Rebecca Woodhull, a Springfield native and member of Cathedral Parish of the Immaculate Conception, has been named president of the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) in Washington, D.C. On May 31, she received a blessing during Mass from National Spiritual Advisor Father James Stembler of the Corpus Christi diocese.

Woodhull follows in the footsteps of Rita Greenwald, a past NCCW president and Cathedral parishioner. She is the fifth woman from Illinois to serve as president of NCCW.

Woodhull was voted in as president-elect by the membership of the organization in 2011, just as she was finishing up her term as president of the Springfield in Illinois Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. She previously was appointed by then-Springfield Bishop George J. Lucas to the NCCW Board of Directors as the Chicago Province director. She has served as president of the Cathedral Council of Catholic Women, as a Cathedral School board member, and as a extraordinary minister of holy Communion, lector and Bible study host.

Woodhull served as president-elect for over 20 months and after her term of president is over she will serve two more years as past-president, making her commitment to NCCW leadership a six-year service time.

The National Council of Catholic Women was established in 1920 by the U.S. Bishops to be the umbrella organization for all Catholic women. NCCW offices are in the Washington, D.C., area. The organization has approximately 4,000 affiliates at the diocesan, deanery and parish levels and is affiliated with the World Union of Catholic Women Organizations (WUCWO). Historical records say that NCCW was charged with being the "voice of Catholic women" and the organization retains that motto today.

Woodhull calls the NCCW "a great organization of dedicated faith-filled women." She says all women are part of the diocesan council "by virtue of being Catholic women" and adds that parishes are encouraged to have affiliated women's groups belong to DCCW.

Woodhull grew up in Little Flower Parish and first became involved in DCCW when she and her husband joined Cathedral Parish in the 1990s. She holds a PhD in education and has worked for the federal and Illinois departments of education, the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University. She is now retired from full-time employment.

"I have chosen as the theme for my (two-year) presidency, 'Confidence, Hope and Joy! Catholic Women United in Truth,'" Woodhull says. "I think that is what we need in these trying times for the church as we work to prevent the erosion of our religious freedoms and hold high the standards that make us 'Sisters in Christ.'"

Three national commissions will be formed under her leadership:

The Spirituality Commission reinforces faith and supports service to the church and to the world through discipleship and spiritual growth; and encourages legislative advocacy at the local, state and national levels, guided by Catholic teaching. The focus of this commission is religious liberty.

The Leadership Commission provides organization development, opportunities for training, as well as public relations resources, and publications to strengthen leadership within NCCW. The focus of this commission is the New Evangelization.

The Service Commission engages the members of NCCW, and all people, in working to address the needs and concerns of their individual communities, and supports and enhances family life within the church and society. The focus of this commission is the influence of the media on marriage and family life.

Woodhull will be officially installed Sept. 27 during the NCCW national convention Mass by the Florida bishops and spiritual advisors throughout the country, including Msgr. John Ossola, spiritual advisor to the Springfield DCCW and pastor of Little Flower Parish.

"I am so excited to be involved with this national organization," concludes Woodhull, who is both a mother and grandmother. "I joined my parish Council of Catholic Women because I felt the need to be with women who have the same moral compass beliefs that I did — and I had so many wonderful role models at Cathedral, especially my mentor, Rita Greenwald."

For information on joining the NCCW, applying for a national commission position or attending the upcoming convention in Ft. Lauderdale, visit the website www.nccw.org.