Lent is, at its heart, a season of seeking. On 28 February and 14 March, more than 1,200 women answered that call, filling Cathedral Hall at St Mary’s with prayer, presence, and a longing for something more.
Under the theme “Seek His Face,” drawn from Psalm 27, women from across New South Wales came together for the Women’s Lenten Retreat, led by the Dominican Sisters.
Such was the demand that this year’s retreat expanded to two dates for the first time, with the 28 February event organised with Sydney Catholic Schools and the 14 March event with the Catholic Women’s Network of the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation.
Sr Cecilia Joseph OP, one of the Dominican Sisters leading the retreat, said the response had been overwhelming.
“We’ve had 1,200 women attend across our two retreats. It gets better and better every year,” she said. “These women love the Lord, and they want to know him in a new and deeper way.”
The day also offered opportunities for reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration.
Hazel Lim, mission manager for the Life, Marriage, and Family team within the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation and one of the principal event organisers, said what struck her most was the breadth of the gathering.
“The different ages, the different backgrounds of the women who have come – united, just wanting to deepen their relationship with Christ, emptying themselves and letting God heal the parts that need healing, has been amazing,” she said.
Guest speakers including Vivian Mourani, Tinah DeLuca-Tohi, Sr Anastasia OP, Sr Susanna OP, and Fr Ben Saliba, led talks and workshops centred on the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, inviting attendees into a deeper intimacy with Christ.
Sr Anastasia spoke on hope, which she called the “forgotten middle child between faith and love.”
“Hope is trusting God is with us and leading us on to greater things, eternal life,” she told the hushed crowd.
For many attendees, like mother of three, Sarah Sofatzis, the retreat offered something rare: time to stop, step back, and simply receive.
“It’s a lot of work at home, and so it’s nice to take the time to come and be with other women, feel supported,” she said, enjoying lunch with her friends. “You can feel like you’re on your own and not part of a community. But retreats like this, where you can think more deeply, have a whole day dedicated to it, are important for your spiritual life throughout the year.”
Attendee, Carla Abi-Saab, was visibly moved by the day unfolding.
“I’m going to cry,” she said, tears forming. “I can just really feel God’s presence here. I saw Sr Anastasia carrying a baby before and it’s like the sisters are carrying us today. We do so much for others. It’s nice to be served.”
Best friends Trish O’Connell and Kiara Catanzariti made the journey from Canberra, travelling with a group of mothers and single women united by the same desire.
“We were all seeking a moment of reflection and pause during Lent,” Trish said. “I think coming to this retreat is really going to bear fruit when we go back, keep building, growing tight together, and growing closer to our Lord.”
Kiara added: “For me, it’s been the witness of being surrounded by Catholic women. It’s so important that we’re surrounded by people who are leading us to heaven.”
Sr Cecilia, reflecting on the two days, said the retreat had confirmed what many in the church are sensing: something is stirring.
“The Holy Spirit is really at work here in the church in Sydney, and he’s doing something beautiful in the hearts of these women,” she said. “It’s so exciting for us to see what the Lord is doing here. The church is on fire.”
