Communications Annual Report 2012

Communications Annual Report 2012
We advertise our teas and bake sales through radio and local newspapers, as well as through our
parish bulletin. We also put up posters in various business places.
We make up an Annual Newsletter to let our members and community know what is happening
in our Council. We continue to promote the League in our Parish Bulletin and submit times and
dates of upcoming meetings and CWL activities.
Submitted by Marion Suer
Message from our new CWL President
Dear Sisters in the League,
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as your President for the term Jan 2013-Jan
2015. I am looking forward to what we can accomplish as we work, pray and celebrate together
in the years to come.
Our Theme “We have seen the Lord” gives us much food for thought, as each of us contemplates how, and when in our lives, we can say “Yes, we too, have seen the Lord.” Where have
we seen Him? Look around us everyday, he is there in the loss of loved ones, in the suffering,
in the diagnosis of cancer, in the joy of healing, weddings, baptism, the anniversaries, in the
smile you offer, in the outreach to youth, the visit to the sick, the caring that we show everyday.
Yes, we the members of St. Augustine CWL can truly say, “Yes, We too, have seen the
Lord.” I look forward to each new day, that brings us to behold his face as we work, pray and
rejoice in the year to come.
Marlene VanDresar-Telephone 306-682-3000
Mission Statement
The Catholic Women’s League of Canada is a
national organization rooted in gospel values
calling its members to holiness through service to
the people of God.
CWL: WHY AM I A MEMBER?
I BELONG BECAUSE :
The CWL is the united voice of Catholic women expressing their values
and promoting dignity and justice for all.
The CWL is a gift of Faith, Friendship, and Support, offering leadership
development and affirmation.
St.Augustine CWL Executive 2013-2015
Spiritual Advisor
Past-President/Archives
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Spiritual Co-Convenors
Organization Co-Convenors
Christian Family Life
Community Life
Health & Education
Communications
Resolutions & Legislation
Father Gregory Roth
Jenny Irwin
Marlene VanDresar
Karen Siermachesky
Jenny Irwin
Kay Burke & Marcela Sarauer
Rosemary Possberg & Bev Yeager
Karen Fleischhacker
Lois Theissing
Alice Germann
Marlene VanDresar
Ruth Hiebert
The national CWL website: www.cwl.ca
8
The CWL gives members the opportunity to serve as Beatitude women
for God and Canada. Through standing committees, members can feel the
pulse of what is happening in church and society.
The CWL is a blueprint for all Catholic Women. Together members
share their gifts and make a difference in their community and beyond.
Come and experience faith, fun and Fulfillment in the CWL! Come and Journey
with us!
CWL meetings are held every second Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. preceded
by Mass, except during July and August.
1
Why Should I Join?
For personal and spiritual growth, friendship and fun. Membership in the League offers
a united voice of Catholic Women across Canada providing faith-based opportunities for
social interaction, personal development and community service.
Dear Members of Saint Augustine’s CWL,
I am writing to congratulate you for all the good work you do for us in our parish. I
have observed with keen interest your dedication and commitment to our parish. By
volunteering for the various ministries, you have become a pillar of strength for our parish. Your moral and financial contributions are also much appreciated. For all these
good works and many more, I say: “Thank You”
May God abundantly bless each one of you and your families. May the generous gift of
yourselves, your time and talents be richly rewarded with blessings from the Lord. My
prayer is that many other young women will follow your good example by joining the
CWL.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Ephraim Mensah, Pastor
Excerpts from Pope Francis’s Wednesday, April 3rd General Audience
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today we turn to the Catechism of the Year of Faith. In the Creed we repeat this phrase:
“He rose again on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures”. This is the very
event that we are celebrating: the Resurrection of Jesus, the center of the Christian message that has resounded since the beginning and has been handed down so that it may
reach us today.
