DCCW - reaching goals; making memories

Reaching goals

by Joanne Pohland

The Council of Catholic Women (CCW) has at its heart to unite Catholic women in prayer, study, and service with the ultimate goal of helping women to know, love, and serve the Lord in this life, and to be happy with Him for all eternity. The key here is to "unite" women, because when we form a community, we have strength and power to reach our goal. While we continue to face many challenges as we attempt to achieve this goal, we can see some extraordinary accomplishments along the way.

I see CCW helping women to pray more by encouraging them to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, time in adoration, especially for an increase of vocations, and by encouraging the praying of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. In addition, I see women praying for their Shepherd in the Field. I also see women, myself included, turning to prayer when help is needed. Without prayer, we can do nothing. Prayer is particularly beneficial when we pray as a community, and the CCW helps us do that.

I see CCW helping us as we strive to learn more about our faith by offering excellent speakers at our diocesan conventions and region gatherings. Some of the best and most extensive adult education in our diocese occurs through CCW.

The service that this Council provides through the projects in each parish is tremendous. When women work together to provide gifts for the homebound, raise money for pro-life efforts, host blood drives, collect food for food shelves, sponsor projects for "Water for Life," or the countless other projects that Councils do, we are meeting the various human needs "guided by faith which works through love that Pope Benedict spoke about in his encyclical "On Christian Love."

In addition, donations made through CCW are awesome. You have great faith, and it shows.

Through CCW, we have a unique bond which helps us grow as a community of believers to live out our call. I know that this is happening in our diocese, and I thank you for making it happen.

Making memories

by Msgr. Douglas Grams

My earliest memory of the Council of Catholic Women goes back forty years, when the Catholic women of the neighborhood (Circle 4) gathered at our home to make Christmas ornaments for a church bazaar. My mother baked a great dessert for the evening of socializing and productivity. Our family sampled the dessert after an early supper. I remember asking, "Why are you making so many different kinds of ornaments?" In response to my question, my mother mentioned that "the ornaments will be sold at the bazaar in order to raise enough money to give to the church."

Those were the days when each Circle was given a dollar amount to raise above their annual dues. Since my mother was a promoter (the dues collector) for Circle 4, she would often take me on her neighborhood rounds collecting CCW dues and sometimes cakes and jello for funeral luncheons from people who were home bound.

Other women took turns hosting these neighborhood gatherings throughout the year. I’m told that larger parish meetings for all the women of the parish took place several times a year. These meetings included a meal, a guest speaker and a business agenda. My only memory of these gatherings was that it required my father to come home earlier from work and make sure supper was served and the dishes were washed.

In 1975 our new pastor at Holy Rosary, North Mankato, Msgr. John Ward, allowed the CCW to keep the money they raised from fund raisers throughout the year and tapped them for larger projects. During those years my mother was very active in CCW at the parish level. Clearly, my mother had stronger Martha tendencies than Mary; and along with other Marthas she helped transform areas of the parish, beginning with the church kitchen.

Given all the changes since 1965 that affected family and parish life, the most dramatic change in my young mind was women working outside of the home. Despite all of the societal and Vatican II changes that were ushered in during the past four decades, three constants remain today: a need for socialization (kitchens and food); sacrificial stewardship of time, talent and treasure; and outreach through a process of evangelization.

The challenge for CCW members in each of our parishes in the Diocese of New Ulm is, as Mark 16:15 tells us, "Go into the world and proclaim the Gospel." This means the discussion flowing from our reflection on the Good News ought to be more elevated than our discussion that revolves around kitchen, food and money. At the end of your journey of faith on earth what will your children remember most about your involvement in CCW forty years from now?

Joanne Pohland is from Glencoe and has served as DCCW president for the past two years.

Msgr. Douglas Grams is Vicar General for the diocese and serves as pastor of the Church of

St. Mary in New Ulm in addition to other diocesan duties.