The call came on a Wednesday evening in early November from my sister. “You have anything going on November 21

st?” she asked. I told her no and

asked what was up. “We have our annual ladies’ meeting and they need a little entertainment. I was wondering if you could come and sing and do something on being thankful. It shouldn’t be too long a presentation, we want to be home by eight!” I told her I would be happy to come. On the evening of the 21

st, I arrived at South Zumbro Lutheran Church and

entered the social hall. There were about 20 ladies in attendance. I tuned my guitar, was shone where my talk would be in the agenda and listened as the meeting was called to order. I brought little care packages for each woman. The ladies were to open them up, look at the items and talk about how they were thankful for what each item represented. I read to them my article from the November Courier, “I Am Very Grateful” and together we sang two songs that I composed: “Litany of Thanksgiving” and “Keep A Song In Your Heart.” Not too long, following my sister’s instructions! What hap-pened next was astounding. As the President of the group began the business meeting, I watched and listened as this group of women gave away $10,000 to different charities and projects. Each time they voted “Yes” the President thanked them for their generosity. They even added a new charity, “Sleep In Heavenly Peace.” A former Pastor had moved to Wisconsin and became director of this charity. They provide simple beds for children and youth who do not have a bed to sleep in. The Pastor told one of the ladies who had inquired about the project that a 17 year old young man who was given a bed told the staff it was the first bed he had ever had! Imagine that.

Mission Statement:

The WRDCCW acts to support, empower and educate all Catholic Women of the Diocese in spirituality, leadership and service. The Council unites Catholic organizations of women, diocesan areas and parish affiliates for the purpose of producing activities, provid-ing service and education, fostering spirituality by re-sponding with Gospel values to the needs of the Church and

society in the modern world.

Inside this issue:

President continued 2

Diocesan Happenings 3

Church Report 4-5

Respect Life Report 6-7

Legislative/Pornography 8-11

Leadership Commission 12-13

Families/Communities Report 14-15

International Report 16

Miscellaneous 17-18

COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN

CONNECTING CATHOLIC WOMEN NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2020

From our President Jeanette Fortier

“WOW...What a Meeting!”

Page 2 Connecting Catholic Women

The women of South Zumbro had sent 200 blankets/quilts and all had been distributed. Again, the President thanked the ladies for all their work and the generosity of their circles and parish mem-bers. The next order of business was to fill positions on the executive board for the coming year. As hap-pens at most meetings, everyone’s head goes down when the call is put out for volunteers. This or-ganization shares the president’s position. A woman did volunteer to serve with the current presi-dent. Then the call went out for a secretary. I was watching a lady sitting at my table. I can’t ex-plain it, but her physical appearance changed as she said, “I don’t know how good I’ll be but I’ll try being your secretary.” All the other women applauded. (Women Of the Word) had their officers for the coming year. Cheesecake and apple cider followed with laughter and good conversation. It was quite a meeting.

Many years ago, when CCW made and shipped items to the Holy Father’s storeroom in Rome, all the items (and I mean all) were put on display. The Winona Diocese was acknowledged both on the National level and in Rome for the amount of items contributed. (We’re talking tons here) In recent years, with our contributions to the Haiti Missions, we don’t have a way of accounting for the amounts we give. Still, I know you are generous. Do you keep track of the charities you support as a Council? We’d like to know. “We Are Hiring!” signs are all over the place. We, as CCW, are looking for women on all levels (parish, area, diocese) to fill leadership and commission roles as well. Don’t know if you have the skills? Pray about it! We’re here to support you and encourage you. The commitment is for 2 years. The relation-ships and enlightenment you will find, will last a life time!

Wednesday, January 8, 2020 is our quarterly meet-ing. We’ve got two great speakers: Bev McCarvel, past NCCW Leadership Commission Chairman and Kathy Schuman, a Mayo Clinic nurse, will give their presentations at St. Theodore Parish in Albert Lea.

The meeting starts at 8 am and we will conclude by 2 pm. If you can join us, please come! Just let me know so we can plan for food for lunch. It is my hope at the

end of the day, you will say, “Wow, what a meeting!”

As NCCW celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2020, I wish you a Happy New Year and every good

grace and blessing under the watchful eye of Mary, our Lady of Good Counsel!

Jeanette

Mary Schweiss said “yes” to being secretary for the Winona-

Rochester Council of Catholic Women. She was installed at

the October convention

Page 3 Connecting Catholic Women

Council Happenings Throughout the

Winona-Rochester Diocese

Worthington Area CCW shown with some of the boxes their area collected.

Barb Payne, Leroy MN is shown with the Boxes of Joy at the collection site.

A big THANK YOU to Cindy

Heimer from the Austin Area

Council of Catholic Women

who volunteered to be the col-

lection site for the Boxes of

Joy. A total of 475 boxes were

collected from only a couple

areas! It was a fun project

that benefits so many!

