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Convention Report
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62nd Provincial Convention
Report 9 July 2009
Bonnie Brennan, Toronto Archdiocesan
Council Convention Publicity Chair
Mary Lou Watson,
Ontario Provincial Council Communications Chair
Catholic
Women’s League of Canada
Ontario
Provincial Council
62nd Annual Provincial Convention
5-8 July 2009 - Midland, Ontario
REPORT
A new banner and an on going challenge marked the opening of
the 62nd annual Ontario Provincial Convention of the Catholic Women’s
League of
Canada in Midland, where over 400 members and spiritual advisors from
13
dioceses across the province met from the 5th to the 8th of July to
hear
reports of accomplishments of the past year and to set goals for the
upcoming
year.
The Most Reverend Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, the
main celebrant of the opening Eucharistic at St Margaret’s church, said
“in
these difficult times we need to know where we are going, we need
prophets to
help us get there” and called on members to truly live the theme of the
convention: Women of Peace and Hope, Rooted in Faith and to be
prophetic
witnesses.
Four resolutions were passed by convention delegates urging
the Ontario government to take action on several points: Automobile Tire Age-a
Safety Risk (to enact legislation to restrict the commercial
sale of
automobile tires over 6 years old and clear, easily visible dating of
tires by
manufacturers); Make Dementia a
Health Priority (by increasing funding for home
and institutional care and increase public awareness understanding,
perception
and knowledge of services available); Mandatory
Wearing of Properly Fitting
Bicycle Helmets for All Ages (to amend present legislation to
make properly
fitted bicycle helmets mandatory for all ages; establish an intensive
media
education program to increase public awareness) and Understanding Palliative
Care (intense media program on palliative care and available
services).
Two other resolutions were passed and were directed to the members
for action: Reducing the Use of
Disposable Products and Support
Canadian Food
for Children.
The Ontario Provincial Council announced the successful
completion of their 60th Anniversary Project for members to donate
$60,000 to
the Call of the Poor.
Danielle Mc Neil-Hessian, the national president of The
Catholic Women’s League of Canada, spoke on the national theme and the
Day of
Action on April 26th when members are called to pray for peace.
The keynote speaker, Bishop Paul-Andre Durocher, chair of
the Education Commission of the OCCB, spoke on the importance of
“keeping our Catholic
schools” and “keeping our schools Catholic”. After outlining the
historic
struggles faced by Catholic schools in the province since
confederation, he
responded to eight issues usually raised by groups opposed to public
funding of
Catholic schools and urged members to get involved in promoting
Catholic
education by celebrating school events and staff and by volunteering in
schools
or on parent councils.
A panel composed of Sister Joan Cronin g.s.i.c Executive
Director Institute for Catholic Education; Mr. Michael O’Keefe,
Director of
Education, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board; Mr. Pat
Bullock,
Chaplain, St Theresa’s High School, Midland; Rebecca Ryall, graduate of
the
Catholic school system and currently studying journalism at Carleton
University
led the assembly in a discussion on the current challenges and
opportunities in
Catholic education today. All gave high praise to the pamphlet Catholic
Education in Ontario
–Challenging
Times prepared by the Ontario Council of the Catholic Women’s
League,
which has
been used and widely distributed by school boards across the province. Both the panel members and
Bishop Durocher emphasized the importance
of the family, the parish and the school working together to provide a
good
Catholic education to students attending Catholic schools.
Bishop Hundt, provincial spiritual advisor, outlined four
areas where he believes members are being called to action today:
Catholic Education
(a) To remember that all politics are local so voicing our concerns to
our
local representative will make a difference; (b) to speak about
Catholic
Education in a reasonable fashion and consider inviting local
politicians into
schools; (c) that the Ministry of Presence is very important and we
should be
present in our schools by volunteering.
Mentoring and Facilitating People:
The aboriginal population is the youngest and has the
highest birthrate in the country- how can we help them feel included.
Palliative & Elder Care: (a) outreach and sensitive
care- are there members who have difficulty getting to meetings because
of
physical problems or because they are the prime care giver for someone
else;
(b) Palliative Care is our response to Euthanasia
Living Witness of Faith in a Secular Society: (a) We should
look to the modern Saints for role models, (b) when people see us they
should
see Christ with skin on.
Members were blessed to celebrate daily Mass during the
convention. Pauline Krupa and her talented team led us on a spiritual
journey during
the business sessions opening with We are Christ’s Light where we saw a
moving
collage of pictures showing members and others being keepers of the
light; then
Let there be Peace on Earth- the crowing of Mary procession where the
13
diocesan presidents presented gifts for a local women’s centre; then
the litany
of Saints where we met some of the first Canadian saints and concluding
with We
Are Called where we reflected on being chosen by God for a purpose.
There were
also two special prayer services at this convention: one to present
Marlene
Pavletic with her Life Member pin from the Provincial Council and a
Ceremony to
commission members who will archive past Ontario council resolutions.
The business session concluded with the election of a new
slate of provincial officers who will serve for the next two years:
President
Shari Guinta (Hamilton); President elect & Organization- Marlene
Pavletic
(Thunder Bay); 1st VP & Spiritual Development -Betty Colaneri (St
Catharines); 2nd VP& Resolutions- Pauline Krupa (Thunder Bay);
Recording
Secretary Verna Lynn Bergeron (Hearst); Treasurer Glenda Klein
(Peterborough);
Past President & Historian- Margaret Ann Jacobs (Toronto) and
Standing Committee
chairs Communications- Geraldine Canning (Kingston);Christian Family
Life-Annette
Kelly (Timmins); Legislation-Anne Madden (Kingston); Education and
Health-Mary
Lou Watson (Hamilton) and Community Life- Wilhemina Wicha
(Peterborough).
The new president named four appointments: Corresponding
Secretary Mary Van Dyk (Hamilton); Financial Advisor: Janice
Deslauriers (St
Catharines); Newsletter Editor: Suzanne Mullins (Pembroke) and Life
Member Liaison:
Dorothy Meehan (Kingston)
The Most Reverend Anthony Tonnos, Bishop of Hamilton and the
incoming Spiritual Advisor to the Provincial Council, was the main
celebrant at
the closing Eucharist held in the church at Martyrs’ Shrine.
The ladies of the Toronto Archdiocese were superb hosts for
this convention which was held for the first time in many years outside
the
city of Toronto. There were a record number of first time attendees and
many of
them came because of the location.
The convention provided an opportunity for Faith, Fulfillment
and Fun. Delegates who arrived Saturday
attended dinner at Bay Moorings and a play- the Odd Couple- at the
Kings Wharf
Theatre; Sunday during the day members toured the historic site Ste
Marie Among
the Hurons and following the opening Mass we were served a roast beef
dinner in
St Margaret’s church hall by the local Knights of Columbus and
entertained by
the Simcoe County Fiddlers. Following
the diocesan dinners on Monday night members were bused to Martyrs’
shrine
where father Damien Ali led everyone in a candlelight procession of
prayer and
singing. Tuesday night at the Gala
banquet members danced to the lively tunes of the Hometown Bluegrass.
Wednesday morning the ladies from Alexandria Cornwall led, by
Bishop Durocher, sang about eight reasons we should all plan to come to
the
NavCan Centre in Cornwall from the 10th
to the 14th of July 2010 for the 63rd
Ontario Provincial Convention. Mark your
calendars- see you there!
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