“The world cries for the empowerment and equality of women (and understandably so!), but more often than not these cries are met with counterfeit slogans rather than authentic solutions. The Saint Philomena Mother-Daughter Retreat plays a huge role in offering the latter – a compelling and genuine response to the heartfelt cries of today’s feminism. By cultivating the precious God-given relationship between mothers, daughters, and fellow women and by unfolding the glorious gift of femininity proclaimed by the Catholic Church (especially as presented by St. John Paul II in his Theology of the Body), the amazing team behind the St. Philomena M-D Retreat really empowers women (daughters, sisters, spouses, and mothers – equal in dignity to men, yet distinct in humanity from men) to live the truth of their bodies, desires/aspirations, relationships, and vocations.
“As the coordinator of the John Paul II Center for Theology of the Body (an evangelistic outreach of the Diocese of Phoenix), I invite everyone to pray for this amazing initiative and the leadership team, and I encourage all mothers with young daughters to set aside the time and resources to attend. With great affection and as a man, whose duty it is “to uphold the dignity of every woman,” I echo the words of St. John Paul II in his Letter to Women:
“Thank you, women who are mothers! You have sheltered human beings within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become God’s own smile upon the newborn child, the one who guides your child’s first steps, who helps it to grow, and who is the anchor as the child makes its way along the journey of life.
Thank you, women who are wives! You irrevocably join your future to that of your husbands, in a relationship of mutual giving, at the service of love and life.
Thank you, women who are daughters and women who are sisters! Into the heart of the family, and then of all society, you bring the richness of your sensitivity, your intuitiveness, your generosity and fidelity….
Thank you, every woman, for the simple fact of being a woman! Through the insight which is so much a part of your womanhood you enrich the world’s understanding and help to make human relations more honest and authentic.”
Michael Villanueva, MTS
Coordinator, John Paul II Center for Theology of the Body
“In a culture that has lost sight of the truth about the dignity of femininity and the value of chastity, modesty, and the authentic understanding of God’s plan for sexuality, the St. Philomena retreat is a breath of fresh air. It’s a blessing to have this meaningful opportunity for mothers and daughters to spend time together with other Catholic women and girls, learning about the Church’s beautiful, powerful, and liberating teaching about our genuine worth as daughters of God, and how we can overcome the unhealthy attitudes prevalent in society today. I appreciate how this program does not separate the moms from their daughters but instead invites them to journey together through the exciting but often intimidating years of adolescence.”
Becky Greene
Co-host of The Catholic Conversation with the Cradle and the Convert
Saturdays at 10 a.m. Relevant Radio AM 1310
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“The St. Philomena retreat is exactly what families need today. This retreat provides both beautiful context and content for mothers and daughters, helping them to come to a deeper understanding of what healthy femininity looks like and how we can each express that as individual women. This retreat opens the heart up for ongoing conversation, providing a common language and experience for the mother-daughter relationship as it grows. I highly recommend this retreat.”
Mary Ruth Hackett, PhD.
Author, Speaker, and Host of Parenting Smarts Podcast.
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“The St. Philomena Mother-Daughter retreat targets young girls who are at a particularly vulnerable age. Their bodies are changing and they have many questions about themselves and their surroundings. The predominant message directed to them from our secular culture is that their happiness lies in successfully competing with men on every front. Could there be a more important time for Catholic mothers to have some important conversations with their daughters? This retreat gives mothers the language and environment to present their daughters with a Catholic vision of femininity, faith, virtue and authenticity.
“For a number of years, I have gladly joined other priests in hearing the retreatants confessions. Ministering to both the moms and their daughters in this way has deepened my appreciation of the impact of the SPM-D retreat. If there is another ministry in our Church that accomplishes what this retreat does, I am not aware of it. I strongly recommend it to all mothers who want to be the ones who will most deeply and effectively guide their daughters to become holy Catholic women.”
Fr Charlie Goraieb
Priest of the Diocese of Phoenix
“Having been part of the original team that created the St. Philomena Mother-Daughter retreat over 10 years ago, I am grateful to the current team of women who continue this important and irreplaceable outreach in the Diocese of Phoenix. The St. John Paul II Resource Center encourages all mothers with young daughters to take advantage of this unique opportunity to share this special time away, learning together about God’s beautiful plan for marriage and sexuality within the context of St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.”
Katrina J. Zeno, MTS
International speaker, retreat leader, and author dedicated to the legacy of St. John Paul II,
Director of Parish Ministries and Formation for St. John Vianney Catholic parish in Sedona, AZ.