Catholic Women's League 2011 National Conference
Durban South Africa - August 2011
Each day started with Mass, preceded by exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
At this conference, we were blessed to have about 15 priests with us, attending the conference.
What an emotional experience (one of many), seeing 15 priests on the stage, celebrating with us.
Even more so for me, as they were wearing vestments made by me 8 years ago.
After the formalities of opening the conference, we had Mrs. Andy Piper (a former National President), speak to us.
She told us that Faith is our bed rock. How important friendship is and how we find hope in our faith filled friends.
She got a standing ovation at the end of her talk.
Mrs. Elaine Phillips was next. She spoke on WUCWO and what it meant to be at the International Conference in Jerusalem this year.
Mr. Raymond Perrier followed her. He told us about the new Hope and Joy Programme. He had brought cards with him which were for sale afterwards,
which could be used as guidelines for small Christian Communities, Confirmation Classes etc.
He also asked us to turn our cell phones on and sign up for a Hope & Joy SMS each morning.
Father Stephen Tulley came next. He is the administrator at the Cathedral in Durban.
He and his team, came to tell us about the Denis Hurley Centre. This is the project which the Durban Management Team took on
and asked that every diocese attending the conference, contribute towards this worthy cause, if at all possible.
Fr. Tulley said that people had told him that they thought the cathedral was in the wrong place geographically and that it should be placed out of town.
He begged to differ with them and said that the cathedral was in the right place, being close to a taxi rank and train station.
These transports brought people into the city from all parts of Africa, including our own country as well.
The new Denis Hurley Centre (named after the previous arch bishop of Durban),will cater for these people, who need care.
They have been forced to leave their native land or our own rural parts and arrive in the city hungry, ill, homeless and disorientated.
The centre will have a clinic, an office to find employment and also people to help them to get registered with Home Affairs Dept.
They already have a permanent tailor at the present centre, who makes school uniforms, as every effort is made to get any children there maybe,
into school as soon as possible. At question time, our own Osman from Langa, suggested that a spontaneous collection be taken up then
and there for this project. This was done and an amazing R11,000 was collected. The Denis Hurley Centre Team were “over the moon”.
Resolutions and recommendations were discussed and voted on. These caused the usual debate, deliberation and consideration.
The next 3 guest speakers came under the heading – Mind, Body and Soul, Motivation and Laughter.
The first one was Jes Foord of the Jes Foord Foundation. She is a rape survivor and has now started the Jes Foord Foundation for rape survivors.
At the foundation they can get HIV testing, anti – retrovirals, counselling etc. Jes is a brave and dynamic woman who is under 30 years of age.
After her came Adele Benvie, who told us how unique and special we all are, each with a treasure chest inside of us.
She then went on to compare us to various precious stones. The third speaker in this trilogy was Dr. Gita Suraj-Narayan,
who although being a medical doctor, has given up her practice to concentrate on Laughter Yoga.
She maintains that laughter is the best medicine. In her groups are people who have suffered strokes, depression and many other ailments.
She says that laughing for 10 minutes a day can lose as much weight as 30 minutes in the gym on a treadmill!
Not all the conference was hard work, as in the evenings were various entertainments, culminating with the banquet on the last night,
with the theme “Diamonds are forever”. Durban CWL celebrates 60 years of existence, hence the diamond theme.
At the banquet, 9 of our members from C.T. received Honorary Life Membership including our Cape Town president Anne.
At the winding up of the conference the next morning, the Durban team handed over to the new management team from Port Elizabeth.
The new team announced the theme for the next 3 years, which will be “Women of Faith
& Courage”.
In conclusion, I would urge every member of the CWL to attend at least one conference at sometime and that each branch should save
enough money to send at least their president to conference in 3 years time.
Adele Dawson - Cape Town News Correspondent
