“Humankind, full of all creative possibilities, is God’s work. Humankind alone is called to assist God. Humankind is called to co-create. With nature’s help, humankind can set into creation all that is necessary and life-sustaining.”
-St. Hildegard
Every person has a unique call from God, a personal vocation that is the fulfillment of the dreams and the mission the Lord has for you. One way to discover and express this personal vocation is through what we at GIVEN call an “Action Plan.” While GIVEN Action Plans for Forum cohort participants are structured into projects with certain parameters, the Action Plan is more than just a service project. It should be an outpouring of the gift that you are, an activation of your unique personal gifts, and a gift of self that answers a need as only you can. 2016 Forum Co-Chair Sister Bethany Madonna, SV explained:
The Action Plan is your unique initiative to activate your God-given gifts in the Church and in the world. What do you consider your life’s mission? What moves you; sets you on fire; gives you life? Is there a particular population or group you feel drawn to serve? What are your gifts? The Action Plan will be different for each participant because it gives expression to the unique desires the Lord has placed on your heart. Think BIG, dream big, pray deeply, take note of your desires and capacities, and mold your vision of an Action Plan that will be a gift of yourself that keeps on giving! Your innovation is needed in the Church and in the world!
To help inspire you as you discover the gift only you can give, we organize our Forum programming and blogs, videos and saint stories in Specialties. Explore below to learn more about each specialty:
This specialty is designed for women who are creative at heart and have a strong desire to use their gifts in the service of others. Whether a dancer, musician, painter, content creator, writer, or graphic designer, this specialty supports the unique calling and challenges of bringing the good, true, and beautiful to our world and Church. Mentors in this specialty are all experienced artists with varied gifts who will guide, challenge, and support the work of the artist.
A particular gift of the feminine genius is to nurture life, to care for the other. Although all women are called to nurture life in all vocations and professions, this specialty is designed for women who serve in direct roles caring for the human person. Those in the medical field, such as doctors and nurses, and other healing fields, such as counselors, life-coaches, and psychiatrists, as well as those who serve as primary caregivers of children or the elderly will be supported in this group. Mentors who have made caring for the human person their life’s work will serve to inspire and further equip the young leaders who share this calling and will particularly guide them to participate in the Church’s rich tradition of social teaching and ethics.
This specialty is for women who are working within Catholic organizations (e.g. diocesan employees, youth/young adult/campus ministers, educators, non-profit employees) who would like to grow as leaders in their fields. Specific attention will be paid to the challenges and opportunities of working in non-profit and faith-based organizations. They will be mentored by experienced Catholic professionals who lead a variety of Church and non-profit ministries.
This specialty is designed for women who have an innovative idea for a new mission, organization, or apostolate. These young women will be guided by established leaders with business acumen and entrepreneurial experience who will support them as they develop their ideas, solidify their plans, and strategize for launch.
This specialty is designed for Catholic women called to a secular workplace or to the public square (e.g. business, finance/accounting, law, sports management/coaching, small business owner, educational leadership, government/public policy, journalist) who desire support as they integrate faith and professional life, navigate secular controversies with faith, and grow as a Catholic and a leader in the secular world. They will be mentored by Catholic professionals and executives who work in a diversity of fields.
Read below a few samples of GIVEN Action Plans. GIVEN commits to one year of support for an Action Plan after initial approval and acceptance into a Forum cohort. GIVEN aims to help shape the plan as faithful and innovative through the Forum experience and the Art of Accompaniment Mentoring Program.
“My action plan was to do a 5-week program on praying with art, particularly on the theme of the feminine genius. I found praying with art transforming in my own journey with God and wanted to share that with others. Since GIVEN, my action plan has turned into a full-time mission. I founded an organization called Behold, which has published a guide to the practice of “visio divina” and provide workshops in parishes and in our online community.”
Katie Weiss '16, Behold Visio Divina“The Catholic Woman nonprofit organization is a storytelling platform with the mission to illustrate the many faces and vocations of women in the Church by publishing stories from Catholic women of all walks of life to show millennial Catholic women that there is a place for them in the Church. Our reach is over 70,000.”
Corynne Staresinic '16, The Catholic Woman“More than a ministry, Eden Invitation is a movement. We provide community & formation for young adult Catholics who experience same sex desires or gender discordance and are striving to be disciples of Christ. So many people on the LGBTQ spectrum don’t feel they have a home in the Catholic Church. We hope the witness of Eden Invitation shows otherwise!”
Anna Carter '16 & Shannon Ochoa '19, Eden Invitation“My GIVEN action plan was to create a platform to reconcile the messages of empowerment in feminism with the truth of Catholic teaching. The three-fold goal of FemCatholic is to educate people on what the Church actually says about women, encourage women to explore the tough questions with how to live out Church teachings, and empower women to bring their feminine gifts to the Church and the world.”
Samantha Povlock '16, FemCatholic“My GIVEN plan was to form and launch FIERCE Athlete Inc. FIERCE Athlete (Femininity, Identity, Embodiment, Receptivity, Catholicism, and Encounter) exists in order to promote true and authentic femininity within female athletics based on the teachings of the Catholic Church.”
Samantha Kelley '16, FIERCE Athlete“The Magdalen Project recognizes that every woman has a story. Inspired by our patroness St. Mary Magdalen’s conversion, we share women’s stories of transformed shame. By giving a platform to the ways the Lord has encountered other women’s shame and resurrected it, we hope to inspire other women to let the Lord into the dark places of their heart and to empower them to reach out to their sisters in true vulnerability. Together we can step out of the darkness of shame and into the Light of Christ.”
Ann Gennaro '19, The Magdalen Project“I founded and launched Managing Your Fertility as a ‘one-stop shop’ for individuals and couples to learn about the basics of reproductive health and the variety of NFP methods available. Managing Your Fertility is a resource for individuals and couples to review reproductive health science, criticisms and praise of specific methods, and research on the topic at large.”
Bridget Busacker '16, Managing Your Fertility“As part of my Action Plan for miscarriage ministry, I organized a Mass for Pregnancy Loss & Infertility at St. Mary Parish in New Haven, CT with Fr. John Paul Walker, OP who gave an incredibly moving homily. During the offertory everyone was able to process up the aisle bearing a candle in memory of child(ren) lost or children hoped for, laying it at the feet of our Heavenly Mother. It was a powerful moment of solidarity and bringing light to each other’s darkness. I hope to make it an annual event and implement even more resources at the Archdiocesan level and beyond”
“I put on a music and arts festival in the spirit of the Florida Martyrs to offer relief to Christians in the Middle East called the “No Greater Love Festival,” which had over 500 attendees. Together we donated $31,704.25 to the Knights of Columbus’ Christians at Risk initiative. Additionally, a Native American community was so impacted by their experience that 30 of their people returned to the Catholic faith of their martyred ancestors.”
Mary Catherine Florence '16“Pray Like a Girl is a YouTube channel for young women seeking sainthood. As young women discern God’s will for their lives and future careers, we are grateful to share with them the light that women in every career path and vocation can bring to the world. We highlight the stories of women boldly living out their faith in the real world, dwelling on the passion that God has given us to contribute to His Kingdom.”
