THE ST. MICHAEL'S LEAGUE - St Michael's Parish
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THE ST. MICHAEL’S LEAGUE
Issue 5 August 2021
fellowship with like minded women who responded to
Message From Our President Dorothy Solomon the call to grow in faith and service to God and
neighbour. I have a greater sense of purpose and a
I have been thinking more focused area of service I commit to perform.
about the theme of There is an accomplishment we do as a Council that I
“Belonging” to give could never fulfill on my own. We set goals,
some perspective to encourage one another, have fun social activities and
my life and also for we work together on common concerns. As President I
our CWL Council for am able to apply much knowledge, wisdom and skills
the year moving because my Baptism tells me I belong to God’s family.
forward from God’s family is the whole Church, the Communion of
September 2021 to Saints gone before us, the angels, and all people still
June 2022. I’ve to be born. Belonging is something I will continue to
gotten into a slump. At one point when I couldn’t explore and I invite you to join me on this journey of
attend Mass in person due to closure, I was watching faith and service.
Mass live stream in my p j’s and drinking coffee.
Another time I was eating supper and sipping wine.
What’s wrong with this picture? I had forgotten who is
hosting the Mass. None other than God himself,
offering Jesus to me once again in the sacrifice of
thanksgiving. It had become entertainment as
opposed to full, active conscious participation. This
awareness sure gave me a wakeup call. My spiritual
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nourishment and weekly renewal of my commitment to
be an Intentional Disciple had really lapsed. It gave
me cause to think, “Yes, I belong to St. Michael’s and Prayer Intentions Megan Young
with that there is responsibility and accountability.”
No organization runs by itself, all sorts of talents and Dear Sisters in Christ,
time are needed. I read a quote which illustrates this
I hope this summer has brought many blessings to all
sense of everyone has a role.
of you and your families. The Lord has called us to
“Adding wings to a caterpillar does not make it a continue our journey through this pandemic in prayer
butterfly. It creates awkward, dysfunctional as we offer our intentions for the months of August
caterpillars. Butterflies are created through and September. Let us also keep Fr. Daniel and Fr.
transformation.” Stephen Marshall Paul in our prayers as we welcome them to our Parish
Family.
We transform in stages too and we belong at
whatever stage we are; there is place for you to August: For elected officials who are asked to make
discover your opportunity to change. You belong to decisions that support the sanctity of life.
share a common belief, interest or need. Belonging
September: For those who are experiencing loneliness,
means you are known and accepted just as you are.
in particular the elderly.
There are duties involved as you are expected to
participate as fully as you can. In return, your sense of *Please join me in praying the Rosary Monday
belonging guides you through the week in joyful evenings at 7pm. Please email me at
service proclaiming the Gospel by your lives, which meganyoung142@gmail.com and I will happily send
the final dismissal at Mass calls us to do. you the link.
Belonging to the CWL has many of the same __________________________________________
components. Yet there is a special camaraderie in
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THE ST. MICHAEL’S LEAGUE
Issue 5 August 2021
Set aside this important date Our guidance for the day is based on the CWL
Mission Statement, ”To grow in faith and to witness to
Saturday August 28, 2021 the love of God through ministry and service” and the
five-year Parish Pastoral Plan. This has been created
All women of the parish are invited to by your Parish Pastoral Council because it was
participate initiated by Bishop Fabbro several years ago. Every
five years the plan is reviewed and revised for the
In Baptism we are called by name, become a member next five years. You will hear more about that in the
in the Church and the communion of saints, know that coming year.
we are loved by God and that we are sent forth in
We have seven standing committees but our
mission.
concentration will be on five of them. For each of the
Wow! Are we ready to greet September, let’s not five, Spiritual Development, Organization, Christian
rush it, enjoy these last summer holidays. Although, we Family Life, Community Life, Education and Health; we
do plan in advance and then wait and see; however, are asked to consider.
we wait with hope knowing we are not alone.
“What are we doing well? What is already being
One way we are planning to prepare for our CWL done in the parish?
gatherings in September is to host a Spiritual Retreat
and Workshop. Our Catholic faith teaches that we What areas do we need to address? What are some
specific steps?
are not saved by faith alone or by works alone; they
are a pair to balance each other. It has become our
Agenda for Retreat and Workshop
practice to acknowledge our works and leave faith as
a personal endeavour. Not always so, when Jesus was Doors open at 9:00 for registration and socializing.
asked to teach his disciples how to pray, he said, “Our 9:30 welcome and opening remarks.
father.” We pray together.
