CWL Newsletter 2019 Nov-Dec

Posted On 21st Nov 2019

The year is almost over. The countdown to Christmas has begun. The Christmas scent is beginning to fill the very air we breathe. We are at that time of the year when, if we are not careful, we over-stretch ourselves trying to tie so many loose ends. A very busy season indeed. But no matter how busy, we cannot afford to lose sight of what makes this time beautiful. It is a time of waiting in joyful hope for the coming of the Messiah, the Prince of Peace. If we are attentive enough, we will hear the prophets challenging us to prepare the way for his coming by dusting our lives clean. In other words, our preparation for Christmas is not of much use if we do not prepare a happy home for Christ in our lives.

May God give us the grace to avoid wasting our time in trivial pursuits as we journey through this busy season to Christmas.

Our October general meeting was significant for a number of reasons. On the bad side, the turnout was very low – 15 + 1 by conference call which is less than the quorum of 10% of our membership required to hold a CWL general meeting. Part of the reason for this was the need to have the meeting on a Tuesday rather than a Monday due to the Thanksgiving holiday which caused conflicts, especially with the Bible Study.

On to good side, this meeting was one of the best we’ve had for a long time. First, Tania led a lively and informative discussion on CWL’s current priority of Loneliness. Everyone was involved in this discussion including our member who joined through the phone conference call. Lots of ideas came out and we expect to put together our plan soon. We also played a Thanksgiving game where we each in turn named something that we were thankful for, going through the alphabet. The two surprises (though maybe they shouldn’t have been a surprise) were – we’re thankful for our values, not our things and the game became very participatory. If anyone took more than a second or two to think of something everyone chimed in to help. It made the game fun and co-operative.

We’d like to invite everyone to come to our meetings as often as you can. With the prevalence of loneliness as an issue, getting out and meeting with your sisters in the league is a great opportunity. It will give you a chance to see more of what’s going on in the League and we’re going to work very hard to improve them. The opportunity to hear what our members think, rather than to just have the executive talk is very important and we will try to include discussions (as well as games) more often in our meetings.

There are also a lot of other opportunities to join in and get involved. Check out the calendar to see the dates for the Fatal Flaws movie, the Bazaar (Friday setup and Saturday helping). The December general meeting is our very popular potluck. We’d also love to see you at any of these. I hope to see all of you soon and if we don’t – Merry Christmas

Membership Renewal

Your CWL Membership Renewal for 2020 is NOW due. Please complete the Membership form attached to this newsletter or pick up one in the Narthex and return it as soon as possible to any of your executive members or the Parish Office. You may also drop it in the collection baskets at any Mass. Please be sure to clearly mark your envelope: “CWL MEMBERSHIP”. If you are writing a cheque, please make it payable to: St. Joseph’s CWL. Memberships are due to National by January 1st, 2020. The membership continues to be $25.00. If you are planning on sending an e-transfer payment, please send it to lucia.vacca@sympatico.ca

This year we will once again have an early bird special for all renewals received on or before the night of December 9th. One lucky member will be the winner of a draw taken from the renewals received. The prize will be a $25.00 gift voucher, so don’t delay in completing your renewal and entering the draw.

Annual Bazaar – Saturday, November 16th from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Remember to join us with your time and with your contributions to the Bake Sale, Apple Pie, International Foods, Bake table, Tea Room etc… Setup for the Bazaar will be on Friday November 15th from 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. As in the past, the proceeds of this event will be distributed to various charities. Your involvement is appreciated. Without our efforts, others will not benefit. Call us we need your help at the various tables to make this event a success.

Bake Table: Lina: 416-283-0165
Raffle Table : Patricia: 416-724-9537
Treasure Table: Connie: 416-284-5350
Apple Pies: Eileen: 416-283-3959
Tea Room: Marguerite: 416-286-6162
International Foods:
- Filipino: Therese: 416-281-5973
- Caribbean: Lintoy: 416-283-9205
- Indian: Cheryl: 647-515-3149
Vendor Tables: Barbara: 416-283-4116

Give us a call if you can assist in any of these areas ASAP

Annual Bazaar is on Saturday November 16th from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm and your help for set up on Friday, November 15th (11:00 am to 9:00 pm) would be greatly appreciated. You can also drop off your donations for the Bake Table, Treasure Table, Raffle, Tea Room etc…at that time.

