The Catholic Society three day Lenten Mini-Retreat Series featuring reflections on female identity will end Saturday, April 12. Courtesy | Amalia Hansen

Catholic Society Women’s Outreach will host the final part of a three day Lenten Mini-Retreat Series featuring reflections on female identity Saturday, April 12.

The mini-retreat will begin with 8 a.m. Mass and adoration at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church followed by a talk at Rough Draft titled “Woman as Sojourner” by former Associate Professor of Politics Ali Cortes.

The retreat series began March 22, featuring a talk on “Woman as Daughter” by Jessica Franklin, wife of Associate Professor of English Kelly Franklin, and continued March 29, with a talk on “Woman as Sister” by Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy Allison Postell.

“A lot of girls have said, ‘We get a lot of vocation talks and those are great, but some of us are freshmen or sophomores; we’re not dating. It’s kind of frustrating to hear all this talk about getting married all the time, or about being a wife and mother,’” said senior Clare Oldenburg, head of Women’s Outreach. “Those are beautiful things, but they’re not always pertinent to a college culture.”

Women’s Outreach asked each speaker to discuss womanhood from a different perspective, exploring a woman’s identity as a daughter, sister, and sojourner through the retreat series, according to Oldenburg.

“We wanted to work with the traditional daughter, sister, bride, mother, and we wanted to reframe that to daughter, sister, sojourner to meet college women where they’re at,” Oldenburg said.

Sophomore Evelyn Freedman, a member of Women’s Outreach, said she suggested the group host an event addressing the struggles women face.

“Men’s talks at Hillsdale’s campus are much more practical and relevant to instilling virtue or to get the guys to change their lives,” Freedman said. “Women’s talks can tend to be more fluffy, and I think that Hillsdale women can take more than that. There are so many areas that we need to grow in and we need some direct, practical advice for.”

Franklin opened the retreat and said a woman’s identity as a daughter inherently means being loved.

“To be a daughter is to be wanted,” Franklin said. “The prbability of you existing is one in 700,000 times 1,000 times 60 times 24 times 365 times 60 times 10 to the 23rd. Somebody wanted you to be here.”

Franklin drew from a children’s illustrated Bible, comparing its description of God rejoicing over creation like a “new dad” to his delight when he sees his daughters.

“Think of your reaction to your favorite aspect of creation: what a gift,” Franklin said. “To be a daughter is to be a gift.”

Postell spoke on woman’s identity as a sister and said women find meaning through pursuing the good of another in sisterly friendship.

“Christ’s call is to say that if you want to be happy, the twist is not to never think of yourself but to attach your good to thinking about how it is that you can serve other people,” Postell said. “When they do that in return, what you’ve got is a really good friend.”

Seeking another’s good does not mean living altruistically, but also requires allowing them to love you, according to Postell.

“If you want to will the good of another in a well-ordered way and if it’s appropriate for them to help you, then to love them means to let them help you,” Postell said. “It’s a kind of selfishness or even rooted in pride to say, ‘I’m self-sufficient.’ No you’re not. None of us are self-sufficient, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. We’re meant to be in community.”

Freedman said the retreats have provided mentors and fellowship that stimulate spiritual growth.

“The retreats did a really great job to provide that direct, practical encouragement and really challenge women to heal wounds, correct vices, and explore the inner workings of their hearts with a more serious tone than I’ve encountered yet at Hillsdale,” Freedman said. “This is a format and a space that could be beneficial and stand to grow as a whole.”

College is a good season for women to understand who they are and grow in sanctity, Oldenburg said.

“There’s lots of deep work that can be done with regard to our identity,” Oldenburg said. “Your life doesn’t start when you get married. Your journey to holiness does not begin when you get married or when you join a religious order. It starts now.”