Happy New Year to the Spiritual Development Chairpersons at Parish and Diocesan Levels.  It will be up to Diocesan Chairperson to ensure that  the Parish Spiritual Development Chairperson receive this communiqué so they can begin  implementing this most important work to ensure the  membership  get the best spiritual growth and encouragement they possibly can.  There are wonderful programs in place to help you do just that.  Thank you to the parish councils that submitted their reports to their diocesan counterpart in a timely manner.  It is through the annual reports that your work and ideas are shared and your good works acknowledged.   Terri Scott, National Spiritual Development Chairperson has sent her second communiqué. I will use excerpts from her report and to view it in its entirety visit the National webpage. It will be posted shortly. It is filled with inspiring ideas that can be used by every parish to enhance spiritual growth. 

Jubilee Year of St. Paul the Apostle: June 28, 2008, to June 29, 2009

The Ontario Provincial Spiritual Development Standing Committee has compiled a package on The Pauline Year. The file includes a comprehensive overview of the life and mission journeys of St.Paul, ways to celebrate the Pauline Year, hymns and prayers. In short, if there is anything you wish to know about St. Paul, it is there. Please check the website: http://www.cwl.on.ca/PaulineYear.html The Holy Spirit was  at work.

49th International Eucharistic Congress

The Congress, which was held in June 2008 in Quebec City, was experienced by most as, “a great moment of faith and fellowship.” From this website link: http://www.cei2008.ca/en/accueil you  may read about highlights of the week, or order a souvenir  album or DVD. Terri looks forward to hearing about your faith  adventures in your annual reports for 2009.

Catholic Missions In Canada (CMIC)

The League has been supporting the CMIC since 2001 through a national voluntary fund. In 2003 it was voted to make the fund permanent.       In over seven years, $150,000 was generated to help the missions. At a recent national executive meeting, it was agreed that the following six missions supported by CMIC would receive funding from the CWL:

• Office of Catechetics: Youth Ministry (Diocese of Grand Falls)
• Catechetical/Youth Ministry Office (Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador)
• First Nations Lay Ministry Formation Program (Diocese of Thunder Bay)
• Rural Catechetical Program (Diocese of Prince Albert)
• Native Catechetical Ministry Team (Diocese of Nelson)
• Religious Education and Youth Ministry (Diocese of Keewatin-Le Pas)

Prayer for All Vocations

Someone sent Terri  this lovely prayer that includes all vocations. You may wish to keep it handy and say it often:

Prayer for All Vocations

God, our Father, in baptism You called us by name, making us members of Your people, the church. We praise You for Your goodness, we thank You for Your gifts. We ask You to strengthen us to live in love and service to others after the example of Your son, Jesus. Father, look upon Your church with love and bless Your people with generous single men and women, with loving husbands and wives, with understanding parents, with trusting children, with dedicated priests, sisters, deacons and brothers. Help us to see our vocations as a journey toward You. You have called us, not to set us apart, but to bring us together with others who need our love. Make us faithful signs of Your presence in their midst.  We ask You through Christ, our Lord. Amen

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: January 18-25, 2009

“In order to unite with one another, we must love one another; in order to love one another, we must know one another; in order to know one another, we must go and meet one another.” These words are the impetus for this annual event and are taken from the Testament of Cardinal Mercier. The week of prayer, actually eight days in all, began in 1894. The 2009 theme is That they may become one in your hand, and the chosen text is Ezekiel 37.15-28.  You are encouraged to participate in your parish events to pary for unity.

Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada (WICC)

The March 6th World Day of Prayer service was written by the women of Papua, New Guinea, with the theme, In Christ there are many members, yet one body.

Once again take part in the Service offered in your community.

Shorter Christian Prayer

Lay persons are encouraged to pray the Liturgy of the Hours.  A user friendly format is Shorter Christian Prayer, the four-week Psalter of the Liturgy of the Hours  that contains Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, with selections for the entire year. This official prayer of the Catholic Church will bring blessings and comfort to you. Week 1 begins on January 12th.  Father  Tran told us an easy way to find which week you are on is to divide whatever week of ordinary time you are on by 4,  the remaining number is the week.

One in the Spirit program patterned on the popular Spirituality, a day of Discovery

In my last communiqué I mentioned checking out this program which is found on the National website under programs.  This program provides an opportunity for members to become more aware of their individual spiritual preferences and may enrich their relationship with God and others. It can be done in three hours, 

Women of Peace and Hope

By now members are preparing for diocesan conventions and have been studying the new theme that will be in effect for the next two years. A hymn you may want to consider to compliment the theme is “Peace” (Weston Priory), with text and music by Gregory Norbet, OSB. It may be found on page 478 of Breaking Bread. Before any hymn is copied and circulated for use, please ensure that permission is sought from the publisher.

The Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel, celebrated annually on April 26th, has been newly declared CWL Day of Peace and Hope. Each national standing committee chairperson submitted concrete ideas to form a kit to help members pray for peace and hope with two main areas, 1) palliative care  and 2) “Welcome, Friend!” with which to promote this special day. National office is compiling the kit to be released by mid-February to help councils prepare for April 26th. It is a call for action that will make members more visible in their parishes as women who are working for peace and hope.

Reporting Deceased Members for 2009  

It is very important to submit the names of your deceased members to National Office very soon after their passing on to their heavenly reward. Don’t wait for months or years. When you hear the Book of Life being read at the Provincial Convention in Prince George you may be amazed at some of the dates being reported.   Please use the 2008 revised report form which advises you to send one copy to National Office.  This form can be found on the National Website under form and is the very last item. 

Apparently National is going to advise Provincial and Diocesan chairpersons periodically so the Provincial and Diocesan Books of Life can be compiled.  Watch for more information. 

May Our Lady of Good Counsel  guide your efforts as you live the new theme for the next two years.  God Bless You.  Keep the National Executive,  Provincial Executive, Diocesan Executives. Life Members and the members in your daily prayer.   A blanket prayer would do to cover all that we may be seen as women of Peace and Hope—  Serving with Faith and Joy

Welcome to all Diocesan Spiritual Development chairpersons and especially Betty Houle from Nelson Diocese and Theresa Janssen of the Victoria Diocese who are new like me. We look forward to working with Dorothy Hruby from Kamloop Dioceses, Jill Greenlees from Prince George Diocese and Jenny Shaw from Vancouver Diocese as well as the member who does the Spiritual Development work for Whitehorse Diocese.

Summer has passed so quickly and with the hint of fall in the air it is time to prepare a communiqué. How opportune that my National counterpart Terri Scott submitted her first communiqué today. Terri is also new to this position and we congratulate her on her election to the National Executive. My summer was busier than usual as I was fortunate to attend the National Convention in Winnipeg as an accredited provincial delegate and have the spiritual component to report on.  This report will be separate from this communiqué. We had a wedding August 30, our granddaughter from Sicamous  was married  in our church in Golden.  It was a busy time indeed but a very special time as well.  Nothing else has changed in my life,  just another year older.

The very first item to comment on is that of reporting your deceased members.  Please fill out the latest form dated 2008 to report your deceased members, and print darkly to make it easier to read, and send it to me. Please be sure the mailing address is correct and council code entered. National needs this information to stop the mailing of The Canadian League Magazine. Another please note: Only the names that I have received will be forwarded to National for the National Book of Life so be certain that I get them.

Terri Scott has a wonderful communiqué providing much information.  She has a sub-committee of four… Member Claire McKay, Life Member Gabriele Kalincak, member Mary Ryan and Honorary Life Member Claire Heron. I too, will get a subcommittee.

Terri answered the question of where all the prayers and services come from:  They are conceived by members who are inspired by the Holy Spirit and often generated by a great need in the world or in their personal lives.  National President Danielle McNeil-Hessian has paired each national chairperson with a provincial president and commissioned each pair to formulate a prayer service. The final booklet will be available at the 2010 annual national convention.

One in the Spirit

The League’s newest program, One in the Spirit will be found under programs and the Spiritual Development heading.  Clair McKay has adapted the Spirituality a Day of Discovery programme which debuted in 1995.  Discovering one’s strengths and gifts at the beginning of the year is sure to strengthen the group as members discover their working style using the saints as a guide.  Encourage councils to use it at a meeting. Members won’t be disappointed – it’s fun and enlightening.

49th Eucharistic Congress

Terri mentioned that Cecile Miller is working on a report of the Congress held in Quebec City last June.  On June 22nd, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI urged Catholics to remember the theme, ”The Eucharist, Gift of God for the Life of the World.”    The video of this homily and many others are available at ECDQ.com.  They run from 13 minutes to over an hour long.

The Pauline Year

A special year to celebrate the bi-millennium of St. Paul the Apostle’s birth was dedicated by Pope Benedict XVI to run from June 28, 2008, to June 29, 2009. Information and leaflets for distribution can be found on the Vatican website. Year of St. Paul leaflets are available for free download on this website (follow the link on the right side to Year of St. Paul – Resources). These are intended to help people become more
familiar with St. Paul’s writings. This special year is designated as a chance to spend more time focusing attention on the bible and the Eucharist. Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” (I Cor. 9:16).

Women of Peace and Hope

Starting January 2009, the League will have a new theme Women of Peace and Hope. For councils planning conventions now is the time to start thinking of how to incorporate this theme into their programs and decorations.

Resolutions

No resolutions were adopted under this standing committee this year.  Keep working on resolutions adopted in previous years.  Check the National website for current resolutions.  Even though it is only September, it is not too early to ask Canada Post to provide more religious postage stamps for Christmas.  They sell out quickly, ACT NOW.

In closing,  I invite you to email me with any suggestions, comments or questions.  I will do my utmost to help in anyway.  May our Lady of Good Counsel guide you in your good works and may God be generous with his blessings upon you.