Kansas City, Missouri

THE PELICAN SUMMIT

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women, exercising the intellect for the sake of vocation

The Pelican Summit is a Catholic intellectual conference for women of all stages of life. The goal is to provide a means by which women can encourage, support, and help one another in fulfilling their vocation well, in both a practical and theoretical sense. Through our faithfulness to the magisterium, pursuit of truth, and commitment to the souls entrusted to our care, we hope to help each other better understand our call as women in this day and age by exercising our intellect for the sake of our primary vocation to sainthood, and for each of our secondary vocations.

2025 Speakers

  • Maria Brandell

    Former Research Fellow at New Polity, Current Graduate Student at Notre Dame

    Maria Brandell is currently a graduate student at Notre Dame earning a theology degree in Biblical studies - a wild world of textual analysis, and a far cry from her previous work at a Catholic political theology think tank called New Polity, located in Steubenville, Ohio. Maria graduated from Franciscan University with a bachelor's degree in Philosophy, Theology, and Catechetics. After teaching a few years, she joined New Polity as a fellow and intern,  co-hosting a podcast series called "Politics of Gender" with Marc Barnes. She has spent several years discerning Dominican monastic life, and enjoys hiking, weight lifting, and running - and is (slowly!) teaching herself to play the mandolin.

  • Hilary Stroh

    Independent Scholar

    Hilary is an independent scholar in the Kansas City area. Originally from Ireland, and educated in Ireland and the UK, she works free-lance as a historian, a teacher, and as a music journalist. 

  • Mary Basola

    Classroom Teacher, Home Educator

    Mary is a teacher and home educator with a background in liberal arts and education.  She has a passion for literature, and in her spare time collects children’s literature and is a home-library consultant.  She and her husband, Mark, along with their seven children, are parishioners at Our Lady of Good Counsel.

  • Sarah Winter

    Writer, Homeschool Mom

    Sarah holds an MA in English from Wake Forest University as well as a Mlitt in Creative Writing from St. Andrews University in Scotland. Her poetry has appeared in numerous publications including Dappled Things, Cider Press Review, and the St. Austin Review. She lives in Kansas City with her husband and five children. When she is not homeschooling, home-making, or merry-making with her friends, she works on her “long fiction project” and plays the violin. 

unique calls to joy and suffering

It’s been said that, “the measure of a woman is the way in which she stewards those entrusted to her care.”

Each woman is called to love and each woman is called to mother, whether she is single, married, a biological mother, or living a consecrated life. These calls are often lived out through unique experiences such as dating, infertility, adoption, caretaking, or any number of other personal encounters with joy and suffering. Each woman loves and each woman mothers through her hospitality, her evangelization, her discernment, and ultimately, in the way she responds to those that the Lord has entrusted to her care.

2025 Schedule

8:15/ Registration

9:00/ Opening Remarks

9:15/ Maria Brandell

Do We Need Feminism? Exploring the feminine vocation to work with Mary Harrington and Edith Stein

10:30/ Sarah Winter

Leaving the House: on Love, Longing, Mid-life Crises, and Hope in Exile

11:45/ Mass

Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church

12:45/ Lunch On Your Own

2:00/ Mary Basola

Ever Ancient, Ever New: A Look at Christian Hospitality Through the Lens of Literature

3:15/ Hilary Stroh

The Good, The Bad and the Just Plain Peculiar: Women's experiences as wives and mothers in 2,000 years of Christian history

4:30/ Panel Discussion

Maria Brandell, Sarah Winter, Mary Basola, Hilary Stroh, Charlotte Ostermann

5:25/ Closing

5:30/ Cocktail Reception

Frequently Asked Questions

Why The Pelican?

The pelican is a traditional Catholic symbol used to portray a female pelican’s willingness to strike her breast to feed her young with her own blood in times of great distress. This symbol is profoundly impactful for Catholic women, who benefit greatly from a feminine, maternal image of the sacrifice that Christ offered, exemplified, and ultimately, has called each of us to.

Where do I park?

Parking will be available in Our Lady of Good Counsel’s fenced parking lot, on the west side of the Church. Additional parking can be found in the smaller lot, on the west side of the Faustina Building, where the Summit is taking place.

What is the dress code?

Business casual is suggested attire - please wear whatever you will be most comfortable in!

Do I need to bring a physical ticket?

You do not! As long as you’ve registered, we’ll have your name at the door.

I’m having trouble with the Eventbrite website. What do I do?

We’ve had a few attendees run into issues while checking out on Eventbrite. If this happens, we recommend 1. using a different browser, 2. using a different device, or 3. downloading the Eventbrite app. You can also reach out to vmslayman@gmail.com for assistance.

What is the cost?

The cost is $20 per attendee. You can register here! If cost is an obstacle to your attendance, please contact Tori at vmslayman@gmail.com. If you are a student, senior, or religious, there is a discounted rate of $15 per attendee.

Can I pay with cash or check?

Yes. If you plan to pay by cash or check, email Tori at vmslayman@gmail.com to arrange your registration.

Are meals provided?

Meals are not provided. You’re welcome to bring your own lunch, or visit a local spot in the Westport area. There are at least a dozen great food spots within a 3-minute walk!