Diocesan Council of Catholic Women call to convention

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Judy Powers

SALT LAKE CITY — Catholic women from throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City are invited to attend the 85th Annual Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Convention at the Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel April 20-21.

The Northern Deanery will host this year’s convention, themed "Be the Voice of Catholic Women." The two featured commissions are Service and Spirituality.

The Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, will celebrate the convention Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine April 20. As part of the registration fee, a bus will be provided for transportation for all convention attendees to and from the cathedral.

The keynote speaker will be Judy Powers, National Council of Catholic Women president. "Powers is an engaging and energetic leader and is an inspiring voice for our national organization and for all Catholic women," said Amy Kennedy, DCCW president.

The Service commission presentation will feature a panel discussion, "Led by the Spirit: A Journey of Faith." The panel will focus on women’s life journeys of faithful service. It will be mediated by Diana Hanebrink, Saint Joseph Parish director of religious education in Ogden.

The speaker for the Spirituality commission is Carol Ruddell, past president and member of the Diocesan Commission for People with Disabilities. Her talk, titled "Threats to Life: Respect and Dignity Through the Lifetime," will address the broad spectrum of life and human dignity issues from conception through natural death.

Bishop Wester and Monsignor Robert Servatius, DCCW spiritual advisor and pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish, will honor the Women of the Year at the annual banquet April 20.

Bishop Wester also will address the convention attendees on April 21. In addition to the bishop’s address, the closing session on Sunday will include a prayer service and the Rite of Commitment of the officers.

Convention registration includes four packages that vary from $100 for full conference attendance to $30 for Sunday only. Registration deadline is March 25. Registration must be turned in with each individual parish Council of Catholic Women. Information is available at http://home.catholicweb.com/slcdccw/.

The DCCW will again be collecting rosaries, eyeglasses, hearing aids, cell phones, cancelled stamps, pop can pull-tabs, toiletry items, socks and new cosmetics, which will be donated to those in need in the Diocese of Salt Lake City. They also will collect baby items to be donated to Saint Martha’s Baby Project.

The DCCW will collect monetary donations for the Madonna Plan, Water for Life, Help-A-Child and the Refugee Women Emergency Fund, national and international projects in which the DCCW is in partnership with the NCCW and Catholic Relief Services. Donations can be made payable to NCCW and may be given to Service Commission Chairwoman Sue Bedard.

For information, call Amy Kennedy at 801-755-1574 or email amy.kennedy@comcast.net with DCCW in the subject line.