CWL NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2015 - Ottawa, Ontario Dec... · We keep in our hearts and prayers our two...
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A Message from our President Dear Sisters in the League: My first year as your president has been both enjoyable and rewarding and has gone by very quickly. I have the pleasure of working with a wonderful group of women and I am looking forward to another busy year. As we read this newsletter we are already in Advent, and with Christmas fast approaching, try to relax. Don’t let life’s pressures weigh you down. Don’t take life too seriously. Choose one intention that you will pray for every day this Advent. Practise generosity. Find ways to give to the poor and needy. Find time to be alone each day and reflect on the good things God has given you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, June Thibault CWL NEWSLETTER – DECEMBER 2015 ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD PARISH COUNCIL The Nativity, the birth of our Lord: Consider the birth of the Child, or of any child anywhere – ours or someone else’s. The whole concept of children’s welfare, education and environment, would become loving, deeply Christian, and filled with understanding if, in each childbirth, we saw Bethlehem and Christ! Catherine Doherty, Bogoroditza, She Who Gave Birth to God
Transcript of CWL NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2015 - Ottawa, Ontario Dec... · We keep in our hearts and prayers our two...
A Message from our President
Dear Sisters in the League:
My first year as your president has been both enjoyable and rewarding and has gone by very
quickly. I have the pleasure of working with a wonderful group of women and I am looking forward
to another busy year.
As we read this newsletter we are already in Advent, and with Christmas fast approaching, try to
relax.
Don’t let life’s pressures weigh you down.
Don’t take life too seriously.
Choose one intention that you will pray for every day this Advent.
Practise generosity.
Find ways to give to the poor and needy.
Find time to be alone each day and reflect
on the good things God has given you.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
June Thibault
CWL NEWSLETTER – DECEMBER 2015
ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD PARISH COUNCIL
The Nativity, the birth of our Lord: Consider the birth of
the Child, or of any child anywhere – ours or someone
else’s. The whole concept of children’s welfare, education
and environment, would become loving, deeply Christian,
and filled with understanding if, in each childbirth, we saw
Bethlehem and Christ!
Catherine Doherty, Bogoroditza, She Who Gave Birth to God
We keep in our hearts and prayers our two sisters in the league who have passed away
since our previous newsletter was published.
Sister Eleanor Daly, CSJ
September 9, 2015
Member since 1998
Mary McCool
June 11, 2015
Member since 1989
On Wednesday, November 11th
, in conjunction with our General Meeting in the
parish hall, we held our annual Memorial Service for Deceased Members. Photos
from the Book of Life were projected on the overhead screen and candles for each of
the deceased were placed on the table, along with the Mini Books of Life. It was a
beautiful and moving remembrance of our sisters who have gone to be with the Lord.
A Message from our Spiritual Advisor, Father Dennis Hayes, C.C.
The Year of Mercy
The Holy Year of Mercy inaugurated by Pope Francis will open on 8 December
2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception recalls God's action from the very
beginning of the history of mankind. After the sin of Adam and Eve, God did not
wish to leave humanity alone in the throes of evil. So he turned his gaze to Mary,
holy and immaculate in love (cf. Eph 1:4), choosing her to be the Mother of
man's Redeemer.
When faced with the gravity of sin, God responds with the fullness of mercy.
In the words of the Holy Father: “ ... I have chosen the date of 8 December
because of its rich meaning in the recent history of the Church. In fact, I will open
the Holy Door on the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican
Ecumenical Council. The Church feels a great need to keep this event alive. ... We
recall the poignant words of Saint John XXIII when, opening the Council, he
indicated the path to follow: "Now the Bride of Christ wishes to use the medicine of
mercy rather than taking up arms of severity."
After speaking about Mary as the Mother of Mercy, Pope Francis shared his
thoughts about the saints and blessed ones who have made divine mercy their
mission in life. In this regard, he singles out St. Faustina:
“Our prayer also extends to the saints and blessed ones who made divine mercy
their mission in life. I am especially thinking of the great apostle of mercy, Saint
Faustina Kowalska. May she, who was called to enter the depths of divine mercy,
intercede for us and obtain for us the grace of living and walking always according
to the mercy of God and with an unwavering trust in his love.”
Dear sisters in Christ, I pray that as members of our parish CWL league you
may all be ambassadors of God’s merciful love in this special holy year of God’s
favour.
God Bless,
Fr. Dennis Hayes
PRAYER FOR FAMILIES
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate
the splendour of true love,
to you we turn with trust.
Holy Family of Nazareth,
grant that our families too may be
places of communion and prayer,
authentic schools of the Gospel
and small domestic Churches.
Holy Family of Nazareth,
may families never again experience violence,
rejection and division:
may all who have been hurt or scandalized find
ready comfort and healing.
Holy Family of Nazareth,
make us once more mindful of the sacredness
and inviolability of the family,
and its beauty in God’s plan.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
graciously hear our prayer.
Pope Francis, December 29, 2013
Blessed Marie-Élisabeth Turgeon
1840 - 1881
“BLESSED” ARE THEY
The CWL Provincial Council recently
announced the framework for its “Holy
Year of Mercy Project”. Each diocese
in Ontario has been assigned a
“Blessed” to celebrate, emulate and to
pray for his/her canonization.
