By Paula Day

Father Robert Kinast, featured speaker at the 31^st annual convention of the Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, proposed to his audience that they, the Catholic laity, model who Mary is to the world.

In his "flip side" view of the convention's theme, "Mary, Model for Today's Laity," Father Kinast drew from a survey on the laity prepared for the October world Synod of Bishops. U.S. Catholics are a holy people, Father Kinast asserted, as well as a serving people and a people of "co-discipleship."

As such, Father Kinast concluded, American Catholics model to the world Mary's holiness, service and unity in discipleship.

Father Kinast spoke at the Saturday evening banquet, the closing event for the two-day convention held at the Hilton at Peachtree Corners in Norcross. Convention organizers report 188 registered delegates representing 80 percent of the parishes in the archdiocese attended the convention Sept. 26 and 27.

Saturday's workshops focused on a variety of current issues of concern to American Catholics. A panel made up of Deacon Richard Narey, Father Peter Rau, Sister Barbara Harrington, GNSH, and Mrs. Anita Willoughby addressed the question: "Vocations: Whose Responsibility?"

"The AIDS Crisis and the Church as a Healing Community" attracted an overflow crowd. Other workshops included such topics as mental illness as a community concern and liberation theology's call to the Church to "make a preferential option for the poor."

Sister Valentina Sheridan, RSM, pastoral associate at Sacred Heart Church in Atlanta, used the Vatican II document "Mary: Model of the Church" as the basis for her inspirational speech at the Saturday luncheon. Sister Sheridan asserted, "We are called to reflect Mary's faith in this Marian year. Our call is to be Christ to the world."

AACCW president Joan Lucas presided at the installation and commissioning of the 1987-88 AACCW officers during an early evening liturgy. At the close of the banquets program, in an emotional yet humor-lightened speech, Mrs. Lucas expressed her gratitude for the support she has received from the membership, her family and Monsignor John McDonough during her two-year term. At one point Monsignor McDonough offered a last "gesture of support" in the form of a clean handkerchief to wipe away Mrs. Lucas' tears. Ms. Sandi Odendahl of St. Philip Benizi church in Jonesboro received the gavel from Mrs. Lucas and will head the AACCW for the 1987-88 term.

During his banquet speech earlier, Father Kinast elaborated on his theme that the laity mirror Mary to today's world. American lay Catholics have a deep sense of the presence of God in their lives, the priest asserted. In particular, women have a special gift to give to the whole Church, that of finding holiness in relationships, he said. In so doing they reflect Mary in relationship as wife, mother, faithful disciple and honored member of the early Church.

Women, in their desire to serve, model to the world Mary who gave her entire self to God. Women want to serve, Father Kinast noted, not in a power struggle; "They tend to see the whole picture and identify with everybody" so they serve in an effort to make "everybody a winner."

Co-discipleship, Father Kinast explained, is the realization that through baptism and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, "we are all equal as disciples with the Lord Jesus. Co-discipleship tries to capture the spirit that we are all fundamentally one" and that "all are constantly learning what it is to be Christian today. We learn with and from one another." Women's specific gift, Father Kinast pointed out, is to create an environment where one learns to trust his or her experience. Here again, the laity model Mary to the world, as Mary, too, had only her experience of the angel's message on which to rely. Her trust in that experience would support her through the days, months, years ahead.

Judy Wilkens, wife and mother from All Saints parish in Dunwoody, remarked that each year the workshops "seem to have more meat, more variety." Mrs. Wilkens, who was returning for her fourth convention, found the workshop on vocations particularly helpful. "I am assistant director of CCD in our parish," she explained. "I've wondered how to get across to students, to seventh graders, in the overall curriculum, the need for vocations. I went to the vocations workshop hoping to get an answer and the answer surprised me. If nuns, priests, deacons who are visible and live their lives fully and enjoy their life -- if religious life seemed to offer joy, happiness and fulfillment, rather than something one should do out of duty, then youth will be more inclined toward it."

