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!

and ended with prayer. Calling upon our Lord Jesus to be present among us and to guide and lead us is always a beautiful way to begin and conclude our time together. Second, each meeting included a printed agenda for every member. The presidents are to be commended for taking the time to prepare and distribute these agendas, which helped everyone remain focused and engaged. Finally, each group showed a strong commitment to helping the parishes within its deanery thrive.

The Fairbury Deanery meeting was especially blessed by the presence of the host parish priest, Fr. Grell, and the dean, Fr. Major. God bless these men for supporting the women of the deanery by attending their meeting. I also attended a Magnificat Prayer Meal and the Diocesan Communications Workshop. Although these events were quite different from one another, both brought together people filled with the Holy Spirit and a sincere desire to do God’s will.

Elections will take place soon after you receive this newsletter. As you vote, please allow your faith to guide you. Our country needs our prayers. The following prayer appeared in our parish bulletin:

Lord God, as the election approaches, we seek to better understand

the issues and concerns that confront our city, state, and country, and

how the Gospel compels us to respond as faithful citizens. Grant us

eyes free from blindness, so we may see one another as brothers and

sisters, equal in dignity; ears to hear the cries of the vulnerable; and

minds and hearts open to leaders who will bring us closer to Your

Kingdom. Give us discernment to choose those who hear Your Word,

live Your love, and keep Your truth. May Your will be done, and may

Your peace rest upon our land. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Peace Be with You,

Val Able, President LDCCW

Leadership Commission

Leadership Commission Summary April 2026 - September 2026

Fall Open Meeting at Crete - September 19, 2026

LDCCW Planning and Training – The Executive Board met at Chances R in York on June 24, 2026 for a training led by President Able. Budgets were discussed. We also did an activity with our commission. We were asked to find areas that we are passionate about and topics we would like to share. Leadership shared that training, communication, visibility, social and developing an “elevator speech” were matters of importance.

Annual Omaha Province Meeting in Grand Island on July 19-20. Business meeting was held along with a social gathering. Topic of hosting the NCCW Convention was discussed.

Communication – We continue to discuss ways to improve communication. How can we collect contact information more efficiently and then how can we get information out to our members in a timely manner? We also discussed making the registration process easier. We are also looking into making the Charitable Works Survey better.

We had a meeting to learn about Zeffy on September 15 at St. Peters led by Kay Palha. More info on this to follow. Leadership Training is in the process of being scheduled. Possible venues include David City, Hastings, Orleans, McCook, York and Wahoo. There has been some discussion on having a “Train the Trainers” training too. Social media has been active under the direction of Heather Lipovsky. Heather asks that we “like” and

“share” our Facebook posts. If your parish has a story or pictures you’d like to share on FB, please let Heather know by emailing her at ldccwsocialmedia@gmail.com or heatherlipovsky@gmail.com. Thank you to those that have submitted pictures (PCCW and/or Deanery Officers) to the Southern Nebraska Register register@lincolndiocese.org and to Father Coulter fr.garycoulter@lincolndiocese.org

Legislature – The Nebraska Legislature is not in session currently. They will reconvene in January of 2027. Activities during this interim include making arrangements with the Governor’s Mansion to hold our Coffee, Tour and Issue Briefing in conjunction with the Catholic Conference’s “Catholics at the Capitol Day.” The event will be held on April 6, with the Conference following on April 7. We are monitoring the fall elections. Half of the Legislature (25 seats) are up for election. We are also monitoring the State Constitutional Officer elections as well as petition drives, Congressional races and the U.S. Senator

Race. So many races have hinged on Court Rulings this summer and early fall. Issues at the Congressional level have pretty much ground to a halt with very little being accomplished prior to the fall General Election.  We will be looking at the Nebraska Legislature’s Interim Studies that will be continuing this fall. They signal potential legislation in the 2027 Session. Alice Licht-Anderson (Legislative Chair)

Officer’s Information – When your leadership (officers) changes, please send an email to

cmkenner@thayercountybank.com with updates. It is very helpful when you include name, address, phone and email address. Thank you to all of those that have updated your PCCW and Deanery officer lists.

Spirit Catholic Radio – We will participate in the Spirit Catholic Radio Telethon on September 29 from noon to 1:00 PM.

Your Sister in Christ,

Carlece Kenner, Leadership Commission

121 Park Ave

Hebron, NE 68370

402-768-8165

ldccwleadership@gmail.com

impractical to expect those things. When confession was first offered, some priests and leaders were unsure if it would be accepted. But that day more priests were needed. A while after that, the Spiritual Advisor asked the local bishop if he may bring the Eucharist into the hotel for adoration. I’m not sure if it was all that simple, but it happened and keeps happening.

