E-NEWSWINONA DIOCESAN COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN

December 2017

Mission Statement: The Winona Diocesan Council of Catholic Women acts through its affiliated organizations to support, empower, and educate all Catholic Women in the areas of Spirituality, Leadership and Service. WDCCW programs respond with Gospel values to the needs of the church and society in the modern world.

President’s Message:

Greetings to one and all from your 31st Diocesan President, Jeanette Fortier. I hope this message finds you in good health and spirits and I extend wishes for a Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with much grace and many blessings! Where do you find joy? That is my question for this first e-news article? In what places and moments do you find joy in your life? It is my hope that membership in the Council of Catholic Women brings you joy. Not only in the educational and spiritual programs CCW offers but the gathering of women and the connections we create through membership, I think of the Blessed Virgin Mary when she traveled to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. Joy! I would ask you to reflect on the question and share your thoughts with me.

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I am the first single woman to lead WDCCW. Over the past 40 + years I have been a Director of Religious Education and a Director of Liturgy and Music. Currently, I babysit a grandniece and two grandnephews once a week (ages 1,3, & 4). I help with an hour of music at Rochester Madonna Towers for skilled care and memory care on Wednesdays (I get to see former WDCCW President Grace Kopischke). I sing for an hour each Thursday morning with the Sisters on the third floor of Assisi Heights with Sr. Joanne Loecher. I play for Mass, help pray the Rosary, and do an hour of music with the residents at the Stewartville Care Center and I direct the choir at St. Mary’s in Chatfield, on Sunday mornings. There is music and joy everywhere! As my term unfolds over these next two years, I invite you to join me in building up the Council of Catholic in our Diocese, to help others see the joy in Council work, to “Look To Mary” as our guide that we may work for Christ and the Church with joy and gladness. Our first WDCCW gathering will be held on Wednesday, January 10, 2018 in Johnsburg. I hope you can join us. There will be speakers for MCCL and Liturgy – the Spirituality arm of the Council. Watch for the agenda and plan to attend. It will be a “joy” to see

Eleanore Jones 17434 Co. 14 Spring Valley, MN 55975 eleanore_j@hotmail.com 507-937-3460WDCCW acts through its affiliated organizations to support, empower, and educate all Catholic Women in spirituality, leadership and service. WDCCW programs respond with Gospel values to the needs of the Church and society in the modern world. I have taken on the position of Vice President of WDCCW. You probably remember me as being the Legislative, Respect-Life and Anti-Pornography Commission person. These positions have been turned over to very competent hands. I feel that my work is to get many more women to see the joy of being a member in our counsel and to live our life of the Catholic faith for all to see.My husband, William, and I celebrated our 50th anniversary on Jan. 28, 2017. We have 11 living children (6 boys and 5 girls) and 3 miscarriages, have 43 grandchildren (21 boys and 23 girls) and expecting our 10th great-grandchild in April 2018 (4 girls and 5 boys). Bill’s been retired since 2011 and we are kept very busy with our children and their families. They all live within 40 miles and closer from us except for the two youngest. A son lives in the country outside of Minnesota and our youngest daughter lives in Gillette, WY. We both feel so blessed with our large family. I was once asked by one of my grandchildren why we had so many children and the response was: “That there would be more souls to give honor and glory to God in heaven!” Putting thought into intentionally spending our time and resources for the glory of God is the most important thing we will do with our lives. As we understand ourselves in light of God’s purposes, we are moved to action, can filter opportunities as they present themselves, equipped with compass pointing toward God’s purposes for our lives and convinced that we are a part of a bigger story.Promotion and Development seems to be the area most in need of change. We need to look at ways that we can grow and strengthen our membership. Our membership is aging. We should be using our

wisdom and knowledge to groom the next generation of Christian Women. We should be energizing and growing our membership. To do that we need to get more young women of the parishes to join us. Personal invitations are the best way to get others involved. I think that this Family Prayer fits us. It would be good for all of us to say this prayer often. Maybe this will give us strength as a faith family.Family PrayerGod made us a family.We need one another. We love one another.We work together.We play together.We worship together. Together we use God’s word.Together we grow in Christ.Together we love all people.Together we serve our God.Together we hope for heaven. These are our hopes and ideals.Help us to attain them, O God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I encourage you to go out on a limb – that’s where the best fruit is. It is not about getting ladies to come to meetings – it is about getting them to be excited about their faith. St. Francis of Assisi said: “I did what God asked me to do. See to it that you do what God asks you to do.”We need to focus on mentoring high school and college women. Young Women’s Affiliate Group Membership is being studied by an NCCW committee and will be released when finished. A new eight-page packet on Domestic Violence and a new edition of the Guidance and Resource Manuel are available by contacting the national office.

