Parish News and Events

Benedict XVI’s Christmas card

2011-12-18T08:55:00.000-05:00

This year the pope has chosen this picture of the Adoration of the Shepherds to say Merry Christmas.

It's a photo of a relief statue of San José,

inaugurated in July 2010 by Benedict XVI in the Vatican Gardens.

Location of 10:30 Mass

2011-10-07T12:20:00.000-04:00

The Parish Council has decided that the 10:30 Mass will remain in the church.

If our numbers increase causing overcrowding we will again consider moving a Mass to St. Martha School.

Fr. Cosmas Ajawara

2011-09-02T21:20:00.005-04:00

St. Daniel the Martyr Church

South Mountain

1894 - 2011

destroyed by fire

1 September 2011

Please keep Fr. Cosmas Ajawara

and the parishioners of St. Daniel Parish

in your prayers during this most difficult time

South Mountain church will rise again

Polish Picnic

2011-08-11T11:45:00.003-04:00

Polish Picnic

August 28th after 12:00 Mass

Everyone is invited to come and meet some of our newest parishioners

and to try some authentic Polish food!

Please come out and promote our Parish Unity!

Picnic Photos

click here

Most Rev. Francis John Spence

2011-07-29T08:26:00.005-04:00

REST IN PEACE

Most Rev. Francis John Spence

Archbishop Emeritus

3 June 1926 - 27 July 2011

Archbishop Spence will lie in state at

St. Mary’s Cathedral, 279 Johnson Street, Kingston,

Tuesday, August 2, 2011,

from 1:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.,

with a Vigil Service at 7:00 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial

will be celebrated at 1:30 p.m.

on Wednesday, August 3, 2011, at the Cathedral.

A reception will follow at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel,

285 King Street East, Kingston.

Interment will take place on Thursday, August 4, 2011, at 11:00 a.m.

at the family plot in Perth.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Priests’ Benefit Fund

of the Archdiocese of Kingston would be appreciated.

In the care of Gordon F. Tompkins Funeral Home, Central Chapel,

49 Colborne Street, Kingston, (613) 546-5454.

Newspaper

Whig Standard

Guest Book

Knights Bulletin Board: Out Door Mass

2011-07-10T18:10:00.000-04:00

Knights Bulletin Board: Out Door Mass

PRESENTATION OF NEW VATICAN MULTIMEDIA PORTAL

2011-06-27T10:57:00.002-04:00

VATICAN CITY, 27 JUN 2011 (VIS) - At midday today in the Holy See Press Office, a press conference was held to present the new Vatican internet portal "news.va", which will be inaugurated by the Pope tomorrow, 28 June, eve of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Participating in today's event were: Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications; Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office; Giovanni Maria Vian, director of the "Osservatore Romano" newspaper; Gustavo Entrala, founder and director of the 101 advertising agency, and Thaddeus Jones, an official of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

Archbishop Celli expressed his happiness at having the opportunity to present the new multimedia portal which will come online on 29 June, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, "thus completing the task entrusted to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications by the Secretariat of State", he said.

"Our desire", he went on, is to ensure that the new portal "should be an expression of our faithfulness and dedication to the Holy Father, for the sixtieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood".

The president of the dicastery explained how it will now be possible "to consult at news.va the principal news items printed or transmitted by other Vatican media outlets": the "Osservatore Romano", Vatican Radio, the Vatican Information Service, Agenzia Fides, the Holy See Press Office and the Vatican Television Centre.

The new portal will contain news items relating to the words and activities of the Holy Father in the course of his Magisterium, declarations issued by the various dicasteries of the Holy See, and information about important global events and situations affecting the particular Churches.

"For the first few months", Archbishop Celli explained, "the portal will be available in just two languages: Italian and English. ... After the summer the website will be restyled and at least one new language added, perhaps Spanish. Subsequently it will also become available in French and Portuguese".

Concerning its relationship with other Vatican media outlets, the archbishop pointed out that the new portal "will not have a specific editorial slant. ... Each of the outlets will maintain its own autonomy and identity, as will be evident from the way in which the information is presented".

The main Vatican website (vatican.va) "will not disappear, but will continue its mission to put the Holy Father's Magisterium online. Since it was founded, the Vatican website has served as a source of documentation and so it will remain, working in harmony with the new portal".

The president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications expressed particular thanks to Thaddeus Jones for having co-ordinated the activities "which brought this long and not always easy process to a successful conclusion".

Finally he also thanked Gustavo Entrala of the 101 advertising agency, who oversaw the technical and graphic aspects of the initiative.
OP/ VIS 20110627 (490)

CLERGY APPOINTMENTS

2011-06-13T22:19:00.005-04:00

CLERGY APPOINTMENTS 2011
+ Archbishop Brendan O’Brien

Effective 12 July 2011, unless otherwise indicated:

PASTORS AND ADMINISTRATORS:

Rev. Wieslaw Chochrek is appointed Pastor of the parish of Holy Name of Jesus, Kingston Mills; he will continue to serve the Polish Apostolate of Christ the King.

Rev. Marek Chochrek is appointed Pastor of the parishes of Sacred Heart of Jesus, Marmora, and Sacred Heart of Mary, Madoc, and the mission of St. Bernadette, Ormsby.

Rev. Louis DiRocco is appointed Pastor of the parish of St. Edward the Confessor, Westport.

Rev. Thomas MacDonald is appointed Pastor of the parish of St. Philip Neri, Toledo, and the mission of St. Denis the Areopagite, Athens.

Rev. Julius Nwagbara, smmm (Congregation of the Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy), is appointed Administrator of the parish of St. Ann, Merrickville.

Rev. Paul Njoku, smmm, is appointed Administrator of the parish of St. John the Evangelist, Gananoque, and the mission of St. Philomena, Howe Island, for a one-year term.

Rev. Alban Obani, smmm, is appointed Administrator of the parish of St. Columbanus, Elgin, effective 15 June 2011.

Rev. Dale Wright is appointed Administrator of the parishes of Holy Name of Mary, Marysville, St. Charles Borromeo, Read, and the mission of St. Vincent de Paul, Deseronto.

