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

Please see the attached PDFs for Archbishop Michael Miller’s homily and report from the 2010 BC/Yukon CWL Convention.

• Archbishop Miller – Trinity Sunday
• Archbishop Miller – Women of Hope

Submitted by: Fr. Terry Brock

• There were eleven priests at this meeting. One from Victoria, one from Prince George, one from Nelson, one from Kamloops, and the remaining from the Vancouver Archdiocese.
• It is highly recommended that the CWL have an insert in the collection boxes in each parish. The inserted envelope allows members to keep up their dues, and informs (on an yearly basis) other women in the parish of the existence of the CWL. Some pastors might question why this insert should be given to all the parishioners when it only serves 40-90 women. The CWL has experienced this insert to be very valuable to keep membership alive with those women unable at this time to attend meetings.
• There is a need for a solid membership convener in each council. Pastors have a role in recruiting, but the primary role is with the ladies themselves.
• Afternoon or evening meetings? Some councils alternate meeting time to facilitate older and younger members.
• CWL is encouraged to send zealous ladies to other councils in order to encourage membership. One priest shared how he got two councils started this way and both continue to be active in their parishes at this time.
• Need to publish CWL materials in foreign languages, especially in oriental languages for Vancouver.
• The CWL by-law does not allow priests (or men) to join! Sorry guys!
• One priest from India spoke very highly of the CWL calling them the nerve centre of the parish.
• There was a lengthy discussion on priests attendance or non-attendance at the CWL conventions. Some priests feel that the attendance should be better while others realize that there are so many things that priests are called to do. What does the CWL as of your priests in regard to attendance at conventions? One thing priests can do, especially the priest called to a leadership role, i.e., spiritual advisor, is to promote the CWL at priest gatherings.
• Pastors see the need for CWL members to resolve their own conflicts and not to ask your priests to act as referees.
• The priest and CWL executive need to have a strong balance of leadership, i.e., each needs to reflect on their role.

A big thank you was extended to the CWL for the wonderful lunch provided for us at the Executive Hotel!

The eleven priests invited the waitress to join the CWL and she said, “Yes”! We are not too sure if she was after a bigger tip!

Submitted by
Fr. Terry Brock,
Spiritual Advisor, BC/Yukon