Don’t forget and mark your calendars: Province Conference will be held June 25 – 26, 2018, at St. John Vianney in Fairmont. On the first day the LTD team will be doing training. This is very beneficial for all of us as we begin our journey in 2018.

PROVINCE DIRECTOR REPORT (Mpls/St. Paul Province) September16, 2017 St. Cloud DCCW Conference Little Falls, MN Good Morning. My name is Irene Schmidt. I am originally from New Munich and for the last 44 years have lived in Opole; my husband is Ron and we have 3 children and 5 grandchildren. I was our parish president of the Christian Mothers 3 times before I realized that our parish group belonged to a larger organization, so I would like to describe the hierarchy of the organization. Province Director - cont.: Province Explanation: • Parish > Deanery >Diocese > Province > National • We have representation at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the United Nations, World Union Catholic Women's Organization (WUCWO), Catholic Social Ministry Gathering and Religious Alliance Against Pornography The Province consists of North and South Dakota and Minn. Province Director is a 2-year term and directors serving rotate between the 5

dioceses in Minnesota that are active; North and South Dakota dioceses are inactive. Province Director - cont.: Province Explanation: • Parish > Deanery >Diocese > Province > National • We have representation at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the United Nations, World Union Catholic Women's Organization (WUCWO), Catholic Social Ministry Gathering and Religious Alliance Against Pornography The Province consists of North and South Dakota and Minn. Province Director is a 2-year term and directors serving rotate between the 5 dioceses in Minnesota that are active; North and South Dakota

dioceses are inactive. The St Cloud Diocesan director term comes up every 10 years. Eva Koep was the last Province Director from the St. Cloud Diocese. The National Council of Catholic Women, founded on March 4, 1920, celebrated its 97th year of service to God and the Church at the annual Convention, September 6-9, 2017 in Dallas, Texas, with the theme: Catholic Women: Living the Joy of the Gospel. Nine ladies from St. Cloud Diocese just returned from the NCCW Convention. It is hard (impossible) to explain the feeling that you get when you are surrounded by 600 women, who all share the same connection as you, from all different walks of life; some very educated - Drs, lawyers, women who have had their own businesses and many more just ordinary moms. I can’t call us moms uneducated because we all have had life's lessons. Everyone is so different, but we all have one goal in mind - to live our life so that we can answer to the Lord when we meet him. These 600 women from all around the United States, undeterred by hurricane Harvey and the imminent threat of Irma, joined with their Council sisters to pray and worship, hear motivating talks from renowned speakers, vote on resolutions, welcome incoming officers, visit the jam-packed exhibit hall and tour Dallas, while staying at the beautiful Hilton Anatole in the Dallas Design District. From the hilarity of Sister’s Christmas Catechism, to liturgies that filled attendees with peace and a profound sense of camaraderie as hundreds of NCCW sisters and Spiritual Advisors joined in praise, NCCW members not only experienced a most memorable time together, they also raised funds for and donated necessities to hurricane victims. Speakers for the 2017 National Convention included: Mary Rice Hasson, a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. where she directs the Catholic Women’s Forum, an initiative that responds to Pope Francis’ call for Catholic women to assume a higher profile within the Church; Stacy Thomlison, missionary for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (Focus); Dale Recinella, spiritual counselor and Catholic lay chaplain to prisoners as well as author of numerous books on the

death penalty; and Mother Susan Catherine Kennedy, a former Nacogdoches County judge who founded the order of the Daughters of Divine Hope in 2010, after the death of her husband. A special treat for Convention attendees was the opportunity to view the trailer for SONY Picture’s movie, THE STAR; and to attend a pre-release presentation of the movie, Same Kind of Different as Me, based on the best-selling book. Maribeth Stewart, NCCW President said: “In Convention, the scope and breadth of our NCCW becomes vibrantly apparent as we gather from across the country to pray, laugh, and learn what together we can do through the interaction of all levels of Council to make our world a better place. I expect that attendees will come away with a renewed sense of appreciation for our NCCW, thankful for all those who established and who have remained true to our Mission through these last 97 years. We now look to a future bright with promise as we move forward in our commitment to unite and assist American Catholic women to live fully the Joy of the Gospel.” There is a New executive director, a more user- friendly office and website. There is a new program - going to colleges and high schools to recruit members.

