CWL NEWSLETTER FALL 2016

Transcription

1 CWL NEWSLETTER FALL 2016 ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD PARISH COUNCIL Dear Sisters in the League: A Message from our President As my two years as your President are drawing to a close, I would like to say how much I have enjoyed this time working with such wonderful people, and give a special thank you to Father Dennis, who sat through most of our meetings and guided us along the way. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the time and commitment you put into our council. Without you, we would not have our annual bazaars, our funeral receptions, our honour guards at funerals, our refreshments at our meetings, and the list goes on and on. At our December meeting we will be having elections to choose who will represent you for the next two years. Nomination forms will be sent out in November. If you are nominated, please take the time to contemplate letting your name stand for a position on the executive. As you know, we all have talents that God has given us, so why not use these talents to serve your fellow members? I will be staying on as Past-President and we have a President-Elect, so let s get a full slate of officers to represent you for the next two years and make this council the best ever! Once again, thank you and God bless, June Thibault

2 Our warmest congratulations to: Our Pastor, Father Yves Marchildon, on the 20 th anniversary of his priestly ordination, on October 12, 2016 Our Associate Pastor and our council s Spiritual Director, Father Dennis Hayes, on the 30 th anniversary of his priestly ordination, on October 18, 2016 In the Church and on behalf of the Church, priests are a sacramental representation of Jesus Christ, the Head and Shepherd, authoritatively proclaiming his Word, repeating his acts of forgiveness and his offer of salvation, particularly in Baptism, Penance and the Eucharist, showing his loving concern to the point of a total gift of self for the flock, which they gather into unity and lead to the Father through Christ and in the Spirit. St. Pope John Paul II, Shepherds After My Own Heart

3 On Tuesday, May 31, 2016 our council provided a luncheon for the High Horizons group at MacKay United Church. Organized by Holly Huard, with helpers Donna de la Bourdonnaye and Janet Warren, lunch was served for approximately 23 people, with enough left over to pack lunches for a half-dozen others not able to attend that day. Thank you to all of our CWL members who provided such delicious sandwiches and desserts for this special occasion. MY SUMMER OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH At our May meeting, Donna spoke about the 33-day preparation for Consecration to Mary and provided a list of resources from which to choose. I was so impressed and curious, that I decided to pursue this. I checked out a couple of possibilities, and found Father Michael Gaitley's "33 Days to Morning Glory" to be the simplest and easiest to follow. I completed this and then decided to move on to his next Consecration book "33 Days to Merciful Love", and I was totally blown away. These two work together so well that I wouldn't recommend one without the other. Our Blessed Mother leads us to Jesus, and Jesus pours out His mercy on us. These books are both available from St. Patrick's Gift Shop and cost $17.95 each. In August, I attended the Summer Institute In New Evangelization. This was my 3 rd and final summer. I feel truly blessed to have had this opportunity to learn what Our Holy Father is asking of us right now, and feel that all that I learned will greatly help me in my role on Pastoral Council of our parish, as we attempt to follow our parish vision of Missionary Discipleship. Submitted by Jackie Cuthill, Spiritual Development Chair

4 A Message from our Spiritual Advisor, Father Dennis Hayes, C.C. THIRTY YEARS! by Fr. Dennis Hayes, CC On October 18 th, the Feast of St. Luke, I will celebrate my 30 th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. If only I could give honourable mention to all the people and events through which I have been blessed beyond measure during these 30 years of priesthood. That of course would require a book with many chapters. Instead, let me tell you about three memorable episodes that are like bookmarks in this marvelous 30 year journey of faith. The Big Move to Ottawa It was the middle of winter in 1985, my last semester of theological studies at St. Augustine s major seminary in Toronto. Previously, in the fall semester, I had discerned that I should postpone ordination to the transitional diaconate, which would have preceded my ordination to the priesthood later that year for the Diocese of Hamilton. At that time, a strong feeling of unease and uncertainty had settled upon me. I was fairly certain that I was called to the priesthood yet something within me was saying wait, not yet! So what now? As I prayed through the darkness, doubt and anxiety at the time one name and one person only came to mind, Fr. Bob Bedard in Ottawa. Soon after, I placed the long distance call to Ottawa. We spoke on the phone and then and there, Fr. Bob recommended that I come up at the end of my final semester for a visit where he had recently taken the helm as Pastor of St. Mary s parish. This episode of my coming up to Ottawa in 1985 Fr. Bob memorably used to call the man who came to dinner but never left! Yes, that certainly captured the moment! From my first week at St. Mary s I felt right at home. The missing piece in my vocation journey had been found. The Lord, as I could best discern at the time, was asking me to join up with a group of men (the brothers as they were called) who had started meeting in Fr. Bob s rectory living room the previous year. These events are familiar to most of you as this small band of men formed the nascent group that went on to become the Companions of the Cross. Within a year of my arrival I was ordained to the transitional diaconate for the Archdiocese of Ottawa with an understanding that I would go on to priestly ordination while remaining a member of this new community. By the time I was ordained in October of 1986, the number of men joining the Companions had doubled with many men knocking on Fr. Bob s rectory door to inquire about the community. In my first two years of priesthood I was appointed to a bilingual parish, St. Gabriel s in the east end of Ottawa. Preaching every weekend in both English and French at six weekend masses presented a real challenge at times, but the excitement and thrill of ministering in a very vibrant parish community made up for all the sweat and tears. continued

