MOOSE JAW — Catholic women from the Moose Jaw area will soon host their fellow sisters from across southern Saskatchewan during a convention that will focus on leadership and being attentive to God’s directions.
The executives of the Catholic Women’s Leagues in Moose Jaw and the Regina archdiocese will welcome hundreds of women to St. Joseph’s Parish on Saturday, May 3, for the 102nd annual Diocesan Catholic Women’s League Convention.
According to the schedule, the convention will feature a talk by Rev. Deacon Lamont Dyck titled “Being Present with Christ,” while one workshop will focus on “How Remarkable Women Lead.”
The Catholic Women’s League (CWL) is a national organization with more than 60,000 members in parish councils across Canada. The CWL calls its members to grow in faith and be witnesses of God’s love through ministry and service.
The CWL councils in the Moose Jaw area that are hosting the convention include Church of Our Lady, St. Joseph’s, and St. John the Evangelist in Marquis.
Each year, members from councils in the Archdiocese of Regina gather to enrich their faith, enjoy time with their sister members and carry out the business of the diocesan council.
The Canadian CWL theme for 2025 is “Here I Am Lord, Send Me,” which convention organizations have adopted for the event.
“Each CWL takes a turn in hosting (the convention), so it’s Moose Jaw’s turn,” said Donna Appel, president of the Moose Jaw CWL. “And I’m the new president, so I thought it was kind of cool that I got that opportunity right at the start of my term … .
“I’m really looking forward to it,” she continued. “The CWL has an interesting history (since) it’s well over 100 years old … . There’s a lot of history and a lot of work that CWL does, so it’s a celebration of that.”
The CWL “is quite a sisterhood,” so it’s difficult to explain that fraternity and how tight it is, especially since there are over 60,000 members across the country, said Appel. It’s also “pretty amazing” to consider the size of the organization nationally, compared to simply focusing on Moose Jaw.
What interested Appel most about the convention was connecting with her Catholic sisters, hearing from good speakers and having great workshops.
The day begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration and refreshments, with the first session commencing at 9 a.m. The celebration of Holy Mass and business sessions will happen throughout the day, while the convention will conclude at 3 p.m.
Registration is $10, while lunch is $15. The deadline to register is Friday, April 18, which can be done by emailing [email protected] or calling 306-313-4509.
