Outreach
Specific, Vocational Formation for Women
Hannah's Gift
In the first book of Samuel, we read that after a long and difficult wait, the Lord answered Hannah’s prayer with the gift of a son. In thanksgiving and praise, Hannah offered her son Samuel back in service to God (1 Samuel 1:11). Have you ever thought about all the gifts that you have received from the Lord? What are you planning to do with them?
Only by putting your gifts at the service of the Lord will you find true joy and everlasting peace. Perhaps He is asking you to share your gifts with the world in the vocation of Christian marriage. Or maybe He is asking you to go deeper in relationship with Him alone. Or perhaps you are still uncertain about it all… How do you really know which path is for you?
Hannah’s Gift provides accompanied discernment and the opportunity for fellowship with women who seek the answers to these same questions. If you are a young woman interested in exploring the special plan that God has for your life, please reach out today. We’re happy you’re here and we’re excited to talk with you.
Hannah's Gift Frequently Asked Questions
The aim of Hannah’s Gift is to provide young women with the opportunity to learn the basic skills of discernment, using a program developed by the Apostles of the Interior Life called Samuel Group. This program also includes a systematic exploration of the different states in life. By joining with other women in an atmosphere of trust and vulnerability, each participant is more capable of hearing and understanding the unique call that the Lord has placed in her heart. We call this work accompanied vocational discernment.
Accompanied vocational discernment is important because it is oftentimes increasingly difficult to hear and understand a call from the Lord in our noisy world. It takes times of silence and a voice of encouragement to sift through the distraction to get to the voice of the Lord. Making an effort to do this well helps every woman to understand and embrace the unique plan that the Lord has for her.
By the time a woman is in her mid-thirties, she has had enough lived experience to have grown past these basic skills.
Lilies of the Valley
Lilies of the Valley is an outreach for consecrated women who are publicly or privately given to our Lord. Those intentionally discerning or in formation may also apply.
It offers formation from learned priests and formators for a two-hour session via zoom once monthly on topics related to the theology of consecrated life and pillars of formation: intellectual, spiritual, human, and that of the feminine genius. These sessions are recorded and available to all who have access to Lilies.
Additionally are two reflective, communal study sessions of 1.5 hours guided by a document of the Church or writing pertaining to continued formation in the consecrated life.
Lilies of the Valley Frequently Asked Questions
The word consecration comes from the Latin stem consecrat meaning “dedicated,” “devoted,” and “sacred.” It is commonly used to refer to those who are “set apart.”
The devotion of being “dedicated” or “consecrated” to the Blessed Virgin is a beautiful devotion with a depth of spirituality that should receive affirmation and formation. One has – according to the devotion – given one’s whole self to our Lady to do as she would have it. It is commonly promoted among the laity and sees great fruit as individuals seek to make a formal, spiritual binding of themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
When we use the word consecrated in regards to outreach it is in reference to those who are “dedicated” and “set apart” exclusively for the Kingdom of God. This is a vocational reference and implies a life of perpetual virginity or chastity. One must be intentionally chaste and bound to our Lord for the sake of the Kingdom to be admitted to Lilies.
Anna's Army
Till death … and then what?
How does it happen that a woman is widowed and the man she shared her life with and cared for is no longer there? Whether the woman is 26 or 96 or anywhere in between, the loss of her husband changes things.
A 3-part study is currently in development and will be released in the new year to help women bridge the gap of knowing who they were as a wife to being single again. They have a place in the church but often feel lost without their spouse. In this study we will examine the options of vocation after the death of their spouse.
Anna's Army Frequently Asked Questions
Anna’s Army is named for Anna the Prophetess who is a widow. Luke’s Gospel tells us that Anna had been married for only seven years before becoming a widow and was quite elderly (84 years old) when she met the Holy Family at the Temple. Anna would remain at the Temple constantly, living in continuous prayer and fasting. This highly pious woman was also known as a prophetess and undoubtedly had a very close relationship with God, understanding spiritual matters that others could not.