ASSOCIATE PASTORS

Rev. Christian Ifezue is appointed Associate Pastor of the parish of St. Peter-in-Chains, Trenton.

Rev. Jan Kusyk is appointed Associate Pastor of the parish of St. Joseph, Kingston, effective 15 June 2011.

LEAVES OF ABSENCE

Rev. David Pope is on leave from active ministry.

Rev. John Gillis is on Medical Leave, with residence at the parish of St. Francis Xavier, Brockville.

Rev. Shawn Hughes is on a one-year Study Leave to complete a Masters degree and Licentiate in Theology.

SEMINARIANS

Justin Pulikunnel will be doing his pastoral year at the parish of St. John the Baptist, Perth, beginning on 15 July 2011

Francis Zambon will be doing his pastoral year at the parish of St. Joseph, Belleville, beginning on 1 August 2011.

Preview of the new Roman Missal

2011-06-09T11:19:00.001-04:00

We all become very accustomed to the words we hear and pray at the mass but in a few month’s time English speakers will be faced with a momentous change when they go to church.

Knights Bulletin Board: Leadership Camp

2011-06-07T10:58:00.000-04:00

Knights Bulletin Board: Leadership Camp

Pope Benedict XVI answers questions on special television broadcast

2011-04-22T10:06:00.001-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI made papal broadcasting history on Good Friday when he became the first pope to appear on a question and answer TV show. The pre-recorded program for "In His Image", broadcast on the Italian RAI Uno station, showed the pope replying to seven questions submitted from around the world, that included a young Japanese girl, a Muslim mother from the Ivory Coast and seven Christian students from Iraq. The full text follows:

Pope's Responses from the Transmission of "In His Image"

Q. Holy Father, I want to thank you for your presence here, which fills us with joy and helps us remember that today is the day in which Jesus showed His love in the most radical way, that is, by dying on the cross as an innocent. It is precisely on this theme of innocent sorrow that is the first question that comes from a seven-year-old Japanese child who says: "My name is Elena. I am Japanese and I am seven years old. I am very frightened because the house where I felt safe really shook a lot and many children my age have died. I cannot go to play at the park. I want to know: why do I have to be so afraid? Why do children have to be so sad? I'm asking the Pope, who speaks with God, to explain it to me".

A. Dear Elena, I send you my heartfelt greetings. I also have the same questions: why is it this way? Why do you have to suffer so much while others live in ease? And we do not have the answers but we know that Jesus suffered as you do, an innocent, and that the true God who is revealed in Jesus is by your side. This seems very important to me, even if we do not have answers, even if we are still sad; God is by your side and you can be certain that this will help you. One day we will even understand why it was so. At this moment it seems important to me that you know "God loves me" even if it seems like He doesn't know me. No, He loves me, He is by my side, and you can be sure that in the world, in the universe, there are many who are with you, thinking of you, doing what they can for you, to help you. And be aware that, one day, I will understand that this suffering was not empty, it wasn't in vain, but behind it was a good plan, a plan of love. It is not chance. Be assured, we are with you, with all the Japanese children who are suffering. We want to help you with our prayers, with our actions, and you can be sure that God will help you. In this sense we pray together so that light may come to you as soon as possible.

Q. The second question presents us with a Calvary because we have a mother under her son’s cross. This mother is an Italian named Maria Teresa and she asks you: "Your Holiness, has the soul of my son Francesco, who has been in a vegetative coma since Easter Sunday 2009, left his body, seeing that he is no longer conscious, or is it still near him?"

A. Certainly his soul is still present in his body. The situation, perhaps, is like that of a guitar whose strings have been broken and therefore can no longer play. The instrument of the body is fragile like that, it is vulnerable, and the soul cannot play, so to speak, but remains present. I am also sure that this hidden soul feels your love deep down, even if unable to understand the details, your words, etc. He feels the presence of love. Your presence, therefore, dear parents, dear mother, next to him for hours and hours every day, is the true act of a love of great value because this presence enters into the depth of that hidden soul. Your act is thus also a witness of faith in God, of faith in man, of faith, let us say, of commitment, to life, of respect for human life, even in the saddest of situations. I encourage you, therefore to carry on, to know that you are giving a great service to humanity with this sign of faith, with this sign of respect for life, with this love for a wounded body and a suffering soul.

Q. The third question takes us to Iraq, to the youth of Baghdad, persecuted Christians who send you this question; "Greetings from Iraq, Holy Father", they say. "We Christians in Baghdad are persecuted like Jesus. Holy Father, in your opinion, in what way can we help our Christian community to reconsider their desire to emigrate to other countries, convincing them that leaving is not the only solution?"

A. First of all I want to cordially greet all the Christians of Iraq, our brothers and sisters, and I have to say that I pray every day for the Christians in Iraq. They are our suffering brothers and sisters, as those who are suffering in other lands are too, and therefore they are particularly dear to our hearts and we must do whatever we can so that they might be able to stay, so that they might be able to resist the temptation to emigrate, which is very understandable in the conditions they are living in. I would say that it is important that we are near to you, dear brothers and sisters in Iraq and we also want to help you, when you come, to truly receive you as brothers and sisters. Naturally, all the institutions that truly have the possibility to do something in Iraq for you should do it. The Holy See is in permanent contact with the diverse communities, not only the Catholic community and the other Christian communities, but also with our Muslim brothers and sister, Shi‛ites and Sunni. We want to create reconciliation and understanding, with the government as well, to help in this difficult journey of rebuilding a torn society. Because this is the problem, that the society is profoundly divided, torn, there is no longer the awareness that "In our diversity we are one people with a common history, where each has its place". This awareness needs to be rebuilt: that in diversity, they have a common history, a common determination. In dialogue, precisely with the various groups, we want to assist the process of reconstruction and encourage you, dear brothers and sisters in Iraq, to have faith, to be patient and have faith in God, to collaborate in this difficult process. Be assured of our prayers.

