living in Virginia, shared this story in her women’s conference talk, “Finding hope,” and in answering audience questions.
“That little girl is my daughter” - a miracle of hope – she revealed.
“Most of you mothers, I’m sure you’re worried about your kids,” she said. “When we worry, sometimes we lose hope. ... Our faith tells us we need to have hope. ... When we hope, we place our trust in [Christ’s] promises.”
Mrs. Munt-Brooks’ told the women’s conference attendees: If you are not placing your hope in God, change that, accept his will, trust him, and bring him your anxieties and fears. She spoke of God intervening in times of struggle.
– For more information, see Ester Munt-Brooks’ website fevaloryalegria.org