Pembroke, January 25, 2026
Sunday of the Word of God
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On this Sunday of the Word of God, the Church reminds us that “the Word of
Christ dwells among you!” (Col. 3:16). In his General Audience on January 14, Pope
Leo reflected on this incredible truth – God speaks to us today through the Son, Jesus
Christ, the Word made Flesh! The Word of Christ not only dwells among us, but calls
us into a new way of life. Jesus calls us friends, and invites us into a community of
friendship with God, with him, and with one another. It is this divine initiative which
makes the Church the People of God.
In every age and every culture, the Church faces challenges. Faithful to the
Word of God, we respond with hope and trust in the presence of Jesus Christ who
calls us friends and promises to be with us always, until the end of time. Our age is no
different. Today, the Diocese of Pembroke must face great challenges as we plan for
the future.
Over the past year, at the initiative of the Council of Priests, we began a process
of gathering and preparing information about our real situation in the parishes and
the territory entrusted to our care, and it is time to share that information with you,
the People of God in the Diocese of Pembroke.
Last spring, we established a Steering Committee to guide our process of
pastoral planning for the future. We have studied the Parish Profiles submitted from
across the diocese, as well as the trends of shifting demographics; the number of
priests, seminarians, and deacons to serve in our parishes; Church attendance and
administration of the sacraments; and the finances of the parishes and the diocese.
The Steering Committee will host an open public meeting in each of the five
deaneries/regions of our Diocese. There will be five meetings in English, and two
meetings in French. If you are unable to attend the meeting in your deanery or region,
you are invited to participate in any of the meetings. We are encouraging as many
people as possible to take part in these meetings. This is important for the future of
the Diocese and our pastoral plinning. The information communicated will help all
of us to engage in the process of planning for the future together.
Dates and Locations of Deanery Meetings
• Renfrew Deanery: Tuesday, February 17 at St. Joseph’s High School, Renfrew –
6:30pm to 8:30pm
• Pembroke Deanery: Thursday, February 19 at Bishop Smith High School, Pembroke
– 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
• Mattawa Deanery: Saturday, February 21 at Corbeil Park Hall, Corbeil- French at
10:00am to 12:00pm; English at 1:00pm to 3:00pm
• Pontiac Deanery: Saturday, February 28 – at Club de l’Âge d’Or, Fort-Coulonge –
French at 10:00am to 12:00pm; English at 1:00pm to 3:00pm
• Barry’s Bay Deanery: Sunday, Mar.1 at St. John Bosco School, Barry’s Bay – 2:00pm
to 4:00pm
It is especially important that every parish be represented at these meetings. I
strongly encourage Parish Councils, Finance Councils, Catholic Women’s League,
Knights of Columbus, and other parish groups and organizations to send members to
these meetings. However, it is important that as many parishioners as possible attend
and take part. Please do not leave this to others. Each of you has a contribution to
make. This is an important step in our process of pastoral planning. Other steps will
follow.
As we prepare for these meetings, I ask every parishioner to pray that the Holy
Spirit will guide our process of listening to one another, discernment and decision-
making. We place our hope in the promise of Jesus to remain with us always, and we
ask the intercession of Mary, Joseph, St. Columbkille and all our parish Patron Saints
to direct our planning.
Your brother in Christ our Redeemer,
+ Michael Brehl, C.Ss.R.
Bishop of Pembroke
25January2026.EN