Twenty-five years ago a small search committee of the WDPIC entrusted me with the responsibility to be their first full time staff person. They chose a Catholic woman for an ecumenical movement. They asked that my first priority would be to develop a process for the women who were preparing the common worship on a theme that is translated into more than 90 languages, in tens of thousands of communities in 150 countries that we have direct communication with. Their trust impressed me and it has not failed me since.
With these words, Eileen King began her farewell reflection at the WDP International Meeting which took place in New York City at the Interchurch Center on June 15th, 2012. This was especially poignant as both places have been a constant companion of Eileen during her 25 year tenure with WDPIC Eileen started her work as Administrative Secretary on January 1st, 1987 and retired as WDPIC Executive Director in April, 2012. She said that trust was the fundamental link that permeated her work to build on the diversity and richness of the ecumenical relationship that still makes just one day of prayer the catalyst for action and increased awareness of women’s lives. Her gifts and vision strengthened the movement step by step to be a place where we all hear women’s voices journeying from one corner of the world to the other in a creative dialogue where prayer and action are inseparable. In her farewell, Eileen asked that all her gifts go to Fund for Tomorrow in order to enable the movement to grow and to increase the participation of young women. We - the WDPIC Office and all levels of the movement – are appreciative of Eileen’s dedication and her continuous contribution to this worldwide ecumenical movement of informed prayer and prayerful action. Honored by multiple National Committees |