SA Catholic women head for Bay conference

THE Catholic Women’s League national conference will be held in Port Elizabeth this week for the first time in 15 years.

The conference is held every three years in different parts of the country and was last held in Port Elizabeth in 1999.

Father Jerry Browne, of the Catholic Diocese of Port Elizabeth, said hosting a conference of this magnitude in Nelson Mandela Bay was a great privilege.

“This is the 27th National Conference of the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) and will have an attendance of about 880 women coming from all over South Africa. There will also be women visiting from Swaziland and Namibia.”

He said the goal of the conference was multifaceted.

“It provides an opportunity for Catholic women from around southern Africa to come together in a time of fellowship.”

Father Browne said it also provided an opportunity for the league to comment and make recommendations to the government regarding social issues like the lack of basic infrastructure delivery and the provision of proper sanitation to rural areas, particularly in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.

“The conference also focuses on spiritual matters, hopefully leaving members inspired and excited about continuing the work of the league.” It starts tomorrow and ends on Monday. The conference, including church services and all meetings, will be held at the Boardwalk Conference Centre.

Browne said the theme of the conference was Women of Faith and Courage.

“It draws its inspiration from the scriptures and from the women of faith who, down the years, have stepped out bravely, often at great cost to themselves, to help make the world a better place. These women of the scriptures, many of whom have gone unheralded, can show us what a little faith in God and faith in themselves can achieve.”

The league will also release 900 pink balloons from Shark Rock Pier at 1.30pm on Saturday to mark National Women’s Day.