Thanks so much for all the la-

dies who purchased and

packed their shoe box!

Our President Jeanette at the Winona-Rochester

CCW October Convention. For those who don’t know,

Jeanette is very talented in playing guitar and piano,

singing, and speaking. Here she is leading us in the

song, “I Just Wanna be a Sheep”!

Page 4 Connecting Catholic Women

During “Celebrate Catholic Schools Week” schools typically observe the week with Masses, assemblies

and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members to celebrate and con-

gratulate. Celebrate Catholic Schools Week 2020 will be celebrated January 26th through February 1st

and the theme this year is: “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.” Each day of the week has its

own theme to celebrate:

SUNDAY: Celebrating Your Parish

MONDAY: Celebrating Your Community

TUESDAY: Celebrating Your Students

WEDNESDAY: Celebrating the Nation

THURSDAY: Celebrating Vocations

FRIDAY: Celebrating Faculty, Staff, and

Volunteers

SATURDAY: Celebrating Families

Help a Catholic school near you celebrate Catholic Schools Week and please keep all of the children and

faculty in your prayers as always! www.ncea.org (National Catholic Education Association)

DID YOU KNOW???

In 1985, a model of stewardship was initiated across the entire Catholic Diocese of Wichita by then

Bishop Eugene Gerber. Parishioners embraced that model, which called for them to give generously of

their time and their talents and to give as high a percentage of their income to the church as they could.

The bishop wanted to offer free tuition at all of the diocese’s elementary schools. Once they were well on

their way to that goal, Gerber extended the plan to the diocese's four Catholic high schools. "It took a little

time, a number of years," Gerber told the National Catholic Register, "but as soon as the parishioners had

experienced tuition free at the elementary schools, it became a natural sequence to look at tuition free in

high schools." As of 2002, the diocese’s 38 elementary schools and 4 high schools charge no tuition for

children of active parishioners! No other U.S. diocese is known to have eliminated tuition for parish fami-

lies in all of its schools. One result of this extraordinary stewardship is that the schools are growing larger.

Since free tuition was first offered, school enrollment has risen dramatically, now educating almost

11,000 students. About 70% of the diocese’s school-age children attend Catholic school, in contrast to a

national average closer to 15%. According to Kapaun Mount Carmel High School President, Mike Burris,

parishioners pay about 80% of the high schools' budgets, while the other 20% of costs are acquired

through "an annual appeal, which will go to our parents and alumnus and grandparents and other friends

of the school." In recent years, faculty and staff were asked to contribute as well. They had 100% partici-

pation. Eventually, the students were also asked to contribute. They were asked to make a gift of $5 or

more from their allowance or a part-time job. "We had almost 60% participate. We were very pleased with

that", stated Burris. The students enrolled in the schools are an astounding 98% Catholic. The non-

Catholic students are often the children of teachers; however, the great majority of the teachers are also

Catholic. www.natcath.org (National Catholic Reporter)

January 2020 Spirituality Commission

Church Report Valerie Ehlenfeldt, P.O. Box 83 Ostrander, MN 55961

507-440-8629 ehlenfeldt.valerie@yahoo.com

THE HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND EDUCATION IN AMERICA

The Catholic faith was first brought to the United States through the work of missionaries. Catholic educa-

tion in the United States can be traced back to at least 1606 where Franciscans opened a school in what

is now known as St. Augustine, Florida. A little while later and a little further north, Jesuits taught Native

American students such as St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680). In the late 1600’s, English colonists had

set up their own public schools, many with heavily protestant and even anti-Catholic sentiments. Despite

that fact, the Jesuits established a preparatory school in Newtown, Maryland in 1677. Franciscans

opened a school for boys in 1718 in New Orleans and in 1727, the Ursuline sisters arrived there and

opened an orphanage, a school for street girls, and a health facility, which is recognized as the first for-

mal Catholic charity in the United States. By about 1776, the Catholic population had grown to roughly

25,000 in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York alone. Fr. John Carroll, cousin of Declaration of Inde-

pendence signer Charles Carroll, witnessed his dream of a Catholic college become a reality when the

Catholic college of Georgetown was established in 1789. Carroll was appointed the first bishop in the

United States when he was appointed the bishop of the Baltimore diocese in 1789. Baltimore was ele-

vated to an Archdiocese in 1808 and Archbishop Carroll died in 1815. During his time as head of the

Catholic Church in America, the Catholic population grew from 25,000 to over 200,000. There are now

over 195 Catholic dioceses in the United States, with about 450 active and retired bishops! God is good!

