Encourage membership in NCCW

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
Posted January 23, 2003

Even though all women in the Diocese of Sioux City belong to the Council of Catholic Women via parish membership, individual memberships are now being encouraged.

Those involved with the Council of Catholic Women here in the Diocese of Sioux City are so impressed with the organization as a whole, they don't want any woman in the diocese to miss out. With this in mind, they are encouraging individual membership in the National Council of Catholic Women because it can keep women informed through assorted publications.

Co-president of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, Renee Beacon, pointed out that one of the most compelling reasons for joining is that all members receive a copy of the NCCW's official magazine titled The Catholic Woman.

"They would also get legislative updates as well as another periodical piece called The Bulletin Board," she explained. "These publications contain information they would receive if they came to the deanery and diocesan meetings."

Beacom acknowledged that many women cannot attend these meetings due to the hectic pace of life today and their family and/or career obligations.

"Even so, every Catholic woman is interested in these issues that concern us - life issues such as abortion and international issues like Water for Life are some of the things that we (CCW) address," she said.

Father James Tigges, diocesan moderator for the DCCW, pointed out that he recently began receiving the NCCW magazine as a result of his ministry to the group. Reading through the magazine he called it "eye opening - the wide range of projects that the council is involved with."

He encouraged women to be supportive of the NCCW as it is a very unselfish organization.

"Their roots go out to other people and other projects that help the betterment of the world," said Father Tigges. The membership would not only help finance some of the projects, but also would stimulate personal growth and participation in CCW.

He would also encourage greater involvement in the DCCW as it would be a "great service to the church."

"The Council of Catholic Women is important for me personally as a means for the Catholic woman to be heard," said Beacon. "It provides us with a voice. This is really the only organization that unites all Catholic women. The Catholic women in the country are really a powerful block of women - if we act in unison we could make some powerful contributions to society."

Representatives of the NCCW present their Catholic women's agenda to the United Nations as well as are observers at the meetings of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"A lot of people don't realize what the council does and how vital it is as a way it is to unite Catholic women across the country to address these concerns that are so important to us as women of faith," she said.

Individual membership are available for $20 per year or $35 for two years.

"This is a way to support an organization which represents and speaks on your behalf," said Beacom.

She pointed out that membership in the NCCW would also give the DCCW a way to personally reach the women. The DCCW could possibly obtain a list of the individual members, then they could contact the women directly and send them information about what is happening at the local and/or diocesan level. This would greatly enhance the DCCW's ability to network with women in the diocese.

Presently information is distributed to parishes through a parish representative who in turn shares it with the parish women's organization whether it is the altar society or Catholic Daughters.

"In many cases the women's organizations no longer exist, so how do we reach our women and bring them together so they can act in the voting booth or through speaking and expressing their ideas? Through the magazine and through the publications," she stressed. "I have a great deal of trust that the women want to be informed and want to act as they are able to do so today."

The interest sparked by their reading may encourage them to attend deanery meetings, held twice a year - in spring and fall - and the diocesan conferences or institutes are held on a yearly basis. The topic for this summer's institute will be Mature Spiritual for the Mature Woman.

"Over the years we have lost contact with women and our membership is aging," noted Beacom.

Involvement in the DCCW, Beacom added, helps in understanding the diocesan church as it focuses on projects that are dear to the heart of the bishop.

The NCCW individual membership drive kicked on in September. To help promote the drive, any DCCW that brings in 40 or more new individual members by May 1, 2003 will receive three paid registrations to the 2003 NCCW Convention in Minneapolis, Minn. If 65 new memberships are brought in by the DCCW, they will receive five paid registrations at the national conference. These registrations are valued at $200. The national convention will be held in late September.