The role of the Diocesan Spiritual Advisor:

1. The spiritual advisor, in cooperation with the chairperson of faith, shall provide advice and guidance for the spiritual program.
2. The spiritual advisor shall receive due notice of all executive and council meetings and annual meetings of members/conventions and shall attend and participate in all such meetings, when possible, in an advisory capacity.

Fr. Jeff Shannon

Fr. Jeff Shannon was born in Sudbury, Ontario and ordained a priest on June 14, 1997
at Notre Dame Cathedral in Ottawa ON by the late Archbishop Marcel Gervais.
After serving various pastoral ministries in the Ottawa area, Fr. Jeff was invited to the
Philippines to serve the poor as a missionary for 10 years.
During the height of Covid, he returned to his home diocese of Sault Ste. Marie and has
been the associate pastor at Precious Blood Cathedral in Sault Ste. Marie since
September 2022.

The President shall:

• inform the membership of the League’s position on current issues, priorities and programs
• foster open communication with the members and with the spiritual advisor on all League matters
• preside at all council meetings and conventions
• be a signing officer for all official documents
• provide active leadership
• initiate policy, in consultation with the officers of the council concerned
• keep fully informed on the operation of the League
• report annually to the membership
• be an advisory member of all committees except the nominations and elections committee
• be the official spokesperson for her council
• perform such other duties as may be incumbent upon the office
• appoint committees
• read and be familiar with the National Manual of Policy and Procedure and the Constitution & Bylaws
• be responsible for reporting activities to the next level
• be familiar with the responsibilities of the other positions
• work closely with the council executive to ensure that all responsibilities are met

Patricia Clizia

Patricia married Paolo 38 years ago, embarking on the greatest adventure of her life. They ‘grew up’ together with their two daughters, Andrea and Natalie who have spread their wings to fly far
from their hometown of Sudbury, Ontario.  Andrea and her husband Tim live in Edmonton, with sons Carter (5) and William (2).  Natalie and her fiancé Donal (an Irish Lad) will be
married in Ireland in 2025.  Patricia and Paolo enjoy travelling to Edmonton - Alberta and Dublin -
Ireland to visit with their girls in the cities they now call home.

Patricia joined the League more than 18 years ago, at the invitation of a friend, and was elected Recording Secretary soon after, serving a total of 10 years as a member of the parish executive. She convened
the 92 nd  annual Diocesan Convention, and was publicity chairperson for the 95th  annual convention.
Patricia went on to serve on the Diocesan executive as an appointed Sudbury Regional Chairperson, and then in the roles of Communications Chairperson, 1 st  Vice President/Spiritual Development
Chairperson, President Elect/Organization Chairperson. Patricia developed and delivered several workshops and presentations across the diocese including: Let’s get social, on social media,  Mary’s
Yes – An Advent reflection, KISS (Keep it Simple Sisters), Welcoming and Sharing Gifts. She was installed in 2024 as the Diocesan President at the 104th annual diocesan convention.

While enjoying a fulfilling career that has spanned more than 35 years, Patricia is actively involved in community and parish life and has served on sacramental preparation teams, as a Eucharistic minister, as
a member of Ann’s choir and on the parish social committee. Patricia is a 5 year Associate with the Sisters of St. Joseph, and considers the call to service a blessing in her life.

In women’s ministry, Patricia has encountered many angels, wearing the disguise of ordinary people living normal everyday lives.

The Vice President shall:

• perform the duties of the president in her absence or inability to serve
• recruit members and maintain membership
• be responsible for League development and leadership training
• develop League resource material
• ensure that annual reports are completed
• oversee life membership

