Council Comments l April Adams

As chair of the Evangelization Commission, I am excited to announce that the Peoria Diocesan Council of Catholic Women is extending our PDCCW membership to all women of the Peoria Diocese. For years we have been known for our affiliate membership of women’s organizations, and we still offer these organizational affiliate memberships. However, in an effort to evangelize women who do not belong to a parish women’s organization but would still like to be part of the PDCCW framework, we are offering individual membership.

We invite you to join the Peoria Diocesan Council of Catholic Women in our mission to serve the Peoria Diocese. We act through our members to support, empower, educate and lead all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership, and service. Our programs respond with Gospel values to the needs of the church and society in the modern world. We are actively evangelizing through our Women Connect Ministry to provide opportunities to connect women in friendship, faith, and community across the diocese.

We are eagerly anticipating a new and fruitful year! We have been working with women across the diocese to help bring about some rewarding and impactful events and small group studies. We are reaching out to all women, both single and married, of all age groups, and connecting women to women, to their parish affiliates, their parishes, and the diocese. We want to lead you to a great mission as women in the church.

WAYS TO BE INVOLVED

At our Magnify Retreat in March we had more than 150 women in attendance and are already planning to hold this event again. On Saturday, May 13, we are having a morning of “Prayer, Honor and Blessings” at the “mother” church of the diocese, the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria. The morning will include the rosary, a Marian procession, and Holy Mass. We will honor all women of the diocese, including mothers of priests and seminarians, as well graduates. For the first time, we will grant Rose Award scholarships to two graduates.

On Saturday, July 8, we will be walking/running as a Women Connect team for the Run for Life 5K in Metamora. In the fall we will be hosting a Diocesan Summit for women and planning the Magnify 2024 conference/retreat.

These events are coming to fruition through the efforts of the PDCCW board, but also with many women who are simply eager to be a part of something rewarding. In other words, you don’t have to sit on the board to be a part of this endeavor! If these events and projects are something you would like to help plan and implement, we welcome your involvement.

We are excited to work across the diocese to help you connect with each other, your parishes, your communities and the diocese. If you are interested in joining our efforts to lead the women of the Diocese of Peoria in spirituality, leadership and service, contact me at (309) 369-5110 or apriladams460@gmail.com.

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APRIL ADAMS is vice president of the Peoria Diocesan Council of Catholic Women and chair for leadership and evangelization. She is a member of St. Mary Parish in Metamora.