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

Submitted by: Pat Deppiesse

I am writing with a reminder that I definitely need to receive registration forms from each and every one of the 131 parish councils in the province. To date, I have only received 54! Less than half! This is one of the tasks that must be completed every year without fail.

Those who are not having elections, please send one to me anyway – just to confirm the information we have for your executive is current. I know you understand that with 131 parish councils it is impossible to keep up with who are having elections and who are not!

Please double check all the information with the incumbent to ensure it is correct. If possible, a typed copy would be best. I can’t tell you how many of you have Emailed changes to me throughout the year – especially to Email addresses, and I thank you for that. This information is needed by both the provincial and diocesan councils in order to confirm the accreditation for the conventions so that you can vote! These records also go into our provincial archives.

If you have any questions, need a copy of the form or if I can help you in any way, please do not hesitate to call or email me.

Thank you so much for your Annual Reports that were absolutely excellent! You are such a gracious and hard working group. It’s a pleasure to work with you. I am really looking forward to seeing all of you at our upcoming convention in Richmond.

Submitted by: Carol Penno

Greetings to all: As this is my first Communiqué for 2010 I wish you much success in your work promoting Spiritual Development in your Dioceses. I hope you have had a wonderful response from the parishes for the Annual Report. Please send me your report by February 15, 2010 and send it by email please. I look forward with great anticipation to read what your Dioceses have accomplished. We have many people needing prayers in BC and Yukon. Alice Hallgren, Nelson Diocesan President had successful surgery on a carotid artery. Pray for her complete recovery. Nancy Simms is asking for prayers for her sister, and Doreen Gowans is thankful that her Mom came through the health crisis.

Please pray for those running for executive at Diocesan, Provincial and National levels. Pray also for those casting ballots. May the gift of discernment prevail in your choices of what is best for the League.

Terri Scott, National Spiritual Development Chairperson has her Communiqué #5 ready for our perusal. This was sent to me January 31 but I had trouble with my email after going to Yuma for six days and five nights. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was already finished when Terry’s report was sent so hope everyone responded to the prayers from the pulpit to mark this important time.

Reporting Deceased Members: The Diocesan SD chairpersons know that I compiled the list of names AI had received and submitted that to National by January 15. Now it seems that I have until February 15 to submit the list. National notified me that the last submission of names were in the mail so I will have to add to my list. Please use the proper form dated 2008 for reporting deceased members. Please review with your parishes so they understand the process. One copy to National. The form is available at www.cwl.ca under supplies and forms in a printable or online format. The form is also in the Policy and Procedure manual, photocopy so you continue to have a copy of the form.

As you know, Lent is approaching and begins Ash Wednesday, February 17. This is a time of repentance, change of heart and prayer. Promote your parish activities to make this a time of spiritual renewal. If your parish has a mission, promote it. If you have nothing then start something. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Lois Charlebois

I begin this Communiqué by sending you our Duties as listed in the Constitution and Bylaws:

• dignity and rights of persons
• social and economic justice
• refugees, immigration and citizenship
• Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP) and
• developing countries

As it is more than a month after the Christmas and New Year celebrations, I hope all of you had a great time and, as Mary Nordick said in her last Communiqué to me: “Welcome to a new year and a new decade”.

However, many of the issues we have been working on are not new and are still with us: human trafficking, human rights, violence against women, poverty—especially child poverty, “global accountability for Canadian registered mining companies”—Resolution 2007.2. I will begin with this last issue. Bill C-300 was put on hold when parliament was prorogued.

It dealt the fact that Canadian Registered Mining Companies are operating around the world and engaging in unjust and unethical practices causing much harm to the environment and to the people. Your support and letters are urgently needed to ensure that Canadian Mining Companies live up to International human rights and labour standards, and also use the best environmental practices when they operate overseas. Other bills affected by closure of Parliament were C268—Human Trafficking and C-384 Right to Die with Dignity (this issue is important to Christian Family Life Chairpersons). These 3 bills having a C-and a # are all Private Members bills, and should return to the floor when Parliament returns in March. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Pat Battensby

My Dear Life Member Sisters,

I do wish you a happy and mainly HEALTHY New Year. We have lost so much in the last few months with the passing of Mabel Allan, Pollyanna Kilgour and Ruth Hazlett that I feel we must hold each other close in our hearts and prayers and cherish the special sisterhood that we share. Please note in the Canadian League magazine page 28 notes the passing of these three very special women. We are grateful for this notice. We are already too few in number. Please be assured that I have sent condolences in your name to the above concerned and also sympathy and empathy cards in the loss of Lucie’s husband Stephen as well as Ruth’s husband Cliff. Our hearts and prayers are with you Lucie as you adjust to this new state in life for you. I have passed on the many prayer requests that I have received from National office and even though we don’t know these people, the golden thread runs through us all because they are our Life Member sisters.

