CWL began by helping immigrants get settled

National organization rooted in Alberta

By JULIETTE CHAMPAGNE
Special to the WCR

The Catholic Women's League was established in Edmonton in1912, under the leadership of Katherine Hughes. Bishop �mile Legal had asked her to organize a diocese-wide organization for women (one had just been organized for men).

Father Philippe Casgrain, who was then chaplain at the port of Québec, suggested that the league be based on the same principles as similar organizations in Europe who aided immigrant women and their families.

The Edmonton women, whose initial meeting took place Nov. 13, 1912 in the basement of St. Joachim Church, chose to call themselves after the British organization of the same name. Of the 18 women present, representing seven Edmonton parishes, one third were from the French community which was quite strong in the city at that time.

Helping the impoverished

The organization's main goal was to help the impoverished, particularly young immigrant women, many of whom were domestics, by meeting trains, providing them with an inexpensive place (or free, depending on their financial means) to stay in the Rosary Hall hostel, by helping them to find employment, as well as organizing hospital visitations.

After several moves, eventually Rosary Hall established itself in the Gariepy Mansion on the corner of 100th Avenue and 104th Street; the Sisters of Providence took over its management in 1915.

At the end of the First World War, Catholic women across Canada had established cells of the CWL in their dioceses. It became a national organization, which gave it a voice on federal consultation committees, particularly concerning immigrants and refugees.

Active in social service

In Alberta, as elsewhere in Canada, the CWL did most of its work in social services, as governments still maintained an old colonial attitude that charity was the responsibility of the private sector. The first unit of the CWL was established in the Diocese of Calgary in 1921. As in Edmonton, it came to into a junior (business girls) and senior subdivision, but in 1952, the subdivisions were reorganized into individual parish councils.

The Edmonton CWL raised funds for many good causes, providing funding for Good Shepherd Home for wayward girls, which was operated by the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd. They also financed an orphanage, the O'Connell Institute, furnished the student rooms at St. Joseph's College, and supported the Sisters of Service's hostels and their catechetical house, as they did with the work of the Sisters of Atonement with high school students and orphans.

They worked with Red Cross Circles during the First World War, preparing ditty bags for soldiers and parcels for prisoners of war. After the Second World War, the CWL also began supporting the Colonel Mewburn Hospital.

Educational causes also received the CWL's attention as they helped to organize a Catholic Teachers' Exchange between rural and urban communities. They also gave prizes to schools, formed an extension library, and organized discussion and study groups.

Supported Catholic press

They supported the Western Catholic, the forerunner of the WCR, when it was established, organizing a drive for membership, as well as fundraising to provide free subscriptions for poor families in isolated regions. A national CWL bursary was established early on, based on essay competitions; they also had public speaking competitions for the Edmonton Separate School system.

Civic responsibility and good citizenship have always been priorities for the CWL, hence their motto - For God and Canada. Their work with immigrants, native people and the impoverished is witness to this. By the 1990s, membership was declining and a greater focus was put on spiritual growth.

The CWL continued working with immigrants and their families, sponsoring refugees and helping them financially. They also became involved with the Youth Emergency Shelter in Edmonton, providing a meal once a month for the residents and staff. The food bank became another important project to which the CWL contributed.

For the 1984 papal visit, the CWL's provincial president, Rose-Marie McCarthy was on the local planning committee, and councils from across the province contributed by sewing banners to line the streets of Edmonton on the route of the papal motorcade. Another recent project of the CWL was the computerizing of the Newman Theological College and St. Joseph Seminary libraries; over $80,000 was raised.

The family has also been a subject of focus. A strong supporter of pro-life organizations, it has also worked to combat family abuse, contributing to the Lurana Shelter for abused women and children.

The CWL helped to organize the 125th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Edmonton. As well, several national conventions have been held in Alberta, and in 1995, Edmonton hosted one on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of its establishment as a national organization.

Six women from Alberta have served terms as national presidents: Margaret Duggan of Edmonton (1927-29), Isabella Stevens from Calgary (1962-64), Ruth Cooney of Calgary (1979-80), Ardis Beaudry of Edmonton (1984-86), Marie Cameron of Calgary (2002-04) and Agnes Bedard of Calgary (2004-).

Recently, as Catholics are faced with a lack of religious vocations, an Adopt-a-Seminarian project was started, matching students with councils across the archdiocese. The program has been successful, including the seminarians in the community at large, and aspiring priests are invited to speak at special meetings, prayers are said for them, and cards and letters of support are sent to them.

During the last few years, native issues have also been examined, and international affairs, such as the situation of the women in Taliban, have been pushed to the fore.

The archdiocesan CWL set up a website in 1994, which is continually updated. members.shaw.ca/johansen.

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