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St. Augustine's Catholic Women's League October 2013

Welcome Sr. Monica,

our new Spiritual Advisor!

Mark your calendar!

• Sunday, October 20: Fall Fair 10:00am-2:00pm at St. Augustine's School. • Sunday, November 17: General Meeting 10:00am-12:00pm in the Parish Centre. Our guest speaker will be Sr. Nancy Brown, speaking about human trafficking. • Saturday, November 23: Archdiocesan Women's Conference 8:00am-5:30pm at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. Tickets are $40. More info at: http://www.rcav.org/womenconference/ • Sunday, December 1: Christmas Bazaar 10:00am-2:00pm in the Parish Centre. • Sunday, January 12: General Meeting 10:00am-12:00pm in the Parish Centre. Our guest speaker to be confirmed. * Save the date! May 1-3, 2014: Diocesan CWL Convention at St. Paul's Parish, Richmond. More information will be available soon.

Welcome Back! We hope everyone enjoyed the time off in the summer. Now fall is here and we're busy again! It's likely raining outside, so grab a cup of coffee or tea, a warm blanket and curl up to read this newsletter! Happy Reading and

Happy Thanksgiving! -Devon McHugh, Communications Chairperson

WE'LL MISS YOU! Helen O'Brien is moving back to Ireland. Helen

joined the CWL at St. Augustine's in 2011. Helen, we wish you lots of happiness in Ireland!

BUSY HANDS GROUP:

Do you like crafting and/or socializing? The "Busy Hands" Group meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month in the Parish Centre from 10am-2pm; drop-in whenever you like during that time. Pack your own lunch and enjoy the company!

At our June Sisterhood Luncheon, we welcomed Sr. Monica Guest as our new spiritual advisor. We are thrilled to have Sr. Monica join us. Here is a bit of background information on our new spiritual advisor: I grew up in rural New Brunswick in a family of seven siblings, and entered the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception in Saint John in 1957. I taught in the public and Catholic schools of New Brunswick, both before and after entering, a total of 13 years. I studied at the University of New Brunswick, SFU, Newman Theological College in Edmonton, and Language School in Lima. I spent 7 years in ministry in Peru, particularly in education and in the formation of Basic Christian Communities. I spent about 7 years in Vocation Ministry for the SCIC, and came to Vancouver in 1986 to work in Campus Ministry at St. Mark’s College. I was in full time ministry at Bountyfull House in the Downtown Eastside from 1987 until we closed the house in 2011. I look forward to doing all I can to fulfill the mandate as set out in the CWL Handbook for Spiritual Advisors, and to work with the members.

L-R: Geri Fujisawa (President), Sr. Monica Guest and Fr. Terry McNamara

MEMBERSHIP FEES 2014: Please note there will be an increase in annual membership fees for 2014. This is as a result of the increase in funds

requested by CWL Provincial. The new fee will be $31.00. The break down of fees is as follows: • National $13.00 • Provincial $10.00 • Diocesan $5.00 • Council $3.00 We will start collecting 2014 fees in November.

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St. Augustine's Catholic Women's League October 2013

We currently have 92 paid members for 2013! Let's see if we can pass the 100 members mark before the end of the year!

Happy Birthday! *the number in brackets indicates the date, if known... and not the age!

• October: Pat Battle (3), Teresa Clark (5), Rose Gazdaj (17), Rosario Kuhrt (19), and Joyce Williams • November: Mary Rosalie Guiry (2), Barb Doucette (9), Grace Trinidad-Green (11), Daisy Kong (15), and Geri Fujisawa (26) • December: Melva Strudwick (12), Martha Eld (23), Sr. Monica Guest (25), Lurana Tasaka (26), and Samantha Strudwick (30)

Happy Anniversary! • October: Teresa Clark (18), and Melva Strudwick (31) • November: Rose Gazdaj • December: Gina Antonioni

Membership Update

Education Chairperson wanted!

The Education Chairperson reports on issues concerning Catholic Education, updates the CWL on the activities of St. Augustine's School, and coordinates with the Health Chairperson to report on issues about the environment. If you're able to help, please speak to Devon McHugh. Currently she is doing two positions on the Executive, and could use some help! Thanks!

Prayer of Protection Submitted by Susannah Paranich

The light of God surrounds me.

The love of God enfolds me. The power of God protects me.

The presence of God watches over me.

Wherever I am God is.

Where there is God, there is

peace, strength and love.

Please keep the following members in your prayers:

• Gina Antonioni • Mary Correria • Mary Lonergan • Jessica-Ann MacLeod • Marnie McLeod • Thelma Mackler • Elisabeth Milbers

A Day in the life of a talent agent... At our General Meeting on June 9, 2013, Karin Christopher, one of our members, spoke to us about her job as a talent agent and about the state of the television and film industry in B.C.

