Endow Newsletter (January/February, 2011)

Dear Friends,

Who doesn’t love a good love story? In February our minds turn to thoughts of love and for the Christian, that leads us directly into the words of St. John’s gospel, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). How wonderful to have Christ in our lives and to share our faith in Him with one another! This is also a good time for me to remind all of you of the affection and friendship we feel for you. Thank you all for being part of our mission. I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter…please read below to see all that is happening with Endow!

Love and prayers,

Terry
Executive Director Endow

Endow Newsletter (December, 2010)

Dear Friends,

December is a favorite time for me.  I love the sparkling trees, the Christmas lights on my block, and the happy thought of people I love coming in the door stomping snow off their boots. I love sending out my Christmas cards, when I finally settle down to take the time to connect with friends who mean so much. This is such a card. Don’t be fooled by its up-to-the-minute e-mail nature, it is as old-fashioned as a sleigh and comes with a genuine spirit of love and friendship. 

Our Blessed Mother has a lot to do with why I love this season so much. It always seems to me that December is really a Marian month – we celebrate the Immaculate Conception on December 8th, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the 12th and of course, the Nativity on the 25th.  In all these events, the Blessed Virgin Mary stands in a place of prominence in her saintly, loving manner, inviting us forth to come close to her Son.

In this Christmas card, you’ll find information about our “family” news which I hope you’ll enjoy reading. Fittingly at Christmas, Endow‘s gifts to you and your study groups are the virtue cards you should have received recently. I expect you’ll love the prayer time that goes along with this Endow tradition and embrace the virtue that you select. Growing in virtue is the best New Year’s Resolution! My prayers are for you during this holy season. 

To Jesus through Mary, 

Terry

Endow Newsletter (June/July, 2010)

Dear friends,

Whew – it is 102 degrees in Denver today!  Wherever you are, I hope you are staying cool. But even with triple digit heat, I love summer!  No matter how old you get, summer has a way of making you feel young.  And it is not just one thing ~ it is everything…the long days, the swimming pool, the barbeques, the vacations…everything.

While it is easy to be sentimental about being young, in truth, many of us faced a number of obstacles during our formative years. Growing up is hard. Sadly, however, today’s young people face greater challenges than ever before because over the last 50 years our entire social landscape has been transformed.  The divorce rates have skyrocketed, along with out-of-wedlock births, and the incidence of non-marital cohabitation.  Added to this mix are homosexual “marriage”, pornography, and any number of other troublesome behaviors.  It is hard to keep up with it all.

It is for this reason that our middle and high school programs are such a high priority for Endow, and it is why we have chosen to focus on youth this month. Brigid Sweeney, Endow Marketing Coordinator as well as our Youth Program Director, is weighing in on good books for teens, our new youth study guides and introducing our young and dynamic “Facilitator of the Month”. At Endow, we invest heavily in the young women of today because they are the wives, mothers, teachers, doctors, and lawyers of tomorrow. 

Like everything else we do, we cannot do it without you.  We really need your help.  So, after reading about what we’re up to, please consider partnering with us in our mission to teach young girls about their dignity and vocation. They are the women of tomorrow! To make a donation, click here.

Thank you so much! Now I think I’ll go run through the sprinkler…

Your sister in Christ,

Terry

ENDOW Newsletter (April/May, 2010)

Dear Friends,

Is it mid-May already?! It must be since my calendar – and I imagine yours – is dotted with all those special springtime occasions – graduations, weddings, First Communions!  From my perspective as a “new feminist” I appreciate as never before how profoundly blessed I am to be a woman made in the image and likeness of God and I treasure more deeply than ever the gift of family and relationships. And I thank God for each of you! I hope this month is a beautiful one.
We kicked off the month of May with our Gala held in downtown Denver. Francis Cardinal Arinze honored us with his presence, celebrating the most beautiful Mass at Holy Ghost Church! It was moving to see so many women of all ages – single, consecrated, married with families – all worshipping together on that lovely night. Later, the Cardinal gave his keynote speech, entitled “The Urgency of Woman’s Apostolate” in which he spoke about the need for women’s presence in all facets of life, culture and politics. With strong conviction – yet sprinkled with humor – His Eminence encouraged us to get involved, be vocal about our values and use the power of our vote to ensure our representatives act in the best and truest moral interest of citizens.

