The Catholic Women's League of Canada (CWL)

Grouard-McLennan Diocesan Council

(Updated February 07, 2010 ; Contact us at: <cwlgrmcl[at]grmcl.cwl.ab.ca> ; CWL-ABMK Home Page )

* new.gif Upcoming Events: Grouard-McLennan Diocesan Spring Spiritual Workshop (Feb20/'10) - PDF poster / RTF poster | Catholic Conference 2010 |

* CWL Grouard-McLennan Diocesan Officers | CWL Councils in Grouard-McLennan |
* Grouard-McLennan Diocesan Newsletter | December 2002 | September 2002 | February 2002 |
* GMcL Diocesan Convention |
* CWL Alberta Mackenzie Provincial Council | CWL National | Interesting Links |

CWL Grouard-McLennan Diocesan Council

Diocesan Officers

* Click on the Underlined Title for Directives & Information *
 
Position Officer & e-mail link
Newsletter index | Feb2002 | Sept2002 | Dec2002 |*
President  (2009-2011)
 Lucille P <partingtonl[at]hotmail.com>
President-Elect/Organization
 --
Secretary --
Treasurer --
Past President Dorothy C.
Spiritual Development --
Communications --
Community Life
 --
Education & Health --
Missions --
Spiritual Advisor --

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CWL Councils in the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan
as of 2002-02-15

Beaverlodge - St. Mary's CWL
Berwyn - St. Cecelia CWL
Bezanson - Our Lady of Perpetual Help CWL
Crooked Creek - Holy Rosary CWL
Fairview - St. Thomas More CWL
Grande Prairie - St. Joseph CWL
Grimshaw - Holy Family CWL
High Level - Our Lady of Good Council CWL
High Prairie - St Paul CWL
Hines Creek - Immaculate Heart of Mary CWL
Hythe - St. Edmund CWL
McLennan - St. John the Baptist CWL
Nampa - St. Charles CWL
Peace River - Our Lady of Peace CWL
Rio Grande - St. Patrick CWL
Rycroft - Sts. Peter and Paul CWL
Sexsmith - Immaculate Conception CWL
Slave Lake - St. Peter Celestine CWL
Spirit River - St. Joseph CWL
Valleyview - St. Rita CWL

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Grouard-McLennan DIOCESAN NEWSLETTER (December 2002)
Catholic Women's League of Canada
Grouard-McLennan Archdiocese

From the Past-President/Archives, Donna Chailler, December 2002 ...

Date to remember ... December 12 is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe- Patroness of the Americas,
celebrated as Mother and Evangelizer of America.

Greetings to all. Advent has begun.

Advent is such a beautiful season. It is a time for renewal. It means “coming”. When we have
something coming, we prepare and are usually alert inside. We prepare by getting ready for gift
giving.

Yes, Christmas is a time of gift giving.

Yes, this is true. But please don’t get caught up in just presents as the latest politically correct
commercials have done. A particular commercial by the Canadian Mint calls this time of year “The
twelve days of gift giving”.

What happened to the “Twelve Days of Christmas”?

We must be alert. Have we become too complacent?? Have we allowed the Christ to be taken out
of Christmas?? The non-Christian minorities in Canada demand their rights. Are we allowing them to
walk all over our rights as Christians? Are we too complacent?? Be alert as the Sunday gospel of
Dec. 1st stated .”And what I say to you, I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’ - Mark 13:37.  Jesus urges us
to be vigilant against possible dangers. Is taking Christ out of Christmas one of those dangers?

Watch for ways He will remind you of the true reason for the celebrations. Ask Jesus to give you
peace and joy as you are shopping. Jesus lives with you and in you.

This is the greatest gift you will ever receive. Keep your eyes open this Advent, and watch as he
unfolds more and more of his life in you! Perk up your senses. Let’s look at His call to be watchful
and let us share the gift of His presence with others, so that they may know Him also.

Christmas should be a time of love and caring. A time of being there for someone. A time for fun
and laughter. A time for learning we are not alone in adversity. Is there someone that needs you in
a volunteer situation? in a retirement home? in a women’s shelter?.

Will you reach out to them? If you do you will receive the greatest gift of all ...
                                                          Merry Christmas
-----
Membership
January is just around the corner where once again we renew our memberships for 2003.
Please: each member encourage ONE new member to join.
If your council has purchased the new manual, Leading the League, you will find many ideas for
membership drives. Make people aware of who we are.

Councils who have elections in January or February, be sure to send the names of your new
executive to the Diocesan Secretary, Glenda Biegel in Fairview.

Our Web Page
Grouard-McLennan is on the CWL web page !! Check it out at this address: < www.cwl.ab.ca/cwlgmcl.html >

National Convention
Will be held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, August 10-13, 2003.
Think about going. A time to reunite with friends and sisters in The League.

