Newsletter 2016 May-Jun

A Message from the Spiritual Advisor – Fr. Oliver Iwuchukwu CSSp

“Waoh!” We hear ourselves say, looking surprised that summer is only an earshot away. Summer is a season of abundance. It is that time of the year when, according to John Steinbeck, “the world of leaves and blades and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.” This, unfortunately, is not the summer the people of Fort McMurray will have to this year. We extend our prayerful best wishes to them, without of course forgetting that they need more than our best wishes to cushion them through these trying times.

On another note, there is something about summer that wakes up the nomad is us—the urge to travel. Whatever it is, it also keeps us unusually busy. It is not uncommon that we hear our friends say things like: “I have no time to waste” or “I can’t afford to slow down.” The words of Sir John Lubbock come readily to mind as a piece of useful advice: “Rest is no idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching means a waste of time.” I wish you a restful summer.

A Message from the President – Ingrid Hart

Dear Sisters in the League,

Warm weather is finally here so we can throw off our jackets and embrace the newness of spring – and with spring comes growth & opportunity.

We should be justifiably proud of our achievements this year. In this, the Year of Mercy, we have completed three of the acts of mercy; Clothing the Naked; by mailing two boxes of clothes to Iqaluit, Nunavut Territory, an isolated northern community. Comforting the Afflicted; by mailing thirty cards to twelve indigenous families living in Peace River Alberta, with words of hope, support, encouragement, love and prayers. And presently we are working on a project to Feed the Hungry through a food bank in Iqaluit.

Sisters you are missing out on being part of these projects when you do not attend our meetings. Even if you can only spare an hour please join us. Important decisions are being made and many are not part of them. Each of these decisions, make a difference in someone’s life; what a great feeling it is to get feedback about how we have positively affected people’s lives.

There is also the social part of our meetings where we have fun puzzle competitions, or learning to knit pneumonia vests for premature babies in Haiti. Coming closer together as sisters and having some fun at the same time is an important part of being a member. One of our sisters commented to me that our last meeting was “very informative and fun”. Join us for an evening and see what you are missing out on.

The Highland Creek Heritage Day Festival in June is fast approaching. This is one of our major fundraisers to support our charities. We hope that many of you will participate and support us. Please start baking and potting your plants. If you have any empty pots drop them off to Lucia’s house or my house. (details are in this newsletter)

Thank you for your continued support. We are making a difference!

May you and your families have a safe and wonderful summer. See you in September. May God Bless you in abundance for your generosity to our Council.

Ingrid Hart

A Message from Organization & Membership – Monica Meharchand

We Welcome Our New Members

• Carolyn Tanuan
• Ruth Oliveros
• Julie Lee
• Cecilia Chung
• Marlene Campbell
• Margaret Ayres
• Gloria des Vignes
• Hazel Ellis
• Bernadette Baskasha Mujinga
• Mai Tran
• Laura Campbell
• Sharon Mendyk
• Samantha Meharchand
• Lucia Mak
• Florcelia Wilson
• Leahnette Acuna
• Josie Chundamala

Our Lady of Good Counsel Mass and New Members Ceremony and Luncheon

We celebrated the feast of our Patroness, Our Lady of Good Counsel, on Saturday April 23rd with a beautiful; and overwhelmingly well attended mass celebrated by our Spiritual Advisor, Fr. Oliver Iwuchukwu. This was followed by delicious catered hot lunch with entertainment and a Fashion Show presented by”mattiwear”. It was a fun and entertaining afternoon. We welcomed 15 new CWL members to our Parish Council

95th Toronto Diocesan Convention

Our ladies enjoyed attending the 95th Toronto Diocesan Convention, as you can see from the pictures below.

2016 CWL Provincial Convention: Stratford, Ontario will be hosting the 69th Annual Provincial Convention in July (9 – 13) 2016, which will take place at Arden Park Hotel – Check the Ontario website www.cwl.on.ca for details.

2016 National CWL Convention: Halifax will be hosting the 96th Annual National Convention in August (14 – 17) 2016. Check the National website for more details at www.cwl.ca.

Highland Creek Heritage Day Festival – Saturday June 18th, 2016!

