Lily Alvarez traveled from Los Angeles to attend the forum. Alvarez, a native of Mexico, works for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. She said she was encouraged to apply for this year's forum by friends who attended the first incarnation of the event in 2016.
"GIVEN has opened my eyes to see that God wants me to be intentional in the way I live my femininity, through conversations, people and testimonies I've heard here," she said.
For Alvarez, one of the highlights of the forum was the opportunity to meet religious sisters. The first GIVEN Forum was intended to be a one-time event sponsored by the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR), who later expanded the event into the GIVEN Institute non-profit organization. Due to this relationship, there were many religious sisters at the forum, representing many religious orders.
"I've never had the chance to have deep conversations, play or even spend a day with (religious sisters)," Alvarez told CNA. "It's been quite inspirational to see how professional, joyful and motherly they are."
Alvarez described GIVEN as a "transformational conference," that changed the way she viewed the dignity of women and offered "a fresh angle full of opportunities" as well as "a space of true friendship and deep understanding of God's encounter with us." She told CNA that she is eager to see what she and her fellow attendees are able to accomplish in the next year.
"I think now the world is lucky to have 120 new leaders of true femininity ready to make a change in the culture about the place of women in society," she said.
Another attendee, Molly Sheahan, expressed a similar sentiment. Sheahan, a California native who is now a graduate student in Washington, DC, told CNA that she applied for the GIVEN Forum seeking to "gain practical skills for leadership and advice for future action and advocacy in the Church and in the world."
Sheahan said she particularly enjoyed the opportunity to meet other forum attendees, women "who shared their passion and dreams for their Church, (and) their hope and fire to evangelize." She told CNA that she received "a newfound courage and fire" from hearing the speakers, and she has been inspired to further share the things she has learned.
"Although my faith is strong, having a new community of women this week has given me a spiritual boost," said Sheahan. "I feel called on to prayer in a new way now."
Christine Rousselle is a former DC Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. Prior to working at CNA, she was the managing web editor of Townhall.com; she has a BA in political science from Providence College.