About Us
- Executive Officers
- District Officers and Moderators
- History of our Web site
- Reviewing a Bit of Our History
Executive Officers
July 2011 through June 2013
Elizabeth (Liz) Fan, President
St. Denis Parish, Diamond Bar
Jan Kubani, First Vice President
St. Bede the Venerable Parish, Glendale
Helena Smyth, Second Vice President
St. Bruno Parish, Whittier
Eva Walters, Third Vice President
St. Marcellinus Parish, City of Commerce
June Myles, Secretary
Ascension Parish, Los Angeles
Patti Bowman, Treasurer
St. Pancratius Parish, Lakewood
Patricia Granja, Past President
Holy Family Parish, Glendale
Grace Rinaldi, Parliamentarian
St. Joseph Parish, Hawthorne
District Officers and Moderators
July 2011 through June 2013
Districts 1 & 2
Districts 3 & 4
Rosalina Lugo, President
St. Sebastian ParishDistrict 5
Sandy Recla, President
Our Lady of Grace Parish
Reverend Ramon G. Valera, Moderator
Our Lady of Lourdes ParishDistricts 6 & 7
Ellie Martin, President
Holy Redeemer Parish
Reverend Norman Supancheck, Moderator
St. Didacus ParishDistrict 8
Marian Muntz, President
Sacred Heart ParishDistricts 9 & 10
Gretchen Midgley, Second Vice President
Sts. Felicita & Perpetua Parish
Rev.Msgr. Robert Gipson, Moderator
Assumption of B.V.M. ParishDistrict 11
Alice Fahey, President
Sacred Heart Parish
Reverend Brian Cavanagh , Moderator
Sacred Heart ParishDistrict 12
Patricia Lasko, President
St. Denis Parish
Rev. Matthew Cumberland, Moderator
St. Joseph ParishDistrict 13
Lillian Papenguth, Third Vice President
Rev. James Barnes, Moderator
St. Joan of Arc ParishDistrict 14
Glenda Evangelista, President
Our Lady of Loretto Parish
Rev. Richard Casillas, Moderator
Our Lady of Loretto ParishDistricts 15 & 16
Cheryl Pyles, President
St. Brigid Parish
Rev. Thomas R. Frank SSJ, Moderator
St. Brigid ParishDistricts 17 & 20
Alice Avery, President
St. Albert The Great Parish
Rev. George Reynolds, Moderator
St. Barnabas ParishDistrict 18
Margaret Arriola, President
St. Bruno Parish
Rev. James Bradley, Moderator
St. Bruno ParishDistrict 19
Gen Gorciak, President
St. Anthony of Padua Parish
Rev. Alfred Hernandez, Moderator
Nativity Parish
History of our Web Site
Marilyn Mathers, serving as Communications’ Chair, presented the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women’s Board of Directors with the concept of having an ACCW Web Site. Having nothing but an idea and enthusiasm, she was confident that if we prayed and it was God’s will, it would come into being. We were pleased with all we were able to accomplish using the Internet and now nearly a decade later, again after much prayer, we have three Web Sites which we are updating and improving.
Mary Pat May was the Executive President at the early talking stages and beginning inception of the attempt to launch an internet presence. Today she is the Immediate Past President. Mary Pat May’s encouragement and hundred percent backing was an essential element that enabled Marilyn to proceed. Anne-marie Robeertson, Ilegra Evans, Nancy Glenn and today Judy Perez are the presidents that followed and were all extremly supportive of our Web Sites.
The women who comprise the ACCW Board of Directors deserve a great deal of the credit for bringing this web site about. Even though many of them did not have access to the Internet, they shared the vision of the good that could be accomplished by promoting the Lord’s work using the latest of technology. Their greatest contribution, however, was the confidence they had in the ability of prayer to make something happen and the hundreds of prayers offered up for this Web Site. Today most of our women 'surf the net' and use e-mail.
Fernando Uribe, President and Executive Producer of Pluribus Media, was the essential element necessary to bring us on-line. Connecting with Fernando came about in a seemingly miraculous way. A woman in his parish suggested we contact him. We found him to be a man of strong faith and extremely talented as an artisan and technician. The design and technical implementation of this Web Site are the result of his unique abilities, including his courtesy and patience working with us neophytes to the Internet World.