Record keeping
1. To update year end records: Make sure that you send names of deceased members from 2002 to
the diocesan Spiritual Development Standing Committee Chairperson, Marian Quilichini.
She can then enter them into the “Book of Life”. Remember to send copies to National and Provincial.
Report any awards like pins, scrolls etc that you hand out.
2. Please send any photos and Diocesan news from the past to Donna Chailler.
3. Reminder to celebrate anniversaries. This helps to keep our histories alive. Take pictures, keep
records, record names and date them all.

Happy Anniversary
 - to Hythe. We celebrated their 50th at the Fall Workshop in Beaverlodge.

 - to those celebrating in 2003:
Crooked Creek - 50 years .
Grande Prairie- 60 years
High Level - 30 years
Nampa - 50 years
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Grouard-McLennan DIOCESAN NEWSLETTER (September 2002)
Catholic Women's League of Canada
Grouard-McLennan Archdiocese

Dear Sisters in the League,
I hope that everyone had a restful and happy summer. You are now all back with enthusiasm giving
of your talents to The League. Thank you.

The National executive has chosen for the coming year , starting January 2003, the theme: Cast Out into the Deep.
The Theme for the upcoming year, chosen by the Diocesan executive, is Setting out into the Deep.

For the fall workshop we have added ...Together.  This goes with the idea of working together to
solve problems and co-operate with one another when parishes have to be shut down and when
CWL councils are thinking of folding. This hurts us, as some of our councils have been around for
60 years ! Unfortunately, the closing of parishes is a reality for us today and we will have to learn
to deal with it. Perhaps this workshop will help us think positively.

In his apostolic letter, At the Beginning of the New Millennium, Pope John Paul II takes up Jesus’
exhortation to “put into the deep water” (Luke 5:4). It’s a call to move forward as a people on
mission, breaking new ground, telling the world that Christ lives among us and wants everyone to
know his love, mercy, and restoration (taken from Word Among Us).

Sometimes we feel weary and our arms ache like the disciples as they washed their nets. Over
and over they had thrown their nets into the lake, only to pull them out empty. Yet, Jesus asked
them to put out into deep water and lower their nets one more time. They said, “Yes” to him.
We, too, are tired, but it is not our arms that ache but our hearts as we contemplate the injustice,
prejudice, and hatred in the world. Are these not the very things that the CWL has spoken out
against for these many years? This is when we need to turn to Jesus for the strength and courage
to go on as witnesses of his love and compassion. We will not be alone on the journey because,
as Pope John Paul II wrote, “The risen Jesus accompanies us on our way.”

So, we ask ourselves today, “What must we do?” Let’s take some risks for God!

We will have to break new ground , show mercy and compassion and restore new, stronger
CWL councils.

Diocesan History
One of my goals these next two years is to compile a history of the Diocesan CWL. If you have
any information or pictures along this line please send it to me. I have found histories of parish
councils but little on the Diocesan Council.

Enclosed in this envelope you will find :

Please note that when you receive this mailing, you should distribute it to the various committee
chair people in your council so that they know what their committee directives are. If you do not
have a chairperson for the particular standing committee, perhaps you could appoint a council
member to summarize the directive for your council at your next meeting.

World Youth Day 2002 has drawn to a close, and each of you should pat yourself on the back for
all the support you offered the participants. These young people are now back in our parishes:
welcome and accept them and ask them about their adventure. They would love to talk about it.
Invite them to your meeting as guest speakers to tell your members about their experiences.
Familiarize the female pilgrims with the benefits of joining the CWL and invite them to do so.

Remember that memberships for 2003 are due in January and should be sent to National by
May 31. Total membership fee for the diocese is $20.00. The breakdown is as follows:
     National $8.00 + Provincial $4.00 + Diocese $8.00
The extra funding will allow our Diocesan Council to restore communications by mail.
This would allow communication more often to keep us informed about issues and actions
on a more timely basis.

Reminder that you can pay for memberships retroactive for 1 year.  This is helpful to ensure
continuous service is not broken.

I strongly recommend that every President have a copy of the Leading the League teaching
manual. It walks you through each month of the year with ideas and events that could or should
happen . Everything from recruitment to orientation, training to recognition and promoting the
League are covered. It is available from National <http://www.cwl.ca> at a cost of $17.00

Provincial Convention
The Provincial Convention held in Morinville on June 2 was very enlightening.

Upcoming Dates
 
Date Event
November 23, 2002 Grouard-McLennan Fall executive meeting in Sexsmith
February 8, 2003 Spiritual Development Workshop in Sexsmith
March 15, 2003 Grouard-McLennan Spring executive meeting in Grimshaw
April 26, 2003 Grouard-McLennan Annual Convention in Grimshaw
May 3, 2003 Post convention meeting, Location TBA
June 6-7, 2003 CWL ABMK Provincial Convention in Nisku/Leduc
... <clip> ...
Resolutions
Last year, 4 councils in the Grouard-McLennan Diocese had resolutions and legislation
standing committee chairs. Let’s try to double that number this coming year!
Resolutions are where our concerns and views are expressed.
The resolution “chair” works with council executive to prepare resolutions.
The “chair” helps council members study and implement resolutions passed by other levels.