Q. The next question comes to you from a Muslim woman from the Ivory Coast, a country that has been at war for years. This lady's name is Bintu and she greets you in Arabic, saying "May God be in all the words that we say to one another and may God be with You". It is an expression that they use when beginning an address. She then continues in French: "Dear Holy Father, here in the Ivory Coast we have always lived in harmony between Christians and Muslims. Families are often formed by members of both religions. There also exists a diversity of ethnicities but we have never had problems. Now everything has changed: the crisis we are living under, caused by politics, has sown division. How many innocents have lost their lives! How many persons have been displaced, how many mothers and how many children traumatized! The messengers have exhorted peace, the prophets have exhorted peace. As an ambassador of Jesus, what do you advise for our country?

A. I would like to respond to your greeting: May God also be with you and help you forever. I have to say that I have received heartbreaking letters from the Ivory Coast in which I see the sorrow, the depth of suffering, and I am saddened that I can do so little. We can do one thing always: remain in prayer with you and, as much as possible, we can offer works of charity. Above all we want to help, as much as is in our power, the political and human contacts. I have entrusted Cardinal Turkson, who is the president of our Council for Justice and Peace, to go to the Ivory Coast to try to mediate, to speak with the various groups and various persons to encourage a new beginning. Above all we want to make the voice of Jesus, whom you also believe in as a prophet, heard. He was always a man of peace. It could be expected that, when God came to earth, He would be a man of great power, destroying the opposing forces. That He would be a man of powerful violence as an instrument of peace. Not at all. He came in weakness. He came with only the strength of love, totally without violence, even to going to the cross. This is what shows us the true face of God, that violence never comes from God, never helps bring anything good, but is a destructive means and not the path to escape difficulties. He is thus a strong voice against every type of violence. He strongly invites all sides to renounce violence, even if they feel they are right. The only path is to renounce violence, to begin anew with dialogue, with the attempt to find peace together, with a new concern for one another, a new willingness to be open to one another. This, dear lady, is Jesus' true message: seek peace with the means of peace and leave violence aside. We pray for you, that all sections of your society might hear Jesus' voice and thus that peace and communion will return.

Q. Holy Father, the next question is on the theme of Jesus' death and resurrection and comes from Italy. I will read it to you: "Your Holiness, what is Jesus doing in the time between His death and resurrection? Seeing that in reciting the Creed it says that Jesus, after His death, descended into Hell, should we think that that will also happen to us, after death, before going to heaven?"

A. First of all, this descent of Jesus' soul should not be imagined as a geographical or a spatial trip, from one continent to another. It is the soul's journey. We have to remember that Jesus' soul always touches the Father, it is always in contact with the Father but, at the same time, this human soul extends to the very borders of the human being. In this sense it goes into the depths, into the lost places, to where all who do not arrive at their life's goal go, thus transcending the continents of the past. This word about the Lord's descent into Hell mainly means that Jesus reaches even the past, that the effectiveness of the Redemption does not begin in the year 0 or 30, but also goes to the past, embraces the past, all men and women of all time. The Church Fathers say, with a very beautiful image, that Jesus takes Adam and Eve, that is, humanity, by the hand and guides them forward, guides them on high. He thus creates access to God because humanity, on its own cannot arrive at God's level. He himself, being man, can take humanity by the hand and open the access. To what? To the reality we call Heaven. So this descent into Hell, that is, into the depth of the human being, into humanity's past, is an essential part of Jesus' mission, of His mission as Redeemer, and does not apply to us. Our lives are different. We are already redeemed by the Lord and we arrive before the Judge, after our death, under Jesus' gaze. On one had, this gaze will be purifying: I think that all of us, in greater or lesser measure, are in need of purification. Jesus’ gaze purifies us, thus making us capable of living with God, of living with the Saints, and above all of living in communion with those dear to us who have preceded us.

Q. The next question is also on the theme of Resurrection and comes from Italy. "Your Holiness, when the women reach the tomb on the Sunday after Jesus' death, they do not recognize their Master but confuse him with another. It also happens to the apostles: Jesus shows them his wounds, breaks bread, in order to be recognized, precisely by his actions. He has a true body, made of flesh, but it is also glorified. What does it mean that His risen body didn't have the same characteristics as before? What, exactly, does a glorified body mean? Will the Resurrection also be like that for us?"

A. Naturally, we cannot define the glorified body because it is beyond our experience. We can only note the signs that Jesus has given us to understand, at least a little, in which direction we should seek this reality. The first sign: the tomb is empty. That is, Jesus dead not leave his body behind to corruption. This shows us that even matter is destined for eternity, that it is truly resurrected, that it does not remain something lost. But he then assumed this matter in a new condition of life. This is the second point: Jesus no longer dies, that is, He is beyond the laws of biology and physics because He endured this one death. Therefore there is a new condition, a different one, that we do not know but which is shown in the fact of Jesus and which is a great promise for all of us: that there is a new world, a new life, toward which we are on a journey. Being in this condition, Jesus had the possibility of letting himself be felt, of offering his hand to his followers, of eating with them, but still of being beyond the conditions of biological life as we live it. We know that, on the one hand, He is a real man, not a ghost, that he lives a real life, but a new life that is no longer submitted to the death that is our great promise. It is important to understand this, at least as much as we can, for the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, the Lord gives us His glorified body, not flesh to eat in a biological sense. He gives us Himself, this newness that He is in our humanity, in our being as person, and it touches us within with His being so that we might let ourselves be penetrated by His presence, transformed in His presence. It is an important point because we are thus already in contact with this new life, this new type of life, since He has entered into me and I have gone out of myself and am extended toward a new dimension of life. I think that this aspect of the promise, of the reality that He gives Himself to me and pulls me out of myself, toward on high, is the most important point. It is not about noting things that we cannot understand but of being on a journey to the newness that always begins again anew in the Eucharist.

Q. Holy Father, the last question is about Mary. At the cross we witness a poignant dialogue between Jesus and his mother in which Jesus says to Mary: “Behold your son”, and to John, “Behold your mother”. In your latest book, Jesus of Nazareth, you define it as “Jesus’ final provision”. How are we to understand these words? What meaning did they have at that moment and what do they mean today? And, on the subject of entrusting, do you intend to renew a consecration to the Virgin at the beginning of this new millennium?

