Women’s Convention Honors Archbishop, Mary Wells

GRETCHEN KEISER, Staff Writer

Published: October 7, 2004

ATLANTA—The president of the Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women is pleased with the local convention held Sept. 10-12, which focused on the theme of peace and justice and honored both Archbishop John F. Donoghue and longtime AACCW leader Mary Wells.

“I am very pleased. It involves a lot of work, but then when you see the results, it is worth the work,” said Celeste Ganey, AACCW president. “We had good attendance and good speakers . . . We also dedicated our convention this year to the archbishop. We thanked him for supporting us. We presented him with a gift and Mary Wells with a gift.”

Wells, a parishioner of St. Paul of the Cross Church, Atlanta, was honored at the local convention because she was selected as a regional nominee for the new Our Lady of Good Counsel award to be presented for the first time by the National Council of Catholic Women at their General Assembly held Sept. 23-25 in Austin, Texas.

Wells went on to win the national award, to the delight of about 20 AACCW members who went to Austin to support her with their presence and to hear the national speakers. She was honored for more than 40 years of service to the AACCW and to parish councils of Catholic women, as well as for her many contributions in other areas, including the Serra organization, the National Black Catholic Congress, Women in Community Service, prison ministry and HIV/AIDS ministry. She was a previous recipient of a papal honor in the archdiocese.

“She has devoted her life to serving others,” Ganey said with admiration and local pride. “This is a new award and she is the first person to win that award.”

Speakers at the local convention, which attracted 150 to 175 people, included Linda Schaefer, author of “Come and See: A Photojournalist’s Journey Into the World of Mother Teresa,” who spoke of the spiritual experience of working with and photographing the Missionaries of Charity and their foundress in Calcutta, India; and Sister Joyce Ann Hertzig, OP, and Sandra Hollett, executive director of Catholic Social Services, who gave a workshop on human trafficking.

The group FungAfrica, which means love of Africa, celebrated the music and dance of African cultures in entertainment at the evening banquet Sept. 11. The group is based at Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain. The evening of Sept. 10 the group honored past presidents and the spiritual moderator of the AACCW at a dinner. There was a closing Mass on Sept. 12.

The AACCW president said they are actively promoting parish women’s groups and have a leadership committee of young women who are helping to encourage their peers to become active as Catholic women leaders.

“We use youth to bring in youth,” Ganey said.

She said she does not think busyness should prevent women from becoming involved in parish women’s groups because the group’s activities impact children.

“When we’re out there making decisions that affect your children, I don’t care how busy you are. You should be there to give your input,” she said, adding, “We have to make our meetings interesting and not last so long.”

Upcoming activities include an Oct. 25 fall fiesta, one of three events held annually by the AACCW for residents of Central State Hospital in Milledgeville. The recognition day for outstanding parish women and youth will be held Feb. 19, 2005.

The Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women will host the national convention of the National Council of Catholic Women on Sept. 15-18, 2005.

For further information on the AACCW, contact individual parish women’s guild officers or Celeste Ganey, AACCW president,

at (770) 808-0106.