Testimonies
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.
Girl Genius and what it teaches
Testimonies about Girl Genius
Brigid DeMoor, Endow’s Youth Coordinator, has been bringing the Endow message to young girls around the country. In addistion to being a part of an Endow study group, Brigid has given girls the opportunity to hold day retreats with their middle school. These retreats have been wildly successful and the responses to the experience have expressed just how important the Endow message is.
“I learned that your dignity doesn’t come from material goods, what others think or what you see in the media. It comes from God, from being created in God’s image and his love.”
- Diana Durmford
“I learned that the “lie” of life, what the media and the world tells you, is that you have to have the new designer cloths, and make up, perfect teeth, money etc. But that’s just what the world says. The”truth” of life, what we talked about in the retreat, is that what really matters is dignity, what really matters is love.”
- Maggie Thapp
“I learned that dignity is a gift from God. That love is not physical and that to find happiness in a relationship you have to be selfless and sacrifice.”
- Sophia Kenny
“I learned that beauty comes from the inside and that to love yourself is to love how God made you.”
– Kate Weir
Rave Reviews for Brigid Sweeney!
The Endow youth program has been taking schools by storm, thanks to the tireless efforts and enthusiasm of Brigid Sweeney. Whether it’s speaking 1,500 teens at a youth conference or leading a class on True Beauty Revealed to a group of High School girls, Brigid’s passion for the Endow mission is clearly shown in her work.
“My favorite thing about inviting Brigid to give a talk is she not only engages the teens while she is presenting to them, but she is also radically available to them on a personal level. At our retreat, she sat and talked with our teens during meals and in small groups and between sessions, engaging them in discussion about their favorite movies and books they had read recently. It’s so exciting to have a speaker who is willing to connect with her audience in every single way that presents itself!” –Youth Minister
“When I asked my high school girls if they liked the talk Brigid gave at our recent retreat, their eyes lit up and they began nodding enthusiastically! They loved how passionately she shared her faith and how she wove stories into her talk.” – Youth Minister
These below comments reflect the original spellings and punctuation from the participant.
Outstanding! I loved hearing her speak, particularly the second talk she gave. I learned so much from her and now hold her as a model for my own work as a youth minister. Brigid is genuine and real and really loves those she serves. I spoke a couple of times with her personally, and she was so welcoming and approachable and giving towards me. Thanks, Brigid! -Youth Minister
A girl from a national youth conference told her youth minister after a chastity talk that it was the first time she had ever heard that you could wait until you are married to have sex. She loved the talk so much, she bought the tapes and gave them to all of her friends…this girl was one of the “popular” girls — imagine the effect!! Appreciated that Brigid also spoke truth and was not afraid of getting the Church’s teaching across to esp. the girls during the women’s session! Kids need to hear this message!! -Youth Minister
Brigid was able to get the girls to open up and share with one another their feelings about being a female today. The girls prayed together and said they felt like God was moving through the room, loving on each one of them. -Youth Minister
I liked Brigid’s speeches. The thing that she said that impacted me the most was that we need to wage a war against sin. This has already encouraged me to take a more active role in avoiding sin and denying satan. – Teen
YOU ARE AWESOME! First off, every story you told, it made me think in a diffrent way. It was a way to spread my faith by just listening to you speak. Second, you motivated me enough to think that as a future career, I want to be a motivational speaker. I’m in forensics and was thinking about everything you said, and then I realized that a proffesion like yours would be amazing! So all in all, Thanks for motivating me! You truly are one of my 3 heros now (besides Jesus and God, and all the Saints/Angels in Heaven). – Teen
Brigid was very relatable and seemed genuine in all that she was saying. Her utilization of metaphorical stories really made you think about your own life in a whole new way. She was my favorite speaker of the weekend and she really helped by instructing us on how to keep our faith going strong outside of the conference. – Teen
She made the most profound impact on my life, talking first about opening your heart to Jesus. I’ve said this several times on the survey, but I need to reiterate the fact that if she hadn’t spoken what she did when she did (Friday night) my weekend would not have been meaningful at all. Her little stories all meant a ton to me, especially the analogy with the stadium, and filling it with souls you’ve saved. Her second talk gave me so much ammunition to wage a war against sin. I actually took notes as she was speaking so I could remember all the valuable tips and tricks to defeat temptation and darkness. I would give a lot to hear her speak again, and to tell her how much her down-to-earth wisdom has dramatically impacted who I am now, as I type this survey. – Teen
Brigid was an amazing speaker during Women’s Session. I loved how she talked about Dignity and put into a different light how we think about our Dignity. I also loved how she said that we always say we are looking for the right guy and yet many of us do not accept Jesus. Yet He has done so much for us that we do not give Him credit for. He is the perfect man because He is all that we look for. I never really thought about Jesus’ sacrifice for us like that.
