VERONICA NOVOTNY
STAFF WRITER
Dozens of young women gathered in the Gentile Gallery for a night of community during the Office of Evangelization’s Women’s Ministry event on the evening of Sept. 12. The night consisted of praise and worship, an entertaining introduction to the core team and an overview of Women’s Ministry events.
Junior Shelby Hawks, a member of the core team, said that the ministry’s goal is to help students “reclaim (their) identities as daughter of the Father, beloved of the Son and temple of the Holy Spirit.” She also said that Mary perfectly demonstrates the feminine qualities of maternity, sensitivity, receptivity and generosity.
Senior Sarah Aiello, another member of the core team, explained the meaning behind this semester’s theme, taken from John 15:9: “Abide in my love.” Aiello explained that when Christians spend time in prayer, small moments of prayerful rest pave the way to internal peace and understanding of personal identity as a way of life.
When Christians learn to abide in the Lord, they discover that they are delighted in for who they are and not what they do. Rather than get caught up in the stress and responsibility of striving after perfection, God calls his people to simply abide in his love and allow themselves to be taken care of and loved by him.
The event’s agenda included several testimonies about the impact Women’s Ministry has had on the spiritual lives of previous participants and current core team members. Over the course of the night, attendees were encouraged to engage in small group discussions and increase community with those sitting around them.
The coordinator of Women’s Ministry, Sister Teresa Reyes, TOR, said, “I’m definitely excited … to help draw women closer to Christ” in the new role. “We started off with a great topic … really allowing ourselves to be loved by the Lord.”
Mary Brewer, a senior who attended the event, said, “You can tell that they have taken the time to pray about it and listened to the Holy Spirit when they planned.”
The Abide series will continue on every other Wednesday throughout the semester, with the next event being held on Sept. 26. Women’s Ministry will also host its annual Capture My Heart retreat on Oct. 12-14. Applications can be found at and returned to Switchboard or the Chapel Office until Sept. 19.