What does it really mean to be a woman—and why has no one taught us?
In this episode of the Chris Stefanick Show, Chris sits down with January Donovan, founder of Catholic Feminine Formation, for a wide-ranging and deeply practical conversation about what's been lost—and what's possible when women are truly formed.
January brings nearly 30 years of experience helping women live out their God-given genius, and she pulls no punches. She unpacks how feminism—despite some early goods it sought—ultimately robbed women of their femininity, their faith, and their family. And she makes a compelling case that the Church now has an unprecedented opportunity to offer the world something better: a new model of womanhood rooted in Our Lady.
This conversation will challenge you, inspire you, and give you real, practical tools—whether you're a woman seeking to thrive, a husband who wants to better understand his wife, or a parish leader wondering how to serve your community more deeply.
In this episode:
– Why the "fragile femininity" of 150 years ago and today's "vicious feminism" are both failures—and what comes next
– What John Paul II's "feminine genius" actually means in everyday life
– The chaos of the busy household—and how formation changes everything about how you show up
– Why 7% of communication is words, and what that means for how you love your family
– The difference between faith formation and human formation—and why women need both
– How a growth mindset is really just another word for humility
– The New Woman Masterclass: a year-long formation journey for women in small groups
– How to bring Catholic Feminine Formation to your parish
HIGHLIGHTS
0:00 – Introduction: Catholic feminine formation—and why men need to watch too
8:00 – How feminism robbed women of their femininity, faith, and family
11:10 – "Fragile femininity" vs. "vicious feminism"—and the new model the world is hungry for
13:45 – What the feminine genius actually is: nurturing humanity to its greatness
19:00 – The chaos of the busy household—and the dozen skills a woman needs in that one moment
23:00 – Tone, body language, and why 93% of communication has nothing to do with words
29:30 – Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset—and why it's really about humility
34:00 – "You can't preach joy frowning": why your thriving is your evangelization
38:30 – Why the feminine genius can't be fully lived without the masculine genius
45:10 – The New Woman Masterclass: a year-long, small-group Catholic formation journey
51:40 – How to bring Catholic Feminine Formation to your parish
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Learn more about Catholic Feminine Formation at https://catholicfeminineformation.com/
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The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at: EWTN.com/ondemand/
Chapters
- (00:00:00) - Catholic Female Formation
- (00:00:50) - Chris Stefanick: Missionaries of Joy
- (00:01:42) - Filipinos: The feminine genius
- (00:05:20) - Cook with Your Heart
- (00:10:46) - There's a New Model of Women
- (00:12:11) - What does a powerful Catholic understanding of femininity look like?
- (00:18:47) - How Many Skills Do a Woman Need To Manage Her Home?
- (00:22:15) - Women's spiritual formation
- (00:26:34) - On Growth and the Woman
- (00:32:38) - A Fixed Mindset in Relationships
- (00:37:47) - Formation of the Male Mind
- (00:42:13) - How to Salvage Your Marriage
- (00:45:08) - The New Woman: How to Be a Woman
- (00:48:10) - Wonders of the World: Marriage and Family
- (00:51:36) - Catholic Fanformation: Rebuilding Culture
- (00:54:52) - Chris on The Feminine Formation
- (00:56:17) - Praying the Hail Mary in Cebuano
