135 pages – Suggested weeks to complete 8-12 weeks minimum
Table of Contents
Chapter One – A Letter to All Women
Chapter Two – An Act of Contrition
Chapter Three – Obstacles to Freedom
Chapter Four – Equal in Dignity
Chapter Five – The Feminine Genius
Chapter Six – The Blessed Virgin Mary – The Highest Expression of the Feminine Genius
Chapter Seven – Priests, Prophets, and Kings
Chapter Eight – Bearing Fruit
A sample two-hour session
7:00 p.m. – Hellos
7:15–7:20 p.m. – Opening Prayer
7:20–8:50 p.m. – Read & Discuss
8:50 p.m. – Closing Prayers/Announcements
9:00 p.m. – Goodbyes
Supplemental resources
- Listen to an audio Chapter 1 of Letter to Women
- Appendix I: Letter of Pope John Paul II to Women
- Appendix II: Integral Sex Complementarity and the Theology of Communion by Sr. Prudence Allen, R.S.M., Ph.D
- Writings of John Paul II YouTube Playlist
- The Feminine Genius on Formed
- Annette Bergeon on Catholic Motherhood | The Augustine Institute Show with Dr. Tim Gray
- Women’s Ordination: Is It Still an Issue? by Sister Sara Butler, M.S.B.T
- Letter of Pope John Paul II to Women – 4-part Series by Sr. Mary Madeline Todd, O.P.
- Woman of the Household Course
Paying it forward
Make a one-time gift to Endow to help women all over the world discover their God-given dignity!
Become a monthly supporter and join the Feminine Genius Circle!
Endow honors the intelligence and the nature of women. An Endow group is a place for women to gain knowledge, share insights, and participate in the unique and particular wisdom that is the feminine genius.
Linda
This is our most popular and foundational study for women first experiencing Endow. Written for the occasion of the 1995 Fourth United Nations Conference on Women, this letter acquaints us with the thought of Pope St. John Paul II and is the perfect introduction to the Christian concept of woman and her indispensable role in the Church, the family, society, and the world.
Navigating the study
Each chapter is divided into three sections. Each section is divided into reading the actual text of John Paul II’s Letter, a commentary on his Letter written by Emily Stimpson Chapman, and the third section with questions for discussion. Please consider reading the entire Letter in the Vatican link above.
For a more leisurely 12 week study, groups can work through two of the three sections. For an 8 week study, groups can either move through the sections more rapidly or be selective about which sections to complete. It is not expected that all the questions should be answered in one session.
The commentary for this study was written by Emily Stimpson Chapman, who also wrote our studies on St. Hildegard of Bingen, Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life), Salvifici Doloris (On the Christian Meaning of Suffering), Rosarium Virginis Mariae (On the Rosary of the Virgin Mary), and St. Catherine of Siena.
We are here to support you
Throughout your study, as spiritual, theological, or pastoral questions arise, please contact us for support. Please also consider emailing us testimonies from your group! We love to hear what the Lord is doing through Endow!
The Endow team is here to support you in studying this important document! For an initial 20-minute Zoom meeting with us, please contact info@endowgroups.org with the subject line “Mentoring meeting.”
Letter to Women promotional kit