2007 Annual Report of Alberta Mackenzie Provincial Council, with five diocesan councils, was 9,904 members strong, had five Catholic Girls' Leagues and recorded 90 deceased members. Two particularly difficult good-byes were said to the president-elect of Mackenzie Diocesan Council who died in a car accident and the Grouard-McLennan diocesan spiritual advisor who died of cancer. One diocesan president reported that ?the Catholic Women's League is both gift and ministry.? The reports showed that this was definitely true of the women in the provincial council who gave the gift of themselves and served in so many ministries. The provincial council has been truly blessed. Theme The provincial council adopted the theme of Love One Another ? Embracing Christ in the Eucharist, a combination of the League theme and the 49th International Eucharistic Congress to be held in 2008. Diocesan councils also embraced this theme. Conventions and workshops had titles such as: ?God is love? (a study of Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical); ? Love life caring for each other? ( focusing on health issues and the ethics at the end of life); ?Love One Another as people of the Eucharist?; ?The source and summit of the Eucharist in our lives?; and, ?Turn our worship into witness in the sacrament of life, God's gift of love and God's loving response.? What growth in spirituality and knowledge occurred! Focus Many parish councils strived for better communication. An attempt to achieve this was through the use of the Internet and websites and also through e-mail. It was felt this enhanced communication by speeding up action on timely issues. However, it was not the only way as monthly newsletters were reintroduced and more telephone calls were made at the parish level and between League levels. Many felt that connecting with the next League level through telephone calls was very beneficial. Newspaper advertisements and articles were used more often and learning communication skills was stressed. Poverty was a focus of one diocesan council. Strategies were developed to approach the issue of homelessness. Letter writing was ongoing to members of the legislative assembly and local governments regarding affordable housing. Learning about the issue of human trafficking was of predominant interest in every parish council. Members attended workshops, listened to speakers, wrote to members of parliament, and tried to find ways to stop this activity. Many parish councils recognized the value of proper record keeping and, as such, worked on archives as a focus project. One diocesan council held a workshop inspiring parish councils to preserve their records. Foster children Most parish councils sponsored a foster child or adopted a family. One council in St. Paul Diocese was involved in sponsoring a family to come to Canada through a refugee sponsorship program. Resolutions A resolution from the provincial council was adopted at the annual national convention: 2007.02 Global Accountability for Canadian Registered Mining Companies. Celebrations Many celebrations were planned throughout the year. Sixty years became a common number for parish councils to celebrate; some had 87 years! Some parish councils celebrated by hosting a workshop or convention. What a beautiful way to honour members for their many years of service by presenting them with pins at this more public event! Also, Marion feasts were celebrated. Mentoring Mentoring and developing mentoring methods was a focus for more than one diocesan council. Members made themselves available as mentors, learned what the expectations were for their roles and responsibilities for their positions, educated, and taught League development. Environment Environmental awareness became more prevalent. Eliminating Styrofoam cups was a focus of many parish councils, as well as replacing plastic with cloth bags. Membership This year saw an increase in membership of 156. The first Father Walter Krewski Membership Award was presented to three parish councils that showed increases in membership. The Bizarre Women's Group continued to inspire those who heard them speak. They traveled as far north as Inuvik, Northwest Territories, and inspired women to join and/or to take executive positions. The group was working on a project that focused on the formation of new parish councils. Donations The ? Pennies for the Poor? project continued and was very successful. Members collected $5,485, which was sent to an orphanage in Burundi, Africa, to cover education and health care needs for orphans. Most parish councils donated regularly to a chosen charity, such as the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, Adopt A Seminarian program and St. Vincent de Paul Society, as well as women's shelters, pro-life and anti-abortion events, fire victims and educational bursaries. Involvement Members were busy living their faith through service, prayer and support. They were actively involved at every level with spiritual development, liturgy, children's liturgy, bible studies, Eucharistic ministries, sacramental preparations, Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults programs, serving as catechists, forming honour guards at funerals, delivering meals and organizing social events. Parish councils donated bingo prizes as members worked at lodges and nursing homes calling bingo. Members assisted local schools and even cleaned for a family with a brain injured teen. Members continued to offer their leadership skills and serve on school boards and councils, health boards, parish councils, and at all levels of civic and provincial politics. All parish councils broadened their knowledge of the League and women's issues beyond the local level to diocesan, provincial, national and worldwide through the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations.
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