Virtual Women’s Retreat – Saturday, February 6, 2021
9 am-4 pm with a lunch break 12-1 pm
A Spring of Water Flowing in the Parched Land
Meet Our Presenters!
Joan Williamson
Speaker
Joan Williamson Joan is a speaker, retreat leader, and consultant who is working as the Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Covington, WA. She has served in Youth Ministry, Faith Formation, and/or Sacramental Preparation since 1984, has been part of NET Ministry travelling the USA and Canada, has lead a variety of Archdiocesan Workshops in Seattle and Minneapolis/St. Paul Archdioceses. She received her BA in Secondary Education from WWU, her MA in Pastoral Studies, and Certification in the Pastoral Leadership Program from Seattle University. In College, Joan was a three time All-American Javelin thrower with the National Championship and Nat’l Meet Record in 1984. She is a member of WWU’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Most especially, Joan has a deep love for Jesus Christ and finds this to be the greatest treasure in life. She is always looking for ways to share her faith with others. She enjoys walking, reading, and spending time with friends over a good cup of coffee. Things that intrigue her are social systems, kinesiology / physics, and nature.
Fr. James Northrop
Speaker
Fr. James Northrop was born in Pullman, WA and grew up in Richland, WA. He attended the University of Idaho and obtained a degree in Vocal Music Education. After college he attended St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, CA for five years. He was ordained on June 7, 1997 by the late Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy. He thoroughly enjoys his ministry as a priest and has been an instructor for the Archdiocesan Catechetical Certification program. He enjoys conducting retreats, working on music, fishing with his family, and helping people discover the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Annual WWCCR Women’s Retreat was held as a virtual event, February 6, 2021. It was a day filled with teaching, fellowship, praise & worship, reflection, and an opportunity to grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit. It truly was “A Spring of Water Flowing in the Parched Land.”
The presenter, Joan Williamson, broadcast her enthusiasm for the Lord and his work in our lives right through the device screens and into our hearts. She led us through the retreat themes, helping us to “go in and go deep, as you are comfortable.” Even though we could not gather in person, we connected with her and our small breakout groups that met in four sessions. We listened to each other and felt love for each one as we shared about this time in our lives.
Praise and worship, led by Julia Cox before each session, had many of us standing up in front of our laptops to lift our hands and hearts to the Lord. Julia also led the music for the closing Mass, the second Vigil Mass for Fr. Jim Northrop that Saturday. His homily was an exhortation to trust in the Lord during these challenging times. He and Julia prayed and sang The Blessing over us that night, leaving us with the assurance of the Father’s blessing on us and our families.
Each retreat team member brought what technological knowledge they had and were challenged to learn more in order to bring about the whole event. Special thanks go to Julia Cox, Virginia King, Mary Pelton, and Fr. Jim Northrop for serving the technological needs. We thank all the small group facilitators (we had 10 of them!) and all the other Retreat Team members for their loving and prayerful service.