Reviewing a Bit of Our History
Excerpted from "His Eminence of Los Angeles" Volume II by: Msgr. Francis J. Weber 1997:
THE A.C.C.W.
"Among the many organizations established in Los Angeles, none was more favored and useful than the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women which traces its roots back to the 1920s. In an address to a national meeting of the broader National Council of Catholic Women held at Fresno in April,1953, McIntyre praised their work for the Church, noting that "the organization found its reason for being in the free adherence to the fixed principles of life represented in the law of God."
He stressed that members derived their strength from the fact that they were "at one in the acceptance of the truth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
In an article for Confraternity Notes, Anne Heffernan stated that the objectives of the A.C.C.W. were "to carry out specific work entrusted by the Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, to cooperate with archdiocesan moderators and directors and to implement approved archdiocesan programs through standing committees." An annual conference was held each year at which upwards of 1,600 women gathered to hear speakers and address problems and challenges facing the greater Catholic community. The role of the A.C.C.W. was that of "cooperating with" rather than replacing existing structures in the archdiocese.
McIntyre used the A.C.C.W. as a means of linking together other activities and over the years he enlisted their assistance in a host of activities such as the annual crusades for The Tidings, efforts to remove Catholic schools from the tax rolls, opposition to Federal Aid to education that would deny equal benefits to Catholics, the encouragement of Mary's Hour and the establishing of Mission Circles for the support of the lay missionary program.
Late in 1957, McIntyre suggested to the A.C.C.W. leadership that they launch a monthly newsletter, a project that began the following January with publication of the initial copy of The ACCW Newsletter. In the very first issue, McIntyre asked members to continue their apostolate of providing "a strong bond of spiritual accord that will merit God's blessing and the protection of our Blessed Lady". The cardinal appointed a chaplain for the organization and he met personally with him prior to gatherings of the A.C.C.W.'s executive board. Each parish was encouraged to establish a branch so that the network could be activated in moments through a telephone linkup throughout the archdiocese.
Over the years Cardinal McIntyre became increasingly displeased with the policies of the National Council of Catholic Women and, after a long series of negotiations, he encouraged the local A.C.C.W. to withdraw its affiliation. On August 8, 1958, a majority of those on the executive board voted to comply with the cardinal's advice. The Los Angeles organization had long been a dissentient voice on a number of national issues, including the N.C.C.W.'s views on pre-occupation with the United Nations, UNICEF, SFO and other similar agencies. Especially irritating to McIntyre were statements by the N.C.C.W. on the Bricker Amendment, the promotion of the Freedom Agenda, Radio Free Europe, the Catholic Association for International Peace, the sale of UNICEF anti Christmas cards, endorsement of the Genocide Convention and other issues that were misleading if not erroneous.
In their letter of withdrawal, the ladies protested what they considered a "soft approach on Communism" and N.C.C.W.'S "silence concerning the present grave evils of secularism, materialism and atheistic Communism in our midst." They also complained about the absence of a strong positive program of Catholic Action, the omission of an alert on discrimination in all articles on Federal Aid to Education, silence about UNESCO's proposed new treaty known as the Convention Against Discrimination in Education" and other positions that were "artfully maneuvered" through the last national convention with little or no discussion.
Interestingly, the Los Angeles A.C.C.W., not only survived its breakoff from the national organization, but thrived and grew to become one of the leading Catholic organizations in the archdiocese. Local authorities pointed to the A.C.C.W. as an example of how decentralization often strengthens rather than lessens the effectiveness of religious agencies."
Cardinal Timothy Manning followed Cardinal McIntyre as the head of the Los Angeles Archdiocese and thus became our Episcopal Moderator. In the ensuing years, political changes came about in our country that resulted in Cardinal Manning requesting that the A.C.C.W. Executive Board look into reconnecting with the National Council of Catholic Women. A formal A.C.C.W. committee was formed and they met with the leaders of N.C.C.W. which resulted in the two groups becoming affiliated, and that is the status we enjoy today. Our officers attend their Conventions, Congresses and General meetings and have voting privileges.