The ninth annual Endow gala to celebrate and support the Catholic study program, Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women, is set for Feb. 8 at the Hyatt Regency Convention Center in downtown Denver.
The evening will begin at 4 p.m. with Mass—celebrated by Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, a founding board member of Endow while serving as auxiliary bishop of Denver—followed by cocktails, silent and live auctions, dinner and a keynote address by nationally known journalist and media regular Kathryn Jean Lopez. (For more on Lopez, see related Q-and-A here.)
At the gala, Endow will also honor long-time Endow facilitator, Martha Reichert with the annual Julia Greeley Award “for her care and commitment for the women of the Samaritan House,” according to Kate Sweeney, director of programs.
Reichert, an Endow facilitator for seven years and board member for five, began leading studies at the homeless shelter of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Denver in 2011. There, she shares Blessed John Paul II’s 1995 “Letter to Women”—a document where the soon-to-be canonized pope describes the special place women hold in the family, the Church and the world.
“I love learning about my faith and reading documents from the Church with other women,” Reichert said. “It’s been an intellectual journey for me with the added benefit of forming life-long friendships!”
While it’s uncomfortable to be recognized for her work, Reichert said, she is thrilled.
“I’m thrilled that, because of the Julia Greeley Award, people will be able to see the challenges and the fruits of working with homeless and marginalized women,” she said. “If I didn’t have the powerful words of Pope John Paul II, I never would’ve had the resources I need for these women.”
The award is named after Greeley, a former slave and Catholic convert, renowned in Denver for her piety and care for the poor.
“Endow is a gift to all women in the Church,” Reichert continued. “For that, I am truly grateful.”
Tickets for the gala are $200 each and can be purchased at www.endowgroups.org. The Hyatt Regency Convention Center is located at 650 15th St. in Denver. For more information, call 720-382-5242.
Endow Gala 2014
What: Mass, dinner, talk, award ceremony, and auctions
When: Feb. 8, 4 p.m. Mass, 6:30 p.m. dinner
Where: Hyatt Regency Convention Center, 650 15th St., Denver
Tickets: $200
Register: www.endowgroups.org
Information: Call 720-382-5242
