PORT ST. LUCIE | The theme of “Love Courageously” resonated with many attendees at the annual Called By Name Women’s Encounter Sept. 25-26 at St. Bernadette in Port St. Lucie. More than 150 women packed the parish’s conference space to hear Sister Clare Hunter, of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, examine the meaning of courage in today’s world.
It was the first time the conference had a two-day format, with praise and worship music, a guided reflection, Eucharistic adoration and the sacrament of reconciliation offered Friday night, then Mass with Father Antony Lopez, St. Bernadette’s pastor, and inspiring talks, meals and breakout sessions Saturday.
Asked at the start of the day about what Sister Hunter hoped the women would grasp from her three talks, she said it was their “personal love relationship with Christ.”
“Because we exist, and the fact that even in our fallenness and our imperfections God can work with us and help us to just be his beloved,” said Sister Hunter, who is an assistant professor of fundamental theology at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. “The more we can really work on that and heal those wounds that block us from that, the more we can then truly love God and others and ourselves as he intended.”
Using examples from Scripture, especially drawing on biblical stories involving women like sisters Martha and Mary, Eve and Mary Magdalene, she hoped to show how modern women are dealing with the same challenges. “We’re not alone, and God still loves us no matter what,” she added.
At the start of her second talk, Sister Hunter highlighted her own “perfect dysfunctional family” and how her parents had just graduated from high school when she was conceived. They had planned to go to New York to have an abortion but decided against it, instead getting married.
“It’s just interesting, when I think about God calling me to be a sister — and I’ve been a religious sister now for 30 years — and I pray about that, just the mystery of that. Here I am from not a perfect situation of conception, and yet God used that,” she said.
God works through those traumatic experiences and sometimes the faults of others to teach and redeem us for his greater glory, Sister Hunter said.
“I think we realize that we make the decisions, but then God works, and God wants to be there in those weaknesses, in those imperfections, for us to know that we’re still loved, we’re still beloved daughters, we’re still his brides, his sisters, the ones he has come to redeem and to love. And we now have to trust that, and courageously trust that,” she said.
But people have a tendency to block God’s entry into their lives, Sister Hunter said, using the analogy that he was welcome into the clean areas of their home — living room, bathroom or kitchen — but not in the more private sectors. “That’s what we do, and that’s not what he wants,” she said.
Her message resonated with St. Bernadette parishioner Kathy LaPointe, who attended the encounter with her daughter.
“As much as I try to live my faith, I also know that I build up walls,” she said. “So, that takes courage to let go of those walls, or climb over, or actually break through. So, that’s where it is for me. And mostly it’s between me and God. Like Sister was talking about. Oh, you can come in the kitchen, the bathroom or the living room, but don’t go in the back rooms. That takes some courage.”
A Florida resident for only two years, LaPointe said this was her third Called By Name encounter. She has been on many retreats and days of reflection and enjoys the downtime to connect with God in the quiet. She gave high marks to Sister Hunter and her talks.
“You think, ‘Oh, I’m a mom and a wife, and what’s a sister going to teach me, right? I mean, really, on a big level. How’s she going to get connected to what makes sense to me?” LaPointe said. But Sister Hunter’s points were right on target.
The core group of Called By Name organizers includes Loretta Barnes, Maria Carlton, Andrea Draper, singer-musician Sunny Payne, Rachel Sparks and Kelly Whitten, faith formation director at St. Bernadette. Their work begins shortly after each of the encounters when they choose a theme.
“For this one, we all kind of just had similar themes, and we’re like, all right, courage, love. Let’s just put it all together,” Sparks said. “And then it also intertwines with World Youth Day themes as well because it’s very similar to their themes. And so, I think it’s really beautiful how the Holy Spirit just works together in that way.”
The “Love Courageously” theme was meaningful for Megan Montes, who attended Saturday’s sessions with her 4-month-old son, Damien. She was discussing the theme with her tablemates, “and I was saying that I think it’s seeing Jesus in all of our relationships, whether we’re on the receiving end of the love, whether we’re needing that or we’re on the giving end of love, with our children or family members or friends or anyone. I think just like being Christ-like, to love as Christ did for us to anyone, whether we’re giving or receiving,” she said.
The conference held tremendous meaning for Arlene Love, who had been away from the Catholic faith she was raised in for a long time. A St. Bernadette parishioner for a year, it was her first Called By Name encounter.
“I’ve truly thrown myself back into Catholicism. I’m taking catechism classes. I went to parochial school as a kid, but I was away for so long. I forgot my prayers. I forgot the rules. There was so much,” said Love, a retired Realtor and now a Tradition resident.
“I’m hoping to be a sponsor for some of our converts and people who are going to be confirmed and that sort of thing,” she said. “I’m truly enjoying being a Catholic. It is a whole different feeling. It’s wonderful. I’m very happy.”
Adding her assessment of Sister Hunter’s speaking abilities, Love lived up to her name.
“Oh, she’s wonderful. I get her,” she said. “I got her right off the bat yesterday when she started joking, and I said, ‘Oh yeah, she’s my person. She’s great. I think they chose the right person to speak.”
For more information on the Diocese of Palm Beach’s Family Life ministry, visit www.diocesepb.org/ministriesoffices/ministries/marriage-family-life-faith-formation-youth-ministry/family-life-ministry/. For upcoming events in the diocese, go to www.diocesepb.org/news/
