Local News
Atlanta Catholic Women’s Convention To Be Held
Published: August 18, 2011
ATLANTA—The Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women will hold its 55th annual convention Sept. 9-11 at the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center in Peachtree City. This year’s theme from Isaiah 43:1 is “I have called you by name.” The Southeast and Southwest Districts of the AACCW will host the convention. All Catholic women of the archdiocese are invited to attend the convention.
This year there will be a meditation room dedicated to those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. A prayer intention plaque will be available to list the names of those conventioneers wish to remember. The plaque will be carried up with the offertory gifts at Sunday’s Mass.
The convention will open Friday evening at 7 p.m. with the rosary, a welcome from Shirley Towle, AACCW president, and a party, including karaoke, to introduce people to one another.
There will be a business meeting on Saturday, Sept. 10, followed by two workshops, and both will be presented in the morning and repeated in the afternoon.
The presenter of the Family and Community Workshop is Angela Williams, a child advocate who founded VOICE Today to raise awareness of child sexual abuse and break the silence surrounding it. Her own story is told in “From Sorrows to Sapphires, Incest, Silence and God.” An international speaker and trainer in child sexual abuse prevention, her topic is “Children at Risk,” explaining how to recognize the dangers of predators and pornography on the Internet and steps for adults to take to protect children.
Presenters in the Legislation and International Workshop include Frank Mulcahy, executive director of the Georgia Catholic Conference, and Dr. Sharon Harley, who will speak on medical mission work in South Africa.
Mulcahy represents the bishops of Georgia in the state legislature, where he presents Catholic issues and viewpoints on legislation. He has a law degree from George Washington University, Washington, D.C., and a master’s degree in theological studies from Spring Hill College, Mobile, Ala. His topic is how and why Catholic women should become advocates who speak to their legislators on issues.
Harley is an obstetrician/gynecologist who has participated in the health care of South Africans while on missionary trips there. A member of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Decatur, she has practiced in the metro Atlanta area for 24 years, is fellowship trained in anti-aging and regenerative medicine and founded the Harley Anti-Aging Institute. Her topic is health care needs of the people of South Africa.
The Saturday luncheon speaker is Patsy Kang, a member of St. Gabriel Church, Fayetteville, and treasurer of St. Gabriel’s Council of Catholic Women. Her topic is on the convention theme, “I have called you by name.” A banquet with entertainment will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
On Sunday morning, Sept. 11, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory will concelebrate Mass at 8:30 a.m., which will include the installation of new officers. Since this is an election year, new officers will be voted on at the business meeting on Saturday morning. Brunch will follow Mass with Father William M. Williams, AACCW spiritual moderator and pastor of Queen of Angels Church, Thomson, as the guest speaker.
Basic baby layettes will be collected for new mothers in need and used cell phones for domestic violence shelters. Collections will benefit Mustard Seed and the Joplin, Mo., project helping the tornado-devastated community.
Cost for convention registration and three meals is $145 before Aug. 27. A per-meal cost is also available. To receive the convention informational packet, call Theresa Caldwell at (770) 461-8978 or download it at www.archatl.com/clife/aaccw/convention.html. Contact Deanna Holmer at (706) 297-7493 or deannaf@windstream.net to RSVP. To make hotel reservations, call the Wyndham Conference Center at (770) 487-2000 and request the AACCW convention rate.
