THUNDER BAY - The Catholic Women’s League kicked off its 70th annual provincial convention with a flag-raising at city hall.
The faith-based organization lobbies to enrich Catholic values in the community at-large.
“We do a lot of work with the marginalized,” provincial president Pauline Krupa said. “We are the voice for the voiceless.”
The week-long convention, which will be held at the Victoria Inn, will seek to address various issues that exist in the communities of Ontario.
It will commence on Monday when the head cardinal of Canada, Gerald LaCroix, will speak about the family and the struggles of women.
“The ultimate goal is to grown in our faith and in our knowledge,” Krupa said.
The rest of the week will be highlighted by CWL elections, and a walk for the missing and murdered women of Canada.
“I think the importance of that is to be recognized as a unit,” Krupa said. “We all know the power of women, but this is the city saying they understand.”
The organization will also lobby to the federal government for resolutions, and Krupa claimed they aren’t afraid to stand up for change
“When we go to the (federal) government, some of them tremble when we walk in the room. We don’t back down.”
Thunder Bay Bishop Fred Colli is the provincial spiritual advisor for the CWL, and he said the importance of women to the faith-based community is essential.
“If we didn’t have women in our parish communities, we would have very poor parish communities,” Colli said. “They provide a lot of the strength, support, and energy.”
