Beloved daughters gather at Nolan Catholic for community event
A mother and her daughter smile as they embrace during the Beloved Daughter event at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (NTC/ Richard W. Rodriguez)
FORT WORTH — On Dec. 3, just days after the start of the Advent season, the Catholic Culture Committee at Nolan Catholic High School hosted an event for teen and adult women called “Beloved: A Gathering of God’s Daughters.”
Rooted in a spirit of community, the evening included breaking bread, faith sharing, prayer, and writing notes of blessing. Every activity intentionally affirmed a truth many young women are still learning and perhaps more mature women sometimes forget: Each is loved and cherished, not according to the world’s standards, but because they are daughters of their Heavenly Father.
Event organizers and Nolan parents Michelle Stavens and Summer Riney shared a vision to bring together mothers, teen daughters, and any woman connected to Nolan, including alumni, grandmothers, and staff.
Stavens, mother of three Nolan graduates and a current senior, said that inspiration for the theme came to her during Adoration as she prayerfully contemplated what she would want her own daughter to experience there.
“I wanted her to feel her worth through Christ, to know she was enough simply by being a beloved daughter of Christ,” Stavens said. “But I also knew it wasn’t just our daughters that needed to be reminded of this. We all did!”
She hoped the event’s name, Beloved — which also came to her during Adoration — would capture the intent of the evening. “Something needed to draw us all together and this was it,” she recalled. “It doesn’t matter how old we are or where we come from, the one thing we all have in common is we are all daughters of Christ. We are His beloved and if we can just remember that one simple truth, no judgment in this world will matter.”
One hundred women registered to attend the Beloved event and were provided with dinner, journals, Marian bracelets, and prayer cards courtesy of event sponsor Smart Families. Nolan Chaplain Father Brett Metzler began with prayer, which was followed by a meal and fellowship, including table top conversation starters.
After dinner, Nolan Principal Susan LoCoco and head Girls Varsity Soccer Coach Alex Mechalske offered encouraging remarks as they shared their own faith journeys.
Riney, mother of a Nolan sophomore and a prospective freshman next fall, said LoCoco and Mechalske were invited to speak because of their relatability to attendees, regardless of age. “Both live out their lives in a way where you can see that they recognize, most importantly, they are God’s beloved daughter.”
Nolan parent Cindy Knight and her twin sophomore daughters, Lyla and Juliette, were among the listeners. Juliette said that her biggest takeaway came from Coach Mechalske. “[She] told us that sometimes we feel like nothing good is happening to us, but perhaps we are the blessing for other people,” she recalled. “After we get our strength from God, we can begin to do His will with the goal of ‘being exhausted’ by the good we have done.”
“Every day is an opportunity to be the good in someone else’s life,” Lyla agreed. “We are always loved by God regardless of our actions and no matter our performance. We can always be a blessing to others.”
Juliette shared how special it was to hear the speakers share their stories and wisdom. “It meant a lot to hear from Mrs. LoCoco and Coach Alex [Mechalske] because sometimes it is easy to forget that adults may struggle with their faith just as much as students,” she said. “I would love to see more events like this because I think it makes the expectations that come with being Catholic seem less overwhelming by sharing our experiences and faith with other Catholic women.”
Knight, the twins’ mother, thought inscribing notes of gratitude was a special touch. Attendees were invited to write one to the woman they came with and another to a randomly assigned female staff member at Nolan. “The world around us rarely encourages women to uplift one another,” she said. “Having a few focused moments to reflect on the precious hearts of my daughters and then sharing those words was very moving.”
Knight and her daughters would attend more opportunities like this at Nolan. “Spending time sharing knowledge and stories with other strong Catholic women builds community,” she said. “This inspires stepping out boldly in faith and loving others in a way [so] that we may be welcomed by the Lord with the words: ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.’"
Love to share
Arpie Hernandez attended with her freshman daughter, Kirsten, and feels the evening helped them to bond. “It was a great opportunity to talk with our daughters about God, His goodness, and His love for us without judgment and in rare pureness, expressing our feelings and faith to one another,” she said.
Behind the planning of Beloved was Nolan’s Catholic Culture Committee which includes Campus Minister Dexter Sanchez, Fr. Metzler, and a group of parent volunteers who are passionate about creating opportunities for the high school community to celebrate and deepen its Catholic faith.
“One of [our] main goals is to increase opportunities for faith and family,” explained Riney. “The committee discerned that one of the best ways to build community is to provide authentic encounters for parents and their children.”
The next event will be sometime before Lent for fathers, sons, and any men who are connected to Nolan.
Stavens said feedback from attendees has been very positive. “We live in a world where it’s easy to feel we are not enough. Our prayer was that everyone left that evening knowing they are enough just as they are because they are Beloved daughters of Christ,” she said. “They are cherished, chosen, and valued not for what the world says, but for who they are in Him.”