The Catholic Women’s League held their AGM and annual conference at High Leigh Conference Centre between 30th October and 1st November. Guest speakers included Bishop Paul McAleenan, lead Bishop for Migrants and Refugees, who gave an excellent speech on the relationship between Catholic Social Teaching and refugees. Malcolm Johnstone from the London and Slough Run, a charity that distributes items such as food, drink, clothing, bedding and toiletries to homeless people on the streets of London, also spoke.
As well as listening to talks, members enjoyed social activities, morning and evening prayers, a rosary walk around the grounds, and Mass celebrated by Bishop McAleenan. The CWL have partnered with the Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact) for a three-year period and have been assembling backpacks for prisoners to take with them when their sentence has finished. Members handed over another 99 backpacks to Marie Norbury and Theresa Alessandro from Pact as a result of a packing operation at High Leigh. They continue to sew Crosses in Pockets which are distributed to prisoners through prison chaplains.
The Catholic Women’s League of England and Wales offer women the opportunity to engage in a mixture of spiritual, social, educational and charitable activities and their website can be found at catholicwomensleaguecio.org.uk New members are always welcome-the CWL are always keen to set up groups in new locations. Please contact the National Secretary at natsec@cwlhq.org.uk.
