“Let old age be childlike, and your childhood like old age; that is, so that neither may your wisdom be with pride, nor your humility without wisdom” (St. Augustine).

How many times did your heart break in the past month? It’s quarantine day 70-something, and the haunting realities of racism have become even more vivid, in sorrowful ways.

The Catechism says that believers are “One Body”:

“The body’s unity does not do away with the diversity of its members: ‘In the building up of Christ’s Body there is engaged a diversity of members and functions. There is only one Spirit who, according to his own richness and the needs of the ministries, gives his different gifts for the welfare of the Church.’ The unity of the Mystical Body produces and stimulates charity among the faithful: ‘From this it follows that if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with him, and if one member is honored, all the members together rejoice.’ Finally, the unity of the Mystical Body triumphs over all human divisions (791).”

Longing for Community

In these turbulent times, I have found myself wondering, “Where are the women who are also answering their calls so intently and prayerfully, who are searching for the answers in prayer, in catechism, and in community?”

No matter your personality or whether you have introverted or extroverted tendencies, reflection and contemplation have probably become part of your days. For most of us, our longing for community has grown more intense during these isolated days and, perhaps, has followed us into these times of societal unrest and crisis.

Recently, I was helping my mom clear out some boxes from our house when I came across several Bible study guide books from various small group studies throughout the years. The studies served to gather a community of people who shared a value system, fostered an intimacy that seemed hard to find elsewhere, and provided an opportunity to ask questions on faith that otherwise would go unanswered. They fostered trust and allowed an opportunity for shared experiences. Joining them helped me make lasting friendships and draw connections, forming professional and personal communities in the various places I have lived.

The solidarity shared in these groups, including shared knowledge and faith, is so important and needed today. Three organizations that work to foster a meaningful Catholic women community are FemCatholic, Endow Groups, and The GIVEN Institute. In communicating with the leaders of these groups, it became clear to me that mission fuels their purpose to help women thrive. They also give them tools to support them in their business pursuits.

FemCatholic: Sharing Your Fiat

“FemCatholic is a blog and community platform (FemCatholic in Action Together, or FIAT) working to educate, encourage, and empower women to offer their gifts to the world and the Church,” says founder Samantha Povlock. “The blog features Catholic women's perspectives on current issues and Catholic teachings, all from a pro-woman perspective working to reconcile with and support Church teaching. Our first conference was held in 2019, and the 10 talks by expert Catholic women are available for purchase.”

The FemCatholic FIAT community is an online and mobile platform featuring active information and conversations on faith, tough questions, inspiring women, current events, and leadership development. It “offers women in business the tools to connect with other women in their area or field who can support them in their personal and professional journeys … For women working within the Church, FemCatholic can offer the support to advocate for advancing women while remaining totally orthodox to Church teaching and the encouragement that your work is making a real impact.”

Endow: Building Community Through Group Study

Endow’s online presence also has not been limited to traditional studies. “We hosted two virtual conferences, one for our Magnifica apostolate (Endow for the Hispanic community) and our first annual Holy Spirit Conference,” says Simone Rizkallah, director of program growth. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Endow Groups has also developed an online platform for its studies. “In March, we hosted a six-week webinar based on our most recent Endow study on John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation ‘Rosarium Virginis Mariae’ (‘On the Rosary of the Virgin Mary’), and immediately after that, we launched ‘Edith Stein Online,’ which is a weekly online meeting to accompany a woman’s self-study of our Endow Study ‘Seeker of Truth’ on Edith Stein … We will resume in the fall for an online study of JPII’s Letter to Women.” 

As we open up to the content of some studies, we may find ourselves reflecting on our own path and reflecting on our careers. Endow groups, which are an apostolate recognized under Canon 113 of the Code of Canon Law, are designed to be intellectual as well as a way to gather groups of women. “Endow equips women to recognize and cultivate [their] God-given genius by creating study guides and organizing women into small group communities to study the greatest minds and saints of the Church, especially the female doctors of the Church, like St. Teresa of Ávila and St. Catherine of Siena.”

Similarly, sharing a study with working women can help us to network and discover connections we would not have otherwise known. Endow Groups are created to foster a woman’s faith and help her understand her mission in a deeper sense. An anonymous Endow group member recently shared, “I do wish I had studied Edith Stein and JPII’s ‘Letter to Women’ during my career. It certainly helped to put my talents into perspective. I didn’t really understand the positive attributes of [femininity] and their positive influence in management and leadership until reading Stein and JPII. I am a retired businesswoman, wife, and mother. I grew up in business during a very difficult and changing time and often feel that we haven’t made much progress. It was always a challenge to not come across as too feminine, as that was usually used to undermine us.”

The GIVEN Institute: Developing as a Leader

While our communities may broaden while participating in forums, so does our knowledge of shared opportunities for growth and business development among peers. Recognizing that an important step to entrepreneurship or succeeding in a larger system is good relationships, a shared, meaningful experience can open a new door. For example, the  GIVEN action plan helped launch the FemCatholic platform.

“Ultimately, GIVEN wants each woman to discover the gift only you can give because of the gift that you are.  Knowing and understanding your dignity and worth as a unique and unrepeatable creation of God is critical to any professional success. Through the network of Catholic female leaders and the formation received, women are able to truly grow in their relationship with the Lord and [more deeply] engage in their God-given gifts in any arena of life, including the secular world. We take pride in the fact that GIVEN includes women of all vocations and professional backgrounds,” says executive director Rachel Harkins Ullmann. In lieu of this year’s forum, GIVEN Institute offered an online event titled Discover the Gift. It’s a recorded event and open to all.

The GIVEN Institute hosts a Catholic Young Women’s Leadership Forum for women aged 21-30. “Each woman who applies and is accepted to attend the Leadership Forum selects a specific track (secular professional, post-missionary, entrepreneurial, Catholic professional, and general discernment) … Often, women in business enroll in the entrepreneurial or secular professional tracks, and the mentors that serve in those tracks have long-standing careers and experience to complement these women’s aspirations and goals.  For example, we have mentors who have invested in start-up companies or former CEOs of major corporations, and these women are all Catholic! Our mentors all fill out a skills inventory as part of their application process, which includes an assessment of their willingness to share support in areas such as writing proposals, budgeting, navigating leadership circles, business plan strategies, and the list goes on!”

As we move forward in a summer unlike one we have ever experienced before, Endow Groups, FemCatholic, and GIVEN Institute offer community, resources, and a multitude of platforms to connect with other women. These important organizations remind us that we are not alone in our questions and in our search for meaning. They are designed to assist us in our march forward with faith and in our growth as business women.

Molly Franzonello is a new wife and health care systems innovator in Washington, D.C. When not driving all over the metropolitan area to see “her people,” you can find her reading, writing, podcasting, or staycationing at her favorite spots in the District.