SALT LAKE CITY — The focus for the 86th annual convention of the Salt Lake City Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will be "A Voice in the Desert: Utah’s Catholic Women." The theme not only has the obvious Scriptural reference, it plays on the Utah landscape as well as the unique experience of the state’s Catholics, said Amy Kennedy, DCCW president. "Because we are a very vast minority in our state, it can feel very lonely out there," Kennedy said. "A lot of our women who are coming to convention are coming from the southern Utah area, where they are the extreme minority, and they value their Catholic sisterhood so much." Comments from last year’s convention formed the idea for this year’s theme, Kennedy said, because women who attended asked how they could put the information they gained into practice in their daily lives. This year, the keynote panel will be comprised of four women in diocesan leadership roles: Veola Burchett, Maria Cruz Gray, Karin Hurley and Susan Cook Northway. Burchett has been the Director of Family and Pro-life for the diocese for 21 years, during which she has developed Natural Family Planning programs in English and Spanish, developed the annual marriage enrichment, implemented bereavement trainings, and developed the annual Respect for the Dignity of Life Day. She is a board member of the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers and the Utah Coalition Against Pornography, and a member of the Utah Marriage Commission. She and her husband, Ken, have four children and have served local and national leadership roles in Catholic Engaged Encounter for 30 years. They are members of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish. Gray has been the Director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Salt Lake City for 18 years. She is a member of Saint Olaf Parish and also a member of the Third Order Discalced Carmelites. She was born and raised in Spain, where she received a degree in education. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish literature from the University of Utah as well as a certificate of Studies for Parish Services from Trinity College and a Certificate of Multi-cultural Studies from the Franciscan School of Theology. She is married to Deacon Forrest Gray; the couple has three children, including Father Christopher Gray, who was ordained a priest last year. Hurley began as Director of Stewardship & Development for the diocese in October. An active member of Saint John the Baptist Parish, she served as director of the vacation Bible school and chairperson of the annual charity luncheon; previously, she served as pastoral associate. In 2011, she was the conference chairperson of the 49th annual Southwest Liturgical Conference in Salt Lake City. She is owner of Copley Grey Consulting LLC, a general marketing and event management company, and holds a political science degree from Northeastern University. She and her husband, Tom, have one son, Ryan, a senior at Summit Academy High School. Northway has been the Diocesan Director of Religious Education and Lay Ecclesial Ministry Formation since 2006. She serves on the Bishop’s Curia, the Liturgical Commission and is the coordinator of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan Steering Committee. She also is a board member for the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable, and a member of the Advocacy Committee for the National Association for Lay Ministry. Her background includes a degree in music education; she taught at Saint Vincent de Paul School and Judge Memorial Catholic High School. After completing a Master of Religious Education degree from Loyola University, she taught in the theology departments of Judge and Juan Diego CHS. A member of Saint Ambrose Parish, she is married with three children. "Because they have so many different roles in the diocese and different life experiences, I think it’ll be ideal because it’s really going to show different roles and vocations that women have," Kennedy said. Another speaker at the convention will be Martha Camarillo Freston, a Utahn who will share her story of how the proposed immigration legislation known as the DREAM Act would have a positive effect on young immigrants and the community, Kennedy said. There also will be a brief presentation on how to lobby for an issue, Kennedy said, to offer practical knowledge that "people can put to use locally, whether it’s lobbying City Hall or state legislators or even making your voice heard in Washington." Other presentations will be on the Youth Mentor Program and Cross Catholic Outreach, two programs that local Catholics may wish to become involved in, Kennedy said. The convention, which includes the Women of the Year banquet, draws parishioners from throughout the diocese, Kennedy said. "The first time I went to the DCCW convention, it was an amazing experience to see over 200 Catholic other women, and it just nourished my soul for the entire year, and I’ve been back every year for the last 10." WHAT: Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Convention WHEN: April 26-27 WHERE: Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel, 150 West 500 South, SLC For information or to register, contact your parish’s women’s group or visit http://home.catholicweb.com/slcdccw/. Registration deadline is March 28.
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