Women of the Bible: Trailblazers for Life

April 25, 2009

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The sixth forum in the series on the Dignity and Vocation of Women, explored in Mulieris Dignitatem, the seminal letter written to and about women by Pope John Paul II in 1988, explores women in the Bible. Pope John Paul II writes:

"In every age and in every country we find many 'perfect' women (cf. Prov. 31:10) who, despite persecution, difficulties and discrimination, have shared in the Church's mission. . . Even in the face of serious social discrimination, holy women have acted 'freely', strengthened by their union with Christ."

Today Catholics are confronted with many challenges and difficult decisions. The Bible helps in the discovery of the answers. In this forum, two prominent women authors of Bible studies share their own trials and the Women in the Bible who help them on their personal path to holiness. They will also help you discover how you can be part of the new evangelization, too.

Place: Sheraton Hotel,
1100 N. Mathilda Ave., Sunnyvale

Topics:

Giving God the Reins: Called to Bring the Word of God to a new Generation of Catholics
What one woman with a vision can do for authentic Catholic Bible study.

Gail Buckley, Founder and president of Catholic Scripture Study International.
Fifteen years ago Gail had a profound conversion of heart and was led “home” to the Catholic Church. Not wasting any time, God began preparing her for her role today as founder & President of the world’s fastest-growing Catholic Bible study program, now in 40 countries. Gail shares how giving God the reins allowed her to build the dream tucked away in her mind, helping form a new generation of Catholics to love the written Word of God. In this talk, Gail will explain Mary's role in her conversion and how she was led to the fullness of Truth and a deeper relationship with Jesus. Leading by example, she offers avenues for others to build the Kingdom for Christ, too.

Healing our Life and the Rebirth of Woman
Women of the Old Testament show us how to become Authentic Leaders in Post-Modern Society.

Yvonne Florczak-Seeman, Founder of A Time to Heal Catholic Bible Study Program
Yvonne approaches her Bible study from a different angle. She will explain how she spent "40 Years in the Desert", sharing her amazing story of suffering moderated by a culture of 'choice' and how she, through the grace of God, was able to change her life 180 degrees and become an advocate for life . The suffering and poor decisions of her youth led her to the foundation of her Bible study. Through an analysis of 12 women in the Old Testament, looked at chronologically, Yvonne will show us how the Word of God acts as a mirror to our own personality, and how we can fine tune ourselves to be better reflections of Christ in the needy world of today. Yvonne's message is strong and poignant, and her courage will awaken our hearts to be apostles for Christ in our own neighborhoods and perhaps across the country!

Our Speakers

Gail Buckley, Founder and President of Catholic Scripoture Study International
Gail Buckley is the founder and president of Catholic Scripture Study International, the world’s fastest-growing Catholic Bible study program. CSS, as it is better known, has thousands of members throughout the U.S. and in 40 countries around the world. In addition to running CSS, Gail serves on the board of directors of Catholics United for the Faith (CUF) as well as the steering committee of the Catholic Leadership Conference.

A convert to Catholicism from the Methodist church, Gail was received into the Catholic Church in 1994. A year later her husband Tom entered the Church as well. Gail has been a speaker at several national Catholic conferences and a featured guest on many Catholic radio shows including Catholic Answers Live, Ave Maria radio: Catholic Connection with Teresa Tomeo, Al Kreska; Sacred Heart Radio, Relevant radio and others. She was recently the guest on EWTN’s Journey Home show and was profiled in Envoy magazine.

Gail will speak for CCWF on how she gave God the reins, allowing her to step up to the plate to build the dream she had tucked away in her mind. She will help you find your voice to bring the Word of God to a new generation of Catholics.

For additional information about Catholic Scripture Study International, visit www.cssprogram.net.

Yvonne Florczak-Seeman, Founder, A TIme to Heal Bible Study program
Yvonne spent “40 Years in the Desert” and has an amazing story to tell as to how she, with the grace of God, was able to change her life 180 degrees and become an advocate for life. Her Bible study, A Time to Heal focuses on 12 women in the Old Testament who help us understand our purpose in life so as to live happier, more fulfilling lives.