Once again this year we will be participating in the Heritage Day Festival. This annual community event is one of our two fundraisers with which we are able to support our charities. We need your help with the various activities to make this a successful day. Setup for this event is on Friday, June 17th from 11:00am. to 9:00pm. We also need your help on the Saturday, June 18th from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is important that YOU participate in any way you can, even for a few hours, so that EVERYONE can enjoy the festivities of the day. Please contact any one of the following ladies if you can contribute, join their committee or participate in some way:

Parade: Costanza De Luca 416-284-5350 If you are interested in joining in the parade to proudly represent St. Joseph’s CWL, then this is one of the activities where you can take part. Wear your CWL colours and scarf to represent St. Joseph’s with pride!

Bake Table: Raffaela Civello 416 287-0006 We need your contribution of baked goodies and we would like to see this table overflowing. So start baking now! Please drop off your donation of clearly marked, baked goods on Friday, June 18th.

Plant Sale: Sharon Sequeira 416 284-8787 and Ingrid Hart 416-282-8775 Our plants are the best! If you love plants and have a green thumb you can join us at this table. We will accept potted plants a few days before or on Friday, June 12th. Drop off is at the back of the Hall (next to the garage/patio)

Tea Room: Marguerite Civello 416-286-6162 and Mary Campanelli 416 283-0870 Enjoy our selection of foods, sandwiches, drinks, coffee etc… Our famous strawberry shortcakes will be on sale. All this and more at very reasonable prices so join us for lunch!

Treasures: Eileen D’Souza 416-283-3959 and Lucia Vacca 416-283-3536 Your gently used items are someone else’s treasures. We will not accept soiled or broken items. Please drop off your donation of Treasures on Friday, June 12th between 2:00p.m. – 9:00p.m.

Raffle: Carol Bagnato 416 286-4533 We need your donation of new or good condition items for this table.

Vendors: Barbara Sullivan 416-283-4116 We have 10 vendors participating in this event in the hall.

International Food Tables: Ingrid Hart 416 282-8775 and Monica Meharchand 647 955-8124 Come out and enjoy the foods from various countries representing the cultural mix of our Parish community, all at reasonable prices.

JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION AND HELP OUT WHERE YOU CAN, IT’S A GREAT WAY TO MEET YOUR SISTERS IN THE LEAGUE!

A Message from Spiritual Development – Linda Estrada – Jean Fernandes

Rosary Sunday: This annual event will take place on Sunday, September 11th at Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland Ontario. This is one of the sites of the Holy Doors in the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Holy Mass will be celebrated outdoors at the Polish Altar and the Celebrant and Homilist is Rev. Fr. Bernard Carroll S.J. at 12:00noon.

At 2:30 the procession of the Blessed Sacrament with Living Rosary and Benediction will at the Papal Altar.

Bring your lunch and lawn chairs and your Rosary to enjoy this beautiful day of spirituality and wear your CWL scarves.

Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy:(Taken from Trillium – News & Views-Spring 2016.

Let the Church always be a place of mercy, and hope, where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven. (Pope Francis)

“Holiness is nourished by love and knows how to bring upon itself the weight of those who are weaker. A Missionary of mercy takes the sinner on his shoulders, and consoles him or her with the power of compassion” (Pope Francis)

“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbour as yourself, I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18)

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 32 37:40)

A recommended book to have: “The Name of God is Mercy” – (Pope Francis) An intimate dialogue with the Pope on mercy, the central teaching of his papacy. Fr. Patrick Fitzpatrick gave a teaching based on this book to the Prayer Group during Lent.

CWL Scarborough Region Holy Door Pilgrimage: Join your League sisters in Scarborough Region on Saturday, June 4th for a pilgrimage to St. Theresa Shrine on Kingston Rd. one of the designated Holy Doors for Toronto. There will be Mass at 9:00am followed by prayers and reflection. Mark your calendars now and plan to avail of this opportunity. Further details will follow.

CWL Masses for the Living and Deceased Members Masses have been booked for the members of our St. Joseph’s Council. Please make every effort to attend these masses as they are for YOU (the living) and our members who have gone before us (the deceased). We will not be sitting together so wear your CWL scarves, pins, nametags etc… proudly and visibly for all in our parish community to see.

