The Emmaus program, a mentoring initiative of Sydney Archdiocese’s Catholic Women’s Network, is launching officially after its successful pilot year. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
The CWN is now looking for new mentors for 2025.
Last year, Catholic women from of all walks of life answered the call to mentor younger women of faith, through wisdom and connection.
“There were mothers, there were single women, there were corporate success stories. And the strong feedback, particularly from the mentors, was that this program was needed,” said Helena Romanus from the CWN.
This intergenerational exchange saw real transformation and life-changing relationships emerge.
The success of last year’s pilot program also noted how the Emmaus program addressed a pervading sense of isolation in today’s society and within Church communities.
Sally Hood, from CWN, believes the program emphasises the importance of having a spiritual companion.
“This is how Jesus modelled it and more recently has been made popular by Pope Francis,” she said.
In the 14th instalment of his Catechesis of Discernment, Pope Francis writes: “In the spiritual life it is better to be accompanied by someone who knows about us and helps us. And this is spiritual accompaniment.”
“This is part of our hope that spiritual accompaniment will become a verb in our parish communities through Emmaus,” Ms Hood said.
“The power of having a ‘sister in Christ’, someone who’s just a season ahead, there’s a power in that accompaniment. Being an ear to listen, someone to hear you out and to give you space, to tell you what they’re truly feeling.
“I think there’s real power in that relationship.”
With the Emmaus program launching, the CWN is now calling on “authentic” mentors, to join the program, to pass on their wisdom with their mentees on their faith journey.
Details: https://catholicwomensnetwork.org/emmaus/
FULL STORY
Help a younger sister in faith by becoming an Emmaus mentor (By Darren Ally, The Catholic Weekly)