Mrs. Wilkens was struck by Anita Willoughby's observation that rather than a crisis, the situation in the Church today is in reality an explosion of opportunities for the laity to serve.

To foster vocations in young people, Mrs. Wilkens believes she will emphasize the idea of service, even to the very young and challenge youth to respond to the question, "How is God calling me to serve?" She feels that if service has been a part of their lives then service in the Church could become a natural choice.

"The AIDS Crisis and the Church as a Healing Community" presented three perspectives on the crisis. Father Alan Dillmann, chaplain at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, pointed out the Church has always been in the forefront as caregiver even to the hopelessly ill, citing its care of lepers. He reminded his audience of Jesus' non-judgmental attitude toward sinners, adding, "I don't care how they got AIDS; we have a mission and responsibility to care for them."

Father Dillmann called for compassion, not ostracism, noting that the "epidemic of fear" is based on a misunderstanding of the disease. Rather than AIDS victims, Father Dillmann said, "They should be called 'persons with AIDS.'"

Diane Connolly, a member of Holy Family parish in Marietta, shared with workshop participants the moving account of her family's coming to terms with their son and brother's homosexuality, his developing the disease and his eventual death. Rather than a faceless "victim," Mrs. Connolly presented the portrait of a sensitive, tormented young man who, at a moment when he was close to death, said, "God loves the roses and the weeds."

Dr. Louis LaMotte, a retired physician at the Centers for disease Control in Atlanta and elder of St. Luke's Presbyterian Church in Dunwoody, shifted the focus of the workshop to "How do we keep people from getting the disease?" He presented the medical and epidemiological overview of the disease, emphasizing that "this one kills."

In a workshop on liberation theology, Dr. Roberto Goizueta from the Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University began his presentation by offering an historical perspective. He pointed out that unlike a theology such as Scholasticism, liberation theology is not a crystallized system but is still a developing discipline. It is based on the experience of the poor and oppressed in Third World countries. Liberation theology proposes that the Church must make "a preferential option for the poor." Thus, Catholics in First World nations must be committed to social justice even when that means sharing their wealth and the privileges of power.

Goizueta asserted that the way to peace is only through this commitment to social justice. He defined injustice as "anything that violates human dignity."

Since no idea is ever politically neutral, Goizueta pointed out, silence and "refusal to make a political commitment, in itself, is a commitment to the status quo."

At their business meeting, AACCW members set goals and plans for actions during the coming year. In one of four resolutions, members were encouraged to study Pope John Paul's Marian encyclical, "Redemptoris Mater" and "to dedicate their work and activities to Jesus and Mary and encourage progress for Church unity and special devotions for the Marian Year."

Members are urged in another resolution to study the U.S. bishops' pastoral on economic justice and become aware of the impact of legislation on families and the economy.

Recognizing the upcoming bishops' Synod on the Laity, the membership resolved to offer prayers and to voice concern "so that we, the laity can, through the Holy Spirit, achieve greater participation in the Church and more effective presence in the world."

Noting that the United Nations has declared 1987 "International Year of Shelter for the Homeless," the local group resolved to become aware "through education, of housing and developmental problems as they affect women and their families around the world, and take appropriate actions when able, to alleviate these problems."

A final resolution recognized the AACCW's continued concern for pro-life issues, stating that members "by our example and support of programs will educate and help raise public awareness, continue to state our Christian beliefs and support for all life and re-educate ourselves to the basic moral teachings of the Church."

Joan Lucas, reflecting on the convention's outcome, felt the overall content was "right on target" in its effort to bring issues pertinent to today's society such as AIDS, vocations, the mentally ill, into focus.

"As Catholic women, we can't sit back and not be aware of these problems," she added, "and where else to get them into the open and talk about them than among your own?"

Mrs. Lucas felt the personal testimony that was a part of several workshops helped participants relate more effectively to the issue.

"Archbishop (Thomas A.) Donnellan's absence was felt," commented Mrs. Lucas. The convention was dedicated to the archbishop and Monsignor John F. McDonough, who is spiritual director for the AACCW.