Palm Beach Diocesan Council of Catholic Women at 6559 NW 32nd Av, Coconut Creek, FL 33073 US - National Council of Catholic Women Convenes 2005 Biennial Convention

Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory recognized the members of NCCW saying, "Your devotion to the mission of Christ inspires us to be more faithful and loving and devoted to the service of the Church." In
reflecting on the nation-wide response to victims of Hurricane Katrina, he noted NCCW members "have rallied the Church to undertake works of charity and service" and added "quite simply, the face of Christ has been made more visible in the works of charity that you have spearheaded during the past fortnight and on so many other occasions within the local churches who are graced with your presence."

Award-winning Catholic author and journalist, Antoinette Bosco, received the NCCW 2005 Distinguished Service Award for her writing and witness to the healing power of love and forgiveness and her courageous advocacy to end the use of the death penalty. In accepting the award, she said, "Thank you for this wonderful honor. Every one of you here could wear the badge of distinguished service and lifetime achievement; every helping hand you offer is the hand of our good Lord. . . . No achievement comes easily, without pain or price, but we have a mission to make this God’s world."

Collections taken at the Convention raised more than $2,000 for Operation Family Rescue which supports wounded members of the armed forces and their families through assistance for lodging, meals, and transportation; $6,032 for CRS for Hurricane Katrina victims; and $3,835 to support the May 31–June 7, 2006, meeting of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO), which will take place for the first time in the U.S., hosted by the National Council of Catholic Women and held in Arlington, Virginia.

John Carr, director of the USCCB Department of Social Development and World Peace*, praised NCCW as "an organization that takes its social mission seriously, adding "NCCW is the most reliable partner we have." Carr spoke about the key elements of Catholic social mission, including its social principle, human rights and responsibilities, option for the poor, the dignity and rights of workers, solidarity, and the common good. "The human person is not only sacred but social," he noted. "How many in our church do not understand what you understand—that our faith is profoundly social."

NCCW members came to learn about the bishops’ new initiative for 
immigration reform in a workshop presented by Joan Neal of CRS, Leo 
Anchondo, national campaign manager, Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform, and Susan Colussy of Immigration Services, Catholic Social Services of Atlanta, Inc. Neal noted that around the globe there are 150 million migrants, refugees, and victims of human trafficking and that trafficking is a $10 billion "growth industry." She pointed out that Catholic teaching defends the right to migrate and the right to find opportunities in people’s own homeland through just living wages.  Colussy summarized the complexities of current immigration law, noting that currently people may face 10 to 20 year waits for immigration visas: "People are not going to wait that long to be reunited with their families." Anchondo discussed the principles in the bishops’ proposals for immigration reform, among them: address the economic, political, and social causes of migration; reunite families without excessive waiting time; reform employment-based immigration; and restore due process.

Other convention sessions and workshops included topics such as 
organizational adaptation to meet the changing needs of Catholic women in the U.S., the journey of hope and healing after the death of a child,
audacious women of the Bible, and safe-guarding the health of children 
through greater environmental awareness and action.

NCCW President Margaret Gray of Williamsburg, Virginia, announced the results of the biennial election held during the convention. On September 18, the following officers were installed to lead the NCCW for the next two years: President—Ellen Bachman, Diocese of Palm Beach; Region I Vice President—Barbara Ericson, Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis; Region II Vice President—Bobbie Hunt, Diocese of Salt Lake; Region III Vice President—Shirley Radican, Archdiocese of Atlanta; Secretary—Janie Southerland, Diocese of St. Augustine; Treasurer—Irene Sylvain, Diocese of Portland, Maine.

At the closing Eucharist of the convention, Archbishop John G. Vlazny of Portland, Oregon, reflected on the readings and the mission of NCCW: "These past few days you have come together united in faith with the deep conviction that bonded together as sisters in the family of God, you can make a difference. All of us, understandably, search for happiness, for a sense of fulfillment, for God. That happiness will inevitably escape us if we continue to measure and compare ourselves with others. Nor must we be jealous because God is good and generous. Congratulations on . . . the wonderful ways in which you promote our church’s evangelizing mission, leading and guiding our families and parishes and communities in the ways of God, helping us appreciate and cherish God’s thoughts and God’s ways much more than our own.