5 The Big Rescue The second life episode that I want to share with you has now given me a stronger desire to thank God for his abundant mercies. What I am about to tell you took place on April 26, 2004 while I was serving as Associate Pastor at St. Maurice Parish in Nepean. That evening I drove down to the local sports complex for my usual weekly swim. During this particular swim routine at about the 30 minute mark in the pool, I suffered a serious heart attack. A few moments later I was pulled from the water unconscious by the one lifeguard on duty that evening. I was told later that at that moment I had no discernable vital signs. Thankfully this one lifeguard on duty had some extra helpmates to call upon. And so, a few more able lifeguards were quickly summoned from the adjacent Olympic size pool. Fortunately for me the other lifeguards were part of the swim facilities Competitive Life Saving Team! It so happened that the lifesaving team were in session for a scheduled practice for their upcoming provincial championships. All hands were literally called on deck for yours truly. I was hanging somewhere between heaven and earth when I was eventually resuscitated thanks to the application of some very skillful life saving techniques and the aid of a portable defibrillator. After a scheduled debriefing by pool staff a few weeks later I was told by the facility director that they had dubbed my near death experience as the Perfect Rescue! Oh yes, I should mention that the lifesaving team did go on to win their Ontario provincial championships that same year. When I think back now about the events that took place on that Monday evening in April of 2004, I will share with you an expression I once heard from my dear brother and friend Fr. Allan MacDonald, namely It s all too odd not to be God! Despite the amazing rescue, I did have to spend more than two weeks at Ottawa s finest Happy Heart Hotel - the Ottawa Heart Institute. A day after being admitted, one of the resident cardiologists broke the news that my episode in the pool was most probably brought on by several blocked coronary arteries as I would soon have to undergo triple by-pass surgery. One humorous note that I will mention here was that I had previously enjoyed within the Companions of the Cross a reputation of being a health nut or perhaps more precisely a healthy health nut! When I mention humour I did chuckle when I heard that several of the CC brothers after hearing of my episode promptly booked general check-ups with their individual doctors. The funniest remark I heard at the time came from Fr. Rob Arsenault. He said that as one of the top reigning CC health nuts I had now effectively completely lost my reputation! LOL Nowadays, people often ask if anything in my life has changed since the near death experience. The answer is twofold. What has changed? Nothing and Everything! Nothing in the sense that the world is very much the same as it was before. What has changed? Everything, because now every day I thank God for his goodness and kindness to me. As an aside, I never did hear angels singing or remember seeing bright lights. continued