I loved what Brigid had to say! I really identified with the things she said about femininity and chastity. She just made me think for the first time that being chaste was realistic. Her story gave me hope for my own life, and now i know i can wait for my husband. – Teen
Young Women Love ENDOW
Feedback from young women
In the fall of 2009, the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center, the Catholic center for the University of Colorado at Boulder, hosted a special evening for the students. Titled “Date with Dignity” the evening consisted in several presentations on the origin, identity, and mission of women, group discussions, and desserts. (To read more about this event, click here.) Following this special evening, several ENDOW groups formed on campus. Below are comments from some of the students at the completion of their first ENDOW study.
“I love ENDOW’s mission. Bringing it to a college campus is greatly needed when there is such a great attack on the dignity of women.” ~ Maggi (Fort Collins, CO)
”I’ve never seen ‘feminism’ from a Catholic viewpoint before. This study has introduced me to a new way to see my sisters, and to live my vocation as a woman to the fullest.” ~ Katie (Fort Collins, CO)
”I really appreciate that ENDOW strives to let each woman know her unique dignity and worth. What an important message for college students to fully embrace!” ~ Therese (Tulsa, OK)
”It has been amazing to hear the perspectives of other Catholic women, and to share experiences as we grow in our Catholic faith.” ~ Jenna (Boulder, CO)
”When you talk to non-Catholics about ‘women’ issues, it’s hard for them to be accepting as soon as they know you are Catholic. I love JP II’s Letter to Women because it’s addressed to all women, no matter their profession, nationality, or religion, which legitimizes it to everyone.” ~ Elena (Kenai, AK)
“ENDOW has been enlightening, educational, and a beautiful experience. I will continue to grow and learn from these women.” ~ Kelly (Colorado Springs, CO)
Edith Stein: Seeker of Truth
“ENDOW is always edified to hear about successful study groups across the country. One ENDOW group from Centennial, CO recently completed Edith Stein: Seeker of Truth. Following their class, participants shared with us some of their feedback. Please see the amazing quotes below.
I love the Edith Stein study!! I’ve had a wonderful experience learning about the life of such an amazing, profound and liberated Catholic woman. Where has she been all my life?” -Lina
“ENDOW has provided an opportunity for me to better understand the foundations of my faith and share that joy of discovery with women who have become cherished friends as a result of this journey.” -Lorrie
“In studying St. Edith Stein, I have found a model for strength, humility, and womanhood. She is a gift not only to our faith, but also our world. I would encourage all men and women to study and learn of her extraordinary life and thoughts.” -Rene
“I liked the canonization and homily in appendix one - ‘Pay attention! Your life is not a series of open doors! Listen to your heart!…’ as it pertained to Edith Stein’s life…[M]y favorite was not a quote by her but one by the Pope explaining the importance of her courage: ‘In our time, truth is often mistaken for the opinion of the majority.’” -Nancy
“Here’s a quote from Chapter Four that I like: ‘The closer you get to God, you will discover who you’re really meant to be.’” -Darla
“I have been studying with ENDOW for several years and have found each study to be a fulfilling journey. Edith Stein is an amazing example of how one person can change the lives of so many including the life of Pope John Paul II. Thank you ENDOW for bringing her story to life for us!” -Anita, Facilitator
Girl Genius in Colorado Springs!
Sr. Theresa Jones, FMA facilitated the first Girl Genius ENDOW group in Colorado Springs! For the first four Saturdays in November girls in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades met at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, embarking upon a four week adventure to unveil Pope John Paul II’s message regarding the dignity and vocation of women.
The comments below show how much this study guide impacts the girls involved!:
- “Beauty comes from within.” Jessica
- “Girl Genius helped me understand myself better and to love myself because I’m beautiful inside more than out.” Kirana “Girl Genius helped me face how wrong the world is.” Charlotte
- “Not every girl is the same, but we hang out with people who do the same thing, with friends who share our values.” Ashlee
- “I feel that Girl Genius made me think about things and understand.” Samantha
- “In Girl Genius I got a better understanding of a woman’s dignity and learned that inner beauty is what really matters more than your outer beauty.” Marisa
- “With the heightened awareness the Girl Genius program provides, young ladies are better equipped to be critical evaluators of the desired female image our world presents. My prayer is that these beautiful young ladies live what they learned and spread to others the message of what comprises one’s dignity.” Sr. Theresa Jones, FMA
ENDOW Partcipant Publishes Book!