An increase in Catholic interest in education grew in conjunction with increasing Catholic immigration dur-

ing the mid-1800’s. American Catholics began opening their own schools, aided by religious orders, to

serve their own growing communities. Catholic universities began to flourish with the founding of Ford-

ham University in New York City (1841), the University of Notre Dame in Indiana (1842), and the Catholic

University of America in Washington, D.C. (1887). The success of the growing Catholic communities was

unfortunately met with violence during this time frame with the burning of a convent, murder of a nun in

Massachusetts, destruction of two churches in New England, and the tarring-and-feathering (and almost

death) of a Jesuit priest. New religious orders were established during the late 19th Century and the first

U.S. Cardinals were named from New York and Baltimore. An estimated 3,500 Catholic elementary

schools existed in the United States in 1900 and that number had grown to 6,551 within 20 years, with

1,759,673 students enrolled, taught by 41,581 teachers. The number of Catholic high schools grew a

great deal as well, growing from 100 in 1900 to more than 1,500 in 1920. Enrollment continued to climb

over the next 40 years but reached an all-time high of 4.5 million elementary students and 1 million high

school students during the mid-1960’s. Fast-forward to the present and there are currently a combined

2.6 million students enrolled in Catholic elementary and high schools within the 8,000 Catholic schools in

the United States today.

The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) was formed by Catholic educators in 1904. NCEA

traces its official beginning to a meeting held in St. Louis, Missouri, July 12-

14, 1904. At that meeting the separate Catholic education organizations; the

Education Conference of Catholic Seminary Faculties (1898), the Association

of Catholic Colleges (1899), and the Parish School Conference (1902)

agreed to unite as the Catholic Educational Association (CEA). In 1927, the

word “National” was added to the official title. Presently, NCEA focuses on:

leadership development for superintendents, presidents, principals, pastors,

and governing bodies; professional development for teachers; and serving as

the voice for Catholic school education.

www.usccb.org (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)

Church Report continued:

Page 5 Connecting Catholic Women

Page 6 Connecting Catholic Women

January 2020 Spirituality Commission

Respect Life Report By Linda McGuire, 60677 227th Ave. Mantorville, MN 55955

Linda11carlson@hotmail.com

Having long volunteered as a pro-life advocate, I

have often heard the very misguided notion that

abortion is simply a religious matter and, as such,

pro-life regulations are not something that can be

imposed upon others. MCCL’s Communications

Director Paul Stark effectively debunked this argu-

ment in the June 2019 issue of National Right to

Life. Here is the bulk of this column.

“Some people who say they "personally oppose"

abortion express the view (that abortion is only a

religious matter). "I'm prepared to accept as a mat-

ter of faith ... that at the moment of conception

there's human life and being," said (Joe) Biden in a

2015 interview, "but I'm not prepared to impose

doctrine that I'm prepared to accept on the rest of

[the country]." This is a pretty big misunderstand-

ing. The pro-life position is about justice, not reli-

gious doctrine. It's based on (1) the biological real-

ity that human embryos and fetuses are members

of the species Homo sapiens (does Biden call

other scientific facts "a matter of faith"?) and (2)

the principle that all human beings have human

rights and deserve protection under the law. Oppo-

sition to killing unborn children is no more inher-

ently "religious" than opposition to killing anyone

else. Just as people of any or no religious faith can

recognize the injustice of killing teenagers, so too

can people of any or no faith recognize the injus-

tice of abortion. Indeed, as the organization Secu-

lar Pro-life observes, polls indicate that about 13

million Americans with no religious affiliation think

abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.

Of course, a number of religious traditions affirm

that abortion is wrong, but they also affirm that

theft and child abuse are wrong. That doesn't

make laws against stealing and abuse illegitimate.

Many pro-life people hold religious convictions, and

those convictions may influence or motivate their

position on abortion. But that fact should not dis-

qualify it from public consideration. After all, we

typically don’t think that way about other issues.

Religious faith inspired efforts to abolish slavery

and secure civil rights. Religious faith moves many

people to support public policies that alleviate pov-

erty, protect the environment, and combat human

trafficking. Even some abortion defenders—like

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Religious

Coalition for Reproductive Choice—invoke religious

beliefs to advocate for their position on abortion.

So why are pro-lifers held to a different standard?

Why are their ideas ruled out of bounds? Religious

pro-lifers should be free to propose their views just

like everyone else. They should be free to argue,

for example, that all human beings matter because

they are made "in the image of God" (Gen. 1:27)

and that we ought to "speak up for those who can-

not speak for themselves" (Proverbs 31:8) and

"rescue those being led away to death" (Proverbs

24:11). This does not, as some claim, violate the

"separation of church and state." It is not an

"establishment of religion," which is prohibited by

the First Amendment of the Constitution. Instituting

an official state denomination or mandating reli-

gious practice might be an establishment of relig-

ion. That's not what pro-lifers want. Pro-lifers want

to protect people from

being unjustly killed. If

our laws should do any-

thing, they should do that.

The abortion debate isn't

a theological dispute. It's

a debate about the scope

of human rights. Calling

the pro-life position a religious belief is a conven-

ient way to dismiss the case for inclusion without

actually considering it. Pro-lifers are not trying to

create a theocracy. We're only trying to create a

society that respects and protects everyone.”

