“The Women’s Ministry at St. Francis offers a space where women can gather to deepen our faith, share our gifts, lift each other up, and feel valued and loved,” explains Jess Kelly. “In this space,” she says, “women can find a connection in community, a sense of belonging, and opportunities to serve others, all while deepening our relationship with Christ. We do this by embracing our Catholic identity through events, such as retreats, where we recognize that we are created in the image and likeness of God and gather as a community of believers to learn more about God and ourselves.” The Ministry meets monthly for various activities on different days and times to allow women from all walks of life to join us.
These activities go beyond retreats and include things like Bible Studies and book clubs in which they honor and examine the word of God with faith and reason, engaging their minds and hearts; celebrations of the sacrament of Eucharist with each other at Mass on Sundays, and also at outdoor Masses or adoration at some of their events. Additionally, they gather to serve all our neighbors and encourage an awareness of social justice issues. Some of those social justice events include documentaries on the topic of care of creation, making casseroles for the Feed the Need Ministry, lifting up the life and dignity of the human person through service opportunities like Diaper drives and backpack collections, and even inviting people to connect through social activities like happy hours, pickleball, crafts, and hiking. Jess says, “We find God in all these places, too!”
“I think the Catholic Community of St Francis does a great job modeling the Catholic Faith to the local community by being an outstanding example of Christ’s love of neighbor,” Jess adds. We all know St Francis is a welcoming community that offers people a place to find God through social justice, advocacy, spiritual support, faith formation, pastoral care ministries, and sacraments. The Women’s Ministry is just one example of our parishioners serving in the community while building relationships with each other as women of faith.
“If anyone is interested in getting involved with Women’s Ministry,” says Jess, “I’d suggest you keep an eye on the bulletin for our monthly events. You can connect through Realm and join our Women’s Ministry Participants group.” If you have trouble finding it, contact Jess at SFAWomensMinistry@gmail.com for more information. This email is also for anyone interested in participating in the monthly core team meeting to plan our events.