ENDOW participant Dr. Gerri Kelley has recently published a book regarding Catholic life in Russia! She volunteers with a grass-roots organization serving the Catholics of the Russian Far East. As part of her volunteer work, Dr. Kelley provided her translation and writing skills to translate a book on the history of the Far East. To learn more about Harsh Vineyard: A History of Catholic Life in the Russian Far East or to order your own copy, please click here. (This book is also available through www.amazon.com.)Dr. Kelley’s offering of her gifts to help others is a great example of the Feminine Genius at work!
Excited about ENDOW
Thank YOU for offering such excellent programs. The ladies in my group (and throughout the Archdiocese of Detriot) are so excited about ENDOW. We will be having another training in the near future as so many women signed up at the Women’s Conference. I am continually getting calls and emails for new groups to begin–in areas beyond where it is well-established!
-Judy, from Detroit
ENDOW facilitator discovers her vocation
Liza Boquiren shares her religious vocation story below. Liza, a committed ENDOW facilitator from Walnut, CA, shared this story with us, noting that ENDOW played a major part in her discernment process.
————–
JULY ’08
“So I will allure her,
I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart.
On that day, says the Lord,
She shall call me, – My husband.” Hosea 2:16 & 18
These are gentle words I heard God speak to me, when opening my heart to the religious life. There is nothing extraordinary in me except for the grace of Him whom my soul loves. My parents raised me Catholic, I received all the sacraments, I sang in the parish choir through high school. But once in a secular college at the University of California, San Diego, I found myself going to mass only half-heartedly. Then, after working professionally for 5 years in the Environmental Engineering industry, I was happy to attend mass perhaps once a month, if that. My heart, it seemed was a dry wasted, desert.
In 2003, after leaving my professional career and moving back home to start a business with my sister and friends, my heart was ripe for God. I had stopped going to mass completely and after telling this to a Catholic friend, he said, “Liza, if you’re going to leave the Church, you better first learn what you are leaving.” One night, depressed and heart broken, I got on my knees and prayed, “Lord, let me exchange my pride for your humility, your strength for my weakness.” And like a man on a mission, God took me at my word and swooped me up into His arms.
After that year and the following 5 years, my heart grew to know Jesus, then to love Jesus, and in loving Him, having a strong desire to serve Him in the Holy Catholic Church. I went to Confession for the first time in 10 years, was introduced to holy and devout Catholic friends who helped me on the road back into the heart of the Church. My heart caught fire with God’s love and mercy and His constancy and forgiveness gave me the strength to seek all things that would lead me to Him. My mind was like a sponge and making up for lost time, going to retreats, classes, and talks to learn more about the Church’s teachings. Through the teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. Francis of Assisi, I felt pursued by God with an ardent love. I sought in my heart, the man I was going to marry who was going to help me fulfill my vocation, because surely, I was called to married life. Surely.
Over a year after my conversion, in 2005, my spiritual director at the time consecrated me to Our Lady on December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and recommended that I be open to religious life. For the first time, I visited a religious order, the Nashville Dominicans. I did not feel an attraction to the way of life, in fact, I felt quite the opposite. I left satisfied, thinking I did not have a religious calling and so I opened myself up to dating. I felt a sense of relief, yet deep inside, I knew I didn’t give God a chance.
I dated soon after, and throughout a 4-month relationship, a question would randomly enter my mind, “Lord, Jesus, if a soul truly wants to love you, would not giving up their lives entirely be most pleasing to you?” I was annoyed that this question would arise because religious life seemed to always be my answer and I didn’t like it. However, in addition to daily mass and rosary, I found myself longing to be alone with Him in Eucharistic Adoration, spending hours before Him during the week, just gazing back at the One gazing at me. My peace, my happiness would be complete only with Him. During the same year, I met the Carmelites of Alhambra through their monthly Handmaiden talks. Here is where I started to learn more about my gift of femininity and that God was answering my prayers when I didn’t even realize it. However, I was still convinced in my mind that I was called to be married, and while I waited for Mr. Right, I decided to learn the act of self-giving by serving my family in their needs, as a Confirmation teacher for two years and a facilitator for a Catholic based women’s ministry called ENDOW, Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women. My strongest prayer became, “Lord, please make me the woman you created me to be.”
Slowly but surely, my heart started to fill up with so much love that I didn’t know what to do with it. I had started to make daily holy hours before mass in the mornings and with my busy travel schedule, I found myself longing to find a Church for mass and to pray anywhere I traveled. At home, volunteering my time didn’t seem to be enough, and there was something deep inside of me, calling me for something “more.” The “more” I wanted was to be given entirely in love to a life of self-giving. On December 8th, 2006, God answered my prayer through His mother. On my knees, crying with joy, my heart felt free for the first time to choose. “What about me, would you choose me?” He asked. “Yes, my Lord, yes, I choose you.”
