An Initiative of the Canadian Bishops
In 2011, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) recognized a need for a cultural renewal towards a culture “in which every human person is valued not because of his or her perceived ‘usefulness’ but rather because he or she has been loved into existence by God and is destined to spend eternity with God; a culture in which the wellbeing of all is the goal of all, in which the authentic needs of one individual are never perceived in competition with those of his or her neighbours, and in which the impoverishment of one is seen as the impoverishment of all; a culture in which the well-being of human persons is the measure every endeavour, in which selfless service to the vulnerable, the sick, the weak, the marginalized is recognized and experienced as the privileged path to wholeness and holiness.”
From: CCCB – Elements of a National Pastoral Initiative for Life and Family
Recognizing the family is the domestic church and the Church’s most effective agent of evangelization, the CCCB declared that the main priority should be the family. In order for the family to achieve its mission the CCCB formulated strategies aimed to assist families in dealing with the cultural, educational, social and political strategies that confront them. One such strategy was the National Week for Life and the Family. Annually, dioceses are called to reflect on God’s gifts of life and family.
Current NWLF Tri-diocesan committee members
Archbishop Richard Gagnon
Archbishop Albert LeGatt
Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak
Bishop Andriy Rabiy
Father Michael Winn
Father Richard Arsenault
Tim Scatliff (Facilitator)
Nadine Fetherston
Joan Armstrong
Sophie Manulak
Gloria Nikolic
Veronica Diestro
John Acosta
James Kautz
Lloyd Hudson
Laverne Hudson
Life is sacred. Faith is
very important.
“I personally feel it’s important to be involved in the NWLF committee because it strives to educate and support our Catholic community about the sacredness of life, the importance of family life. Faith is so important but our society today puts its emphasis on material things.”
— Joan Armstrong
These issues have a great impact on the community.
“As the Interim Executive Director of Life’s Vision Manitoba, it’s very important for me to be involved with as many life-affirming initiatives as possible. As someone who is disabled, it is important for me to address both the abortion and euthanasia issues. These are issues that have a greater impact on the disabled community than on the average person.”
— Cam MacDonald
This is at the heart of the Catholic faith.
“I have been involved in pro-life for many years. It is part of our Catholic faith. But, many families today do not have the Catholic perspective. We do not get pro-life information in mainstream media or schools. We do not see how many people attend the National Hike for Life in Ottawa. The hikes have grown and are attended by more and more young people! We at NWLF need to get the correct information out to our parishioners.”
— Laverne Hudson
