Rural
North West Deanery Council
of Catholic Women
Welcome to the Rural North
West Deanery Council of Catholic
Women (RNWDCCW) Web Site.
We are excited to have you
join us on
our mission of being Christ here on Earth. This web site will enable
you to gain an understanding of what the Rural North West Council of
Catholic Women
do, and how we strive to live out the National Council of Catholic
Women (NCCW) mission statement. We are
the Martha's and Mary's of the Catholic Church. We are a spiritual and
spirited group of women, young and old alike. You may find us deep in
prayer, raising our voices in praise and song, up to our
elbows doing charitable works, informing our members of legislative
items, or laughing and telling stories that relate the individuality
and unity of each member.
There are 14 parishes in the Rural Northwest Deanery. The Catholic
Women's organizations of the following parishes
make up
the Rural North West Deanery:
| St. Joseph,
Amelia |
St.
Joseph,
Atkinson |
Sacred Heart Parish of Boyd
County -
Ss. Peter and
Paul, Butte
Assumption of
the Blessed Virgin
Mary, Lynch
St. Mary,
Spencer |
| St. Theresa of Avila, Clearwater |
St.
Ludger, Creighton |
St. Peter,
Ewing |
| St. John,
Rural Ewing/Clearwater |
St.
William,
Niobrara |
St. Patrick,
O'Neill |
| St.
Boniface,
Stuart |
St.
Wenceslaus,
Verdigre |
|
The RNWDCCW Board meets twice a year (Spring and Fall) at Parishes
throughout the Rural North West Deanery.
We are a part of the Omaha Archdiocese Council of Catholic Women
(OACCW). The OACCW consists of 7 deaneries: Omaha Urban, Rural Central,
Rural Northeast, Rural Northwest, Rural
North Central, Rural Southeast, Rural Southwest.
There are 3 dioceses in the state of Nebraska - Grand Island, Lincoln
and Omaha.
We are also a part of
the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW). The NCCW was incoported
in March of 1920 and will celebrate it's 90th birthday in 2010.
All are asked to help celebrate.
All Catholic women living in the Rural North West Deanery of the Omaha
Archdiocese are automatically members of Council when your parish is
affiliated with OACCW and NCCW
through yearly dues. Dues are paid to the OACCW financial secretary
annually in January.
The RNWDCCW board consists of elected officers and trustees along
with appointed commission chairpersons
and the presidents of the above listed parishes.
To keep members abreast of information on the national and
local levels of the council, a newsletter is sent to all priests, board
members, trustees, commission chairperson and parish presidents as
needed during the year.
We are also
using the Internet to pass on information. If you want your name added
to our e-mail listing, please send e-mail to Donna Bernt at
sbernt@nntc.net
Join Us, Be Counted
Individual membership to NCCW is another means of receiving valuable
council information. The monetary cost is minimal at just $30 per year.
After you become an “Individual member,” you will have voting
privileges at NCCW conventions as long as you are a paid member in good
standing for the 20 months prior to convention. You will receive the
bimonthly “Catholic
Woman” magazine, an excellent resource
for Catholic women in your home. You will also receive the
Legislative Update and announcements about new programs and
resources. To print out a membership application form, click
here.
The Council of Catholic Women is one of many avenues for women to
get involved with the greater Church. Through the commission system CCW
is
able to provide many projects that are ready for implementation in
parishes and deaneries. In many instances, NCCW has already done the
work for us, we just need to provide the women to use their many varied
gifts. There is a place for EVERYONE in council! We welcome all of you.
The following was taken from the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops Web Page (http://www.usccb.org/
)
Pope Benedict XVI has declared a “Year for Priests” beginning with
the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 19, 2009. The year
will conclude in Rome with an international gathering of priests with
the Holy Father from June 9-11, 2010.
With the announcement
of this Year for Priests, the Pope has declared St. John Vianney
the Universal Patron of Priests on the occasion of the 150th
anniversary of the death of the Curé d’Ars.
On this website you will find a number of resources
to aid your parish’s celebration of the year for priests. There is also
information regarding events for
priests that will occur throughout the Year for Priests.
Please pray
for our priests that they might always be faithful to their sacred
calling.
Prayer for the Year for Priests - June
19, 2009-June 19, 2010
The Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has posted many resources
for commemorating and celebrating the Year for
Priests at www.usccb.org/yearforpriests/index.shtml.
Among the resources is the following prayer, which councils may want to
use as they observe the Year for Priests.
Dear Lord,
we pray that the Blessed
Mother
wrap her mantle around your
priests
and through her intercession
strengthen them for their
ministry.
We pray that Mary will guide
your priests
to follow her own words,
“Do whatever He tells you”
(Jn 2:5).
May your priests have the
heart of St. Joseph,
Mary’s most chaste spouse.
May the Blessed Mother’s own
pierced heart
inspire them to embrace
all who suffer at the foot
of the cross.
May your priests be holy,
filled with the fire of your
love
seeking nothing but your
greater glory
and the salvation of souls.
Amen
Saint John Vianney, pray for
us.
