A Year in Review: Thank you for your Time, Treasure, and Talent

By: Elizabeth Tomlin, Director of Finance

In the nonprofit world, the fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.  When I look back at the year, I am proud to recall the great work that our ministry accomplished and pray that the women of the military Archdiocese were impacted positively by the efforts of so many people who gave generously of their treasure, time, and talents.  If you grew in faith this year by participating in MCCW, I ask that you consider supporting our mission by making a one-time or recurring gift at www.mccw.org. 

The first half of the year was one of great growth for MCCW.  We launched our second annual retreat in Asia with about 25 participants, and the European region gathered about 115 women for a three-day retreat in the Eternal City. 

MCCW also offered several Days of Reflection.  The first Day of Reflection at West Point expanded from our spring retreat theme “Strengthened by Grace” and was presented by Nancy Belmont, Director of Faith formation and past MCCW presidents, Erin Raymond and Lisa Miklos.  We also took two Days of Reflection to Oahu, which focused on the Forum 2020 theme of Mary’s fiat.  

As spring unfurled and the world began to comprehend the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, MCCW quickly made the difficult decision to postpone our Forum and instead offer a Day of Reflection at no cost to our digital community.  Through this effort, we were able to connect women across the globe, unite them at Mass and in prayer with Archbishop Broglio, and inspire them with talks from nearly ten speakers.  We saw a sharp increase of nearly150 participants in our digital community in the weeks surrounding the digital day of reflection.

As summer approached, we continued to help our members prepare for CWOC transitions with webinars and Zoom sessions on discernment.  We also offered a summer book club with Joyful Momentum: Growing and Sustaining Vibrant Women’s Groups in interactive Zoom format to foster discussion, as well as a series of Facebook Live conversations between the author, Elizabeth Tomlin, and Director of Faith Formation, Nancy Belmont.  This offering remains available as a resource on MCCW’s YouTube channel and website.

As July turned to August, MCCW began the start of a new non-profit year.  We estimate that our forty-person volunteer leadership team gave more than 6,000 hours of effort to bring quality retreats, Days of Reflection, webinars, and a book club to our membership.  These programs were supported entirely through approximately $12,000.00 in generous donations of individual benefactors and military chapels, along with modest registration fees for our in-person events.

MCCW is extremely grateful for the generosity of our volunteers and donors.  As we look toward holding a digital forum this November, regional retreats in Europe and Asia this fall, and regional retreats throughout the United States this spring, I ask you to consider making a gift to support the good work of MCCW at www.mccw.org.  I also implore you to pray for the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel in all of our work.