By Linda Reeves - The Florida Catholic Palm Beach
HOLLYWOOD | The woman responsible for starting a movement in Florida nearly two decades ago that has spread from parish to parish and to other dioceses — in the shape of small faith sharing groups — is coming to South Florida this month and inviting all women to join her.
Johnnette Benkovic Williams of Clearwater, founder of Women of Grace ministry, will be speaking at a one-day Women of Grace conference Oct. 23, 2021 at host Nativity Parish in Hollywood. Her daughter, Thea Parsons of Davie, also will be there, leading talks to teens at the Young Women of Grace retreat, to be held the same day, also at the parish.
“We are so excited to be coming together again in person,” said Parsons, who explained that since the pandemic, live conferences and other Women of Grace events have been put on hold. In September, Woman of Grace hosted a conference in San Antonio. The Hollywood event is the second one for the ministry, and the first big Women of Grace event in Florida in over two years.
“We are so excited to host these two events,” said Melanie Lerch, stewardship and development coordinator for Nativity. She is hoping for a good turnout.
“Father Zirilli is thrilled,” she said about her pastor, Father David Zirilli, who is graciously hosting the full day of activities and taking part in talks.
“The Women of Grace conference will be held in our newly renovated church,” said Lerch, happy to be showcasing Nativity’s facilities after facelifts and a recently completed new chapel.
“The Young Women of Grace retreat will be held in the meeting room. We may have lunch outside if the weather is nice,” Lerch said.
She added that safety measures remain in place due to the pandemic. Social distancing will be urged, and everyone is asked to wear a mask.
FAITH AND FEMININITY
The conference for women is entitled “Faith, Fortitude and Femininity: A Formula for Such a Time as This.” Benkovic Williams will give several presentations focused on the true call and gift of being a Catholic woman in today’s world.
Parsons, a mother of eight children ages six months to 16 years, is helping plan the day. The busy mom, born in Clearwater in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, has been working with her mother for the past 16 years.
She said the women’s conference will begin with talks by her mother and include a rosary as well as a noon lunch with time for the women to socialize. The sacrament of reconciliation will be available. There will be lively praise and worship music throughout the day, along with time for reflection and prayer. The afternoon will feature more talks and the day will conclude with a 5 p.m. vigil Mass with Father Zirilli presiding.
“The retreat for teens will include talks, presentations and we will say the rosary,” said Parsons. She explained that the talks are designed to help girls understand their gift of femininity and how to use it to counter the twisted messages being aimed at youngsters today on social media and other forms of entertainment.
“Father Zirilli will address the girls at some point,” said Parsons. “He will help them pray and meditate on the joyful mysteries of the rosary. The girls will have lunch with the ladies, and we will have some fun ice-breakers planned.”
She said her hope for the women and teens attending the event is that “their minds will be open to the truths of their Catholic faith, and that they will be transformed to be the daughters God wants them to be.” she said.
FAITH STUDY GROUPS
Women of Grace is an outreach of Living His Life Abundantly International, an apostolate founded by Benkovic Williams in 2003. The ministry has expanded over the years to include many outreach initiatives, including study groups for women in parishes, conferences, books, DVDs and live radio and television programs on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).
Women of Grace faith-study groups launched here more than 15 years ago with trained volunteer facilitators, who lead discussions on Scripture, Catholic teachings, prayer and the sacraments.
Johnnette Benkovic Williams founded Women of Grace in 2003. The movement is based in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Alicia McDermott, parish manager at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Pompano Beach, is a Woman of Grace regional coordinator, who works with local Women of Grace study groups.
“About 40 percent of the parishes in the archdiocese have Women of Grace groups,” she said, explaining that the Spanish-language groups are quickly growing, especially during the pandemic, when women were isolated from their friends and church groups and seeking faith and fellowship.
“We have been using Zoom,” said McDermott. “The groups have about 30 to 35 women. The young women’s groups started in 2016.”
Susan Brinkmann and Mary Dillenback are co-authors of the Young Women of Grace Embrace Your Femininity study program. The studies are adapted for the younger generation but focused on discussions similar to those for Women of Grace.
“Young Women of Grace is a program developed because we could see how God was reaching the hearts of women through Women of Grace,” said Parsons. “We wanted to reach the girls while they were young.”
Young Women of Grace groups are growing in South Florida. Philadelphia has groups in parishes, and Louisiana has them at Catholic schools that are using the program as part of the curriculum, according to Parsons.
Mellisa Helmle, a parishioner at Nativity, said she is excited about the conference coming to her parish. She is a busy mother of a 7-year-old daughter and twin boys, age 13. She has been involved in Women of Grace study groups for seven years. She hopes to get her daughter involved with Young Women of Grace because the ministry has completely changed her life.
“I went back to confession after 20 years of not understanding the importance of the sacrament,” she said. “I learned about the importance of adoration. I didn’t know about adoration. I have learned that God created me for a special and unique purpose. I am a better wife. I am a better mother. I am a better woman. Women of Grace is the slingshot that flew me close to the Blessed Mother and gave me an overwhelming love for her son and for our holy Catholic Church.”
IF YOU GO
- Women of Grace conference and Young Women of Grace retreat: Oct. 23, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nativity Parish, 5220 Johnson St., Hollywood.
- Online registration: www.womenofgrace.com/events/259.
- Contact information: [email protected].