Today, however, I would like to dwell the second, on testimony in the form of the accounts that we find in the Gospels. First, we note that the first witnesses to this event
were the women. At dawn, they go to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, and find the
first sign: the empty tomb (Mk 16:1). This is followed by an encounter with a Messenger of God who proclaims: Jesus of Nazareth, the Crucified One, he is not here, he is
risen (cf. vv. 5-6). The women are driven by love and know how to accept this proclamation with faith: they believe, and immediately transmit it, they do not keep it for
themselves. They cannot contain the joy of knowing that Jesus is alive, the hope that
fills their heart. This should also be the same in our lives. Let us feel the joy of being
Christian! We believe in the Risen One who has conquered evil and death! Let us also
have the courage to “go out” to bring this joy and light to all the places of our lives! The
Resurrection of Christ is our greatest certainty, it is our most precious treasure! How can
we not share this treasure, this beautiful certainty with others! It’s not just for us it’s to
be transmitted, shared with others this is our2testimony!
St. Augustine CWL Annual Contributions to Charity 2012
Our Annual Contributions are as follows:
1) Catholic Health Association Membership
$ 75.00
2) Catholic Christian Outreach
$100.00
3) St. Augustine Parish (Flowers)
$350.00
4) Save A Family Fund
$240.00
5) Humboldt Music Festival
$100.00
6) Child Care International (Chalice)
$396.00
7) Development & Peace
$240.00
8) Poor Fund (Sister Loretta)
$600.00
9) CWL Masses
$100.00
10) Coady International Institute
$50.00
11) Special Olympics
$150.00
12) Esk-Omi Missions
$100.00
13) Partners for Rural Family Support
$100.00
14) Rock the Mount
$50.00
15) Royal Canadian Legion (Wreath)
$30.00
16) Prairie Messenger
$250.00
17) Christmas Cheer Fund
$125.00
Total
$3,056.00
We hold raffles, teas and bake sales throughout the year as our fund-raising activities.
Submitted by Rosemary Possberg.
Christian Family Life Annual Report 2012
1) Our Council Members visit our sick and elderly members.
2) Newly baptized babies receive “My Christian Passport” booklet as a gift and this is presented
by one of our members at the time of Baptism.
3) A Music Bursary is given to our local music festival on behalf of our Council.
4) Some of our members volunteer for Palliative Care visits, serving Communion to patients at
Hospital and helping out at the Villa.
5) We give financial help to our Youth Ministry and supplied supper for “Face to Face” retreat.
As well, we helped out at various youth functions.
6) Pro-Life issues are brought up at meetings and many members attend pro-life events.
7) We have supported needy families in many ways; through our local food bank, soup kitchen,
Good Neighbour Store, and Habitat for Humanity.
8) Our Spiritual Convenor helps prepare parents and children for the Sacraments; also organized
a morning for “Mom’s and Tot’s”.
9) Members write letters to our MP’s regarding many issues concerning our families, our environment and Catholic Education.
Submitted by Karen Fleischhacker
7
60 year pins: Marie Kaese,
Marion Vidotto, Hedy
Ogilvie
Maple Leaf Pins: Margaret
Angelstad, Marion Suer
75 year pin, Agnes Zintel with Sister Loretta Konlup
and Bev Yeager
Resolutions/Legislation Annual Report 2012
Members were reminded of the importance of letter-Writing to Members of Parliament, who
have confirmed on many occasions, that personal letters from constituents are a very respected
and powerful communication tool. Members were urged to use the power of the pen to share
their concerns regarding issues that have come from our CWL Resolutions.
For Example:
1) 2011.01 - children of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.
2) 2010.01 - Chrysolite Asbestos
3) 2004.01 - Sanctity of Life
4) 2004.02 - Children living in poverty
5) 2007.03 - Hospice Palliative Care
6)
- Safe water for First Nations Communities
7)
- Limiting the Sodium in food.
In the Previous Newsletter, I outlined the proper procedure for writing your concerns to the
Government; it bears re-reading again and again. God bless you as you continue to work for
God and Canada.
