Where Feminism and Catholicism meet.
The FemCatholic Conference is a platform for Education, Connection, and Activation to make the world and the Church a better place for women. And to explore how the Church and the world can be bettered because of the contributions of women!
In its inaugural year, we are bringing together men and women to further what St. Pope John Paul II called for: “a campaign for the promotion of women.”
Because women matter: in the Church, and in the world.
Three things you can count on taking away from this exciting event are:
1) Education
On what Jesus and Church teachings actually say about women, feminism, and “the feminine genius.
Did you know about that quote above -- that St. Pope John Paul II advocated for this “campaign for… women” in his Letter to Women?
Most people, including Catholics, don’t - which is why we must first learn what has already been said by the Church about women, and women’s issues.
Then, we must further understand what insights our Catholic faith brings to contemporary women’s issues.
Be educated on questions like:
How is Catholic feminism similar, and different, to secular modern feminism?
What does it look like to care about what’s best for women and live as a Catholic?
Is there a uniquely Catholic response to sexual assault and rape culture?
The FemCatholic Conference will feature some of the BEST thought leaders on these topics lined up to give you a unique educational foundation that is totally Catholic – and totally pro-woman. It’s a lineup unlike ANYWHERE else.
2) Connection
With other people who don’t fit all “the boxes.”
If you’re too “left” for your conservative friends or too “right” for your liberal ones, if you hide your views on certain issues when you’re in different circles, or if you’re wondering whether feminist inclinations and a deep catholic faith can coexist - WELCOME!
The FemCatholic Conference will be a one-of-a-kind gathering of those passionate about women’s rights AND their Catholic faith.
Concern for women’s equality is deeply Catholic and rooted in our understanding of human dignity, which is why we want you to hear and learn from women who are deeply passionate about advocating for equality, AND for truth.
Connect with women and men who will inspire you, challenge you, and support you as we work towards progress for women in both the Church, and the world.
The FemCatholic Conference will feature multiple small group networking opportunities, where you can connect with people working to advance women in the same arenas you’re in - whether that’s the workplace, the home, within Church organizations or society at large.
And we take full credit for any new BFF relationships that blossom. ;)
3) Activation
To bring the power of women to both the Church and the world.
By “power of women,” we mean so much more than the ability to be a domestic goddess OR a corporate queen bee; more than a single faceted understanding of what it looks like to be a woman passionate about making a change. We’re talking about a deeply resilient, courageous, human-person focused strength.
We believe that each and every woman is called to embody this power in a beautifully unique way, and we see this power demonstrated by so many saints before us in the face of tragedy and evil. Because you know what? Evil is still out there. And the world needs us to bring every bit of Mama Bear fight we’ve got to combat it.
We need to the kind of power called for by newly canonized St. Pope Paul VI to say:
Women of the entire universe, whether Christian or non-believing, you to whom life is entrusted at this grave moment in history, it is for you to save the peace of the world.
Save the world, huh? Yeah – this is coming from the Catholic Church, and we want you to hear more of it.
The FemCatholic Conference will be a platform for women’s voices unlike any other, and showcase the diversity and strength of women in our Catholic Church. You will be inspired by new role models and discover your own strength in their examples and voices. We want to activate your unique God-given gifts, and your passion for women, in order to reveal the role God is calling you to play in “saving the… world.”
The hour is coming, in fact has come, when the vocation of woman is being achieved in its fullness, the hour in which woman acquires in the world an influence, an effect and a power never hitherto achieved. That is why, at this moment when the human race is under-going so deep a transformation, women impregnated with the spirit of the Gospel can do so much to aid mankind in not falling. – Pope Paul VI, 1965