“St. Therese of the Child Jesus, the Little Flower, please pick me a Rose from the heavenly garden and send it to me with a message of love.”
On Oct. 1, the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux, women of the Diocese of Allentown gathered for their second Catholic Women’s Bingo at St. Ambrose, Schuylkill Haven.
Over 120 women came, clad in a colorful array of florals to honor their Heavenly sister, St. Therese. The women were met with an impressive spread of sandwiches, scrumptious desserts, tea, coffee, and wine. Women from all over mingled and enjoyed a meal together until it was time for games.
Maggie Riggins, Executive Director of Evangelization and Formation for the Diocese, led each round, but unlike your typical bingo night, this evening was imbued with prayer and meditation on the life of St. Therese. Between each round of bingo, Riggins shared reflections from St. Therese’s life, and then the women joined together in prayer.
From learning about things like Therese’s “Little Way,” to her willingness to embrace suffering, to the virtues she exemplified, Riggins also shared many of Therese’s own words: “Holiness consists simply in doing God's will, and being just what God wants us to be.”
The night also drew attention to October as Month of the Holy Rosary. Riggins related the history of the Rosary, citing 15th-century Dominican Alan de la Roch’s account:
“The Rosary was given to St. Dominic by the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1206. St. Dominic, known for his valiant fight against the heresies, had been tirelessly praying and doing severe penances because of his lack of success.
“During one of his moments of despair, Mary appeared to him, praised his efforts, and handed him the Rosary, explaining its uses and promising its efficacy in battling heresy. From that day, the Rosary became St. Dominic’s powerful spiritual tool, a prayer that has been embraced by the faithful for generations.”
Each round of bingo was punctuated with laughter and enthusiasm, as women merrily shouted out their bingos, and received prizes and congratulations.
Jane Grier from St. John XXIII, Tamaqua shared that she was happy to be attending Women’s Catholic Bingo for a second time with her Book Club friends. “They're not all Catholic,” she said, delighted at the opportunity not just for fellowship, but also evangelization. “I hope they keep coming!”
Theresa Heller, parishioner of St. Ambrose, encouraged her friends to come up with motivational quips for the night, as they laughed, joked and even broke into song, highlighting the gift of fellowship.
That is precisely what this bingo night was. A gift of faith and fellowship. An opportunity for women to come together, enjoy fun, and take a step forward on the path of sanctity.
Article and Photo by Ann Burns.
