St. Dominic to host women’s summit Sept. 14

By Beth Donze
Clarion Herald

A women’s summit set for September will offer insights into three well-known areas of human struggle.

 “Harmony of Hearts: Confronting Loneliness, Conquering Distraction, Championing Justice,” a gathering open to women of all ages and faiths, will unfold Sept. 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at St. Dominic Church, 775 Harrison Ave., in New Orleans.

“It’s for all women – not just St. Dominic parishioners and not just Catholics. It’s just a beautiful opportunity to minister to women,” said Ty Salvant, St. Dominic’s communications director and one of the day’s three scheduled speakers.

Interesting agenda

Attendees are invited to begin the morning at an 8:30 a.m. Mass in St. Dominic Church celebrated by Father Wayne Paysse, St. Dominic’s pastor. A light breakfast will follow in the gym.

The main program, emceed by Marianite Sister Judith Gomila, will consist of three hour-long workshops – two scheduled before the provided lunch, and one afterward:

• Regina Boyd, a licensed Catholic therapist based in Florida, will present “Navigating the Depths: Understanding and Confronting Loneliness.” Boyd is the author of the 2023 book “Leaving Loneliness Behind: Five Keys to Experiencing God’s Love and Building Healthy Connections with Others” (Ave Maria Press).

• Stacy LaMorte, a contributing columnist with the Clarion Herald’s NOLA Catholic Parenting blog, will explore “Faith-Based Strategies for Overcoming Distraction.” She will offer summit attendees some practical steps to stay focused.

• Salvant, an author, speaker, NOLA Catholic Parenting columnist and homeschooling mother of six, will explore women’s relationships to Catholic Social Teaching in a workshop entitled “Faith in Action: Advocacy for Social Justice.” During this phase, attendees will be given practical steps to become better at community engagement.

The conference will conclude at 2 p.m. with closing remarks, benediction, networking and fellowship.

“We are hoping to build connections among attendees,” said Salvant, noting that at lunchtime, participants will be randomly assigned to a table in the gym. Each table will have an informational card listing facts and an image of a different saint, along with “conversation starter” questions to break the ice for those meeting one another for the first time.

Registration is required, and there is a suggested donation of $25. “We don’t want the cost to be prohibitive for anyone who wants to attend,” Salvant said.

Popular gatherings

The idea for the Sept. 14 summit emerged after Father Paysse told members of St. Dominic’s “Women of Martha and Mary” ministry about two all-female gatherings women had organized in his former parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in Slidell. The two events, which drew an average of 300 women from all walks of life, included a continental breakfast, presentations and conversation.

“I wanted to encourage women and acknowledge their wonderful gifts, talents and contributions to the life of the church,” Father Paysse said. “All women were welcome to come, not just Catholic women and not just women from our parish.”

Salvant said she was impressed by how St. Dominic’s own upcoming summit had also resulted from the pastor making a suggestion and then asking parish women “to run with it” – to develop a theme and work out all the details.

“It wasn’t women going to (the pastor) asking for this; he brought this to us,” Salvant said. “Father Paysse was saying, ‘This is one of the ways I can tend to my flock. I want to create a space for women to come together and speak to other women.’ He wanted to make sure the women of the parish knew that!

“He gave us autonomy to decide what we wanted this to look like and feel like, and the messages we wanted to send. It is this great partnership of priest and laity.”

To register online, visit https://stdominicparish.com/womens-summit.