Mass dates: Saturday, May 28th – 5:00pm, Saturday, June 25th – 5:00pm, Saturday, July 23rd – 9.00am, Saturday, Aug.13 -5pm and Saturday, Sept 3rd- 5pm

A Message from Christian Family Life – Irene Dillabough

A very busy time lies ahead for many families. The wrap up events for school, clubs, organizations, bazaars and festivals are quickly approaching. Parents are preparing for graduations, weddings, summer camps and community events. With all of the hustle and bustle of keeping everything in order, it can be a challenge to keep busy families connected with each other and maintaining the important family nucleus. This often falls on Mom’s plate! The freedom of summer is smiling and teasing us. Through all of this the most important thing we need to do is ensure prayer and thanks giving are a part of everything we do.

Palliative Care: This is a very important issue we must all be vocal about and have as much input as we possibly can. Killing is not health care. Palliative care provides care, compassion and dignity to an individual in the last stages of life. Palliative care protects the vulnerable and elderly in particular. Those who cannot speak for themselves. It would be prudent for everyone to have a health care directive as it enables loved ones acknowledging your wishes in the event serious illness occurs. Donations to hospices would be very beneficial as not everyone can afford hospice care. Letter writing to our politicians, who are making these decisions is of utmost importance. They must quit ignoring the pleas of the faithful. This matter is particularly important with the Assisted Suicide Bill looming.

Please continue collecting can tabs, milk bags and Campbell labels as we continue our efforts to support various charities. These can be dropped off at General Meetings

Let us remember the less fortunate, lonely, elderly and ill over the summer season, things don’t change for some, even if it is holiday time.

I would like to wish everyone a happy, Blessed Summer. See you in September!

A Message from Community Life – Marguerite Civello

Covenant House Food and Clothing Bank: Thank you… thank you to all our members who generously contributed to our food drive for Covenant House Food and Clothing Bank. We raised over 100 lbs. of canned / bagged/ food which will be delivered to their offices. I am sure our youth will be grateful for our efforts in helping them as they rely on donations from the community.

May God Bless all your efforts

CNEWA (Catholic Near East Welfare Association)

His Holiness Pope Francis is calling members to pray daily for peace and to accompany Christians in the Middle East. There are ongoing conflicts in Palestine, Egypt, Syria and Iraq that are causing high poverty rates, a lack of land and stable jobs. Since 1948, the Christian population has steadily declined from 20% to only 1%, or 40,000. As members, we can pray daily and donate financially through CNEWA, if possible. For more information please visit www.cnewa.ca/web/MEC.

Aboriginal Mass: Please mark your calendar and plan to attend the second annual Aboriginal Mass being celebrated on June 26th at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 120 First Avenue (Broadview Ave. and Gerrard St. E) at 12.30pm. Following the Mass there will be refreshments, a presentation on St. Kateri Tekakwitha and aboriginal culture displays will also be on hand.

Waterfront Festival: Mark your calendars for the Waterfront festival to be held on Saturday, June 25 from 11-3pm at Port Union Village Common. There will be entertainment, music, free children’s events and activities and a community BBQ. All for free.

Heritage Day Fundraising Dance: on Saturday June 11th the Heritage Day committee is planning a community Dinner/Dance to raise funds to help offset the costs associated with the annual Heritage Day festivities in the Highland Creek Village and you are all invited!

This event will be at St. Dunstan’s Church on Lawson Rd. and will feature some top-notch entertainment. The fun begins at 6pm with cocktails and appetizers, plus an opportunity to check out the “big ticket” Auction items. Tickets are limited, so reserve now by emailing letsconnect@inthespirityoga.com and get on the reserved list, or you can purchase tickets ($50 ea.) directly at Bradley’s Paints or In The Spirit Yoga (in the Highland Creek Plaza) “Your support is greatly appreciated and it will be rewarded with a night to remember”

Please continue to collect your postage stamps from letters for Development and Peace. Please bring these stamps to any of our General Meetings.

A Message from Education & Health – Joan Impraim

The Health Benefits Of Religion And Spirituality

Religion and Spirituality have been shown to have impact on wellbeing.

