MARYGROVE COLLEGE - Vol.4 No.2 - World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations Congress

Sep 21, 2026

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May 1957 Vol.4 No.2 describes the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO) Congress, scheduled for September in Rome, bringing thousands of Catholic women worldwide to discuss the Christian personality of women and develop a coordinated campaign to wage action against hunger with support from UN FAO. It explains WUCWO’s federation structure, how Pope addresses shaped emphasis in prior years, and compares its activities with the National Council of Catholic Women. It outlines WUCWO aims, origins in 1910, and subsequent growth through interwar and postwar periods.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Its aims

How it started

and how it grew

May 1957 Vol.4 No.2 MARYGROVE COLLEGE LIBRA人DETROIT,MICHIGANDLEASE DO NOT REMOVE WUCWO Catherine Schaefer NCWC Representative toUN Economic and Social Council ROME in September will see thousands of women from all over the worldmeeting at the Congress of the World Union of Catholic Women's Or-ganizations.They will discuss in depth the Christian Personality of Woman.They will work out in common,with the help of the official United NationsFood and Agriculture Organization,means to wage a world campaign againsthunger.They will gain stimulation and knowledge from the contacts—religious,intellectual and personal—made at the Congress.They will befilially inspired in the work they do for the Church and for society by thepresence,interest and words of the Holy Father.Such Congresses have ahistory of nearly fifty years—fifty years in which the role of women in societyhas assumed a new dimension—fifty years in which the very notion of per-sonality has become endangered by mechanistic views of life and mass con-trols—fifty years in which such problems as suffering and hunger in anypart of the shrinking globe have become the suffering and the responsibilityof all. The WUCWO is a Federation open to groups of Catholic women of everycountry which have as their aim apostolic works approved by the Hierarchy.As the Congress program indicates,it endeavors to communicate,both inits work among affiliates and in its action on world public opinion,"a Chris-tian vision of the world." Addresses by the Holy Father to previous Congresses have provided en-couragement,and in stressing particular aspects of WUCWO's work,haveprovided lines for special emphasis and dedication in a given period.For in-stance,the address in 1947 dealt with personal formation through faith,humility,prayer and sacrifice for the tasks of Catholic women:being present and active in public life wherever vital interests such as the education ofpeoples are at stake,defense of the social teaching of the Church and thevindication of woman's true role in public life.The talk in 1952 dealt withwoman's role as peacemaker:as educator of her children in the home;in theformation of public opinion and in serving in public life Like NCCW When such questions as equal pay,or working mothers,or juvenile delin-quency are discussed in the United States,the National Council of CatholicWomen expresses the views of its federated organizations on these subjectsto official national bodies and public opinion. When similar questions are discussed in the international forum of theUnited Nations and of the other official international Agencies,the WorldUnion of Catholic Women's Organizations presents these viewpoints andexperiences and those of its other affiliates throughout the world. The National Council of Catholic Women regularly holds regional insti-tutes for leaders in off-convention years.The World Union of CatholicWomen's Organizations during the past three years,as preparation for theCongress to come,has held four regional seminars for countries in a givenlanguage area. These are only two examples of how the activities of NCCW andWUCWO may be compared. a federation The WUCWO federative spirit and structure,so well understood byaffiliates of the National Council of Catholic Women,was characterized byHis Holiness Pope Pius XII in his address to the WUCWO Congress in1947:"It is universal,without distinction of nationality,class or condition.It is supple and harmonious because it is made up of works,organizationsand institutions which,though varied,individually keep their character,their specific activities,their integrity and their proper sphere of action,without absorption,domination or subjection,but all united in a federationfreely accepted for common action.""Nothing,"the Holy Father added,"could be more in keeping with Our intentions." of existing organizations In 1954,WUCWO had a membership of 36 million women grouped inorganizations in some 50 countries of al

FAQs

What is the purpose of the WUCWO Congress described for September in Rome?

It is meant to bring Catholic women from around the world together to discuss the Christian personality of woman and to develop common ways to wage a world campaign against hunger.

How is the WUCWO organized according to the text?

WUCWO is presented as a federation open to Catholic women’s groups in every country, with affiliates working through a shared structure and common action.

Where did the Union originate and when was it founded?

It began as the International Union of Catholic Women’s Leagues in 1910, founded with encouragement from Saint Pius X by representatives from 11 countries.

Sep 21, 2026

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