Province Director - cont.: Goals of the USCCB • Promote Laity • Form Godly Parents • Pastoral plan for Marriage If you have concerns - write them down, along with name and contact info and get it to me I would like to encourage you to go out on a limb - that’s where the best fruit is. It is not about getting ladies to come to meetings - it is about getting them to be excited about their faith. St. Francis of Assisi said: “I did what God asked me to do. See to it that you do what God asks you to do”. Irene Schmidt, Province Director, Past St. Cloud DCCW President, Melrose Sauk Centre & St

Joseph Deanery President, and Past Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Opole Parish President

Valerie Ehlenfeldt - P.O. Box 83 Ostrander, MN 55961 (507-440-8629) - ehlenfeldt.valerie@yahoo.com Hello Ladies! I believe that I’ve introduced myself before, however, that was two years ago, and life is constantly changing. My name is Valerie Ehlenfeldt and I come from a good-sized Catholic family, born ninth of eleven children. When I initially took on this commission chair two years ago, my husband and I had just found out that we were pregnant with our fourth child. Fast forward to present times and within a month of celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary this past fall, we welcomed our fifth sweet baby (2nd boy) into the world. We also made the decision to transfer our oldest daughter to a Catholic school about 20 miles from our home but we live outside the district, so we drive her to and from school every day. We’ve had a couple of viruses and two cases of strep throat that have come through this house in the short time since the birth of our son. I have been feeling a little overwhelmed with everything going on at once, but when I find myself feeling this way, I tell myself “God is spoiling me.” Because He does! He always has and He always will. Each and every one of us is “spoiled” with innumerable graces, given to us by God, through Our Blessed Mother Mary. I choose to see that God lavishes me with a multitude of gifts. I choose joy. I am only human though, and do require a certain amount of encouragement at times so my husband and family are always there to help. I also draw much strength from the Blessed Virgin and the Saints as well. My spiritual life and love for the Mother of God and the Saints is a major part of what draws me to be the Spirituality – Church Commission Chair for the Winona Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. With five children under the age

of seven, you can expect that our household can be chaotic, but it is so full of love as well. Life is real and it can be crazy, but it is ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL! I don’t always have much free time, but I choose to make the time to give of myself to the women of the Diocese of Winona through my commission and in return I am able to keep my gaze on Heaven. I typically include in each quarterly commission report the life of at least one saint and a sacramental or devotional in our Catholic faith. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if there is anything that you would like to learn more about and I could possibly include it in a future report. Have a very Blessed Christmas and New Year. Remember to try to make the First Fridays and First Saturdays and say the Rosary daily as Our Blessed Mother asks that of each of us!

January 2018 Respect Life report for the Winona Diocese Council of Catholic Women Hello! My name is Linda McGuire. I am your new Respect Life chair for the WCCW. A bit about me: I am one of 9 children, raised in Rochester. Today, December 16th, would have been my mother’s 78th birthday. She was very instrumental in my strong prolife convictions and for that, as well as many other things, I will always be grateful. I am now married to my husband, Jim, and together we have one daughter, Kiera, age 9, whom we were so very blessed to adopt. We live in Mantorville and attend Holy Family parish in Kasson, Minnesota. I have been very involved in prolife activities for the last 20 years and am honored to have the opportunity to share information with the ladies of the diocese. St. John Paul II influenced me greatly while growing up. He warned that violence tolerated in the womb would begin to unravel respect for human life at all levels until violence becomes normal. Once life is

“inconvenient” and “dispensable”, caring for others as they age or find themselves in need may turn into burdensome acts rather than acts of love. This is part of the reason why the abortion issue is so important and why we must restore protection for those most vulnerable among us. December 15th marked the 22nd anniversary of the Minnesota Supreme Court decision of Doe V Gomez, which “found” a right to abortion in the state Constitution. It also mandated taxpayer funding of abortion in Minnesota for low-income women in Minnesota. This decision has led to one of the most extreme abortion policies in our country. Since the decision, Minnesota taxpayers have paid for over 80,000 abortions, with the overall percentage of taxpayer funded abortions increasing every year (44% in 2016 alone). Governor Dayton vetoed a bill to ban taxpayer funded abortions earlier this year. 2018 marks a new election cycle. We in Minnesota have a tremendous opportunity this cycle. Due to the resignation of Senator Franken, we will be voting for both of our Federal Senate seats as well as all the House of Representatives. Statewide, we will also be voting for a new Governor this year. It is important to pay attention to the candidates in these races as well as their stances on the issues. It would be wonderful if our elected Minnesota legislators would be committed to prolife and pro-family principles. Governor Dayton recently named Lt. Governor Tina Smith as the replacement for Senator Franken. She will fill out a term until November 2018, at which time there will be a special election to finish the final two years of his scheduled term. She has indicated she plans to run in that election as well. It is important to note that Tina Smith is a former vice-president of Planned Parenthood in Minnesota. While working for them, she consistently opposed common sense and empowering legislation such as Positive Alternatives and Women’s

