DALTON – A sense of warmth and sisterhood filled the air of the Transfiguration Retreat Center during the last weekend in January as roughly 90 Catholic women gathered for the second annual ‘Bold and Beloved Retreat.’
The event, which ran from Jan. 24-26, was organized by the Diocesan Office for Parish Life and supported by donations to the Catholic Ministries Appeal.
Women from parishes across the Diocese of Scranton came together to grow in faith and meet like-minded sisters in Christ.
“It’s really refreshing to take a step back from the craziness of life and just rest in God’s love and be supported by other women who are here for the same reasons,” Megan Kinney, a parishioner of Saint Boniface Parish in Williamsport, said.
Kinney said she enjoyed being able to spend quiet time in Eucharistic Adoration and reconnect with friends she made at other retreats.
“I love being able to learn from other women who have gone through different journeys in the Catholic faith, who may be in a different season of life, who can really be good examples for me,” she added.
Over the course of the weekend, six local women, each with her own profound conversion experience, shared their personal journeys of finding God’s love and mercy.
Gianna Moulton, a parishioner of Saint Therese Parish in Shavertown, was one of the presenters, who shared her conversion story from being a “lukewarm Catholic” after learning more about church teachings.
“I truly feel I can’t pour into my marriage, my children, my job, any of my friendships, without putting God as the priority,” Moulton explained.
The speakers had a variety of backgrounds – including healthcare, law enforcement, and working on a college campus – just to name a few.
Mary Hallman, Diocesan Secretary for Parish Life, said each woman was inspiring because they were “really vulnerable, being honest, and sharing where their struggles have been.”
This year’s retreat, inspired by the life and legacy of Saint Catherine of Siena, a Doctor of the Church and tireless advocate for the faith, provided the women motivation to “set the world on fire.”
“Saint Catherine is such a good example. She was a ‘do-er,’” Laurie Coffee, a parishioner of Holy Child Parish in Mansfield, said. “I think of her kind of like a combination of Martha and Mary because she did it all. You need to be able to do the contemplative in order to be able to do things.”
As the retreat ended, Coffee returned to her home in Tioga County feeling empowered to live her faith even more boldly than before.
“There are things that we all experience, but we experience them in different ways,” Coffee said. “The bottom line, the most important thing is how we find Jesus, how we come to Him, and how we make Him the center of our life.”