The LOTUR: The More We Learn, the More We Want to Know

While a cradle Catholic, Linda Morris says she did not have a strong opportunity for formation growing up, especially in the early years after Vatican II. She remembers making her First Communion in Latin and watching her parents quietly live their faith.

“They didn’t talk a lot about the faith, they simply lived it,” she said. Mass every Sunday, the importance of faith and how you treated other people were simply part of family life.

As she grew older, Linda says much of her faith came directly from God. “I’m so thankful for this interior awareness of Him,” she said. “God has been faithful to me through every joy and sorrow of my life. I live in a constant state of gratitude for that.”

A turning point came with the introduction of the Catechism of the Catholic Church under Pope St. John Paul II. Living in Fargo, North Dakota, Linda learned of a local priest offering a class on the Catechism. She joined the class, which met every week for three years, working through Catechism from beginning to end. “It was the first time I was exposed to many of the truths of our faith,” Linda said.

Those truths also presented a challenge. “Now that I know this, I have to live it,” she said.

What’s Endow?

Linda first heard about Endow in 2006 while visiting her son in Denver. At a backyard barbecue, she met sisters Bridget and Kate Sweeney, who were helping develop the Endow curriculum. Their bubbling enthusiasm planted a seed. Years later, when friends back in Fargo began talking about their Endow groups, Linda took notice.

By then living in Boise, Idaho, Linda was eager to see Endow come to her parish. Eventually, she picked up the phone herself and called Endow to find out what it would take to bring the apostolate to Boise. Linda began taking the necessary steps.

Soon after, Endow co-founder, Terry Polakovic, was traveling to Boise and extended her stay to introduce local women to Endow. Linda fondly remembers Terry’s visit and how it compelled her to promote Endow in all the Boise parishes.

“Even though I didn’t feel qualified, I started my first group,” she said. With support from Endow, the group took off. More than 12 years later, her Ladies of the Upper Room, or LOTUR, remain committed to studying together.

The group has remained a close-knit group of a dozen women, with charter members welcoming new members over the years. Linda says their commitment comes in part from a desire to go deeper. “If they’re going to spend two hours every week, they want to go deep, and that’s what Endow gives us. It is worth every minute of our time. What we gain from it is impossible to quantify. It’s truly life changing,” she said.

That depth, Linda believes, is part of what it means for Endow to honor the dignity of women.

“It treats us with dignity by not watering down the mysteries of our faith,” she explained. “Some of the reading is very challenging. There is no fluff. The richness of the content invites you to read it more than once and spend time contemplating it. The material has substance and elevates us to a higher understanding.”

Time Well Spent

The group has developed a deep bond along the way. Women who want social time arrive early or stay late so the study itself can remain focused. They gather for Christmas luncheons or end-of-semester gatherings and recently held their first overnight retreat in a member’s mountain home.

At the beginning of each semester, Linda reiterates the number one reason for coming together: to grow in holiness. “We are a missionary Church. As we learn more about our loving God, we must make Him known to others.”

Linda asks each woman to spend the drive home after their time together reflecting on the one thing that most stood out to her.

“I believe that is God speaking to you, and it could be precisely what God is preparing for you to share with someone later,” she tells them. Linda has watched that happen repeatedly as women bring what they have learned into their families, workplaces, conversations, sanctifying the ordinary moments of their lives.

And Linda insists a woman does not need to be a theologian to be an Endow host. She says, “Endow does all the heavy lifting.” Because of its quality curriculum, structure, and the support of the Endow team, Linda believes any woman who truly wants to learn about God and the Catholic faith is equipped to host a group.

“The only requirement is a sincere heart and desire to know God. With that, one can partner with this wonderful apostolate and see what happens. God will do the rest.”