Right to Know. Based upon her record, she supports abortion on demand, taxpayer-funding of abortion and has opposed funding of alternatives to abortion. One source of information to stay abreast of the issues is the Minnesota Catholic Conference (just do a google search). Another site to access is the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops (www.USCCB.org). To get voter advocacy information, click on USCCB- Action Center- Voter Voice. January 22nd marks the 45th anniversary of the tragic and unjust Roe v Wade and Doe V Bolton US Supreme Court decisions. Between the two decisions, protective laws were overturned in all 50 states and abortion on demand was legalized throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Since that time, over 60 million unborn children have been lost to abortion and millions of women and families have been harmed. Our diocese is sponsoring a bus to the March for Life in Washington DC again this year. The March is the largest prolife event in the world. Contact the Diocesan office for more information. The Washington DC Pro-Life Mass vigil will be held on January 18th at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and can be viewed on EWTN at approximately 4:30 PM. The March for Life, which has the theme of “Love Saves Lives” will be on January 19th can also be viewed on EWTN about 11 AM. If you are unable to go to Washington DC, Minnesota will also hold a March for Life on Monday, January 22nd. There will be a Respect Life prayer service at the Cathedral of St Paul followed by a march to the State Capitol where MCCL will offer a short program at 12:30 PM, announcing its 2018 legislative agenda. Several communities/churches offer bus service to this event. Contact info for the buses can be found by contacting MCCL at 612-825-6831.

Precinct caucuses are scheduled for Tuesday, February 6th at 7:00 PM. Caucuses allow you to show support for a candidate, raise an issue that’s important to you, influence whom your party will endorse for many offices and more. More information on precinct caucuses can be found at the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.state.mn.us and then searching for Caucus. February 8th marks the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, who was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery in Sudan and later Italy. She ultimately asserted her human dignity and refused to be enslaved and became a nun. She dedicated her life to sharing her testament of deliverance from slavery as well as comforting the poor and suffering. She died approximately 70 years ago and was declared a saint in 2000 and is the Patron Saint of Sudan. Churches are encouraged to share information regarding human trafficking, possibly by having educational movies followed by discussion. According to the USCCB, there are an estimated 21 million victims of human trafficking worldwide, impacting all countries. In the US, while domestic trafficking exists as well, an estimated 17,500 people are trafficked across our borders and forced into slavery each year. They may be sold into sex trafficking and/or labor trafficking. Pope Francis has said “Human trafficking is a crime against humanity. We must unite our efforts to free victims and stop this crime that’s become ever more aggressive, that threatens not just individuals, but the foundational values of society”. Minnesota has had many high-profile trafficking cases in the news and prayers, education and intervention continue to be needed. More information on trafficking can be found at www.usccb.org as well as www.mission21mn.org. Mission 21 is based in Rochester. The Department of Justice has officially launched an investigation into Planned Parenthood’s practice of selling aborted fetal body parts to researchers. David Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress had

previously produced several undercover videos detailing many abuses by and horrifying practices at Planned Parenthood. We welcome the investigation. Planned Parenthood closed 32 facilities in 2017. The abortion chain now has 597 facilities across the country, down from their peak of 938 in 1995. They have, however, merged several smaller clinics into large mega-clinics, such as their new mega-abortion clinic in St. Paul. I could go on but figure I had better sign off for now! Respectfully submitted, Linda McGuire December 16, 2017FAMILY & COMMUNITY CONCERNS COMMISSION Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I would like to introduce myself to you as the new Family & Community Concerns Commission Chair for the Diocese of Winona Council of Catholic Women. My name is Barb Hussong and I am a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of eight! I am also a parishioner at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Heron Lake, where I began my adult faith activities by teaching Sunday School for over twenty years. I was then asked to be Vice-President of our local CCW, which I had never attended one meeting! After prayerful consideration, I accepted the position of Vice-President and went on to be President for two terms. I then accepted the Vice-President position at the Worthington Area CCW and am currently in my second term as President. I hope that as the Family & Community Concerns Chair, I can provide you with thought provoking information that will deepen your spiritual life. Contact me with any ideas or questions that you may have at (507) 853-4523. With the new year approaching, I just thought that I would propose to you to throw out the typical “New Year’s Resolutions” and think about following these suggestions:

