At the Morris Inn on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, there was a kaleidoscope of women – both young and old, including mothers who recently had given birth, those who had entered into religious life, and students from Notre Dame and elsewhere. Just as a kaleidoscope’s colored beads n o longer appear distinct but beautifully meld together, so did these women. Franciscan sisters held infants on their hips as their mothers intently listened to the speakers, college students discussed the Virgin Mary with elderly women, and academics discussed the saints with homemakers. Photos by Clare HildebrandtAttendees of the conference pray during Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. From Wednesday, March 26, to Friday, March 28, the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame held a conference about the nature of women and their role in the Church, titled, “True Genius: The Mission of Women in Church and Culture.” The conference aimed to reflect on Pope St. John Paul II’s Letter to Women, written 30 years ago, and its contribution to the role of women in the family, the Church, and society as a whole. Abigail Favale, Erika Bachiochi, and many other prominent voices in the Church discussed topics relating to women, including the female body, the complementarity of the sexes, modern heresies about women, and a feminism inspired by John Paul II. “We’re living in an era where we’re beginning to think about man and woman in much deeper ways than we have previously,” said Abigail Favale, professor at the McGrath Institute for Church Life and author of “The Genesis of Gender.” Panelists discuss the “Mission of Women in Church and Culture” at the University of Notre Dame on Wednesday, March 26. “The aim of this conference is to provide some fundamental formation, just in the Church’s vision for women and how it has evolved over the life of the Church,” Favale said. “We also look prophetically at what is happening in our culture now and how we can both deepen this vision of women and also bring it more fully alive in the Church.” She added: “It is also a timely moment, because this topic is super controversial in culture, and there’s all these different kinds of camps and controversies related to these questions. It is appropriate for us to try to articulate and deepen the Church’s vision in order for people to kind of bring that vision to their own spheres of influence.”           At the heart of the summit was the example of saints such as Teresa of Avila, Thérèse of Lisieux, and other lesser-known saints who embody femininity in a variety of ways. “I think [it’s important to] just open up this whole world of holy women who live radical lives of devotion to Christ in so many unique ways,” Favale said. “And I think sometimes there can be this simplistic – in a negative way – feminine genius where we lift up certain models of holy femininity. But we need a lot of models of femininity, and they are found within the saints.” She added: “Attendees will take whatever they’re gleaning here and then share it whether it’s a mother who is now a little better equipped to help her children navigate some of these questions or strengthening the religious sisters’ sense of their own vocation and their own ministries. We even aim to help priests have better tools on how to preach about these things,” Favale said. “There are beautiful resources in the tradition, especially that have been developed in the last 100 years or so in the Church,” she concluded. Ashley Lenz, a graduate of Notre Dame, expressed her appreciation toward the McGrath Institute for promoting greater exploration on the topic. “I studied undergrad here, and I’ve always been interested in the concept of motherhood. But now, it’s less contemplative as I am actually in the trenches of motherhood and want to know what the Church says about it,” Lenz said. “I’m so appreciative of the honesty of the conversations. The feminine genius can sometimes be like, ‘Oh, women are so beautiful,’ and not get down to the nitty gritty of the topic. We discussed it in depth here.” Lenz added: “The other women here … have been so accommodating to me as a young mother. It is so great.” She continued: “I’ve also been so touched by the older women here who are further along in their motherhood journey, like grandmothers. They have been giving me hugs and affirming me as a mother. I plan on following up and emailing them after this conference, because I need mothering myself.” Ukrainian artist Ivanka Denchuk’s painting, “The Mother of Mercy,” was used on the cover of the conference’s program. Today’s Catholic spoke with Emily Fasteson, a theology student, about the conference. “I was expecting a conference that just talked about the feminine genius, but it talked about so much more,” Fasteson said. “It was beautiful to hear how women can live out their vocations in all stages of life.” Something that stood out to Fasteson was the imago dei – that both men and women are created in the image and likeness of God. “Some of the speakers talked about how the imago dei is a calling and task,” Fasteson said. “This is truly a mission to live out. We being made in the image of likeness of God don’t just reflect on that but live it out in our lives.” Fasteson said she also appreciated the talk on women’s bodies, particularly their cycles and programs such as Natural Family Planning. In a society that often treats women’s reproductive cycle as inherently bad, Fasteson learned that she can communicate the presence of God by affirming dignity. “You don’t have to tell them about Jesus explicitly – by showing young women today that their bodies are good, that human sexuality is good, is a way to communicate the goodness of God.” Clare Hildebrandt is a staff reporter at Today’s Catholic. The post ND Hosts Conference on the ‘True Genius’ of Womanhood appeared first on Today's Catholic. ...read more read less