National Catholic women’s organization passes three resolutions during annual gathering

By Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News

Five years of planning culminated with some 550 delegates from across the country gathering in Saskatoon in August for the 104th National Convention of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada (CWL). A spirit of prairie hospitality, shared faith, and renewed vision characterized the event jointly hosted by the diocesan CWL councils of Saskatoon and Prince Albert.

The annual convention included worship, plenary sessions, reports, and social gatherings, with special events during, before and after the main Aug. 11-14 gathering of Catholic women. Also in attendance were CWL spiritual advisors serving at every level of the organization, as well as a number of special guests, including plenary presenters and several bishops.

“Saskatchewan, you outdid yourself,” said national CWL President Shari Guinta at the closing banquet. “I have to thank everyone that was involved, all members of the committee,” she said, calling up convention co-chairs Melanie Fauchoux and Naomi Selent for special recognition of their “outstanding work.”

Guinta encouraged delegates to take some of the convention experience home: “Go, and talk to women, and invite them to join the League, to share what we have experienced these past few days, express the joy and the positive future that we anticipate.”

In thanksgiving to all involved in the national gathering, Guinta’s closing words echoed the organization’s theme for the year: “Here I am Lord, send me.”

“Mary said ‘let it be done unto me according to your word;’ Samuel said ‘here I am’ when God called out to him in the temple, Moses said ‘here I am’ when God called to him from the burning bush, and Isaiah said ‘Here I am, send me,’ when God asked ‘ whom shall I send?'” she said.

National resolutions

As part of the annual meeting of members on the final day of the convention Aug. 14, accredited delegates  discussed and passed three resolutions for the national organization to pursue with the federal government, on behalf of some 59,300 Catholic women across the country.

Earlier in the week, a resolutions dialogue gave members a chance to review and discuss the proposed resolutions beforehand, with women from across the country sharing various perspectives, insights and suggestions.

On Aug. 14, National Social Justice Chair Glenda Carson presented the three resolutions for the  assembly to review or amend, with accredited delegates voting on each proposed amendment and eventually passing three final resolutions.

In each case, the resolutions were supported by briefs, summarizing the issue, citing research and a range of sources, as well as providing an action plan for the League to pursue.

1. Increased supported housing for those with mental health and mental illness was addressed in the first 2024 resolution. The League will urge the federal government “to increase funding for and promotion of more supported housing models for individuals experiencing homelessness with mental health and mental illness issues.”

The League action plan related to the resolution calls for inviting guest speakers and holding workshops around topics of homelessness, mental health, mental illness, and alternative housing programs, to engage in activities with community-based long-term supported housing programs, and to pursue advocacy through letters to leaders at all levels of government, and to monitor the federal government’s response to the issue.

2. A second resolution passed at the convention Aug. 14, 2024, calls on the national CWL council to “urge the federal government, in the implementation of a national universal pharmacare program, to include coverage for drugs prescribed for mental illness.”

The League action plan related to the resolution includes raising awareness by inviting speakers, offering informative videos, holding workshops, and providing resources on the issue to members, parishioners, and the community at large, as well as to write letters to the prime minister and minister of health, with copies to local members of parliament, encouraging them to support the resolution, and finally, to monitor the federal government’s response to the issue.

3. The third resolution called for providing the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) with legal authority to investigate environmental and human rights abuses “attributed to companies registered in Canada and operating outside Canada.”

The League action plan related to the resolution includes “writing to the prime minister and the minister of export promotion, international trade and economic development, asking the federal government to enact legislation giving the CORE the legal authority to respond to complaints … including the ability to subpoena witnesses and documents.”

As well, the resolution action plan calls for educating CWL members on environmental and human rights abuse allegations attributed to Canadian registered companies that operate outside of Canada, as well as to monitor the federal government’s response to this issue.

Opening celebration

The opening celebration for the 104th annual National Convention of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada was held Aug. 11 at the Cathedral of the Holy Family, ahead of celebration of Sunday evening Mass.

A flag processional opened the event, with members of the national executive bringing up the Canadian, provincial, and CWL flags to place behind the altar.