Mend a quarrel Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in work and deed. Keep a promise. Forget a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again. - Howard W. Hunter Winona Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Legislative and Anti-Pornography Commissions December 20, 2017 Ellen Allen 306 6th Ave. NW, Kasson, MN 55944 ejallen2@kmtel.com 507-634-6673 Hello, My name is Ellen Elizabeth Allen from Kasson, MN. I am retired and tired too. I have 6 grown children, 15 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. We attend Holy Family Church in Kasson. I am active in our church as a sacristan at weekday Masses; past CCW president; Eucharist minister for the homebound; & a liturgy reader. Father John Lasuba became our new pastor as of July 1st. He came from Sudan 12 years ago. We are getting acquainted with each other and he is working so hard to become part of our white church family. A very good young priest and he is being accepted nicely. As, you know I am accepting this job from Eleanore Jones and she has been keeping us updated on what is happening in the Minnesota legislature and on National congressional level; in addition, with pornography and how it has impacted our society.

Eleanore was good at this job. Yes, she is my mentor. It will take me some time to get up to speed, but I am going to work at it.

LEGISLATIVE President Donald Trump has made it a point this year to use the phrase “Merry Christmas” in addresses and in greetings, and published pictures of the White House decorations with a large Nativity Scene. This comes at a time when society takes measures to destroy the very memory of Christ from the Christmas season. At the annual Christmas in the Park display in the Cesar Chavez Park, San Jose, CA families will be greeted by a Satanic Christmas Tree, that features Satanic imagery with skulls and gargoyles, and a big black goat mask on top of it all. This anti-Christmas display is one of several anti-Christ, anti-American and anti-marriage displays in the park, in the form of Satanic, LGBT and Colin Kaepernick themes. Jason Minsky, executive director of Christmas in the Park said, “We saw what they decorated. We felt that was their freedom of speech right, and there wasn’t anything that we were going to do.

(Return to Order, John Horvat 12/17) In Fall 2018 elections, Minnesota will be electing a new governor and (2) two Federal Senators, plus a host of other different legislative offices to fill that I, yet, don’t have count of which ones it will be. It is imperative that we pay attention to the candidates in the races, and keep paying attention to the stances on all issues, along with where candidates stand on pro-life and pro-family issues. A source of information of the issues is Minnesota Catholic Conference, accessed on the internet by typing in Minnesota Catholic Conference. There are (9) topics for advocacy of different issues.

Under the specific area follow instructions to contact the legislators to make your opinion known. Another site is: MN State Legislature: Public Information Services for Advocacy of Minnesota Legislature Wikipedia- for historical information regarding the legislature. In addition, another site: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB.org). To get voter advocacy information, click on: USCCB-Action Center – Voter Voice. You will see there are several options to choose from to send message to various individuals. Send a message to President Trump – urge him to “Drop the HHS Mandate”. On May 4, 2017 Mr. Trump told the Little Sisters of the Poor that the government’s coercive contraceptive mandate would soon be over. He has not yet signed the executive order. He needs to be prodded to get that done. It may help if we act on this. nw(Melrose/Sauk Center Deanery 2017) What does the Bible say about immigration? What do Church doctors and theologians say? Above all, what does the greatest of doctors, Saint Thomas Aquinas, say about immigration? Does his opinion offer some insights to the burning issues now shaking the nation and blurring the national borders? Immigration is a modern problem and so some might think that the medieval Saint Thomas would have no opinion about the problem. And yet, he does. One has only to look in his masterpiece, the Summa Theologica. There one finds his analysis based on biblical insights that can add to the national debate. They are entirely applicable to the present. “Man’s relations with foreigners are twofold: peaceful and hostile. In making this affirmation, Saint Thomas affirms that not all immigrants are equal. Every nation has the right to decide which immigrants are beneficial, that is “peaceful” to the common good. As a matter of self-defense, the State can reject those criminal elements,

