YOU Are a Woman of Saint Michael
By Judy Conner, WOSM President, and Sarah Hamlin, WOSM Communications Chair
Who exactly are the Women of Saint Michael? What do you have to do to join? It could not be any simpler: all women who are members of our parish are automatically members of the Women of Saint Michael (WOSM). Our purpose is to “be the extension of Christ’s Kingdom by uniting the women of the parish in a program of worship, study, service, and fellowship and leading them into the service for the Church in the parish, the community, the diocese, the nation, and the world.”
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are your works. My soul knows it well.– Psalm 139:14
Since 1945, the WOSM have organized activities that included, in the early days, publishing cookbooks, planning home tours, producing musical performances, and holding Christmas bazaars. Today’s robust programming offers luncheon and evening speakers addressing a wide range of timely topics and representatives of nonprofit agencies speaking about their important work in the community. Our group also presents parish-wide programs, the Parish or Mardi Gras Party, annual Spring Luncheon, and numerous volunteer opportunities within the church and the Dallas community.
Perhaps the most well-known and anticipated activity hosted by the WOSM is the annual speaker series. This year the WOSM will host the luncheon series and other events while the Church is undergoing a major renovation. But what is a little dust for the stalwart women of Saint Michael?! The Parish Hall, which has hosted the luncheon speaker series for many years will be out of commission—as will much of the campus. The first speaker event will be held off-site, but starting in October, we will move the luncheon speaker series to the Youth Center on the second floor of the newly renovated Education Building. This year’s lineup promises to be engaging and enlightening as we rejoice in God’s creation and express gratitude for the many gifts He has bestowed on us, including our intellect, the natural world, creativity, and compassion. The luncheon series will kick off on September 18 at the Center for Brain Health at 2200 West Mockingbird Lane. Dr. Sandra Chapman, the Chief Director, will discuss why women carry the burden and mantle for brain health. In October, Julie Eggers and Donna Letier of Gardenuity will talk about how developing closeness to nature can feed our spirituality. In January, SMU Law Professor Clay Small will discuss his passion for writing and his latest novel. Finally, at our annual Spring Luncheon, blogger and author Kay Willis Wyma will help us be more intentional about being kind and compassionate.
On February 21, the WOSM will host the bi-annual Mardi Gras Party at the Dallas Country Club, where we can all rejoice in being together and cherish our connection to Saint Michael. You can be assured that co-chairs Erin Osborne and Lauren Callon will throw a party with plenty of beads and bling! Another enduring institution of the WOSM is the Saint Michael Woman’s Exchange, which began life in Highland Park Village in 1939 as a consignment shop called the “Woman’s Exchange.” Originally, the store served as a source of income for consignors, for whom jobs were scarce. Several years later, the Junior League of Dallas purchased the store to be a fundraising project. By 1958, the WOSM bought the store from The Junior League for $1,500 to create the St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange we all enjoy today. Our store has occupied #5 Highland Park Village for over six decades and is an institution in the shopping center. The Exchange offers many wonderful items, including stationery, jewelry, household items, children’s gifts and clothing, and of course, the most beautiful gift wrapping, whether for something purchased at the Exchange or elsewhere. On the surface, the Exchange looks like other chic gift shops—but it isn’t. Our store is run by volunteers and is a real community effort—we invite you to get involved!
Every year, the WOSM Gifts Committee makes grants to nonprofit agencies with funds generated from sales at the Exchange and from fundraising activities, such as the Parish Party, and from generous individual donations. Since 1967, the WOSM have distributed over $12 million to more than 200 different agencies, reviewing over 100 grant applications each year. WOSM grants focus on supporting crisis needs and addressing financial stability for those living in poverty in Dallas County and beyond. The Gifts Committee uses the criteria outlined in the book of Matthew. Last year alone, after a banner year at the Exchange, more than $700,000 was distributed to 73 organizations around the Dallas metroplex.
Additionally, St. Mary’s Guild falls under the umbrella of the WOSM and provides many wonderful volunteer opportunities. Members of St. Mary’s Guild provide home-baked goodies and staff the guild’s bake sale table, ordinarily on Sunday mornings from late August through May (though this year, due to construction, the schedule will be a little different), with proceeds going to local charities. Please consider offering your baking and/or selling skills to the St. Mary’s Guild!
Certainly, Saint Michael has grown and adapted to societal changes as necessary over the years, but one thing that has remained constant: the WOSM has remained an organization for women of all ages to find joy, fellowship, and engagement while working together to fulfill Saint Michael’s missions. Whether we are cooking in the Parish Kitchen, teaching Sunday School, VBS, or Confirmation, reviewing grants with the Gifts Committee, arranging flowers for Sunday services, or serving one of our outreach opportunities, our younger parishioners make connections to gain wisdom and experience from our older parishioners while our older generation develops new friendships and finds perhaps unexpected learning. In all cases, the WOSM provides an environment for rekindling, enhancing, or initiating rich, lasting friendships while fulfilling the gratifying work in which Saint Michael participates.
The world in which we live continues to be fraught with polarization and challenges. This year, as President of the WOSM, Judy Conner invites us to rejoice in God’s creation and appreciate the many gifts He has bestowed on us. Her focus on our intellectual gifts, nature, creativity and our ability to be compassionate offers an opportunity to deepen our relationship to God and to discover and flex the wondrous gifts that each of us have been given. Come as you are, and when you are able, to join the kind, conscientious, riotously funny, talented, and welcoming Women of Saint Michael!
**This article was written by Judy Conner, WOSM President, and Sarah Hamlin, WOSM Communications Chair and was featured in the 2024 Fall Archangel.