“Embrace the Grace” Catholic Women’s Retreats
Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is a sought after speaker and has been ministering to Catholic women of all walks of life for several decades. Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay, Wisconsin said of Donna-Marie, “She’s the real deal!” Doug Keck, COO. of EWTN said, “Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle has the great ability to speak and spiritually connect with the hearts of her readers.” And Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR of happy memory has said, “Donna-Marie is a modern day evangelist!”
Donna-Marie was blessed with a ten-year friendship with a living Saint — St. Teresa of Calcutta. Donna-Marie strives to share the holy wisdom she has learned from the petite Saint of the gutters. In addition, Donna-Marie is considered to be an authority on the life and mission of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. Donna-Marie has studied and written several books about Our Lady of Fatima and her essential message of Divine Mercy to the world.
Donna-Marie loves to share wisdom on both of these modern-day Saints, as well as many others, and teachings from Our Lady who tells us to “Do whatever He tells you.”
As a bit more background, Donna-Marie is a best-selling author of more than 40 Catholic books, an international speaker, EWTN TV Host, as well as a mother of five and grandmother. Donna-Marie founded a Catholic women’s Association called “Embrace the Grace” to help Catholic women to be more formed in their Faith and to enjoy the Catholic camaraderie of Sisters in Christ to help one another along the sometimes perilous journey through life.
Donna-Marie’s son
The aim of the Association and subsequent “Embrace the Grace” retreats is to learn, embrace, live, and share the rich teachings of the Catholic Church, particularly as it relates to Catholic women. Through prayer, studies (of Church documents, such as: “Mulieris Dignitatem: On the Dignity and Vocation of Women,” “Familiaris Consortio,” “Letter to Women,” and some of Donna-Marie’s books, as well as wisdom from the Blessed Mother and the Saints), gatherings, and retreats, and with particular emphasis on Catholic women’s gifts and their exquisite God-given dignity, Catholic women can unearth and discover or rediscover their beautiful feminine genius.
Holiness is not the luxury of a few, but a simple duty for us all.
— St. Teresa of Calcutta
Catholic women need to connect with like-minded Catholic women
Catholic women should be connected with one another through their common feminine prayer, always seeking the holy will of God. In addition, Catholic women should strive to share the authentic Gospel message within their own walks of life, while being obedient to their state of life. Thus, beginning in the family, to be a radiant example for others to follow.
Donna-Marie has stated, “The absolute essence of my work is to inspire, to teach, to encourage, and to help others discover their God-given gifts.” Her ten year-long, close bond with Mother Teresa (detailed in her National Press Women award-winning book “Mother Teresa and Me: Ten Years of Friendship” and her memoir “The Kiss of Jesus,” as well as other books) has imbued her with an approach that profoundly resonates with many dimensions of society, chiefly because of the attitude of service, humility and self-respect that she promotes in all of her work.
When asked about herself, Donna-Marie noted:
I am hardly a self-appointed leader who promises instant prosperity, perfect make-up or an easy way out. I have never set myself up to be anything more than a work in progress. I’ll be the first to admit that my house will probably never be aesthetically correct and at times there may be a few dishes in my kitchen sink. But, I am not going to worry about it! Though I want a clean and organized home, people come first in my life. In addition, I endeavor to help others see that they are a work in progress as well, and they shouldn’t be too hard on themselves though we all need to strive for holiness within the nitty-gritty details of our lives. Mother Teresa has taught us that, “Holiness is not the luxury of a few but a simple duty for you and me.”
Women face many demands
In discussing some of the demands for perfectionism that women face today, this “work in progress” has stated, “What the heck is a ‘size zero’ anyway? There is no such thing as a size zero!” she exclaims. “Women should not be literally killing themselves trying to achieve some kind of unobtainable level of perfection, chasing after an airbrushed or impossible image. It will not bring them happiness!”
The counsel Donna-Marie brings to women’s groups and through her media appearances is centered on countering the barrage of crazy mixed messages from the darkened culture aimed at women, which dictate to them that they should be more like a man to get ahead in the world. And Donna-Marie encourages women to surround themselves with other faith-filled Catholic women so that they can help one another.
Encouraging gratefulness from St. John Paul II
Thank you, women who are mothers! You have sheltered human beings within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become God’s own smile upon the newborn child, the one who guides your child’s first steps, who helps it to grow, and who is the anchor as the child makes its way along the journey of life.
Thank you, women who are wives! You irrevocably join your future to that of your husbands, in a relationship of mutual giving, at the service of love and life.
Thank you, women who are daughters and women who are sisters! Into the heart of the family, and then of all society, you bring the richness of your sensitivity, your intuitiveness, your generosity and fidelity.
Thank you, women who work! You are present and active in every area of life-social, economic, cultural, artistic and political. In this way you make an indispensable contribution to the growth of a culture which unites reason and feeling, to a model of life ever open to the sense of “mystery”, to the establishment of economic and political structures ever more worthy of humanity.
Thank you, consecrated women! Following the example of the greatest of women, the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, you open yourselves with obedience and fidelity to the gift of God’s love. You help the Church and all mankind to experience a “spousal” relationship to God, one which magnificently expresses the fellowship which God wishes to establish with his creatures.