Almost two years since that wonderful evening, my heart has felt taken by Jesus. I have not questioned this choice for it has given me peace, and my time has been spent in fidelity to this choice. I have discerned between three wonderful communities and will be entering the Carmelites of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, in Alhambra, CA., in August of 2008. I have been allured into the desert of my own heart, where the dryness has been quenched by Living Waters. There is a silent knowing that nothing could ever satisfy these longings, which is Him. My prayer has been to die for Him as He has died for me. I want every drop of my being to be poured out for Him, whom I love so much. It is in Carmel where I hope to truly become the woman He created me to be. Praised be to Jesus Christ, now and forever, Amen!
Two Vocations from Denver Return to Lead Young Women’s Discernment Retreat
Sister Regina Marie Connor, RSM, and Sister Mary Hanah Doak, RSM
Both Sister Mary Hanah Doak, RSM and Sister Regina Marie Connor, RSM are young women from the Archdiocese of Denver who have discovered their vocations in religious life. In particular, ENDOW was instrumental in leading Sister Mary Hanah closer to God’s will for her happiness: ”I was in an ENDOW women’s group on the Regis campus the year before I entered our Community, and the support I had from that group did a great deal to facilitate my response to my vocation,” said Sister Mary Hanah. Her vocation is just one of the many beautiful fruits that have been borne of ENDOW.
Currently living in Rome and serving within the apostolic mission of the Religious Sisters of Mercy, these two Sisters will be returning to their home Archdiocese to lead a discernment retreat for young women in the fall. In order to provide a time and place for discernment, they will be leading a silent retreat for women between the ages of 18-35 who are considering a vocation to religious life. This retreat, held in silence, will include: community morning and evening prayers, presentations on the Liturgy of the Hours, Lectio Divinia, religious life, and discernment, daily Mass, adoration, opportunities for confession, and opportunities for individual meetings with the Sisters. (The retreat will be based on the model the Religious Sister of Mercy use for students attending the University of Dallas Rome campus.)
Silent Discernment Retreat:
Who: Young women between the ages of 18-35
When: Friday, September 5 through Sunday, September 7, 2008
Where: Mother Cabrini Shrine (20189 Cabrini Blvd., Golden, CO 80401)
Retreat Directors: Sister Regina Marie Connor, RSM and Sister Mary Hanah Doak, RSM
More information or to register: Please contact Sister Esther Mary Nickel, RSM by phone at 303-765-4592 (convent); 303-715-3144 (office), or by email at sister.nickel@archden.org. (The registration deadline is August 29, 2008.)
*Space is limited.
Sister Mary Hanah and Sister Regina Marie shared the following regarding the vocation to religious life:
If she sets her mind and heart to it, a woman in our society can do almost anything she wants with her life. There are cascades of possibilities and numerous doors open to her. A woman discerning her vocation in the Church finds herself in this unique historical situation, one that was perhaps not accessible to her mother or grandmother in the same way. The woman who is called to religious life, knowing all the options open to her, is faced with an intensely personal experience of choice. As a Catholic woman, her “choice” of a vocation is in reality a process of discovery. Her vocation has already been given through the initiative of the Father at the moment of her baptism.
The question becomes, what is God’s plan for me? The response to this question can only be found in prayer. The answer, whatever it may be, will give her a new way of seeing her life as a pure gift of God. God not only fulfills our desires by giving us what we most deeply long for, but He makes us grow to see that He truly loves us and has a plan for our lives. We are completely free to accept or reject that plan.
Sometimes feeling the call to religious life and responding to it can seem like an experience of death, death to your own plans or to certain dreams. Whatever your initial reaction to the idea of a religious vocation, it is not wrong. The important thing is to be open to hear the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit telling you that the Father is calling. It is not necessary to first change how you feel. Simply rise and go to the Lord as you are, and let Him show you the rest. The call to religious life is a great gift, but it is one that has to be responded to in the obedience of faith.
The Gospel of Saint John gives us a poignant example of a woman who was overwhelmed by the person of our Lord, and was extravagant in her response of love:
“Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.” (John 12: 3)
If you are discerning a vocation to consecrated life, take the opportunity in your discernment to emulate Mary in her extravagance of love. Pour out over the feet of Jesus all of your hopes and dreams and let the Church be “filled with the fragrance of the ointment.” To the extent that a woman increasingly embraces the Lord’s will in her life, she finds great joy and freedom of heart.
Prayer, especially prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, is absolutely essential to hearing the call to religious life and being enabled to embrace God’s will. Frequent attendance at Mass, Eucharistic adoration, the Liturgy of the Hours, recitation of the rosary, and intentional times of silence can help a woman be open to the voice of God in her life.