Points from Fr. Antony's Homily 

A 100 years ago, most Catholics knew what it meant to be Catholic. Today though, we have many different types and flavors of Catholicism. We don't all agree on what it means to be Catholic. Here are just a few examples: 

Cultural Catholics - Baptized Catholics that rarely attend mass. 

Pro-choice Catholics - Catholics who openly disagree with the Church's teachings on life. 

Cafeteria Catholics - Catholics that attend mass regularly, but consistently, and obstinately disobey church teachings on faith and morals. 

Radical Traditional Latin Mass Catholics - Catholics who believe that the Latin mass is the only true mass, and that Vatican II was an illegitimate council. 

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Disobedience in Genesis chapter 3, an illegitimate desire to be like God permitted sin to enter the world. The lie the serpent told Eve, is still told to the women of today, that you are God's final creation, but you are still "not enough," develop masculine behaviours, fight like men. Above all, reject motherhood. Only then can you reach your true potential. ​​Motherhood, religious and single state are choices women should feel free to make without feeling detested by a society which is building a false narrative by looking down on women's unique gifts. If you want to discover what it really means to be a woman, you must look deeper than answers provided by our culture. 

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What was once a legitimate and rare psychological condition has now become a social contagion (infection). Many young women, (still immature and vulnerable), buy into the lie that they are "not enough." They are manipulated into making life altering decisions before they fully realize who they even are. As a result, this world's disordered "sexual revolution" disfigures women, and furthers the divide between women, men, and God. The primary implements of self-destruction in the revolution are artificial contraception, abortion, various forms of "adult entertainment" and especially pornography, along with an obsession with, and glorification of "masculine" sins. 

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Blessed Pope Paul VI, the author of Humanae Vitae, was prophetic when he said that contraception would increase infidelity, disrespect of women, sexual abuse, and the "right" to alter one's own body. (All these would happen because the sexual act is no longer tied to reproduction, but rather merely recreation).

 

The good intentions of standing for equality, dignity, and respect by women have been turned into a rejection of their own feminine attributes. They let themselves become convinced that femininity meant weakness. They started to look down upon virtues -- such as patience, selflessness, self-giving, tenderness -- and aimed at becoming like men in all things. True femininity, in the likeness of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is women's hope. Mary crushed the head of the serpent and at the same time was perfectly true to her feminine nature. She was not dominated by woman's inheritance from Eve. Instead, she was miraculously conceived without sin.

 

To cultivate an authentic Catholic identity, focus on: authenticity, intentionality, and consistency. 

1. Educate yourselves in the Virtues. Our culture teaches people to make money, manage business and develop technological innovations but does not pass on the basics of the virtues. We need to form ourselves in virtue by reading the Bible and Catechism, reading good books about virtues, reading the lives of the saints and living in Catholic community. 

2. Choose your role models wisely. While many choose celebrities and fashion models as their role models, a young woman striving for true femininity should instead imitate women of strength and moral character, such as the saints, especially the Blessed Virgin Mary, and virtuous women.

3. Put in much effort and be consistent. There are three main battle grounds where the struggle for virtue is fought. First in our thoughts. The battle for virtue begins in the mind. Second in our words and in our actions. Do not change your values depending on the situation. Act and behave in a way that reflects who God is calling you to be no matter what situation you find yourself in. Do not go with the majority just because it is easier, if it is not what you believe. Do not compromise your values just to fit in. Pretending to be someone else is exhausting. 

4. Rely on God's Grace. "Apart from me you can do nothing." (Jn 15:5). Humbly recognize how small we really are, how weak we are and how deep our problem with sin really is. Lord, I need you. 

5. Faithfulness in small things. Saint Teresa of Avila reminds us that God is found not only in silence and prayer, but also in our daily duties. You may find God among the pots and pans. 

6. Finally, one of the characteristics of authentic living is to be conscious of death. 

"And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are." (Jn 17:11) 

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Authenticity has no place on the "walk of fame." Walk humbly before your creator. Become who God created you to be by living according to the dignity with which He created you. Our authenticity is manifested not in seeking what perishes, but in Christ. 

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Women of Dignity Survey Results (We received a >20% response. THANK YOU! We have posted a few. Most of our questions were ratings from poor to excellent. Of those, there was an ~95% response of excellent to those questions. We were all blessed!)​

What did you like about the Conference?

     "The Mass and the priests were excellently suited for the group. You had really good speakers this year. There were a lot from each age group this year. It was a large group and that was great! The music ministry was super lovely. The food was great."
     "It was a great Conference, with great speakers, great vendor tables and wonderful opportunities to enjoy fellowship during scheduled meal times."

