ROCHELLE—The Diocesan Council of Catholic Women held its biennial convention on Saturday, April 5, at St. Patrick Parish, here.

The day included a business meeting, Mass, installation of new officers, lunch, raffles, auction, and a talk by Rebecca Woodhull who is the president of the National Council of Catholic Women.

Woodhull spoke about the NCCW, her goals and priorities as president and the role of the NCCW as an umbrella organization established 95 years ago by the U.S. bishops.

Her goals include to “create a ‘new’ NCCW spirit of confidence, hope and joy” to increase and enhance membership, she said. Reducing expenses and national convention costs, launching two national projects to be announced soon and providing more resources for members are among her goals, she said.

To those ends, Woodhull explained that she has reduced six national commissions to three: spirituality, leadership and service. She provided slides about the women heading up those commissions and outlined the focus of each, and a sub-commission on Church concerns.

She also is beginning to bring interns from nearby Marymont University to the national office, and is establishing partnerships with the National Catholic Education Association and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.

The 2014 convention, coming in September to Grand Rapids, Mich., is being offered at rates interns from nearby Marymont University to the national office, and is establishing partnerships with the National Catholic Education Association and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.

The 2014 convention, coming in September to Grand Rapids, Mich., is being offered at rates that are reduced from the previous year, including attendance fee, hotel and food costs, she said.

As NCCW president, Woodhull explained her efforts at networking with several U.S. bishops during breaks at the bishops’ fall conference. She also visited with the Military Council of Catholic Women on that trip and has attended other conferences that bring together women from various Catholic organizations.

“We network. We share,” Woodhull said. “It’s all about relationships.”

Christine Schumann, Province Director for the Chicago Province, of which this diocese is a part, attended the convention, thanking Mary Glosson for her work on the provincial board representing the Rockford Diocese. Schumann also congratulated Msgr. Thomas Dzielak for his 50 years of priesthood and for his more than two decades of service as Spiritual Advisor to the diocesan council. In that role, Msgr. Dzielak attends all the province board meetings and conventions as well as diocesan council events.

Raffles and a purse auction rounded out the April 5 meeting, along with all kinds of good networking among attendees.