Women of Grace® Event Details
"Emotional Balance in an Upside Down World" Women of Grace Retreat Malvern, Pennsylvania
Women of Grace Retreat
Malvern Retreat House, Malvern, Pennsylvania
July 24-26, 2026
Emotional Balance in an Upside Down World
Our presenters include:
Johnnette Williams
Fr. Hans Chamorro
Dr. Robert Enright
Vivian Akel, LCSW
and
Gary Zimak
Music with Living Praise Worship Team!
These days our lives are so busy, our families have varying demands, and the stress of work and even our social lives can leave things feeling topsy turvy and overwhelming! Have you ever struggled with anxiety, fear, worry, depression, or something more challenging? Have you ever wondered causes it or if God is working in your life? Have you ever questioned how all of this is affecting your spiritual life? Our speakers will address these concerns, while giving us insight and practical tools to establish emotional balance so that we can live free in Christ Jesus!
Event Date/Time(s)
Event Information
Helpful Tools
Event Speakers
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Vivian Akel LCSW
Vivian M. Akel LCSW is a Clinical Social Worker and Ignatian Spiritual Director. She is a lifetime Maronite Catholic and serves the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn as the Safe Environment Coordinator for the Protection of Children and Youth, Pre-Cana facilitator and seminary formator. Ms. Akel serves on the USCCB’s National Review Board serving as secretary. She has been in private practice for over 30 years combining her therapeutic clinical skills and Ignatian spirituality to foster insight into the movements of the heart, healing and prayer. She is a regular contributor to the Maronite Voice on topics of spirituality and prayer. Ms. Akel has been married for 40 years and has two adult children.
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Johnnette Benkovic Williams
Johnnette Benkovic Williams is Founder and President of Women of Grace®, a Catholic apostolate for women featuring a number of outreaches including conferences, media, study groups and more.
After years of being a non-practicing Catholic, Johnnette experienced a deep conversion back to her Catholic faith in 1981. Her conversion sparked a new vocation: sharing the Gospel message through the utilization of media. She has been an inspiring and consistent presence on EWTN Catholic radio and EWTN Catholic television for over 30 years. -
Fr. Hans Chamorro
Father Hans Paul Chamorro is a priest of the Archdiocese of Miami in Florida. He currently serves as the Parochial Vicar of St. David Catholic Parish in Davie, FL. He assists with Catholic Campus Ministry at nearby Nova Southeastern University, and is also helping to grow the young adult community at the parish. He is fully bilingual in English and Spanish. Prior to entering the seminary, he studied English Literature and worked for 2 years in the advertising field. One of his joys is helping others to know the healing mercy of God. He recently celebrated his fifth anniversary of ordination and is grateful for the gift of the Priesthood. He looks forward to meeting you soon at the Benedicta Enrichment Seminar and the Women of Grace Retreat.
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Dr. Robert Enright
Dr. Robert Enright is a member of the Catholic Church. He is a Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States, a licensed psychologist, and the founder of the International Forgiveness Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to disseminating knowledge about forgiveness and community renewal through forgiveness. His International Forgiveness Institute organized the Jerusalem Conference on Forgiveness for the Renewal of Individuals, Families, and Communities at the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center, 2017; the Rome Conference on Forgiveness at the University of Santa Croce, 2018; and the International Educational Conference on Love and Forgiveness in Madison, Wisconsin, 2022. For his innovative research on forgiveness, he received the American Psychological Association's Gold Medal Award for Impact in Psychology. (Photo courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Madison.)
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Living Praise Worship Team
The women of the Living Praise Worship Team come from all walks of life – married, single, divorced, annulled, remarried, professionals, stay at home moms, and home-schoolers. We raise children, grandchildren, horses, dogs, gardens and flowers. We lead and serve in other music groups in our churches, Catholic and Protestant, traditional and charismatic. What has brought us together is a desire to serve the body of Christ with the gifts of worship the Lord has given us. We strive not to perform but share a gift of passionate worship, bringing those we minister to into the Lord’s presence. “Living Praise” is a Music Ministry Worship Team founded on the call to worship the Lord through song and praise.We strive to bring an inspiring spirit of worship wherever we sing, inviting all to become “living praise” for the Lord with us. Though some of our members have sung and worshipped together for nearly 25 years, the group’s formal ministry began in 2000 providing worship for women’s conferences at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Since then, Living Praise has ministered to over 20,000 at churches, revivals, retreats and other Christian conferences and events. We have provided worship music for numerous Diocesan Women’s Events including the Dioceses of Steubenville, Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Youngstown, Altoona, and the Archdiocese of Detroit. One of the regular groups we serve is “Magnificat: A Ministry to Catholic Women”. We provide worship music for the quarterly Magnificat prayer breakfasts for the chapter located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (www.magnificatpittsburgh.org). We also minister with music and worship at the biannual International Magnificat Women’s Conference in New Orleans, LA. To order worship music: www.livingpraiseworship.com.
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Gary Zimak
Gary Zimak is the author of fourteen books, including the best-selling Give Up Worry For Lent. After a 30 year career as a software developer, he has spent the last 15 years as a full time Catholic speaker and author. Gary is a frequent speaker at parishes and conferences across the country and is recognized as the leading Catholic speaker on the topic of overcoming anxiety. In addition, he is a regular guest on Catholic radio and hosts a weekly podcast. He lives in Southern New Jersey with his wife Eileen and daughters Mary and Elizabeth.