Year For
Priests Icon
Story of the
Making of the "Year For Priests Icon" on YouTube
United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops - Year For Priests - You Tube
Videos
God Bless
Marcia Engelhaupt
President RNW Deanery Council of Catholic Women
mushy@nntc.net
Please go to the following links
Who We Are...
The National Council of Catholic Women consists of more than 5,000
affiliated Catholic women's organizations in parishes and dioceses
throughout the United States, representing hundreds of thousands of
Catholic
women.
OACCW
History
U.S. Bishops called women to Washington in March of 1920 for support in
bringing unity for Catholic Women in the United States. Mrs. Arthur(
Mary)
Mullen was called to aid in this organizing and this she did. Her first
effort in this direction was to establish Reading and Study Clubs in
parishes. As women in neighboring parishes were brought together with
common goals, the Council of Catholic Women Organization, both
Nationally and in this Archdiocese was established, and Mary Mullen was
named as our founder. Deaneries were formed according to the largest
city in their region, such as Hartington Deanery, Norfolk Deanery,
O’Neill Deanery etc.
In 1960, the deaneries were combined
and boundaries changed to only six rural deaneries and one urban
deanery. Their names would be: Rural Central, Rural North Central,
Rural Northwest, Rural Northeast, Rural Southwest, Rural Southeast, and
Omaha Urban.
In 1962, the Mullen Award was instituted in memory of the first
President, Mrs. Arthur Mullen. This award is given out at the annual
fall convention of the OACCW, to a woman who through her activities
best exemplifies the life of Mrs. Mullen. The recipient must have
actively worked with Council in her community, in her Deanery and
throughout the Archdiocese. Having shown leadership in her work with
civic, educational groups and interfaith groups.
In 1964 - 1965 The Penny and A Prayer Fund was initiated to establish a
purse in honor of Archbishop Bergan’s 50th anniversary, for the purpose
of educating students for the priesthood at John Vianney Seminary at
Elkhorn. This project is still in action today.
In 1969, Msgr. Edgar Wortmann was appointed as moderator and spiritual
director for the OACCW. Msgr. Wortmann
was born and raised in the Hartington, NE area. He entered Kenrick
Seminary, St. Louis, MO, in July 1944. He was ordained on April 5,
1948. Fr. Wortmann served as an Assistant at St. Ludger’s in Creighton,
St. Bernard’s in Omaha and Blessed Sacrament in Omaha. He also has
served as Pastor at Holy Family in Decatur, St. Rose of Lima in Hooper,
St. Lawrence in Scribner, and then returned to Blessed Sacrament, as
Pastor. Fr. Wortmann expressed “It is great to be associated with
members of OACCW. Their work touches many in all parts of the
world.” Msgr. Wormann served as moderator of the OACCW for 39
years. Msgr. Wormann passed away on August 31, 2007.
At the 83rd Annual Convention held in Columbus on September 17, 2007,
Archbishop Curtiss appointed Fr James Kramper, pastor of St. Partick
Parish in Tekamah and Holy Family Parish in Decatur. Fr. Kramper
has been involved with the OACCW for more than 20 years and had been
serving as the moderator of the Rural Southeast Deanery.
In the 1980's the OACCW, in cooperation with the Archdiocesean Family
Life Office, began hosting the annual Marriage Celebrations for couples
married for 25, 40, 50+ years. There are two celebrations, one held in
Omaha and the other in Norfolk.
In 1992, the practice of giving stoles to the newly ordained priests
from our Archdiocese was started. This serves to inform our newly
ordained priests about our Council, and to give them a lasting reminder
of the day that they committed their lives to God and the priesthood.
In 2001, the Council has voted to give the seminarians a gift
certificate in lieu of the stole.
1996, the OACCW introduced the scholarship program. The recipient must
be a Catholic senior girl living in the Archdiocese of Omaha. This
scholarship grant has grown to $500.00.
The Jubilee Year 2000 brought the Omaha Archdiocese Council of Catholic
Women to the web. As we serve to be pilgrims for the women of our
Archdiocese we intend to use this as a means to further support,
empower and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and
service. The web site is www.archomaha.com
. The OACCW information is under the heading of "Lay
Apostolates".
Mission Statement of the National
Council of Catholic Women:
The
National Council of Catholic Women acts through its membership to
support, empower and educate all Catholic women in spirituality,
leadership and service. NCCW programs respond with Gospel values to the
needs of the Church and society in the modern world.
Prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel
God of heavenly wisdom, you have given us Mary, Mother of Jesus, to be
our
guide and counselor. Grant that we may always seek her motherly help in
this life and so enjoy her blessed presence in the life to come.
O Mother of Good Counsel, patroness of the National Council of Catholic
Women, intercede for us, that we may be wise, courageous and loving
leaders of the Church. Help us, dear mother, to know the mind of Jesus,
your son. May the Holy Spirit fill us with the reverence for God’s
creation, and compassion for all God’s children. May our labors of love
on earth enhance the reign of God and may God’s gifts of faith and
living hope prepare us for the fullness of the world to come. Amen.
Crucifix Graphic by: http://www.catholicdoors.com/graphics/general.htm
