Newsletter 2018 Jan-Feb

Posted On 27th Jan 2018

“Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.” Romans 12:12

The encouraging words of St. Paul in his letter to the Romans, he was teaching them to care for one another and serve God. We pray that with our struggles and successes will continue to keep St. Joseph Council alive for future years to come. We have worked together to fundraise to support our many Charities, St. Joseph Parish and our Community ease their diverse needs. We have rejoiced in hope that all will be well, we have endured in some afflictions and we continue to persevere with prayer for community and members to be united as one body in Christ.

As we, the executives of St. Joseph CWL Council enter into our second year of our term, we are excited to continue to serve our Council and League and at the same time we are in the winding down mode. This year we will be having Elections for a New Executive in November and now is the time for you to start to discern and look at the gifts God has given you and not be afraid to say “YES” to be active in this Council.

We have much to look forward to as our Council will be celebrating 65 years since its charter in November 5th 1953. A celebration to mark this milestone is scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 15th 2018. As plans evolve we will inform the members.

Our Council has members from age 16 to 90+ who have recited the “League Promise” and the “League Prayer” over the years and committed themselves to serve God and Canada. I personally read these prayers each day to keep me focused as a Catholic woman on why I joined the League. I encourage you to read these prayers slowly and absorb the meaning of why we as Catholic women are called to use our gifts and resources to help others.

CWL League Promise

For the glory of God and the good of God’s people, I promise as a Catholic woman to honour, invoke and imitate our patroness, Our Lady of Good Counsel. I promise to be a loyal member of The Catholic Women’s League of Canada and to promote its interest and growth in every way. I promise to cooperate with officers in all programs under their direction and to conform to the best of my ability to the bylaws of the organization in all League activities

League Prayer

We humbly pray you, O God the Father, to bless The Catholic Women’s League of Canada. Bless our beloved country, Our homes and families. Send your Holy Spirit upon us to give light to our minds and strength to our wills that we may know and fulfill Your great law of charity. Teach us to share with others at home and abroad the good things you have given us. This we ask through our Lord Jesus Christ and the intercession of our patroness, Our Lady of Good Counsel. Amen.

Wishing all of you and your families a very Blessed, Healthy and Happy New Year 2018. May Our Lady of Good Counsel continue to give us the perseverance and commitment to serve God and Canada with a joy filled heart.

Lucia

Special Request to you our members:

Our CWL Council at St. Joseph’s Highland Creek was chartered on November 5th, 1953 and in 2018 we will be celebrating our 65th Anniversary. To commemorate this occasion, we would like you, our members to send us your stories of how you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to use your God given talents in service to the people of God. We are working on a 65th Anniversary Commemorative Booklet and would like to encourage each of you to share your story of service.

We know that there are many wonderful selfless works that each of our members are involved in and we want to hear from you. What is your story? Some of you serve in soup kitchens, some are caregivers, some serve in the elementary schools, some serve as prayer warriors, some serve our outreach community, some serve by assisting those in needs….there are many, many wonderful ways in which you have been called to service and use your talents. And this is what we would like to celebrate. Please send your short stories (250 words or less) to Lucia Vacca at lucia.vacca@sympatico.ca or mail/drop off to the Parish Office.

How have you been “Inspired by the Spirit…Women Respond to God’s Call”?

Welcome our new members

Shweta Soreng
Chantal Schweitzer
Sunita Dias
Dakari Gennaro
Natalia Leong
Suzanne Tanuan
Neela Saldanha
Thelma Fernandes

Membership Renewal is now OVERDUE!

Please complete the Membership form and return it as soon as possible to any of the executive members or the Parish Office. You may also drop it in the collection baskets at any Mass. Forms are available at all exits in the CWL slots. Please be sure to clearly mark your envelope: “CWL MEMBERSHIP” and if you are writing a cheque, please make it payable to: St. Joseph’s CWL.

Development Day:

Development Day presented by the Toronto Diocesan Council is on Saturday, February 24th, 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. Roch Parish (2889 Islington Ave.) The theme for this workshop is “Responding to God’s Call to Serve Joyfully” Keynote Speaker: Trena Finnegan, Spiritual Director. The cost is $10.00 but FREE to our members as it is covered by our council. Remember to bring a brown bag lunch. For additional information and program for the day go to www.cwltoronto.ca This is a popular event and pre-registration is a MUST before January 26th. Please contact Marla Tanuan ASAP if you wish to attend 416-209-8659. We are working on possible bus for the Scarborough Region to take us to this venue.

