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When I was preparing to become the President, I prayed for a council that was energetic, committed and filled with love of the Lord. And I cannot tell you how much my prayers were answered. I quite cheekily (but sincerely!) refer to the women who will serve you for the next two years as the Dream Team! My new prayer is that I may lead them worthily and, while pointing them in the right direction, to just get out of their way and let them do incredible things. I am struck by how much St. Catherine of Sienna’s quote, “Be who God created you to be and you will set the world on fire”, applies to this incredible group of women. Please get to know them by viewing their pictures and bios in the left-hand column of this page.
On May 29th and 30th, the new Diocesan Officers met to get to know each other a little better. As well, we planned out & strategized how to lead the dynamic and faith-filled community that is the 3100 members of the Calgary Diocesan CWL.
Colourful Personalities
In a fun icebreaker, all the Officers had a look at the book, Colorful Personalities: Discover your Personality Type Through the Power of Colors. Included was a test to determine how we think and execute our duties and take in information.
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For those who are Gold, the focus is “Duty & Responsibility”; conscientiousness, decisiveness, and being organized are their strengths.
Our Blue members lean into “Relationships & Authenticity”. They are creative, intuitive and bring joy to others.
Green is all about “Knowledge & Understanding”, focusing on being analytical, problem solvers and inquisitive.
Finally, our Orange team is seeking “Freedom & Skillfulness”. These women are artistic, open-minded and hands on. |
Can you guess how our new Diocesan Council shook out?
Theresa is strongly Gold, no surprise… her calendar is scheduled out for next year!?!
Vice President Kim is Blue and that is obvious in her ability to relate to others.
Kathleen is Gold with a strong Green component; those archives don’t stand a chance!
Our Secretary Michelle is Gold and the state of our minutes, rosters and google drives testify to the truth of this!
Our Treasurer Ee Lynn took the test twice and once was Blue and once was Orange, pretty balanced and the perfect person to steward our finances.
Our Standing Chairs are a variety of colours. Deanna in Faith is definitely Orange in her spirituality and the way she brings others out of their shell. Our Service Chair Melanie is Gold/Green… almost too close to distinguish between the two; our activities and interactions with our councils are in good hands. Laurie in Social Justice is well placed being a Blue with strong Orange tendencies, exactly what you need in this sensitive area. And our Communications Chair Janet? Well, she is our resident Skittle… all colours of the rainbow evenly matched for her! Who better to communicate all these aspects of the League?
This was a really fun exercise to guess our strengths and predict our reactions. It certainly broke the ice! But more importantly, it gave us insight into how each processes information; and with that insight will help us to extend grace in both the exciting but also challenging times. We will be better able to determine what activities motivates us, what situations stress us and how we can complement each other.
Has your council ever done something like this? What were the results…. were you surprised? Did it help understand your sisters a little better?
Faith
In the area of Faith, we are committed to having another virtual Bible Study for three Mondays in November; Nov 2, 9 and 16. What do you think….? Women of the Bible again? Or Women Saints? Maybe Women Doctors of the Church? Save the date for Saturday, January 30th, 2027 when we will host our Spiritual Retreat. The location is still being confirmed but hopefully it will be in North Calgary. Other locations like Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Drumheller will not be left out; we’ll be collaborating with you on dates and locations to bring retreats to your areas too.
Service
For Service, we are committed to helping our members and councils fund the St. Mary’s University bursary by May 1, 2027 (https://calgarycwl.ca/1548-cwl-bursary) and having a successful quilt raffle across the Diocese to facilitate this. We met again with St. Mary’s about potentially establishing a council on campus but regardless, to have these women students participate in some of our activities like IWIN, Retreats and Adopt a Seminarian. Please join us on Wednesday, July 8 at St Mary’s University from 9-11am for Stampede BreakFEST. The Calgary Diocesan Council will have a presence there and would love for you to stop by to say hello.
Our “Adopt a Seminarian” is alive and active. If your council is not yet an adopter and would like to be so, please know Melanie Spagrud will be in contact.
Social Justice
Social Justice continues to be an area of strong interest, especially for our younger members. We are looking forward to the ABMK Provincial Convention where a resolution adopted last year, “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren” will be more fully explained. And a toolkit of faith, service and social justice aspects will be made available for councils.
Supporting Parish Councils
Our Vice President, Kim Walker, is looking forward to using her gifts and charisms to help councils grow in their journeys and celebrate their milestones. We also continue to work with some parishes who are curious about joining our League.
Communication
Finally, we have heard the feedback about the Communications. We are trying to strike the right balance of enough timely information AND in the right form. Adequate communication to let you know what is happening but not so much as to be a burden. We’ll use email, social media, our website and, perhaps, you’ll see videos coming soon?!??
I’m open to hearing what you have to say and feedback about how things are going. If you would like to chat, please do not hesitate to contact me.
