In 1932, the Most Rev. Louis B. Kucera, Bishop of Lincoln, saw a need for a women's organization working together to perform the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Some 20 years later, His Excellency James V. Casey outlined the following new goals for the LDCCW: To develop leaders, to assess each woman in the diocese $1.00/yr. for the support of the Council, to support the Newman Center and St. Thomas Orphanage and to have Apostleship of Prayer in each parish.

Today, under the leadership of the Most Rev. Fabian Bruskewitz, the LDCCW consists of more than 23,000 women in 13 deaneries and 135 parishes working together for their Church, community and families to further the Gospel values.

To assist the Altar Society/PCCW and the spiritual moderators with education and involvement in the Council of Catholic Women, a video, Mary and Martha in Service to the Church, and a Training Manual were developed in 2004. Training/Orientation Sessions were held for each deanery after which the deanery presidents and Organization Commission Chairmen reviewed the video and manual with each Altar Society/PCCW.

The accomplishments of the Council of Catholic Women could not be better stated than through the words contributed by the late Moderator Msgr. Flynn, "The glorious achievements of these years reveal a magnificent dedication on the part of thousands of Catholic women in the Lincoln Diocese. These devoted and faithful servants of our Lord have developed through their innumerable programs, a strengthening of Catholic life among God's people over the years. The splendor of her fidelity is known in every deanery and parish of the diocese."

As long as there is a need to fulfill, these programs and projects will continue and be promoted by the Council of Catholic Women for the Lincoln Diocese.

To learn more about the LDCCW history click here

Irene Pipan, Jeanette Stengel, Eileen Childerston and Marily Maney