Women's Ministry Staff
Coordinator of
Women's Ministry
Barbara Prasad
573-635-9127, ext. 222
Administrative Assistant for
Women's Ministry
Nicole Secker
573-635-9127, ext. 226
Alphonse J. Schwartze Catholic Center
2207 West Main St.
Jefferson City, MO 65109-0914
Women's Ministry 2026 Quarterly Group Studies
Here are our 2026 picks for groups studies. These can be done in any order you desire, or you can follow the order we have chosen, in each new season of the year. These studies are great for small groups and provide opportunities for woman to share in faith and fellowship!
Our selection this year, as you may notice, is in conjunction with the theme for the year: Joy!
Make sure to scroll down for the links to our books at a discount as they become available!
Join us for our Next Study!
The Diocesan Women's Ministry Coordinator, Barb Prasad, will be hosting a small group for our next Quarterly Study at the Cathedral of St. Joseph.
Starts: January 27th for 6 weeks
Time: Tuesday at 12:00 PM
Please Email Barb, bprasad@diojeffcity.org, to reserve your spot!
If this date and location doesn't work for you start a group of your own. For help with a flyer creation and promotion email Barb at bprasad@diojeffcity.org to register your group study.
Too Far to Travel? Host a Study at Your Parish!
Christian joy is a supernatural, abiding state of deep well-being, distinct from fleeting happiness, rooted in God's presence and love, and accessible even amid suffering. It is found through faith, hope, and a selfless relationship with God, not external circumstances. True joy is something that is attainable because it’s not dependent on external circumstances; joy abides within us, regardless of what is happening in the world around us.
Join us as we explore aspects of Christian Joy in 2026
Winter
We will begin our study of joy at its roots: by Encountering the God of Faith, Hope and Love in the Bible.
Faith, hope, and love are three vital dimensions of our life with God. Faith is entering into and clinging to a relationship with God. Hope is what we expect from that relationship. And love—the greatest of these—is the very essence of the relationship itself. In Encountering the God of Faith, Hope, and Love in the Bible, award-winning Scripture commentator Fr. George Smiga explores how God is revealed through various stages of salvation history—from the call of Abraham through the resurrection of Jesus—and how faith, hope, and love have evolved as our understanding of God grows. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers, and access to online lectures are included.
Spring
Next we will again join the women of Endow in a study exploring how we maintain this life of joy by studying St Teresa of Avilla: The Teacher of Prayer.
At the heart of this study lies the passionate, unrelenting love of St. Teresa of Ávila, the renowned sixteenth-century Spanish nun who became the first female Doctor of the Church. With her feminine heart and deep spiritual wisdom, St. Teresa leads us on a sacred journey that unfolds within our souls. This study guides women through Teresa’s “Interior Castle,” where Christ abides in the center of our being. Teresa of Ávila’s profound insights on prayer will lead you to a deepened interior life, empowering you to confront the challenges of our modern world.
Summer
Bishop O'Donnell chose our summer title for us. Join us in exploring joy through this famous authors eyes.
C.S. Lewis the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics takes readers on a spiritual journey through his early life and eventual embrace of the Christian faith. Lewis begins with his childhood in Belfast, surveys his boarding school years and his youthful atheism in England, reflects on his experience in World War I, and ends at Oxford, where he became "the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England." As he recounts his lifelong search for joy, Lewis demonstrates its role in guiding him to find God.
Fall