Local News
New President Assumes Leadership Of AACCW
Published: October 2, 2003
ATLANTA—The Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women met Sept. 12-14, and a new slate of officers was installed for a two-year term.
Celeste Ganey, a member of Christ Our Hope Church, Lithonia, was installed as the new president, and Mae Fern Barron, a member of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Decatur, was installed as the new vice president. Pat Herrick of Good Shepherd Church, Cumming, is recording secretary, and Marion Conroy of St. Paul the Apostle Church, Cleveland, is treasurer. Dona Anderson will serve as parliamentarian.
The installation took place Sept. 14 at a Mass celebrated by Archbishop John F. Donoghue closing the annual convention, which was held at the Wyndham Hotel and Convention Center in Peachtree City.
Father Kevin Hargarden, the son of outgoing AACCW president Mary Hargaden, and Father Paul Berny, spiritual moderator, concelebrated the Mass.
The convention drew over 150 people, more than in the previous two conventions, Ganey said. Four women who had been members for more than 50 years were honored at the convention luncheon Sept. 13, where Msgr. Henry Gracz, pastor of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Atlanta, was the keynote speaker.
Women honored were Agnes Driskell of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Genevieve Jones Gesing of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Carrollton, Rose Kinkela of St. John the Evangelist Church, Hapeville, and Carlene Thomas of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Atlanta. The program book at the 47th annual convention was dedicated to them. The honor was the inspiration of AACCW member Mary Wells.
Ganey said that a poll at the convention revealed a large number of new active members. “We were awed. We had so many new parish members there for the first time,” she said.
Her emphasis as president is “to bring those inactive parishes into active status again” and to provide leadership training and assistance to parish women’s council leaders.
“We are going to go to them. We are going to do everything in our power,” she said. “We are going to go back to the parishes and start there. That will make the AACCW strong and the National Council of Catholic Women strong.”
A committee of six women has been appointed who will be responsible to go to parishes by region and help set up women’s guilds or provide leadership training and assistance where guilds are already in place, Ganey said. They will provide ongoing support to leaders.
“We are going to be there for them,” she said.
