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| Officers of the Madison Diocesan Council of Catholic Women include, from left: Carol Rogers, secretary; Rosa Ropers, president-elect; Coreen Marklein, president; Barbara Agasie, treasurer; and Carol Brennan, immediate past president. (Photo by Kathy Loy) |
BELMONT — Hosted by the Grant Vicariate, the 59th annual meeting of the Madison Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (MDCCW) focused on the theme of “Uniting Women of Faith” and brought together women from throughout the 11-county Madison Diocese to the Belmont Convention Center recently.
MDCCW President Coreen Marklein, Baraboo, presided at the convention. Jeffrey Arrowood, Somerset, founder and director of From the Abbey, gave the keynote on “Take Control of Your Life.” He also led a shareshop on evangelization.
Another shareshop was presented on foster care and resulted in more than 100 backpacks and personal items donated by MDCCW to foster children.
Individual membership approved
Women may now join the MDCCW as individual members whether or not their parish is affiliated with MDCCW as a result of action taken at the convention.
Marklein thanked the members for voting unanimously to change the constitution and by-laws to allow individual membership. Because fewer parishes have councils that provide for membership in MDCCW, the change gives all diocesan women “an opportunity to unite and share our spirituality, leadership, and service with other women of the council in the Madison Diocese.”
As a result of the change, the website for the diocesan council, www.mdccw.com, includes a new brochure and membership form.
“We are moving in the direction of change,” said Marklein. “We aren’t just the women who hold the bake sale once a year or cook for funeral dinners. I don’t belittle that. It’s important, but it has changed. We are in the Year of Faith, and we are women of faith, uniting women of faith.”
Members — whether individual or through a parish MDCCW affiliate — have a voice on a diocesan scale, speaking on behalf of women and children in need. The MDCCW structure includes three CW structure includes three commissions for leadership, spirituality, and service. Within those commissions, special attention is given to rural life, social and economic justice, and the dignity for all life.
Spiritual advisors
Marklein thanked the spiritual advisors of the MDCCW, Msgr. Duane Moellenberndt, Sun Prairie, and Fr. Lorin Bowens, Lime Ridge, “They are always with us to help with the challenges, providing their guidance, prayers, and blessings.”
Monsignor Moellenberndt spoke briefly to the women, telling the story of a young couple who recently moved into a new house. “Watching the next door neighbor hang laundry, the wife said to her husband, ‘The wash isn’t clean; perhaps they need new laundry soap.’
“This went on for several weeks; and then she noticed clean laundry. To her surprise, her husband said, ‘I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.’”
The moral of the story, said Monsignor Moellenberndt, is “What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window we are looking through. We need to get our own house in order before we are critical of others.
“You are all about getting your own lives in order as faithful disciples of Christ. We need to grow in relationship to Christ so we can bring others to build up the Kingdom of God. We need clarity and commitment to the Catholic faith. We receive faith, wisdom, and guidance to be faithful followers of Jesus.”
Following his remarks, Marklein said the two spiritual advisors were especially helpful to the board as it navigated the change from 11 deaneries, which were aligned with the counties in the diocese, to nine vicariates. The change, made last fall by the diocese, involved grouping parishes differently.
Marklein explained, “We start out as women of faith, then as members of a parish. If the parish is affiliated with the Council of Catholic Women, you are a member of the MDCCW; if not, you can now join as an individual member.
“The next level is the vicariate, which previously was called deanery. Each vicariate has its own set of officers” and has representation on the MDCCW board.
MDCCW is part of the Province of Milwaukee, including all five diocesan councils of Catholic women in Wisconsin. The province is the direct link to the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW).
National Council
Jeanette Knauf-Masanz, Marathon, represents Wisconsin on the NCCW board as Milwaukee Province director. She spoke at the convention lunch, reporting on changes at NCCW to get the council on firm financial footing.
She talked about the importance of leadership and the purpose of NCCW to “educate Catholic women in spirituality, leadership, and service. Through NCCW, we are a voice for American Catholic women today; transform the world through prayers and action; unite more than 3,000 affiliated Catholics women’s groups and nearly 3,000 individual Catholic women in the U.S.; support social action through Gospel values.”
In addition, she said the NCCW trains Catholic women to become leaders at the intersection of Church and society; provides a forum for Catholic women to speak and act on matters of mutual interest; and represents U.S. Catholic women in national and international arenas.
Accomplishments
While the bigger voice is important, MDCCW President Marklein said, “It is through our parishes and individual members that we are able to accomplish our many programs, including serving the needs of the homeless and hungry, praying for vocations, religious freedom, right to life from the womb to the tomb.”
Marklein reported that through their prayers, service, and donations, MDCCW has contributed to Catholic Relief Services, including the Madonna Plan and Water for Life. Other projects include selling Fair Trade chocolates with proceeds going to the Donkey Project, Women’s Care Center, and Camp Gray.
Additionally, she said, “You continue to support our priests, seminarians, and religious. You make prayer shawls, serve meals to the homeless, volunteer in nursing homes, set up prayer chains. All of these activities show that you are truly women of faith. I congratulate you on your continued accomplishments.”
Recognition
Marklein recognized Rita Meinholz, Marshall, who joined MDCCW as the first individual member with the change in by-laws.
Brittany Schoeder, 22, received the Alice Krystofiak Award for being the youngest first-time convention attendee. Schoeder, a recent graduate of Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, is the director of faith formation at Sacred Heart Parish, Reedsburg.
Also recognized was Dorothy Lepeska, a past MDCCW president and long-time newsletter editor, as the oldest member attending. Coincidentally, she is the same age as NCCW, having been born the same month and year, March 1920.
Kitty Mumm and Bernadette Schaefer, president and president- elect respectively of the Lancaster Vicariate and sisters, entertained at the banquet with their harp and violin.
They also provided music at the Mass the next morning at which Father Bowens was the homilist. Monsignor Moellenberndt and Fr. Monte Robinson, host pastor, concelebrated with him.
Future plans
Rosa Ropers, president-elect, reported that the MDCCW and the Madison Catholic Women’s Club are working together to host a Marian Day of Renewal, to include a Marian talk, Rosary, and Mass followed by “A Musical Celebration of Mary” presentation by Randy Albright. It will be held October 22 at St. Bernard Church in Middleton.
Barbara McPherson, president of the Sauk Vicariate MDCCW, announced that Sauk will host the next convention in May in Wisconsin Dells. Dates will be announced soon, but an effort will be made to encourage families and younger people to attend.