Welcome to
January 2026 Council Connect
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President's Message - Judy Weston
The New Year Successes and Failed Attempts
I have mentioned my struggles in the past with my autoimmune disorder, which left me with foot drop. I thought I had it under control—spoken like a true Martha—but the foot drop, though mild, stirred up bursitis. I returned to physical therapy, and although I felt as though I was sliding backward in my health, I had to accept that this is going to be part of who I am.
I spent more than a few months getting the bursitis worked out. The therapy sessions were supposed to be about my health, but they eventually moved on to learning about sourdough, a passion shared by my physical therapists. Through those conversations, I discovered the benefits of sourdough bread. Please don’t think I was an instant success with my starter—the amount of sourdough I created and killed could warrant a whole new season of Dateline.
If I look at this sourdough and my spiritual health, it would be easy to grow discouraged. Growth isn’t instant, and it doesn’t always look the way I expect it to. I have another New Year’s resolution—to read one book a month—and I find myself approaching it with the same determination I bring to the sourdough.
Read how Judy's sourdough and spiritual life turned out HERE
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President-Elect: Val Able
Make Holiness a Primary Goal in Your Life
For the past several years, our parish has given each adult a book for Christmas. This year, our priest gave us a book by Matthew Kelly, titled, The Forgotten Way, The St. James Master Plan. It is based on eleven words from the Book of James: "Someone who does not trip up in speech has reached perfection."
(James 3:2)
The first chapter in his book is titled, “Beware: Proceed with Caution.” Of course that piqued my interest right away. The promise of this book was amazingly simple: You can transform your life by changing the way you speak. I believe this to be true. Your tongue, that small little organ in your body has the power to build up your relationships, or to destroy relationships.
Click HERE to read more and Val's example
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RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE
The 2026 LDCCW Convention Resolution committee is currently finalizing its recommendations the 2026 LDCCW Convention booklet. At this time, the committee is asking all members for their ideas for Convention Resolutions.
Convention Resolutions focus on how the membership of LDCCW can take action which helps us live out our Mission statement. One such Convention Resolution was passed in the 1980s which was to promote the St. Monica prayer for our family members to "come home" to the faith. Today, a different Deanery each month offers this prayer.
Convention Resolutions can also offer ways LDCCW membership can support and promote agencies that assist families and/or individuals in crisis, such as pregnancy centers, homeless outreach or victims of human trafficking.
Convention Resolutions can be offered by any member of LDCCW, whether one holds an office or not. Your idea matters! If you would like to suggest a Convention Resolution, please feel free to contact a committee member. The final resolutions will be presented and voted on during the LDCCW Winter meeting in January 2026.
Thank you and God bless,
The LDCCW Convention Resolution committee
Barb Kadlec
Carrie Magorian
Kay Portillo: kay.conely.portillo@gmail.com
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Winter Symposium/Winter Meeting
@ Good Counsel Retreat House - Waverly
January 30 - Symposium Begins 6:00 pm
January 31 - Full Board Mtg.
Agenda to be sent out this next week.
Click on the items below to be presented and voted on for advancement:
MISSION STATEMENT
BY LAWS
Click to HERE to register
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Spirituality -Barb Kadlec & Shelly Chloupek
TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
A quick google search, assisted by AI, informed me the 12 Days of Christmas (Dec. 25- Jan. 5) are a festive season of feasting, merrymaking, and religious observance, traditionally marked by parties, wassailing, and eating King Cake with decorations left up until Epiphany Eve, even until February 2 for Candle Mass. In my neighborhood, I quite often see the Christmas trees, which have been up since shortly after Halloween, already out on the curb by Dec. 26the and not a Christmas song to be heard on the radio after midnight on Dec. 25. It's more like the twelve minutes of Christmas.
As I write this, I have been spending Advent in a watching, waiting mood led by the daily readings at Mass, and it seems like a lot of watching and waiting to be over with so quickly with celebrating done and gift wrappings in a black garbage bag in a matter of minutes on Dec. 25.
Click HERE for more of Shelley's experience
Divine Mercy - Bonnie Damrow
New Year Resolution - TRUST
Let's make our 2026 New Year's Resolution one that will last!
Jesus tole St. Faustina, "The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is trust". Growing in trust is key to developing a deep and abiding relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Read more about trust for the year HERE
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Service - Joyce Reich
Christmas Day has passed but we are still in the middle of the Christmas season. Let us remember to entrust our lives to God's will just as Mary and Joseph did and offer our prayers in union with them in service to our Lord.