Delegates were welcomed by Saskatchewan Provincial CWL President Helen Kayfish on behalf of the 98 CWL councils across the province.

Saskatchewan Provincial CWL Spiritual Advisor, Fr. Francis Hengen and National Spiritual Advisor Bishop Wayne Lobsinger, also brought greetings at the opening celebration.

Describing himself as “blessed among women,” Lobsinger said that serving as a bridge between the League and the bishops of Canada is an honoured role.

“Today more than ever, we as Catholics need to be on the same page; we need to be working together,” Lobsinger said. “Part of my role is to bring together the women of the League and the bishops of Canada in this amazing task of proclaiming this wonderful gift we have of our Catholic faith.”

MLA Lisa Lambert, Saskatoon City Councillor Bev Dubois, Saskatchewan Knights of Columbus State Deputy Marte Nogot, and National CWL President Shari Guinta also spoke, welcoming delegates and affirming the work of the League.

Saskatoon Bishop Mark Hagemoen presided at the opening Mass, celebrating with several other bishops, including Bishop Stephen Hero of Prince Albert, Archbishop Donald Bolen of Regina, Archbishop Christian Lépine of Montreal, as well as Spiritual Advisors Lobsinger (Auxiliary Bishop of Hamilton) and Hengen, and a number of other priests and spiritual advisors, including cathedral Rector Fr. Gerard Cooper and Associate Pastor Fr. Joe-Nelo Penino.

In his homily, Hagemoen pointed to scriptural and personal journeys — including his own recent participation in the gruelling Canadian Death Race — that serve as a metaphor of Christian life, with mountain-top experiences as well as an a relentless up and down grind, when at times there seems to be no energy left to go on.

“But God is with us,” Hagemoen said, pointing to the exhausted prophet Elijah’s meal in the desert in the reading from 1 Kings as a foreshadowing of how we are fed in the celebration of the Eucharist, where “we come to hear the Word of God and feed on the Bread of Life, so that we meet the Lord and, furthermore, that we can be imitators of God.”

He noted that the CWL, with all the Church, is “called to serve the reality of unity and human fraternity,” starting with the basics of kindness and tenderheartedness, and of caring for others.

“Catholic Women’s League — thank you, thank you, thank you for the mission and the apostolate that you fulfill. You are imitators of God. Your faithful and tremendous support of the Holy Father and the Church nationally and locally is greatly needed and appreciated,” Hagemoen said.

“Thank you for the way you relate faith to service in so many ways, bringing your voice to bear on difficult issues for our culture and country: caring for our common home, speaking our faith to family values and priorities, bringing awareness regarding issues of the day that are a struggle for people — such as mental illness or human trafficking… and other key issues that impact health, economics and social issues.”

He concluded: “Thank you for being women who call us to right relationship. I and my brother bishops rely and depend on you , as do our clergy and frankly all our Church.”

Bishops, spiritual advisors and other clergy also celebrated morning Mass on the next two days of the convention at TCU Place Convention Centre.

Presider Archbishop Albert LeGatt of St. Boniface, Manitoba, said in his homily Aug. 12 that the glory of God would be manifest in small actions during the days of the CWL convention “in smiles, in words of encouragement, in genuine acts of sincere listening… the glory of God is shown in love, in love to the end, sometimes love in spite of everything else.”

Plenary Sessions

Following the morning Mass Aug. 12, an opening plenary session began with National President Shari Guinta pointing out the new format for the CWL convention, which has grown out of other organizational changes over the years. For example, at the 2024 convention, verbal reports from executive members gave way to a print-only format, freeing up more time during the convention for educational opportunities and formation.

National Spiritual Advisor Bishop Lobsinger provided greetings and reflected on his episcopal coat of arms motto “illum oportet crescere” or “He must increase” from John 3:30, and on Archbishop Donald Bolen’s motto “Mercy within mercy within mercy.” He encouraged League members to focus on both the great mercy of God, and the need for Christ to increase in our world and in our lives.

Convention delegates were then welcomed by representatives of several organizations who share the League’s goals, including Marlene Bodnar of the Ukrainian Catholic Women’s League of Canada, Mary Nordick of the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada, Rosemarie Kingston of Anglican Church Women of Canada, Cathy Reid of the Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Society, and Phyllis Robinson of United Church Women.

