Resolutions as Programs

CCW Organization Notebook provided by the Joliet Diocesan CCW

First of all, what are ‘Res     olutions’?  Resolutions are statements “which shape action and policies of the organization”. Both the Joliet Diocesan CCW and the National CCW adopt resolutions at their biennial conventions.  Your Parish CCW could also adopt ‘resolutions’ though you would probably do it less formally, and would more likely call them ‘goals’.

Resolutions are ideal and even recommended starting points for parish programs, either specific meetings or longer-lasting service programs.  All of the currently adopted resolutions of the Joliet DCCW are available on its website: http://www.dioceseofjoliet.org/ccw/ organized by Commissions; print copies should be in each Parish CCW President’s files, or can be requested by calling the JD CCW office at 815-834-4080.  The National resolutions from NCCW’s last two conventions are available from Marianne McKeague, 2006-8 JD CCW Organization Services Chair, at mariannemck@sbcglobal.net or call me at 630-834-2183.)

Having these resolutions in hand, then, how can you use them as starting points for your parish programs?  Let’s take a few examples:

1.      In September, 2007, NCCW adopted a resolution encouraging its members to support “the causes of candidates for beatification and canonization to whom they have particular devotion”.  You know that many of your parishioners are particularly interested in the beatification/canonization of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen and/or Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  You could locate an individual – perhaps right in your own parish – to speak on one or the other of these, and learn about how you can follow and perhaps even help in this process.

2.      Another resolution adopted in September, 2007, was one encouraging the purchase of Fair Trade items, as well as wider availability for them.  Many of your parishioners are dedicated environmentalists.  Consider scheduling a program (the Diocesan Office of Peace and Justice could help you locate a speaker on this) on Fair Trade.  OR if your parish is already knowledgeable about Fair Trade and wants to become more pro-active in this cause, consider doing what one northwest DuPage parish has done and actually make arrangements to sell Fair Trade coffee and chocolate after weekend Masses.

3.      Since we are now a global community, your members have been moved by stories of the epidemic health problems in Africa.  A September 2007 NCCW resolution addressed this concern.  Your Parish CCW might want to schedule a program on some of the many healthcare needs and problems in Africa; a missioner who has been to Africa could put faces to these stories.  A free-will collection at the end of the talk could go either to the missioner’s project or to NCCW/Catholic Relief Service’s Help-a-Child Africa.

4.      In the Fall of 2006, the Joliet Diocesan delegates adopted a resolution encouraging its members to educate themselves in ways to be prepared for various weather-related or other Disasters.  Do you know your community’s Disaster Plan?  A member of your town/village government probably has someone who could tell your members the details of the village-wide plan with suggestions for individual household readiness.

5.      A long-standing Joliet Diocesan resolution has been to pray for vocations.  Does your parish have a particular prayer program for this? (the Vocations resolution has some specific suggestions)  Do you have some kind of annual Appreciation event to thank your priests, deacons, and religious?  Could you start one?

As you can see, Resolutions are not the ‘dry business’ of convention, but resources to energize parish women, and CCWs as we strive to “educate…and respond with Gospel values to the needs of the Church and society in the modern world.”