Legislation is social justice in action!  The legislation “chair” tracks the work of different
levels of government and helps League members to study government legislation.
It is the carrying out of League resolutions to influence the government policy.

At the National Convention in Moncton, the resolution on Religious Freedom in Canada was
approved. The resolution on Priests and Agents of the Church convicted of sexual offences
was transformed into a statement of support for the Bishops in Canada to revisit their
“From Pain to Hope” document.

The resolutions passed at National Convention will appear in the Fall issue of The Canadian League.
Read, study, and act on those resolutions which affect us Canada wide!

Recruit standing committee chairs. Check out the website http://www.cwl.ca/Resolutions/res_list_cmte.htm .

If you or your council is passionate about a cause, start preparing your resolutions this fall.

Please read pages 3 and 4 of The Canadian League -Spring/Summer 2002.
Those national resolutions are moving forward.

Best wishes for the coming year.
Donna Chailler
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Grouard-McLennan DIOCESAN NEWSLETTER (February 23, 2002)
Catholic Women's League of Canada
Grouard-McLennan Archdiocese

You are the salt of the earth ...You are the light of the world.  (Mt5:13-14)

Greetings once again from your Diocesan Executive.

From the President's Desk
Dear Parish Presidents:
Please share the information in this newsletter/envelope with the members of your councils.  I am hearing that committee chairpersons are not getting any information from Diocesan and Provincial.  This information comes in this envelope.  Please take the letter apart,  give it to your respective committees, and share the information at meetings.
Thank you very much.
Donna Chailler

Inclusions in this letter:


Membership Fee Reminder
Note:  Please send in your instructed vote to the Diocesan president regarding raising of Diocesan per capita fees as soon as possible.  The Diocesan portion of the per capita  fee for 2002 will be $3.00.
National - $8.00
Provincial -$4.00
Diocesan -$3.00
Total $15.00

A MOTION has been made at the Diocesan executive meeting to raise the Diocesan portion of the fee to $8.00.
So if this motion passes,  starting in 2003, the per capita fee will be a total of $20.00.
National -$8.00
Provincial -$4.00
Diocesan -$8.00
Thank you to those councils that have already voted on this notice of motion.  The only Diocese in Alberta with fees less than ours is Edmonton and they have 4500 members.

Upcoming Dates
April 27, 2002     Diocesan Convention in Spirit River, co-hosted by Rycroft and Spirit River CWL Councils

Report forms
Reminder to send in new council rosters to the secretary immediately.

Provincial Highlights
Provincial  President Connie McBride and Secretary Mary-Lou Veeken  met with Archbishop Collins in an attempt to open communication between CWL and the Bishops of Alberta.  As a result, League members were invited to attend the regular meetings of the Alberta Bishops in December.  The  main focus  of the bishops this year is World Youth Day.  They asked  the CWL to encourage more registrations for the spiritual experience, but also to help cover costs of the event, and to push for the April collection for WYD.  One-third of this collection stays in the diocese in which it was collected.

World Youth Day 2002 - July 18-28, 2002 (www.wyd2002.org)
The WYD fund is growing. We have now got $1958.89 .  But as you can see this is very far from our goal of $5000. To this date, seven (7) councils have contributed.  Please have your final contributions in to the treasurer before the April Convention. The $5000 has already been assigned to 10 travellers going to WYD.  Perhaps a one time fund raiser could be done by your council:  A pancake breakfast after mass??  Thank you to all who purchased WYD candles at more than cost.  They are all sold and the extra money goes to our WYD bursary fund.

"Life is a pilgrimage of discovery.  This voyage of discovery is most evident in the time of youth, it is
a voyage that never ends.  The world needs young people who have drunk deeply at the sources of
truth.  You must form in yourselves a deep sense of responsibility."
- Pope John Paul II, a message to the young people of the world.
Grouard-McLennan Spring Workshop
I trust everyone came away from the Spiritual Workshop uplifted. Thank you to Valleyview for hosting us, thank you to those that organized the making of the  rosaries, and to those who lead us in prayer in different languages.  And a big thank you to Mark Mallett for coming and lifting us up in song.

Welcoming Kit
Ask for the Welcoming Kit from National to give to new members.  This will give your new members something to work with to learn about The League.

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Grouard-McLennan Diocesan Convention
The Grouard-McLennan Diocesan Convention 2010 will be held in April at ____, AB.

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INTERESTING LINKS ...
(For links of interest to members of the Catholic Women's League, see the  CWL-ABMK Links Page .)
* Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan used to have an excellent web site at <http://archdiocesegm.tripod.com/index.htm> -
- does anyone know where it's at these days (2003)??  Let me know <mlveeken@ecn.ab.ca>!

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