Parish Council of Catholic Women
The Parish Council of Catholic Women, or PCCW as we call it, is a service organization of Immaculate Conception Parish that all women registered as members of the parish belong to. It is also an affiliation of the Region 3 & 4 Council of Catholic Women, or RCCW; the Diocese of Springfield - Cape Girardeau Council of Catholic Women, or DCCW; and the National Council of Catholic Women, or NCCW. Our meetings are the second Tuesday of the month from September to May in the community room. The times vary depending on the program; general meetings are at 7:00 p.m. We often have speakers and food; we always have fun and fellowship.
What isn’t the PCCW? It is not the older ladies club. It is a mingling of young and old, single and married, mothers and grandmothers, all working together for the church and the community.
PCCW, once called the Altar Society, has been around for many years. Although the NCCW was charted in 1920 the name change from Altar Society to PCCW did not take place in some areas of the country until after Vatican II. PCCW has many projects. Among those done this year are the International Dinner, the White Elephant and Bake Sale, and the Chili Cook-Off. We have donated money to the Rare Breed program of the Kitchen, and in May we will sponsor a Baby Shower for Birthright.
Many of these projects have been done with the help of the Men’s Club. We work as a unit on many things. We also help with receptions after the Chrism Mass at St. Agnes and with many special events and receptions at IC, for example, ordinations and ordination anniversaries.
Besides the usual officers, we also have what are called Commission Chairs. The ladies in these positions receive information that comes from the national, diocesan, and regional levels to the parish. After sorting through it, they then pass it along to us at our meetings.
PCCW is also about service to its members. From national to parish level, we act to support, empower, and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service. Our programs respond with Gospel values to the needs of the church and society in our modern world. We strive to help each other to achieve our goals and not lose sight of our values. One of the real joys of attending meetings is to share stories and gather inspiration from one another. If you have a problem you are worried about, someone else at that meeting has probably been through it and can offer some advice.
Our PCCW is also blessed to have the support of our three wonderful priests here at IC. They are there for us. They have no problem giving us a blessing whenever they are there and they attend every event that they can.
PCCW needs all the women of the parish. Even if you cannot attend all the meetings, we encourage you to try to come when you can. Be a worker for some of the fundraisers and come and have some fun once in a while too.