GRANDISLAND

DIOCESAN COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN

FEBRUARY 2018 NEWSLETTER

SAVE THE DATE: LENTEN RETREATS & Spring Deanery CCW Meetings

ALL CATHOLIC WOMEN ARE INVITED!

February 10: 9a.m. to noon

Holy Rosary Lyceum - Alliance

John & Susan Johnson, Speakers

"The Power of Prayerand Importance of Relationship"

March 7: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Blessed Sacrament - Grand Island

Sr. Joyce Rupp, Speaker

"Boundless Compassion: Creating a Way of Life"

March 10: 8:30 a.m. ( Mountain) - St. Mary's Catholic Church, Nenzel

North Platte Deanery Council of Catholic Women meeting

Speaker, Armando Chavarria, Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization.

March 11: 2p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Sts. Peter & Paul Church - St Paul

Jim Bertrand, American Confraternity of the Holy Shroud

Presentation: The Holy Shroud of Turin

March 17: Farwell-GRANDISLAND DEANERY COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN SPRING MEETING

March 24: 9 a.m. Alliance Deanery Council of Catholic Women meeting

Christ the King Catholic Church, Gering

Jim Bertrand, American Confraternity of the Holy Shroud

Presentation: The Holy Shroud of Turin

Spiritual Advisor Report

Rev. Stephen Deaver, Spiritual Advisor (308) 631-2428

I hope you are all happy with the New Year and the events of the month of January. The weather has gone from very cold to very spring-like and back again several times. I think the cold weather makes us appreciate the warm days a little more.

February 15th is the date for CATHOLICS AT THE CAPITAL this year. The morning program will take place at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln where we will hear from the Nebraska Catholic Conference about the various bills that are before the Legislature that are of special interest to us. Then we go to the Capital to visit with the Senators from our various Districts. Then after the noon Mass at St. Mary’s we return to the Cornhusker Hotel for lunch. For any of you who haven’t been to this event in the past I urge you to consider going to it. Just being in the CapitalBuilding and seeing the Legislature in Session is a very good experience. The cornhusker Hotel allows us to park there if we come to the luncheon there. After the luncheon, we have the opportunity to go to Planned Parenthood to pray the rosary for those seeking abortions and their unborn children.

The Alliance Deanery is looking forward with great anticipation to the Holy Shroud presentation at Gering, Christ the KingChurch, on March 24th. Ladies, this is truly an outstanding event, to hear a man who is an expert speak about the Holy Shroud. Jim Bertrand will use a full-size Picture of the Shroud and gives a very interesting and detailed explanation of the various marks on the shroud. It is an hour that goes very quickly. Jim knows the subject extremely well and his presentation is excellent. Jim made his presentation of the shroud at the CCWProvince meeting last July in Blessed Sacrament Church in Grand Island.

Preparations are being made now for the Spring Assembly which will be at Camp Comeca South of Cozad. The road will be clearly marked. All activities will be on one level so there will be no stairs to cause concern. Please be sure to send in your reservations early. They can be canceled if necessary but are hard to make at the last minute.

I hope to see you at these events which are intended to deepen your life with the Lord, Jesus. May God bless you all in your service to God and His people.

Deanery Spiritual Advisors

Rev. C.P. Varghese S.D.B., (308) 530-6733,

Rev. Ray Kosmicki, Grand Island Deanery, (308) 754-4649,

Rev. Neal Hock, Kearney Deanery (308) 234-1539,

Rev. Lou Nollette, North Platte Deanery, (308) 750-1205,

President Report

Barbara Sack, President, (308) 754-4072

I am happy to announce, the 2018 Spring Assembly will be held at CampComeca south of Cozad, Nebraska. The camp is Hotel Style accommodations yet picturesque; nestled amongst trees over-looking the valley and PlatteRiver below. The theme is “Finding the Joy in Change.” Our keynote speaker is Stacy Tomlinson, a registered nurse originally from Nebraska. Stacy was one of the speakers at the 2017 National Council of Catholic Women's Convention. We have a lot planned for the spring assembly and invite all Catholic women to join us. It will be a time of fellowship, friendship and spiritual growth. I look forward to seeing youApril 20th and 21st 2018at CampComeca.

Treasurer Report

Deb Kearns, Treasurer, (308) 327-2072

Winter greetings from your Treasurer!This is just a friendly reminder that Deanery dues and Grand Island Diocesan Council of Catholic Women dues are needed to help our organization remain strong and be able to bring interesting speakers to our area events and support service projects.

Please send $25 Deanery 2018 dues to the following:

*Alliance Deanery CCW, Nancy Brandt, PO Box 212, Bayard, NE69334

*North Platte Deanery CCW: Karen Becvar, 4501 Heritage Drive, North Platte, NE69101

*Kearney Deanery CCW: Annette Galloway, PO Box 371, Loup City, NE68853

*Grand Island Deanery CCW: Sheryl Perkins, 3411 E Seedling Mile Rd., Grand Island, NE68801

Send GI DCCW dues (an amount to be determined by your parish women’s group contributions) to: *Deb Kearns, 2797 560th Rd., Rushville, NE69360

The Grand Island Diocese is very fortunate to have three men studying for the priesthood. The GI DCCW donates $10,000 annually to help these men pay tuition. Please consider a fund-raiser donation to the Seminarian Fund to help us reach our goal.

