NCBWL awards $8,000 scholarships to each of the three Nashville Catholic high schools

The Nashville Catholic Business Women's League awarded three $8,000 scholarships to girls at Nashville's three Catholic high schools despite having to cancel its annual fundraiser due to COVID-19. The League's  online auction and appeals to members for direct donations funded the scholarships this year.

“We are so thankful to our members and generous friends who helped us raise more than $21,000 for these scholarships. During this pandemic, our recipients need these scholarships more than ever,” said Teri Gordon, NCBWL president. 

The online auction raised roughly $3,000 while an additional $18,000 was raised by straight donations from NCBWL members and friends of the organization. To date, NCBWL has raised more than $300,000 over its 70 years to fund these scholarships.

Join us at Book'em on Wednesday, November 18 at 7 p.m. to help process donated books. Bring your favorite beverage and a snack to share.
Please RSVP below.  

Book'em is located at Three One Three at 205 Van Buren Street in Germantown.

December Spiritual Enrichment set for Dec. 2

Margaret McPherson, Lead Adult Bible Study teacher at Holy Family Catholic Church, will lead a Zoom Spiritual Enrichment Dec. 2 entitled “Women of Advent”.

The virtual meeting will be at 7 p.m. during which, participants will share and learn about other women of the Bible who contributed to the Advent story of Christ’s birth. Reflection questions and sharing will be part of the evening.

Don’t sit home alone pondering “ how different” this Christmas is, join our sisterhood of members for an inspiring evening Dec 2.

Moving into the Holidays

Every year we ask the local retired nuns what they’d like for Christmas. In the past, we’ve given them a variety of gifts — from poinsettia plants to stationery and more. 

This year the Dominican Sisters are requesting a special chair to use in the shower. Our league is partially funding the chair -- the NCBWL Board voted to donate $1,500 toward the purchase of the chair -- and we are accepting donations from members to supplement this effort. The Sisters or Mercy have requested books  of stamps, calling them “little treasures” that are always in need. 

If you would like to contribute to both or either gift, please contact Lynne Warne for more information at lynnewarne42@gmail.com or 615-974-6003.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: ALL SAINTS TO ADVENT

on the life of my niece who to succumbed to cancer over the summer. But for many of us it is a time to remember friends and relatives who have gone before us. As an organization we lost members this year and as a nation there have been more deaths as the pandemic wears on. But I think All Saints and All Souls Feast give us time to reflect but also to celebrate hope. Maybe that is why the Church begins the month with All Saints and All Souls feast and ends with Advent.                

When I taught CCD, I would always talk about the meaning of Advent.  Advent is a time of preparation before Christmas. The word “Advent” means coming. It is a season of joyful and spiritual expectation as we await the coming of Christ at Christmas. It is a time of hope and healing.  Just what we need now personally and as a nation. The election is over, ballots have been casts, a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus is ready, or very close, and this year of 2020 with all its unusual challenges is coming to an end. 

While we are not having a Christmas party this year there are other activities to bring us together. Donna Adams, our Spiritual Chairman, has a Zoom Advent event for us. Details are outlined in this newsletter. We are preparing for Christmas gifts to the Religious Sisters and other activities. 

So, let us remember the lives of all of those who have gone before us and are now in the arms of Christ and Our Lady and let us look to the future – Advent as a time of preparation and healing.

Advent Prayer:

Stir up your power

O Lord, Our God, and come.

Brighten our hearts

With the glad hope

Of your presence in our midst.

We wait unafraid

In our darkness

For the Light

Who is Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

We will not be holding our annual Christmas party this year due to the rising cases of COVID-19 that continue to prevent large gatherings. Please read that news and more in the meetings from the last NCBWL meeting.

Thank you for the donations of blankets and PJs to School Aid International last month. We collected 10 blankets and 8 sets of PJs. 
You can still donate through Christmas by contacting Lisa at lonvet@bellsouth.net.