Scarborough Region Winter Event:

This Regional event will take place on Saturday January 27 at Immaculate Heart of Mary from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Bring your own lunch. Topics will be on Downsizing Diva and Women’s Self Defense. All members are welcome to attend. Cost is $5.00 but free to our members. Please contact: Marla Tanuan 416-209-8659 if you are planning to attend.

Line Dancing:

This is a weekly event on Wednesday nights from 7:00 to 9:00pm in at St. Joseph’s hall. It’s a great way to stay fit and have fun for only $2.00!!! Just as before, there will be a professional instructor to guide us through the moves. All are welcome to attend so bring your friends and prepare to enjoy your Wednesday nights!! Details are on the bulletin boards at the parish.

CWL Leadership and Public Speaking Course:

The Toronto Diocesan Council – Scarborough Region Course will take place for 6 consecutive Monday’s at 7:00 p.m. St. Barnabas Parish. This is open to all CWL members starting March 5th to April 16th (no class April 2nd). There are many benefits of taking this course: Gain Confidence in presentation and public speaking, run productive meetings, develop leadership skills and these are transferable skills for personal and professional life. (FREE OF CHARGE TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS) – Call Lucia ASAP to register at 416-283-3536

Scarborough Region General Spring Meeting:

This meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday March 13th at Precious Blood Parish (1737 Lawrence Ave. E.) 7:00 p.m. Mass. At this meeting you will be informed of the upcoming Toronto Diocesan Convention and be able to meet the Toronto Executives as well as the many members of the Scarborough Region.

“Jesus was tempted by Satan; and the angels waited on him”

“After Jesus was baptized, the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good new of God and saying, “The time is Fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; Repent, and believe in the good news.” Mark: 1: 12-15

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – January 18 to 25, 2018:

Come and join the ecumenical prayer service to pray for unity of all Christians “Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power” (Exodus 15:6). This event will be held at the Metropolitan United Church on Sunday, January 28, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. (56 Queen Street East (at Queen and Bond Streets) Homilist: His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Collins — for more information call 416-934-3400

https://www.archtoronto.org/ecumenical-interfaith-affairs/Documents/WOP_2018_Ecumenical_Prayer_Service_Poster.pdf

World Day of Prayer:

World Day of Prayer will be held on Friday, Mach 2, 2017 at St. Dunstan’s church at 7 p.m. The theme is “All God’s Creation is Very Good!” It is a worldwide gathering of Christians who observe a common day of prayer annually. It promotes the understanding of women of other countries, languages and cultures through and ecumenical service to enrich the Christian faith. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Lift Jesus Higher Rally – Saturday March 3rd 2018:

There will be many speakers at this annual event being held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building – 255 Front Street West 9:00am to 5:30pm. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for youth (ages 13-18). For more information or to purchase tickets call 416 251-4255. https://www.lift-jesus-higher-rally.ca

A Blessed New Year to one and all! I hope and pray that your Christmas was a Christ-centred one!

Our Fall Bazaar, held on November 18, 2017, was definitely a huge success — thanks to Our Lord for the wonderful weather; to all the untiring Sisters in the League and to the dedicated volunteers who shared their time, talents and treasures. Our heartfelt thanks go as well for the assistance of our Brothers at the Knights of Columbus who never fail to lend us a helping hand at our events. May God reward you all richly for your generosity.

This year’s Fall Bazaar enabled us to raise a $8,305.95 in gross revenues. A summary of the revenues from each area are as follows:

2017 had been a fruitful and busy year in our Spiritual journeys and lives here at St. Josephs CWL.

We kept up with community happenings in our own area as well as community happenings around our world. Reports were made on World Day of the Poor, initiated by Pope Francis, which was observed on November 19. We learned of the Indigenous practice of honouring our waters, with an open invitation to join in a local ceremony in September. We heard of the highlights of Development and Peace International’s 50 Anniversary. St. Josephs CWL also observed Pope Francis’s special prayer, this past May that across the world Women be honoured, respected and valued for their essential contribution to society.

And more locally, we had reports on the workings of local Soup kitchens, shelters for the homeless, prayers and lap quilts for our aged, and financial support for the refugees and needy in our community.

We here at St Josephs have a lively and vibrant community. We all have lots to be proud of being a part of it.

