“I believe in the genius of women.doc

“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 Ed