Women filled the Columbia Ballroom of the Washington Hilton on Aug. 6 for the Ladies Program at the 143rd Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus. Through prayer, testimony, and the arts, the event offered a space to reflect on how Christian hope is lived and led by women across the Church.
Montse Alvarado, president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, opened the gathering by welcoming attendees and reflecting on her own path to serving at the forefront of the Church’s mission. She described the influence of the Knights of Columbus in both her personal and professional life, from her grandfather’s longtime membership to the organization’s support in key legal battles involving religious freedom.
“These same Knights of Columbus stood with me to save the Little Sisters of the Poor from a really unfair government mandate,” she said, adding that their work also helped protect the religious liberty of organizations such as Hobby Lobby, Native American tribes, and Catholic social services in Philadelphia.
Alvarado, who spent 14 years at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, shared how her path eventually led her to EWTN News and the leadership role she holds today. She said it was a role she discerned through prayer and the support of a trusted community.
“Our joy comes from knowing that we can live on tomorrow’s joy today,” Alvarado said. “Because we have Christian hope.”
Sister Donata Farbaniec of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy led the opening and meal blessing prayers. She reminded attendees of the power of God’s presence in daily life, offering this petition: “May everything we think, feel, say, and do be for the greater glory of Jesus Christ, our Lord.”
The First Lady of the Knights of Columbus, Vanessa Kelly, whose husband is Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, offered personal remarks and recognized the many women whose dedication supports the work of the Knights.
“Every lady in this room deserves an introduction,” she said. “You are the women who hold the heart of every Knight of Columbus, and your presence here today is a testament to your faith and your vocation.”
Kelly welcomed women representing state councils, field agents’ families, past Supreme Directors’ wives, and several religious sisters, including members of the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. She also acknowledged the 1,800 women employed by the Knights, including 900 at their Connecticut headquarters and another 900 serving in the field.
“This is a formidable group,” Alvarado said, noting the diversity of women in attendance, which also included lay professionals, consecrated religious, and emerging leaders in the pro-life and Catholic arts communities. “Each one of you is an influencer of truth, beauty, and goodness in the world.”
Jeanne Mancini, former president of the March for Life, delivered the keynote address. Reflecting on the Jubilee Year, she called on women to embrace their role as salt of the earth and light of the world.
“You are the generation of saints our world so desperately needs,” she said.
Quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Mancini defined hope as “the theological virtue by which we desire the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.”
“We can have proximate hopes, like that money problems will go away or that a relationship will be healed, and those are beautiful,” she said. “But foundational hope is our eternal hope. Placing our heart in proximate hopes strangles joy.”
Mancini emphasized the importance of prayer, sacramental life, and protecting one's thought life from discouragement.
“If you don’t have time to pray,” she said, “you need to pray more.”
Claire Kretzschmar, artistic director of Ballet Hartford and a former soloist with the New York City Ballet, introduced several original works she choreographed, each rooted in Marian devotion or Catholic theology
“I think the culture is ripe for Catholicism and ballet to go hand in hand,” Kretzschmar said. “Especially when we think of the war going on over the body.”
Among the selections she introduced was Ave, a solo set to Tchaikovsky’s music inspired by Ave Verum Corpus, Latin for “Hail, True Body,” portraying the Virgin Mary as Theotokos (the Greek title meaning “God-bearer”).
Selections from A Ceremony of Carols included a reverent procession, a lullaby for the infant Christ, and a militaristic march expressing Christ’s triumph over sin.
A solo interpretation of the Angel Gabriel, costumed in rose, reflected depictions in sacred art, notably Fra Angelico’s Annunciation. Kretzschmar invited the audience to look for a movement drawn directly from the painting: a bowed reverence near Mary, hands crossed over the heart.
The final presentation was an excerpt from Raphaella, a full-length narrative ballet choreographed by Kretzschmar and inspired by the life of a Catholic girl who died at age 23.
“The story of the ballet is not a biography,” she said, “but more of a fairy tale, inspired by the beauty and faithfulness of her short life.”
The excerpt, titled The Children’s Dance, featured dancers portraying Raphaella, a prince, and two young children. Kretzschmar described it as a Holy Family-inspired quartet that honors spiritual motherhood and sacrificial love. The motif of the rose, drawn from ballet tradition and Marian symbolism, recurred throughout the staging.
“I believe this ballet has the power to be a very evangelistic piece of art, not just a work of beauty,” Kretzschmar said.
In a nod to the next generation of Catholic women leaders, the program spotlighted the Given Institute, a leadership formation initiative rooted in the feminine genius. Attendees were encouraged to mentor young women or nominate them for the upcoming 2026 cohort as an invitation to build bridges between generations of Catholic women.
Alvarado’s challenge was clear: “Your spiritual motherhood is needed.”
Carla Trevino, a member of Council 9498 at San Diego’s Mission de Alcala, spoke about the importance of women seeking opportunities within their communities. “If you look for something that interests you, chances are you’re going to find it,” she said. Trevino is a member of the Columbiettes, an auxiliary group of the Knights of Columbus involved in a range of charitable efforts, including support for catechesis for the disenfranchised and fundraising for orphanages, women’s shelters, and other community needs. Her husband, Rene Trevino, serves as Supreme Director for California.
Sister Karol Marie Hegarty, a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist (FSE), reflected on the different ways women lead in the Church, both visibly and quietly.
“I’m older now,” she said, gently touching her hair. “The way I was taught is that men and women are equal … We are complementary, and that is beautiful. We are equal but different, and that is reflected in how some women lead in more quiet ways, while others have a different role, like our wonderful Sister Raffaella Petrini.”
Sister Petrini, a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist who was present at the luncheon, currently serves as President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, making her the highest-ranking woman in Vatican history.
“I couldn’t do what she does, but she is so good at what she does, and how she leads. She is absolutely marvelous. And that is the beauty of God’s design,” Sister Hegarty said.
The women in attendance, including speakers, organizers, and volunteers, exemplified the many ways women contribute to the life of the Church. Their visible presence across roles offered a living witness to the theme of the day: Christian hope.
As the program concluded, the message lingered: hope is not passive. It is a virtue rooted in Christ, sustained through prayer, and lived out through witness — in homes and offices, in chapels and classrooms, through acts of faith and the many ways women lead, shaped by feminine genius.
“You can live on tomorrow’s joy today,” Alvarado had reminded them. “Because we have Christian hope.”
And for those gathered in that room, bound by faith, vocation, and grace, it was clear: they already are.
