The League’s Monthly E-newsletter

April 2013

The Lord is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

The League’s Monthly E-newsletter

From the Editor

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us Greetings, rejoice and be glad.” It is April and we are enjoying the beautiful days of the Easter season. Where have you seen the Lord today? I have seen the Lord in family members who were sick and are improving. I am seeing the Lord every day in the herd of 20 deer in the field behind my ’s place and the flock of Canada geese which has landed for a brief stay with us. I am sure many of you have stories to tell of your encounters with the Lord, and so I ask you again to please share them with us! Make sure you go to Facebook to read more about Betty Anne’s incredible experience in . What an honour it was for her and for all of us in the League that she was invited to be a guest of the governor general at Francis’ inaugural mass! The flames of Catch the Fire! are blazing across Canada, from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia. Check out the happy faces on page three! We have received many more pictures which will be featured next month. Please remember that pictures cannot be published unless written permission from everyone in the photo is obtained! When you are hosting an event, ask those present to sign a sheet giving permission to use their pictures in our e-zine. Congratulations to Ellen “Jo” Berglund on receiving the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. She is an inspiration! Check out Ann Doucet’s account of the World Day of Prayer service in her area. Remember that it is Manitoba’s turn to be highlighted in Be League in May, but submissions from everywhere are accepted! The deadline for submissions is April 30.

In This Issue God bless. From the Editor 1 BA’s Bonne Aventure 2 Catch the Fire! 3 Cecile Miler Council News 4-5 Our Lady of Perpetual Help 4 National Chairperson of Communications St. Edmund 5 Anniversaries and Service Awards 5 Be League April Quiz 6

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The League’s Monthly E-newsletter

BA’s Bonne Aventure

April: Daffodils! Spring! Birds making nests! Eggs! April showers! New life! Our family holiday in Majorca, Spain, was relaxing but chilly. Don’t go to Europe for heat during the March break. While there I received, on your behalf, a lovely invitation from the governor general’s office to accompany his party to Rome for ’ inaugural mass. I flew home from Spain to repack dressier clothes and to get my CWL pin. The governor general’s wife, several executive assistants and security guards, 10 politicians and 14 “others” accompanied the governor general. I was part of this unofficial party along with two , three , some very educated lay-people and several select young people. It was a good bonding experience for those interested in the church in Canada. The night before the big event, the party attended an embassy celebration at the Canadian Pontifical College in Rome because the embassy was not large enough for all 100 guests. Very early March 19th, the party was whisked away in the governor general’s motorcade to St. Peter’s Square where reserved seating was fairly close to the front. The mass was said and sung in , with readings in different languages. That afternoon, two staff members of the embassy in Rome took the party on a guided tour of historical Rome. It was a short but awesome trip! You can read about it at www.cwl.ca and on the League’s Facebook page. Two days later, I was driving back to Ottawa to prepare for the annual League visit to members of parliament with Shari Guinta (national chairperson of resolutions) and Anne-Marie Gorman (national chairperson of legislation). Over two days, we discussed resolutions with eight people and had dinner one evening with Deborah Gyapong of Canadian Catholic News service. Then we hustled home just in time for Easter Triduum. April will find me at the diocesan conventions for:

• Kamloops in Williams Lake, British Columbia • Peterborough in Peterborough, Ontario • Saskatoon in Humboldt, Saskatchewan

Like dear Pope Francis, I beg you to pray for me as I take a theme workshop to the various corners of our country. This is my way of being of service to our beloved, hard-working members.

Betty Anne Brown Davidson National President

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The League’s Monthly E-newsletter

Ruby Sharpe, Newfoundland and Labrador provincial chairperson of communiations, reports St. Kevin Council in Goulds, hosted the first provincial Catch the Fire! workshop on February 23rd with approximately 22 attendees.

Kathy Weswick, Victoria diocesan president, reports 36 members attended the Catch the Fire! workshop on February 16th hosted by Sacred Heart Parish Council in Victoria. “Their response to the day of prayers, information and music generated a feeling for the sisterhood of the League, renewed purpose, and enthusiastic evaluations,” Kathy said.

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The League’s Monthly E-newsletter

Council News

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish Council, Rothesay, New Brunswick

Life Member Ann Doucet reports Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish Council hosted the 2013 World Day of Prayer Service on March 1st. The 2013 program theme “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” was prepared by women of France, and guest speaker Tachwa (John) Hong spoke at length about his decision to move to Canada from Seoul, Korea.

The service was highlighted by the participation of women taking part in leading the service and in the readings by six women wearing different coloured scarves, indicating a particular woman’s story from different countries of the world. The final woman in the procession wore grey and was anonymous, symbolizing women who are easily ignored and almost invisible in our society.

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The League’s Monthly E-newsletter

St. Edmund Parish Council, Edmonton, Alberta

President Carole Zubick reports Ellen “Jo” Berglund received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal on September 12, 2012. Jo is in her nineties. She still actively volunteers at many community events and attends League meetings and functions, travelling by bus.

*We will be highlighting stories from Manitoba in May!

Anniversaries and Service Awards

60th Anniversary St. Mary Parish Council Fort Frances, Ontario St. Radegonde Parish Council Lafleche, Saskatchewan St. Peter Parish Council Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

30th Anniversary Parish Council Colliers, Newfoundland & Labrador

Maple Leaf Service Pin Carlotta Binns St. Clement Parish Council Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

10 Year Pin Mary Fenerty St. Clement Parish Council Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Sharon O’Leary St. Clement Parish Council Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

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The League’s Monthly E-newsletter

Be League April Quiz

1. Where does the word “Easter” come from? 2. What do eggs symbolize at Easter? 3. What lunar event after the spring equinox determines the date of Easter Sunday each year? 4. Where does the tradition of Easter baskets come from? 5. Name one alternate term for “Holy Saturday.” 6. For how many pieces of silver did Judas Iscariot betray Jesus? 7. What is the octave of Easter? 8. When Jesus died there was a period of darkness. How long did the darkness last? 9. What were the names of the two men who prepared Jesus’ body for burial? 10. Which did NOT see Jesus on the day he resurrected?

March Answers:

1. Who was the first pope in history to resign his office? St. Pontain, 230-235 2. Who is the only person in history to be pope more than once? Benedict IX, 1032-1045 3. In 1268, the longest conclave in history began. How long did it take? 33 months – almost three years 4. Our new pope will become the ______#______pope in the history of the church. 266th 5. Who is the “official Papal shoemaker”, responsible for Pope Benedict XVI’s red shoes? BONUS: Who’s the Vatican’s tailor? Shoemaker: Adriano Stefanelli, an Italian cobbler. Bonus: The Gamamerelli family. 6. How many votes are required to elect the pope this year? 2/3 majority + 1 = 77 votes/115 votes. 7. Which pope had the shortest reign in history at 13 days? Pope Urban VII 8. Which pope had the longest reign in history? Peter. Pope Pius IX 1846 –1878 would also be an acceptable answer. 9. What signal was used to signal the election of a pope before white smoke was introduced in 1914? Church bells and cannons. 10. Who was the last cardinal in history to be elected pope without being a ? Pope Gregory XVI, a , in 1831. He was made a bishop for four days after his election before becoming pope.

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