WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Military Council of Catholic Women (MCCW) has been awarded a $13,000 grant from the Koch Foundation. The grant will be used to train military-affiliated women in evangelization and leader development.
“This is the wonderful outcome of two year’s planning, preparing, and praying with intentional perseverance,” MCCW President Michelle Nash said. “God is great and has made very apparent how MCCW will move forward in leadership development and disciple discernment.”
The funds from MCCW’s first-ever grant will be put to use hosting a training event for women from each of the six globe-spanning regions served by the organization. Participants will become familiar with the many resources offered by MCCW so that they can take those tools back to their communities, and regions, as evangelists and trainers.
Though the main focus of this project is the training of new agents for evangelization, it stands to have a far-reaching effect on the critical network of women’s ministry programs in Catholic military chapels around the world. By equipping women with the tools they need to start, lead, and grow women’s ministry programs, MCCW is reinforcing the structure to which many military women look for support, friendship, and faith formation.
“When military families move, the chapel is the first place many women go to find the support they need,” MCCW Vice President Muffy Patterson said, “and while many military communities have vibrant women’s ministry offerings, these chapel communities are largely transient, and many have a strong desire to improve their adult faith formation programs. Our goal is to equip our military affiliated female agents for evangelization to reach out to every military community around the world, tapping into resources provided by MCCW.”
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, commented on the grant: “Christ continues to send forth women and men to make the Gospel message a vibrant part of the lives of all people. I welcome the new opportunities that this grant makes possible so that the will of Christ for His Church might become more evident in Catholic military communities.”
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About the Koch Foundation
The Koch Foundation funds evangelization activities of the Roman Catholic faith throughout the world. One of the largest Catholic foundations in the United States, the Koch Foundation is international in scope and prioritizes on areas and populations most in need of a Catholic presence.
About MCCW
The Military Council of Catholic Women is a non-profit subsidiary of the Archdiocese for the Military Services. With an all-volunteer board, MCCW serves thousands of women and families around the world, helping to form them in their Catholic faith.
About the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS)
The AMS was established as an independent archdiocese by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1985 as the only Catholic jurisdiction responsible for endorsing and granting faculties for priests to serve as chaplains in the U.S. military and VA Medical Centers. AMS-endorsed priests serve at more than 220 U.S. military installations in 29 countries, making the AMS the nation’s only global archdiocese. AMS-endorsed chaplains also serve at 153 VA Medical Centers throughout the U.S. The AMS service population also includes American Catholic civilians working for the federal government in 134 countries, but currently, due to limited resources, the AMS cannot adequately serve this population. Worldwide, an estimated 1.8 million Catholics depend on the AMS to meet their spiritual and sacramental needs. For more information on the Archdiocese for the Military Services, visit www.milarch.org, the only official website for Catholics in the U.S. Military. For information on the Cause of Father Vincent Capodanno, MM, visit www.capodannoguild.org.