Feeding the Hungry — Good Shepherd Centre — Macaroni & Beef Casserole Recipe

The casseroles parishioners prepare feed the needy who visit the Good Shepherd Refuge on Queen Street East. How the program works:

A lidded casserole container and recipe are provided. You can find them in our Office’s vestibule.

Prepare the same meal once a month. Drop off the FROZEN casserole on the dates provided below between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. after the Saturday mass in the west parking lot.

An empty container will be exchanged when you drop off.

We encourage you make extra because it is delicious! Below you will find drop off date and the dates for 2018. It’s a simple plan that provides food for many in need. To participate or have any questions please contact: Annie Alkins: 416-283-7420

DROP OFF DATES for 2018

Feb. 3, Mar. 3, Apr. 7, May 5, Jun 2, Jul 7, Aug. No pick up, Sept. 8, Oct. 13, Nov. 3, Dec. 1

Youth Awards:

Our neighbourhood schools have received their information packages and registration forms for the Mary Matthews Public Speaking Contest and the Mary Dobell Pro-Life Essay and Poetry Contests. Please encourage all young people in grades 7 and 8 to please ask their teachers about these contests and take part in them.

Cody International Institute:

Established by St. Francis Xavier University in 1959, the Cody International Institute is a world renowned center of excellence in community based development and leadership education. In collaboration with partners in Canada and the global south, the Institute is committed to reducing poverty and transforming societies by strengthening local communities, by building resilient communities and by patronizing social accountability and good governance. The CWL has made yearly donations since 1961. At this summer`s national convention, Dr. June Webber, Director of Cody International spoke to assembled members. You can listen to her talk by following the link available on the national website under the “ Quick Links“ heading in the Charlottetown Convention 2017 location and with the “video and Guest speaker podcasts“.

CWL Bursary Fund:

This bursary fund is used to provide financial assistance to members pursuing studies, courses, seminars, workshops and degree or diploma programs in areas of spiritual growth, adult faith formation, youth ministry, ministry to patients in palliative care, ministry to shut-ins, parliamentary procedure and literacy tutoring. Bursary applications are available from national office or can be downloaded from www.cwl.ca. Please avail of this fund or pass the information to others who could benefit from it.

Spiritual Bouquet for the Ordinandi (Banquet – March 7th, 2018).

You are invited to contribute to the annual collection of Prayers, Adorations, Rosaries etc….for the intentions of the Ordinandi class of 2018. This Spiritual Bouquet of prayers will be presented at the annual Ordinandi Dinner on March 7th 2018 by our CWL Toronto Diocesan President, Ann D’Souza. Our collective support is most appreciated by the soon to be ordained priests.

Just imagine the Ordinandi’s delight when each of them is presented the Spiritual Bouquet with thousands of spiritual offerings by the faithful in Toronto Diocese, on their behalf. Please share the form attached to this newsletter, with your family and friends and remember there is no cost involved, just your time spent in prayer for the soon to be ordained priests. You can drop off your Spiritual Bouquet Pledge Form (attached) to the parish office in an envelope marked CWL or in the collection baskets at all masses by 16th Feb. Thank you for your support. If you are interested in attending this event, please contact Kim Deans at 416-206-6341.

Up Coming: Family Day Holiday – Monday, February 19th, 2018 – a great reminder to spend some time with your families!

Below is a beautiful message from Marie-Theresa Lamphier, OPC Communication Chairperson since our theme this year is on homelessness.

“As we approach this time of the year, many councils are always thinking of different ways to help the less fortunate. You donate to the food banks, you give to St. Vincent de Paul Society and you create scarfs, mittens and hats to give to the homeless. As the Provincial’s theme this year is on homelessness and their needs, I would like to suggest that you give just a bit more than you normally would i.e. one more dollar, one more pair of socks, one more box of macaroni and cheese and maybe one more jar of peanut butter. I also would like to suggest that you discuss in your councils some of the facts about homelessness and how it affects different classes of people i.e. the youth, the indigenous, the senior and those who are just down on their luck. Making people aware of the issues may encourage someone to be a little kinder towards the homeless ….perhaps smile a little brighter, talk a little longer or offer some assistance that would not normally come their way.

