It's taken a lot of preparation, but organizers of the New Ulm Diocesan Council of Catholic Women annual convention say they're ready to welcome more than 200 women to Holy Redeemer Catholic Church on Saturday morning.
"It's something we've been looking forward to, sharing the day with women in our diocese," said convention co-chairwoman Jan Noyes.
The 53rd annual NUDCCW convention will be held Saturday at Holy Redeemer in Marshall. Besides council business, the day will include a Mass celebrated by Bishop John LeVoir and a keynote address from Leslee Unruh, the founder of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse.
The NUDCCW is a women's organization devoted to prayer, study and service, said Jeane Appel, chairwoman of the diocese's convention organization commission. Members of the group include CCW groups from among the 72 parishes in the New Ulm Diocese.
"We usually get women from almost every parish (at the convention)," Appel said. "People look forward to it."
Appel said the location of the convention rotates every year. One of the criteria for selection is that a parish has enough room to host the convention.
The convention begins with a general assembly at 8:30 a.m. The event will include time for business like the naming of new officers and the recipient of the Woman of the Year award. Social time is also part of the day, Appel and Noyes said. Lunch will be served, and there will be a variety of booths and a silent auction. Later in the day, a question and answer session will be held with the NUDCCW's spiritual adviser.
Preparing for the convention took a lot of coordinated effort, Noyes said. A local committee of 25 women, plus many more volunteers, are putting their work into the event.
"We are very excited. There are so many great women on our committee," Noyes said.
Noyes said more than 250 people had pre-registered for the convention, but it is also possible to register at the door. There will be a registration fee of $25, which includes lunch and a bag with information and some small gifts, Noyes said.