Also at the Gala, we were delighted to bestow ENDOW’s Annual Julia Greeley Award to Mrs. Sharon Post, a true sister in the Lord and a long-time small group facilitator. With trademark grace and style Sharon took to the stage and offered her remarks.

We love our sisters in Michigan and are proud of the work they are doing to spread ENDOW. On May 22, the Archdiocese of Detroit is sponsoring a facilitator training in Royal Oak so if you are in the area and have been thinking about getting trained, this is your chance!

Tambien, amamos a nuestras hermanas hispanas! Bear with me as I attempt to learn Spanish, it is one of my many upcoming projects. With sisterly love, we seek to invite Hispanic women and girls into the home of ENDOW. At Centro San Juan Diego in Denver Colorado, on Saturday, May 22, we will be presenting Girl Genius to Hispanic youth leaders and girls. Come and learn more!

Lastly, I hope you are considering our invitation to join ENDOW on our pilgrimage to the Holy Land October 27-November 9th.  We’ll be unveiling our latest book, Valiant Women of the Bible as we uncover the riches to be found in this part of the world. Thank you all for being part of ENDOW – you are the reason we do what we do!
May Christ’s blessings be upon you as you celebrate the month of Mary,  
 
Terry

ENDOW Newsletter (March, 2010)

Dear Friends,

Can we really be entering the third week of Lent? I would not believe it except the proof is right here on the calendar in front of me!

As busy as things get around here, it remains most important that we stay true to our calling and concentrate our efforts on the educational mission we have been given. For that reason, I was happy to accept an invitation to present John Paul II’s Letter to Women at the Ohio Catholic Women’s Conference on the last weekend in February.

Staying true to our educational mission is one reason we are happy to debut a new ENDOW offering: One Day Studies called “Intensives.” These are aimed at women who are perhaps too busy to commit to an eight-week study but who still desire to participate in an ENDOW class. We will be going through an entire study in six hours (Letter to Women April 17 and Edith Stein April 24) so take your vitamins, grab your friends, and register online today.!

During the Lenten Season, the Blessed Virgin Mary is near to our hearts when we meditate upon her sorrows. For that reason our highlighted Study Guide this month is Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer) which explains the place of Mary in salvation history. This book is a special favorite of mine and I hope it will be for you too.  

Speaking of studies, none of these would be possible without our wonderful, dedicated ENDOW facilitators. This month we are pleased to spotlight our  “Facilitator of the Month” Anita Cunningham.  Please read the profile piece on her and see if you aren’t inspired as we all are!

Have you ever been to the Holy Land? I have and I can tell you it is an experience like no other. This fall, ENDOW is embarking on a pilgrimage to the land where Jesus walked.  Please consider this invitation to join us! 

Finally, I have to ask: Have you made your plans for the ENDOW Gala? It all happens on Saturday, May 1^st beginning with Mass at 5:15pm. Expect an invitation in the mail shortly, or you may jump the gun and register early by clicking here. Till then, I wish you a peaceful Lenten season, abundantly blessed by God, and rich in spiritual fruits.

Your sister in Christ, 

  Terry

Executive Director, ENDOW

ENDOW Newsletter (January/February, 2010)

Dear Friends,

Just yesterday I took down the Christmas wreath that had hung on my door since Thanksgiving.  I finally did it, mainly because someone reminded me that Lent begins on February 17^th.  To be honest with you, I cannot wait. 

For some reason, I have always welcomed the season of Lent.  I love the idea of purifying my soul so that I can begin again. In fact, after the hustle and bustle of Christmas, and the doldrums of January, I am ready to detach from the things of this world and to place myself in the arms of Jesus.  I am inspired by the idea of conversion and I believe that Lent is a beautiful invitation to all of us to become the Prodigal Son.

 The whole idea of ENDOW is based on conversion ~ a conversion of heart.  We study so that we may learn to love God in a whole new way, and to love and appreciate each other as we never thought possible.  True conversion is shown by the way we behave, and sometimes it is easier to change our behavior by emulating the virtues we see in others.  Early in January, Catholic writer Lisa Hendey compiled a list of “The 10 Most Fascinating Catholics of 2009.”  Several of these people, notably Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, Sister Prudence Allen, RSM, Ph.D. and Mary Ann Glendon, are involved with ENDOW and they are all certainly worthy of our imitation.  How I wish you could meet just a few of the remarkable men and women I have been privileged to meet over these past several years and hear their “conversion of the heart” stories. 