A morning plenary session on “Walking Together in Synodality” was facilitated by Bishop Lobsinger and Honorary Life Member Barbara Dowding who served as National CWL President from 2014-2016.

Lobsinger explained the meaning of synodality, and the intent of the Synod on Synodality underway in the Church to “journey together” and to prayerfully listen to each other to determine how the Holy Spirit is guiding the people of God. Synodality is not about changing the truths of our faith, he stressed, rather it is a way to “be Church together” and to call upon the gifts of all the baptized in bringing the truths of the faith to the world.

Dowding asked members to discern together how the Holy Spirit is calling the Church in Canada. She emphasized the importance of attending not only to the words of what others say, but to their experience and meaning behind those words: and where God is speaking.

Delegates then spent time at their tables engaged in a synodal experience discussing and listening on the question of what characteristics of leadership God is calling forth from women in the Church today.

In another plenary session Aug. 12, Regina Archbishop Donald Bolen provided an overview of the concept of the so-called “Doctrine of Discovery,” which was used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous lands and peoples. He summarized its origins in history, its repudiation by the Church, and the legal precedents based on the discredited idea that is still being used to deny the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Following the archbishop’s overview, Deacon Harry Lafond of Muskeg Lake Cree Nation (in the Archdiocese of Prince Albert, SK) shared insights into the day-to-day continuing impact of the so-called “Doctrine of Discovery,” and shared the call to instead walk together in a better way.

Lafond described how Indigenous People sees all things as interconnected and not as commodities to be parcelled out, while emphasizing the need to learn how to talk and listen to each other. Members provided a standing ovation at the conclusion of the presentation, with members recommitting the League to continue its focus on reconciliation.

In an afternoon breakout session Aug. 12, guest speaker Leah Perrault explored the national CWL theme “Here I am Lord, send me,” through story, song, scripture, video, and humour, calling her listeners to recognize encounters with Christ in their lives, even in the midst of brokenness.

Perrault shared personal stories and inspirational examples, and invited delegates to share how they have also encountered the Lord. God’s very question “whom shall I send?” contains the assurance of our worthiness, Perrault said, and emboldens us to step forward to say “yes.”

Following the day of presentations Aug. 12, six new CWL Life Members were commissioned and received a blessing from National Spiritual Advisor Bishop Lobsinger.

The new Life Members are Connie Crichton of Saskatoon, SK; Gwen Elliott of Camrose, AB; Paddy Fitzgerald Nolan of Sydenham, ON; Hilarion Mitchell of Brampton, ON; Audrey Shelton, of Haileybury, ON; and Linda VandenBerg of High Prairie, AB.

Archbishop Donald Bolen presided at the morning Mass Aug. 13 at TCU Place, reflecting on the power and the intimacy of God’s call throughout scripture and in our world today. He noted that often it is the CWL members in a parish who respond to God’s call in caring for the most vulnerable, and he challenged League members to continue to be instruments of unity, and of reconciliation.

Following Mass, convention plenary sessions continued Aug. 13, with National Secretary-Treasurer Dorothy Johansen giving an overview of the criteria for charities to have status through the CWL’s National Voluntary Fund.

This was followed by presentations from representatives of the five organizations supported by the Catholic Women’s League of Canada through the national fund – the Coady Institute, Development and Peace-Caritas Canada, Catholic Missions in Canada (CMIC), the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA), and the National Bursary Fund supporting the Catholic Women’s Leadership Foundation (CWLF) program.

 

 

 

 

 

A number of breakout sessions were also held throughout the day Aug. 12, with members able to choose from sessions related to faith, CWL membership and resolutions, palliative care, and other issues.

Jaqueline Saretsky of the Hospital Chaplaincy Office in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon provided one of the sessions, describing the true compassion offered by palliative care, as opposed to the ever-increasing push for medically-provided euthanasia — known as “Medical Assistance in Dying” or “MAiD.”