Yvonne was born in Chicago, IL in 1964. At 16 years of age she ran away with her boyfriend and became pregnant. She chose to have an abortion, which led to depression, continual feelings of guilt and a sense of constant torment. After several years and four additional abortions, Yvonne finally turned to the only means of peace, her Heavenly Father. By God’s grace, she has risen above the difficulties of her past. Today she is married to Richard Seeman and is the mother of four children.

Yvonne’s desire to keep others from experiencing the trauma she went through has given her the courage to speak out. For the past 10 years she has spoken to middle and high school students about the consequences of abortion and the importance of chastity. She has shared her testimony and described the difficulty of overcoming the effects of abortion on Fox News through Hannity’s America, Telemundo Spanish Television, Total Living Network, and Comcast Cable, as well as the Scott Thomas radio program WYLL and has become a regular guest on the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio.

Yvonne also desires to bring a message of hope and healing by hosting retreats for post-abortive women through Project Rachel. She has developed a ministry called Time to Speak and authored two books. The first, A Time to Speak, is a journal for post-abortive women to help them work through the process of healing. The other book is a 12-week Bible Study Program for post-abortive women called A Time to Heal, which received an imprimatur 2007 by Bishop J Peter Sartain of Joliet, Illinois. Her greatest accomplishment has been the women God entrusted to her through the Bible Study Program. It is through their lives of victory and freedom that she sees how God has turned the evil of their past into Hope for their future.

Yvonne is the President and Founder of Love From Above, and is currently developing a Pure Revolution, a movement designed to encourage chastity in youth. Yvonne works with and supports a variety of organizations including: National Foundation for Life, Woman’s Choice Services, and Project Rachel. She was on the board of directors of an inner city shelter called New Moms for three years and she is currently on the board of directors for the Woman’s Choice Services. She has testified before the Illinois State legislators on a Woman’s “Right to Know” bill 1453. She has addressed the USCCB at its national conference about how important it is for the church to reach out to post-abortive women from the pulpit.

Press Release:
Catholic Scripture Study International sets a high standard for excellence and depth in Catholic Bible studies.

"I've been very pleased with the enthusiasm for the Bible in the community of women that have been meeting! I see an increased level of excitement for the Word of God among the participants." Fr. George Williams, St. John Neumann Parish, Canton, MI

"From what I see, the Scripture Study causes women to fall in love with Jesus, to want to spend more time in the Scriptures, and to want to get closer to God. Their love and respect for the Church grows. They want to spend more time in prayer and in practically living out their faith in their families, community, and Church." Sue Middlemis, Organizer & Participant, Study Leader

Press Release:

CCWF Challenges Women to Understand Themselves through Biblical Women in Forum Featuring 2 Prominent Bible Study Authors (pdf:62k)

In addition to the forum, Yvonne Florczak-Seeman will make two appearances in the Bay Area.
On Friday, April 24, Yvonne will be speaking at St. Finn Barr Parish in San Francisco at 6 pm.

On Saturday, after our forum, Yvonne will be speaking at Most Holy Trinity Church in East San Jose, Trinity Center, 4 - 6 pm. The topic is on the problems confronting families of Hispanic descent in today's world and how mothers can cope. Both talks will be in Spanish and we are very pleased that Yvonne will be able to share her expertise and her Old Testament Bible Study on women in the Bible.
Download flyer (pdf:629k)

CCWF has been endorsed by the Rev. Msgr.Francis V. Cilia, Vicar General, The Chancery, Diocese of San Jose. Letter of endorsement [pdf].

External Links:

Read About Us

California Catholic Women's Forum presents full year schedule on the Dignity and Vocation of Women (pdf:79k) Includes continuing education opportunities for nurses.

California Catholic Women’s Forum plans April 21 conference on family
March 2007 , The Valley Catholic, the Good News in the Diocese of San José

California Catholic Women’s Forum to explore cultural issues of women in society
October 2005, The Valley Catholic, the Good News in the Diocese of San José

Married Love and the Gift of Life, United States Council of Catholic Bishops booklet
In this thoughtful statement the bishops of the United States reflect on God's wonderful plan for marriage-the ability of a man and woman to form a lasting bond of love and life. In an engaging question and answer format, the bishops explain Church teachings on conjugal love and responsible parenthood and the methods of Natural Family Planning which support those teachings.

In Depth
MULIERIS DIGNITATEM Of Pope John Paul II On the Dignity and Vocation of Women On the Occasion of the Marian Year On the Vatican's website.