Monday of the 105th Annual National Convention began with a mass celebrated by Bishop Alan Campeau. His homily reflected on loving God with all of your being, and how members can live out that dedication to serving others in their daily lives even in uncomfortable situations.
A plenary session was held to introduce the national board, Honorary Life Members, invited guests and staff.
Speaker Dr. Gerry Turcotte, President and Principal of Corpus Christi College & St Mark’s College at UBC provided a session titled “Mental Health and Social Justice”. He shared that mental health challenges are never isolated to the individual, they can impact family, work, and friendships, and he shared his personal stories of mental health issues and conflict within his own family that he faced. Growing up he worked in many homeless shelters where he met people with drug addiction issues stemming from mental health problems, as many felt it was too frightening to face their troubled reality sober. He talked about the greater scale of importance that mental wellness has in society now, using examples of Pope Francis’ focus on addressing sadness, apathy, and spiritual tiredness. Compassion becomes the greatest form of prayer in providing support. Dr. Gerry Turcotte concluded that even our brokenness matters, and to value human dignity which Christ demanded us to champion.
Next were the National Office Luncheons, which included hosts National President Shari Guinta, National Vice President Betty Colaneri, National Secretary-Treasurer Dorothy Johansen and National Chairperson of Service Joline Belliveau, Past President Fran Lucas, National Chairperson of Faith Rolande Chernichan, and National Chairperson of Social Justice Glenda Carson.
Following was a productive Resolutions Dialogue and moving Commissioning of New Life Members celebration. Congratulations and blessings to the new life members:
Marilyn Gay Garvey
Mary Hunt
Helena Lessard
Cathy McKinney
Jessie Parkinson
Janette Rieger
Then, all eyes were on the Grand Ballroom for the Jukebox Dance Party on Monday night. Members twisted and shouted all night long that they literally tore up the dance floor! They arrived dressed head to toe in their best fashion creations of the “jukebox theme”, many in poodle skirts, Pink Lady jackets, and retro sunglasses galore. Dinner was a hearty buffet of beef stroganoff, pasta and more. A live band played all-time classics from the 50s and 60s, such as Elvis, The Beatles, and Neil Diamond tunes. A game was played to test the members’ knowledge on jukebox hits as well as a costume contest. It was a memorable evening of dining and dancing!