A. These words of Jesus are, above all, a very human act. We see Jesus as a true man who makes a human act, an act of love for His mother, entrusting the mother to the young John so that she might be safe. A woman living alone in the East at that time was an impossible situation. He entrusts his mother to this young man and to this young man he gives his mother, therefore Jesus actually acts as a human with a deeply human sentiment. This seems very beautiful to me, very important, that before any theology we see in this act the true humanity of Jesus, his true humanism. Naturally, however, this has several dimensions, not just about this moment but regarding all of history. In John, Jesus entrusts all of us, the whole Church, all future disciples, to His mother and His mother to us. In this the course of history is fulfilled. More and more, humanity and Christians have understood that the mother of Jesus is their mother and more and more they have entrusted themselves to the Mother. Think of the great sanctuaries, think of this devotion for Mary in which more and more people feel “This is your mother”. And even some who have difficulty reaching Jesus in his greatness, the Son of God, entrust themselves without difficulty to the Mother. Someone said, “But this doesn’t have any Biblical foundation!” To this I reply, with St. Gregory the Great: “In reading”, he says, “grow the words of Scripture.” That is, they develop in lived reality. They grow and more and more in history this Word develops. We see how we can all be grateful because there is truly a Mother; we have all been given a mother. We can also go to this Mother with great confidence because she is also the Mother of every Christian. However, it is also true that this Mother expresses the Church. We cannot be Christians alone, following a Christianity based on our own ideas. The Mother is the image of the Church, the Mother Church, and entrusting ourselves to Mary means we must also entrust ourselves to the Church, live the Church, be the Church with Mary. And so we arrive at the meaning of entrusting ourselves: the Popes—whether it was Pius XII, or Paul VI, or John Paul II—have made a great act of entrusting the world to the Madonna and it seems to me, as a gesture before humankind, before Mary herself, that it was a very important gesture. I believe that now it is important to internalize this act, to let ourselves be penetrated, and to bear it out in ourselves. In this sense I have gone to some of the great Marian sanctuaries of the world: Lourdes, Fatima, Czestochowa, Altötting…, always with this sense of making real, of interiorizing this act of entrustment, so that it might truly become our act. I think that the great, public act has been made. Perhaps one day it will be necessary to repeat it again, but at the moment it seems more important to me to live it, to make it real, to enter into this entrusting so that it might truly be our own. For example, at Fatima I saw how the thousands of persons present truly entered into this entrustment. In themselves, for themselves they entrusted themselves to her; they made this made this trust real within them. It thus becomes a reality in the living Church and thus also the Church grows. The common entrustment to Mary, letting ourselves be penetrated by this presence, creating and entering into communion with Mary makes the Church, make us together with Mary, truly the Bride of Christ. Thus, at the moment, I do not intend to make a new act of public entrustment, but I would rather invite you to enter into this entrustment that has already been made, so that we might truly live it every day, and thus that a truly Marian Church might grow, a Church that is Mother, Bride, and Daughter of Jesus.

Listen to our report...

Happy Birthday Holy Father!

2011-04-16T11:00:00.000-04:00

From all over the world, from Heads of State, from Church leaders, from believers and non believers, greetings have been pouring in for Pope Benedict XVI’s 84^th birthday. A normal working day for the Holy Father, who spent Saturday giving private audiences and public addresses.

Ready Set Vote...

2011-04-01T12:11:00.004-04:00

CCCB – Ottawa)… With a federal election campaign underway, the Commission for Justice and Peace of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has issued a guide inviting Catholics to vote with discernment.
In its “Federal Election 2011 Guide”, the Commission lists some basic principles from Catholic moral and social teaching to help voters analyse and evaluate public policies and programs.
The document focuses especially on respect for life and the dignity of the human person, social justice, the family, world peace and the environment.
While recognizing there are times when “choices may prove very difficult,” the Commission for Justice and Peace also observes that a well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program or an individual law which opposes or differs from the fundamental content of faith and morals

GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION FOR THE HOLY LAND

2011-03-21T10:24:00.002-04:00

VATICAN CITY, 21 MAR 2011 (VIS) - Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, has sent a letter to the bishops of the world concerning the traditional Good Friday collection for the Holy Land.

The English-language letter, which also bears the signature of Archbishop Cyril Vasil S.J., secretary of the same congregation, explains how "the Holy Land expects the brotherhood of the universal Church and desires to reciprocate it in sharing the experience of grace and suffering that marks her journey. She wishes to recognise, first of all, the grace of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, and that of the papal vist to Cyprus. These events have increased the interest of the world and the return of a great number of pilgrims in the historical footsteps of the Lord Jesus. Yet also tangible is sorrow at the escalating violence to Christians in Eastern regions whose consequences are felt acutely in the Holy Land. The Christians of the East are experiencing the actuality of martyrdom and are suffering because of the instability or absence of peace. The most disturbing sign of this is their inexorable exodus. Indeed a few positive signs in some situations do not suffice to invert the sorrowful tendency of Christian emigration which impoverishes the entire area, draining it of the most vital forces constituted by the young generations".

"This appeal for the collection is inherent in the cause of peace, of which the brothers and sisters of the Holy Land desire to be effective instruments in the hands of the Lord for the good of the whole of the East".

"It takes place at the beginning of the Lenten journey towards Easter and can culminate on Good Friday or on the occasions considered most favourable in each local context. However, the collection everywhere remains the ordinary and indispensable means of promoting the life of Christians in that beloved Land".

After highlighting how "the Congregation for the Eastern Churches acts as spokesperson for these Churches' needs for pastoral care, education, social assistance and charity", the prefect and secretary of the dicastery note that "Pope Benedict invites us, however, to go beyond the gesture, although it is praiseworthy, of concrete help. The relationship must become more intense in order to attain a 'true spirituality anchored to the Land of Jesus'".

An attachment to the letter of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches explains how, in the period 2009-2010, the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land - the mission of which is to "to keep alive the liturgy in the places of worship, to take care of pilgrims, to enhance apostolic works, and support the Christian community" - dedicated particular attention to the planning and execution of such projects as: the Sanctuary of St. John the Baptist at Ain Karem, the Sanctuary of the Transfiguration at Mount Tabor, scholarships for university students, and building homes for the poor and for young married couples.

