Catholic Womens League

The Catholic Women's League started in our parish in 1986. One of our foundation members is Ursula Southwell, still a parishioner and a life member of the League. We meet on the 3rd Tuesday of the month with the 9:30am mass being offered for our past members and this mass and the rosary which follows is also offered for an increase in vocations to the priestly and religious life. After morning tea our meeting follows and this is always finished by noon when we share lunch and discuss topics which concern us, not only as league members but also as mothers and parishioners. Our executive members are Violet Duve – President, Mieke Foley – Secretary (Mieke is also a member of the archdiocesan executive) and Veronica Brennan – Treasurer.

Our league motto is to live justly, love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God, and our members carry this out in all facets of their lives. Although we are few in number and at the upper end of the age scale, we are very active and involved in all areas of parish life, such as catering for funerals and other functions when called upon, special ministering not only at mass but to the elderly and sick in our parish and hospital, presbytery and sacristy cleaning and arranging the liturgy and music for special feasts of Our Lady. Our members are also involved with the Refugee resettlement committee, the care and concern group and the family groups. On the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, the 24 th May, we arrange a special mass for the babies who have been babtised during the previous year when miraculous medals are distributed to the children and the father gives a special blessing to the parents, godparents and grandparents. After mass we have a special morning tea for everyone. One of our members is on the Parish Council and Father Chris McPhee is our Chaplain.

Each member pays a subscription of $15.00 per year but our main fundraising activity for the year is our Monster Christmas Hamper Raffle. We start to collect for this in July and August and start selling in September. The raffle is drawn in the first week of December. We canvas donations for this raffle from the shops and traders in the Kippax, Holt and Higgins areas and from our wonderfully generous parish. Last year we raised $2500.00 from this raffle and this was spent the following way:

$1000.00 goes to St Vincent de Paul
$500.00 for raffle expenses

The remainder goes to C.W.L and this is how we use it:

Linen for the presbytery
Our school of Religion
Donation to the Extreme group
Miraculous medals and leaflets
10 daily mass books
11 mass offerings
M.S.C. Missions
Priest's education fund
W.U.W.C.O. newsletter
Registration fees, meals and accommodation if needed for 2 delegates to conferences
Petty cash for president, secretary and treasurer
8 copies of the Archdiocesan Representation fund for traveling
Annual Capitation fees for central region
C.W.L.A. Newsletter
Carmel book of Remembrance
Christmas gifts for the priests and office secretaries

C.W.L.A. is an organisation that fosters the spiritual, cultural, intellectual and social development of women, promotes the specific role of lay women in the mission of the church, upholds the vocation of marriage and family life and encourages ecumenism and interfaith dialogue. It is affiliated with the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (W.U.C.W.O.) which is recognized by the Vatican and has consultative status at the U.N.

Submissions are written to Government organizations and out presence at Senate hearings and other Government forums is a valuable witness for the Church.

At a local level submissions are sent to local and federal governments to lobby against such issues as the abortion and euthanasia bills, cloning, drugs, brothels in populated areas particularly near schools and we have a very active bio-ethic committee.

What does the C.W.L. do? Everything! So join us and you will find what a friendly and welcoming group we are.

Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month at 10.00am
Contact: Violet Duve 6254 7231