Why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?
(Luke 1.39-45)
MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP
An unusual Christmas!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It’s a funny title to use as we approach the great feast of Christmas, considering that it has always been an unusual and extraordinary feast on its own! This year, however, the Christmas celebrations in Quebec are shaping up to be very different because of the new restrictions recently imposed by the Quebec government. (Read more…)
FROM THE DIOCESE
Christmas Holiday Schedule
The Chancery will be closed from Friday, December 24th to Monday, January 3rd, inclusively. It will re-open on Tuesday, January 4th. The staff at the Diocesan Administration Office takes this opportunity to offer you and your family a Christmas Season filled with peace and joy!
Pastoral Appointments:
The Most Reverend Guy Desrochers, C.Ss.R., announces the following pastoral appointments:
- Reverend Steven Ballard has been appointed Pastor of St John Chrysostom Parish, Arnprior, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Braeside. This appointment takes effect February 1, 2022.
- Reverend Justin Bertrand has resigned from priestly ministry and expressed his desire to seek dispensation from the obligations of the clerical state.
- Reverend John Burchat has been appointed as Pastor of St Lawrence O’Toole Parish, Barry’s Bay, Holy Canadian Martyrs Parish, Combermere, and St Francis de Sales Mission, Latchford Bridge. This appointment takes effect February 1, 2022. A priest of Madonna House will continue administration until the end of December.
- Reverend Patrick Dobec has been appointed Pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Petawawa. This appointment takes effect February 1, 2022.
- Reverend Réal Ouellette will remain in the parishes of Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin, Astorville, Ste-Bernadette, Bonfield, and Sacred Heart, Corbeil.
- Reverend Peter Proulx will conclude his part-time ministry as parochial vicar at St John Chrysostom Parish, Arnprior.
- Reverend Robert Ryan will conclude his ministry at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Braeside, as he continues his recuperation from cancer.
- Reverend Basil Tanguay has been appointed as part-time parochial vicar to the parishes of St James the Greater, Portage-du-Fort, Immaculate Conception, Bryson, Ste-Anne, Île-du-Grand Calumet, and St John the Evangelist, Campbell’s Bay. This appointment commenced on November 1, 2021.
Prayers
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Margaret Beanish, mother of Fr. Jim Beanish, who passed away on Sunday, December 19th at the age of 101.
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
CCCB –Canadian Bishops, Assembly of First Nations, Métis National Council, and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Provide an Update on Delegation to Rome
After careful assessment of the uncertainty and potential health risks surrounding international travel amid the recent spread of the Omicron variant, the Canadian Bishops, Assembly of First Nations, Métis National Council, and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami have jointly decided to reschedule a delegation to the Vatican in December 2021 to the earliest opportunity in 2022. (Read more…)
CCCB – Educational Resources for Indigenous Delegation
Please scroll to the bottom of the link page to listen to the video for Advent Week 4 – Reconciliation.
THE EVANGELIZATION TEAM
Discussion And Self-Assessment Questions for Parish Evangelization
By Pierre-Alain Giffard, Director of Pastoral Work
The following discussion and self-assessment questions come from the book, Signs of Life: Catholic, Mainline, and Conservative Protestant Congregations in Canada, (authored by Bill McAlpine, Joel Thiessen, Keith Walker, and Arch Chee Keen Wong): (Read more…)
This Is How You Can Help Your Parish Survive Covid
By Patrick Sullivan
By now, most pastors and parish councils—not to mention evangelization teams—have realized just how badly COVID has affected parish attendance. And MANY are coming to believe that getting parishioners to come back to Church will be one of the most difficult evangelizing tasks that they have ever faced … but it doesn’t have to be. (Read more…)
FROM THE CCCB
Life and Family Suggestions for Homilies and Prayers of the Faithful During January 2022 – Wednesday, December 15, 2021
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) continues to post possible homily ideas and prayers of the faithful to help link the Sunday liturgy with the national pastoral initiative for life and family. The proposed texts for the month of January 2022 include suggestions starting from the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, on 2 January 2022, to the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, on 30 January 2022. As usual, the suggestions for homilies and prayers can be easily adapted for family prayer, as well as for personal prayer or for use with other groups or organizations. The texts for the month of January 2022 are available on the special Family and Life webpage, under the section “Suggestions for Homilies & Prayers of the Faithful.”
VATICAN NEWS
The Holy Father’s Prayer Intention for January
We pray for all those suffering from religious discrimination and persecution; may their own rights and dignity be recognized, which originate from being brothers and sisters in the human family.
PARISH EVENTS
Latin Mass
A Latin Mass according to the Roman Missal of 1962 is offered at St. Columbkille Cathedral at 1:30 p.m. on January 1st. This is basically the same form of the Liturgy which nourished the faith of many Catholics for centuries. English translations of the entire Mass are provided.