Maine Catholic Women encouraged to gather virtually March 20 for special event in place of women’s conference

PORTLAND — Sadly, due to the pandemic, the Maine Catholic Women’s Conference will not be held in person for the second consecutive year. The event, which drew close to 400 participants in 2019, is simply too large to ensure safety at this time.

However, that doesn’t mean Catholic women in Maine won’t have the chance to gather, reenergize, inspire each other, and share their faith together. The empowering event will move online for 2021.

On Saturday, March 20, from 10-11:30 a.m., a virtual gathering will be held for all Maine Catholic women to participate in faith-sustaining prayer, reflection and hopeful conversation.

The 90-minute program, which will be available via Zoom, will feature prayer, a live greeting from Bishop Robert Deeley, inspiration from award-winning author Liz Kelly and opportunities to meet new friends through conversations in interactive breakout rooms.

The event is free, though pre-registration is required as slots are limited. A downloadable poster and registration link are available at www.portlanddiocese.org/olff/gather-women.The registration deadline is Monday, March 15 at noon.

Any woman that held over the registration fee originally paid for the 2020 Women’s Conference has three options: do nothing to continue to hold over the fee as prepayment for the 2022 conference (a $25 savings); request a refund (minus convenience fee if paid by credit card); or ask that the fee be designated as a donation toward expenses involved with this year’s gathering (this will be added to your donation statement in the Development Office for tax purposes). You can indicate your choice when registering for the 2021 gathering or by contacting Hannah Gonneville in the Office of Lifelong Faith Formation at 207-321-7885 or hannah.gonneville@portlanddiocese.org to request a refund or designate a donation.