Submitted by Caroline Rohel
6
St. Augustine CWL President’s Annual Report 2012
Highlights for this past year for our Council and for me:
Our CWL members are very active in our parish- many of us are involved in various
ministries; RCIA, Lay-Presided Services, Funeral Prayer Vigils, Small Faith-Sharing
Groups, Funeral lunch groups, bake sales, annual church cleaning, soup & sandwich,
lunch for flu clinics and other fundraisers. Our Members are always willing to help in
any way they are able.
1) Our Council contributes to many local, regional, provincial, national and international
charities.
2) Throughout the year, we have been praying for our members and their families who
are undergoing health issues and cancer treatments, etc. We are saddened as we lose
some of these battles and we grieve with them. But we also rejoice with those who are
winning their battles and we continue to pray for all.
3) We held our annual Christmas Social to which we invited the Knights of Columbus
and all spouses or other guests. Good food and good company; all went well.
4) We continue to keep Spirituality as our key focus at all of our meetings.
5) In January, we served at the Villa birthday Party where each person who has a birthday that month is recognized. We will consider hosting two per year as they are short of
sponsors.
6) On November 11th, we donated and placed a wreath for Remembrance Day.
7) We celebrated Colin Roy’s ordination to the Deaconate in June and presented him
with a monetary gift.
8) We bade farewell to our Pastor Father Emile April at the end of June and presented
him with a monetary gift.
9) We also bade farewell to Sister Loretta Konlup as our Spiritual Advisor and presented her with a monetary gift for her many years of service to our Council.
10) We welcomed our new Pastor Father Ephraim Mensah and Assistant Pastor Father
Gregory Roth who is an asset to us as our Spiritual Advisor.
I have now completed my term as president. I have been privileged to work with a
great executive and I appreciate all they did to help me and also all they do for our
Council and for our Parish Community. They are always willing to help when called
upon and very patient and willing to teach me what I don’t know. I thank them all for
their encouragement, teaching and the support they have given me as long as I have
served on the executive. I really do appreciate all the members of the executive, and the
CWL as a whole as they continue to work for God and Canada.
Submitted by Jenny Irwin
3
What can we expect from Pope Francis?
by Fr. Gregory Roth
When the Second Vatican Council began 50 years ago, the first document it published was entitled Sacrosanctum Concilium (The Most Holy Council), and the primary end of this document was to
establish a new Order of the Roman Mass. When it was issued, the desire of the Council was that the new
Order should be marked by a “noble simplicity” (paragraph 34) and that this should be a defining characteristic of the new liturgy.
In the past weeks, we have witnessed with great joy and jubilation the election of a new Vicar of
Christ on earth, His Holiness Pope Francis, the Servant of the Servants of God. And as the media has
been trying to dig up whatever information they can discover about the man, one trend has been unmistakably prevalent: his spirit of poverty.
One day with the grade 8 classes from St. Dominic and St. Augustine, we were discussing the
Catholic principles of caring for the poor. And so we set out to build a hierarchy of the richest of the rich
to the poorest of the poor. And as we began to develop this list, the name of the Pope came up. Where do
we place the Pope in our societal structure? A few of the youth thought that the Pope should be placed as
more wealthy than politicians, celebrities, professional athletes and the like. Indeed for some of them, the
Pope represented the highest of the 1%, at least according to public opinion, whether or not it be true in
real life.
And then we have the election of our new Pope. And as the stories come in, we hear of his living
in a humble apartment, taking the bus to work, and cooking his own meals while in Buenos Aires. I recently heard a story that Pope Francis called the newspaper service in Argentina to cancel his subscription. Apparently, when he would receive his newspaper, he would remove the elastic band that held it
together and he would keep them. Then, after a month's time, he would return to the newspaper office
with 30 elastic rubber bands in hand so that they could be reused for future publications. Even as Pope,
we saw him walk out on the balcony of St. Peter's, wearing only a simple white cassock, and his ordinary
shoes (much to my chagrin as I quite liked the red Prada shoes). He has even opted from living in the
Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, preferring the room he stayed in as a cardinal during the conclave. It has
become immediately apparent that this Pope does not live as though he is in competition for the wealthiest
in the world, but rather he lives as one among the poor.
