South Region ACCW meets in Elgin

The South Region Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women (ACCW) held a meeting April 6 at Saint Ann in Elgin.
 
Representatives were from Saint Patrick in Anadarko, Saint Ann in Elgin, Holy Family in Lawton, Immaculate Conception in Marlow, Saint Patrick in Walters and Blessed Sacrament in Lawton. Father Rayanna Narisetti conducted Mass to begin the meeting.
 
The Women of Faith in Action award was presented to Sharon Stephens of Holy Family in Lawton. Stephens was recognized for serving as president of Holy Family Ladies Guild for nine years, serving as past president and vice president of South Region ACCW and serving in multiple roles in the parish.
 
Also recognized were board members MaryAnn Hohlman of Saint Patrick in Walters, Victoria Stringer of Holy Family in Lawton, Betty Cooper of Immaculate Conception in Marlow, Iris Fraticelli of Holy Family in Lawton, and Annie Dutton of Saint Patrick in Anadarko.
 
The guest speaker was U.S. Army chaplin, Father Jerry Sherbourne from Fort Sill. He spoke about his conversion to the Catholic Church. He said it was during a lunchtime conversation in Afghanistan with a Catholic chaplain and a fellow Anglican chaplain that his friend challenged Father Eric Albertson to explain the Immaculate Conception.
 
“He said, ‘Oh, that’s easy. It all began with an angel’s word to the Blessed Virgin Mary, ‘Hail full of Grace.’ In that very conversation, at that table, that was all I needed to hear,” he said.
 
Father Jerry Sherbourne’s wife and children were confirmed Catholic in 2012, and he followed in 2013, being ordained a Catholic Priest of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter.
 
During the meeting, participants collected $122 for the Cross Catholic Outreach, a nonprofit Catholic relief and development ministry that provides food, shelter, medical care, water, education, self-help programs, care for orphans and emergency relief to the poorest of the poor.
 
The next meeting of South Region ACCW will be Oct. 12 at Saint Patrick in Walters.
 
The National Council of Catholic Women annual conference will be August 21-24 in Atlanta.
 
Photo: The officers for the South Region ACCW are from left to right: Iris Fraticelli, spirituality commission; Annie Dutton, Secretary; Bettie Cooper, parliamentarian; Susan Evans, president; Victoria Stinger, vice president; Sharon Stephens, service commission; and MaryAnn Hohlman, leadership commission. Not pictured: JoAnn Landoll, treasurer. Photo Jolene Schonchin/Sooner Catholic.