90th annual DCCW convention filled with joy
SALT LAKE CITY — More than 300 women from throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City gathered April 28-29 at the Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel for a weekend of spirituality and socializing during the 90th annual Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Convention.
The convention, which had 50 first-time attendees, had as its theme “Be Full of Joy.”
On Saturday, the convention opened with a prayer service. The music ministry provided by the African choir from St. Patrick Parish, which got the women on their feet to worship. Afterward, the DCCW spiritual advisor, Fr. Rene Rodillas, who is also pastor of St. Olaf Parish, asked God to “bless all the works of our hands, and may the works that we do truly glorify Him and not ourselves.”
Mary LeBaron, president of the Southwest Deanery, which hosted the convention, said in her remarks, “Thank you, Jesus, we are a resurrection people, and I would like to see resurrection faces all weekend – and those are faces filled with joy, joy and gratitude.”
Outgoing president Marcy Downs said in her final message, “I like things that are simple, short and sweet, but life is definitely not patterned this way. Life is full of obstacles, adventures, happiness and sadness. As Catholic women we unite with one another to become stronger, educated women on all levels of spirituality, leadership and service. ...”
Downs also highlighted this year’s DCCW statewide service project, “Bringing Joy to Those in Need,” which will benefit domestic violence shelters.
DCCW also supports Give Me a Chance in Ogden and the Carmelite nuns in Holladay.
The keynote address was given by Sheri Wohlfert, a mother of three adult children and certified Religious Education Instructor for the Diocese of Lansing, Mich. Wohlfert is a member of St. Mary Parish and teaches sixth grade at St. Mary Elementary School.
“Ladies, we serve the most magnificent God, and that amazing God we serve is waiting for us. He’s waiting for us in the laundry, he’s waiting for us in the carpool, the cooking … and 100 other things we do every day without thinking of offering to him a joyful heart and prayerful praise,” she said.
Prayer doesn’t just happen in church, Wohlfert said, and “if we invite Him in to everything we do, He’ll come in and fulfill us and bring great joy.”
She taught the women this prayer: “Come Holy Spirit, come now, come as you wish.”
Wohlfert also spoke in the afternoon about ways to spread the joy of Christ.
Following Wohlfert’s first talk, Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera told the story of rising from being a teenage mother who dropped out of high school and worked with her husband’s family in an onion field to support her family to her present office as the county’s top law enforcement officer.
“Religion is very important to me,” said Rivera, who is Catholic. “I think it helped me become who I am.”
In the evening, those at the conference attended Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, with Bishop Oscar A. Solis as the main celebrant. They then returned to the hotel for the Women of the Year banquet.
On Sunday, Deacon Scott Dodge presented “Women of Faith: Six Portraits of Greatness,” in which he gave an overview of the lives of four women named in the Bible: the prophetess Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron; Deborah, the Israelite judge; the Moabitess Ruth; Priscilla, a Jewish Christian mentioned by St. Paul; and two saints, Teresa of Avila and Gianna Beretta Molla.
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