During the May 12-13 convention, no amendments were made to the resolutions which will be voted on at the CWL’s provincial convention in Arnprior, Ont., in July. After July, the resolutions will be presented to the provincial legislature. The resolutions are devoted to cracking down on speeders on our roadways and addressing poverty by increasing availability of tax credits for low-income couples.

Estela Pett, communications chairperson of the archdiocese’s CWL, said the convention delegates heard from Staff Sergeant Steve Wilson of the South Simcoe police, who presented an array of statistics about vehicle collisions in Ontario.

“What I found most striking was that over 24,000 collisions occurred that could have been prevented,” Pett said.

The estimated 380 delegates also heard from Sue Mosteller, founder of the Henri Nouwen Literary Centre. Mosteller also serves as an active participant in the l’Arche Community and used her personal experiences to communicate a message on how to open one’s heart to love.

“She spoke about how we are the beloved of God, how we have to love other persons, even those who are more difficult, and also the awareness of the Holy Spirit in our lives,” Pett said.

Loretta Noble, the CWL national president, gave a workshop on relationships, and the convention also heard from CWL Provincial President Margaret Ann Jacobs. Pett says Jacobs “gave us her wishes” as a former member of the archdiocesan council and gave a report on the provincial matters, such as the status of membership and how to encourage new members.

A highlight, Pett added, was a “spotlight” video highlighting CWL activities from 2007.

The convention culminated with a banquet in downtown Toronto, where Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins spoke to more than 700 in attendance about the role of women in the church and the CWL’s contribution to the archdiocese, Pett said.