Beginning with the young, rituals or rites of passage of many major religions play an important role in assisting individuals in successfully passing from one phase of life into the next. For us Catholics, these transitions, especially First Communion and Confirmation, usually occur early in life. What makes these traditions relevant to health especially in adolescence and early adulthood, is that they are intended to provide rules for living by discouraging self indulgent behavior, and promotes moderation in all things.

In general, Spirituality and religious activity have been a source of comfort and relief from stress for multitudes of people, and statistics show that older adults use prayer more than any other alternative therapy for health.

Prayer and Spirituality for the young and old alike, has been linked to the following -:

• Better Health
• Less Hypertension
• Less stress during difficult times
• More Positive feelings
• Less depression
• Greater psychological well being

A Message from Resolutions & Legislation – Raffaela Civello

At the recent Toronto Diocesan Convention, the following two resolutions were presented for consideration.

1. TDC 2016-01 Enhance The Canada Health Act To Include Home Care
2. TDC 2016-02 Expand the Nutrition North Canada program to include ALL air only accessible communities

After much discussion and several amendments, both resolutions were passed. They will be sent to the CWL Ontario Provincial Council for consideration at their Convention in Stratford. Have a great, safe summer and remember that we, as members of The Catholic Women’s League of Canada, continue to effect change and make a difference…With One Heart, One Voice, One Mission!

A Message from Communications – Mary Tuccitto

Line Dancing –Come join us for the next few weeks for only $2.00 from 7:00 to 9:00pm and learn to line dance with a professional instructor to guide us through the moves. This is a great way to stay fit and have fun with your fellow parishioners and CWL sisters. All are welcome to attend so bring your friends and prepare to enjoy your Wednesday nights!! Here are the remaining dates:

• Wednesdays, May 11, 18, 25 (hall)
• Wednesdays, June 1 (Room 2)
• Wednesdays, June 8, 15, 22, 29 (hall)

Volunteers NEEDED!!

Our Council now has over 212 members and we need YOU to help in connecting with our members.

This is a great way to be involved and make a connection with our sisters in the League, particularly with those who don’t often or are unable to come out to events. You would be required to make only a few calls once a month to say “Hello” and share with our members, information on upcoming events and generally let them know we are sisters, looking out for one another.

Please call me: Mary Tuccitto at 416 283-8828

Remember:……..The Catholic Women’s League is a living, breathing call to service and as women of faith, this is not an “option” it is who we ARE! Be proud and invite others to join us.

Please contact me at marytuccitto@hotmail.com or call me 416 283-8828

A Message from Past President/Historian – Mary Campanelli

St. Joseph’s CWL Nominations/Elections for the New Executive Team 2017-2018

Our President Ingrid Hart, has asked me to be the Chair of the Nominations & Election Committee for the upcoming Elections and I have gladly accepted. As per the procedure, 2 other Experienced Ladies of our Council are to be on this committee. I have asked Lucia Vacca and Eileen D’Souza to be on this committee and they have accepted. This committee will organize the election of the NEW Executive Team for 2017-2018. Elections will take place at the November General Meeting/Elections Night (November 14th). NOW is the time for YOU to be thinking of serving our council and our Sisters in the League.

Nomination forms will be forthcoming in September along with a list of members who are eligible to stand for Executive positions. At that time, if you are nominated and a committee member calls you, I urge you to say “YES” and accept the nomination with confidence and joy. At St. Joseph’s we are blessed with a large membership and if YOU are nominated out of all these wonderful ladies, then someone has seen a special gift in you. In the meantime, we have the summer to consider who; from our membership has that special something to lead us as an Executive member to service for God and Canada.

Everyone has been gifted by God

The gifts we have are not the same as the gifts others have.

All gifts are precious, none is greater than another.

All gifts fill a part of God’s plan for His people

Did You Know?????

In this section we will be featuring items of knowledge, experience, interest and historical value as reported by the Past Presidents of our St. Joseph’s Council. Our May/June Newsletter submission is from Mary Tuccitto – St. Joseph President 2009 – 2010

“Don’t change what you do well, do what you do well,……. Better!” This was my mantra during my term as president and with this in mind, I gave our members the freedom and support they needed to continue the good work which had already been established at St. Joseph’s. In return, my two year term was tremendously joyful.

