On Saturday, April 25, the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center co-hosted an event entitled "New Springtime for Women," with ENDOW (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) and The Papal Foundation. ENDOW is a Catholic educational program based on Pope John Paul II's "Letter to Women" that brings women together to discover their God-given dignity and to understand their role in humanizing and transforming society.

Among those present were great-grandmothers, grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, and consecrated women – hailing from Colorado, New York, Georgia, Nebraska, Texas and Mississippi among many other states – who all congregated to rejoice in the gift of their womanhood to their families and the world. The presence of the Holy Spirit as the spouse of the Immaculate Mother was palpable throughout the day as women from all over the country gathered to learn, converse, and commemorate Pope John Paul II's profound and true recognition of the inherent dignity of women.

The weekend started off with two spectacular optional field trips on Friday, April 24th. In the afternoon, a mother-daughter field trip to the United States Supreme Court included a private meeting with Supreme Court Justice Anthony Alito, Jr. and a special tour of the United States Supreme Court Building. Later that evening, “New Springtime for Women” registrants joined the studio audience of EWTN's "The World Over-LIVE!" with News Director, Raymond Arroyo, filmed at the Cultural Center. Raymond spent the hour after the show talking with those in the audience and signing books. The field trips aided in affirming the value of education in empowerment and making informed decisions regarding the topics of Saturday’s main event.

Saturday’s morning session featured a bioethics panel of three distinguished speakers: Marilyn E. Coors, Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, Patrick Lee, Ph.D. from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and Reverend Kevin FitzGerald, S.J., Ph.D., from Georgetown University. The a.m. session was followed by a special Mass celebrated by the Very Reverend Joseph Fox, O.P.

During the luncheon Helen Alvaré, Consultor for the Pontifical Council for the Laity, gave a keynote address "John Paul II and Benedict XVI: Two Modern Popes Take on 21st Century Women's Issues.” The later afternoon featured guest speakers from ENDOW presenting on Pope John Paul II's "Letter to Women,” his apostolic letter, Muliaris Dignitatem (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women), and his encyclical Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer).

Concurrently during the morning bioethics panel and afternoon sessions, a special track just for teens called True Beauty: Revealed was presented by ENDOW’s dynamic duo, Kate and Brigid Sweeney.

It was a glorious day of spiritual nourishment celebrating faith, hope, love, and life.

Photography by: Carlos Molina

May 1, 2009