Staff
The Endow Youth Program is growing!
The Endow Youth Program is growing!
The Endow Youth Program only came into being a few short years ago, yet in those years Endow Youth Coordinator Brigid DeMoor has been taking the country by storm. The program is sought after in schools nation wide, has been featured numerous times on EWTN and is in the process of developing a number of new studies to add to its arsenal of truth. Recently, Brigid DeMoor led aGirl Genius: Dignity Defined day retreat for middle school girls in Wake Forest, North Carolina. To read some comments from the girls who attended, click here.
“The Feminine Genius Revealed – The Pietà.”
On the morning of Nov. 10
Terry Polakovic, executive director and co-founder of the international movement Endow (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) spoke to approximately 40 women at St. Anastasia Hall in Newtown Square on the topic “The Feminine Genius Revealed – The Pietà.”
To ready an article about the presentation, click here.
2011 Outstanding Catholic Leadership Award!
On Nov. 11, 2011
Endow co-founder Terry Polakovic received the 2011 Outstanding Catholic Leadership Award from the Catholic Leadership Institute. There were nearly 600 guests present to celebrate outstanding Catholic leadership in the Church – and the good work of the Catholic Leadership Institute. Pictured here at the event in Pennsylvania, Terry is surrounded by her family and friends.
To see more pictures of the event, click here.
To read the article in the Denver Catholic Register about the event, click here.
To read an article about Terry in the Catholicphilly, click here.
To see details about the event, visit the website of the Catholic Leadership Institute, click here.
To see a video of the event, click here.
2011 Catholic Leadership Award
2011 Awards For Outstanding
Catholic Leadership
This year one of the awards will be honoring Terry Polakovic, Co-Founder, Executive Director, Chief Editor of Endow. The award ceremonies takes place in Philadelphia, PA on November 11, 2011. To find out more visit CatholicLeaders.org
To see the official event poster, click here.
Endow Special Events
Endow’s Executive Director, Terry Polakovic, is speaking at two special Endow events in the upcoming months. She will be speaking at an Endow mini Conference on October 15, 2011 in Howell, MI. All women are invited to take a break and learn about the Endow mission. Terry will also be speaking at a “Morning of Reflection” on November 10, 2011 in Newtown Square, PA.
To learn how to register for the “Endow Mini Conference,” click here.
To learn how to register for the “Morning of Reflection,” click here.
Terry Polakovic’s farewell letter to Archbishop Chaput
It’s Hard to Say Goodbye ~ Reflections on Archbishop Chaput
By Terry Polakovic
For the past month, everyone I know in Denver has been sharing their personal memories of Archbishop Chaput. All tell of a shepherd’s love for his people. Please indulge me as I share a few of mine.
A Good Friend
A friendship was born in the year 2000, though I would not understand its significance right away. My family and I joined a group traveling from the Archdiocese of Denver to World Youth Day in Rome. We spent a lot of time on buses, and it was our great luck to have Archbishop Chaput sitting next to us.
My children, ages 10 and 12, were the youngest ones on the bus. They were excited and full of energy, but the Archbishop proved to have more stamina than the two of them combined. Even though it was August and the heat and travel were exhausting, the three of them played the “word game” past midnight on more nights than I can remember. The interaction between the three of them was a joy to watch and just thinking about it makes me smile.
A Wonderful Mentor
Knock, knock. May I have a minute? That’s how the visit began early in 2003, when I mustered my courage to approach Archbishop Chaput about the possibility of starting something brand new. I wasn’t even sure what it would be exactly, but the idea was strong and persistent and I needed to see if it would fly.
I had been studying John Paul II’s writings on women – along with two other friends – for over a year and we were excited to learn about the theology behind the “New Feminism.” This, we believed, was a story that needed to be told. So we hatched an idea to begin a teaching apostolate that would eventually become Endow.
On that day, we walked into the Archbishop’s office with no credentials, no concrete plan, no money, and no office space.
The surprise was that he didn’t kick us out. The Archbishop could have easily said “no” but he listened. He considered the possibilities. It is a sign of the Holy Spirit working in hearts that Archbishop Chaput saw something worth taking a chance on.
A Staunch Supporter
Over the ensuing eight years, he has walked with us and guided us every step of the way. In fact, just before the announcement regarding his new assignment to Philadelphia, Archbishop Chaput gave us a parting gift. He finalized the paperwork formalizing Endow’s canonical status as a private juridic person of the Catholic Church.
No words of thanks will ever be enough.
A Spiritual Father
Over the years, I have wished that leading this organization would be easier, but it isn’t. The work is hard and the hours are long. The demands on the staff are tremendous and every day we are all reminded of our own human limitations.