Published by VIS - Holy See Press Office - Monday, March 21, 2011

22/04/2011

Where does the Good Friday Collection go?
Ever wonder what happens to the money you place in the church collection basket on Good Friday? Well, if you didn’t know already, you really should. The small donations we give every Good Friday traditionally go to the Franciscan friars in the Holy Land. Their work helps ensure the survival of Christians in the land where Christianity was born.

Pope Benedict has recalled how it was St. Paul who some 2000 years ago initiated the first collection for struggling Christians in Jerusalem.

"The collection” he said, “expressed the community's debt to the mother church of Palestine, from which they had received the ineffable gift of the Gospel."

In a land sorely troubled by conflict and hatred, Christians can be instruments of peace and offer solidarity with the poor – something the Franciscans have been doing since they started caring for the local Christian flock and maintaining the holy sites in the Holy Land in 1209.

With the Good Friday collection, they have been able to restore and build shrines, construct homes for underprivileged families and young couples, assist pilgrims and care for the elderly. They run summer camps and offer skills training to help young people find jobs.

Though the collection provides much needed financial support for these projects, the Custos of the Franciscan Custody, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa says the task ahead can seem daunting. So, the Franciscans place a lot of attention on helping local Christians to help themselves.

While Fr. Pizzaballa says the Franciscans can’t be expected to respond to all the needs all the time, the Franciscans have made a major, long-standing commitment to education, offering some 300 scholarships alone. Thousands of Christian and Muslim children and young people attend their schools in the Holy Land. Tracey McClure recently visited one of them in Jerusalem and talked to the principle about how they are forming the peace-builders of tomorrow...
Listen:

TRUTH, PROCLAMATION AND AUTHENTICITY IN THE DIGITAL AGE

2011-01-24T10:00:00.007-05:00

VATICAN CITY, 24 JAN 2011 (VIS) - Made public today was the Holy Father's Message for the forty-fifth World Day of Social Communications, which will be celebrated on 5 June and has as its theme: "Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age". The Message is dated 24 January, Feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of journalists.

Excerpts from the English-language version of the Message are given below:

"New technologies are not only changing the way we communicate, but communication itself, so much so that it could be said that we are living through a period of vast cultural transformation. This means of spreading information and knowledge is giving birth to a new way of learning and thinking, with unprecedented opportunities for establishing relationships and building fellowship.

"New horizons are now open that were until recently unimaginable; they stir our wonder at the possibilities offered by these new media and, at the same time, urgently demand a serious reflection on the significance of communication in the digital age. This is particularly evident when we are confronted with the extraordinary potential of the internet and the complexity of its uses. As with every other fruit of human ingenuity, the new communications technologies must be placed at the service of the integral good of the individual and of the whole of humanity. If used wisely, they can contribute to the satisfaction of the desire for meaning, truth and unity which remain the most profound aspirations of each human being.

"In the digital world, transmitting information increasingly means making it known within a social network where knowledge is shared in the context of personal exchanges. The clear distinction between the producer and consumer of information is relativised and communication appears not only as an exchange of data, but also as a form of sharing. ... On the other hand, this is contrasted with the limits typical of digital communication: the one-sidedness of the interaction, the tendency to communicate only some parts of one's interior world, the risk of constructing a false image of oneself, which can become a form of self-indulgence".

"Ever greater involvement in the public digital forum, created by the so-called social networks, helps to establish new forms of interpersonal relations, influences self-awareness and therefore inevitably poses questions not only of how to act properly, but also about the authenticity of one's own being. .... In the search for sharing, for 'friends', there is the challenge to be authentic and faithful, and not give in to the illusion of constructing an artificial public profile for oneself.

"The new technologies allow people to meet each other beyond the confines of space and of their own culture, creating in this way an entirely new world of potential friendships. This is a great opportunity, but it also requires greater attention to and awareness of possible risks. Who is my 'neighbour' in this new world? Does the danger exist that we may be less present to those whom we encounter in our everyday life? Is there is a risk of being more distracted because our attention is fragmented and absorbed in a world 'other' than the one in which we live? Do we have time to reflect critically on our choices and to foster human relationships which are truly deep and lasting? It is important always to remember that virtual contact cannot and must not take the place of direct human contact with people at every level of our lives".

"To proclaim the Gospel through the new media means not only to insert expressly religious content into different media platforms, but also to witness consistently, in one's own digital profile and in the way one communicates choices, preferences and judgements that are fully consistent with the Gospel, even when it is not spoken of specifically. Furthermore, it is also true in the digital world that a message cannot be proclaimed without a consistent witness on the part of the one who proclaims it.".

"We must be aware that the truth which we long to share does not derive its worth from its 'popularity' or from the amount of attention it receives. We must make it known in its integrity, instead of seeking to make it acceptable or diluting it. It must become daily nourishment and not a fleeting attraction.

"The truth of the Gospel is not something to be consumed or used superficially; rather it is a gift that calls for a free response. Even when it is proclaimed in the virtual space of the web, the Gospel demands to be incarnated in the real world and linked to the real faces of our brothers and sisters, those with whom we share our daily lives. Direct human relations always remain fundamental for the transmission of the faith!

"I would like then to invite Christians, confidently and with an informed and responsible creativity, to join the network of relationships which the digital era has made possible. This is not simply to satisfy the desire to be present, but because this network is an integral part of human life. The web is contributing to the development of new and more complex intellectual and spiritual horizons, new forms of shared awareness. In this field too we are called to proclaim our faith that Christ is God".

"The proclamation of the Gospel requires a communication which is at once respectful and sensitive, which stimulates the heart and moves the conscience; one which reflects the example of the risen Jesus when He joined the disciples on the way to Emmaus".

"In the final analysis, the truth of Christ is the full and authentic response to that human desire for relationship, communion and meaning which is reflected in the immense popularity of social networks. Believers who bear witness to their most profound convictions greatly help prevent the web from becoming an instrument which depersonalises people, attempts to manipulate them emotionally or allows those who are powerful to monopolise the opinions of others. On the contrary, believers encourage everyone to keep alive the eternal human questions which testify to our desire for transcendence and our longing for authentic forms of life, truly worthy of being lived. It is precisely this uniquely human spiritual yearning which inspires our quest for truth and for communion and which impels us to communicate with integrity and honesty.