Karin has worked as an agent for 19 years, in both Canada and the USA, representing actors for TV, film and theatre. Her primary role is to help her talent get booked into roles, but she often ends up playing the role of their psychologist and accountant too! Agents need to have a flexible work schedule, and are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Agents also work on commission, so they always work hard to make sure their talent is working! Karin says her favourite parts of the job are sharing in the joy when an actor books a role and receiving production invites to film screenings and wonderful plays. The TV and Film industry is suffering in B.C. right now, primarily because of the lack of tax credits that are available elsewhere. The winter months are especially hard when less work is available. Of the 25,000 people involved in the industry in B.C., currently about 50% are unable to find work.

Reading Corner • Title: The Five People you Meet in Heaven • Author: Mitch Albom • Published by: Hyperion Books, 2003

• Summary: This is a fiction book, that was also made into a TV movie. Eddie is a war veteran who now works as a mechanic at an amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, he dies trying to save a little girl caught on a ride. He awakes in Heaven, and encounters five people who explain his life to him. These people are close loved ones, or distant strangers, yet each of them changed Eddie's life path forever, and brought him to that final moment, with his attempt to save the little girl on the ride.

Have you read a great book? We want to hear about it! The books can be religious in nature, or can be other inspiring or enjoyable books you have discovered.

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St. Augustine's Catholic Women's League October 2013

"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hands are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker." ~Psalms 95:1-6

At our General Meeting on September 8, 2013, Johanna Nethercott, one of our members, gave us an insightful presentation on depression. The information provided below is to inform only and should not replace medical advice. The information is taken from: www.heretohelp.bc.ca/factsheet/depression#could%20i What is Depression? Depression, also known as clinical or major depression, is a mood disorder that will affect one in eight Canadians at some point in their lives. It changes the way people feel, leaving them with mental and physical symptoms for long periods of time. It can look quite different from person to person. Depression can be triggered by a life event such as the loss of a job, the end of a relationship or the loss of a loved one, or other life stresses like a major deadline, moving to a new city or having a baby. Sometimes it seems not to be triggered by anything at all. One of the most important things to remember about depression is that people who have it can’t just “snap out of it” or make it go away. It’s a real illness, and the leading cause of suicide. Could I have depression? • I feel worthless, helpless or hopeless • I sleep more or less than usual • I’m eating more or less than usual • I’m having difficulty concentrating or making decisions • I’ve lost interest in activities I used to enjoy • I have less desire for sex • I avoid other people • I have overwhelming feelings of sadness or grief • I’m feeling unreasonably guilty • I have a lot of unexplained stomach aches and headaches • I feel very tired and/or restless • I have thoughts of death or suicide • I’m feeling more tearful or irritable than usual If you agree with five or more of these statements and have been experiencing them for more than two weeks you should talk to your doctor. Where do I go from here? The best first step is always to talk to your doctor. They can help you decide which ... treatments would be best for you. They can also rule out any physical explanations for your symptoms. In addition to talking to your family doctor, check out the resources below for more depression information. Other helpful resources are: • Mood Disorders Association of BC Visit www.mdabc.net or call 604-873-0103 for resources and information on mood disorder support groups. • Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division Visit www.cmha.bc.ca or call 1-800-555-8222 (toll-free in BC) or 604-688-3234 (in Greater Vancouver) for information and community resources on mental health or any mental disorder. • BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information Visit www.heretohelp.bc.ca for our Depression Toolkit, more fact sheets and personal stories about depression. The Toolkit is full of information, tips and self-tests to help you understand your depression. • HealthLink BC Call 811 or visit www.healthlinkbc.ca to access free, non-emergency health information for anyone in your family, including mental health information. Through 811, you can also speak to a registered nurse about symptoms you’re worried about, or a pharmacist about medication questions.

Ladies take care of yourselves! A presentation about Depression

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St. Augustine's Catholic Women's League October 2013

Cenacle Sisters are moving!

We recently learned that the Cenacle Sisters Program will be closing in Vancouver, effective December 20, 2013. They will still be active in Chicago, USA. In light

of this, we are currently looking for other similar prayer programs in which we can enroll our members when they are in need of extra prayer support for illness, death of a loved one, birth of a new baby, or other important reasons.

On August 17th I made the “Annual Archdiocesan Pilgrimage to the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Mission” for the first time, thanks to free chartered bus service provided by the Order of Malta. We arrived at the Fraser River Heritage Park Mass site in time for lunch and fellowship before Mass. I bumped into our former Fr. John Brioux who appeared to be one of the chief priest celebrants during the Mass held in the gazebo, followed by procession to the Grotto, as well as Rosary and Benediction at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. I took some photos throughout and one shot I regret missing was of a flock of about six bald eagles circling directly overhead during Mass; I was so fascinated by them that by the time I got my camera out they were gone. The long procession of pilgrims and priests with the Blessed Sacrament and statue of Holy Mary arrived at the Grotto to the accompaniment of natives drumming, followed by Rosary and Benediction along with the release of yellow balloons signifying prayers to Mary. That whole event and day of prayer had a very special meaning to me as I had just lost a close cousin the night before. The Grotto had its historical origins in 1892, consecrated by the Oblates; updates to it followed in later years, with final reconstruction completed in 1997. With thousands attending, this event was given full-page coverage in the August 26th B.C. Catholic.

