For Immediate Release

Washington, D.C. September 5, 2018 — More than 500 women and 42 priests gathered together for the 98th Annual Convention of the National Council of Catholic Women held in Pittsburgh, PA from August 29-September 1, 2018 with the theme, NCCW Reflecting God’s Joy: Missionary Disciples – Mission Possible!

Held where Pittsburgh’s famed three rivers meet soaring skyscrapers in the heart of the historic city, the 2018 Convention opened with presentations of the US and NCCW flags as well as letters of welcome and personal greetings from the Catholic Women’s League of Canada and from NCCW-affiliated Catholic women’s organizations.

Keynote speaker Most Reverend Frank Caggiano, Bishop of Bridgeport, spoke powerfully onDisciples Called to be Joyful Signs of Contradiction in the World. Other speakers included Holly Joy McIlwain who spoke on A Mission of Joy; Gina Loehr who titled her presentation,Blessed is She Who Believed: Embracing the Impossible Mission; and Bob Rice who spoke and sang engagingly on Owed to Joy: Sharing the Gifts of Love.

NCCW Commission presentations showcased their work on human trafficking, new mini retreats, and a program that unites U.S. Catholic school students with their counterparts in the Holy Land. The Education Committee guided attendees through the resource the committee prepared on Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis’ Joy of the Gospel reflecting the theme of the Convention and the focus of the NCCW throughout the past year.

Daily liturgies were celebrated by The Most Reverend David Zubik, Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh; The Most Reverend Gregory Parkes, USCCB liaison to the NCCW and Bishop of St. Petersburg, The Most Reverend Frank Caggiano, Bishop of Bridgeport; and The Most Reverend Edward Malesic, Bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg. His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, President of the USCCB and Archbishop of Galveston-Houston presided at the Closing Mass.

Rose Martinet was installed as National Treasurer, new Province Directors were installed, and Nympha White from Peoria, Illinois received the 2018 Our Lady of Good Counsel Award.

Founded at the direction of the US Catholic bishops in 1920, NCCW’s mission is to act through its members to support, empower and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service. Its programs respond with Gospel values to the needs of the Church and society in the modern world. To request an interview with NCCW President Maribeth Stewart please contact lbennett@nccw.org or call 703-224-0990. Visit nccw.org for more information.