Other current service projects we donate to are Mission II Haiti, with the dresses, shorts and Best Choice food barcodes funds; Funds for Nuns to help women from our Diocese that are considering this rewarding life option; Cross Catholic Boxes of Joy at Christmas time; and through Catholic Relief Services (CRS) the Madonna Plan, Water for Life, Help-a-Child, and Refugee Women Emergency Fund. Thank you for all you do in your parishes and for our Grand Island Diocese!

2018 SPRING ASSEMBLY SILENT AUCTION AND RAFFLE

Mary Frances and Judy Wagoner

Plans are in the making for the 2018 Spring Assembly Silent Auction and Raffle. The Raffle Tickets have been forwarded to Deanery Presidents and will soon go out to the Parish Reps. The top prize is $100.00 cash and two $50.00 cash, donated by the Diocesan and the four Deanery CCW. Last year the Silent Auction raised $980.00 and raffle sales were $1,923.00 for a total of $2,903 for the Diocesan Council. We were excited with last year’s results and look forward to topping that amount this year with your help.

Deaneries, parishes and individuals are asked to furnish raffle prizes and a basket with a minimum value of $20.00 for the Silent Auction. If possible please let us know by March 20th if you are going to contribute to the Camp Comeca Raffle/Baskets so we can advertise.Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you at the Silent Auction bidding table at CampComeca.

Leadership Commission

Sherry Weatherly, Chairwoman, (308) 530-1474

Susan Johnson, Co-Chairwoman, (402) 823-4251

Do you recall who invited you to come to a Council of Catholic Women retreat or meeting? Was it your mother, grandmother, an older woman from your church? When I joined the church the women in my parish encouraged me to be involved. They were inviting, warm and held fun programs that made me want to keep coming back. Having the chance to see first-hand the programs and projects the CCW supports from Parish up through National Council, really helped me 'want' to be a bigger part of this sisterhood in Christ.

Mentoring a new gal at church, or one that has been sitting beside you for years, is an opportunity to recognize and use their gifts and talents. It's really Jesus working in our midst, just speak up and invite them to attend! Sometimes you need to invite more than once, but keep on inviting! Invite, Invite, Invite! If you bring a new acorn or seedling to your CCW does your Council have its "dirt" together? Be an O.W.L.- Old Wise Leader who is a Team Builder.

  • Be positive and a good role model with your words and actions.
  • Job Descriptions for everyone
  • Keep meetings interesting and meaningful. Make it worthwhile for members to use their time to attend
  • Sit with new members or members who do not have anyone to sit with.
  • Seek new and innovative ideas for programs. Validate ideas of new members by giving them a try! Encourage experienced members to try something new.
  • What is the best part of Council? Sisterhood, Service to others, spiritual development? I know for myself, my faith has really grown over these past few years. Tell your story.
  • Grateful hearts let members know they are needed & appreciated. Are you old women who bake, or are you known for women who pray, who serve or who make a difference?
  • Faith filled women on fire with the Holy Spirit, can be the hands and feet of God through their lives.

Review both and and if you can't find what you are looking for PLEASE feel free to contactus. The 14-page Mentoring pamphlet would be a great tool to share with your parishes! Find it under Leadership Commission on both websites! "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, but teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime". Communication is key! The DCCW Scholarship applications are on our website so please get the notices out to the Senior high school girls in your area!

Set goals for your council's year in advance. Get ideas of brainstorming with your group for fun activities and projects. This helps everyone take ownership and be more unified. You could have everyone write on post it notes and discuss what the majority feels would be best suited for your area. Work together!

How many women know by paying dues you are supporting the DCCW Scholarship program, Madonna Plan, Human Trafficking, Water for Life in many countries, Catholic Relief Services, Food for the Poor, Cross Catholic Outreach, Purse Club, Women Healing the Wounds, Boxes of Joy, and many more? Be Proud of who we are together! It's going to take more than one person, it's going to take a team of CCW groups to make this program great. Join the vision and ensure the future of our organization. Blessed are the flexible because they don't get bent out of shape!

GOAL SETTING & PLANNING COUNCIL YEAR

Goal setting and planning should begin well before the Council year. This will allow plenty of time to make adjustments to existing programs, decide if it is time to “retire” a program, or add a program. If your Council year begins in the Fall, a good time to evaluate the year that has just concluded and discuss the future is during the summer months. Following are some suggestions in evaluating, setting goals, and planning your Council year.

