WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, AUGUST 21, 2023—One hundred and nineteen voting and accredited delegates of The Catholic Women’s League of Canada gathered for its national annual meeting of members in Saint John, New Brunswick on August 14-15, with 178 members attending virtually. The theme was Catholic and Living it! Members attended fruitful meetings, ceremonies and activities. The opening Eucharistic celebration was held at Holy Redeemer Church in Saint John, with His Excellency Most Rev. Christian Riesbeck (Saint John) as the celebrant, along with National Spiritual Advisor Most Rev. Stephen Jensen (Prince George), Most Rev. Wayne Lobsinger (Hamilton) and several spiritual advisors.
National President and Chairperson of International Relations Fran Lucas and Most Rev. Stephen Jensen brought greetings and welcomed members. The 103rd national meeting of members opened with reports presented by provincial presidents and national officers that conveyed the many works and activities members across Canada have completed over the past year. These oral reports will be available in the fall issue of The Canadian League magazine.
National council adopted Resolution 2023.01 Combating Textile Waste in Canada. The resolution urges the federal government to establish new programs and expand established subsidies aimed at reducing textile waste in Canada. The full text of the resolution may be found on the national website, cwl.ca.
National President-Elect and Chairperson of Organization Shari Guinta and the lead members of the strategic planning implementation committee gave a presentation on the progress of the working groups.
The national election was held on Tuesday, August 15th. The League welcomes a new slate of officers to the national executive/board, including National President Shari Guinta, National Vice-President Betty Colaneri, National Secretary-Treasurer Dorothy Johansen, National Past President Fran Lucas, National Chairperson of Faith Rolande Chernichan, National Chairperson of Service Joline Belliveau and National Chairperson of Social Justice Glenda Carson.
The closing mass was held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, with Bishop Jensen as the celebrant. Bishop Riesbeck, Most Rev. Douglas Crosby (Hamilton) and newly appointed National Spiritual Advisor Bishop Lobsinger were concelebrants. Prior to the final blessing, the installation of the national officers and the national spiritual advisor was held.
About The Catholic Women’s League of Canada
The Catholic Women’s League of Canada, founded in 1920, is one of the largest organizations of women in Canada, with 60,000 members represented in every province and the military. With a membership representing a broad cross-section of Canadian society, the League has received the commendation and keen appreciation of federal, provincial, territorial and municipal authorities for the voluntary services ably performed by its nationwide membership.
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For further information, contact (204) 927-2310 or email communications@cwl.ca.