"I invite young people above all to make good use of their presence in the digital world. I repeat my invitation to them for the next World Youth Day in Madrid, where the new technologies are contributing greatly to the preparations".

Published by VIS - Holy See Press Office

Will this, also, be the way the new technology will be understood?
....

Thinking, Living and Embracing Life on the Digital Continent

ERECTION OF A PERSONAL ORDINARIATE FOR ENGLAND AND WALES

2011-01-15T12:28:00.001-05:00

VATICAN CITY, 15 JAN 2011 (VIS) - "In accordance with the provisions of the Apostolic Constitution 'Anglicanorum coetibus' of Pope Benedict XVI (4 November 2009) and after careful consultation with the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has today erected a Personal Ordinariate within the territory of England and Wales for those groups of Anglican clergy and faithful who have expressed their desire to enter into full visible communion with the Catholic Church", reads an English-language communique released today. "The Decree of Erection specifies that the Ordinariate will be known as the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham and will be placed under the patronage of Blessed John Henry Newman.

"A Personal Ordinariate is a canonical structure that provides for corporate reunion in such a way that allows former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of their distinctive Anglican patrimony. With this structure, the Apostolic Constitution 'Anglicanorum coetibus' seeks to balance on the one hand the concern to preserve the worthy Anglican liturgical, spiritual and pastoral traditions and, on the other hand, the concern that these groups and their clergy will be fully integrated into the Catholic Church.

"For doctrinal reasons the Church does not, in any circumstances, allow the ordination of married men as bishops. However, the Apostolic Constitution does provide, under certain conditions, for the ordination as Catholic priests of former Anglican married clergy. Today at Westminster Cathedral in London, Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, ordained to the Catholic priesthood three former Anglican bishops: Reverend Andrew Burnham, Reverend Keith Newton, and Reverend John Broadhurst.

"Also today Pope Benedict XVI has nominated Reverend Keith Newton as the first Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. Together with Reverend Burnham and Reverend Broadhurst, Reverend Newton will oversee the catechetical preparation of the first groups of Anglicans in England and Wales who will be received into the Catholic Church together with their pastors at Easter, and will accompany the clergy preparing for ordination to the Catholic priesthood around Pentecost.

"The provision of this new structure is consistent with the commitment to ecumenical dialogue, which continues to be a priority for the Catholic Church. The initiative leading to the publication of the Apostolic Constitution and the erection of this Personal Ordinariate came from a number of different groups of Anglicans who have declared that they share the common Catholic faith as it is expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and accept the Petrine ministry as something Christ willed for the Church. For them, the time has now come to express this implicit unity in the visible form of full communion".

Published by VIS - Holy See Press Office - Saturday, January 15, 2011

HOLY FATHER'S ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS

2011-01-10T10:12:00.000-05:00

VATICAN CITY, 10 JAN 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Sala Regia of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, Pope Benedict pronounced his traditional annual address to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See. He also received the greetings of the ambassadors formulated in a speech delivered by Alejandro Emilio Valladares Lanza of Honduras and dean of the diplomatic corps.

The Holy See currently maintains full diplomatic relations with 178 States, to which must be added the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. It also has relations of a special nature with the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

Furthermore, the Holy See has observer-State status at the United Nations, as well as being a member of seven organisations and agencies of the UN system, observer in eight others, and member or observer in five regional organisations.

Ample extracts of the Holy Father's address are give below:

"Humanity throughout history, in its beliefs and rituals, demonstrates a constant search for God and 'these forms of religious expression are so universal that one may well call man a religious being'. The religious dimension is an undeniable and irrepressible feature of man's being and acting, the measure of the fulfilment of his destiny and of the building up of the community to which he belongs. Consequently, when the individual himself or those around him neglect or deny this fundamental dimension, imbalances and conflicts arise at all levels, both personal and interpersonal".

"The right to religious freedom, ... is indeed the first of human rights, not only because it was historically the first to be recognised but also because it touches the constitutive dimension of man, his relation with his Creator. Yet is this fundamental human right not all too often called into question or violated? It seems to me that society, its leaders and public opinion are becoming more and more aware, even if not always in a clear way, of this grave attack on the dignity and freedom of 'homo religiosus', which I have sought on numerous occasions to draw to the attention of all".

"The Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, which took place in the Vatican in October, was a moment of prayer and reflection in which our thoughts turned insistently to the Christian communities in that part of the world which suffer greatly because of their fidelity to Christ and the Church.

"Looking to the East, the attacks which brought death, grief and dismay among the Christians of Iraq, even to the point of inducing them to leave the land where their families have lived for centuries, has troubled us deeply. To the authorities of that country and to the Muslim religious leaders I renew my heartfelt appeal that their Christian fellow-citizens be able to live in security, continuing to contribute to the society in which they are fully members. In Egypt too, in Alexandria, terrorism brutally struck Christians as they prayed in church. This succession of attacks is yet another sign of the urgent need for the governments of the region to adopt, in spite of difficulties and dangers, effective measures for the protection of religious minorities"

"I appreciate the concern for the rights of the most vulnerable and the political farsightedness which some countries in Europe have demonstrated in recent days by their call for a concerted response on the part of the European Union for the defence of Christians in the Middle East.

"Finally, I would like to state once again that the right to religious freedom is not fully respected when only freedom of worship is guaranteed, and that with restrictions. Furthermore, I encourage the accompaniment of the full safeguarding of religious freedom and other humans rights by programmes which, beginning in primary school and within the context of religious instruction, will educate everyone to respect their brothers and sisters in humanity.

"Regarding the states of the Arabian Peninsula, where numerous Christian immigrant workers live, I hope that the Catholic Church will be able to establish suitable pastoral structures.

