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

Merry Christmas!
May the baby Jesus bless you and your family with peace and joy as you welcome him into your home and into your heart.

We have begun Year C and we are well into Advent and Christmas is upon us. I would like to share with you some information that I have received from Cecile Miller, National Chairperson of Spiritual Development:

New theme: Love One Another
Beginning January 2007, the League will launch its new theme Love One Another. How can members bring this theme to life? I encourage each of you to reflect on ways the members in your province can respond to this question. Please let us share with one another any ideas which you give/receive. Here are some of mine:

• Study and reflect on Pope Benedict’s XVI encyclical letter Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), especially part two which is entitled Caritas: The Practice of Love by the Church as a “Community of Love.” How can we respond to the invitation extended by the Holy Father in his letter, “To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world…”? What are we doing now? What more can we do?
• Reflect on scripture passages which call us to Love One Another.” Some of these are: 1 John 4:7; John 15:12; and, Matthew 22:36-40. How can we extend the sharing we do at Christmas time to those who are in need at
• Say “Merry Christmas!” Share your joy wherever you are: whether at home, at work, or during recreation; while shopping, baking, decorating or doing any of the other activities which need to be done at this time.

The Ark of the New Covenant
The itinerary of The Ark of the New Covenant is posted on the Congress website. The Ark will be in Quebec until January 14, 2007, and will begin its tour in Ontario on January 15th. Encourage all members to do all they can to make this tour the best success it can be.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be held January 21-28, 2007. The theme is Be Opened. School and parish materials can be obtained from: Novalis, 10 Lower Spadina Ave., Suite 400, Toronto, ON M5V 2Z2 ; tel: (800) 387-7164; facsimile: (800) 204-4140; or, visit the website www.novalis.ca.

Important dates
January 1 – Feast of Mary, Mother of God, World Day for Peace
January 21-28 – Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
February 4 – World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life
February 11 – Commemoration of Our Lady of Lourdes , World Day of the Sick,

World Marriage Day
February 21 – Ash Wednesday

Annual Reports
You have all receive the newly revised annual report forms. Hopefully, Parish Spiritual Chairpersons will find them user friendly. You are encouraged to contact parishes that do not send in their annual report to see if they are having problems with the report form.

A reminder that Diocesan reports to Provincial are due by February 15th, if there are any questions please do not hesitate to ask..

Wishing you a Happy New Year

May 2007 be filled with new hope, new joy, new beginnings and many blessings.

Marianna C…….