Catholic Women’s League of Canada | BC and Yukon Council

Submitted by: Dodie Bond

Greetings one and all on this Advent Season with it brings a strong sense of longing for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you to those who send me their communiqués.  I enjoy reading them.  Thank you.

I received a communiqué from our National Christian Family Chairperson and from that I will inform you of timely and important issues.

A recent report commissioned by Life Canada shows that we on evenly split on the question of euthanasia versus palliative care (approx. 44 per cent either way).  Pending on the ages asked deemed how they answered.  I.e. over 60 years went with palliative care about 51 per cent.  We are to remember that; good palliative care provides effective pain management and support for those dying.  It is up to us members to petition political leaders to take action so that those in need get the proper palliative care.

I have been asked to share with you these definitions in regards to Elder Care.

Will:  a written document that directs how your assets are to be distributed after death.  It is not effective until death.

Power of Attorney: a written document that gives another person the right to act on your behalf.  It can be effective immediately or upon a certain contingency, for example, incapacity.

Health Care Directive: a Living Will or a Directive to Physicians.  You may be familiar to this document due to the Terri Schiavo case.  It sets forth your wished as to life support and related matters and names a person to ensure that your wishes are carried out.

Probate: a will is filled with the court and a legal proceeding started, the proceeding is called a probate.  Probate confirms that the filled will is in fact the last will and testament of the deceased and the named estate trustee has the authority to administer the estate.

Guardianship: is a formal, court-appointed method of substitute decision making on behalf of a person who is unable to manage his or her own affairs.  Guardianship of incapacitated adults is also known as conservatorship or interdiction, and can be necessary to provide a person with care.  It is, however, an undertaking in which the ward loses substantial right.  In recent years, there have been increasing reports of guardianship abuse.  You may want to look to these sites for more information.

www.facinglife.tv (Life Issues Institute, Inc.) » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Carol Penno

All the blessings of the advent season as we prepare for the coming of the Lord in our midst.

A quote from Pope Benedict XV! Advent address:  “Advent is the spiritual season of hope par excellence and in this season the whole church is called to be hope for itself and for the world.”  He adds,” The whole spiritual organism of the mystical body assumes as it were the ‘color’ of hope.”

A website I enjoy using is www.CatholicGreetings.org; there you will find Catholic greetings for Advent and the feast days that fall within the season.

The Catholic Missions is Canada would be grateful for donations to help the Missionaries in their work  in the mission churches across Canada.  In a letter I received October 29^th, 2008 the work of Sister Shelley Grant, C.N.D. is mentioned.  Sister Shelley ministers to 155 parishioners at St. Jude’s Catholic Mission in Carmacks, Yukon.  Sister Shelley received a grant of $10,000 which kept this mission open.  It covered heating, electricity, phone, wood, church supplies, gas, fuel for the stove, food, etc.  Let us be mindful of the Missionaries in our own BC & Yukon area. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Lois Charlebois                   

Dear League Sisters and Father Tran, 

Hello again to all of you!  I hope you all received Communique #1 sent out in early September. Since then the Provincial Executive Fall Mid-term meeting took place in Kelowna      

October 23^rd to 26^th . To begin our few days together, Father Tran gave an excellent Spiritual presentation about St. Paul. The we began our very busy and “fruitful” few days as we had much business to attend to. I sent  all of you a copy of my “Report to Mid-term Meeting” and hope you received it.  

In my report, I mentioned the Vancouver YWCA Research project titled “Mothers Without Legal Status”. Mary Nordick-National Community Life Chairperson replied to me wondering if someone might make a Resolution on this topic. Is there any one who has knowledge about this and/or access to materials regarding Immigration and/or Family Law which would pertain to this topic? » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Doreen Gowans 

Dear League Sisters and Father Tien:

Tomorrow will be the first Sunday in Advent, a time in which we prepare ourselves for the birthday of Jesus. As women we are extremely good at multi tasking, and communicating, but do we take the time to spend with God? During the advent season I challenge all of us to take some extra time to improve our communication with God.

Welcome to Sandralynn S., our Nelson Diocesan Communications Standing Committee Chairperson.  A gentle reminder to all Diocesan Communications Standing Committee Chairs, when you send out your communiqués send a copy to me via email or regular mail (see the footer at the bottom of the page for that information).

The Fall Provincial Newsletter has been given to Diocesan Presidents and emailed to the communications chairs. If anyone was not able to open it let me know. The deadline for the spring newsletter is March 1, 2009 to give me time to compile and have ready for the 2009 Diocesan Conventions. I would like to hear from as many parishes/dioceses as possible. The newsletter is used as a means to share information and as tool for teaching. Will you kindly pass this information onto all parish communications standing committee chairpersons? I need/want information from the parishes/dioceses about what is going on, the new things you have tried, the events you have celebrated. Digital pictures are preferred, but I will do my best to scan film pictures as long as they are clear.

News Release – Nov. 9, 2008 – from our National Communications Standing Committee Chairperson – Betty Anne Brown. The National executive of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada has declared April 26, 2009 a national day of action, a CWL Day of Peace and Hope. President Danielle McNeil-Hessisan and her team encourage members to celebrate on this day with faith, fun and fulfillment. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Jeanne Wilson

Dear League Sisters and Father Tran,

December is here and Advent has begun. Let us remember the birth of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and traveled up to Judaea, to the town of David call Bethlehem in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  While they were there the time came for her to have her child and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn. How difficult it must have been for Mary -  no hospital, no family only Joseph to help her with the birth.

Let us be thankful for Mary accepting to be Jesus’ mother, for family and health care.

Thank you to the education and health chairs who have sent me their communiqués.  Keep up the good work.  Education and Health is a big chair – lots of action in both areas. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Edna Lorenzen

As this is my first communiqué, with the help of every one, thank you for your patience. 

At our recent diocesan executive meeting in Whitehorse, we made a motion to increase our membership due’s from $4.00 t0 $9.00.  This will allow an increase of $5.00 to the diocese. Our membership is very small and distances to travel are great, thus our operational costs are great. 

At the territorial (provincial ) level we met with the Yukon Minister of Transportation and the Yukon Minister of Health. We requested the Minister of Transportation look  into the use of cell phones while driving vehicles.  The Minister assured us the use of cell phones while driving would come to the floor of the House during the spring sitting. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Sandra Stajduhar

Dear League Sisters and Father Tien,

Greetings to all of you on this beautiful November day – cold but bright! Welcome to the Resolutions chairperson from the Nelson Diocese, Beth B.

Remember to share your communiqués with each other as well as with me – we can all learn from each other.

A parish mailout from National included a message from our National Resolutions chairperson, Barb Dowding. If you have not received it from your president, it can be found on the National website at http://www.cwl.ca/recentupdates/pcm%20fall%202008%20resolutions%20memo.htm

Also on the website is a link to a complete list of Members of Parliament. If anyone needs help accessing this list and addresses please let me know.

At this time of the year, our committee has two focuses: » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Sheila Quinn

Dear League Sisters and Father Tien,

The recent national election saw a minority Conservative government elected and at the point of writing, parliament is back in session.   Did you know all bills before the House of Commons die on the order paper when an election is called?   So now it is time for League members, especially legislation chairpersons, to monitor closely the new government to see what bills are being brought back also any changes that have been made. to the original bills presented.   » Read the rest of this entry »