traitors, enemies and others who it deems harmful or “hostile” to its citizens. The State has the right and duty to apply its law. The law can and should protect foreigners from being badly treated or molested. However, he sets as the first condition for acceptance a desire to integrate fully into what would today be considered the culture and life of the nation. A second condition is that granting of citizenship would not be immediate. The integration process takes time. People need to adapt themselves to the nation. St. Thomas does not give a time frame for this integration, but he does admit that it can take a long time. Immigration must have two things in mind: the first is the nation’s unity; and the second is common good. The immigrant should not only desire to assume the benefits but the responsibilities of joining into the full fellowship of the nation. By becoming a citizen, a person becomes part of a broad family over the long term and not a shareholder in a joint stock company seeking only short-term serf-interest. (www.returntoorder.ore/2014/07) Anti—Pornography Defending Dignity, Executive Director, Dawn Hawkins on a Delta flight to give talk on connection between pornography and sex trafficking witnessed a man viewing graphic pornography in what appeared to very young girls. She confronted him, but the crew did nothing to address the issue. Dawn initiated an activism campaign and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation got Delta, as well as all other major commercial airlines except for American Airlines to reinforce their policy regarding no pornography on planes. However, business owner and reporter Angela Zatopek had an almost identical experience on a Delta flight since then and had an almost identical experience on a Delta flight. She confronted the man, and brought the issue to the attention of the flight crew. They told her nothing could be done and to file a complaint later online.

**ACTION: email Delta executives and tell them to enforce their policies against pornography on planes.

(National Center on Sexual Exploitation12/17) Judge Accused of Sexual Harassment Should Step Down Several women who served as his clerks and externs have accused Federal Appeals Judge Alex Kozinski of sexual misconduct. Kozinski is a veteran of California’s U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. (National Center on Sexual Exploitation 12/17) Social Media Campaign to #Tackle Demand for Super Bowl Sex Trafficking Reaches Over 1 Million People The National Center on Sexual Exploitation partnered with over 25 other human rights and antitrafficking organizations to send one simple message on the night of the Super Bowl: “Real sports fans don’t buy sex.” This simple concept caught on, and by the end of the night, over 1 million individuals saw this message through sharing on social media. (National Center on Sexual Exploitation 12/17)

International Commission Rosanne Buehler 406 N. Hill St., La Crescent, MN 55947 507-895-2403 brbuehler@acegroup.cc I wish you a very Healthy and Blessed New Year. I am starting my 3rd year as International Commission Chairman. For the last two years Linda Thesing and I served as co-chairmen. I’d like to thank Linda for serving with me for the last two years.

Here’s a little about me. I am a long-time member of Crucifixion Parish in La Crescent. I am retired. My husband and I operated an apple orchard and retail stand in La Crescent for 23 years. I serve as International Chairman for Crucifixion CCW. I am also Treasurer for the Caledonia Area CCW. I look forward to serving in 2018 and I’ve enjoyed serving for the last two years on the WDCCW Board, traveling to many parishes and meeting many of you across the diocese. I’d like to thank everyone who brought donations amounting to hundreds of boxes of goods for the Rochester Medical Missions and Sacred Heart Haiti Missions at our Convention on October 14 at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Rochester. Thank you to Dale and Joyce Grabarkiewicz of Sacred Heart Haiti Missions and Diane Wagner from Rochester Medical Missions for having trucks and volunteers there. We will have another collection at our convention in October 2018. All requested items will be the same as in 2017. January is a time when I like to start sewing projects. Items needed are pillowcase dresses, diapers, britches for boys, fabric tote bags and angel dresses. If anyone would like a pattern, please let me know and I will send you directions or a pattern. Bandages are made from old sheets. Cut strips 3 inches wide and roll three 10 ft. strips on a pencil and fasten with a tie. Quilts are always welcome. Both missions take quilts. Haiti takes lighter weight ones and Rochester Medical Missions sends to over 90 countries so they can take heavier ones. We have two worthy after Christmas projects which are: re-purposing Cancelled Stamps and Card Fronts. Here’s how: Send cancelled stamps to Sister Jane Chantal, CSC, Manager of the Stamp Room! Sisters of the Holy Cross use the money raised to benefit their Ministry with the Poor fund. Stamps should be trimmed with a 1/4-1/2 “border. Do Not Try To Remove From Envelope! Send to: Office of Development Stamp Room, 407 Bertrand Hall- St. Mary’s Notre Dame, IN 46556-5000 Send CARD FRONTS (with no hand-written notes) to the children at St. Jude’s Ranch for Children. They cut and paste and use cards to create

new cards which then are sold. All card fronts are needed- Birthday, Valentines, Thanksgiving, Anniversary, Get Well and Christmas. Do not send Hallmark, American Greetings or Disney. Send to: St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, 100 St. Jude’s St., Boulder City, NV. 890