Come Closer to Christ Through Council

Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women

https://www.lincolndiocese.org/LDCCW

www.facebook.com/LDCCW

Know Him, Love Him and Serve Him!

The First Reading from Deuteronomy 10:12 “…what does the Lord, your God, ask of you but to fear the Lord, your God and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul.” This verse especially moved me to pray during Adoration. You might wonder what I prayed for; I humbly asked God to guide and direct my actions as your president. To give me the wisdom and the zeal to ignite in each of you a burning desire to love our Father in Heaven and to serve Him daily in our actions. I prayed for all of you, the women of our diocese, to open your hearts and feel God’s presence in your lives. I prayed for our priests, my children, grandchildren, husband, for those relatives that have died, those that have fallen away from the faith, and baby Joshua’s heart to be healed. Time really seemed to quickly pass.

Then came the beautiful words of the Act of Consecration that we all read together.

O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: You know the longings of our hearts, and you desire that we enjoy friendship with you.

From your pierced side, you have poured out the wellspring of life, for which we thirst. Your heart burns with a love for all people to return to a right relationship with you.

We celebrate the abundant gifts you have given this nation, founded on the self-evident truths that our Creator has endowed all people with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We make reparation for the offenses against you and against human dignity that have taken place in this nation.

May our hearts be united to yours, so that our families and communities enjoy peace and happiness; may broken relationships be reconciled, injustices repaired, and the wounds of our land be healed.

May your holy Catholic Church serve as a sign, pointing all people to your infinite love.

O Desire of Nations and Center of History, we ask you to bless these United States of America. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen

We left feeling so grateful that we took the time to drive to Lincoln and be a part of this beautiful service.

ARE YOU READY TO CELEBRATE?

America 250 is the nationwide celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, culminating on July 4, 2026. Think of it as a once‑in‑a‑generation moment — the semi quincentennial — with events, exhibits, service projects, and community gatherings happening across all 50 states.

Here are some ideas for your parish or PCCW to celebrate:

·        A patriotic prayer service

·        A “250 Acts of Kindness” challenge for your council

·        A historical reflection on women of faith in American history

·        A special July meeting theme with music, readings, and service projects

·        A Stations of Freedom walk mirroring your Stations of the Cross creativity

God Bless You and America!

Your Sister in Christ,

Val Able, LDCCW President

HALOS



We would love to fill this space with articles and pictures from YOUR parish PCCW events! Please submit your articles to ldccwpresident@gmail.com.

Legislative: Alice

Licht-Anderson

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO ALL OF YOU

What a great time in our nation’s history! Not only will we celebrate Independence Day on July 4, but this year marks 250 years of our Independence. Have a great holiday with your family and friends.

OVER 200 INTERIM STUDY RESOLUTIONS INTRODUCED DURING 2026 SESSION

During each Legislative Session, Interim Study Resolutions are introduced to look into current problems and issues facing the state. They may relate to ideas for potential legislation in the following year or they may be in answer to legislation that was not resolved during the current session. 

Resolutions are assigned to various committees based on their content and topics. Committees may or may not elect to hold hearings during the interim (the time between the end of the session and the beginning of the following year’s session.) Many hearings tend to fall into the autumn of the year. Some studies may be conducted by the committee itself. 

Read about some Interim Study Resolutions which may be of interest to our members HERE.

Service Commission

Let’s talk about Martha and her call to help and serve others for a minute. While I was ambitious - planning the care of my garden to feed my family over the summer months, I often stopped and thought about those that don’t have this life of mine. 

The life I have and what I can give. The service to others that feeds my soul.  Intention about the plants that go in the ground, how I am caring and nurturing them until harvest, and celebrating how I ACTUALLY did all of that! It made me and continues to make me stop and think how I can help those around me with what I can produce and how BLESSED this life of mine really is. 

Martha is a lot like us. We are called to serve. Maybe that’s bake sale after bake sale, donations, helping at the event after Mass, or maybe that’s dropping off your prize heirloom tomatoes for others to enjoy this summer.Take a minute to think about how blessed you are and how you can leverage your passions to enrich another’s life along the way.  

The call to action is simple, ask yourself how can I help? It may just be waiting in your garden. 

Trish Seidl 

LDCCW Service Commission Co-Chair

What Do These Initials Mean?

In the June Issue we covered the meaning of PCCW and LDCCW. This month we will cover the NCCW and the DCCW.

NCCW – NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN

The NCCW acts through its membership to support, empower, and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership, and service. NCCW programs respond with Gospel values to the needs of the Church and society in the modern world. There are different levels of membership in the NCCW. As a diocese, we are Affiliate Members. This level of membership gives us a vote at the Annual NCCW Convention, the opportunity to serve on NCCW Commissions and Committees, access to special resources on the NCCW Website, Leadership Training, and the Catholic Woman magazine. The NCCW works in collaboration with Catholic Relief Services, Cross Catholic Outreach, Catholic Charities, and other organizations that support our ministry.

DCCW – DEANERY COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN

DCCW’s have a dual purpose. First, they are extremely important in our line of communication. Each Deanery needs to have a President or Representative to attend the meetings of the LDCCW (only 3 per year). This person is responsible for passing on the information given out at the LDCCW Meeting. The second purpose is to gather the women of parishes near each other for a time to share our faith, friendships, and parish happenings. All the women in your parishes should be invited to attend Deanery meetings. Each deanery is assigned a Spiritual Director by the Bishop. It is not up to the Spiritual Director to arrange the meetings, however, he should be invited to attend.

Executive Board & Budget Committee Meeting

July 19th

2:00 PM

Resurrection Church Hall 

Grand Island, NE 

A block of 10 rooms have been reserved for Sunday, July 19th for those that need to stay over for the Province Meeting on Monday, July 20th. Contact: Comfort Inn on 3535 State Street, Phone: 308-310-5006. Please let them know you are with the LDCCW when making your reservation.

REMINDER

September 18 - Executive Board Meeting, Schoenstatt Shrine, Crete, NE

September 19 - General Board Meeting, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Crete, NE

The 2026-2028

LDCCW Executive Board Members

2026-2028 Officers:

PRESIDENT: Valerie Able

PRESIDENT ELECT:

Kathy Rentschler

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT: Donna Havlat

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT: Barbara Kadlec

THIRD VICE PRESIDENT: Michele Chambers

RECORDING SECRETARY: Joyce Reich

TREASURER: Carrie Magorian

FINANCIAL SECRETARY: Teresa Koch

AUDITOR: Karen Dey

SPIRITUAL ADVISORS:

Fr. Thomas Lux and

Fr. Thomas McGuire

To get to know more about them, please click HERE to find out all the details!

LDCCW Mission Statement

The Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, under the authority of the Bishop, seeks to grow in holiness and to live out our faith through the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy in the service of God and His Church.

SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY:

To admonish the sinner

To instruct the ignorant

To counsel the doubtful

To comfort the sorrowful

To bear wrongs patiently

To forgive all injuries

To pray for the living and the dead

CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY:

To feed the hungry

To give drink to the thirsty

To clothe the naked

To visit the imprisoned

To shelter the homeless

To visit the sick

To bury the dead