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Council of Catholic Women
Mission
Our Mission as members of the Council of Catholic Women is to bring women together to share their faith to grow spiritually, and to unite in performing works of charity in our community and in the world.
Vision We strive to be responsible citizens through education and action and by showing hospitality to all our Members. Through these "Charisms" we believe we can follow Jesus in fulfilling our Mission on Earth.
Special Programs
One of our most popular programs is known as "Operation Layette", which provides newborn layettes for needy babies. Our Members have Baby Showers at their parishes and bring the baby items (size 0-3 months) downtown. Many make cash donations to CCW for Operation Layette. Our chairperson assembles layettes to be given to agencies that request them. The value of each layette is approximately $75.00. We receive requests from inner-city parishes, Oakland Social Services, Macomb Social Services, and Wayne County Health Dept., Catholic Social Services, Crisis Pregnancy Centers, as well as unwed mothers and families in need. We have just added St. Dominic's Outreach Center to our growing list. In 2007 we gave out 450 layettes and over $3500.00 worth of larger size baby clothes and diapers. Since the beginning of 2008 we have been giving out approximately 36 layettes a month plus larger baby items. Please contact the CCW office if you would like to sponsor a baby shower for us. We will be glad to send you a complete list of what each layette includes.
The "Works of Peace Programs" are programs that we support through the National Council of Catholic Women and Catholic Relief Services.
The "Madonna Plan" sets up mother-child centers to provide poor families with tools to raise their children under difficult circumstances; gives pre-natal care and counseling to help ensure the birth of a healthy baby; teaches mothers about proper weaning and how to introduce nutritious foods into their diet; teaches modern hygiene; and provides workshops which teach weaving and sewing, enabling women to increase family income through the sale of their items. The goal is to collect $1.00 from every Catholic Women in the United States in Mary's name. The "Madonna Plan" is a channel of hope for all women who have been deprived of their dignity.
"Water for Life" is a partnership program with Catholic Relief Services that brings fresh water to our brothers and sisters in the developing world. We help provide communities with resources to build water systems that can deliver clean water to them, creating jobs and skills in water sanitation. All monetary donations are accepted.
Events
Every two years in the fall of the year we hold Regional Catholic Women's Days that are held in local parishes that enable our membership that covers the Archdiocese of Detroit to gather for a spiritual and informative day that also includes a Mass and a nice luncheon. Our speakers help to strengthen our faith and the Auxiliary Bishops have been kind enough to celebrate the Mass and join us for lunch. The Regional Days have previously been held at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, St. Hugo of the Hills in Bloomfield Hills, Immaculate Conception Parish in Lapeer, and at Sacred Heart Parish in Grosse Ile. This gives you an idea of how accessible the events are to the entire Archdiocese of Detroit.
Our Biennial Assembly is held in the month of April depending on when Easter takes place. It usually takes place at the Sacred Heart Major Seminary. It is a day filled with interesting speakers, a Liturgy and a Luncheon. It is also the time we introduce the officers for the coming two years. We have been fortunate to celebrate the Mass with John Cardinal Maida.
The Council of Catholic Women will be celebrating the 70th Anniversary of its first all-day conference on April 26, 2009 with Mass at St. Aloysius Catholic Church on Washington Blvd. and a luncheon at the Westin Book Cadillac. This is where the first all-day conference was held on March 18, 1939.
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