WINE Conference

On Jan. 28 women in the Diocese of Baton Rouge converged upon the campus of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Baton Rouge to be rejuvenated amidst life’s storms at the Women In the New Evangelization (WINE) Conference.

Throughout the day they were reassured they are not alone in their struggles and urged not to give up on their faith.   

The theme of the conference was “Anchor of Hope” from Hebrews 6:19.

Singer/songwriter Kitty Cleveland talked about how the meaning of the word “hope” has changed in her life since she was growing up in New Orleans.

“The things I hoped for were pretty simple,” said Cleveland. “I ‘hope’ to be invited to birthday parties, I ‘hope’ to be picked for the team to play, I ‘hope’ he would be my boyfriend, and I ‘hope’ I get into the college of my choice.”

But “something happened” to Cleveland before her senior year in high school when she was baptized in the Holy Spirit during a retreat.

“The veil in my soul was torn, and I knew that God was real, that he knew me and that he was living inside of me,” said Cleveland.

“And I knew that no matter what happened to me, the rest of my life would be okay because God’s love will be there to meet me,” said Cleveland.

She prayed the attendees would have the same experience.

Leah Jacobson spoke about “the feminine genius” in her presentation, “Tethered in Christ.”

A woman’s health care specialist and founder of The Guiding Star Project, Jacobson talked about struggles women have as professionals, mothers, wives and daughters.

“Think back to those moments when you did not fully own your identity that Christ has given you,” said Jacobson, the mother of seven.

Her organization advocates for hospital policies that ensure pre-mature babies will receive quality healthcare; advancements in treating infant disease; policies that protect breastfeeding in public and in the workplace; and improving maternal and infant mortality rates in the nation.   

The worldly culture tells women “You need to protect yourself because everyone else is going to let you down and hurt you,” according to Jacobson.
 

“Christ did not intend it to be that way. He intended these relationships of brotherhood and sisterhood to reveal to us fully our capacity to give love, to be selfless. It’s a very beautiful identity that we carry,” said Jacobson.

Baton Rouge native Erin Franco talked about living “hope in real life” after her husband Michael was seriously injured in an airplane crash in the summer of 2022.

For Michael’s 40th birthday, his good friend, Sean, a pilot, wanted to fly Michael from New Orleans to North Carolina to celebrate and visit a camp where their families sent their 12-year-old sons. They would fly over the camp and Michael would take pictures for the camp. Erin agreed to it.
 

Erin was leaving her brother and sister-in-law’s house, where she and her children had gone for dinner, when she received a call that the plane Michael was on crashed on the outskirts of the camp. Fortunately, Michael, Sean and one of the camp directors aboard all survived. But they suffered severe injuries.

Family and friends converged and took care of the Francos’ children as Erin and her mother traveled to North Carolina.

Erin, who was 22 weeks pregnant at the time, could only spend 10 minutes with her husband, who had several severely broken bones and internal injuries, in the ICU unit.

“I walked into the room and it was pretty horrible to see someone you love look like that. He was pretty unrecognizable,” said Erin.

When Michael experienced a medical trauma and the medical team rushed in Erin thought, “He survived the crash, but God might be taking him right now.”

She then had an “intense moment of grace” when in her spirit she saw the Blessed Mother holding the body of Jesus after he was taken down from the cross. She held her son’s head in one hand and held her other hand out to offer him back to God.

Erin turned her trust to God, praying, “This day, this moment, if this is the end of our story together, if you’re taking him right now, I’ll trust you with our story and that he’s done what you’ve needed him to do. Thank you.”

Just as the Franco family faithfully proceeds forward with grace-filled moments, Erin urged those who were suffering to spend time before the crucifix or the Blessed Sacrament as their source of hope.

She prayed with the women the ending prayer of the Divine Mercy Chaplet: “Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to your holy will, which is love and mercy itself.”

In a stirring message capsulating the day, Martha Fernández-Sardina spoke about living a love-filled life.

“It’s time to ‘set the world ablaze again,’ ” said Sardina, referring to Luke 12:14 where Jesus announced he had come to cast the world on fire.

Highlighting the prominent women of the Bible, Sardina focused on Esther, who was Jewish and married to King Ahasuerus. The king’s “right hand man,” Haman, schemed to have the king order the killing of a “certain people,” veiling the fact those people were Jewish.

Esther’s cousin Mordecai learned about the plot. He urged Esther to speak to the king to save her people,e telling her, “Maybe you were made queen for such a time as this.”

Esther was fearful because if she approached the king without being called for, she could die.  She asked Mordecai to fast and pray with his people as she did herself. She mustered the courage to approach the king, who was moved and listened to her and reversed the order. Haman was executed.

“What are some of our enemies of faith, our families and our friendships?” Sardina asked. “If you are mortified by what is happening in our country, in our world, in our church, do a ‘Mordecai’ and fast and pray and speak to those who can speak to someone who can change things. To those like Esther, who have the power to change things … don’t continue to be stuck and trust the Lord to deliver you.”

When Satan sends messages of fear and confusion to try to shred people’s faith to pieces, people must stay rooted in God’s love, Sardina said.

“Go to the Lord and let him make you whole,” Sardina said.

After WINE founder Kelly Wahlquist spoke about plans for a future and hope with WINE, the conference ended with prayer and Cleveland singing “I Place My Trust in You.”

For more information about WINE, visit Catholicvineyard.com.