She addressed misconceptions about palliative care, including that it is only for those whose death is imminent and who are actively dying. Rather it is a holistic approach and a philosophy of care for people who are living until their natural death. It is a care approach that “addresses a person as a whole,” she stressed. “The goal of palliative care is to prevent or treat as early as possible, the symptoms and side effects of the disease and its treatment, in addition to any related psychological, social, and spiritual problems.”

Challenges and struggles include a lack of funding for palliative care physicians and programs, health care professionals who are not trained or aware of palliative care as an option, patients who have no information or mis-information, and the growth of medically-provided euthanasia (“MAiD”).

“Patients are not informed about palliative care, but MAiD is viewed in our hospitals as a health care option and staff will bring it up to their patients, but no one takes the same responsibility to talk to those same patients about palliative care options,” Saretsky said.

“It is easier to get MAiD than a palliative care consult,” she said.

In Saretsky’s experience as a hospital chaplain, the number one reason she hears from those considering euthanasia is that they do not want to be a burden — on family, on caregivers, or on the medical system.

“It is so important that people who are vulnerable are reassured that they are loved, cared for and that their life has meaning,” she said, noting that caring for seniors needs to become a pastoral priority.

Saretsky pointed to the Horizons of Hope resource created by the Canadian Catholic bishops for parishes as a way to broaden understanding of palliative care and the need to accompany those who are suffering. Recruiting and training volunteers is another crucial step, she added.

A memorial service was held Aug. 13, honouring the memory of League members and spiritual advisors who have died. Provincial CWL presidents each carried up a red rose in memory of members from each of their regions and placed it before a statue of Mary. National President Shari Guinta carried up a white rose in memory of deceased spiritual advisors.

The final day of the convention began with the Liturgy of the Hours, led by National Spiritual Advisor Lobsinger and National Faith Chair, Rolande Chernichan on Aug. 14, including a reflection for the Feast Day of St. Maximilian Kolbe, OFMConv, who was martyred at Auschwitz.

The annual business Meeting of Members was then opened by Guinta, including her report, highlighting a focus on mental health, and work underway in the areas of education and communication within the League.

Reports by Bishop Lobsinger and National Secretary-Treasurer Dorothy Johansen followed. Johansen also led a review of the financial report.

 

 

Jacqueline Nogier, chair of the implementation committee for the League’s national strategic plan gave a final report. The multi-year strategic plan has resulted in organizational changes and renewal as well as the development of many resources to assist councils.

The national convention concluded with Mass celebrated at Holy Spirit Catholic Church with Bishop Lobsinger presiding, which included a reaffirmation and blessing of the CWL national executive members, followed by a gala banquet at TCU Convention centre.

Other offerings

Social events and special gatherings were also part of the 104th annual convention.

Pre-convention cultural events included a “Fiesta Filipino” hosted by the Filipino Catholic community at St. Patrick Parish in Saskatoon Aug. 10, with traditional food, music and dancing.

Delegates were also given an opportunity to visit Wanuskewin Heritage Park for a glimpse into the history and culture of Indigenous Peoples on a sacred spot where Indigenous peoples have gathered for thousands of years. Participants gathered for brunch at Wanuskewin on Aug. 11, and witnessed a hoop dancing demonstration by Lawrence Roy, who was accompanied by drummer and singer Elmer Tootoosis. A few League members also had a chance to try some hoop dancing moves. Afterwards, convention delegates toured the historic site, viewed displays, and visited the gift shop.

A “Pirates on the Saskatchewan” themed dinner Aug. 12 featured entertainment by Saskatchewan musicians Brad Johner and the Johner Boys (including a rousing rendition of the Arrogant Worms anthem “The Last Saskatchewan Pirate”).

Gatherings during the convention also included an Honorary Life Member dinner, a Spiritual Advisors dinner, and an evening for provincial delegations to gather and celebrate on their own.

The celebrations continued even after the closing Gala Banquet Aug, 14, with a post-convention brunch offered to delegates Aug. 15 at the Berry Barn, south of Saskatoon.

Videos of CWL Convention Sessions – LINK to YouTube Channel

Video of CWL Opening Celebration and Mass – LINK

Photo gallery:

 

Group photos:

 

 

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Kiply Lukan Yaworski is the communications coordinator for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon: rcdos.ca