I made it my goal to explore and share the many hidden talents of our members and this became an incredible journey of discovery for us all. Divine intervention unfolded before us as members willingly came forward to share their gifts as speakers at our meetings.

I remember our 2009 Community Life Project, an information night on Refugee Sponsorship and Settlement. It was a resounding success with speakers Dr. Martin Mark, Fr. Alex Osei and Sister Maria Lanthier.

To commemorate The Year of The Priest – 2010, our Community Life/Christian Family Life Project was a poster which chronicles our Spiritual Advisors who served our St. Joseph’s Council from 1953 to 2010. (currently displayed in the Parish Narthex)

In 2009 a Marion Chasuble was gifted to the parish and in 2010 the St Joseph’s Banner which hangs at the altar, was presented on St. Joseph’s Feast Day.

Our council was responsible for Resolution ON2011.3 – Raising Awareness of Colorectal Cancer. Work on this resolution commenced in 2010 and was presented and adopted in 2011 at both the Toronto Archdiocese and Provincial Conventions and Mentioned at The National Convention in 2011.

And then there was the High Tea Social in May of 2010. It was a catered affair with much pomp and ceremony not to mention hats and gloves. We enjoyed afternoon tea and all the delights of a bye gone era and who can forget how the parish hall was completely transformed as an English Parlor.

I had not prepared nor anticipated ever becoming Parish President but with the support of our many wonderful sisters in the League it was a busy and greatly rewarding two years, an experience I will treasure always.

Blessings to you all and thank you, you are truly my sisters.

Mary Tuccitto

St. Joseph’s Highland Creek

Past President

Prayers of condolences for our Sisters in the League:

Our condolences go to our Sisters in the League who have had a death in their family.

Please pray for our sister Muriel Gaston as she mourns the loss of her husband John (Jack) who passed away on Sunday, April 24th.

Eternal Rest, grant unto them and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.

We also keep in our prayers those who are unwell at this time.

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

• We are also collecting the following items:
• Campbell Soup Labels
• Pop Tabs for Wheelchairs
• Donations of extra blank cards and blank birthday cards are welcomed and appreciated.
• Donations of your extra Rosaries are welcomed.
• Milk bags are being collected to be used in the project of making sleeping mats for people in Ethiopia, Africa.
• Your used postage stamps are being collected for forwarding to Development and Peace to help fund projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America
• Please bring a donation of canned food when attending General Meetings, they are being collected for Covenant House.

The C.W.L. Book Club meets the third Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. give us a call and join us!

For more information please contact Jackie at 416 244-4604 These are the books we will discuss:

A final note: Remember to refer to the Catholic Women`s League as The Catholic Women`s League, at every opportunity, rather than just calling it the CWL – we ARE a National Organization!

Household and Environmental Tips

Well Ladies, its gardening season, so plant those Cucumbers!!!

• Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide a quick pick-me-up that lasts for hours.
• Try rubbing a cucumber slice on your bathroom mirrors. It will eliminate the fog and provide soothing, Spa-like fragrance.
• Place a few slices of cucumbers on a small aluminum plate to rid your garden of slugs and other garden pests. The chemicals in the cucumber react with aluminium giving off a scent undetectable to humans.
• Before a night out on the town, try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers on your face. It will cause the collagen in your skin to tighten and minimize wrinkles!
• After that night out on the town, eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and both headache and hangover free.
• Want a quick shoe shine that not only looks great but also repels water? Simply rub a freshly cut cumber over your shoes.
• Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a pot of boiling water to create a soothing, relaxing aroma which reduces stress. Works great for new mothers and students during exam time too.
• Cucumbers can be used to clean and shine your faucets, sinks and other stainless steel items.
• Pen or crayon marks on walls? No problem, just use the outside of a cucumber and slowly rub.

If you would like to contribute something to this section in our next newsletter, please send it to me at: marytuccitto@hotmail.com or call me @ 416 283-882

DATES TO REMEMBER

CWL Websites

• National: www.cwl.ca
• Provincial: www.cwlon.ca
• Toronto Diocese:www.cwltoronto.ca
• St. Joseph`s Parish: www.stjosephstoronto.org