You may join as soon as you feel comfortable in talking with others or listening to their stories, struggles and journey after the death of their spouse.
Anna’s Army will explore in a small group setting life after the death of a husband.
Specific weekly topics will be provided per an outline for the length of the program.
We will meet weekly on a specific night for five to six weeks. Time, location and day will be determined.
We will meet weekly on a specific night for five to six weeks. Time, location and day will be determined.
Cathy Trowbridge will be leading the prototype group and secondary groups may be run by individuals who desire to help.
General Frequently Asked Questions
Hannah’s Gift and Anna’s Army are great places to start for those without directors who are discerning. If the applicant does not have a director, both outreaches help those without to find directors in order to continue to progress in discerning the Lord’s unique call for them.
Lilies is for those with an established director/directee relationship who have met and discussed the movements with a director for a significant period of time. Lilies is made up of those women who are privately or even publicly given to the Lord (and those very intentionally discerning). Lilies has a requirement that the applicant be in direction and have spent at least 6 months discerning one-on-one with their director.
At this time, all outreaches serve those discerning or given to our Lord in chastity for the Kingdom of God.
Our closed, vocational formation (Lilies) has a great awareness that it is serving Brides of Christ, and so the formation is often inundated with bridal spirituality. It is for those publicly given (religious, consecrated virgins) or privately dedicated to our Lord.
Many women who are married approach us because of the strong attraction they have to Christ the Bridegroom and believe they would like to be formed in this further. The Church teaches in Mulieris Dignitatem that this is good and how it should be:
In the Church every human being – male and female – is the ‘Bride,’ in that he or she accepts the gift of the love of Christ the Redeemer, and seeks to respond to it with the gift of his or her own person. (Mulieris Dignitatem, 25.)
We encourage continued formation in the mystical life, especially in this devotion to Christ as Bridegroom. For married women we recommend they continue to allow the Lord to speak to them in this way and receive further formation and community through the following apostolates:
Many who are canonically married and across the vocational spectrum have found these apostolates to be great resources for enriching this devotion to Christ the Bridegroom and the study of greater Mystical and Systematic Theology (as well as a place to find greater community!).
The word consecration comes from the Latin stem consecrat meaning “dedicated,” “devoted,” and “sacred.” It is commonly used to refer to those who are “set apart.”
The devotion of being “dedicated” or “consecrated” to the Blessed Virgin is a beautiful devotion with a depth of spirituality that should receive affirmation and formation. One has – according to the devotion – given one’s whole self to our Lady to do as she would have it. It is commonly promoted among the laity and sees great fruit as individuals seek to make a formal, spiritual binding of themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
When we use the word consecrated in regards to outreach it is in reference to those who are “dedicated” and “set apart” exclusively for the Kingdom of God. This is a vocational reference and implies a life of perpetual virginity or chastity. One must be intentionally chaste and bound to our Lord for the sake of the Kingdom to be admitted to Lilies.
Post-College Outreach
Post-college life can be difficult. You are juggling the balance between self-care, recreation, work, relationships, vocation, and your faith life. This time period can be a struggle and – at times – isolating. Community and support can be a huge resource to help you navigate and stay grounded in what really matters.
- Are you between 21-35?
- Have you finished college and are now trying to find your place in the world?
- Have you begun work and are figuring out the balance?
- Are you desiring friendship with women who are on the same page as you?
- Do you seek to live a Christian life in a secular world?
- Are you local to Memphis?
Mary and Elizabeth has a place for you!
We are offering a weekly evening encounter – Taco Tuesdays! Come to eat but more importantly, to build relationships with women who have Christ as their foundation. We begin with the Liturgy of the Hours (Evening Prayer) at 6:20 pm followed by tacos and all the fixins. The evening concludes with Night Prayer at 9:00 pm.