So what can we expect of Pope Francis in the months and years to come? I think we could summarize it thus: what the Second Vatican Council said about the liturgy, Pope Francis has applied to his life
and to the life of the Church. Not only should the liturgy be encumbered by unnecessary signs and symbols, neither should life be encumbered with unnecessary luxuries. But simplicity does not need to equal
ugliness. This Holy Thursday, Pope Francis will celebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper at a Youth Detention Centre in Rome, where he will wash the feet of the juvenile offenders. What a beautiful model of
serving one's enemies and those who are poor and outcast. Our Church has pages of theology derived
rightly from its source, and yet the Gospel is relatively simple in its commands: love one another, do good
to those who hate you, love the Lord your God, go and baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. And yet the Gospel remains beautiful and powerful, despite its simplicity.
Pope Francis is calling us to return to the noble simplicity of the Gospel. It is simple because it
is based in the Gospel of Christ. It is noble because it remains beautiful, drawing its life from that love
which energized Christ and inspired Him to die for us. We should expect simplicity; but we should not
expect iconoclasm. We should expect poverty; but we should not expect puritanism. We should rather
expect from this new Pope the advent of a Church which draws her energies from her founder, Christ the
Lord. This is something which is both simple and noble all at once, and it is from this that true beauty is
derived.
4
Organization and Membership Annual Report 2012
There were 230 registered members. This is down from last year’s 241. There were 8 unpaid
members, 4 of which moved away. We remember our 2 deceased members for the year: Evelyn
Froc and Dorothy Altrogge. In June we had a Mass and Social to honor our Jubilareans.
New Members: Jan Berger, Sharon Fetter, Anne Ritz, Loretta MacDonald all received their
“New Member Pins”.
25 Years : Germaine Dubreuil and Ramona Weyland, each received “25 Year Pins and corsage.
50 Years: Alice Germann, Eva Graf, Joan Possberg, Anne Schweighardt, Henrietta Strueby,
Each received “50 Year Pins and corsages”.
60 Years: Ruth Britz, Marie Kaese, Hedy Ogilvie, Marion Vidotto each received “60 Year Pins
and Madonna Pins”.
75 Years: Mrs. Agnes Zintel reached this milestone . CWL Membership was paid for
her ,,,,she was honoured through a small celebration with her family and a visit from Bev
Yeager
And Sister Loretta Konlup ( Spiritual Advisor) at the nursing home where she resides.
Maple Leaf Pins: 2 of our Members were recognized and honoured for their many years of
Service and dedication to the League.
We visited members at the Nursing Home at Middle Lake and prayed with them. We provide
transportation for some of our members to our “Special Gatherings” and visit those who are unable to attend our “Jubilarean Social”.
Presentations were made at the three weekend Masses and at a Phillippine Community gathering
to explain the role of the CWL and encourage others to join us.
Submitted by Beverly Yeager
Community Life Annual Report 2012
1)We continue to support two families; one through “Chalice” and one through “Save a Family”.
2) Members donate food to the local food bank. They also volunteer both their time, and donating of used clothing and household items to the “Good Neighbour Store” to help those who are
less fortunate.
3) We prepared meals for the “Soup Kitchen”.
4) We prepared meals and snacks for the volunteers working on the “Habitat for Humanity”
Humboldt Build project.
5) Members help prepare and serve lunches at funerals.
6) Our Council provides a “Food Hamper” for “Kinettes Christmas Cheer Fund”.
7) Members prepared and served coffee, tea, juice and goodies at the “Annual Flu Clinics”.
8) We collected “Change for Change” at our Council meetings to be given to a need of our
choice. This year the collection of $ 280.00 was donated to the “Youth Group” in our parish.
Submitted by Lois Theissing
5