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Reports- Hamilton Diocese

|Convention Report Jul 09| |Annual Report 2008|

Report to Provincial Convention July 2009
Diocesan President: Mary Jane Yeager

Hamilton Diocese is alive and well and living in Ontario.

An event of the future is our Project Outreach on October 24. We have planned a day for the women of the Diocese focused on “Trafficking of Women and Children” presented by the School Sisters of Notre Dame and Parish Minister Bernadette Furman-Arnott will speak on our theme “Women of Peace & Hope – Pillars of Faith”. The Diocese has donated $500 to the School Sisters of Notre Dame to support their “Not For Sale” project.

We are hoping this event will cause our members and women of our parishes to reach out and help those in need, to be the voice for the voiceless and advocate for justice, harmony and peace in our society.

Georgina Bourke completed her two year term as Diocesan President on a very positive note by organizing one of our best conventions. We had many women who were attending their first convention and came to listen to Father Adam Voisin speak on Stem Cell Research from the churches point of view. We heard Debra Lefebvre from Buy-A-Net and because a member thought it was important she made a motion that those gathered donate to the cause and $1,178 was collected in a very short time. Yola Bernert of Development & Peace spoke as well.

Kathleen Anker from Catholic Missions in Canada was able to attend our convention and managed to have the new edition of their magazine on hand and guess what – the Hamilton Diocese was represented in the magazine (page 36 to 40) because we hosted three events in the Diocese to help spread the word and inform others about Missions in Canada – we also managed to raise a little money as well – over $10,000

Our councils have been floundering and are “tired”. The women are looking for something—so we have decided that we need to get “back to basics” and rediscover who we are – where we came from – and where we want to be.

Our theme of Women of Peace and Hope – Pillars of Faith will be our focus for the future. We are getting “back to basics”, teaching our history, maybe even a little geography by showing the women of the Diocese where they live physically in the Hamilton Diocese.

At the fall regionals each member of the Diocesan Council will explain what their “job” is all about and help be a part of the process – getting back to basics. All attending will be challenged to get out their paper and pencil and write down at least two items they can take home to their executive and members.

We have lost our focus.
We have lost who we are..

BUT….

We ARE the Catholic Women’s League of Canada
We ARE a National Organization
We ARE rooted in gospel values
We ARE calling our members to holiness through service to the people of God

AND

We ARE Women of Peace and Hope – Rooted in Faith – Pillars of Faith

Annual Report 2008
President: Georgina Bourke            Spiritual Advisor: Rev. Tom Moisan
Members: 11,150                             Life Members: 15
Councils: 103                                   Regions: 4

“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”            1 Corinthians 13: 1

The members are familiar with the League’s position on various issues by consulting the websites at all League levels and attending regional meetings and the annual convention.

The diocesan executive was invited by several councils to share in celebrating their special anniversaries. We were asked by other councils for assistance with elections, problem solving and leadership development.

We continue to sponsor a fall Pornography Hurts Bus Campaign, where signs are posted on city buses throughout the diocese advising of the harm inflicted especially by Child Pornography. A video billboard was sponsored for six weeks beginning in May for Hamilton and Cambridge. In the northern part of the diocese, a billboard was rented for a year depicting the same message.

The annual convention in May celebrated our achievements through prayer. Speakers included Sister Jocelyn Monette, nds, Teresa Hartnett from the Office of Hamilton Diocese and Anne Hanley from Catholic Missions in Canada. There was meaningful dialogue on the four resolutions presented. These resolutions were adopted and went on to be accepted by the Provincial Council for presentation at the Ontario convention. Pat Crawford was presented with life membership and Shirley Sullivan was the first diocesan recipient of the Bellelle Guerin Award.

Regions hosted spring and fall regional meetings at which time information was disseminated and standing committee chairs led information workshops.

In September, the seventh annual vocations mass sponsored by the League, the Knights of Columbus and the Serrans was held at St. Pius X Parish in Brantford.

The main focus for the year was the sponsorship of three dinners throughout the diocese to raise funds and awareness of Catholic Missions in Canada on their 100th anniversary. The dinners were held in October and November and were co-sponsored by the League and the Knights of Columbus. This raised approximately $11,000 for our missions and we hope a commitment of support in years to come.
According to annual reports council money was donated to support the parish, the missions, pro-life, Catholic education, Development and Peace and many community projects.

The national theme “Love one another” was at the forefront of our undertakings and guided our actions and decisions in 2008.

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