Approximately 25 Milwaukee-area women gathered February 19 at the Provincial Conference Center in Franklin, WI, for the first of two sessions of the “Catholic Women Leaders’ Winter Series.” Organized by the Dehonian Associates Office and sponsored by the Priests of the Sacred Heart (Dehonians), the theme of the initial series is “Leadership from the Saints.”
The topic grew out of a course that Monica Misey, province director of Dehonian Associates, took as a part of her Doctor of Ministry program. “It focused on the leadership lessons that saints can provide us today,” she said. As for the series itself, Monica said that as she talked to women in leadership in the archdiocese “we realized that historically, there has not been a space in southeastern Wisconsin for women leaders of Catholic institutions, parishes, or other ministries to gather and support each other.”
Originally there were to be three sessions in the series, but an arctic weather system cancelled the first that was scheduled in January.
“The goal for this inaugural event is to provide space for initial community-building and formation,” said Monica, who collaborated with the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to identify women from across the area who might benefit from such a gathering.
“There are so many women whom we could have invited that we had to narrow the list,” said Monica. “We chose to invite more seasoned leaders, with the hope that a second group of emerging leaders could be developed at a later date.”
Grace Urbanski was the presenter at the February gathering. She has taught and served in school administration from the primary to the collegiate level (including Marquette University). Partnering with the Jesuits, she developed a national children’s ministry with the Apostleship of Prayer (now called the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network); in July she will become assistant director of the organization’s national office.
The two saints that Grace reflected on were Margaret Mary Alacoque and Claude de la Colombiere and their relationship to the Sacred Heart. “How has encountering the Sacred Heart affected our hearts?” she asked the women gathered. “What are the Sacred Heart’s implications for leadership?”
Monica closed the evening with prayer and gave a little background on the place in which they were gathering.
“We are here at the conference center of the Priests of the Sacred Heart,” she said. “Their founder, Fr. Leo John Dehon, saw the importance of bringing people together from all walks of life for prayer, fellowship and formation. My hope is that these conferences will help to meet unmet needs of this leadership group, but also to continue the traditions and priorities of the Fr. Dehon.”
The next gathering will be on March 19.