Also, don’t forget to help out on the day of the Bazaar with whatever time or contribution you can give it will be very much appreciated as it is a very busy and important day for our council. Proceeds from this fundraiser help support our many charities and projects. Don’t forget to start baking and spread the word. As well if you can contribute $5.00 towards this event it is greatly appreciated to purchase supplies that we need. Any questions call Lucia – 416-283-3536

Annual Apple Pie Making has been underway since the summer months…Once again a great turnout with many members participating. We had lots of fun as members shared many stories and bonded in a spirit of hard work and sisterhood. A big thanks to the washers, peelers, cutters, rollers, dough makers, mixers, assemblers and those who helped store our apple pies in their freezers. None of this could be possible without you and your amazing work. Total number of pies made for these sessions were 290. Big thank you to all the helping hands in continuing this program.

Advent Pot Luck Social and Service Awards Night

Monday, December 9th, at 7:00 p.m. is our Advent Pot Luck Social. Please join your CWL sisters as we celebrate the season. Your spouse or guest is also welcome to join us and remember to bring your favourite dish of food to share for the Pot Luck. Thank you in advance for your generosity. On this special night, 50 members are to receive their respective years of service pins. We will also be accepting your donations of men’s new socks and underwear for the Good Shepherd Center. Please give what you can, as the need for these men`s items is great. This action is to keep the homeless and those in need warm for the winter months.

Virtue of the Month
We will continue to highlight a new virtue for each month:

November: Hope
December: Kindness
January: Faith

Scheduled Masses for our sisters, CWL Living and Deceased Members at St. Joseph’s:
Sunday Nov. 10th, 2019 at 9:00 am, Sunday Dec. 8th, 2019 at 9:00 am

CWL Prayer for Renewal
God of new beginnings, ever faithful God, we thank You for your constant care for the women of The Catholic Women’s League of Canada.
We have sought to serve You in faith by service to your people. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and with the help of Our Lady of Good Counsel, we continue to discern Your call to seek justice and build Your Kingdom on earth each day. We ask your guidance as we plan the evolution of The Catholic Women’s League of Canada. Grant us wisdom, the grace of discernment, and strength. May each of us open her heart and mind to Your will and welcome the new life You bring to the League. We ask this through Jesus, Your beloved Son and Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.
AMEN.
– Sr. Susan Scott, CAF

Third World Day of the Poor

The 34th Sunday of Ordinary time has been declared by Pope Francis as “World Day of the Poor.” This November 17thwill be a day to reflect on the needs of those less fortunate. The message from His Holiness, Pope Francis refers to the scripture, “The hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.” (Psalm Chpt. 9 vs. 90) How often do we see the faces of those desperate for food and shelter? With a kind and compassionate expression upon her face, St. Teresa of Calcutta spent her days gently picking up and caring for the homeless and destitute. When she would bend down to look into their eyes, she would see the face of Jesus. It was Jesus she was giving a glass of water to. It was Jesus she was clothing. It was Jesus that she was comforting and giving shelter to. In Matthew 25 vs. 40, Jesus said, “whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.” Lets all remember that we are all called to be saints. Let’s do as St. Teresa did and see Jesus in the eyes of those who are in need of our help.

Immaculate Conception

This December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. On this pivotal day in the liturgical calendar we celebrate Our blessed Mother, with great humility accepted the honour bestowed upon her to be the Mother of God. Through the miracle of the immaculate conception, Mother Mary carried Jesus Christ, Our Saviour within her blessed womb. Catholics all over the world will celebrate this holy day.

Advent 2019

Advent begins this year on December 1st. Christians all over the world prepare for the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Many believers adorn their living space with an Advent Wreath complete with three purple, one pink and one white candle. During the four weeks of Advent a candle is lit and Advent prayers are recited as we spiritually prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wishing everyone a blessed and holy Christmas.

In the last newsletter I had written about the Provincial Community Chair asking us to think about projects that we can do regarding ‘Loneliness’. What better way to start that then with our own CWL members!!

At our General meeting on 15th October, I reached out to the members present to get their ideas on what we could do as a team. There were many great suggestions, but the two that we all agreed on that we could start with was (a) Helping members that needed rides to and from meetings or other social CWL events that might be preventing them from coming out and being part of our community (b) Phoning members (both shut-ins and others) – just to say hello and check on them to make sure that they were okay.

We know that many of you in your own personal way are already doing this, but we now need to do it as a bigger group. During our meeting we had a sign-up sheet for members who were willing to commit to the two above mentioned suggestions and we will be working out the details soon to see how we can proceed with this. If any of you who were not at the meeting would like to sign-up for this, please send me a mail at mascarenhas.tania@yahoo.com or call me at 647-542-1274. Also if you know of any of our members who need a ride, please do let me know.