This year a few things showed our hunger for Jesus at the convention. First, Fr. Washburn scheduled confessions all four mornings – more than usual and asked for more volunteer priests. They were needed. On the first day of the convention in Grand Rapids, I went down thru the lobby to go to the meditation room where the Eucharist was going to be. I was met by some women who were hosts from Grand Rapids. They were catching people and telling them that the Eucharist had been moved to a different room. Someone asked why. A local woman said something like: ‘The room the hotel provided was not appropriate.’ Perhaps the staff didn’t understand the Real Presence. Maybe the room was too small. They gave us a huge conference room, big enough for both confessions at one end and Eucharistic adoration at the other. Fr. Washburn had some beautiful monastic music playing from the Halo app. I sat down to pray. How would I have requested that change? I imagined Father seeing the first room provided. I imagined he could have been angry but what a great time to evangelize hotel workers about the Eucharistic Jesus. My imagination became my prayer. I imagined saying, 'We’ve been given permission to bring Jesus into your hotel so people may visit with him in prayer. Jesus saw crowds when he walked the earth. He will be seeing crowds during these next few days, too. So, please give us a bigger room.’

Like Jesus,confident when stepping into Simon Peter’s boat to speak better to people on shore. My prayer that morning considered the faith and confidence of Fr. Washburn and

the love of the many adoring Jesus. He was the center of this national convention.

Another thing: our two main speakers both spoke of conversion moments in their lives accompanied by struggle and supported by friends and family. The main speaker, Mary Lenaburg, nearly turned the convention into a retreat. She did this by becoming very vulnerable, sharing moments, e.g. when her daughter was in the ICU/ER with grand mall seizures and went thru (or had already gone thru) many procedures. My notes are sketchy, but her daughter was close to dying. Mary said as a mom her language was: control. Fear filled her. Gradually, she turned to God. His Wisdom showed her that she was at the foot of the cross. Jesus told her: ‘Hold me.’ Then the Holy Spirit told her: sing! She only thought of: “Our God is an awesome God…” The doctor said, “Keep singing!” Nurses joined her in singing to her daughter, with God’s ‘wisdom, power and love.’ Faith and the love of God carried Mary thru that hard time.

I think we were all inspired by her sharing how out of control and scared she felt. And how God led her to the foot of the Cross where she opened her heart. then was given the voice of the Spirit to sing of her love for God, her daughter, and all the staff. What an intimate, powerful, loving God we have!

Fr. McGuire, Spiritual Director, LDCCW

The Summer with the Saints

It is hard to believe that more than six months have passed since I stepped away from the office of President of the Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (LDCCW). I can now better understand why past presidents often step back into the quiet of summer. For me, it was a blessed season of solitude, prayer, and spiritual renewal.

At St. Michael’s in Hastings, Bill and I developed a wonderful relationship with seminarian

Dominic Pavan. We were even blessed with the opportunity to host the first-class relic of St. Thérèse of Lisieux in our home for several weeks. As Dominic shared, “She continues her missionary work even after her earthly death.” St. Thérèse found a special place on my little prayer altar in the living room. It is amazing how her presence continues to spark a fire of faith within us.

That fire was rekindled at the most recent fall LDCCW meeting at Sacred Heart in Crete. President Val Able challenged each of us to bring a devotional item to share with the group. Some brought books, others shared statues, and I brought the rosary my mother held when she passed away. Since that meeting, I have found myself reflecting on the significance of my mother’s rosary, the relics we treasure, and the devotions that shape our faith. We may not all have first-class relics in our homes, but many of us possess something deeply meaningful: an object touched, treasured, or prayed with by someone we love. These tangible reminders connect us to those who came before us and to the faith they shared with us. Sometimes, they even inspire us to embrace a new devotion.

When St. Thérèse’s relic returned to Dominic and the meeting came to a close, I replaced her place on my prayer altar with a statue of St. Faustina that belonged to my mother. I am now taking small steps toward developing a deeper devotion to the Divine Mercy. Perhaps this is one of the beautiful ways our faith continues to grow. We carry forward the prayers, devotions, and examples of those who have gone before us, allowing them to inspire our

own journey toward Christ. Whether through a rosary, a beloved statue, a saint’s intercession, or a quiet moment of prayer, God finds ways to draw us closer to Him.

As summer gave me time to slow down and listen, I discovered that stepping away from a

leadership role does not mean stepping away from the work God has placed before us.

Sometimes, He simply invites us to grow in a quieter way. May we always remain open to the saints who inspire us, the loved ones whose faith has shaped us, and the new devotions through which God continues to set our hearts aflame.

Your Sister in Christ

Past President Judy Weston

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