Kathleen Niro

Kathleen has 22 years of service in the League. She became a member when her parish merged in 2002. As the president of the Ladies Auxiliary of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, she assisted the with the merging of the Auxiliary and the CWL Council of St. Clements under the guidance of now Life Member, Louise Gamelin. She received a Certificate of Merit for this work. She was gifted with a membership
in the CWL and has served her parish Council of Our Lady of Hope in many positions, including, Spiritual Development, Communications, First Vice President, President, Past President. Kathleen organized a day retreat, “Women of the Bible” for her council. She has convened the parish tea, created and published the parish newsletter, lead and developed a parish resolution. Additionally, she has served as the Sudbury Regional Recording Secretary and later Sudbury Regional Chair. Her Diocesan experience includes standing committee chairperson for Christian Family Life and Community Life. Although she took a term off from the Diocesan Council, she continued to volunteer her time in the League including co-convenor for the 103rd Diocesan Convention (liturgy), filled in at the 104th Diocesan Convention for the liturgy chair and led a table at the resolution dialogue. She also provided the Diocesan Secretary with her parish submissions for their newsletter. It is during this time she led a Resolution sub-committee to write the resolution. Kathleen was invited to be a part of the Provincial Community Life sub-committee for the 2022-2024 term where she was responsible for information on Human Trafficking and newsletter submissions. She was presented with the Maple Leaf Service Pin by her Council, Our Lady of Hope, in May.
In parish life, Kathleen has been a leader of Liturgy of the Word for Children for over 30 years, part of the baptism, First Communion and First Reconciliation and Confirmation teams. She helped to organize the children’s choir and seasonal liturgies for children. After the parishes merged, she also organized a winter fun day for 4 years. She serves as a Sacristan with her husband. Kathleen volunteered in the Diocesan Youth office as a contact person and organizer for NET Ministries. Kathleen was on the planning committee for the 2006 Ontario Liturgical Conference Summer Music School.
Education and continuous learning are important to Kathleen. She has a Diploma in Ministry, a Certificate in Spirituality, and a Certificate in Liturgy through St. Francis Xavier University. She also completed the Diocesan Lay Apostolate program. She is currently taking a university course in accounting.
Outside of the CWL, Kathleen volunteers for the Sashbear Family Connections Foundation facilitating groups and teaching skills to caregivers of loved ones who struggle with mental health. She has facilitated over 20 groups since 2018. She has been recognized by the Foundation as a volunteer of over five years and received an Ontario Volunteer Service Award from the Ontario Honours and Awards Secretariat, Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism for this work.
Kathleen continues to care for family members, to work fulltime, to play soccer in the summer and to sing with the Sudbury Chamber Singers in the winter. Kathleen knows she is blessed.

The treasurer shall:

1. Maintain the financial records of the council concerned and have them appropriately audited or examined annually.
2. Receive all League monies and pay all accounts as authorized.
3. Present a report of revenues and expenditures at meetings.

Deborah Hickey

Deborah Hickey and her husband live in the log home they built in Corbeil. She is a member
of St Alphonsus Liguori Parish in Callander and is currently the Secretary on her CWL Parish
Council.
Since joining the CWL Council at St Alphonsus Liguori, Deborah has served as Community Life
Chair, Resolutions and Legislation Chair, Communications Chair, a three-year term as
President, two-year term as Past President, two years as Treasurer. In 2017 Deborah served
as the Convention Coordinator for the SSM Diocesan Convention hosted in North Bay.
Deborah has served as the North Bay Regional Chair on the SSM Diocesan Executive for the
past five years, a term as Second Vice Chair on the Diocesan Council and is now serving a
second term as Diocesan Treasurer.
Since retiring from her full-time career, Deborah feels truly blessed to be able to devoting her
time to her passions, her stained-glass studio, and her volunteer work. As always, her priority
is spending time with her husband, their four children and their spouses and her seven
grandchildren. When not working in her studio, Deborah can be found volunteering at the
Callander and District Food Bank, as a member and National Treasurer for the Canadian
Vintage Motorcycle Group. Deborah is also a proud member of the Catholic Women’s League
of Canada serving with her sisters in Christ, through faith, fellowship and service. Deborah
also enjoys reading, sewing, knitting/crocheting, and walking through the bush with her “fur
baby”.

The Secretary shall:

1. Attend all executive and general meetings of the council.
2. Assist the president in preparing the agenda for executive and general meetings.
3. Distribute individual copies of the agenda.
4. Call the roll or have members sign a list of attendance at meetings.
5. Take the minutes of meetings, record motions and retain minutes as a permanent record.
6. Bring the minute book containing past minutes to meetings for reference purposes.
7. Keep motion book up-to-date and bring to meetings.
8. Distribute copies of the minutes of the previous meeting prior to the meeting or prepare to read the minutes at the meeting.
9. Report on the executive meeting at the general meeting, if the president so requests.
10. Report correspondence received and/or sent.
11. Send all occasion cards as requested by the president.
12. Be a signing officer for official documents.
13. Be responsible for receiving reports from the executive.
14. Be responsible for all council papers and records; know where council archives, including the council charter, are located.
15. Maintain an up-to-date Elections Register.
16. Ensure that the list of the newly elected executive is forwarded immediately following the annual meeting of
members/convention:
- parish level forward list to diocesan level
- diocesan level forward list to parish, provincial and national levels
17. Provide the credentials for delegates to annual meeting of members/convention.
18. Assume the role of communications or assign a subcommittee

Colleen Murphy

Colleen was born in a small village in Saskatchewan, attended university in Saskatoon, worked and met her husband Bill, in Calgary, and moved to Sault Ste. Marie with their first daughter in 1987.

She attends St. Gerard Majella parish in Sault Ste. Marie. She was invited to join the CWL in 1988. She attended her first CWL meeting as Christian Family Chairperson. She has held many positions in her parish council. She also chaired the 2016 Diocesan Convention. This is her third term on Diocesan Council. She currently sings and plays guitar for the 11am Sunday Mass and has helped on the Baptism and Marriage Preparation teams in the past.

She and Bill have 4 daughters. Megan is married in the Sault with 2 daughters. Rita is married in Thunder Bay with 2 sons, Erin also lives in Thunder Bay, and Bridget is married in Ecuador. Girls rule – at least in this Murphy family!

