Catholic Women of Faith Conference - 2006 Highlights © 2008

One thousand women from the diocese of Nashville and surrounding area came together to rejoice, reflect and be inspired! It was a special day for women to be able to "take time out" and "Come Be Blessed". The event was held on March 4, 2006 at St Philip Catholic Church in Franklin, TN.

This extraordinary day of worship included dynamic guest speakers; Johnnette Benkovic, Mary Jo Pedersen and Grace MacKinnon. Award winning vocalist, speaker and author Kathy Troccoli brought the day to a close (and the house down!) with her inspiring and passionate message of hope through word and song.

Here are a couple testimonies we have received:

Mary Sturgeon Hospitality Chairman of St Philip said: "The whole thing has been just one glorious experience. It's just been unbelievable. It brought out the best in everyone. It brought out the best in me."

Terry Daughtery, Director of Religious Education, St Paul the Apostle Church Tullahoma said: "As I saw the women flowing in and it was announced that one thousand women were there I felt so blessed. Coming together with that many Catholic women was refreshing. To me it was an extraordinary day of worship with this many Catholic women and the new bishop....When I got home I reflected on what each speaker had said. I was proud and blessed to be Catholic on Saturday. I look forward to the next one and I will be taking my mother."

Kathy Troccoli is a dynamic vocalist, speaker and author with a passionate message of hope. She is also a 2003 Grammy nominee!

Singer, songwriter, author, and speaker with multiple Dove Awards, Grammy nominations, TV appearances, and more than 20 years experience in Christian music to her credit, Kathy Troccoli has allowed the successes and trials of her life to mold her over the years, equipping her for a multi-faceted career. Intelligent and funny, Kathy has the scars that produce a mature communicator. She's lost both parents to cancer, struggled with bulimia, and battled depression, but she's firm in her faith. "I feel like everything that has happened in my life has brought me to this point for a purpose," she says. "The good and the bad have all been crucial in deepening my relationship with God." Kathy lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Website: http://www.kathytroccoli.com

Johnnette Benkovic is Founder and President of Living His Life Abundantly International, Inc. a Catholic evangelization apostolate for Christian women. She is the Executive Producer of the Abundant Life (seen internationally on EWTN), a television program that discusses contemporary issues from a Catholic perspective.

Johnnette also hosts Moments of Truth Live, a one hour call-in radio talk show that airs live three times per week. She is a popular conference speaker, retreat conductor, seminar presenter, and author of several books.

After years of being a non-practicing Catholic, Johnnette experienced a deep conversion back to her Catholic faith in 1981 and discerned a call to share the Gospel message through the media. She has been a consistent presence in Catholic radio since 1987 and in Catholic television since 1988.

Mary Jo Pedersen is a national leader in Catholic family ministry and faith formation. Mary Jo has served on the staff of the Omaha Family Life Office for about 20 years. An accomplished author, Mary Jo has written three books on family spirituality and is working on another on marital spirituality. She has written dozens of family programs and resources for use in parishes. Mary Jo conducts workshops and retreats on marriage, family, and lay ministry. A regular contributor to Catholic News Service's syndicated column Faith Alive, Pedersen also serves as adviser to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Marriage and Family.

Grace MacKinnon is the President and Senior Writer/Principal Speaker of Dear Grace Ministries. She is the writer of the syndicated Catholic newspaper column "Dear Grace," which is published in a number of Catholic and secular publications throughout the country. Her feature articles have also appeared in Catholic magazines such as This Rock, Lay Witness, Catholic Digest, Share the Word, Canticle Magazine, HLI Reports, and others. She is a public speaker and teacher, whose mission is to help adult Catholics and non-Catholics to come to better know and fully understand the beauty and richness of the truth found in the Catholic faith. Another great theme and focus of her mission is promoting the sanctity of human life.