It is the beginning of another year. A new year can be time to build new resolutions or goals, and it can be a time of renewed goals by strengthening existing ones that may have faltered. How is your PCCW doing with the projects and/or goals that were set out? How are you meeting the Corporal Works of Mercy? Sometimes it is easy to fulfill these works during the holiday season. Be sure to continue to remember them after the season is over. Continue with donations to food banks and clothing centers, offer rides to Mass or appointments, or just simply send notes or cards to let someone know they are not alone. January can be a time of solitude and despair with the dismal days of winter.
Click HERE to read Joyce's complete report
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Leadership - Carlece Kenner
BE THE LEADER OF YOUR DOMESTIC CHURCH
February 8th is World Marriage Day. How does your parish celebrate this day? At Sacred Heart in Hebron, we have honored married couples in many ways. One of my favorite memories was when couples gathered at the parish hall and shared a unique story that happened on their wedding day. The experience was heartwarming and comical as each couple shared their account. What will your parish do for World Marriage Day?
I hope you will consider attending the LDCCW Winter Symposium in Waverly on January 30-31. This is a great time to unwind and to spend time with Jesus in a serene environment. This retreat is shared with other very special women in our diocese.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Read all the details from Carlece HERE
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Legislative - Alice Licht-Anderson
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a Blessed Christmas. It's time to focus on what the new year may bring for those of us in the Lincoln Diocese as it relates to our state and federal government action. So much information is buzzing around, senators are busy having the bill drafters put together legislation for the 2026 session and new issues seem to pop up daily. The state budget, addressing property taxes, prison reform, gender bathroom use legislation and K-12 and higher education funding issues are just a few of the state-wide issues facing the Legislature.
Click HERE for complete Legislative report
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Parliamentarian: Kay Portillo
Preparing for New Leaders in your Council
We are now in a new year, and I'm sure that most, if not all, PCCWS will be installing new officers. As the LDCCW Co-Parliamentarian, I have two simple questions for everyone. How are your PCCW officers nominated? How are your PCCW officers elected?
If you were able to quickly and confidently answer those questions, I hope it's because your PCCW has developed bylaws which clearly address both issues.
However, if your answer starts with "We've always just...", chances are your PCCW is governed by what are called "standing rules or customs".
Check out the rest of Kay's information for councils HERE
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Blessings for the Children
I cannot begin to list all the amazing donations given to the Pregnancy Centers these past years.
St. Wenceslaus, in Wahoo, sent me their donations throughout the 2024-2026 term. What a blessing to see how the parishes have donated to save the children. St. Wenceslaus donated over $2,000 to the different pregnancy centers! Hurray!
I also received a beautiful thank you from Hope Pregnancy Center in Superior for a donation from St. Ann's in Hebron. Please continue to donate!
Please if you have an awesome story about your PCCW please email myself Judy Weston or Heather Lipovsky our social medial manager and we would love to share it with everyone!
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Our LDCCW Calendar is now online!
Click on the calendar icon!
You can add to your calendar by clicking on the event and click on the add to calendar.
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Our Lady of Prompt Succor | |
Our Lady of Prompt Succor,
ever Virgin Mother of Jesus Christ our Lord and God,
you are most powerful against the enemy of our salvation. The divine promise of a Redeemer was announced right after the sin of our first parents; and you, through your Divine Son, crushed the serpent’s head.
Hasten, then, to our help and deliver us from the deceits of Satan. Intercede for us with Jesus that we may always accept God’s graces and be found faithful to Him in our particular states of life.
As you once saved our beloved city from ravaging flames and our country from an invading army, have pity on us and obtain for us protection from hurricanes and all other disasters.
(Silent pause for individual petitions.)
Assist us in the many trials which beset our path through life. Watch over the Church and the Pope as they uphold with total fidelity the purity of faith and morals against unremitting opposition.
Be to us truly Our Lady of Prompt Succor now and especially at the hour of our death, that we may gain everlasting life through the merits of Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us! (Three times)
Amen.
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St Monica Prayer- Lincoln Deanery
Jan 1 - Please fill out Charitable
Works Survey
Jan 4 - Epiphany
Jan 22 - Day of Prayer for Unborn
Jan 25 - EXEC Board Mtg - Zoom
Jan 30/31 - Winter Symposium
Feb 15 - Leadership Training 2:00
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Our Charitable Works Survey is now online. This is for the the PCCW's to fill out and report to us the terrific job you are doing. Questions?? Email ldccwpresident@gmail.com if you have questions.
Click here to fill out the Charitable Works Survey
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Holy Father's Intentions for January
For prayer with the Word of God - Let us pray that praying with the Word of God be nourishment for our lives and a source of hope in our communities, helping us to build a more fraternal and missionary Church.
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