By Angela E. Pometto
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 4/1/04)

Watch out men, the women are planning to take over the culture — not the world — just the culture.

Last Saturday the Arlington Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (ADCCW) gathered for its biannual convention at Holy Spirit Church in Annandale. Approximately 250 women attended the event. Along with the normal yearly business meeting, ADCCW took this weekend to initiate the Women Doctors of the Church program that will be spread to diocesan parishes.

Keynote speaker Camille De Blasi, a member of the Seattle Archdiocese Council of Catholic Women as well as co-founder and president of Healing the Culture, addressed the need for the "feminine genius," as Pope John Paul II calls it, to permeate the culture.

De Blasi explained that while men and women are both made in the image and likeness of God, they represent "two different aspects that God is trying to relate to the world." She referred to these as the feminine ethos and the masculine ethos. The feminine ethos focuses on feelings, while the masculine ethos focuses on logic. The feminine ethos focuses on sympathy before safety, while the masculine ethos focuses on safety before sympathy. The feminine ethos shows love by being in the presence of the other, while the masculine ethos shows love by doing things for the other. "The feminine ethos exudes the symbol of home, while the masculine ethos exudes the symbol of house," De Blasi said. Agreeing with the pope, she said, "We better have the feminine ethos out there working in the culture: in business, in economics, in art, in industry."

De Blasi explained how in the ’60s and ’70s the women’s movement made it possible for women to enter the culture, but she argues that women were not successful in this.

"Women, for whatever reason, in order to come into the culture, could not enter as women but as men," she said. "So many women assume onto (themselves) the masculine ethos to come into the world." Women put masculine traits of logic, structure and hierarchy ahead of their own feminine traits of emotions, relationships and empathy. The culture needs the feminine ethos to survive. "A world without the feminine ethos is a world without a real home," De Blasi said.

Men need to help too, though. "Men can’t disrespect the feminine ethos. Women need to fall in love with the feminine ethos. Women need to help other women see their feminine genius," she said. "The feminine ethos is what our culture needs to bring it out of darkness and into God’s love."

Healing the Culture, of which De Blasi is co-founder and president, is a ministry "focused on increasing the sense of dignity of the human person," she said. Healing the Culture’s goal is to train professionals in all fields to promote life. "It’s a whole new curriculum for the culture," De Blasi said.

Within the Arlington Diocese, the ADCCW is answering this call to convert the culture beginning with just one woman. The ADCCW has grown in the last four years, "from 20 to nearly 250," said newly elected President Liz Schiavone.

Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde celebrated Mass with the convention attendees. Afterward, he honored 24 women as "Most Outstanding Women of the Diocese" with a medal of the three women doctors of the Church. This is part of the new Women Doctors of the Church program begun this year by the ADCCW.

The program was created to provide religious support to women by learning about and imitating the three women doctors of the Church: Sts. Catherine of Siena, Theresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux.

"The Blessed Virgin is the greatest woman saint, and these doctors are the next level," said Past-President Virginia Berg. "There will be a study guide published for women’s groups to read the writings of the three doctors."

Four years ago, Bishop Loverde first suggested a program that would minister to women. Berg and the ADCCW took this suggestion and ran with it.

"It’s a program that is reaching out to all women, even women who aren’t on the council," Berg said. "It will provide spiritual guidance and growth to women and opportunities to serve."

"The whole idea is to get diocesan women to do it in their parishes," said Schiavone.

Susan Muskett, executive director of the National Council of Catholic Women, attended the convention and said the program "is a wonderful resource for today’s Catholic women — and for all women."

The day ended with the installation of new officers. After serving as president for the past four years, Berg stepped down to be replaced by Schiavone.

"It has been a pleasure to serve as your president," Berg said. "I got more out of this job than I gave. I thank you for allowing me to serve you."

Schiavone thanked Berg, as well as the bishop and many priests who support ADCCW as she accepted the position.

"It is a particular gift the women bring our diocese," said Bishop Loverde. "I am deeply grateful for the faith you live and the witness you offer. As we enter this new year, filled with hope and promise, let us live joyfully, sent forth to proclaim the Gospel."

For more information on Healing the Culture go to www.healingtheculture.com. For more information on the ADCCW go to home.catholicweb.com/ADCCW.

Following is a list of the 24 women honored at the convention:

Irene Hagerty from St. Mary Parish and Joan Wenneson from St. Patrick Parish in Fredericksburg, Kathryn Updegraft from Our Lady of Lourdes and Carolyn Gretzinger from St. Charles Borromeo in Arlington, Barbara Ostrander from St. Philip Parish and Pat Houston from St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Falls Church, Loretta Unterkofler from Holy Spirit Parish and Anne Dohleman from St. Michael Parish in Annandale, Luta McGrath from Queen of Apostle Parish, Marian Nowland from St. Mary Parish, Hilda Booton from St. Lawrence Parish and Sharon Frazier from St. Joseph Parish in Alexandria, Joyce Krolicki from St. Joseph in Herndon, Fe Ludwick from Sacred Heart Parish in Winchester, Trish Daquano from Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls, Mary Bedford from Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Vienna, Delores Nelson from St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Clifton, Margaret Loesel from Holy Trinity Parish in Gainesville, Theresa Bresnahan from Holy Family Parish in Dale City, Diane Adamczak from St. John Bosco Parish in Woodstock, Marlene Astier from St. Mary of Sorrows Parish in Fairfax, Olivia McFadden from St. John Parish in McLean, Bernadette McConnell from All Saints Parish in Manassas and Anita Veltman from St. Theresa Parish in Sterling.