9:45 workshop on Spiritual development. 10:00
We do also pray personally within the context of refreshment break. 10:15 retreat break
praying with others of like-minded faith. Part of the
spiritual retreat calls us to silence so that we have an 10:45 workshop on Organization 11:00 retreat break
opportunity to allow God to speak his love to us. Each 11:15 workshop on Christian family Life
one of us brings our own history and current life
circumstance and these can sometimes distance us 11:30 lunch break 12:00 retreat break 12:30
from God and one another. In silence we allow God a workshop on Community Life 12:45 retreat break
chance to address these areas of our lives. We pray,
“Dear God, you always invite us to know you better. 1:00 workshop on Education and Health 1:15 retreat
Open our minds and hearts so we may understand break 1:30 acknowledgement of other committees,
your love and presence in ourselves, in the people we wrap up and other business arising 1:45 send forth
call family, in the women of the CWL., in the people
The reason we are keeping the sessions brief is
of St. Michaels’s and beyond.
because most of the work will have been done ahead
A day of Spiritual retreat and brainstorming by answering the questions above and a summary
workshop will help us set goals for the year sent out ahead of time.
September 2021 to June 2022.
I deeply hope you consider attending; for those not
Our day will be Saturday August 28 from 9:30 until able to join us, please pray for all of us.
2:30 via Zoom.
Blessings, Dorothy Solomon
Zoom link to be emailed Friday August 27. President St. Michael’s CWL
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THE ST. MICHAEL’S LEAGUE
Issue 5 August 2021
Gifts For Our Priests Marilyn Morgan
We received a wonderful response from our members
in their commitment for our Spiritual Bouquet for Fr. St. Michael’s Council CWL
Murray on his retirement and Fr. Pio on his transfer to 2021 Coming Events
Essex. Thank you. Tentative Schedule
On receiving the Bouquet, Fr. Pio was most grateful Saturday, August 28th – CWL Workshop
and his response was, “You could not have given me and Retreat via Zoom
anything I would appreciate more.”
Monday September 13th – General
We also received the following note from Fr. Murray. Membership Meeting and Welcome Back
Social
Monday October 4th – General
Membership Meeting
November 6th,7th,13th,14th - Membership
Drive after all masses
November 8th – General Membership
Meeting
Tuesday November 23rd - Pie Making
December 4th and 5th – Annual Festive Fall
Included with our Spiritual Bouquet was a monetary
Bake Sale
donation for each priest. To the thirty-five CWL
Monday December 6th – General
members who offered prayers, you are reminded that
Membership Meeting, Executive Elections
you should have them completed by September 8th,
2021. Below is a copy of the Spiritual Bouquet and Christmas Celebration
presented to Fr. Pio and Fr. Murray.
Please check bulletins, website and emails
for further details
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The Catholic Women’s League of Canada,
founded in 1920, is one of the largest
organizations of women in Canada with more
than 70,000 members represented in every
province, territory and the military. The League
is organized and pledged to serve all citizens
and has often received the commendation and
keen appreciation of federal, provincial and
municipal authorities for the voluntary services
ably performed by its nationwide membership.
__________________________________________
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THE ST. MICHAEL’S LEAGUE
Issue 5 August 2021
attended the World Day of Prayer service held
annually on the first Friday in March.
In the past St. Michael’s CWL hosted an annual
bazaar and Ann was very involved in its preparation.
Ann also volunteered for many years with Hospitality
North and she use to help out the parish by washing
and repairing altar servers’ robes. At one time Ann
volunteered to create crafts with female inmates at
the London Detention Center. She saw an ad in the
church bulletin and answered the call. She has been a
very busy lady over the years.
We are blessed to have Ann as one of our members
and wish to thank her for her many years of service
with St. Michael’s council.
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CWL Summertime Fun Night Megan Young
Featured Member Ann Vandenbosch
Joan Lobsinger Summer is always a time for us to enjoy fun, family
and friends, and St. Michael’s CWL is no exception.
This month we recognize Ann Vandenbosch as a So, on Monday July 5th, 2021, the Catholic Women’s
member who exemplifies the League’s core values of League held a summer fun evening via zoom.
faith, service and social justice.
This evening consisted of scavenger hunts and trivia
Ann emigrated from Holland in 1953 and married games, as well as a chance to raise our voices in song.
