NCCW AFFILIATE HAPPENINGS

Our Lady of Fatima CCW in Alcoa, Tennessee held its end-of-year Social/General Meeting on May 13th. We celebrated a successful year with tasty tacos, ice cream sundaes, and a fun ice breaker. In honor of the anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, we prayed the rosary together for our priests and in coming new bishop, accompanied by music from our harpist, Kim Adamson.

Recipients of the 2024 Golden Rose Award in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee were presented with certificates and roses by NCCW Spiritual Advisor Most Rev. William Wack and coordinated by NCCW Past President Sheila Hopkins.

For over a decade, the Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota has been blessed with the presence of the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity CCW in New Ulm hosted a spring ‘bridal’ shower for the Handmaids, giving numerous kitchen utensils and products that will be well used for this growing order of young sisters. “

The 91st St. Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women Convention was a success! Thirty-four first time attendees joined us to hear our dynamic speakers. Angelina Amerigo, Miss Minnesota 2023, a young Catholic Woman whose initiative is ‘One bottle, One straw, One bag at a time.’ Jessica Bartholomew, director and founder of A.C.T. United – Anti child trafficking spoke to us on the plight of young people lured into trafficking. We honored four women with the Lay Woman volunteer award.  

For the past 30 years St Joseph CCW, Norris, Tennessee has set up a St. Joseph Altar. Parishioners are invited to bring grocery staples, homemade items, or donate funds. The children of the parish participate in the custom of the Holy Family and the Saints searching for food and shelter. Fr Dennis Kress blesses the donations. All donations are given to Crazy Quilt Food Pantry, an outreach program of East Tennessee Catholic Charities.

The Joliet Diocesan Council of Catholic Women held their annual Woman of the Year Mass on Saturday, April 20th. The Mass was celebrated by the Most Rev. Ronald Hicks, Bishop of the Diocese of Joliet. Forty-five women from diocesan parishes were honored at the Mass with the theme Full of Grace. These women have answered the call by saying Yes, as our Mother Mary did. They are living out the mission of the Council of Catholic Women in their works to serve others in the name of our Lord. We thank them for giving of themselves with humility and love.

The Holy Rosary CCW (Diocese of Superior, Province of Milwaukee), along with Walking With Moms, extends a big thank you to those who participated in the March Baby Shower! We were blessed with many donations and appreciate the generosity of members of our four-parish community. A check for $395.00 was also presented to the Abiding Care Pregnancy Resource Center. Donated items were taken to the Abiding Care Pregnancy Resource Center and the Aspirus Birthing Center . Pictured: Service Commission Chairs: Mary Werner and Deanna Hartman and Emily Niggemann, Walking With Moms representative.

The Savannah Diocesan CCW recently held its 85th convention in Warner Robins, GA.  The theme of the convention was “We Belong To Each Other”.  Fr. Steven Pavignano (a Franciscan friar  and Spiritual Advisor of the Macon CCW Deanery) and Frank Mulcahy, Executive Director of the Georgia Catholic Conference, were two of the featured speakers.  Other speakers included Tiffany Johnson, Director of a residential re-entry center run by Dismas Charities, Inc. and Fr. Brian O’Shaughnessy , Vocations Promoter for the Columbus Deanery.  Marlene Watkins, author of Everyday Miracles of Lourdes, also spoke about her journeys to Lourdes. Bishop  Stephen Parkes officiated at the Saturday evening Mass along with the SDCCW Spiritual Advisor Fr. David Koetter and other local clergy.  

Lorraine McFee, left, immediate past president, and Sharon DiGiovanni, current president of the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Council of Catholic Women, build Easter baskets for families in Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan’s foster care program.