6 Last years with Fr. Bob This final episode will once again make honourable mention of Fr. Bob Bedard. In January of 2009 Fr. Bob suffered the sudden onset of a rare autoimmune disease called Miller Fisher Syndrome. The cause is unknown and it is considered a rare variant of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. The underlying mechanism of these disorders involves the body s immune system, which mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves and damages the myelin insulation within the nerve tissues. In June of 2008, I had been called back to Ottawa from St. Timothy s parish in Toronto to live with Fr. Bob. Many of the CC brothers were concerned about what seemed to be a condition of deteriorating health in our beloved founder. Since I had overseen Fr. Bob s care on behalf of the community during a previous illness of his, I was asked to move in with Fr. Bob at our 199 Bayswater household. Fr. Bob s autoimmune disorder was successfully treated at the Civic Hospital but not without leaving some lasting effects on our dear founder. Fr. Bob would now need round the clock full medical care and supervision. After a long hospitalization that lasted over six months Fr. Bob was transferred to Carlingview Manor in Ottawa s west end. Once again, I was appointed by the community to oversee Fr. Bob s care for the last three remaining years of his life until his passing on October 6 th, 2011 on the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. When I reflect on those last years with Fr. Bob, I can certainly say that it was an incredible privilege for me to serve him in this way. Thanks to the assistance of five wonderful friends and supporters of our community Fr. Bob s Little Care Team was formed. Our Little Care Team would assure good daily care and regular visits for Fr. Bob at Carlingview Manor. Many of you reading this article will remember visiting Fr. Bob in those final years. It was also a great privilege for me to deliver the eulogy at Fr. Bob s prayer vigil on the eve of his funeral Mass. Let me close here with a few lines from that eulogy: Fr. Bob never sweated the details. His unique brand of generous, warm hospitality will never be forgotten, particularly among us, his brother priests and seminarians and the many visitors, the come and see-ers! We were all welcomed with open arms. Some of us felt at times that we could drive a Mack Truck into this man s home and right through his open and welcoming heart. Thank you Fr. Bob for welcoming me into your heart and home some 30 years ago. Note: This article originally appeared in the 2016 Fall edition of the Companions of the Cross Newsletter. Used with permission.

7 We keep in our hearts and prayers our sisters in the league who have passed away since our previous newsletter was published. Rita Gillespie May 3, 2016 Member since 1958 Nora Connors May 22, 2016 Member since 2001 Mary Higdon August 15, 2016 Member since 2012 Mary Dologh Sept. 22, 2016 Member since 2006 Linda Huard Oct. 12, 2016 Member since 1981 Helen Cosway Oct. 16, 2016 Member since 1958

8 W Our CWL council s delegation to the Ottawa Diocesan Convention in April 2016 included Lynn Lavictoire, Annie Provick, Edith Mockler, Rita Lemay, Jackie Cuthill, Pat Lepine, June Thibault, Janet Warren, Sharen Reynaert and Michele Hundertmark. Some of our CWL members on pilgrimage in June 2016, climbing the steps to the Holy Door at Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral. Seen here are Lea Attrux, a parishioner, Marg Fraser, Annie Provick and Aline Sirois. One of the many activities undertaken by our CWL council is providing funeral receptions for our members and/or their spouses. Below are photos of some of our council members helping out at a recent funeral. * Michele Hundertmark, Brigid Flynn, Pat Trepanier and Frances Walker Maureen Clark, Candy Gaudet and Clara Trainor Ann Cuddihy, Fran Dennett and Jane Prini The daughter of Janet Warren, our Past-President, was married on October 15, Many of our CWL council members attended the wedding service here at our parish. Our congratulations go out to Carolyn (Warren) and her husband Chris Bisaillon.

9 o JUNE 2016 GENERAL MEETING AND POTLUCK SUPPER Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this evening of feasting and fun!!! Along with a short business meeting and enjoying a great variety of salads and sweets, CWL service pins were awarded by President June Thibault, and we held an elimination draw. Bernadette McCormick 10-Year Pin Danielle David 10-Year Pin Jane Gratton and Gail Ladurantaye 10-Year Pins Michele Hundertmark 10-Year Pin Kathy Thompson 10-Year Pin Beverly Cossette 25-Year Pin Doreen Craze 50-Year Pin Janet Warren (Past- President) Maple Leaf Service Award Pin

10 ro YOUR CWL EXECUTIVE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD PARISH 2414 Ogilvie Rd., Ottawa, ON K1J 7N5 President - June Thibault june.th@rogers.com Past-President - Janet Warren jpwarren@rogers.com Interim Secretary Janet Warren jpwarren@rogers.com Phone: (613) Fax: (613) parish@annunciation-ottawa.com Website: Treasurer - Annie Provick annieprovick@gmail.com President-Elect and Organization - Rita Lemay jrlemay@rogers.com Spiritual Development - Jackie Cuthill jaycee48@outlook.com Christian Family Life - Katherine le Lievre kall@rogers.com Community Life - Holly Huard irish52loon@gmail.com Communications - Donna de la Bourdonnaye donnaforcwl@gmail.com Council Coordinator - Linda Huard irish52loon@mail.com Spiritual Advisor - Father Dennis Hayes, C.C. 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! CWL LINKS National: (Click on Media to see the latest newsletter and the Be League online magazine) Provincial: Diocesan: ONGOING ACTIVITIES Our Prayer Shawl Ministry meets the 2 nd Thursday of each month in the Parish Hall from 1-3 p.m. Victoria s Quilts meets the 3 rd Thursday of each month in the Parish Hall from 1-4 p.m.