Martin in 1955. Sadly, Martin passed away in 2016. But I believe that the main event of the whole evening
He is fondly remembered by family and friends and (at least for myself) was the fact that we were able to
especially those in St. Michael’s parish. Ann and spend the evening together, and share smiles, laughs,
Martin had four children: two sons and two daughters. and memories that will stay with all of us for a very
Ann worked as a home maker and helped Martin out long time.
on the family’s cash crop farm in the Township of
North Dorchester before they moved to St. Michael’s These gatherings have helped bring a beacon of
neighbourhood in 1995. Ann has been blessed with hope and a source of light during these times and
six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Her serve as a reminder of the warm and loving
son Paul is a lawyer and gave a presentation on Wills community that St. Michael’s CWL has been to so
at one of our CWL meetings a few years ago. many of us for so many years, and that our sisterhood
continues to shine through anywhere even through our
Ann has been a member of the Catholic Women’s screens.
League for fifty years. She regularly attends our
meetings and has always been willing to volunteer As always thank you to the wonderful CWL executive
wherever needed. Ann has been a captain of the team for working together to make this evening fun
phone committee, has helped out at pie making, at and memorable for everyone, and a special thank
our bake sales, our membership drives and funeral you to our dedicated President Dorothy Solomon for
luncheons. Ann was one of our funeral luncheon continuing to encourage and support our members as
captains for many years and often enlisted her we journey through this pandemic.
husband Martin’s help. We always thought of him as
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an honourary member. ☺ Ann has also regularly
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THE ST. MICHAEL’S LEAGUE
Issue 5 August 2021
Angela Pellerin, our former London Diocesan President
who became a Life Member this year.
There was a total of 522 members across Canada
who registered for Monday’s AMM and 513 on
Tuesday. Tuesday began with a prayer service and
we recognized the feast day of St. Lawrence, Deacon
2020/2021 Provincial and National Annual and Martyr. The Executive’s oral reports were given
throughout the morning and I found them very
Meeting of Members (AMM) Joan Lobsinger informative. We learned of the government Bills that
received Royal Assent and we were encouraged to
In the past I have enjoyed attending the Provincial
check out the many resources available at cwl.ca,
Conventions but due to Covid-19, the 2020
Convention was cancelled. This year, rather than a especially the new promotional material that has
convention, there was a virtual Annual Meeting of been added to the 300 series under Resources. We
were informed that 327 trees were planted across
Members combining the years 2020 and 2021. I was
thrilled to have the opportunity to attend this Canada as part of the Centenary Project and we
were introduced to the Gratitude Project 2021-2022,
Provincial AMM virtually. The opening Mass took
place on Sunday July 11th at 2:30 p.m. at Notre which has been created to honour Front Line Workers
for their service. In the afternoon there was a
Dame Cathedral Basilica in Ottawa. On Monday July
ceremony to archive sixty-six resolutions and a
12th at 8:30 a.m. the 2020 Annual Meeting of
memorial service for deceased members. We were
Members began with a beautiful Crowning of Mary
also updated on Year 3 of the Strategic Plan. The
slide show followed by a deceased members
most exciting part of the afternoon was the Election of
memorial and then the business component of the
Officers and the announcement of the new theme
meeting. This included the approval of the 2019
starting in 2022 – Catholic and Living It - by Fran
minutes, treasurer’s report and president’s report. The
Lucas, National President. Congratulations to Fran
2020 meeting closed with prayer. Next began the
Lucas, our new National President, President Elect
2021 AMM. This meeting opened with another
Shari Guinta, First Vice-President Betty Colaneri,
beautiful prayer service entitled “Care for Our
Second Vice-President Cathy Bouchard, Secretary-
Common Home”. It too was followed with business
Treasurer Marie Rackley and to Faith Anderson,
which included the reports of Standing Committees
Glenda Carson, Rolande Chernichan, Dorothy
and Diocesan Presidents. A copy of the Oral Reports
Johansen and Margaret Schwab, the Standing
given by the OPC Executive/Officers and Diocesan
Committee Chairpersons.
Presidents can be found by simply scrolling down at
the following link: https://cwl.on.ca/annual-reports/ I am grateful for this experience and hope to
someday attend an in-person National Convention.
I have never had the opportunity to attend a National
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Convention so when I discovered I could register for
the virtual National Meeting of Members from August
9th- 10th, I quickly registered on National’s website. It Visit us on Facebook
was a wonderful experience. Monday morning began
with Opening Prayer and then covered the business of St Michael’s London CWL
2020. In the afternoon, the 2021 Annual Meeting of
Members began with the prayer service, “In Praise of
Nature” followed with business. I enjoyed listening to
the reports from the Provincial Presidents, especially __________________________________________
Ontario’s President Colleen Perry’s report and the
recognition of new Life Members. Congratulations to
For God and Canada
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