More than 14,000 women will take a break from office and home this weekend to gather and nurture their spiritual life.

        The national Women of Faith conference kicks off its two-day event tonight at Firstar Center in front of a crowd of more than 12,000. Another 2,700 women are expected to attend the sold-out Seventh Annual Catholic Women's Event on Saturday at the Aronoff Center for the Arts.

        “I think when women come together in prayer, it has a very positive effect,” says Cheryl Foti of New Richmond, founder of the Catholic event. “Think of all the negativity that has been expressed about the city in the past few months. ... Something like this is always a good thing.”

        In 1995, a couple hundred women and children came together to pray for the success of the Catholic Men's Conference, another local gathering. From that grew a desire for women to have a day of spiritual nourishment and to show solidarity as Catholics.

        The Women of Faith movement makes its fourth appearance in Cincinnati. Launched in 1996, conferences across the country have drawn more than 1.6 million women.

        This will be Virginia Froelich's fourth conference — and every time, she gets cold chills looking around the stadium and seeing thousands of women worship together.

        The Sharonville woman says, “It reminds me, I'm not the only one trying to get along in this world, trying to be a good wife, live by faith and put God in my life.”

       Tickets still are available for Women of Faith. Call (888) 493-2484 or go to www.womenoffaith.com. Cost: $67.

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