St. John Paul II asked women to consider Mary their inspiration for their special gifts, and a Seton Hall University professor elaborated on those gifts at the second annual Feminine Genius Brunch hosted by the diocesan Office of Human Life and Dignity.
“Mary sees us. She sees our wounds, our imperfections, but she is going to stay with us, stick with us, and bring us to Jesus,” said Dianne M. Traflet, associate dean for graduate studies and administration and assistant professor of pastoral theology at Seton Hall’s Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology. “And we are all called to be Marian women so we, too, see others’ wounds and imperfections, and carefully we try to bring others to Jesus.”
Approximately 125 women – including 14 cadets from the U.S. Military Academy and 15 wives of deacons and deacon candidates – attended the Oct. 5 luncheon at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, Piscataway.
“The word genius actually comes from Latin and it means beget,” said Traflet, whose talk formulated around an acronym she created out of the word: B for beholding, E for Eucharistic, G for generative, E for entrusting, T for treasuring – gifts that comprise the feminine genius.
For instance, she described beholding as “that way of seeing, of gazing. John Paul II said, ‘Perhaps more than men, women acknowledge the person, because they see persons with their hearts.’”
Traflet, who authored the book, “Saint Edith Stein: A Spiritual Portrait,” said that in describing Mary’s “quiet, observing look” at the wedding feast at Cana, St. Edith Stein said Mary surveyed the situation.
“She walked into the situation, she looked around and thought, ‘Something is not right, and I know how to handle it. I am going to talk to my Son,’” Traflet said. “Then she said to the stewards, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’”
“So when we, too, see a situation and think there is something not quite right here, pray to Mary,” Traflet advised.
“We think of the bitter pains of Mary standing at the foot of the Cross collaborating with God for our redemption, and Jesus’ words, ‘Behold your mother.’ Mary is entrusted to us, she beholds us, she loves us.”
Kate Kelly, president of Catholic Women of the Chapel, traveled with the West Point cadets. CWOC’s members serve as spiritual mentors to female cadets at Most Holy Trinity, the Catholic parish at West Point.
Eve Crossett, cadet in charge of the women’s ministry group in the Catholic community at West Point, along with her partner in charge, cadet Emily Maceri, also attended the Feminine Genius brunch in Staten Island last year.
“We loved it and got a lot out of it, so we wanted to do it again,” Crossett said.
“I was touched by sharing the light of Jesus, having the light of Jesus within you and radiating it to others, because I never really felt the light of Jesus back home,” said Maceri, whose friend from FOCUS missionaries at West Point had approached her. “I really felt the light of Jesus in her, and she brought me to this wonderful community who have it.”
Nicole Choi, who described herself as “not really religious,” said her mom was the religious one in the house.
“I feel like coming to West Point, maturing and developing by myself without my mom by my side, I’ve come to look for religious things to do more, like go toward Jesus a little more,” said Choi, who was raised attending St. Joseph’s in Demarest. “I feel like this event really opened up new things for me. It was a really transformative speech that she (Traflet) gave. Now I know that I want to develop my faith deeper.”
Monica Fernandes, wife of Deacon Jacinto Fernandes, Our Lady of Fatima, Piscataway, called Traflet’s talk “touching and very inspirational. It made me stronger.”
At a time when there is “so much ‘gender confusion’ in the world, it is important for us to embrace and celebrate our femininity,” stressed Jennifer Ruggiero, director of the Office of Human Life and Dignity, and Secretary for the Secretariat for Family and Pastoral Life.
“The Brunch borrows its name – ‘Feminine Genius’ - from St. Pope John Paul II’s ‘Letter to Women’ in which he highlights the God-given attributes endowed to us as women,” said Ruggiero. “Our hope is that the experience of this brunch – fellowship, talks and prayerful reflection – will reveal to the women present their amazing gifts and open their hearts to the Holy Spirit who longs to spark these gifts to life!”