Women's conference 'empowers' faith, femininity
Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published September 27, 2006
Warren — In a presentation punctuated with laughter and applause, author, lecturer, theologian and philosopher Alice von Hildebrand, Ph.D., discussed femininity and the Holy Mother as an example to all women, and rebuked beliefs that the Church looks down upon women.
Von Hildebrand headlined this year's Women's Conference, "A Woman's Journey to the Heart of Christ," held last weekend at Macomb Community College. Hundreds of women attended the day of presentations, prayer, song, Eucharistic procession and Mass. Also speaking were Janet Smith, Ph.D., Sacred Heart professor; author and abstinence educator Coleen Kelly Mast; and speaker Ellen Salter.
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Photo by Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic
Alice von Hildebrand, Ph.D., discussed femininity and truths in the Virgin Mary. | Von Hildebrand, author of "The Privilege of Being a Woman" and wife of the late theologian and philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand, joked about being accused of hating men and about how Adam was "the first big wimp" (for eating the forbidden fruit without much convincing), but her message was a serious one. Spending much of her presentation refuting theories of philosopher and feminist Simone de Beauvoir and her 1949 book "The Second Sex," she said that through the Holy Virgin we can find the answer to all questions about the mystery of femininity.
De Beauvoir said in her work – which contains an intelligently presented poison, von Hildebrand said – that man is a human being, while woman is only a female; a man is active, while a woman accomplishes nothing; and marriage is obscene, von Hildebrand explained. While de Beauvoir has the right to speak for herself, "I deny her the right to speak about myself," von Hildebrand said, to applause.
She explained that de Beauvoir said the victory of the male over the female was at the nativity, when Mary bowed to her male child and therefore acknowledging herself to be his servant. Von Hildebrand disputed this, saying that everyone, male or female, is to kneel in front of the God-man, Jesus.
She joked about how she didn't envy St. Joseph because not only was he espoused to a holy virgin, but he was the foster father of a child God. "That's an extremely uncomfortable situation as the head of the family, when you're supposed to give orders," she said.
Von Hildebrand also discussed how a woman's reproductive organs are veiled, making them a mystery and something that is secret. "Why should the womb be veiled?" von Hildebrand asked, concluding that it was because Jesus spent nine months in the womb of a virgin, which indicates the "extraordinary dignity" of the organ by veiling it.
One of the biggest lies ever believed, von Hildebrand said, is that the Church looks down upon women because they're denied the right to become priests, a theory she said was a "ridiculous" attack on the Church. "I will fight for women in the priesthood tooth and nail the day that men can give birth," she said.
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Photo by Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic
Last weekend's women's conference, "A Woman's Journey to the Heart of Christ," ended with Eucharistic procession and Mass. | She said that acceptance of a person's femininity or masculinity is the key to understanding the other sex, adding that her husband had told her that no one had understood him as profoundly as she had. She also pointed out that although Christ had a human mother, He did not have a human father. "This is enough to give men a terrible complex of inferiority, if they even thought about it – which of course they do not do," she said.
Marlene Mansoun, a parishioner at St. Daniel Parish in Clarkston, said she hasn't missed a women's conference yet. She said many of the things she was learning she wishes she would have known as a teenager.
"Every year it gets better and better," said her sister-in-law, Carolyn Mansour, who also attends St. Daniel. "Just when I think it can't get any better, they do."
She said she's learning different perspectives of what it means to be a woman and what she's called to be as an example to others, among other things. She added that the conference definitely rejuvenates the faith.
Angelina Camaj, who attends Assumption Grotto Parish in Detroit, said the conference strengthens the feeling of being female, having femininity and the pride in being a woman. She has six children, and the conference is a place where she doesn't have to justify her large family, for example.
She called the conference "empowering" for women.
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