LITTLETON, Colorado (LifeSiteNews) — It often takes courage to go about life doing our best to be right with the Lord, striving to be with Him in Heaven, and we could use all the help we can get.

One example of courageous living of the faith is the effort to foster it in others through a traditional women’s conference presented by a group of lay faithful.

The third annual A Return to Tradition Women’s Conference took place recently at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Littleton, Colorado.

One of the most beautiful things about the conference is that the idea for it was conceived by a woman at the parish who saw the need to restore tradition (the very name of the non-profit created to produce the conference) and who felt compelled to do something about it. It is conducted largely by lay women looking to bring others to Christ. That’s their agenda, pure and simple. They seek to draw others to the Lord, and they have the eyes to see that the best way back to the Lord is via tradition, returning to God’s plan for us.

And the women behind the Return to Tradition conference once again delivered solid, compelling content, along with an excellent opportunity for women to connect with one another and be empowered to live their faith authentically.

With the assistance of 40 or so parish volunteers, men and women alike, and the blessing of leaders of the FSSP (Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter) parish, these ladies put on an event that cut through the noise and confusion permeating everything from society to the Church to offer something simple, beautiful, and profound – a haven of the faith.

Stepping up to speak the truth of the Catholic faith today could invite all sorts of blowback, mandating courage to do so.

This isn’t rocket science, though. These women are fulfilling an obvious need. The response and growth of the event bears out that women are hungry for Catholicism’s truth.

The conference has continually grown since its first year, selling out on-site registration, and expanding its reach across the world with a livestream offering. Women came in person this year from at least 10 states, me included, and some from Canada as well. I was also blessed to attend last year, after having seen mention of it on social media, and God willing, I will make it to Colorado again for the conference.

The courage of these ladies providing what may be deemed controversial by those opposed to traditional values and Traditional liturgy is edifying and inspiring. They effectively lead by example as authentic women of faith.

What does it mean to live authentically as a woman? The conference helps to answer that question with its foundation in returning to tradition and offerings to that end.

This does not refer simply to liturgy, though that as an outward expression of our faith and worship of the Lord is of great importance. The idea of restoring and returning to tradition is comprehensive and requires first recognizing and reaffirming God’s design for man and woman; ontologically and spiritually.

Returning to the Lord’s plan for man and woman means living in our place in the world today as emotionally and spiritually mature human beings and surrendering fully to God. If we do this in our respective situations, observing His laws, the rest, our roles, our behavior, our dress, the surface trappings will fall into place.

A return to God’s plan for man and woman is foundational for society to thrive and survive and for us to have our best shot at Heaven.

If we do this successfully, we are best comprising His Church, His Bride, which is the ultimate embodiment of His plan for man and woman.

It’s quite simple, really. Any time we follow God’s plan we have peace, and when we do not, we have turmoil. And when we follow Him fully and authentically, we exercise our free will to do the right thing in all things.

The entirety of the Return to Tradition conference was aimed at helping women to best understand distinct aspects of women’s roles in God’s plan and provide practical ways to implement that understanding. This is no small thing, as some conference presenters noted how women, owing to their unique attributes, have a special place in saving the world from its current damaged, broken state.

The event provides a combination of the temporal and the spiritual, with speakers, vendors, and fellowship, Mass, the Rosary, Confession, and a procession with Our Lady.

The theme for the 2024 conference was beauty – not to be mistaken as something trite – but rather an outright quintessence of God. And beautiful it was.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel parishioner and artist Helen Kish offered a demonstration on The Art of Flower Arranging, imparting how this mode of creating beauty can bless both the altar for Mass and one’s home. Parishioner and “Mass of the Ages” subject Jody Lacroix introduced episode three of the documentary series and facilitated a Q&A after the viewing.

Catholic author Leila Lawler opened the conference with How Beauty Will Save the World and Why Woman is at the Heart of it. Roman Catholic priest Father David Nix presented From Modernism to Tradition. Writer, publisher, editor, and LifeSite contributor Dr. Peter Kwasniewski spoke on Why the Traditional Rite is Beautiful and Why Beauty Matters.

Kevin Roerty, founder of Souls of the Christian Apostolate, discussed The Integration of Femininity and the Interior Life. Mrs. Tricia Nolan, homeschool mother of 13, presented Raising Saints along with her son, Father Daniel Nolan, FSSP, parochial vicar for Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

And LifeSite co-founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief John-Henry Westen, was the event keynote, speaking on how women, whether here on earth, on up to Our Lady, are crucial to the solution to confusion in culture and the Church.

I arrived back home from the Return to Tradition conference with a renewed sense of my place as a woman of faith in God’s plan, and pure joy from the overall experience of the conference. The ladies knocked it out of the park again.

Next year’s conference dates are August 22-23, 2025.

Considering the event’s impact and continued growth, the in-person registration is likely to sell out quickly again.

I recommend that you make plans to attend and sign up early to reserve your spot.