Hope this newsletter finds you all in excellent health. As we’ve just finished the season of Thanksgiving, let me start off by saying how grateful I am to be a part of this group and for your support. It is great to be part of a community that works to make this world a better place.

This November, I strongly encourage you all to get your flu shots – a small, safe and quick way that we can help to stop preventable illnesses that can be life threatening to some, especially the elderly and young children.Here are a few other quick tips to help you fight the flu and other common seasonal illnesses when your immunity can be weakened:

Drink plenty of warm fluids. Try chicken soup. It’s not just good for the soul. It’s thought that chicken soup can
help break up sinus congestion.
Add the superfoods that fight colds and boost your immunity to your diet: Garlic, onion, chamomile, turmeric,
fish and citrus fruits.
Get a good sleep schedule, and plenty of rest.
To keep your immunity up, meditation and exercise has been shown to be very effective.

More information can be found here: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/flu-influenza.html

November is World Epilepsy Awareness Month. Despite it being the fourth most common neurological disorder, it is an extremely poorly understood condition. There are plenty of ways to get involved in this month of awareness – from social media, a powerful tool to engage and educate, to dress down days at work and charity walks and events, to many other ways you can come up with, in which you can get involved and make a change. Another excellent idea is to take courses and workshops that provide information about the condition and basic first aid training. Many people wouldn’t know what to do if they came across a person having a seizure in the street, and one of the most crucial aspects of the campaign is to encourage the public to learn how to react in this scenario.

December is Human Rights Month – take this opportunity to learn about organizations such as amnesty international that protect our human rights, and to campaign for human rights worldwide as well as to learn about what your own human rights are.

The best way to make a difference, I think, is to look within oneself and think of what we can do, in little ways: sometimes in our own homes, sometimes in our neighbourhood, sometimes at our place of work – all of us can make a change !

Like most people I like to find a deal and save money. It gives me a sense of accomplishment when I have stretched my dollars a little further. Many of you may have a Costco Membership to buy in bulk to save money. Our theme for the CWL at the moment is “Care of Our Common Home”. I came across an article recently that challenges “Our Saving Money and Our Saving of Our Common Home”.

Costco’s bestselling product is its luxury toilet paper. To achieve this product it comes at a cost that is impacting our environment. Here in Canada the magnificent boreal forest is the largest intact forest in the world. It covers over half of Canada and it is home to 70 % of indigenous communities and billions of animals. This pristine forest absorbs massive loads of carbon helping to fight against climate change.

Costco uses these mature trees from the boreal forest to make a virgin toilet paper, not wanting to blend it with recycled paper to make it more sustainable and an environmentally friendly product. With the loggers sawing down the forest at an alarming rate it is unleashing even more carbon into the atmosphere.The Costco executives need to know that we recognize the essential role the boreal forest plays in fighting climate change and to destroy it would be devastating. Not to mention the impact on wildlife and Indigenous Communities.

Starbucks now uses 100% recycled paper cups because people let their voices be heard.

Can you let Costco know how you feel about the impact they are having on climate change by making a virgin toilet paper product!

This will be our last Newsletter before Christmas. I wish you all a season of peace and good health and a sacredness when celebrating the glorious birth of our Saviour.

We are being asked to write letters and emails to our MPP’s regarding the Resolutions which were passed at the various levels of the League.
Here are the National Resolutions to take action on:

2019.01: Canada to Honour its Commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
2019.02: Canadian Support for the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

The briefs and action plans are on the National website and in the latest Canadian League Magazine. For full details and action plans, please go to the following websites:

Toronto: www.cwltoronto.ca
Provincial: www.cwl.on.ca
National: www.cwl.ca

The Catholic Women’s League will be going through a transformation with the implementation of the Strategic Plan.It has been since 2018 in the works and should be completed by 2022. Take a look at the link to understand and to update yourself of the changes which will be taking place in the next few years. The main effort is to streamline the positions and the reporting. I encourage you to also go to this link and register yourselves to be part of the change when a survey will be sent to those on email to express your thoughts, your opinion counts and National office wants to hear from you. https://cwl.ca/implementation-of-the-strategic-plan/

Take a look at the National www.cwl.ca website to see the monthly Implementation Committee Updates and be informed in this change in the League. Additional information will be sent in the next Canadian League magazine. A Notice of Motion for an instructed vote in 2020 for the change of the Constitution and Bylaws.

