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

Submitted by: Jeanne Wilson

Education and Health is a very active standing committee dealing with education and health in six areas.

First is Catholic Education which includes Catholic schools and catechesis. Our members are very engaged in these two areas -whether it is teaching in the Catholic schools, serving on school councils, advisory committees or school boards or teaching catechism or raising funds for our Catholic schools.

Education and Health chairs also monitor the BC Department of Education website as to developments and changes in curriculum.

Second area is literacy and continuing education.

Under our theme of Peace and Hope, we are asked to reach out to women of other cultures and backgrounds. One ways is help immigrants with reading and writing. The CWL was established in 1920 to provide support for immigrant women and girls and the work is continuing today in parish councils. Members are supporting new Canadians by acting as tutors and assisting adult learners.

Adult faith formation classes are provided in most dioceses and all members are urged to attend classes to strengthen their faith.

Third area is scholarships and bursaries.

Some parish councils, all the diocesan councils and the provincial council and national council give bursaries. Life Members have established a bursary in the area of arts and culture. What a wonderful way for the CWL to promote education of its members and member’s children and grandchildren. » Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

Submitted by: Jeanne Wilson

Thank you, to the chairs that have sent me copies of their communiqués.

Palliative Care

Last spring I asked the chairs to complete a survey on palliative care in their diocese.

I then made a report and sent it to Cecile Miller, National Chair. At the National convention at our luncheon meeting, Cecile reported that not provinces had sent in their surveys and she was not at that time able to write a full report on the palliative care situation in Canada.

We have to urge our members to take part in palliative care, even in a small way. If you do not feel that you can be a palliative care volunteer, find another way to help a family or person in need. First, start by asking someone from palliative care or hospice to give a talk or presentation at a meeting. Perhaps, have councils brain storm and come up with ways that they can help at hospice or with palliative care. There are a lot of little things that can be done. “We can do no great things – only small things with great love. ” Mother Teresa

Bursary

In the Fall 2009 League Magazine, there was a list of bursary recipients. There was not one recipient from B.C. or Yukon. Out of 29 members who applied, 24 received a bursary. Criteria and application forms are available on the CWL National website. Please make councils aware of the bursary. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Jeanne Wilson

New chairs

Welcome to Anna May from Kamloops Diocese, Carmen from Prince George diocese and Johanna from Vancouver diocese who are now education and health chairs and join Deanne from Victoria diocese and Mary from Nelson diocese.  Please remember to send me and the other education and health chairs copies of the communiqués that you are sending out to the parish councils.

Palliative Care

At the National Convention in St. Johns Nfld, Fr. Mark Miller gave an excellent talk on palliative care and end of live issues.

The Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan have produced a two-part DVD series with Fr. Mark Miller, entitled” Ethics for the Journey” which explore foundational teachings for faith-based care and for the ministry of care in our parish communities.

The DVD contains the material covered at the convention and can be used at parish meetings. The DVDs can be purchased through the Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan website at www.chassk.ca.

I have a copy of Session 1 and Session II and I am willing to lend them to a council that wishes to show them.  Also, the Catholic Health Association of BC has a copy and will loan them to individuals and groups who wish to borrow them at website www.chabc.bc.ca. » Read the rest of this entry »

Cutting Through the Spin on Stem Cells and Cloning

This morning, I would like to introduce the DVD, Cutting Through the Spin on Stem Cells and Cloning.

Rev. Dr. Tad Pacholczyk (Po ho chick) is a priest in Massachusetts. He has degrees in philosophy, biochemistry, molecular cell biology and chemistry. He also did laboratory research on hormonal regulation of the immune response. He has a PhD in neuroscience from Yale University, where he focused on cloning genes for neurotransmitter transporters which are expressed in the brain. He also worked for several years as a molecular biologist.

Fr. Tad studied in Rome where he did advanced work in dogmatic theology and in bioethics examining the question of delayed ensoulment of the human embryo.

Fr. Tad has given numerous presentations on stem cell research and cloning. His column appears in the BC Catholic.

In 2002, the CWL passed Resolution 02.09 on Human Stem Cell Research. Part of the action plan was to become aware of stem cell research and the importance of using human adult stem cells. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Jeanne Wilson

Madame President, Fr. Tran, spiritual advisors, sisters in the League, guests

2008 was a provoking year for education and health. After reading the 2008 diocesan reports regarding education and health, I realized that this chair is a very active and committed chair. Chairs reported on tremendous interest in education and health concerns in their parish councils. One chair reported, “One thing that I am so very impressed with is the enthusiasm of women in the league. Whether the women are new to CWL or members for many years, all the ladies, who chair this committee, want to reach out to their members giving them insightful information, on every strand of this committee. No matter the age of the women, one of the ladies is in her 80’s, she researches constantly on websites, viewing Catholic information and brings the information to her parish meetings.” – A great example of a dedicated education and health chair and an inspiration to the League.

One issue that has arisen, from a request from the National chair of education and health, is to look at the state of palliative care in British Columbia and the Yukon. The excellent reports that I have received from the diocesan chairs have shown the great respect and care that members are showing for the end of life issues. Councils have fundraised to help construct hospice facilities. Members have volunteered many hours for training and work in hospice and palliative care facilities. Members have advocated in their areas for hospice and palliative care facilities. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Jeanne Wilson

Blessing for a New Beginning

Blessings on you
As you take the next steps on your path.
May beauty and strength walk with you.
May the winds and rains anoint you.
May you experience all creation as friend.
And my gratitude
Be your constant companion
In the dance of life.

I hope that everyone had a blessed Christmas.  I spent Christmas in Toronto with my daughter and husband.  When I returned, the temperature was -40C in Whitehorse with thick ice fog.  I hope everyone else started the new year warmer.

Reporting

Thank you to Deanne P., Victoria Diocese for submitting her annual report. Please have all the diocesan reports submitted by February 15th. » 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: Jeanne Wilson

Dear League Sisters and Father Tran,

I hope everyone had a rejuvenating summer and were able to find some sun somewhere.  Fall is definitely here in Yukon.  The leaves are turning, the berries are ripe and the mountain tops are white with fresh snow.

Resolutions:

Three resolutions were passed at the National Convention in Winnipeg under Education and Health:

2008.02 – Restrictions on the Sale of Products Containing Triclosan
2008.03 – Toxic Substances in Household Products
2008.04 – Accurate Food Labelling

Awareness, Prevention and Treatment of Depression, a resolution passed at the B.C. Provincial Convention, was not presented to be voted on as a resolution but has been given to the National Chairperson of Education and Health for further action.

Euthanasia:

I would urge all councils, diocesan and parish to educate their members on this topic. The Keynote Address at the National Convention in Winnipeg was given by Dr. Moira McQueen, Executive Director of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute; Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition and Senator Sharon Carstairs.  Their presentations were followed by a workshop on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Nancy Simms

Good afternoon ladies and clergy.

We must always remember that a solid foundation for both education and health begins within our homes. We cannot expect to change the world without first making changes within ourselves and in our own homes!

I have a copy of a pastoral letter produced by the CCCB entitled Our Relationship with the Environment: The Need for Conversion (PDF link). I recommend that every parish council throughout BC/Yukon order copies of it for their members. Within this letter it states “Humanity is accountable, not only for managing the domain entrusted to it, but also for the image of God humans reflect by means of their management.” I encourage all of you to order this letter through the CCCB, read it in its entirety, share it with others and if you haven’t already started, take steps to improve your relationship with the environment. » Read the rest of this entry »