Pro-lifers want to protect people from

being unjustly killed.

Page 7 Connecting Catholic Women

Respect Life Report continued:

January 22nd marks the 47th anniversary of the

tragic Roe V Wade and Doe V Bolton US Supreme

Court decisions, ending all legal protections for in-

nocent unborn life in our country. We mourn the

over 60 million children lost and the millions of

wounded mothers and fathers. The Archdiocese of

St. Paul-Minneapolis sponsors a Prayer Service for

Life on Wednesday, January 22nd at 10:30 AM at

the Cathedral of St. Paul. The MCCLMarch for Life

follows immediately with a public witness outside

the State Capital building. Many communi-

ties/parishes sponsor buses to the prayer service

and the March, which concludes around 1pm.

MCCL (612-825-6831 or www.mccl.org) normally

can put you in touch with bus coordinators if look-

ing for a ride to the service/March. Let’s pray for

an end to the need to commemorate this tragic

day. As always, remember to be Christ’s witness to

those facing challenging pregnancies.

The USCCB sponsors an annual “9 Days for Life”

novena while praying for the respect and protec-

tion of every human life. The novena runs from

January 21 to January 29. A different intention is

featured each day with a short reflection and an

action plan involving the reflection. More informa-

tion can be found at www.respectlife.org/january.

March 25, 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of St.

John Paul II’s encyclical, Evangelium Vitae (The

Gospel of Life). Recognizing this, the US Council of

Catholic Bishops has announced a new initiative:

Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service,

which will begin on March 25th. Monthly prayer in-

tentions and reflections for the following year will

focus on the needs of pregnant and parenting

moms of young children in

our parishes and neighbor-

hoods. Parishes are en-

couraged to assess, ex-

pand and better communi-

cate resources to pregnant

moms. For more informa-

tion or to find ways to help

your parish sup-

port/implement this pro-

gram, please go to www.usccb.org/moms-in-need.

Caucus night is Tuesday, February 25th. Those who

attend these grassroots meetings may have great

influence in the future of their party’s platform.

Across the nation, many states have enacted pro-

life protections. However, we have seen a growing

trend of lawsuits filed shortly after the legislation

passes, resulting in unelected judges enjoining or

blocking these protections. Thankfully, President

Trump and the US Senate have done an excellent

job at appointing and confirming 150 (and count-

ing) federal judges, with the hope to reverse this

trend. Some of the protections that have been de-

clared unconstitutional include Health and Human

Services’ rule protecting healthcare workers from

being forced to participate in abortions and the on-

going drama of forcing the Little Sisters of the Poor

to fund abortions via their healthcare plan.

May 2020 be a year of

blessings for life!

Parishes are encouraged to

assess, expand and better communicate

resources to pregnant moms.

“BLIND EYES OPENED” MOVIE IN ROCHESTER – One night only: JANUARY 23,

2020: At Marcus Wehrenberg Theater – 4340 Maine Ave. SE - 405-3754 –

Near Fleet Farm; will also be shown in Mankato, La Crosse and several Twin

Cities theaters. ”This movie is a first-of-a-kind Christian documentary that

dives deep into the sex trafficking in the US. The film exposes the darkness

that fuels demand, highlights survivors’ transformation through Christ, en-

gages lawmakers, law enforcement, organizations, ministries, and experts

across the country committed to ending the atrocities, all while showing Christ

as the hope for all involved.” Check for a viewing in your area at

www.fathomevents.com or www.blindeyesopened.com. Again, it will be shown

one night only.

Page 8 Connecting Catholic Women

Q. As mothers we worry and ponder on how to

offer correction to our Catholic family mem-

bers who do not live as Catholics. What

shall I do? Fr.Schmitz gives us some

thoughts and ideas on this question that

may be of help to us…….

A. Most anybody reading this column will be

able to relate to what is described. You want

the best for your family. You don’t merely

want to be right or to “fix” them, but you

want them to come to know God’s love for

them and his high call of discipleship.

First, I would remind you of a couple of im-

portant realities. You and I are often incredi-

bly blind to our own shortcomings and sins.

Despite the fact that we want to follow the

Lord and serve him well, it is always easier

to recognize the faults of others than to at-

tend to our own sins. Father Schmitz says

he finds himself giving speeches in his head

about how this person or that group needs

to shape up and change their behaviors,

completely ignoring the fact that I fail just as

regularly in my own personal areas of weak-

ness. Have you ever found this to be the

case? We tend to give ourselves a pass for

our own sins and can be tempted to con-

demn others. We extend some leniency to

ourselves but are cut-and-dried with the be-

havior of other people.

