NCCW AFFILIATE HAPPENINGS

On September 14th the Greater Meriden Council of Catholic Women sponsored a dinner to honor our new Spiritual Advisor, Father Dominic Anaeto, Pastor of Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish, and to present him with his Spiritual Advisor pin.  Pictured is Dr. Loretta Tomasiello, Co-President and Province Director of Hartford, Pat Stasiewski, Co-President and Fr. Dominic, showing his pin to the those attending.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist CCW hosted an all day  retreat on Saturday, August 19 in the Basilica’s Regina Coeli Hall. The retreat was called “Filling Your Life with God’s Love”. The retreat’s director was Carl McColman – a contemplative writer, retreat director and spiritual director. Mr.  McColman shared the many ways to pray and reflect on the many blessings in our life. Women from all over Georgia attended the retreat which was advertised in local church bulletins. It was a sold out event which proves that everyone who was able to attend wanted to fill their life with God’s love.  It was very well organized with prayer time, table discussions and delicious refreshments.

CCW Ladies and Spiritual Advisors attending the Province of Omaha annual meeting, July 2023. Blessed to have previous Province Directors participate in the 2023 annual Province meeting as well.

The pregnancy centers of our deanery were the recipients for this year’s service project.  The ladies from eleven counties and thirty-five parishes raised $2,100.00.  We presented a ceremonial check to Sue Sharon of Choices on August 3, 2023, at St. Mary’s Church in Paris, IL.  We divided this sum of money to Choices, Family Life Center in Effingham, IL and LightHouse in Vandalia, IL.  Each facility received a check for $700.00.  We concluded our meeting with our famous “White Elephant” auction which raised $1,445.00 for the Seminary Fund.

On Friday, July 7th, the Greater Meriden Council of Catholic Women held a bake sale at the Knights of Columbus Fried Dough and Fireworks event. This is the second year we have baked for this event, which was very well attended.  In the picture, standing L-R is Wilma Ramos, Olga Brandl, Susanne Sagaitis, and seated is Pat Stasiewki.

A Mass honoring the recipients of the Bishop Blanchette Scholarship and the Father John M. Sebhar Servant Leadership Award was geld June 1st at the Blanchette Catholic Center in Crest Hill, IL. Mass was celebrated by the Most Rev. Ronald Hicks, Rev. James Antiporek, Rev John M Sebhar, and Rev John Peeters. The BBSF was established by the Joliet Diocesan Council of Catholic Women in 1982 in honor of Bishop Romeo Blanchette. The Father John M Sebhar Servant Leadership Award was established in 2016 by the JDCCW as a tribute of gratitude to Fr Sebhar.

Members of the Greater Meriden Council of Catholic Women were proud to participate in Corpus Christi on June 11th carrying the flag of Our Lady of Good Council.  We walked from Holy Trinity Church to St Faustina Parish, SS Peter & Paul Church, both in Wallingford.  Pictured are L-R, Olga Brandl, Pat Stasiewski and Sheila Maietta.

St. Mary’s Visitation Parish in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee held their annual Salad Supper. Paper purse bags on the tables netted $725 in donations for the NCCW Purse Club. 146 women ages 20 – 95 attended and there were over 100 salads to choose from! Lydia LoCoco from the archdiocese spoke on the women friends in your life.

Our incoming president, Paulette Ciesynski, proposed we celebrate Pentecost in a different way this year. In thanksgiving for all of the new 400+ members who joined our parish this past year, she urged the affiliate to shower the altar with a red flower for each new parishioner. We think the outcome was quite beautiful.