How One Woman Encourages Women to Find Healing: GIVEN Alumna Silvia Ordoñez

“Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”

— Mark 5:34

According to a 2024 Gallup report, more than 6 in 10 women find it difficult to prioritize their health in the United States. The report went on to share that 70 percent of women in the Millennial Generation and 74 percent of women in Generation Z are, “significantly more likely than baby boomers (52%) and those in the Silent Generation (39%) to report that it is hard for them to prioritize their health.” With these increased health concerns becoming so prevalent among women, GIVEN alumna, Silvia Ordonez, identified for deeper healing. Silvia explains: 

“Sometimes we think that with a prayer for healing or a short process, we’ll be healed, but the truth is that just like with a physical injury, we may need medicine, treatments, or therapy. Spiritually, the process also takes time, has ups and downs, but it’s absolutely worth it. Jesus wants us to continue healing throughout our lives; we just need to be willing to open our hearts and say yes to Him so that He can take care of the rest.”

Based in Lima, Peru, Silvia traveled from South America to Washington, DC for the 2024 GIVEN Forum at The Catholic University of America. Silvia already knew she had a talent for writing through her degree in Communications and her career as Chief of Operations for Catholic Link; but at the GIVEN Forum, she learned that the Lord was furthering her God-given strengths for His glory. She elaborates, “Writing has helped me grow in self-awareness and has been an essential part of the spiritual journal project I’m developing through GIVEN — a space where I can combine creativity and healing. Leadership allows me to accompany and inspire other women to be positive leaders in their own lives and contexts.” During this time, Silvia developed the idea for her Action Plan: a healing journal for women titled, “¡Quiero sanar! Journal guiado de 21 días para sanar el corazón con Jesús.” In English, the title of the journal means: “I want to heal! A 21-day guided journal to heal your heart with Jesus.”

To summarize her hope for the journal, Silvia explains, “Its mission is to help women reconnect with God through prayer, Scripture, and self-reflection — especially those who feel overwhelmed, anxious, or distant from their faith.” The origins for this healing journal began from Silvia’s own need for healing. She shares:

“At first, I began asking God for physical healing, but along the way, He showed me that I also needed spiritual healing. When I started this journey, I found some resources like videos, books, and journals that talked about spiritual healing, but most of them were in English. I couldn’t recommend them to people I knew needed healing but didn’t speak the language. So, I decided to create a resource in Spanish that combines writing—which has been therapeutic for me on this journey—with the theme of spiritual healing at its core, so that many others could begin this process in their own lives.”

As the journal’s design and production nears completion, Silvia aims to have it ready for sale in 2026 and will be available in Spanish. The journal is formatted into 21 days and each day contains a passage from the Bible, a reflection, a journaling prompt, blank space for free-from writing, and a concluding prayer. Through this resource, Silvia hopes that her fellow Sisters-in-Christ will find the spiritual healing that they are searching for in their lives.

Silvia’s GIVEN mentor helped her stay focused on meeting the goals for the creation of her journal and achieving the objectives of her Action Plan. Silvia says, “She (GIVEN mentor) helped me stay on track and gave structure to the project with clear deliverables and deadlines. But most importantly, she offered me a lot of emotional and spiritual support during difficult times—even when I had to pause the project for a while. She was there encouraging me and praying for me and with me.” With this support, Silvia had the foundation to make the journal become a reality in 2026. 

The GIVEN Forum made a lasting impact on Silvia and has given her new confidence to use her gifts for the Church. She reflects, “One of my key takeaways from the GIVEN Forum was the deep confirmation that my gifts have a purpose and a place in the Church. Through the talks, sisterhood, and mentorship, I realized that God had already planted a mission in my heart — I just needed the courage to say yes.” The GIVEN Institute encourages countless other women like Silvia to say “yes” to God’s invitation to embrace their own “fiat.” We look forward to the release of Silvia’s journal in 2026 and its positive impact on women in need of spiritual healing.