Women urged to tune out noise, tune in to God at 2007 ENDOW forum

By Patty O'Connell

Nearly 150 women from 11 states and Canada escaped the "noise" of their lives to listen to God speak to their hearts at the second annual ENDOW Forum held at the Penrose Center in Colorado Springs, Sept. 7-8.

Established in 2003, ENDOW (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) is a nonprofit organization based in the Denver Archdiocese dedicated to propagating Catholic Church teaching about women, with an emphasis on Pope John Paul II's "new feminism."

The keynote speaker, Teresa Tomeo, presented information from her book, "Noise: How Our Media-Saturated Culture Dominates Lives and Dismantles Families. " Tomeo, a syndicated Catholic talk show host, left the secular media several years ago to start her own communications company. Her daily morning program, "Catholic Connection," is heard on more than 120 Catholic stations through EWTN Global Catholic Radio. Her book shows how constant pressure and noise from the media stifles God's voice.

Tomeo doesn't encourage rejecting the media, but believes that when used well, it can have a powerful influence on society.
"The Church doesn't say run away from the media," Tomeo said. "It says to go to the media, engage the culture."
She encouraged women to discern media messages and use them to influence the culture, even when it might seem hopeless.
"We are all affected by messages in the media. But we know how the ‘good book' ends," Tomeo said. "Who wins in the end? God does. It's never hopeless if you have Jesus Christ."

From Internet porn to television situation comedies, the culture is bombarded with messages that reject God's plan, noted Tomeo.
Tomeo provided practical actions in the home and Church to silence extraneous noise.

Father Scott Traynor, from the diocese of Sioux Falls, S. D., spoke on, "Where Does My Heart Rest?" In keeping with Tomeo's theme of silencing the noise, Father Traynor provided practical ways women can listen to God in the silence of their hearts through both consolations and periods of desolation.

Susan Selner-Wright, philosophy professor at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, used Mary as an example of someone who emptied herself in order to conceive Jesus.

"You can't be receptive if you're already all filled up with junk," Selner-Wright said. "We need to discover the particular emptiness in us that Jesus can fill."

Father Jorge Rodriquez, S.T.D., vice rector of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary and a member of the ENDOW board of directors, described the process of sainthood in the Catholic Church. He highlighted three ordinary women that John Paul II elevated on the way to sainthood: Venerable Concepción Cabrera de Armida of Mexico, Blessed Maria Corsini of Italy, and the moving story of St. Gianna Beretta Molla of Italy, who died after childbirth and whose grown daughter is now involved in pro-life causes.

Friday evening, attendees were entertained by the play, "The Jeweler's Shop," written by Karol Wojtyla before he became Pope John Paul II. The play was performed by Theophany, a theater company of actors dedicated to the renewal of contemporary culture through dramatic art.
Saturday's speakers included Sister Prudence Allen, R.S.M., PhD., a philosophy professor at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary and contributing author to ENDOW. She spoke on "The Virtue of Friendship," giving the history of the philosophy of friendship throughout the centuries, and then describing the virtues of friendship related to Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est."

Sister Marie Paul Lockerd, R.S.M., D.O., is a family practice physician in Minnesota and certified FertilityCare practitioner. She spoke about "Virtue and Women's Health."

"It's not possible," she declared, "to strive for virtue apart from our body."

Using anecdotes from her practice, Sister Lockerd showed how women can practice the theological and cardinal virtues to make an interior home for God.

At Mass, Bishop Sheridan welcomed ENDOW to Colorado Springs and expressed his support for the work they do to educate women in the teachings of the Church regarding the dignity of women.

Fifty-five women at the forum trained to become ENDOW facilitators in their communities.
Education has always been ENDOW's emphasis, organization leaders said.

Terry Polakovic, co-founder and executive director of ENDOW, said women should never be intimidated by the depth of Church teachings or what is presented in ENDOW sessions.

"Any woman can join (ENDOW) no matter where she is on her faith journey," Polakovic said.

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