"for God and Canada": The Early Years of the Catholic Women's League in Alberta‪.‬

At Calgary in April 1957 Bishop Francis Carroll addressed the Diocesan unit of the Catholic Women's League of Canada, a national organization of laywomen. His subject was Catholic Action, the pursuit of Christian perfection that includes an apostolate in which Catholics participate, coming together in thought and action around centres of doctrine and social activity, legitimately constituted and, as a result, aided and sustained by the authority of bishops. (1) Pope Pius defined it as "the participation of the laity in the apostolate of the hierarchy." (2) Bishop Carroll remarked that Catholic Action was a "characteristic" of the Catholic Women's League, that he had witnessed their activities in the various parishes of the Calgary area and had experienced the worth of their benefactions. (3) He must have smiled inwardly as he reminisced about their early years in his Diocese.