Collaboration leads to women’s event

A new women’s event will be offered this fall thanks to the input from parish faith leaders.

Maddie McLarty, a faith formation coordinator, explained the diocesan Faith Formation Office staff was interested in offering something for women’s ministry when she met with Cheryl Sherry, faith life coordinator for Holy Trinity Parish in Fort Dodge/Webster County.

 

“I was visiting with Cheryl and she brought it up to me. I was actually going to bring it up to her at the same meeting,” McLarty said, adding that they then reached out to others to assist in the planning. “It was really born out of the desire of what we were hearing in the parishes and we went from there.”

 

With the blessing of Msgr. Kevin McCoy, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, Love Like a Saint - 2025 Women’s Gathering will be offered Nov. 15 at St. Edmond Catholic School in Fort Dodge. 

The keynote speaker is Elizabeth Kelly, Blessed is She contributor, leader for women’s formation at the Word on Fire Institute and author. The theme of the event is based on Kelly’s book, Love like a Saint. All women are welcome and registration is $30 per person. (Register here.)

 

Inviting the input of “millennial moms” McLarty knew from her hometown of Fort Dodge, and the DREs from nearby Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Fonda and St. Mary Parish in Humboldt, the group has been meeting to plan the details of the November Women’s Gathering.

 

“In our first meeting we had all the details laid out – this is what we want and then what can we practically do?” McLarty explained.

 

Sherry suggested Kelly as a keynote speaker as she taught Sherry’s daughter when she was an instructor at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. McLarty was familiar with Kelly’s work with Blessed is She and was interested in inviting the speaker to serve as the keynote.

 

“I looked into other speakers, too, but I was just really impressed with Liz. I talked to her on the phone for 30-40 minutes,” she said. “She was able to understand where we were at getting the women’s ministry started and wanting to cater it towards the day.”

 

The speaker offered some of her books for the committee to review for planning the gathering and developing a theme. When the team reviewed Love Like a Saint, they found what they were looking for.

 

“A lot of the themes that (the event planners) had mentioned from the beginning were actually covered in this book,” McLarty pointed out. “It’s a really beautiful book and (discusses) living out those virtues like friendship, perseverance and love which we’re going to focus on.”

 

The program will also acknowledge participants’ desire to live as a holy woman “no matter what stage of life you are in,” McLarty said.

 

After adopting the theme of the event, the planners were pleased that the speaker would also share with the guests ways to take the concepts of Love Like a Saint home with them after the gathering.

 

“The women were really excited that Liz will give some practical suggestions throughout the day. It’s not like we’re going to talk about all this theory and nice reflection stuff. That’s part of it, but what can you actually take and live out – which is something the women want. What can we do and actually apply this to our lives?”

 

Once the speaker and theme were selected, the organizers discussed how to involve others in offering the new Women’s Gathering. They broke up tasks into committees including a hospitality/welcoming committee and a committee to attract vendors including Catholic home-based businesses.

 

“They’re a lot more connected in their parishes than I am, so to get the representation from those three parishes makes things really fun,” McLarty said. “This is what they want, so let’s make it come to life.”

 

Love Like a Saint will include small group discussions, spiritual reflection, adoration, time for fellowship, lunch and the vendor market. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with an opportunity to join an informal social event at a local winery after the conclusion of the gathering.

 

“We’ll offer that if there’s enough interest, which is included on the online registration,” the coordinator said. “We wanted to have those opportunities for women traveling and if they want to meet other women.”

 

McLarty said the organizers “are very passionate, joyful and ready to go out and get people to come,” and are excited to be hosting a women’s event in the eastern part of the diocese.

 

“This is something that we’ve been hearing from women on what they’re wanting. We really tried to cater this day to what our parishioners want. It’s not just us coming in and planning something how we want it,” she stressed. “It’s something that we really want to make special for women. We definitely want women to leave this day feeling appreciated and to grow in their faith. I would encourage women to come, prioritize it and meet other women.”