By Judith Kennedy
In the month of May, when we traditionally honour Mary, the greatest female role model we have as Catholics, Family Educators across the St George region of Sydney organised a special movie night for women at Beverly Hills followed by prayer and networking to help strengthen our shared Catholic faith and identity across local schools and parishes.
135 guests gathered for the special event, including parents, grandparents, teachers, support staff, parishioners from adjoining schools and even ex-students.
Looking at the night very simply, we watched a movie together, the romantic comedy, Love Again, enjoyed some popcorn or ice cream and everyone received a small gift and of course there were wonderful lucky door prizes.
The evening was far more than that and our prayer for each other was far greater than that.
We commenced the night with prayer. In a beautiful moment the packed theatre joined together to pray the Hail Mary.
We also prayed that each woman present witnessed and experienced being part of an organisation that values the role of women.
When we think about some of the communities represented there was a very strong Marian presence.Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Fatima, Regina Coeli, Mater Dei, St Mary Star of the Sea, these titles all bring us back to one person. Each of these titles refers to Mary our mother, Mary the mother of Jesus.
We prayed that each person present always has Mary as a guiding light and inspiration.
Mary felt every high and low that unconditional love provides, just as each person present had.
We were all present to give thanks to each other, to praise and encourage each other, to connect with friends, and to say hello to someone new. Having a support system of women is essential to our wellbeing and mental health. When we come together as sisters we provide a strong community of support, friendship, hope and faith that benefits all.
At the conclusion of the movie, the excitement filled as the Family Educators were inundated with words of thanks and appreciation on a wonderful night of sisterhood, love, laughter and faith. The question of the night was, when can we do this again, a night just for women?
We thank Sydney Catholic Schools, Mission and Identity Directorate for their great support for this initiative. Their support enabled the evening to be successful and encouraged the Family Educator network to move forward with rich initiatives that bring Catholic communities together and invite those in, that would otherwise be on the periphery of this authentic Catholic system of schools.
Judith Kennedy is the Family Educator at Our Lady of Fatima Primary in Kingsgrove