Shari Guinta, National President, January 10, 2024
FOR: Presidents at All Levels
“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with
whatever gift each of you has received” (1 Peter 4:10).
Happy New Year! This is my first message of 2024, and I hope everyone had a pleasant, blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year. I thought the above quote from scripture appropriate as we move into two years of the new theme, Here I am Lord, send me.
The theme will be introduced in the winter issue of The Canadian League, which will include a prayer card for members’ use. I hope this theme will encourage members to listen to the call of the Lord and serve where they can, as they feel called and with the gifts God generously gives to them. After discussion and discernment at the national executive/board meeting in November 2023, a focus on mental health was decided upon. All board members gave input from experience in every province and the military ordinariate regarding the crisis of mental illness in Canada. Mental health issues affect everyone, and there are so many areas that this condition contributes to, such as violence, spousal abuse, homelessness, unemployment and much more.
Councils are encouraged to investigate the theme and discern where they are being called to serve in this area. Guest speakers, seminars and workshops will also be encouraged as a tool to learn, reach out and help.
The next board meeting is in February in Toronto, where there will again be sessions with a consulting firm (tng) helping plan for the League’s future mission. The firm is “focused on supporting not-for-profit organizations to embrace and harness the value of good governance”. More input was sought over the final months of 2023 by way of interviews with members by board members who reached out to ask pointed questions. Data is now being reviewed from the answers and will be discussed and examined when the board meets in February. With the five-year strategic planning initiative ending in 2024, the board continues with its examination for the League’s future.
I hope councils will investigate and use the many and varied resources the implementation committee has developed through the strategic planning process. The workshops and presentations are stellar and can be helpful to councils at all levels. Parish councils can ask their diocesan and provincial executive members to do presentations from these resources.
May God bless you in your work “For God and Canada!”
Your sister in the League,
Shari Guinta
National President