Welcome to Marion Nygren, Nelson Life Member Liaison who kindly took over after we lost Pollyanna. We know that you will enjoy this role as our main thrust is just to keep in touch!

Thank you Lucie and Marjorie for the most interesting notes that you have sent about your Diocesan Members and for the birthdays that you sent on. I would love to hear from the rest of you about what’s new with you all.

I have received instructions from Shirley Bernier as to how my Annual Report should be structured. One of the questions asks how you inform your Life Members after you receive my communiqués. Please answer this for me and send it back a.s.a.p. because I really do not know. I know how Marjorie does it in my Diocese but not anything about how the other four of you carry this out. Please let me know.

Shirley Bernier has also asked that in my annual report, I include any special events that might have happened with any of our members. Please inform me of that as well. She also asked about Life Member’s service at the parish level. So you can see all in all what I need from you is a mini annual report with these questions answered. Let’s try and give a good comprehensive report from our province this year.

Our second Life Members Annual Arts and Culture Award will be awarded again this year at the provincial convention. Please note that this year the application forms will be distributed through the Health and Education Chairpersons down the line. Our job is to encourage our members to have a look at it and see if they or their families would qualify. We had wonderful applicants last year and hope to increase those applications this year. We hope to see many of you at the convention this year as it is an election year. We have also received a wonderful boost for the Arts and Culture Award fund this year. Shirley Armillotta has received a donation of $150.00 in memory of Pollyanna so we are indeed grateful for this and will indeed remember our dear Pollyanna through this award.

In Vancouver, this is a very exciting time as we prepare to welcome the world or at least 300,000 of them to our beautiful city for the Olympics. Many of us are involved in volunteer capacities both within our own chancery office and also with More than Gold. Please check this websites out on your computer and catch up with our activities. Our diocese is very involved and with great enthusiasm and participation. Pray for the success of the games, that people remember most about the welcoming approach of our people and not the access of trafficking through prostitution or any terrorist acts. We need your prayers to have a good clean safe Olympic games. We need your prayers for snow as well PLEASE.

Much love to you all and thank you for your work in this special mandate that Life Members have in the League. I hope to see many of you at convention.

Submitted by: Jeanne Wilson

Dear Education and Health chairs, please have all your diocesan education and health reports to me by February 15 and thank you to those who have already submitted their reports.

Matthew – Chapter 13 – 33: “Jesus told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through”. Let us be the leaven.”

Pastoral Care Program

The Fraser Health Authority is cutting the Regional Co-ordinator for Spiritual Care and the hospital-based pastoral care co-ordinator positions. Their responsibilities are to fall to social workers and personnel who maange hospital volunteers in the Fraser Health Authority.

All CWL members need to contact their MLA’s and the Minister of Health Services, Kevin Falcon, and voice their opposition to this decision by the Fraser Health Authority, since this decision will affect all of the Health Authorities of BC.

Bursary Deadlines

Please promote all the bursaries – parish, diocesan, provincial and national.

Provincial: Molly Boucher – application form on provincial website, cwl.bc.ca, completed and returned by March 31st to me. Please remind applicants to print neatly and only include the material requested as everyone is treated equally and extra material will not be forwarded to the selection committee.

Life Members Art and Culture Award – criteria and application forms available on the website, cwl.bc.ca; completed and returned by March 31st and sent to Shirley Armillotta.

National – criteria and application available on national website, cwl.ca, under supplies and forms. Completed and returned by May 31st to National Office.

Weight

At the Provincial Convention in Prince George, a member approached me about doing something about the weight of our members. Many of us are carrying a few or many extra pounds which is not good for our health. A good place to start is with Resolution 03.05 type 2 Diabetes and You, which has three actions for members: 1. Have regular physical examinations and discuss Type 2 Diabetes with your physician; 2. Embrace a healthy active life style and 3. Invite health care professionals to speak to members about diabetes. The Diabetes Association of Canada www.diabetes.ca has many resources to help educate our members as to what is diabetes, how to prevent this illness and how to manage it. Contact the Diabetes Association and have a counselor give a presentation at one of your meetings and encourage parish councils to educate their members about healthy eating. Be an example by ensuring that snacks at meetings are healthy and not calorie laden.

Exercise is very important to maintain a healthy body. Encourage events that require exercise such as Walking to End Cancer. Or, make members aware of exercise programmes in their communities or programmes such as yoga that can be done in church halls and basements.

After attending, a presentation by Fr. Mark Miller, an ethicist, he made me aware of the problems of the obese. We must remember that obesity is not “they are fat because it is their fault.” Obese people must be treated with respect and dignity at all times. » Read the rest of this entry »