Some websites where you may obtain some information are as follows: You can Google “Facts about homelessness in Canada” for more info. Facts & Figures – Raising the Roof: http://www.raisingtheroof.org/for-media/facts-figures/

Just the Facts: http://www.cwp-csp.ca/poverty/just-thefacts/

Facts About Youth Homelessness – Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth www.evas.ca/facts-about-youth-homelessness/ The cold and the winter season is especially hard on the homeless. A warm cup of coffee and a nice warm meal will go a long way in making their day!

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Bertha Redmond
Gertrude Seymour
Peggy Sheehan
Eral Zong
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Mary Fisico
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Bette Loben
Patricia Sheehan
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Judith Tieber
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Theresa Banks
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Dear sisters,

The New Year has begun, and it has been recording breaking cold temperatures, so let us keep our selves warm and fit by joining us for our line dancing every Wednesday at 7.00pm, in our church hall. Come out and get to know your fellow CWL sisters and parishioners as we have some fun learning to dance with the best teacher in Scarborough.

It is this time of the year we have to do our archiving, if you would like to join Lucia and I to assist us with this task it would be greatly be appreciated, give us a call. Please plan to attend our meetings and be a part of this great organization as we plan to make a difference in our brothers and sisters lives. You have a voice in what we do, and your input is valuable to move our council forward in the momentous year of our 65th anniversary. Hope to see you there.

May you and your families have a happy, healthy and Blessed New Year.

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January 14 (Sunday)|CWL Living and Deceased Mass 7:00 p.m. (St. Joseph’s Church)
January 17 (Wednesday)|Line Dancing St. Joe Hall 7:00 p.m.
January 15 (Monday)|General Meeting – Rosary 7:00 Meeting 7:30 p.m.
January 27 (Saturday)|Scarborough Region Winter Event -9:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish – open to all members to attend. $5.00 – bring a lunch
January 28 (Sunday)|Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Metropolitan United Church, Sunday, January 28, 2018 at 3 p.m.
January 31 (Wednesday)|Line Dancing St. Joe Hall 7:00 p.m.
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February 7 (Wednesday)|Line Dancing St. Joe 7:00 p.m. Room 2
February 12 (Monday)|General Meeting – Rosary 7:00 Meeting 7:30 – Wear Red
February 24 (Saturday)|Toronto Diocesan Council — Development Day 8:30 Mass – 3:00 St. Roch Parish – CWL Workshops –Free of charge for our CWL members ($10.00) bring a bag lunch. To register call Marla Tanuan 416-209-8659 before January 26th
February 28 (Wednesday)|Line Dancing St. Joe Hall 7:00 p.m.
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March 2 (Friday)|WDOP – CWL – all invited to attend – additional information will be sent out on email re: Location
March 3 (Saturday)|Lift Jesus Higher Rally -Metro Convention Centre
March 4 (Sunday)|St. Joseph Parish level – Mary Matthews Public Speaking Contest Room 2 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. All members are invited to attend
March 7 (Wednesday)|Line Dancing – Room 2 7:00 p.m.
March 7 (Wednesday)|Ordinandi Dinner (tickets are required)
March 12 (Monday)|General Meeting – Rosary 7:00 Meeting 7:30
March 13 (Wednesday)|Scarborough Region Spring General Meeting -Precious Blood -7:00 p.m. mass followed by meeting – all are invited and encouraged to attend this meeting.
March 14 (Wednesday)|Line Dancing – St. Joe Hall 7:00 p.m.
March 17 (Saturday)|Scarborough Regional Mary Matthews Public Speaking Contest 1:00 p.m. St. Joseph Highland Creek
March 25 (Saturday)|Toronto Diocesan Council – Mary Matthews Public Speaking Contest – St. Timothy’s (21 Leith Hill Rd, North York) 12:30 p.m. all are welcome to attend
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Newsletter 2018 Jan-Feb

2017-2018 Executive

President Elect/ Organization & Membership

A Message from the Spiritual Advisor – Fr. Oliver Iwuchukwu

A Message from the President – Lucia Vacca

Organization & Membership

A Message from Spiritual Development – Mai Tran

A Message from the Treasurer – Marla Tanuan

A Message from Community Life – Danielle Giggie

A Message from Education & Health – Hyacinth Fernandes

A Message from Christian Family Life – Kim Deans

A Message from Communications – Tania Mascarenhas

Maple Leaf Service Award – Lina Civello

Maple Leaf Service Award – Suanne O’Neill

A Message from Past President/Historian – Ingrid Hart

The CWL Book Club

Dates To Remember