On 10 and 11 November 2021, the WUCWO European Regional Conference took place in Spain, as a hybrid event. Araceli Cavero, Vice President for Europe, invited women from WUCWO member organisations to discuss and learn about the theme of discrimination and violence against women.

These two days were enlightened by the prayer of the participants and marked by interesting activities: a conference on violence in the Bible, courageous and moving personal testimonies, a look beyond the borders of Europe with the work carried out for many years in Peru following the exactions of the Shining Path, and fruitful exchanges in workshops.

​Last October 31, 2021, instead of celebrating Halloween, the Junior Members of the Catholic Women's League Philippines organised a "Parade of Saints".

The whole event was held virtually, through Zoom, because of COVID-19 pandemic protocols in the Philippines which prevented CWL from having face to face or mass gatherings.

Family, home, dignity.

Dear friends,

This month will be marked by the World Day of the Poor. In his message for this day, 14 November 2021, Pope Francis explains that there is a “powerful ‘empathy’ established between Jesus and the woman”.

We, the women of WUCWO, should be filled with deep joy and gratitude meditating on this empathetic relationship with Jesus. Empathy is a positive attitude that allows us to establish a particularly affective and healthy relationship of coexistence with Jesus and of identification and affinity with Him, at the same time as it assures us reciprocity, that is to say, the knowledge that He listens to us, understands our problems, emotions and longings and makes them His own.

Dear friends, 

Let's make the invisible women visible.

Dear friends,

In Gaudete et exsultate, Pope Francis talked about the saints “next door,” referring to people who, on a daily basis and without anyone noticing, live responding to the call to holiness. Often these are women who, because of their low profile, are “invisible” not only to the press but also to many of those around them. The same is true for the most vulnerable women. The situation of pain, deprivation and anguish in which they are immersed is not visible, it does not make the news. We live with women who carry out good practices and with women who suffer from modern day slavery, but for most of their contemporaries they are “invisible” women.

Towards an ever wider “we” is the theme chosen by the Holy Father for the 107th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) which will be celebrated on the 26th of September 2021. An appeal to build a universal “we” - may this be achieved first and foremost within the Church, called upon to create communion within diversity.

On 25 August 2021, 107 women, 2 husbands, and Spiritual Advisors gathered in Arlington, Virginia (USA), for the 2021 WUCWO North America Region Conference with the theme, Make Me A Channel of Your Peace.

Maribeth Stewart Blogoslawski, Vice President for North America, welcomed the attendees. Afterward, there was a ceremony of remembrance when representatives of each of the member organizations of the North America Region placed a lighted votive candle before the statue of Mary after which we prayed for the deceased members of our organizations.

This year we celebrate the first Anniversary of the Encyclical "Fratelli tutti", which was signed by Pope Francis in Assisi, Italy, on 3 October 2020.

It proposes fraternity and social friendship as the ways indicated to build a better, more just and peaceful world, with the commitment of all: people, institutions, the economic world, international organisations, civil society.

WUCWO President's message of September

The power of prayer and penance

Dear friends,

we have seen with horror the pictures of Afghan mothers throwing their children through barbed wire fences to save their lives... heart breaking gestures of love of the women from such a suffering land! Afghanistan is rich in gold and other minerals; it has a strategic geopolitical position that has suffered several foreign occupations, and its territory is plagued by land mines that produce about 120 deaths per month, among other sufferings. How can we not commiserate with such tragedies!

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE NEW PASTORAL STYLE OF AMORIS LAETITIA

The Embassy of France to the Holy See and the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (WUCWO) are organising, in line with the Amoris laetitia Family Year, the international conference:

The new pastoral style of Amoris laetitia: welcoming, accompanying, discerning and integrating.

How and why to love the poor

Dear friends,

On 13 June, Pope Francis gave us his message for the 5th World Day of the Poor, which will take place on 14 November 2021. As all the women of WUCWO, who wish to sentire cum Ecclesia (“think and feel with the Church”), we have to prepare ourselves and our organisations; that’s why I recommend you to read and meditate on the Pope’s message. We can pray with it.

Pope Francis has decided to institute the Church-wide celebration of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Starting this year, it will be held on the fourth sunday of July, close to the liturgical memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.