From Confessional to Discipleship, Laurie Jarvis Brings Women to Endow

Last fall, Laurie Jarvis went to confession like so many times before, with the expectation of heading back into daily life. Instead, she met a Polish priest in the confessional, a friend of Pope St. John Paul II, who set other ideas in motion for her.

“Almost as an afterthought, I said to the priest, ‘I have been complaining out loud about my church not having enough enrichment opportunities for women,’” she recalled.

Instead of absolution and a quick exit, Laurie got a long moment of silence before the priest laid down a challenge.

“‘You’re going to have to start a women’s group,’ he said.” The priest directed Laurie to ask those working at her church what they wanted her to do and get it started.

“He gave me the marching orders like that,” she said. “And I thought to myself, isn’t that just the way God works?”

The link between the priest in the confessional and John Paul II has proven prophetic as Laurie now prepares to bring JPII’s Letter to Women to the women in her parish, Saint Thomas More in Colorado, later this year.

Reluctant to Lead

When Laurie approached the leaders in her church ministry office, she was ready to offer herself in any capacity needed but not so ready to lead it.

She recalled saying, “‘The priest says I should lead a group, but I’ll be glad not to.’”

Laurie laughs about it now, but in the moment, she admits she was trying to “slip slide my way out of it.”

Once she took that first step, though, things moved fast.

“All of a sudden, we had more people calling and asking about small groups for women. It started to take on a life of its own,” she said.

Laurie even received an unexpected offer from a friend who was willing to co-host with her.  Although both women were already involved in an existing Endow group together, they felt a clear call to step out of their comfort zones so more women could experience the same blessing. It was evident that God was at work, opening doors and bringing the right people at just the right time.

Why It Mattered

At the heart of Laurie’s admission in the confessional was a desire for more. “In my heart, I really wanted women to have a place where they could go deep,” she explained.

She had seen what happens when women gather with this purpose through previous studies with Endow. Since 2018, Laurie has completed four Endow studies: St. Hildegard | Discovering the Doctors of the Church, Salvifici Doloris | On the Christian Meaning of Suffering, St. Catherine | Setting the World Ablaze and Letter to Women.

“As women, we have this unique ability to tell stories and connect with one another on a heartfelt level,” she said, “and adding the intellectual depth of these studies brings it full circle, allowing us to draw rich insights from each other’s lives.”

For Laurie, it’s a personally rewarding experience.

“You can come back from an Endow group and just be inspired to want to be the best you can be,” she said.

New Understanding of Dignity

In studying Letter to Women, Laurie explains that her understanding of dignity has shifted from seeing it as a sense of self-worth one earns to recognizing it as something innate, imprinted on every person’s heart and mind by the Creator.

“Dignity comes from God, and it is nourished by an inner life that is fresh and new each day through prayer,” she said.

We can also grow by exploring the concept of dignity alongside other women. Laurie has found that “iron sharpens iron,” elevating how our understanding of dignity is lived out in communion with others and is present in small groups where women share.

“Each woman is unique and unrepeatable. We are chosen for eternity, which is what John Paul II speaks about. That’s where our dignity comes from, and with that understanding, we can live it out one day at a time,” she said.

Connecting to Lived Faith

Ask Laurie what makes Endow groups different, and she’ll tell you it’s what happens in the space between the discussion questions found in the study.

“When you go to an Endow group and share, you’re actually opening your heart with one other, and it is in that sacred silence God speaks,” she said.

These conversations have a way of connecting to lived faith in other areas of life. “It’s amazing how our group discussions relate completely to the gospel that we just studied on Sunday. It’s like the Holy Spirit has a way of just taking over,” she said.

Through the Letter to Women study, Laurie began to see her own life and her identity as a woman in a new way. One topic that fascinated her “was the idea that being a woman is a vocation. I never thought about it,” she admitted.

That single insight opened the door to deeper questions.

“How do I reflect God’s image? That vocation to holiness, what does that mean to me?”

As the answers became more personal and less abstract, she noticed a growing sense of grace toward herself.

“I think it’s actually helped me to accept who I am, faults, weaknesses, and all,” she explained. “I used to be much harder on myself. I think studying Letter to Women has softened my spirit, enabling me to become more receptive as I surrender my will to God.”

For Laurie, what started as a confessional admission has become a calling. Laurie and her co-host will welcome new women to Endow in August as they kick off a small group study of Letter to Women.

Please join us in praying for Laurie and the women joining her, and for all women like Laurie who step into the role of host for small groups across the world.