“I believe in the genius of women. Even in the darkest periods that genius is found, which is the leaven of human progress and history.”

The Venerable Pope John Paul II

INSTALLATION OF THE NEW CWLA EXECUTIVE

On behalf of the Bishops of Australia, Archbishop Denis Hart recently installed the new National Executive of the Catholic Women’s League Australia (CWLA) in a beautiful and moving Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne. A great chorus of women, who had journeyed from all parts of Australia in support of the new National Executive, joined with the Archbishop in prayer as he asked the Holy Spirit to enlighten the minds of the new leadership team and to guide all their actions so that they may be strengthened in faith, sustained in hope and united love. 

Following the Mass, a celebratory luncheon was held at the Australian Catholic University with League members, family and friends.  Brenda Finlayson, Vice President General of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO), presented a gift of a relic of St Maria Goretti to CWLA. The relic of St Maria Goretti had come unexpectedly into the possession of Gillian Badcock, the then WUCWO General Secretary, in 2006. Because of the friendship that had evolved between Gillian and Brenda, Gillian decided to gift this important relic of St Maria Goretti to the CWLA in recognition of their devotion to this beautiful young saint. 

The CWLA is a member organisation of WUCWO and shares in its aim to promote the presence, participation and co-responsibility of Catholic women in society and the Church, in order to enable them to fulfill their mission of evangelisation and to work for human development.  WUCWO represents over five million members from Catholic women’s organisations on every continent. WUCWO speaks on behalf of its worldwide members at major forums around the globe, including the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations; the International Labour Organisation (ILO); the United Nations Educational and Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO); the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO); and the Council of Europe.

WUCWO will celebrate its 100th anniversary at an international conference in Jerusalem in October 2010. WUCWO’s current priority is to develop a culture of peace, with special attention to education and the alleviation of poverty. In 1948, WUCWO was a force in the creation and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Today, it is still present as a strong voice defending the dignity of the human person.

Each member of the new CWLA leadership team brings unique gifts to the task of enabling women to participate more effectively in working for and building the Kingdom of God on earth. The new National President is Madge Fahy. A mother of five children and grandmother of eight, Madge has previously served as the General President of CWL Victoria and Wagga Wagga, the National Social Issues Convenor and the National International Secretary where she represented the League at the United Nations for six years. As the National President of CWLA, her prayer is that the extraordinary work of the League will become better known by bishops, priests, and the laity. It is also her hope that younger women will join the League in larger numbers and help to promote the ‘feminine genius’ as enunciated by the late Pope John Paul II.

Pat Coloe and Gertie Mangan are the new Vice Presidents of CWLA. Pat has great love for the League and have been inspired by the dedication, encouragement and support of its members over the years. Pat feels that the CWLA theme for the next 2 years, “It is never too late to touch the heart of another, nor is it ever in vain”, is exactly what the League is all about and her hope is that all League members endeavour to keep it in mind and grow spiritually as a result.  Gertie’s vision for the future of the League is focussed at the Branch level, the foundation on which the whole organisation depends. One of her goals is to ensure that League members will continue to develop a better knowledge and understanding of authentic Catholic teaching pertaining to their daily lives in matters of faith, ethics, justice and morals. 

Ann Robinson, Louisa Ashton and Robyn Fahy are three younger members of the League.  Ann is the new National Secretary. She has a Masters of Theology and works as a pastoral associate.   Robyn is undertaking the Juris Doctorate program at Monash Law and also works as a management consultant.  She brings extensive experience in project management, risk management, corporate governance, marketing and public relations, as well as a passion for social justice, to her role as the CWLA Public Relations and Community Engagement Officer.

Louisa is the new National Treasurer. She works as a full-time accountant, is a member of the Emmanuel Community in Melbourne and has been an active volunteer for the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne for many years. Louisa has led young people on pilgrimage to the 2002, 2005 and 2008 World Youth Days, is the current co-ordinator for the Six30 Holy Hour for young people (held each Thursday in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne) and is the Honorary Treasurer for the Anima Women’s Network. Louisa says: “The charisms of the Emmanuel Community of Adoration, Compassion and Evangelisation are the way I try to live my call to holiness which is the vocation of every baptised Catholic. Through Adoration of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament we grow in Compassion for our brothers and sisters in the world and desire to Evangelize so that all might come to know the saving love of Jesus. I hope the little I can do for Our Lord in prayer and action will bear great fruit.” 

The new National Spiritual Director is the Rev. Fr David Cartwright. The parish priest of St Fidelis, Moreland, grew up in Burwood and first sensed his vocation when he was a student at St Dominic’s Primary School, Camberwell. Fr Cartwright’s understanding of the priesthood is continually evolving. “The wonderful thing about the priesthood is that you can never say ‘I now fully understand it and I know what it’s about’,” he said. “There’s always something new: another aspect or dimension, a greater unfolding of the mystery, whether you’re a priest for one year or 50, because we are trying to be Christ. We can’t fully understand the Lord until we see Him face to face. Whatever we do on Earth is trying to bring the presence of the Lord to people.” He said his commitment to a daily hour of prayer had also been essential. “I know if I don’t spend the hour in adoration and prayer then life just doesn’t quite seem right. It really gives meaning to what I am doing and I draw strength from that every day. I have been very constant in prayer since seminary times. Since becoming parish priest I have been even more aware of the need for it. The busier you are, the more prayer you need. It’s the Lord’s work we are doing.”

The new CWLA National Bioethics Convenor is Anna Krohn. Anna Krohn is an educator and educational writer, and is currently a tutor in ethics and spirituality in the Department of Nursing at Australian Catholic University, Melbourne.  She is also the Academic Advisor to students at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family and, a writer for the Catholic Record in Perth and other religious media.

She has worked for many years in the areas of publishing (print & online), educational resource writing and editing, public speaking, professional training and in the research of health ethics at the Southern Cross Bioethics Institute (Adelaide) and at the former Bioethics Centre at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne. Anna is also currently an honorary co-ordinator of volunteers and collections the Caroline Chisholm Library in Melbourne. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for Campion College for the Liberal Arts in NSW and a founding member and convenor of the Anima Women’s Network. She has trained in library and information work, and has completed a Bachelor of Theology at the Melbourne College of Divinity.  She is currently completing a Ph D in Theology.