"Among the norms prejudicing the right of persons to religious freedom, particular mention must be made of the law against blasphemy in Pakistan: I once more encourage the leaders of that country to take the necessary steps to abrogate that law, all the more so because it is clear that it serves as a pretext for acts of injustice and violence against religious minorities. The tragic murder of the governor of Punjab shows the urgent need to make progress in this direction: the worship of God furthers fraternity and love, not hatred and division. Other troubling situations, at times accompanied by acts of violence, can be mentioned in south and south-east Asia, in countries which for that matter have a tradition of peaceful social relations.

"The particular influence of a given religion in a nation ought never to mean that citizens of another religion can be subject to discrimination in social life or, even worse, that violence against them can be tolerated. In this regard, it is important for inter-religious dialogue to favour a common commitment to recognising and promoting the religious freedom of each person and community. And, as I remarked earlier, violence against Christians does not spare Africa. Attacks on places of worship in Nigeria during the very celebrations marking the birth of Christ are another sad proof of this.

"In a number of countries, on the other hand, a constitutionally recognised right to religious freedom exists, yet the life of religious communities is in fact made difficult and at times even dangerous because the legal or social order is inspired by philosophical and political systems which call for strict control, if not a monopoly, of the State over society. Such inconsistencies must end, so that believers will not find themselves torn between fidelity to God and loyalty to their country. I ask in particular that Catholic communities be everywhere guaranteed full autonomy of organisation and the freedom to carry out their mission, in conformity with international norms and standards in this sphere. My thoughts turn once again to the Catholic community of mainland China and its pastors, who are experiencing a time of difficulty and trial. I would also like to offer a word of encouragement to the authorities of Cuba, a country which in 2010 celebrated seventy-five years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations with the Holy See, that the dialogue happily begun with the Church may be reinforced and expanded.

"Turning our gaze from East to West, we find ourselves faced with other kinds of threats to the full exercise of religious freedom. I think in the first place of countries which accord great importance to pluralism and tolerance, but where religion is increasingly being marginalised. There is a tendency to consider religion, all religion, as something insignificant, alien or even destabilising to modern society, and to attempt by different means to prevent it from having any influence on the life of society. Christians are even required at times to act in the exercise of their profession with no reference to their religious and moral convictions, and even in opposition to them, as for example where laws are enforced limiting the right to conscientious objection on the part of health care or legal professionals.

"In this context, one can only be gratified by the adoption by the Council of Europe last October of a resolution protecting the right to conscientious objection on the part of medical personnel vis-a-vis certain acts which gravely violate the right to life, such as abortion.

"Another sign of the marginalisation of religion, and of Christianity in particular, is the banning of religious feasts and symbols from civic life under the guise of respect for the members of other religions or those who are not believers. By acting in this way, not only is the right of believers to the public expression of their faith restricted, but an attack is made on the cultural roots which nourish the profound identity and social cohesion of many nations. Last year, a number of European countries supported the appeal lodged by the Italian government in the well-known case involving the display of the crucifix in public places. I am grateful to the authorities of those nations, as well as to all those who became involved in the issue, episcopates, civil and religious organisations and associations, particularly the Patriarchate of Moscow and the other representatives of the Orthodox hierarchy, as well as to all those - believers and non-believers alike - who wished to show their sympathy for this symbol, which bespeaks universal values.

"Acknowledging religious freedom also means ensuring that religious communities can operate freely in society through initiatives in the social, charitable or educational sectors. Throughout the world, one can see the fruitful work accomplished by the Catholic Church in these areas. It is troubling that this service which religious communities render to society as a whole, particularly through the education of young people, is compromised or hampered by legislative proposals which risk creating a sort of State monopoly in the schools; this can be seen, for example, in certain countries in Latin America. Now that many of those countries are celebrating the second centenary of their independence - a fitting time for remembering the contribution made by the Catholic Church to the development of their national identity - I exhort all governments to promote educational systems respectful of the primordial right of families to make decisions about the education of their children, systems inspired by the principle of subsidiarity which is basic to the organisation of a just society.

"Continuing my reflection, I cannot remain silent about another attack on the religious freedom of families in certain European countries which mandate obligatory participation in courses of sexual or civic education which allegedly convey a neutral conception of the person and of life, yet in fact reflect an anthropology opposed to faith and to right reason".

"On this solemn occasion, allow me to state clearly several principles which inspire the Holy See, together with the whole Catholic Church, in its activity within the intergovernmental international organisations for the promotion of full respect for the religious freedom of all. First, the conviction that one cannot create a sort of scale of degrees of religious intolerance. Unfortunately, such an attitude is frequently found, and it is precisely acts of discrimination against Christians which are considered less grave and less worthy of attention on the part of governments and public opinion. At the same time, there is a need to reject the dangerous notion of a conflict between the right to religious freedom and other human rights, thus disregarding or denying the central role of respect for religious freedom in the defence and protection of fundamental human dignity. Even less justifiable are attempts to counter the right of religious freedom with other alleged new rights which, while actively promoted by certain sectors of society and inserted in national legislation or in international directives, are nonetheless merely the expression of selfish desires lacking a foundation in authentic human nature. Finally, it seems unnecessary to point out that an abstract proclamation of religious freedom is insufficient: this fundamental rule of social life must find application and respect at every level and in all areas".

"Promoting the full religious freedom of Catholic communities is also the aim of the Holy See in signing Concordats and other agreements. I am gratified that States in different parts of the world, and of different religious, cultural and juridical traditions, choose international conventions as a means of organising relations between the political community and the Catholic Church, thus establishing through dialogue a framework of co-operation and respect for reciprocal areas of competence. Last year witnessed the signing and implementation of an agreement for the religious assistance of the Catholic faithful in the armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and negotiations are presently under way with different countries. We trust that they will have a positive outcome, ensuring solutions respectful of the nature and freedom of the Church for the good of society as a whole.

"The activity of the papal representatives accredited to States and international organisations is likewise at the service of religious freedom. I would like to point out with satisfaction that the Vietnamese authorities have accepted my appointment of a representative who will express the solicitude of the Successor of Peter by visiting the beloved Catholic community of that country. I would also like to mention that in the past year the diplomatic presence of the Holy See was expanded in Africa, since a stable presence is now assured in three countries without a resident nuncio. God willing, I will once more travel to that continent, to Benin next November, in order to consign the Apostolic Exhortation which will gather the fruits of the labours of the second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops".