For Him through her,
Theresa Duncan, Calgary CWL Diocesan President
403-816-9776 (call or text)
Save the Dates:
June 5-6 – ABMK Provincial Convention in Whitecourt
June 8 – Calgary Regional Meeting St. Paul’s, Airdrie (1305 Main St)
June 20 – St. Mary’s Cathedral Formation Session & 15th Anniversary https://calgarycwl.ca/events/2115
July 8 – St. Mary’s University Stampede BreakFEST https://stmu.ca/event/marys-stampede-breakfest
August 9-12 – CWL National Convention https://www.cwl.ca/halifax-2026
September 26 – Fall Meeting at St. Mary’s in Brooks
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Calgary Diocesan Council is composed of all CWL Councils in southern Alberta -- from Hanna in the north to the US border and from the Saskatchewan border in the east to the BC border in the west. Some councils have their own websites or a page on their parish website; these are linked below and you can tap the names in blue to go there to learn more about their individual activities.
Regional committees were organized in the 1960’s to offer fellowship and support among parish councils in the same vicinity. They are based on geographical areas: Calgary, Drumheller, Highwood, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. The purpose of a regional committee is to facilitate communication, cooperation, planning, education and friendship among parish councils in the region and the Calgary diocese. Councils in a region share activities, ideas, and speakers. They also support each other's activities and host Diocesan gatherings such as the spring convention and fall meeting. The first councils chartered in each region are:
- 1924: Medicine Hat — St. Patrick
- 1925: Highwood — St. Francis de Sales
- 1926: Lethbridge — Holy Cross
- 1927: Drumheller — St. Rita
- 1949: Calgary — St. Mary's Cathedral
Regional committees are composed of the chair, secretary/treasurer, and the presidents of the parish councils in the region1, but all CWL members are welcome and encouraged to attend regional meetings.
Role of Regional Chairs
Calgary Regional Chair: Summary of Information and Duties
| What? |
The Calgary Regional Committee is comprised of the Regional Chair and Secretary/Treasurer. |
| Where? |
The Calgary Region is divided into two areas: North councils and South councils. |
| Why? |
Facilitate communication, cooperation, planning, education, and friendship among parish councils in the region and Calgary Diocese. |
| Who? |
A Past President or an active member of the councils in the region. |
| When? |
Two-year term with five meetings held the first Monday of October, December, February, April, and June from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. |
| How? |
Support and mentoring from the prior Regional Chair. |
Meeting Duties:
- Work with the Secretary/Treasurer who will send all communications to the council presidents.
- Ask councils to host a meeting, provide the venue and refreshments.
- Prepare Agenda
- Invite Speaker(s)
- Provide a Chair Report
- Conduct the Meeting
Other Responsibilities - Fall Meetings and Diocesan Conventions:
- Attend Fall Meeting/Workshop on the fourth Saturday of September. You may be asked to give a report.
- Attend Diocesan Convention on the weekend with the first Sunday in May. You will be an accredited delegate. The duties include
- Opening Mass flag bearer,
- announcing an Invitation to Diocesan Convention if held in your region,
- participating in the Memorial Service,
- written report (max. two pages) for the Annual Booklet, and an oral report (3 to 5 minutes).
- In the year, the Diocesan Convention is held in your region you may become the convention co-chair in consultation with the Diocesan President.
Drumheller, Highwood, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat Regional Chairs.
| What? |
The Regional Committee is comprised of the Regional Chair and Secretary/Treasurer. |
| Where? |
Drumheller, Highwood, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat regions. |
| Why? |
Facilitate communication, cooperation, planning, education, and friendship among parish councils in the region and Calgary Diocese. |
| Who? |
A Past President or an active member of the councils in the region. |
| When? |
Two-year term with two Saturday meetings held in March and October from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. |
| How? |
Support and mentoring from the prior Regional Chair. |
Meeting Duties:
- Work with the Secretary/Treasurer who will send all communications to the council presidents.
- Ask the next council on the list to host a meeting. They will provide the venue, meals, organize the Mass and invite a speaker.
- Prepare Agenda
- Provide a Chair Report
- Conduct the Meeting
Other Responsibilities - Fall Meetings and Diocesan Conventions:
- Work with the Diocesan President to arrange for a venue, audio-visual, meals, and Mass for the Fall Meeting/Workshop on the fourth Saturday of September.
- Attend Diocesan Convention on the weekend with the first Sunday in May. You will be an accredited delegate. The duties include
- Opening Mass flag bearer,
- announcing an Invitation to Diocesan Convention if held in your region,
- participating in the Memorial Service,
- written report (max. two pages) for the Annual Booklet, and an oral report (3 to 5 minutes).
- In the year, the Diocesan Convention is held in your region you may become the convention co-chair in consultation with the Diocesan President.