The changes from National which to note currently are:

We now have a New Mission Statement: The Catholic Women’s League of Canada calls its members to grow in faith, and to witness to the love of God through ministry and service.
Core Purpose: Uniting Catholic Women to grow in faith and to promote social justice through service to the church, Canada and the world.
Core Values: Faith: following Catholic teachings. Service: local, national and international Social Justice: actively involved in society.
Envisioned Future: The CWL is an inclusive and engaged community of Catholic women inspired by faith. It is:
1. A vital participant in the church;
2. A valued partner for social justice;
3. A respected advocate at all government levels;
4. Connected to the world.

Blessings,

Lucia Vacca

The CWL Book Club

C.W.L. Book Club meets the third Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Please contact: Jackie (416-266-4604) for more details. These are the books we will discuss:

Reminders for General Meetings:

Members are encouraged to bring their own mugs to meetings, so please remember to “Lug A Mug”.

We are also collecting the following items:

Pop Tabs for Wheelchairs
Donations of extra blank cards and birthday cards are welcomed and appreciated.
Donations of your extra Rosaries or Religious items are welcomed.
Milk bags (clean/dry) are being collected to be used in the project of making sleeping mats and sent to Africa for those in need through Dr. Simone.
Collecting your used postage stamps being sent to Development & Peace.
We continue to make pneumonia vests for the premature babies. If you have extra wool or would like to make these vests give us a call and we will forward the pattern to follow.

We are also collecting non-perishable food items at each of our General Meetings to support our St. Joseph Outreach Program. Many are in need, please be generous.

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November 10 (Sunday)|CWL mass for living and deceased members 9:00 a.m.
November 11 (Monday)|General Meeting – Rosary 7:00 – Room 2 – Remembrance Day. Attend these monthly meetings – want to see you!
November 15 (Friday)|Setup for Bazaar (11:00 – 9:00)
November 16 (Saturday)|Bazaar Day 8-4 (9:30 – 2:00)
November 20 (Wednesday)|Bazaar Wrap up meeting @7:00 p.m. Rm. 3
November 27 (Wednesday)|Movie Night – Fatal Flaws – 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. everyone is welcome ~~Documentary on Euthanasia from Euthanasian Prevention Coalition
December 8 (Sunday)|CWL mass for living and deceased members 9:00 a.m.
December 9 (Monday)|Potluck Dinner 7:00 p.m. Service Awards (50) – need help to setup the room etc….bring your yummy food dish to share…
January 13 (Monday)|General Meeting – Rosary 7:00 Meeting 7:30 p.m. – have extra forms for the Ordinandi Bouquet pass it around at this meeting. Review P&P for any amendments –take names for interested members to attend TDC~~Development Day Feb 22nd – Contact us ASAP to reserve a seat for you. (free of charge for our CWL members)
January 18 (Saturday)|Recollection – Virtue of Faith in the Hall after the 9:00 a.m. mass
January 25 (Saturday)|Scarborough Region Winter Event – 9:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Our Lady of Fatima Shrine – open to all members to attend. $5.00 – bring your own lunch. This is a Spiritual and Educational Day for all
February 4 (Monday)|DEADLINE for Schools to submit the –Mary Dobell Literacy Essay & Poetry Contest & Jean McCann Service Award for — St. Joseph ( Education & Health Chair)
February 10 (Monday)|General Meeting – Rosary 7:00 Meeting 7:30
February 22 (Saturday)|Toronto Diocesan Council — Development Day 8:30 Mass – 3:00 TBA additional information will be forthcoming
February 28 (Friday)|Deadline for Schools – to Submit students for – Mary Matthews Public Speaking Contest – St. Joseph (Education & Health Chair)
March 1 (Sunday)|St. Joseph Parish level – Mary Matthews Public Speaking Contest Room 2 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – come an support our students
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CWL Newsletter 2019 Nov-Dec

2019-2020 Executive

A Message from the Spiritual Advisor – Fr. Oliver Iwuchukwu

A Message from the Presidents – Kim Deans and Marla Tanuan

Organization & Membership

A Message from Spiritual Development – Patricia Hall

A Message from Spiritual Development – Patricia Hall

A Message from Community Life – Tania Mascarenhas

A Message from Education & Health – Cheryl Mascarenhas

A Message from Communications – Ju-Ann Miranda

A Message from Christian Family Life – Nancy Jane Martineau

A Message from Resolution & Legislation

A Message from Past President/Historian – Lucia Vacca

NEW SPECIAL COMMEMORATION PIN FOR THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE TORONTO DIOCESAN COUNCIL $10.00 each – if you are interested in ordering one call Lucia 416-283-3536

Dates To Remember