Saskatchewan Christian Feminist Network

Unbeaten Paths - Editorial - January 2004

Dear Sisters,

We hope that by the time this issue of Unbeaten Paths reaches you in March, the worst of the winter will have passed us by. If not, we know of a few things that might give you energy and lift your spirits while you wait for spring.

• 
  O Beautiful Gaia" is a creative arts recording project featuring the voices of women in Atlantic Canada, the Great Lakes Basin and Atlantic New England who have come together with Carolyn McDade to record songs that respond to the call of Earth, inviting us to become one with all that lives.
• 
  "Story After Story: Canadians Bend Bound Theology" is an anthology of educational and liturgical resources that help to define what a life-giving and justice-making theology might be. It has been edited by Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd, who was a guest at our November (2003) Event.
• 
  The Sisters in Spirit campaign, organized by NWAC (the Native Women's Association of Canada) has been started to honour the spirits of the 500 women who have gone missing in communities across Canada over the past 20 years. If you'd like to know more about how to participate, you could check out the NWAC web site.

Please note that a number of our articles in this issue concern women's place in the (dis)organized church: Catholic women working toward ordination, and women working in the Canadian sanctuary movement.

We also want you to know about a newsletter we now receive from Horizons of Friendship, not to be confused with Herizons Magazine: Women's News and Feminist Views. Horizons (not Herizons) is a Canadian non-profit, international development agency committed to addressing the root causes of poverty and injustice through the cooperation of people from the South and North. Horizons of Friendship supports Central American and Mexican partner organizations that undertake local initiatives which further this goal. (We have used descriptions of some of these partners as "fillers" in the pages of this issue.) In Canada, Horizons raises awareness on global issues and works with Canadian organizations at the local and national levels to bring about positive and lasting change. In this issue you'll find something from Horizons in the Global section, and something from Herizons in Women Working for Change.

Our Close to Home section contains several reminders that time is passing for members of the Saskatchewan Christian Feminist Network, as for everyone. Michele Landsberg has retired. Gwenna Moss and Charlotte Caron sent us the copy of her last column, and the news that they are leaving Saskatchewan now to live in Winnipeg. We thank them for their fine contributions to life in this province. And blessed be the memory of Jean Melvin, a founding member of the Network who died in August. We thank Catherine Barnsley for sharing with us a copy of her tribute to Jean, delivered when Jean received an honorary doctorate from St. Andrew's College in 1994.

May springtime come to the prairies soon!

All the best from your editors, Meredith, Jayne and Brenda