DCCW calls all Catholic women in diocese to convention

Intermountain Catholic

+ Enlarge

Maureen Gardner, Wasatch Deanery president, Cindy Gaughen, Church Commission chairwoman, Amy Kennedy, DCCW treasurer, Lydia Farnell, DCCW president, and Anne Boyer, NCCW liturgical liaison and DCCW commission liaison, pray for the unborn and their families at the Diocesan Family Life Vigil in Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery Jan. 20.IC photo by Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — The Diocese of Salt Lake City Council of Catholic Women invite all women in the diocese to attend their annual convention April 26-27, at the Sheraton City Centre, 150 West 500 South, Salt Lake City.

The Wasatch Deanery will host this year’s convention. The theme is "Bringing Light to Our Global Society." The two commissions to be addressed this year are Community Concerns and International Concerns. The keynote address will be given by Roberta "Bobbie" Hunt, National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) president. Hunt’s keynote address will be "The Work of Our Hands." Hunt is from St. Rose of Lima Parish, Layton. She has served on the NCCW Board of Directors for four years, as Region Two vice president, chairwoman of the Communications and Public Relations Committee, and as a member of the International Concerns Commission Team. Hunt was the San Francisco Province director, a member of the Family Concerns Commission Team and a member of the Budget and Finance Committee. She is a past DCCW president and has been the director of meetings for many years, as well as chairwoman of the Woman of the Year program.

Mary Nickles will be a presenter for the Community Concerns Commission. Nickles is a news anchor for KUTV Channel 2, and a member of St. John the Baptist Parish, Draper. Her presentation is "Just Say No to Stress, Uncomplicate Your Life Through Better Communication." She joined KUTV in April 1991, and she is very active in the Salt Lake community. Nickles grew up in Seattle, Wash., and is one of nine children.

The International Concerns Commission speaker will be Aden Batar, the Immigration Refugee Resettlement director for Catholic Community Services in Salt Lake City. Batar will give his presentation on immigration and refugee resettlement both locally and nationally.

Anne Boyer, commission liaison, will present a Commission Workshop April 27, giving vital information from the national board each council can take home to their local councils.

There will be a poster session, which has always been a fun project. The poster project continues to grow in popularity, and gives other councils ideas and information to share. The posters will be assembled outside the meeting rooms.

There will be a prayer room set up again this year. Church Commission chairwoman, Cindy Gaughen and co-chairwoman Casey Pond will lead special prayer services throughout the weekend.

The DCCW has been making a special effort to increase subscriptions for individual memberships to the National Council of Catholic Women publication "Catholic Woman." Donna Kushlan, DCCW historian, will display a map indicating from where our convention attendees are coming.

The Woman of the Year banquet will be held April 26 at 7 p.m. at the Sheraton City Centre. The deadline for submission of the nominee’s brief biography from each parish is due March 31. Registration fees must be included with the convention registration form.

All convention registration is due March 31. An additional $10 will be added to the registration that is received after March 31. Send your hotel registration separately.

To register for the convention, go through your parish Council of Catholic Women president. To register for the convention, choose from the following packages:

Package A is $85 and includes registration for both April 26-27, and includes meals for both days, including the banquet.

Package B is $35, and includes registration for Saturday only. This includes a continental breakfast and lunch.

Package C is $35, and includes Saturday night banquet only.

Package D is $25, and includes registration for Sunday only and the brunch.

The room rate for the hotel registration is $85 per night for one to four person(s) per room. All reservations received on or before March 31 will not be charged a room tax. Rooms reserved after March 31 will not be exempt and are not guaranteed the convention rate. All rooms are provided with the usual amenities and hospitality items. Be sure to indicate your parish. Make your check payable to: DCCW Convention and send it to the Hotel Registration Chairwoman, Gracemarie Goette, 1184 North 2670 West, Provo, Utah 84601. For more information, call (801) 805-4871.

Applications for sponsorship are available. The sponsorship program is offered to individuals wanting to attend the convention but who are unable attend because of the cost involved. The DCCW president and the sponsorship committee maintains that all applications will remain strictly confidential. For more information or to donate to this program, call Susan Nielson at (801) 224-2692, or Jeanne Audiss at (801) 955-6054. The deadline is quickly approaching, so we advise all women to check first with their parish organization for any convention financial assistance that may be available. We look forward to seeing all of you at the convention.