Colleen worked as an IT Analyst for the City of Sault Ste. Marie, but happily retired in June, 2019. She leads a Lunch team at St. Vincent Place, loves singing in the Algoma Festival Choir, and in her spare time golfs, hikes, bikes, snowshoes, paddles, and loves to travel!

She values the League as a pro-active and spiritual community of Catholic women.

The past president shall:

1. serve her council and president in a consultative capacity
2. be responsible for the archives and history of her council.
3. facilitate and encourage the study and implementation of the Constitution & Bylaws.
4. forward to national office any proposed revisions to the National Manual of Policy and Procedure by December 1st of each year.
5. be aware that updated pages to the National Manual of Policy and Procedure are forwarded annually to presidents at all levels
6. be prepared to assist the council in developing a parish council manual of policy and procedure if it does not have one or reviewing it annually if it does have one.
7. submit an annual report.

Lisa Henry

Lisa was born in North Bay and is retired from the Royal Canadian Air Force as an Aerospace Control Operator.

Lisa had always been involved in her parish as a Youth Minister, Lector and Usher ministries and decided one day it was time to join the CWL, a group her sister-in-law’s were a part of. Coming out of church one day, she saw a dear friend she hadn’t seen in years, who was selling raffle tickets for their CWL bazaar. She chatted with her for a bit and then was invited to help sell tickets and the rest was history. One person’s warm, welcoming invitation was all it took to be bitten by the CWL bug. From there, she was invited to sit on her home council executive at the Pro-Cathedral of the Assumption, North Bay and now serves on the Diocesan Executive and cherishes the service and sisterhood the CWL offers.  It is an immense gift.

She is to the love of her life, Arthur Henry and loves cooking, travelling, but most of all, spending time with her CWL sisters, friends and family.

Faith Standing Committee
Chairpersons of faith shall evangelize, promote spiritual growth and encourage members to:
a. pray, individually and communally
b. uphold the sanctity of life
c. study Catholic teachings
d. stress the importance of the role of women in the church
e. foster vocations
f. advance ecumenical and interfaith endeavours

DEBBIE MATTIAZZI

Debbie and Domenic celebrated their 40th Anniversary with the renewal of their vows at Our Lady of Hope Church on June 12,2021.
They have 4 children and 7 grandchildren.
Debbie has been a member of the Catholic Women’s League for 32 years. She has served as Recording Secretary, President, Past President and most recently Community Life Chairperson. She also served a second term of President Past President and Education & Health Standing Chairperson at a previous parish.
She helped develop the Parish Outreach Program along with the parish priest, as well she has organized and led Service of Remembrance and Gifts for Shut-Ins. She is also a Eucharistic Minister, a member of the Social Committee, assisting with the planning of various parish activities. As a Diocesan Executive Member, she has assisted in organizing Diocesan Pasta Dinner Fund Raiser, 100 h  Anniversary Tree Planting, Simplifying Meetings Workshop, National Unity Outreach Program and Hunger Knows No Season Diocesan Food Drive.
She enjoys volunteering at the Inner-City Home and recently accepted a position on their Executive Board of Directors. She is presently assisting, temporarily as the Administrator at the Inner-City Home and will be responsible to train the new permanent administrator.
Debbie is passionate when it comes to Community Service as well as serving others.

Chairpersons of social justice, guided by Catholic social
teaching, shall encourage members to
a. uphold the life and dignity of the human person
b. advocate for the poor and the vulnerable and their inclusion in society
c. advocate for the dignity of work and equal rights of workers
d. care for God’s creation
e. educate members and keep them informed of relevant social justice issues
f. initiate resolutions on relevant issues

SHIRLENE CONDIE-MCVEIGH

Chairpersons of service shall encourage members to
a. promote activities in service to members, the parish and the community
b. advocate for and support services that include but are not limited to homelessness, human trafficking, poverty, bullying and racism
c. educate members about charitable needs, especially mission assistance at home and abroad

DOROTHY BOYER

Dorothy was raised in Toronto, the second of nine children.. She was married to Reg for 21
years & widowed for 28 years. She has one married daughter, Rhiannon & no grandchildren.
She became a CWL member in 1996. She graduated from York Regional School of Nursing , &
has a BA in Religious Studies from Laurentian University. She is retired from a 45 year nursing
career.
She has held several positions at the parish level including president, past president, health &
education, organization, spiritual development & community life.
She is a Eucharistic minister, a member of the counting team, & active in the parish social
committee. . She is often seen at the back of the church selling tickets to parish events,
calendars or Sunday missals.
She also an active volunteer in the community - serving lunch to seniors, active in the Valley
East Community Action Network, on the board at the Parkside Seniors Centre, president of the
Valley East Seniors Club & front of the house or bartender for the Sudbury Performance Group.
She loves to travel. She is seldom seen without her knitting.

For more information about the Regional Chairpersons, please visit the Regional Councils & Committees page.