HOTEL REGISTRATION
MARCH 13
TO RECEIVE GROUP RATE
Prayer to our Lady of Good Counsel
God of heavenly wisdom, you have given us Mary,
Mother of Jesus, to be our guide and counselor.
Grant that we may always seek her motherly help
in this life and so enjoy her blessed presence in
the life to come.
O Mother of Good Counsel, Patroness of the
National Council of Catholic Women, Intercede for us, that we may be wise, courageous and loving leaders of the Church. Help us dear mother, to know the mind of Jesus, your Son. May the Holy Spirit, fill us with reverence for God’s creation, and compassion for all God’s children. May our labors of love on earth enhance the reign of God; and may God’s gifts of faith and living hope prepare us for the fullness of the world to come. Amen.
Marie Miller will be our keynote speaker. She is a multi-faceted artist and speaker who weaves music, humor, and storytelling to convey God’s love for us and our opportunity to share that love with others. At seventeen Marie was signed by Curb Records. During her Curb years, she recorded the #1 Christian song, “You’re Not Alone” and had songs featured in movies and television shows. After much thought and prayer, she left Curb Records to create “Little Dreams,” her first independent album. The album’s title track video premiered on Billboard and its most popular single, “Imaginary Friend,” was streamed over 1 million times on iTunes. As a live performer, Marie opened for the Backstreet Boys, The Wallflowers, toured with Five for Fighting, and headlined shows in listening rooms across the country. Marie shared the main stage with Mark Wahlberg, Andrea Bocelli, and Aretha Franklin to perform for Pope Francis and a live audience of 750,000. Marie recently released her second independent album, "The Way of Love" inspired by the life and teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux and will present The Way of Love, a special musical presentation on the teaching of Saint Therese of Lisieux”- Marie will, also, contribute a moving addition during our Sunday morning Adoration.
Carol Ruddell is our guest speaker. She is the Administrator of Crisis and Suicide Prevention Programs for the state of Utah in the Department of Health and Human Services. Carol was a teacher for 22 years, working primarily with deaf and blind students, with twelve of those years as the Transition Specialist at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Carol is a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Parish, and the Diocese of Salt Lake City Commission for People with Disabilities. She is also a Lay Ecclesial Minister for the Diocese. Carol is passionate about Catholic social teaching, sharing with others the many ways, both large and small, that each of us live our faith every day. Carol will present, Blessed, broken and shared - a life of sharing to ask the question, “How will we answer the call to be the bread for others and how will we prepare to share Christ with others?”
Our two featured Commissions are Service and Spirituality Service Commission Speakers are Mary Ellen Dworshak and Sister Germaine Sarazzin, D.C. Mary Ellen has been serving at the Center of Hope for 10 years. She is the Development Director for the Center of Hope which she describes as basically the “community liaison” -- she is the one that serves to coordinate between their Advisory Council and the Board for the Center of Hope. Mary Ellen is a native Montanan, married with 2 children and 5 grandchildren. Sister Germaine Sarazzin, D.C., has been a Daughter of Charity for 67 years. In 1961 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education and taught first grade for 40 years-- 23 of those years here in Utah. In 2007, Sister returned to Utah to be the Vincentian Spiritual Moderator to the Ladies of Charity when she began collaborating with the Ladies of Charity at the Center of Hope. The title of their presentation is “Feeding the Body and the Spirit”
Spirituality Commission Speaker is Amy Kennedy. Amy entered the Catholic Church in 2000 and soon became deeply involved in Council work, serving as secretary and later president of her parish CCW, where she continues as treasurer. Amy has held leadership roles at every level of Council, including serving as president of the Salt Lake Deanery and the Salt Lake City DCCW. Her NCCW service includes serving as chair of the NCCW Leadership Commission, a member of the Leadership Development and Training (LTD) Team, and as Secretary. In 2023, Amy was elected President-Elect and now proudly serves as your NCCW President. Amy serves on several community and diocesan boards, including the Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake and the Catholic Foundation of Utah. She and her husband live in Salt Lake City, are parishioners at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. In her spare time – yes, she does have some! - she enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling. Her presentation is titled: “This is My Body”
We will be honoring the Woman of the Year recipients at the Saturday evening banquet along with Bishop Oscar Solis, Reverand Ariel Durian, Salt Lake City DCCW Spiritual Advisor and other special guests from the Diocese.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: ➢ Prayer/Meditation Room and inspiring prayer services ➢ Confession ➢ Eucharistic Adoration ➢ Poster Session ➢ Vendors: Magdalene Religious Goods, Carmelites Candies and Jams
DCCW MISSION
Statement
To unite Catholic Women's
organizations and individual
Catholic women in the state of
Utah. Diocese of Salt Lake City, in purpose, through support,
empowerment, and education in
the areas of spirituality, leadership, and service that responds with Christian values in the church society.
CONVENTION DEADLINE DATES
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
MARCH 5, 2026
Please fill out the registration forms completely and legibly, double check spelling of all names (as this list will be used for name badges), and make sure to list banquet table seating preferences (who is to sit together), if more than 8 registrants. There will be 2 choices for the banquet, please make sure you mark the choice of meals, Short Ribs OR Red Snapper on your registrations. (There will be vegan, vegetarian, gluten free substitutions available if it is marked on your registrations. The banquet pricing is the same for special dietary needs) It’s important to note any dietary restrictions and list them in the space provided on the registration form, as well as those attending with special needs. This makes it much easier to accommodate special needs if known in advance. Please remember to mark first time attendees on the registration form to assure they are given a proper welcome. Parking fees are waived. PLEASE NOTE: A late fee of $20 per registration will be added to each registration postmarked after March 15, 2026. After April 4, 2026, no refunds will be given. Final meal counts are turned into the hotel, and the DCCW is responsible for payment at that point.
DCCW SPIRITUAL ADVISOR
Father Ariel Durian
St. James the Greater Vernal,UT
arieldurian@outlook.com
RAFFLE DEADLINE
APRIL 3 2026
Tradition asks that each affiliate provide one centerpiece, one raffle item, and one silent auction item. Individual donations are also graciously accepted. Proceeds from the raffle and silent auction are our only fundraiser source of income for the year. We appreciate your generosity and support. To assist in planning; Please let Cynthia Acosta, Ways and Means Chair, know what you are donating and an approximate value by April 3, 2026. Reach Cynthia: Call/text 801-641-8288 or email acosc400@yahoo.com