Steps in Evaluating Your Council Year

  1. Which programs were successful? Which programs were not successful?
  2. What worked and what didn't work?
  3. Which programs met the goals set at the beginning of the Council Year?
  4. Evaluate your meetings. Were they well attended? Why or Why not?
  5. Is the meeting time convenient?
  6. Are the meetings well run?
  7. If you were a new member, would you want to return?

It is important to look back over all aspects of Council activities in order to identify areas that need improvement.

Set Goals

Goals are important as they give us a target. Setting of goals should not fall to just one or two people. Use your board or membership to develop goals so you have a purpose to your program.

  1. Goals must NOT be assumed. Goals must be clear, concise and as specific as possible.
  2. Goals must be measurable. They must be stated in a way that is achievable.
  3. Goals must be time phased. A beginning and an ending time for accomplishing the goals must be set.
  4. Goals should be realistic. It must be something the organization has a chance to achieve according to its given strengths, abilities, and resources.
  5. Goals must be written down.

Plan-Plan-Plan

Successful Councils plan their programs from start to finish.

  1. Programs do not need to be overly complicated, but they should be interesting and well planned.
  2. The questions: who, what, where, when, and how all need to be answered for every program.
  3. Communication and publicity are important elements of any plan. ADVERTISE
  4. One good tool in planning is to develop a form for every program that includes the name of the program, date, time, location, cost & resources required, advertising, and description of committees/members responsible for the program.
  5. PRAYER “Entrust your works to the Lord, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3)

Compiled by Marylin Ericksen and revised by Sherry Weatherly

GIDCCWSCHOLARSHIPINFORMATION

As you know the Grand Island Diocesan Council of Catholic Women approved a scholarship for the young women in their Senior year of High School to advance their education goals. This scholarship is due to Deanery President byMarch 1. The amount of the scholarship is $200.00 for each Deanery Scholarship Winner.

It was decided by the Scholarship Committee to divide that Scholarship money between all Four Deaneries. Therefore, each Deanery President will assist in disseminating information about the scholarship to each Parish Representative in her Deanery. The scholarship is available on the GIDCCW Website; scholarship can be filled out online, printed out, and returned to the Deanery President with all signatures and other information needed.

Have Parish Representatives make announcements in their weekly bulletins and atSundayMass about the GIDCCW Scholarship for Senor Girls in Churches of your Deanery.Parish Representatives may also wish to contact their local school officials in charge of scholarships. Parish Priests need to be made aware of this scholarship, their signature of recommendation is required.

Select your Deanery officers or a scholarship committee to judge the scholarship applications. Upon receiving scholarship applications--you may wish to separate cover sheet from name of applicant to assist in confidentiality. There should be no members of this committee with a relative that is eligible for the scholarship. Upon selection of Winner and Alternate for the Deanery notify the Leadership Commission by April 1st with results to allow time to prepare Scholarship Report.

Please return the 1) winning application and 2) alternate application to: DCCW Leadership Commission Chair, Sherry Weatherly, 3708 General Dodge Rd., North Platte, NE 69101. Scholarships will be awarded in January of graduation year upon receipt of the Scholarship Winners 2nd Semester College Registration; this should be returned to the GIDCCW Treasurer, Deb Kearns, 2797 560th Road, Rushville, NE 69360 email: .

If you have questions, please contact: Sherry Weatherly, 308-530-1474

Spirituality Commission

Pat Knutson, Spirituality Chairwoman, (308) 750-3532 or 754-5528

Pro-Life License Plates are available now. They need to be ordered from Lincoln…costs only $5 extra.

AmericaNeedsFatima.org:

A documentary film, “Corpus Christi”, was made about the play in which preview scenes show Our Lord’s character. Despicable film we need to sign the petition to take it off air.

  • passionately kissing His Apostles.
  • marrying two homosexual men after which the ‘couple’ kiss to seal the covenant.
  • viciously striking a female actress.

interspersed is the usual attempt to portray protestors of the play in the way you have come to expect while portraying the blasphemous play itself as all about “love and compassion”.

ReturnToOrder.com

Steam Video Game producers have come out with another immoral game. called "Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator" has players play a single father whose objective is to win over a homosexual lover!
According to sources reviewing the game:
"Though it's not quite in time for a loving Father's Day gift, Dream Daddy is a wacky dating sim[ulator] from Game Grumps."You'll play as a lonely, single dadwho just moved with his daughter to a new neighborhood in Maple Bay.To your surprise, every dad on your street is single and ready to mingle. Your heart will have to decide between seven different dads, like Mat, Craig, Hugo, Brian, Damien, or Joseph." (Gamespot.com)Besides this blatant promotion of homosexual sin to children, several have noted that the game makes blasphemous references to the virgin birth of Christ and a sexual joke made of His second coming.Go to these websites, sign up to receive their emails so you can sign the petitions to end these things.

Our children are our church’s future. We need to share what we know with them. So, share your Faith with your family, friends, kids, nieces, nephews, neighbors…anyone who will listen. You don’t know whose eternal life you will change and save by sharing what you know.