A summer pilgrimage Submitted by Susannah Paranich

Welcome Back BBQ On Saturday, September 28th we hosted a "Welcome Back BBQ" for our members at the Parish Centre. It was a great event, despite the poor weather. It brought our members together for a chance to regroup after a break from CWL activities over the summer. We enjoyed delicious chips, cold cuts, cheeses, wraps, potato salad, veggies, condiments, fruits and carrot cake. We hope to make this an annual event! A special thanks to Samantha Strudwick, First Vice-President, for organizing the BBQ! Here are some photos, provided by Susannah Paranich:

DID YOU KNOW... CWL National has a monthly e-bulletin called the "Be League," that can be downloaded from: www.cwl.ca/enews.html. The Vancouver CWL Diocese also has a new website: www.vancouvercwl.ca/

Christmas Bazaar The Christmas Bazaar will be on Sunday, December 1, 10am-2pm in the Parish Centre. This will be a great opportunity for you to buy some unique and

thoughtful gifts for family, friends, or yourself! You will also be able to enjoy a delicious brunch, and pick up some tasty homemade baked goods and jams! If you are able to do some baking for the Bazaar, it would be most appreciated! Please contact Geri Fujisawa for more information on how you can help: (604) 738-1155.

L-R: Margaret Seidel, Simone Strudwick, Samantha Strudwick, Teresa Clark, Suzanne Milbers, and Grace Trinidad-Green.

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St. Augustine's Catholic Women's League October 2013

FEATURE RECIPES: BIG CLUSTER MAPLE GRANOLA

This tasty granola goes great with

some yogurt and fruit! INGREDIENTS:* Yields 7-8 cups of granola • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats • 1 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut • 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped • 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ • 2 Tbsp olive oil • 1/2 tsp coarse salt • 1/2 cup maple syrup (increase to 2/3 cup for sweeter granola)* • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 large egg white • 1 1/2 cups small dried fruit (optional) DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine all ingredients but the egg white and dried fruit in a large bowl, tossing to coat evenly. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Stir into the granola mixture, distributing it throughout. Spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45-55 minutes.* About halfway through the baking time, use a large spatula to turn over sections of the granola carefully, breaking them up as little as possible. Rotate the pan if granola is baking unevenly. When it is evenly browned and feels dry to the touch, transfer the pan from the oven to the cooling rack. Cool completely. Once it's completely cool, break up granola into whatever size cluster delights you. Sprinkle in dried fruit. The granola keeps at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 weeks. It keeps even longer in the freezer, if you're the stockpiling type.

From the book: "The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook," by Deb Perelman © 2012 *Devon's Notes: • Substitute maple syrup with golden syrup for a less expensive option (though you lose some of the flavour). • In my experience, 25-30 minutes is better. Much longer and it might burn. • Other additions I recommend: ground flax seed, almond slivers and dried cranberries - yum!

Get to know your sisters! This issue we profile two members...

• Name: Melva Strudwick (pictured on the right) • Joined the CWL in: 2004 • Reason for joining the CWL: I liked the work that the CWL was doing with the school and other charities. • Profession: Health Care Worker • Something interesting about me: I really enjoy working with seniors.

• Name: Samantha Strudwick (pictured on the left) • Joined the CWL in: 2006 • Reason for joining the CWL: My mom (Melva) signed me up while I was away at University! • Profession: Retail Store Manager • Something interesting about me: In June 2005, I spent two weeks in Bolivia with five other friends helping to build a church and I learned how to make cement! I also lost my love of potatoes because I ate them every day while I was there!

NOMINATE YOURSELF OR ANOTHER MEMBER TO BE PROFILED IN OUR NEXT ISSUE!

We'd love to hear from you! • Did we miss your birthday or anniversary? • Do you have photos of a CWL activity? • Do you have a tasty recipe or a great book to share? • Do you have any other suggestions or ideas to include in our next newsletter? Send us a message at staugustinescwl@yahoo.ca

or speak to Devon McHugh, Communications Chairperson.

Sisters in life and in the CWL Congratulations to Katherine Weisbeck, the sister of our member Patricia Proudfoot, on her 75 years of service to the CWL! Katherine joined the CWL in Kelowna at the age of 20, shortly after she married. Katherine celebrated her 95th birthday in September. Do you have a family member in the CWL, either here at St. Augustine’s or in another parish? We'd love to hear about them!

Look for our next newsletter available in January!