Archdiocesan Women’s Conference
March 21, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington celebrated Mass for the women attending the archdiocese’s annual women’s conference. Sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington and the archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, the theme for this year’s conference was Gathering the Women: Water to Wine and held at Resurrection parish in Burtonsville, Md. The event drew women from across the archdiocese who spent the day reflecting on marriage, family life, and the New Evangelization.
In his homily, Cardinal Wuerl said the theme of the liturgy revolves around coming to know who Jesus truly is. Referencing the Gospel reading of the day, John 7:40-53, the cardinal said, “We find great discussion among those who simply could not bring themselves to accept that Jesus of Nazareth was actually God’s Son come among us to be our Savior.”
“Today, that dynamic continues in our world. In fact, you and I live in a culture, a society, where the dominant social force is no longer the Judeo-Christian view of life and the Christian moral ethic but rather a new cultural secularism that would not only deny the validity of our faith convictions but would challenge whether we should be permitted to actively proclaim them in the public forum.”
The cardinal referenced the 2012 Synod on the New Evangelization for Transmission of the Christian Faith which was called by Pope Benedict XVI to talk about the need for a New Evangelization. “He pointed out that while the faith remains the same throughout the ages, we need to find ways that are new in enthusiasm and language to help this generation embrace Jesus and his message. At the heart of the New Evangelization is the renewal of our own faith; a confidence in the truth of what we believe, and a willingness to share the faith,” said the cardinal.
The cardinal reflected further on the point about sharing the faith, saying, “I think of the great catechetical evangelizing power of parents and grandparents when we reflect on that third category – the ordinary passing on of the faith. The theme of the conference, he said, recognizes the impact of women, grandmothers, mothers, aunts and big sisters on the lives of all of us, particularly our young.
Today, the Church simply calls us to realize that whatever our gifts, all of us need to tell the story of God’s love and of Jesus’ place in our lives. Cardinal Wuerl concluded his homily with a blessing, “May God continue to bless you in your strengthening of your families and the enriching and ennobling of your children and grandchildren by your own words and witness that God is truly a part of life.”
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The Archdiocese of Washington is home to over 620,000 Catholics, 139 parishes and 95 Catholic schools, located in Washington, D.C., and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s.
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