And speaking of conversion, it is nearly impossible to walk away from Pope Paul VI’s encyclical, Humanae Vitae, and look at the world the same way.  Humanae Vitae is our choice for this month’s highlighted study. Please take a moment to look over the synopsis and see if it appeals to you for your group. The women who have written us saying “the Humanae Vitae study guide changed my life” are too numerous to mention. Maybe you will be among them?

Truly, I am in awe of the many outstanding facilitators who take the opportunity to pray and study with their sisters in Christ. We at ENDOW can have our goals and produce books and write blogs but if it weren’t for committed women willing to lead small groups, our work would come to nothing. So beginning this month, we are adding a feature to our Facilitator’s Corner where we will highlight one special facilitator each month. We are thrilled to launch this new plan with an article on Jennifer Ricard, a former engineer, now a mother of six who is busy in Ohio sowing seeds – she runs five ENDOW groups!  

Also, here’s more good news for facilitators! Some of you have raised questions about how best to run your study group and asked for advice and tips. We have a CD in development that will offer a brief refresher. It is filled with the thoughts, suggestions and helpful hints that have come our way from some of ENDOW’s best and brightest. That’s all of you! Thanks for sharing. Look for the CD later in the spring.

I know it’s early but at ENDOW we are always thinking ahead. We have a wonderful committee working on our Fifth Annual “Evening of Enchantment” Gala on May 1^st at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Denver. Please say you’ll save the date – it can’t be “the party of the year” without you! To purchase a table or individual tickets, please call the ENDOW office (For more info on past Gala Events, click here.)

 Finally, I’m off to Rome in a few days. It is a special blessing to be a Catholic in the “Eternal City,” even if it is just for a little while. Please know that in my travels I carry you in my heart and remember you always in prayer.   

Terry
 Executive Director ENDOW

ENDOW Newsletter (December, 2009)

Greetings, dear friends!
 
Once again, the season of Advent is upon us, and for this reason, we turn our gaze to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The greatest mystery of Christianity entered the world by way of a woman ~ this woman.  For Catholic women like ourselves, Mary is the model of how we should live out our Advent. She teaches us anew how to trust, to love, and to wait in silent anticipation for the coming of Christ.  Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, had a great devotion to Our Lady which he shared in his 1987 encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). He who has been called the most “Marian” pope in history entrusted both his pontificate and his entire life to her.  I am particularly proud of ENDOW’s study guide on Redemptoris Mater, and I invite you to learn more it by clicking here.
 
As we begin our 2009 Advent pilgrimage with Mary, let us remember that the greatest gift ever offered to the world is Jesus Christ. If we want to bring joy to others this Christmas, we have to bring them Christ.  Certainly, we can buy them toys, clothes and gadgets, but if we aren’t giving them Christ, they are receiving nothing of lasting value.   Bringing Christ to others is exactly what ENDOW staff member, Brigid Sweeney does every time she gives a Girl Genius presentation, which she did 44 times this past year!  

 
No Advent pilgrimage would be complete without something to read along the way.  For this reason, ENDOW staff member, Eileen Love has compiled a list of recommended books for you to read this Christmas season, or any time. 

As we bring this year to a close, I want to thank each and every one of you who have supported the efforts of ENDOW over this past year.  You have made this program of study possible.  As you know, our efforts are aimed at helping women know God better so they may love Him more. Our belief is that such love will express itself in service and will result in happier, more harmonious relationships with spouses, families, professional colleagues, and in parish life.   We believe that changing the culture starts with one woman at a time.
 
Finally, a mention of our financial need: this year our scholarship requests tripled. I  would like to ask you to prayerfully consider making a year-end donation to ENDOW.   This gift will enable us to continue our policy of making ENDOW available to all, regardless of inability to pay. Please click here to make this donation.  If your gift is made in honor of a loved one ~ your mother, your sister, your ENDOW facilitator ~ please know that we will notify them of your gift.   My humble and heartfelt gift to you is the assurance you are in my prayers, always.
 
Peace,
 
Terry Polakovic,
ENDOW Executive Director