Being aware of this temptation will go a long

way. First, it will remind us that we are not

guiltless. Second, Father says,’’ he regularly

is reminded of the advice given by the foun-

der of a religious community (who wrote a lot

about living in community), and he empha-

sized the importance of “assuming the

best.” When it comes to living with others,

there can be temptation to begin to make

conclusions about the motivations behind

their actions. “Clearly, they are leaving the

dishes in the sink because they know that I

will do them and they don’t mind placing

that burden on me.” We can also make as-

sumptions about their interior life. Remem-

bering how for a long time he found himself

misjudging how some close friends (who

were committed Catholics) used their

money, thinking they should be living more

simply and give more of their money away.

Isn’t it interesting how easy it is to fall into

the trap of knowing what other people

should do with their money? What he did

not realize until much later was how incredi-

bly generous they actually were, giving far

more money than they kept.

Father Schmitz states that “If I had followed

the counsel of ‘always assume the best of

the other,’ I would have been reminded that

there is so much more that I do not know

about another person’s life than what I do

know.”

January 2020 Spirituality Commission

Legislative & Anti-Pornography Report By Ellen Allen, Kasson MN

507-634-6673 ejallen2@kmtel.com

Page 9 Connecting Catholic Women

Lastly, pay attention to the who, the what,

and the how of correction. Who is the per-

son I am compelled to correct? Means:

What is my relationship with them? What is

my role in their life? Is this particular rela-

tionship one in which I have the responsibil-

ity to offer correction? One way to determine

that (on a subjective level) is to ask yourself:

Has this person given me permission to cor-

rect them? I know that is a “fuzzy

“question”, but attending to it can save you a

lot of grief. Even when it comes to certain

close friends and family members, we learn

quickly enough that some of them have not

given us permission to speak truth into their

lives. I have to be willing to accept the fact

that they may not accept correction.

What is the point on which I want to offer

correction? Am I wanting to correct a mere

preference of mine, or is this something

worth correcting? Am I putting forth merely

an opinion, or is this the actual truth? Be-

yond the basic question, I may also have to

ask whether the importance of the correction

is worth cashing in my “relationship clout”

with the other person. There is such a thing

as “majoring in the minors.” Is this point of

correction going to get in the way of being

able to help my friend or family member

when it comes to a more serious issue?

How one offers correction might be the most

important element of all. If we remember

the first thing to keep in mind (that I am ap-

proaching this person with my own baggage

and failures), then the how become clearer.

St. Peter wrote, “Always be ready to give a

reason for the hope that is within you, but do

it with gentleness and reverence” keeping

your conscience clear…..”(St.Peter 3:15-16)

While he is talking about offering a defense

for your faith in Christ, being aware of the

call to speak with “gentleness and rever-

ence” when offering correction is necessary.

In addition, Jesus makes it very clear that we

are not given permission to publicly correct

our brothers and sisters. Jesus said, “If your

brother sins against you, go and tell him his

fault, between you and him alone. If he lis-

tens to you, you have gained your brother.

But if he does not listen, take one or two oth-

ers along with you, that every charge may be

established by the evidence of two or three

witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them,

tell it to the church. And if he refuses to lis-

ten even to the church, let him be to you as

Gentile and tax collector” (Mathew 18:15-

17). The first step is to correct privately, and

the ultimate step is to bring it to the Church,

not the world. This is important to remember

in our social media day and age.

**The responsibility to offer correction is not

to be taken upon oneself lightly. Prayer is

necessary. Examining one’s own motives is

necessary. And finally, being willing to go un-

heard and unheeded is also necessary.

Father Schmitz is Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for

the Diocese of Duluth and Chaplain of Newman Center at

University of Minnesota Duluth—fathermikeschmitz@gmail.com

Legislative & Pornography Report continued:

GUARDIAN ANGELS

Because He loves you, God has assigned special an-

gels called Guardian Angels, to look after you.

Guardian angels protect us, watch over us, care for

us, and help us to follow our Lord Jesus.

Angels are pure spirits, holy beings whom God cre-

ated to have direct contact with Himself. Angels are

God’s messengers. They are invisible, immortal, and

have great intelligence. The angels worship God face

-to-face at all times. Scripture teaches that God

sends angels from heaven to earth to deliver help,

warnings, or exciting news as they help Him in His

mission to save all people.

Angels are a link between heaven and earth, be-

tween God and His people. Angels sometimes ap-

pear to people while they are asleep. An angel ap-

peared to Joseph in his dreams to tell him that Mary

was expecting the Son of God. At other times angels

take a human form. The Bible tells us that angels worship only God. The Church,

the people of God, joins with the angels in adoring God. Angels are happy when peo-

ple come to know and love God.

Beside each believer stands an angel as a protector and a shepherd leading him or

her to life. –St. Basil the Great.

The whole Church, and all her members, benefits from the mysterious and powerful

help of the angels. From the beginning, we are surrounded by their ever-watchful

care and prayer. As believers, we each have an angel to protect and shepherd us. At

the moment of our birth, each of us is given a Guardian Angel to accompany us

through life. In this way we already share here on earth in the blessed company of

the angels.