Thank you, every woman, for the simple fact of being a woman! Through the insight which is so much a part of your womanhood you enrich the world’s understanding and help to make human relations more honest and authentic.
— St. John Paul II, Letter to Women
God heals our wounds and we discover our beautiful gifts
Women’s dignity has often been unacknowledged and their prerogatives misrepresented; they have often been relegated to the margins of society and even reduced to servitude. This has prevented women from truly being themselves and it has resulted in a spiritual impoverishment of humanity.
— St. John Paul II, Letter to Women
Donna-Marie often speaks about the wounds women suffer through life and the need for forgiveness — the fact that throughout history, women have been regulated to the margins of society, have been abused, and have suffered in many ways. She said, “Women will become healed of their inner wounds and confusion about their identities if they stop to prayerfully assess their God-given gifts and special feminine nature” she advises. She added, “We must frequent the holy Sacraments — especially Holy Communion and Confession.” Donna-Marie helps Catholic women to discover their beautiful God-given feminine gifts and helps them learn how to use them for God’s glory, as well as for the good of themselves and others.
“Pressure from a culture which undermines a woman’s expression of femininity should have no place in an authentic Catholic woman’s life.” Donna-Marie added, “Catholic women need to get deeper into their Faith, learn it, LIVE IT, and spread it, and of course, they need to stay close to Jesus, Mary, and good St. Joseph.” Donna-Marie also encourages Catholic women to offer forgiveness and to seek forgiveness to then be able to have peace of heart.
In all of her work, Donna-Marie emphasizes the importance of every single woman as a spiritual mother, whether they have biological children and traditional family units, or not. “We all have been given gifts from God to serve others. We all, in a sense, “mother” others. That is the great God-given gift of womanhood, in every stage, phase or path in life,” she concludes.
With full understanding that salvation comes through Jesus Christ, Donna-Marie said, “Catholic women can serve God by striving to imitate the humble obedience of the Holy and Most Pure Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, who called herself a servant, and whom always leads us to her Son, Jesus Christ.” Donna-Marie encourages Catholic women to “Embrace the Grace”! She reminds Catholic women that there are many graces bestowed upon us by Almighty God through the holy hands of our dear Blessed Mother. She tells us that we should be attentive to the graces and pray for them.
The world doesn’t need what women have, it needs what women are.”
— St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
These beautiful Missionaries of Charity Sisters attended Donna-Marie’s talks.
Retreats
Donna-Marie has been presenting enriching and inspiring Catholic women’s Retreats all over the world. She wholeheartedly knows the importance of gathering like-minded faith-filled women together to learn and share their Faith with one another. Catholic women encourage one another and help lead the way to Heaven!
Donna-Marie often tells the women gathered, “When faithful women gather together, WATCH OUT! With God’s grace, and your cooperation, major transformations will occur on many levels in a myriad of ways when women share their faith and their hearts.”
Donna-Marie is happy to offer a beautiful Retreat for your Parish or event.
Retreats can be arranged for a single day, a couple of days, or a week end. Donna-Marie will tailor the Retreat to suit your particular needs. Each Retreat will include prayer, teaching, (hopefully, the Sacraments), camaraderie, one or more presentations from Donna-Marie on the subject matter. In addition, break-out sessions, in which the women will discuss particular reflection questions drawn from the teachings and do so within small groups — to then share within the larger group session.
If you are interested in inviting Donna-Marie to your Parish or event to present a Catholic Women’s Retreat in which women will be encouraged to learn about their exquisite God-given dignity, and where Catholic women can unearth and discover or rediscover their beautiful feminine genius, please feel free to fill out this short form found here and Donna-Marie will be in touch! She’ll be happy to answer your questions and help you to provide a beautiful and enriching Catholic experience for you and the Catholic women in your life.
In addition to the Retreats that Donna-Marie presents, you can see some ideas for group studies of Donna-Marie’s books here using Donna-Marie’s books for mothers and women, which you might like to carry out within your own group or Parish. Donna-Marie will assist you in getting started. This page will be updated to include some additional books, including: “52 Weeks with Saint Faustina: A Year of Grace and Mercy,” and “Divine Mercy in a Woman’s Life.”
To learn more about Donna-Marie, you can check Donna-Marie’s bio on her website here. You can reach Donna-Marie by email: DMCOBoyle@aol.com .
Be sure to check out this news coverage (“Real to Reel”) of a Catholic Women’s Retreat Day (including attendee comments) that Donna-Marie prepared and presented at St. John the Evangelist in Agawam, Mass.
A short keynote speech to 20,000 pilgrims on Divine Mercy Sunday at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy is here.
You can see a presentation which Donna-Marie gave at the World Apostolate of Fatima Shrine in New Jersey on September 13, 2026 here.
Contagious holy joy!
Below, a tiny video of some very joyful Catholic women gathering at Donna-Marie’s book table between her presentations at a beautiful Catholic Women’s Conference in Canada in October 2025.
These sweet young ladies below attended Donna-Marie’s talks and desire to go deeper into their Faith. It was a blessing for Donna-Marie to meet them in Canada where she presented talks for Catholic women and did book signings.
