When Rose Anne Hallgren was asked last November to consider being nominated for president of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, she knew she had to pray about it. But she also believed it was important to seek encouragement from her family and friends.

“I prayed and asked God if this was the right thing for me to do,” said Hallgren, a parishioner at St. Louis, King of France in St. Paul. “My husband told me he would be there to support me, as did my friends from ACCW. When I said ‘yes,’ all those other ‘yesses’ were taken into consideration.”

On May 5, during the 79th Biennial Convention of the ACCW, Hallgren will be formally installed as president for 2011 to 2013 following Mass at Risen Savior in Burnsville. Archbishop John Nienstedt appointed Hallgren to her position; however, he will be out of town during the convention so Bishop Lee Piché will preside and bless Hallgren in her new role.

Mission of service

The mission of the ACCW is “to support, empower and educate women in spirituality, leadership and service to Christ, his church and society.” The ACCW offers educational presentations, workshops and retreats each year. Members also are involved in service projects.

There are six deaneries in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis into which parishes are organized geographically. ACCW members from parishes meet at the deanery level several times per year; all members attend the annual meeting. Hallgren, who first joined ACCW in the late 1970s, is a member of the St. Paul Deanery.

“We all depend on each other. Without the women in the parish groups, there would be no [deanery activities],” she said. “I envision it like building a cathedral. We are all the rocks and stones, all with different gifts and talents. We rely on one another to help the ACCW do its work.”

More ages offer good mix

One of the goals of the ACCW is to attract younger women, which Hallgren, a mother of two grown children, said can be a challenge given the busy lives of those who are working and raising families.

“It’s so nice to have a mix of ages in ACCW and really, when the younger women do get involved, they seem to fit right in,” she said.  “Most of them have different backgrounds than we have in terms of experience in the working world or being involved in various organizations from a younger age, so they really have so much to offer.”

As president, Hallgren wants to continue to foster a spirit of openness throughout the organization and encourage all women who are interested to join the ACCW.

“All that is required is a willingness to work for the Lord,” she said.

The ACCW serves to support the archbishop and the work of the archdiocese. Hallgren has special interest in several areas such as mental health issues, prison reform and the work of the family commission, so she would like to bring more attention to those and other topics during her term as president.

“I’m the kind of person who grows where I’m planted,” she said, adding that she will be attending as many functions in the archdiocese as she can. “I want to help do whatever needs to be done.”