Jesus once said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones for I say to you

that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” Mat-

thew 18:10

Page 10 Connecting Catholic Women

Legislative & Pornography Report continued:

When Herod threw Saint Peter into prison, his fellow believers prayed for his safety.

God heard their prayers, and He sent an angel to the prison. The angel removed Pe-

ter’s chains. At first Peter thought it was all a dream, but when the angel led him

past the guards, outside the prison, and into freedom, he realized that God had sent

an angel to deliver him.

Our Guardian Angels are always there to help us –they are our partners on the path

to heaven. Let us call on our Guardian Angels to protect us and help us to follow Je-

sus and to live good lives.

Countless angels exist in heaven. Scripture mentions nine choirs or division, of an-

gelic beings. St. Gregory the Great, St. Thomas Aquinas and other theologians attest

to this. Some groups of angels have specific roles and perform particular tasks.

Some of these angels seem to be in charge of various areas. The Bible names only

three archangels – Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael; very powerful beings who are

very close to God and have the authority to bring about great change.

Saint Michael is God’s most trusted angel, and he carries out heaven’s commands.

A fierce warrior, protector and comforting guardian. He is the greatest angel of all.

Archangel Gabriel is best known of the angels. Gabriel was the angel who appeared

to the Virgin Mary, announced to her the breathtaking news that she would conceive

and bear the Son of God. The name Raphael means “God heals”. The Bible men-

tions only four (4) angels. In the beginning they were all good, but one of them, Luci-

fer, was tempted into sin and became God’s enemy. Then Lucifer and rebel army

was thrown out of heaven. At this point Lucifer was given a new name –Satan.

Daily Prayer to Guardian Angel

Angel of God, my Guardian dear,

to whom God’s loves, commits me here.

Ever this day be at my side,

to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen

Guardian Angel Prayer Book 8/4/2011 Aquinas Press

Page 11 Connecting Catholic Women

Legislative & Pornography Report continued:

Page 12 Connecting Catholic Women

January 2020 Leadership Commission By Eleanore Jones, 17434 Co. 14, Spring Valley, MN 55975

eleanore_j@hotmail.com 507-937-3460

Attending Convention is a great time to meet new people, share ideas and take back some helpful tidbits

to share with our members at home who could not attend.

The Leadership Commission has created some great resources for its members that you may want to

take a moment to learn about or revisit if it’s been a while. A few of my favorites are Everyone is on the

Membership Committee, Mentoring: Women to Women, 12 Ways to Increase Membership and Ways to

Become a Better Listener. These can be found on the NCCW website (Click on Commissions: Leader-

ship). Listening will be a hallmark of the Leadership Commission. I truly be-

lieve everyone has something of value to share. Membership is our greatest

asset and our greatest challenge. Let’s make 2020 the year we forge new

roads in membership. If you are a new Individual Member, we want to hear

from you! Let’s plan to connect you so we can keep you an active member of

NCCW. Do you know someone who used to belong to NCCW, but they allowed

their membership to lapse? Reach out to them and invite them back. Maybe

they didn’t feel connected. Maybe they want to be asked. Let’s commit to try-

ing new things and to being open to change. (from Oct. 2019 Connect 2020

NCCW a Vision for the Future by Ruth Warren, Leadership Commission Chair)

Don’t forget to check out the www.nccw.org website, where Young women in high school and college now

have an opportunity to become part of the National Council of Catholic Women. All the forms are on the

website. Share your love for Council. We need to improve communication to welcome more women. Be-

gin an email group or set up a regular conference call. Include all individual members and all affiliated

groups. Share the “We Are NCCW” video from the website. Utilize the New Member Welcome Kit. Set up

mentoring relationships. Listening is as important as speaking.

We need to prepare for our new council year in 2020. Not only are we celebrating our 100th anniversary

as an organization, we are celebrating Catholic women as a whole. Let us prepare to build our member-

ship by building new relationships with other Catholic Women who may not be active members of Council.

If a new member attends your meeting introduce her to other members and don’t let her leave without

securing her contact information so you can call her to make contact again. Follow-up is vital at this

stage. It may only take some preparation and planning. Remember, as women, we are very good at this.

There are three methods of recruiting new members: Advertising or publicity about your Council or event.

A personal referral to a potential member. A personal invitation … face to face. We all know that a com-

bination of a referral with a personal invitation will produce the best results. We can all prepare a strat-

egy to increase our membership using these three methods. Have a plan if a potential member attends

your meeting or event and be sure you have a New Member Welcome Packet to give her.

What does Council do for me? It offers spiritual strength and renewal. It presents opportunities to live

out your faith in service to others. It offers ways to positively impact others as a Catholic woman. It pro-

vides a place to make friends and have fun.

Membership is our greatest asset and our greatest challenge. Let’s make 2020 the year we forge new

roads in membership.

Page 13 Connecting Catholic Women

Report from 2019 Convention Caring for God’s Creation

We are to see the wonder and awe in All of God’s Creation.

