Lori Grant, outgoing Council president now installed as vice-president for the coming year, said the event was a chance to recognize all that the group has accomplished, especially over the past year.

The celebration kicked off with opening remarks by Grant and Father Jay Scott Newman, pastor, while the keynote was delivered by Pearlie Harris, former SMCCW president. The Council recognized past presidents and winners of the Woman of the Year award who were in attendance.

The Council sponsors an annual scholarship, which was awarded this year to Elizabeth Armaly, a senior at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Greenville.

Grant said Armaly is very active in her school and the community. 

“Her faith shines through in everything she does. She will be going to Clemson and majoring in English. She has an excellent academic record,” she said.

Then, the Woman of the Year was announced. Louise Riley is this year’s recipient, and she was also named as the new recording secretary.

“She has been active on the Council and has served on our executive board for five years in different positions,” Grant said. “She is one of our knitters in the sewing ministry, and she is the chair for the committee that decorates the tree at Christmas. She is a mom and grandmother. She has been married for 42 years and was a special education teacher for 22 years. She was very deserving of this award.”

Another special part of the celebration was recognizing the four members of the SMCCW who are over the age of 90 — and one of them has been a Council member for 62 years. “Their longevity shows how much people want to be a part of the group,” Grant said.

St. Mary’s CCW currently has 130 members. Grant explained that the Council is portioned into three “commissions,” or activities, of spirituality, leadership and service.

Spirituality encompasses church and legislative activities. Members of this commission contribute by preparing and serving dinner on Fridays during Lent, making meals for grieving families, hosting a fall women’s retreat, sending legislative information to parishioners, attending the Catholic Women’s Day at the State House in Columbia and more.

Leadership involves organization, public relations and membership. Leadership enriches the Council by managing a Bunco game night for new members, donating $5,000 to local charities, creating a quarterly newsletter, holding meet and greet events and much more.

The Service Commission embraces community, family and international projects. This commission includes the sewing ministry, stocking Our Lady’s Pantry for Catholic Charities of South Carolina in the upstate and the Catholic Clothing Closet, holding a Mother-Daughter Tea event, organizing the giving tree at Christmas, supporting the youth group and pro-life visitations, participating in the Cross Catholic Outreach Boxes of Joy project for children in developing countries and the Christmas at Sea project 
for seafarers, among others.

Council members also volunteer for various ministries within the parish, such as the Altar Guild, conducting Bible study classes and serving as catechists, singing in the choir, participating in hospice ministry and Vacation Bible School.

Over the years, SMCCW has won statewide awards from the South Carolina Council of Catholic Women. Most recently, they won an award for their Fall Retreat and a legislative award for a program in conjunction with the lieutenant governor.

Looking to the future, they hope to grow the Council even more.

“At the statewide convention in March, Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune challenged each of us to bring one person to a meeting or the convention next year,” Grant said. “So, I did the same thing. When we were doing the closing remarks at our celebration, I challenged our members to keep shining our light and to bring one more person to our membership drive in August. Growing our Council will help us serve more people in our community, which is the whole reason we are here.”