It is both holy and health to attend the Columbus Catholic Women’s and Men’s conferences as it is an opportunity to refresh and renew, both body and soul. 

The Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference is Sat., Feb. 19th, 2022 and the Columbus Catholic Men’s Conference is Feb. 26th, 2022. Registration is open now: www.columbuscatholicwomen.com and https://www.catholicmensministry.com/catholicmensconference.

Conference participants are invited to share in Holy Mass, Adoration, Reconciliation and enjoy beautiful music and fellowship with thousands of women / men at all ages and stages of life and in their faith. 

This year, I have been blessed to help register vendors and religious sisters for the vendor hall at the Women’s Conference. So many organizations, businesses and religious communities are joining us again this year to share their mission— it is so important because Jesus works through them and through every means to reach us so that we know his great love for us.

A couple of years ago, I invited a friend to the conference and we arrived very early in the morning because I was a vendor. She was able to walk around on her own and visit with vendors before the crowds arrived. She loved that time to learn the missions of so many caring organizations, share her story and be inspired by the varied missions. She said this was a powerful part of her day at the conference and she was so grateful for it.

I look forward to the conference every year to see how Jesus will surprise me. Our last Conference was in 2020 (pre-Covid) and it was my first year to help distribute communion. I was overwhelmed with joy, to the point of tears, watching 3,500 women walk forward to receive Holy Communion. It filled my heart with so much hope to see how many women had set aside a day to be with Jesus and with their sisters in Christ to love, learn and be inspired.

Another powerful part of the conference are the inspiring national speakers. A friend recently reminded me about the importance of talks at conferences as the words and gifts of the speaker can open our hearts to Jesus, heal wounds, inspire us, move us in new directions and make us more open to how Jesus desires to work in our lives. Sometimes I take notes furiously while listening to speakers and other times I feel prompted to rest at the feet of Jesus and be fed by the speaker’s inspired words.

Prayer teams are a recent addition to the women’s conference and they move around the conference throughout the day and will gladly stop and pray with you and for you.

Each year we encourage women and men to invite a friend or family member to join them at the conference. It doesn’t matter how active one is in their faith. All are welcome — Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, Religious sisters, those who practice or don’t practice their faith, students, parents, singles and the elderly. All have a place at the table with Jesus. It is truly a day to come and be welcomed and loved by Jesus and by your sisters in Christ. 

It is the hope of the conference planning team that you be refreshed and renewed by God’s great love for at the annual conference.

Please take a moment right now and ask the Holy Spirit who you should invite to join you at the conference. That personal invitation can be life-changing for you and for them. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “Do not wait for leaders, do it alone, person to person.” May we courageously respond to this call with action!