Communiqués

Quadrennial 2007

Author and activist Mary Jo Leddy will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Quadrennial meeting of the World Day of Prayer International Committee. Nearly 200 delegates from around the world are expected to attend the meeting, to be held May 30 – June 6 in King City, just north of Toronto.

Dr. Leddy, who is well known for her work with refugees as Director of Romero House, will be speaking to the World Day of Prayer delegates on May 31. The Quadrennial meeting features worship and work sessions, including an HIV/AIDS workshop led by Jeanette Romkema, formerly with PWRDF, in collaboration with women from affected countries in the Caribbean, South America and Pacific regions. The meetings of the International Committee are not open to the general public; however, a public reception is planned for Sunday afternoon, June 3, at a location to be announced later.

The Quadrennial meeting is hosted by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada and planned by a Toronto-based Local Arrangements Committee. The committee, headed by co-chairs June Dyer and Anne McKinnon, is currently sending out letters of invitation to local ecumenical contacts, asking for churches to host two delegates on Sunday, June 3. Delegates would need to be picked up at the Seneca College campus in King City, taken to a morning church service, provided with lunch and an opportunity to sightsee in Toronto, and then returned to the public reception in the late afternoon. Additional volunteers, including drivers for airport transportation and medical assistance on site, are also required for the weeklong meeting.

The WDPIC meets every four years to plan for upcoming World Day of Prayer themes, choose writing countries and study current issues. In 2007, delegates will attend workshops on HIV/AIDS and women’s empowerment, focusing on the theme “I will put my breath into you, and you shall live” (Ezekiel 37:14). It is a privilege for Canadians to be hosting this event; previous gatherings have been held in Sweden, Thailand, Mexico, Zambia, Germany, United States, Jamaica, Australia, South Africa and England.

To learn additional information about World Day of Prayer, Paraguay, or how you or your church can assist in the Toronto Quadrennial meeting, contact the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada by phoning (416) 929-5184 Ext. 22 or e-mailing wdpcanada@wicc.org. To contact the Toronto Local Arrangements Committee co-chairs: e-mail June Dyer at j.dyer@sympatico.ca or Anne McKinnon at cwler@cogeco.ca.