April 28, 2020 – Ferial
It was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.
(John 6.30-35)
FROM THE DIOCESE
Diocesan Offices Closed: The Diocesan and Bishop’s Offices located at 188 Renfrew St., Pembroke, are closed until further notice. Most staff continue to be available by email.
New diocesan website! The Diocese of Pembroke has launched a new website. It can be found under the same link: www.pembrokediocese.com. Some pages are still under construction at this time.
Ecclesia: The April issue of Ecclesia is available online on the diocesan website, under “News and Events.” Due to COVID-19 and the closure of churches, this issue will not be printed for now. Once the churches are reopened, the issue will be updated, printed and distributed as usual.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we ask in the name of your Son, that you bless our future bishop. Provide him with the gifts he will need to carry on the ministry of Jesus in our diocese. Grant him the heart of your Son, the heart of the Good Shepherd. Bestow upon him the zeal of St. Paul in preaching the Good News; the humility of St. John Vianney in ministering the sacraments; the compassion of St. Vincent-de-Paul in serving those most in need; the wisdom of St. Augustine in teaching the doctrine of our Church; and the missionary fervour of St. Columbkille, our patron. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
FROM THE CCCB
The Catholic Health Alliance of Canada (CHAC) recently announced the appointment of the new President and CEO, Mr. John P. Ruetz. Effective 1 July, 2020, Mr. Ruetz replaces outgoing President and CEO, Mr. Michael Shea. The CHAC is an alliance of the 14 sponsors/owners representing 124 Catholic health institutions across Canada.
CCCB President Issues Letters Regarding Religious Persecution in Eritrea. Read Archbishop Richard Gagnon’s statement here…
Holy See Postpones 3 International Events. Taking into consideration the recommended safety measures of the world health authorities concerning the current COVID-19 pandemic and the safety of the participants and faithful, the Holy See decided to postpone the following three international events:
- The 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, which would have taken place in September 2020, has been postponed to September 2021.
- The World Meeting of Families, which would have taken place in June 2021, has been postponed to June 2022.
- The World Youth Day, which would have taken place in Lisbon in 2022, has been postponed to August 2023.
More information is available in the following press releases from Vatican News:
52nd International Eucharistic Congress:
English: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2020-04/international-eucharistic-congress-postponed.html.
World Meeting of Families and World Youth Day:
French: https://www.vaticannews.va/fr/pape/news/2020-04/jmj-rencontre-mondiale-familles-report-un-an.html.
Catholic Bishops Consecrate Canada and the United States to Mary, Mother of the Church: Ottawa – On Friday 1 May 2020, the Catholic Bishops of Canada will consecrate their individual dioceses or eparchies to Mary, Mother of the Church, seeking her protection during the Coronavirus pandemic, similar to what other Episcopal Conferences throughout the world have already done. Along with the Bishops, pastors, families, groups, individuals and other faith communities may likewise choose to join the consecration as part of the global effort to unite in faith and prayer in this most difficult time. (Read more here…)
Resources for Mass – PDF: The CCCB General Secretariat has received word from Novalis, Living with Christ and Prions en Église, that during this current health crisis, they are willing to post on their websites PDFs of the pages from Living with Christ and Prions en Église for each upcoming Sunday Mass, as well as for Daily Mass, so as to allow people to download them for free during this limited period of time. This offer will then be assessed based on the situation at that time. These resources can help the faithful who follow Mass from their homes on TV or internet. At the very least, they can read the Scriptures and follow along on televised celebrations. The CCCB has given permission to Novalis to do so.
Please click on the following links for the English and French PDF versions of the Sunday Mass Readings and prayers from Novalis:
- Prions en Église, French Canadian edition: http://www.prionseneglise.ca/
- Living with Christ, English Canadian edition: https://www.livingwithchrist.ca/index.php/intentions?_ga=2.50103011.496730847.1584390822-169904871.1417450886
The approved version for Canada of the Scriptural texts for Mass are likewise readily available on the website for the Association épiscopale liturgique pour les pays francophones (AELF) at https://www.aelf.org/calendrier/romain/2020/03.
PARISH EVENTS
St. Hedwig’s Church, Barry’s Bay, will now be streaming live content, and Masses, directly to the web site.at https://sainthedwigchurch.com/. Each past stream is auto-archived and displayed roughly 30 minutes after broadcast.
