Idaho Council of Catholic Women celebrates 105 years in 2025

By Emily Woodham

Staff Writer

The Idaho Council of Catholic Women (ICCW) will celebrate its 105th anniversary in 2025. The Council began with the blessing of Bishop Daniel Mary Gorman, Bishop of Boise from 1918 to 1927. 

“A lot of women belong to different Church societies in their parish,” said Lou Brown, convention chair for ICCW and parishioner of St. Mark’s Parish in Boise. “But no matter what other societies they belong to, they can still

be members of ICCW. The membership is not exclusive. It’s for all Catholic women in Idaho, even if their parish doesn’t have a chapter.”

In August, Brown attended the National Council of Catholic Women’s convention in Florida with her sister, Mary Glenn, president of ICCW. Glenn, a parishioner of St. Mark’s, said she learned that the number of women participating in the Council of Catholic Women is declining nationally. 

“We’re concerned,” Brown said, “that women are losing a sense of community by not taking time to be a part of ICCW. We volunteer and support other ministries of the Church, but we also support and encourage each other in our Catholic faith.”

The ICCW also wants to unite Catholic women across the state to encourage vocations to Religious life and provide for charities beyond the parish scope. “We raise funds to help pay off college debts for women who want to enter Religious life. We also provide Boxes of Joy, shoe boxes of toys for children in poverty,” Brown said.

Last year, ICCW raised about $2,400 for its statewide project to help rebuild St. Anne’s church in Mud Lake, which was destroyed by a fire in 2019. 

To continue serving the Diocese of Boise with its charitable works, Catholic women of all ages must become active. “There is not a time requirement. We just ask that women pray and join us as they can,” Brown said.

The next statewide convention for ICCW is Friday through Sunday, April 25–27, at St. Mark’s Parish in Boise. “We hope women will mark their calendars and register. We want the legacy of ICCW to continue,” said Glenn, who will be handing down the role of president at the next convention.

“Even if your parish does not have a CCW chapter, you can come to the convention if you are a Catholic woman in Idaho. You can be a member of the statewide council,” Glenn said.

For more information about ICCW and the convention, visit idahoccw.org.