In doing so we are to look at it in terms of the common good.

Pope Francis has a master’s degree in chemistry. He says

that we created a Frankenstein monster. Nature never for-

gives. The bible states “All is created by Him and for Him”.

Mary cared for Jesus Christ and now she cares for the poor

of the earth. We are to be stewards of All Creation.

The Mass on Thursday was said by the Most Reverend Joel

M. Konzen, S.M. Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta Archdiocese.

This was also the feast of the Queenship of Mary and the

bishop spoke of Mary’s qualities. She is as example of hu-

mility, service and caring. When she says: “Do whatever He

tells you”, this shows her trust in God. She has the greatest

impact as Mother, and may her qualities be shown in us.

The work of the church is what we are all about. We seek

and respond to His needs. He said Mary is the best model for NCCW with her unblemished life of humility

and service. He thanked us for our good works over the past 99 years.

Keynote speaker Most Rev. Peter Rosazza, auxiliary bishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Hartford

shared with us that climate change is happening and affecting the earth. It is not just a political issue but

is an essential part of our faith to protect our creation. He emphasized that Pope Francis is calling for a

new attitude toward climate change, saying “All have to be concerned and it needs to be intergenera-

tional.” (from Catholic Woman convention coverage)

Dan Misleh, founding executive director of Catholic Climate Covenant, the lead on Pope Francis’s encycli-

cal Laudato Si in the U.S., gave Convention attendees mind-boggling statistics of what is happening to our

earth. Greenhouse gases are being released faster than at any time in the last 66 million years. At least

224 locations in the world experienced all-time heat records in 2018 and this increased heat caused tre-

mendous rainfalls and extreme droughts. Most of the heat created is trapped in the ocean and increased

water vapor over oceans. This heat and water vapor cause acceleration of extreme weather like for in-

stance hurricanes. According to Dan, Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si has a broad vision and is

meant for everyone. It is in the natural world where most people find God; unfortunately, the earth is seri-

ously threatened. We were reminded by our speaker that there is hope. Wind energy, solar batteries,

LED lights, solar energy and investment in new generating capacity (fossil vs wind) all make a difference.

Misleh concluded with Pope Francis’ statement, “A great cultural, spiritual and educational challenge

stands before us, and it will demand that we set out on the long path of renewal.” (Laudato Si 202) (from

Catholic Woman convention coverage)

I will have more coverage of the convention in my next report. Wishing you all a very Blessed and Merry

Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

Page 14 Connecting Catholic Women

January 2020 Service Commission

Family & Community Concerns Report Barb Hussong, 35746 840th St, Okabena MN 56161

sbhussong@gmail.com (507) 360-5582

How to Be a Kindness Role Model

When I get the opportunity to have an evening meal with my Grandchildren, each child has to tell about

their good and not so good thing that happened to them during the day. Many times, they speak about

an act of kindness that they did. It warms my

heart to see how good that act of kindness

makes them feel.

As many of us have experienced, being kind

makes us feel good and motivates us to per-

form more acts of kindness. This feedback loop

can have a very powerful impact. We might ask

ourselves, “How do I want to treat other people

and how do I want to be treated?” We can ob-

serve and notice opportunities for kindness all

around us, offer small acts of kindness to oth-

ers, and talk to our children about what we are

doing and why.

It can be hard to show kindness in our daily in-

teractions—for us, as well as for our kids. We

can be hampered by the busyness in our lives

or by more negative influences in the world, like

bullying, intolerance, hate crimes, and more.

Since we know our kids are watching what we

do and listening to how we speak, we should

have connections to all kinds of people—those

who are similar to as well as different from us.

If, consciously or unconsciously, we speak

negatively about individuals or communities

outside our own social groups, our children will

likely be influenced by that and be discouraged

from exploring relationships with those people.

It’s important for us to foster empathy skills in

our children so that they can learn to care about other people’s viewpoints. Although we don’t always

know firsthand exactly what someone is feeling or thinking, we can show our kids how important it is to

ask questions and to listen carefully to someone’s answers in order to understand their situation better.

This teaches kids that what they may need in a situation is not necessarily what another person would

need.

a single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions and the roots spring up and make new trees

Page 15 Connecting Catholic Women

All of us can give something, whether it is our time, talent, expertise, or material goods. By giving to others

and teaching our children to do so, we are laying the foundation for their future happiness and health.

Talking to our kids about why we give and how it impacts us and others is vital for them to continue to

give of themselves as they get older.

Each act of kindness makes a difference. Even the smallest gesture of kindness communicates to some-

one that we respect and value them. Through kindness, we can encourage our children to be a force for

good and change in the world.

Ways you can make this world kinder and more connected:

Talk to children about what kindness looks like

Smile and make eye contact

Hold a door open for someone

Send a thank you card to someone

Volunteer for an event or organization

Play a game or puzzle with someone in a

senior living facility

Welcome new people to the neighborhood

Let someone cut in front of you in a traffic jam.