​     "Speakers were excellent. I especially enjoyed Rita Taylor's enthusiasm, positivity and explanations. I feel like I finally have a better understanding of grace (I had been searching for an explanation that resonated with me for years). Fr. Kris Schmidt was also excellent and offering confession on Friday evening was a great idea. Food was delicious. I appreciated having some vendor booths to explore also."

​     "Mealtimes were a good opportunity to meet some people."

     "I will recommend the conference every year to those I know. I found Rita Taylor’s talks informative with practical applications. I appreciate that an effort is made to meet the need of younger women than myself. Seeing the young women gives me hope for the future of the church. I appreciated having presentations Friday evening. The food was well done. The social was a good addition and also gave a bit more time for people to check out the vendor tables."

     "The speakers this year were amazing. They were dynamic and their topics were thought provoking and relevant. The schedule was also great - start and end times made it conducive to attending."

     "The talks were practical and relatable."

     "The speakers. The venue. Very good sound system. The lunch was very enjoyable."

     "The speakers were awesome! The food was very good and plentiful. The musicians were great! 

     "I really liked Rita; had lots of takeaways from her. I liked getting away and having time to myself."

     "I felt welcomed and enjoyed the interaction with those present. The Speakers spoke to my spirit and I received a lot of peace during the talks. I will definitely come to the next one if God allows it. Loved Janelle and her daughter who were the vocalists during Mass."

     "I LOVED Rita as a speaker, to me she was the highlight of the conference; really inspired me. Also loved the adoration. Everything was so well organized! The food was great, the setup was well-done. I don't think there's anything I didn't like!"

     "Gathering together to share our faith. Having reconciliation to start, the masses, rosary and fellowship. The music was beautiful. I loved Rachel’s sessions. 

     "The whole event was so well planned and there was lots of time for everything. Food and breaks were really good. Lots of very good vendors and great speakers. I thought that both speakers were great and having them speak twice was perfect."

     "I liked the location. The time of year was great. The food was excellent!" 

     "Celebrating Mass with Fr. Kris Schmidt; the Rosary prayed together; the music and singing; the speakers; the number of priests available for Confession; seeing so many women with their children; all the delicious food, the Vendors; the BEAUTIFUL CHURCH; meeting so many women - even one I hadn't seen for 40 years."

     "Best speakers yet! Challenging, theological, Catholic and personable. Just perfect! 

     "The music, Mass, having many Priests for reconciliation, the timing with a speaker and then a break. This was my first time to attend this conference and and it was very insightful."

     "Not much down time - well paced; facility is very good with everything nearby; local vendors; inspiring speakers; great food/meals provided and included in costs of registration. It was not long enough."

​     "I really enjoyed Rita’s talks! The food was also amazing especially the chocolate fondue!!!!! The opportunity to meet other women was very neat! Thank you Catholic Family Ministries and all the volunteers who made this event happen! Was very nice to go to this conference with my two sisters and my mom!"

     "Topics, location, food. Appreciate all the hard work involved and people and time commitment to those running it and  volunteers. The musicians were very good and the singers and choice of musicians are excellent as always."

     "Rita Taylor was an outstanding choice. She was a compelling speaker with practical content grounded in Catholic tradition and theology. Rachel Wong spoke with beautiful authenticity. Adoration was beautiful, especially with the sacred music played. It felt heavenly! Having confession available was wonderful as well."

     "I really appreciated how the speakers brought us to a greater call to action in our daily lives. They both spoke in earnest about our daily vocation while giving useful tips and tricks. I also REALLY appreciated the extra protein offerings this year and was way more satiated with the chili."

     "Enjoyed starting with Rosary/Mass and ending early on Saturday. It was nice to socialize and speak to so many God-filled women from different Parishes. The food/coffee that was provided was excellent and thanks to the men who served us."

     "Excellent speakers. I liked starting early with Rosary/Mass and then ending early. Really enjoyed meeting other ladies from so many other Parishes. Very nice to be with such God-filled women."

     "One of the speakers, Rita, was phenomenal! I would actually love to listen to her again. She was so knowledgeable and on point. The music was also fantastic. Very beautiful and talented singers. The acapella singing of Ave Maria was incredibly beautiful at the Saturday morning mass. 

     "Rachel Wong was amazing. Hot food was definitely a plus."

     "The fellowship was awesome. All the wonderful women I met were so amazing."

     "The community of women, Rita’s talks, the groups of vendors."

     "Excellent speakers and content. The special touches and the Social."

     "I liked both speakers, but I particularly enjoyed the instructional aspect of Rita’s talks. Actually learning about theology and what I thought I understood was so invigorating! I have passed on the info to so many people I know and many of them didn’t realize that they didn’t understand how grace worked! So I loved that!"

     "Getting to spend time with my friends that also attended."