FROM THE HOLY SEE
Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Faithful for the Month of May 2020: Read here…
PRO-LIFE
Virtual National March for Life, May 10-14, 2020. The program will include high profile movies and interviews streamed online from May 10-12; a virtual candlelight vigil on Wednesday, May 13; online pro-life Masses and religious services on Thursday, May 14, and a livestreamed “virtual” rally, with guests from Canada and around the world. All events will be hosted on MarchForLife.ca and various social media platforms. A pro-life special is planned to be broadcast on May 14 on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).
OTHER CATHOLIC EVENTS
FORMED 40 Days Free Sign Up! In an effort to assist Catholics everywhere, FORMED is opening its doors to make the platform free to everyone for 40 days. Sign up today and get immediate access to the best Catholic movies, faith formation videos, audio talks, and great children’s videos. For more information, please visit the website at https://watch.formed.org/faith-at-home.
Free Theology of the Body Virtual Conference: From noon May 8th until midnight May 10th. See world-renown speakers like Christopher West, Sr. Helena Burns, fsp, Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, Matt Fradd, Jason Evert, Jeff Cavins, Dr. Bob Schuchts, and more. Register at https://www.tobvirtualconference.com/?r_done=1.
For Teens! Check out LIFETEEN Global Life Night Experience. This Sunday, May 3rd, at 5 p.m. EST, we will be hosting the second Life Night of our “You Won’t Find Jesus Here?” series, “God in the Pain”. Our message will be given by Ennie Hickman, and worship will be led by Ricky Vasquez. The entire session will last 30 minutes, allowing you 30-45 minutes to connect with your teens afterward. We are also excited to share with you the topics for the upcoming nights in this series so you can plan ahead with your teens and their families:
May 10: God in the Uprising
May 17: God in the Mirror
Part of our Global Life Night Experience is a public chat feature that is provided by YouTube. This feature allows viewers to feel connected to a live experience and not feel alone in watching. We are continuing to refine the live chat feature in order to encourage the most productive conversation and interaction as possible. If this feature is distracting for you or your teens, please note you can watch the event full screen, which will minimize the chat and allow you to only view the video content. We’ve also placed several filters on the chat and have moderators present to remove spam, inappropriate, or distracting content. Please note that to ensure the safety of teens interacting in the digital space, the streams take place on YouTube, a public platform in which no direct private messaging can take place. If this is your first week joining us (or you need a reminder), here is how our Global Life Night Experience works:
Send the teens in your youth group, small group, or confirmation program this link to the Global Life Night Experience: LFTN.CO/LIFENIGHT.
If this is your first week joining us (or you need a reminder), here is how our Global Life Night Experience works:
- Send the teens in your youth group, small group, or confirmation program this link to the Global Life Night Experience: CO/LIFENIGHT.
- Get ready to log on at 5:00 p.m. EST to be part of the live event. If you cannot log on at that time, the recorded event will be available through the same link once the live event has ended.
- Gather your teens digitally afterward via your favorite, safe-environment approved platform, and use the leader guide materials to facilitate a discussion.
It is simple as that! We are excited for this week and our “You Won’t Find Jesus Here?” series. See you Sunday!
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College is seeking to hire an Administrative Coordinator. This full-time position is 37.5 hours per week, and reports to the President. Start date is July 1, 2020. For more information, please visit https://www.seatofwisdom.ca/about/employment-opportunities/.
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College seeks a full-time Academic Dean with teaching responsibilities. Ph.D. and administrative experience are required. It is preferable that the candidate be capable of assuming teaching responsibilities in one of the disciplines of the Liberal Arts, with special preference being given to: Theology, Literature, Classical Languages, Modern Languages, or Social Sciences. Current rank of Associate Professor or Professor preferred. Start date July 1, 2020 (negotiable). Please visit https://www.seatofwisdom.ca/about/employment-opportunities/ for more information.
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College (SWC) seeks a full-time Director of Development. As a key member of SWC’s management, the Director of Development embraces the mission of SWC, and effectively promotes and communicates its identity, vision and strategic plan. The Director of Development is responsible for Administration of the Development Office, Fundraising, Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations. Start date July 1, 2020 (negotiable). For more information, please visit https://www.seatofwisdom.ca/about/employment-opportunities/.
OTHER
Items Available at Sisters of St. Joseph Main Residence (Pembroke). There are still a number of chapel items available, and many household and office items (desks, shelving, etc.). Phillippe is available for the next couple of weeks to walk anyone through the building from Monday to Friday – 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Please call Phillippe at (613) 312-9868 for more information.