‘Make me an instrument of your peace’: Women’s conference returns Oct. 24

The first annual Marian Procession at last year’s Women’s Conference at the OnCenter. Sun archives

A Cathedral Mass, group seating at the OnCenter, and the veneration of two first-class relics — of St. Bernadette and St. Francis of Assisi — are on the agenda for the 16th annual Syracuse Catholic Women’s Conference. 

The event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 24 at the OnCenter in downtown Syracuse. This year’s theme is “Make me an instrument of your peace,” in honor of the Jubilee Year of St. Francis. 

“We have an exciting, new format that begins at the mother church of our diocese, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception — a beautiful, sacred setting that some women of the diocese rarely, or maybe never, have had a chance to visit,” said Nancy Huffaker, event chair, along with co-chair Rosemary Dacko and public relations coordinator Jill Smith. The conference is sponsored by the Commission on Women in Church and in Society, Diocese of Syracuse. “Worshipping at this exquisite church will help foster a deeper spiritual experience than would a re-creation of a church in an exhibit hall, as in previous years,” Huffaker added. 

The setup at the OnCenter will also be different. Attendees will sit together at tables rather than in individual rows to listen to the speakers, eat lunch, and enjoy each other’s company. In previous years, they sat at their table only for lunch. “This allows more interaction with fellow sisters in Christ, getting to know each other better, and building a stronger sense of community,” the group said in a joint statement to The Catholic Sun. 

This year’s second annual Rosary Procession will be a Franciscan Rosary Procession, using the seven-decade Franciscan Rosary in honor of St. Francis. “We will honor Franciscans throughout the diocese as dignitaries in the procession,” shared Smith, adding that the CNY Marian Center donated the handmade Rosaries for the event. 

Additionally, women will once again have an opportunity for a Q&A session with guest speakers, who this year include: 

• Father Chris Alar, provincial superior of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception in the United States, England, and Argentina; 
• Mother Gabrielle Marie, who worked under the guidance of Mother Angelica, foundress of EWTN, for 33 years, and founded the Benedictine Daughters of the Divine Will; and
• Dr. Robert D. Enright, author, speaker, and co-founder of the International Forgiveness Institute. 

The talks will explore the role of the saints, the Divine Will, and forgiveness as a path to peace, respectively. Anna Nuzzo will provide music at both the Cathedral and the OnCenter. 

Opportunities for Confession and Adoration will be present throughout the day, along with a chance to enter a statue raffle and shop vendors. Free parking is available at the OnCenter, and a shuttle is available to and from the Cathedral. For more information on the speakers, the schedule, and registration, visit syracusecatholicwomen.org.

Encounter God

If you have never attended the event, the annual conferences are a great way to encounter God, said Huffaker, adding that “[God] is always calling us into a deeper spiritual union with Him, so that we can reach our full spiritual potential.

“The Women’s Conference provides a setting in which to learn more about our faith, deepen it with the reception of the Sacraments, share the experience with fellow sisters in Christ, and leave with a greater love for the Lord,” she added. “The proof of its spiritual fruits lies in the fact that the majority of the women return year after year. Come and see why!”