Here in the Archdiocese of Ottawa,
CWL parish councils have received
Blessed Marie-Élisabeth Turgeon.
During 2016, we will be endeavouring
to study her life, discuss her virtues and
plan/engage in activities to emulate
these virtues using the seven corporal
and seven spiritual works of mercy.
We look forward to participating in
this project to help celebrate the Holy
Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope
Francis, and we welcome ideas from all
of our CWL members here at
Annunciation of the Lord Parish.
Submitted by Donna de la Bourdonnaye
Communications Chair
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SUMMER INSTITUTE IN NEW EVANGELIZATION
As I looked forward to returning to the Summer Institute held at St. Paul
University for my second year, I was also a bit apprehensive, knowing how intense
the program was, but so satisfying. We started again the Monday right after the
August long weekend, on Aug 4th, and went until the 14th, with the weekend off in
between, of course.
Each day consisted of three 80-minute classes; one on the history of the Catholic
Church, the next on parish renewal, and the last class of the day was on post-
modernism. Although one might think, what do some of these topics have to do
with evangelization, the truth is that we need to know what went on in previous
ages, so we can answer questions that others might ask. We need to have parishes
ready and welcoming to include others in our midst, and we have to be prepared
with the right answers to the people of today who have so many different
philosophies and beliefs that aren't in tune with ours.
In all, it was a very satisfying, though exhausting, experience and I am looking
forward to my third and last session next summer.
This program will be running on an ongoing basis with years 1, 2 & 3 in place in
2016. I hope some of you will consider this very interesting and informative
program in the future. I’m always available to answer any questions you may
have.
Submitted by Jackie Cuthill, Spiritual Development Chair
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What to Look for When Purchasing a Catholic Bible
1. The Catholic Bible bears:
the “Nihil Obstat” – attests that there are no errors or contradiction to Catholic
teaching, on the back of the title page.
the “Imprimatur” – permission by a Church official for the document to be
published.
2. The following Catholic Bible translations are recommended:
The New American Bible
Revised Standard Version (Catholic Edition)
The New American Catholic Study Bible
The New American St. Joseph (Catholic Edition)
The St. Benedict Press RSV Catholic Edition
The St. Benedict Press Catholic Scripture Study Bible
The Ignatius RSV Bible
The Jerusalem Bible
3. Check that the Bible you want to purchase has explanatory notes at the end of each page
or at the end of each book to help you understand the text. Also check that the print is
easy to read.
4. A Study Bible is recommended for serious Bible students rather than beginners. Those
just starting to read the Bible can benefit from the “Good News Bible” or “Today’s
English Version” of a Catholic Bible.
5. Note that the following 7 Books of the Bible found in the Catholic edition of the Bible are
not included in non-Catholic editions of the Bible:
Wisdom
Sirach
Tobit
Judith
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
Baruch
Submitted by Joan Wills
Christmas Post
A woman went into a post office to buy some stamps
for her Christmas cards. “What denomination do you
want?” asked the lady at the counter. “Goodness!”
she replied, “has it come to this? I suppose you'd
better give me twenty Catholic and twenty
Presbyterian.”
This year, at the request of our Diocesan President, Lynn Lavictoire
of our council was asked to attend the Remembrance Day
ceremonies at the War Memorial and lay the CWL wreath. Lynn is
1st Vice-President on Diocesan Executive.
For Lynn it was a privilege and an honour to participate in
the Ceremony and lay a wreath on behalf of all the women in the
Catholic Women's League across Canada.
TOURTIÈRE-MAKING DAY
NOVEMBER 13, 2015
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR AND BAKE SALE – NOVEMBER 21, 2015
THANK YOU TO ALL FOR A SUCCESSFUL AND FUN DAY!
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YOUR CWL EXECUTIVE
2015-2016
President - June Thibault
Past-President - Janet Warren
Secretary - Danielle David
Treasurer - Annie Provick
President-Elect and Organization - Rita Lemay
Spiritual Development - Jackie Cuthill
Christian Family Life - Katherine le Lievre
Community Life - Holly Huard
Communications - Donna de la Bourdonnaye
Council Coordinator - Linda Huard
Spiritual Advisor - Father Dennis Hayes, C.C.
ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD
PARISH
2414 Ogilvie Rd., Ottawa, ON K1J 7N5
Phone: (613) 745-7774
Fax: (613) 745-7877
Email: [email protected]
Website:
http://www.annunciation-ottawa.org
CWL LINKS
National: http://www.cwl.ca (Click on
“Media” to see the latest newsletter and the
“Be League” online magazine)
Provincial: http://www.cwl.on.ca
Diocesan: http://www.ottawa.cwl.on.ca
All proceeds from the sale of our
cookbooks will be used to support our
parish’s ongoing initiatives to sponsor
refugee families. Tell your friends
and family members!
ONGOING ACTIVITIES
Our Prayer Shawl Ministry meets
the 2nd
Thursday of each month in
the Parish Hall from 1-3 p.m.
Victoria’s Quilts meets the 3rd
Thursday of each month in the
Parish Hall from 1-4 p.m.
