Christian Family Life Communique #4

Submitted by: Marilyn Van Dongen

Dear League Sisters,

HAPPY EASTER! “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.” Ps 30:2
During winter nature seems to die. Leaves drop off the trees and other vegetation droops. Next comes the yucky time of year when the snow melts and everything looks so dirty and unkempt. Out of the mess new life appears. Buds appear on tree branches and shrubs. Tulips break through the ground, their green leaves appear. Resurrection, new life! During Lent we tidied up what was yucky in ourselves, we prayed “I cried out to you and you healed me; you brought me up from the nether world” Ps 3-4. Jesus triumphed over death and has given us new life!

Towards a New Sexual Revolution
I received some leaflets in the mail today about the National symposium on the Theology of the Body presented by The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) in Edmonton June 15-16, 2007. I mentioned this symposium in my last communique. Please promote it as it will be well worth attending. You never know who might be interested and able to attend. Free advertising material is available, contact Lea Singh, COLF’s Assistant Director, by phone at 613-241-9461 ext 162 or by email at lsingh@colf.ca. The registration fee includes a buffet lunch on June 15 and a continental breakfast on June 16. It will cost $89 for adults and $69 for students before May 2, after May 2 it will be $109 for adults and $89 for students.

Ministry to Youth
Do you make the youth and young adults in your parish welcomed? Have you included them in celebrations and, especially, in the Triduum?

Ministry to Seniors
Do you appreciate the ‘elders’ in your parish? Do you ask them for guidance, respecting the knowledge they have that comes with age, their life experiences? Do you have an outreach in your parish that will visit shut-ins?

Vocations
Did you remember the seminarians from your diocese this Easter? This is a good time of year to let them know that their efforts are appreciated.

Visit to Victoria – Presentation to our Provincial Government
We had wonderful meetings in Victoria. We first did our presentation to three NDP MLAs. The NDP just have the MLA critics for the topics we are presenting attend. We then presented to 22 Liberal MLAs. The resolutions we presented were BC 06.05 Discontinue the use of Styrofoam, 06.01 Religious Freedom, 06.02 Legal Protection for All Those who Object to the Solemnization of Civil Marriage for Same-Sex Partners, 06.03 Increase Old Age Security, 06.04 Renewable Energy. We didn’t have 06.05 GST Exemptions on Funeral Expenses or 06.06 Labeling and Disposal of Pest Control Products in our presentation but we do give the MLAs present a book with all the 2006 resolutions and since we had finished early they wanted to discuss those two as well.

Our meeting at the Ministry of Education office with Pierre Gilbert was very informative. The Ministry of Education agreement with the Correns does not give them any more rights than anyone else could ask for. They have been added to the list to review curriculum when it is updated. Curriculum revisions are done every eight years. Pierre asked Nancy for her email address so she can be on this review list.

We had a lunch meeting with Robin Pike on Trafficking. In 1999, 134 unaccompanied children with no form of ID arrived on boats as refugees from Fuchow, China. Robin didn’t think it was right to detain children, that they should go to school and live a normal life. Robin found places to house the children. These children could have easily found themselves at risk of being trafficked. BC is the only province that is doing anything with the trafficking problem. We are leading the way. There is no Federal protection/prevention. There is a social impact re: trafficking from 2010 Olympics and like events.

After lunch we ran back to the parliament building to the Spectators’ Gallery for a very lively questions period from 1:30 – 2:30. After that we have a very nice visit with my brother-in-law, John van Dongen, Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations. John was impressed at how much we had accomplished that morning. You will hear a lot more about our visit at the Provincial Convention.

Communicate – Share ideas
For many of you this is an election year. Share your experiences, information and ideas with your incoming Christian Family Life Chairperson. This is a wonderful Standing Committee full of issues that are a concern for all members.

Your Sister-in-the League,
Marilyn V.