DCCW women are called to bring hope, lift burdens

Intermountain Catholic

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NCCW past president Maggie Gray shows a slide of the founding NCCW members of 1920, who answered the call to serve.IC photo by Chris Young

OGDEN — "We, as Catholic women, are called to respond in an effort to achieve something positive and meaningful to ease suffering, lifts burdens, and bring hope to women and their families everywhere," said Maggie Gray, National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) immediate past president, at the 78th Annual Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DCCW) Convention April 22-23, at the Ogden Marriott Hotel. This year’s theme was "Women united…making a difference personally, locally, and globally."

Gray received a degree in medical office management from the Florida Professional Academy in Miami. Her 28-year career was spent managing physician practices and also in public relations with the Visiting Nurse Association of Palm Beach County. She and her husband now live in Williamsburg, Va.

Gray’s Council of Catholic Women career began in 1981 in the Archdiocese of Miami. She served as an affiliate, deanery, and diocesan president before being selected in 1997, to serve a two-year term as the NCCW organizational commission chairwoman. She was elected to a two-year term as NCCW third vice-president in 1999-2001, and first vice-president in 2001-2003. She served as NCCW president from 2003-2005. She remains on the national board as the immediate past president.

Gray survived breast cancer last year, and said she was overwhelmed emotionally to receive the prayers, greetings, and well wishes from the DCCW of Salt Lake City.

In her keynote address Gray said the women of Salt Lake City have been making a difference for 78 years uniting with Catholic women nationally, who have been making a difference for 85 years.

"In 1920, Catholic women from across the country came together to form NCCW, an organization of women answering the call to address the needs of the times, and necessary changes in our families, parishes, communities, and the world at large," said Gray. "We are here today because of the courage and vision of the pioneer women who came before us. Our councils strive to address the needs of the less fortunate, those who struggle with every day living, and those whose voices need to be raised to speak out against injustices, and to work for and ensure the dignity of women everywhere.

"This has been the strength of our councils, and is what remains at the heart and soul of who we are as Catholic women," said Gray. "We are rooted in faith and called to act with gospel values."

Gray said in the early 1980s, her husband, John, became gravely ill as a result of juvenile diabetes. The infection from a sore on his foot began to attack his major organs, and he was not expected to live 24 hours. Gray’s parish priest reassured her John was a fighter and she was not going to lose him, which gave her an instant sense of peace. As she entered the waiting room to begin praying and worrying, she was overwhelmed to be greeted by 14 of her council sisters. They stayed with her, prayed with her, and saw to her every need. More than one month later, John was well enough to go home.

"Together, we do make a difference in the lives we touch and in the lives that touch us," said Gray. "I was determined to give back in some way, and that is probably why I have remained devoted to council. We are gathered at this convention to share our visions, hopes, and plans for the future. It is our faith that sees us through the journeys of joy, suffering, and success in our lives."

In 1964, NCCW was one of five organizations that came together out of a common concern for the young women and girls serving prison terms and facing parole. These five organizations were determined to educate and empower young women, prepare them to enter the workforce, become self-reliant, contribute to society, and give back to their community. With the help of WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) program, these women were mentored to find decent jobs with decent incomes, and were able to establish themselves in a community. WIC is also a food and nutrition service program that safeguards the health of low-income families. NCCW is also involved in the Water For Life program, which makes it possible for women in third world countries to obtain clean, portable water for their families. They also address the needs of women in underdeveloped and war-torn countries in programs such as the Madonna Program, Help a Child Global Fund, and the Refugee Women Emergency Fund.

"As women, our nature is to nurture," said Gray. "As Catholic women our obligation is to act to make, not just a difference, but the difference."

Gray was also the Organization Workshop speaker April 23. She said the goal of NCCW in 1920, was to give all Catholic women across the country a common voice and an instrument for action, and called them into service. Their goals were to insure Catholic representation on national committees and movements. In the 1920s, people were immigrating to the United States in volumes and were relocating in key port cities. They were homeless, ate in soup kitchens, and had nothing to wear. NCCW began to serve these individuals.

"In 2006, we need to ask ourselves what our goals are as parish and diocesan women’s councils," said Gray. "As we set goals, we need to allow members to participate at the level they are able. We feel they belong to a unified group in the council, and the council sisters nourish our souls. The Holy Spirit calls us to do what we think we cannot do in sharing our gifts, and forces us out of our comfort zones."

"The council is a way of evangelizing by example," Gray said. "Sometimes the council is the backbone of the parish, and we should never be afraid to show others we are Catholic women. As we meet to set out goals, we should begin and end with prayer because that is who we are and what we are about. We cannot get too busy being Martha and forget to be Mary. Prayer is what energizes us to go on."