Stop to talk with an elderly neighbor, even though you are in a rush.

Work at a soup kitchen or organize a clothing drive.

Let’s all make a goal to add more acts of kindness in 2020.

Mother Teresa once said,

“We cannot do great things on this earth,

only small things with great love.”

Family & Community Concerns Report continued:

This is a decoration I have on my desk at work.

Even in stressful situations….Be Kind!

Page 16 Connecting Catholic Women

I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. It is December and the season of giving and gifting.

There are many special charities we can give to during the Christmas season, but for many of you, giving

to others is something you do year round.

Thank you to everyone who donated so much to the Sacred Heart Haiti Missions and the Rochester Medi-

cal Missions on September 28 at our annual convention. Both trucks were filled, plus a trailer and a cou-

ple of pickup trucks were filled for Sacred Heart. Hundreds of quilts, diapers, dresses, britches for boys

were sewn, plastic mats were crocheted and so much more. So much time and love go into creating these

items, collecting and packing them. I also want to thank the many volunteers who helped load the trucks.

The last container sent to Sacred Heart Haiti Missions finally cleared customs in November and was deliv-

ered to the Missionaries of Charity. The Sisters were very happy to receive the needed items. Sacred

Heart will not be taking donations until spring. Presently they have enough to send two containers in the

spring. They are grateful to our CCW groups for all the donations we have made.

Here is an update on our stamp ministry project. Preferred Stamps: U.S stamps off or on paper, especially

commemorative stamps, Non-U.S. stamps, on or off paper, U.S. Mint Strips and Plate Blocks, U.S. Mint

Stamp Sheets, First Day covers and Album Collections. Less desirable stamps are: U.S small flags, Liberty

Bell and fireworks. These stamps are plentiful and have little or no resale value; recent low denomination

stamps 1, 5 and 10 cent stamps and U.S. nonprofit and presort stamps. Also save stamps that are not

too heavily cancelled, are not torn, cut or stained. Leave at least ¼ inch on each side of the stamp when

cutting it from the envelope. Send stamps to: Sister M.Jane Chantel, CSC, Stamp Ministry, 100 Augusta

Hall- Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, IN 46556 .Questions- call 574-284-5675.

There is a new recycling project which is in the NCCW December

2019 Connect under the Service Commission Report. The project is

“Wands for Wildlife.” As you change out old mascara and eyelash

primer wands you can donate them to help wildlife in Appalachia.

These wands are accepted only in February and October. They are

used to remove fly effs and larva from fur & feathers of wild ani-

mals. Wash them in warm soapy water to remove residual mascara.

Mail the form (Google Wands for Life), the old wands collected and

any donations you have to APPALACHAIN WILDLIFE REFUGE/PO

Box1211/Skyland N.C. 28776. Check postage and packing require-

ments at the post office. This is a recycling project! I would be willing to collect them at our 2020 conven-

tion and mail them in October.

Merry Christmas!

Pray for peace and good will

for our brothers and sisters around the world

during this holy season!

January 2020 Service Commission

International Report By Rosanne Buehler, 406 N. Hill St, La Crescent, MN 55947

brbuehler@acegroup.cc 507-895-2403 (H)

Page 17 Connecting Catholic Women

POPE’S PRAYER INTENTIONS 2020

JANUARY Promotion of World Peace

We pray that Christians, followers of other religions, and all people of goodwill may promote peace and justice in the world.

FEBRUARY Listen to the Migrants’ Cries

We pray that the cries of our migrant brothers and sisters, victims of criminal traf-ficking, may be heard and considered.

MARCH Catholics in China

We pray that the Church in China may persevere in its faithfulness to the Gospel and grow in unity.

Anyone is welcome to contribute articles to this E-news. Cutoff date for arti-

cles is March 26th, June 26th, Sept. 26th, Dec. 26th. Please send your submis-

sion to wdccw@dow.org. Our President reviews all items and reserves the

right to decline them before they are printed.

Barb Hussong, Communications Committee for the WDCCW

Page 1

Next Winona-Rochester Diocese Quarterly CCW Meeting Wednesday, January 8, 2019

St. Theodore Parish, 315 E. Clark St, Albert Lea, MN

8:00 a.m. Light Breakfast

9:00 a.m. Mass

Morning Speaker Bev McCarvel, Brewster MN

“100 Years: A Potpourri of Practical Points”

Afternoon Speaker Kathy Schuman

“Mental Illness and Suicide”

2:00 p.m. Adjournment

Contact Jeanette Fortier (507-358-7144) fortierjeanette@gmail.com

or Mary Schweiss—schweiss958@yahoo.com to reserve for lunch

Page 18 Connecting Catholic Women

All of us from the

Winona-Rochester

Diocesan Council Board

wish all of you a

Merry Christmas

and Blessed New Year!