I know that I could never do this alone. I have needed a lot of help from people who are wiser and further advanced in the spiritual life and Archbishop Chaput is surely one of those people. He has supported me, challenged me, guided me and consoled me. Like a loving father, he encourages me when I struggle, he dusts me off when I fall and sends me back out. He is the kind of father that believes in you even when you don’t believe in yourself. Because he leads by example, I often find myself wondering, “What would Archbishop do?”
A Father’s Legacy
The truth is, Endow would not exist without Archbishop Chaput. Every time a woman tells me that Endow has changed her life, I stop and thank God. I am reminded that this apostolate is a work of the Holy Spirit. In His wisdom, God has permitted this relationship between the Archbishop and me and I will revel in the fruits of this friendship for the rest of my life. Knowing other lives are enriched is the icing on the cake.
Yes, it is hard to say goodbye but there is an exhilaration too and an eager desire to embrace the future. I have learned that our God is a God of surprises. I stand before Him in gratitude.
A Message from Wendy Dominguez
A Message from Wendy Dominguez
Chairman of the Board, Endow
The Catholic Leadership Institute provides bishops, priests, deacons and lay persons in the Roman Catholic Church with world-class, pastoral leadership formation and consulting services that strengthen their confidence and competence in ministry, enabling them to articulate a vision for their local church, to call forth the gifts of those they lead, and to create more vibrant faith communities rooted in Jesus Christ. Every year, the Catholic Leadership Institute awards outstanding Catholic leaders.
We are honored that Terry has been named a recipient of the 2011 Catholic Leadership Award. Other recipients are:
Sr. Pauline M. McShain SHCJ – Educator & Sister of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus
Thomas Monaghan – Founder of Legatus and Ave Maria University
Cardinal Seán O’Malley – Archbishop of Boston
The ceremony for the 2011 Awards for Outstanding Catholic Leadership will take place on Friday, November 11, at the Drexelbrook, 4700 Drexelbrook Dr., Drexel Hill, PA, 19026. The occasion will welcome over 600 guests from around the globe to celebrate the exemplary leadership of these four outstanding individuals. If you would like to attend, tickets may be purchased by visiting https://www.catholicleaders.org/awardDinner.aspx.
World Youth Day with Brigid DeMoor
Letter from Brigid
I’m a little jet-lagged and my blisters are killing me but I wouldn’t trade these “souvenirs” of World Youth Day for anything!
I had the great pleasure of being in Madrid, Spain with 2 million other young people from all over the world. What a tremendous gift! What an incredible experience!
Every street and subway was filled with bright young faces all waving flags and singing songs from their native lands. What was it about all these beaming pairs of eyes? Young people from six different continents although all very unique and unrepeatable had the same spark in their eyes.
Here is what struck me: Our generation is hungry for truth, beauty, and goodness. People in our generation are aching to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Our generation is demanding a life filled with meaning. And our generation knows exactly where to find the answer to all of these longings: In Christ, truly present in the Eucharist. In fact, they are willing to fly across oceans, to sleep outside in dusty fields, and to fit five times the normal amount of people in a subway car in order to seek out Christ.
WYD in Madrid was an incredible explosion of joy rooted in Christ, rooted in Truth, rooted in the Eucharist! Christ is Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Himself. Christ is the one who has brought us into His story of salvation which spans from the beginning of time. Christ is worthy of our trust and only He makes our life worth living. In his closing homily, Pope Benedict XVI, our Vicar of Christ on earth, said,
Dear young people, today Christ is asking you the same question which he asked the Apostles: ‘Who do you say that I am?’ Respond to him with generosity and courage, as befits young hearts like your own. Say to him: ‘Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, who has given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me.’
Now that we are home and back into the swing of our regular lives we can still respond to Christ with generosity and courage. The invitation put out to young people has no expiration date and the challenge is still very real. You can seek out a deeper friendship with Christ, right here in your own hometown. He provides opportunities every day, every minute, for us to know Him better.
I have so much more I want to share with you in person.
Here’s the plan: grab a friend and join Endow at our annual Retreat this September 9th and 10th. Learn about developing the courage to love – really love – and get ready to change your corner of the world!
Love, Brigid
To see photos of World Youth Day 2011, click here.
Award for Outstanding Catholic Leadership
2011 Awards for
Outstanding Catholic Leadership
November 11, 2011
Executive Director Terry Polakovic has been named a recipient of the Award for Outstanding Catholic Leadership. Each year, the Catholic Leadership Institute of Wayne, Pennsylvania awards those individuals who serve as exceptional role models in the Church. To read the press release, click here.
Commencement address at the Augustine Institute
Terry Polakovic addressed the Augustine Institute
May 14, 2011
Last month Terry Polakovic gave the commencement address to the graduates of the Augustine Institute in Denver.
The school provides a remarkable education in theology for serious Catholics. Much of what she said included her own story of being led by God into unknown territory and learning to embrace His Will for her life.
Looking into the faces of the graduates, she was ”filled with joy and hope for the future of the Church”. To read her speech, click here.