Communique #2 – Community Life
National Chairperson of Community Life Faith Anderson, August 24, 2021.
As the newly elected national chairperson of community life, I am excited to begin my term and look forward to working with all of you, some of whom may also have been newly elected. Together we will journey through the next two years, exploring and acting on the various areas under community life. I hope to have virtual meetings to meet one another, share and develop a communication strategy to ensure information is provided to members. My prayer is as a team, we will help keep members informed and encourage their involvement. Together we can do great things!
To introduce myself, I was born in Manitoba and have lived most of my life in Winnipeg. I worked for 16 years as an administrative secretary for Fort Garry School Division and finished my career working for the University of Manitoba’s dental and diagnostic surgical sciences department, specifically in the oral and maxillofacial surgery area. I was very active in the community, having served 16 years on the Richmond Kings Community Centre board, where I held various positions, including treasurer. I was a founding member and treasurer of Dalhousie Day Care, and when my children were young, I helped coach ringette and hockey. I am married to my husband Jim and was blessed with three children and five grandchildren.
When moving to a new area in 1981, I joined Mary, Mother of the Church Parish. I soon found its Catholic Women’s League council and joined to meet women in the parish, which started my connection to the parish community and journey in the League. Over the years, I have served on pastoral and administration councils, organized fundraising events to support youth attending World Youth Day in Toronto, served as proclaimer of the word and Eucharistic minister, including scheduling the latter for eight years.
In service to the League, I served eight years as treasurer, two terms as president, as past president and on various standing committees at the parish level, and currently serve as chairperson of education and health. At the diocesan level, I served as chairperson of the resolutions and organization standing committees, and as president and past president. As chairperson of resolutions, I developed the resolutions guide, Resolutions: The Job Jar of the CWL, which was gifted to national council and served for several years on the diocesan resolutions committee. Several workshops were developed and presented, including Journeys 2000, R.S.V.P., Return to the Spirit and Pilgrim Spirit. I helped develop guidelines for the diocesan convention and Nominations and Elections Guidelines for parish council, diocesan and provincial levels. The previous was gifted to each council. As diocesan president, regular meetings were initiated with the archbishop of St. Boniface.
At the provincial level, I served as chairperson of resolutions, communication and organization standing committees, president and past president. As chairperson of organization, a welcome kit was developed for parish councils to use. As chairperson of resolutions, I initiated and presented a resolutions workshop along with diocesan counterparts, which led to more than 10 workshops offered over several years, including one in Saskatoon. I served for several years on the provincial resolutions committee. I formatted many documents for Manitoba Provincial Council’s website, including its provincial history and executive lists. As chairperson of organization, I developed templates for annual reports and standardized templates for communiques. I have served on three national convention planning committees as treasurer and fundraising (1999), fundraising and prayer room (2008) and protocol chairperson (2018). I have recently completed a three-year term as national chairperson of education and health.
During my term, I hope to explore all areas under community life and look forward to our cooperative efforts to provide information and invite action on issues on an ongoing basis. The League has been an important part of my life. Through lasting friendships and numerous opportunities for spiritual and personal growth, I look forward to continuing my journey in the League. Your continued support will be much appreciated as we journey together in the next two years. I look forward to hearing from you on suggestions, ideas and leave you with an open invitation to contact me as needed. As chairpersons from across this great country, I look forward to bringing together issues reflecting the diversified culture across Canada.
I am sure you are wondering what I do for fun! I paint (mostly in oil and acrylics), quilt (mainly hand piecing and quilting), spend time at the cottage and hike, and of course, when there is not a pandemic, spend time with my grandchildren.
May Our Lady of Good Counsel guide you as together we immerse ourselves in this standing committee and offer information and resources to League members.
Faith Anderson
National Chairperson of Community Life