The CRC 2012 General Assembly

Press Release

Canadian Religious Conference Elects New President and Administrative Council

Montreal, May 30, 2012 – Leaders from 200 religious congregations across Canada met in Montreal May 24-28 to identify future actions and to elect a new Executive Committee and Administrative Council for the Canadian Religious Conference (CRC).

Michel Proulx, O. PRAEM., was elected CRC President. A member of the Order of Prémontré (Norbertines), Michel has been prior of his community for four years. He has a good understanding of varied congregational experiences from the many retreats he has led for communities over the past fifteen years.  At the time of his election, he was a member of the CRC Theological Commission.  Michel Proulx is a biblical scholar as well as a host on Montreal’s Radio Ville-Marie.

The other members elected to the executive are Annette Noël, SP, Vice-president, and George T. Smith, CSB, Secretary-Treasurer. The members of the executive were elected to a two-year term and will be assisted by the seven members elected to the Administrative Council:  Anne Lewans, OSU, Western Canada representative; Rosemary MacDonald, CSM, Atlantic Canada representative; Pierre Anne Mandato, SCSM, Quebec representative; Peter Novecosky, OSB, Western Canada Representative; Alain Rodrigue, CMM, Quebec representative, Élisabeth Villemure, SMNDA, Quebec representative; and Mary Finlayson, RSCJ, Past President (with a one-year mandate).

Gathered around the theme – What Time Is It? Imagine! – the 300 women and men religious attending the CRC General Assembly reflected on many substantive issues concerning religious life  at this moment of its history and the history of the Church.

Gilles Routhier, a Vatican II expert, underlined the importance of understanding the world in which we live, its desires, expectations and aspirations. Discerning its deep quests and questions remains our challenge today, as in the time the Council.

Sociologist Patricia Wittberg, SC, outlined the many differences that exist today between generations, as our world is in constant transformation. Women and men religious are called to adapt to these changes and the new challenges they bring about. The more women and men religious are able to truly see what time is it, the more they will be called on to imagine and create new forms of religious life that will speak the Word of Life to the present time.

Daily summaries of the General Assembly proceedings were published on the Canadian Religious Conference website: www.crc-canada.org.

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For more information, please contact:

Louise Stafford, Communications Portfolio Director
Tel.: 514-259-0856/109; Cell: 514-606-0856
Email: lstafford@crc-canada.org