"I would like once more to state forcefully that religion does not represent a problem for society, that it is not a source of discord or conflict. I would repeat that the Church seeks no privileges, nor does she seek to intervene in areas unrelated to her mission, but simply to exercise the latter with freedom. I invite everyone to acknowledge the great lesson of history: 'How can anyone deny the contribution of the world's great religions to the development of civilisation? The sincere search for God has led to greater respect for human dignity. Christian communities, with their patrimony of values and principles, have contributed much to making individuals and peoples aware of their identity and their dignity, the establishment of democratic institutions and the recognition of human rights and their corresponding duties. Today too, in an increasingly globalised society, Christians are called, not only through their responsible involvement in civic, economic and political life but also through the witness of their charity and faith, to offer a valuable contribution to the laborious and stimulating pursuit of justice, integral human development and the right ordering of human affairs'.

A clear example of this was Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta: the centenary of her birth was celebrated at Tirana, Skopje and Pristina as well as in India, and a moving homage was paid to her not only by the Church but also by civil authorities and religious leaders, to say nothing of people of all religions. People like her show the world the extent to which the commitment born of faith is beneficial to society as a whole.

"May no human society willingly deprive itself of the essential contribution of religious persons and communities! ... For this reason, as we exchange good wishes for a new year rich in concord and genuine progress, I exhort everyone, political and religious leaders and persons of every walk of life, to set out with determination on the path leading to authentic and lasting peace, a path which passes through respect for the right to religious freedom in all its fullness".
CD/ VIS 20110110 (2500)

BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JANUARY 2011

2010-12-30T08:35:00.002-05:00

VATICAN CITY, 30 DEC 2010 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for January 2011 is: "That young people may learn to use modern means of social communication for their personal growth and to better prepare themselves to serve society".

His mission intention is: "That every believer in Christ may be conscious that unity among all Christians is a condition for more effective proclamation of the Gospel".

BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/ VIS 20101230

Pope Benedict XVI - Thought For The Day

2010-12-27T08:48:00.004-05:00

The Pope has addressed the people of the UK on Radio 4's Thought For The Day, the first time the pontiff has broadcast to the people of one country.

In his talk, recorded in the Vatican earlier this week, he said:

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE DELIVERED BY THE POPE ON BBC RADIO

VATICAN CITY, 24 DEC 2010 (VIS) - Given below is the transcript of a Christmas message delivered this morning by Benedict XVI on the BBC Radio 4 programme "Thought for the Day":

"Recalling with great fondness my four-day visit to the United Kingdom last September, I am glad to have the opportunity to greet you once again, and indeed to greet listeners everywhere as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ. Our thoughts turn back to a moment in history when God's chosen people, the children of Israel, were living in intense expectation. They were waiting for the Messiah that God had promised to send, and they pictured him as a great leader who would rescue them from foreign domination and restore their freedom.

"God is always faithful to His promises, but He often surprises us in the way He fulfils them. The Child that was born in Bethlehem did indeed bring liberation, but not only for the people of that time and place - He was to be the Saviour of all people throughout the world and throughout history. And it was not a political liberation that He brought, achieved through military means: rather, Christ destroyed death for ever and restored life by means of His shameful death on the Cross. And while He was born in poverty and obscurity, far from the centres of earthly power, He was none other than the Son of God. Out of love for us He took upon himself our human condition, our fragility, our vulnerability, and He opened up for us the path that leads to the fullness of life, to a share in the life of God himself. As we ponder this great mystery in our hearts this Christmas, let us give thanks to God for His goodness to us, and let us joyfully proclaim to those around us the good news that God offers us freedom from whatever weighs us down: He gives us hope, He brings us life.

"Dear Friends from Scotland, England, Wales, and indeed every part of the English-speaking world, I want you to know that I keep all of you very much in my prayers during this Holy Season. I pray for your families, for your children, for those who are sick, and for those who are going through any form of hardship at this time. I pray especially for the elderly and for those who are approaching the end of their days. I ask Christ, the light of the nations, to dispel whatever darkness there may be in your lives and to grant to every one of you the grace of a peaceful and joyful Christmas. May God bless all of you!"

Published by VISarchive 02

POPE'S CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS VIA THE INTERNET

2010-12-23T10:08:00.006-05:00

VATICAN CITY, 23 DEC 2010 (VIS) - The websites of Vatican Radio (www.radiovaticana.org) and of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (www.pccs.va), as well as the website www.pope2you.net, in close collaboration with the Vatican Television Centre (CTV) and through an agreement with Telecom Italia, will be offering a new service for the Christmas holiday period: live coverage of the liturgical celebrations presided by the Holy Father.

The Pope's celebrations - Midnight Mass on 24 December, his Christmas Message and "Urbi et Orbi" blessing at midday on 25 December, and Mass for the World Day of Peace on 1 January - will be transmitted in live audio/video linkup with commentary in six languages: Italian, French, English, German, Spanish and Portuguese. The Midnight Mass will also have commentary in Chinese, and the Mass of 1 January in Arabic.

The service has been made possible thanks to Telecom Italia's technology platform "Content Delivery Network", which enables rapid and effective distribution of multimedia content, making it accessible to computers and iPhones all over the world.

.../ VIS 20101223 (180)

Published by VIS - Holy See Press Office - Thursday, December 23, 2010

For Christmas, Vatican Radio’s website is offering its users a new service. It will allow users to stream liturgical celebrations presided over by the Holy Father throughaudio/video, live and in high definition: The Vigil Mass on Friday, December 24 starting at 22.00; the Christmas Message with the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing on December 25 starting at 12:00; and the marking of the World Day of Peace on January 1 at 10.00.

Audio will be available in the following languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese. For the vigil on December 24 commentary in Chinese will be available, and for the celebration on January 1 Arabic will also be available.

Access to the player is very simple: Go to our homepage at www.vaticanradio.org and click on “Audio Video Player” on the top-left.

Even easier, our Blog's Links, above, will link you to the "Vatican Multimedia Player"

WORLD DAY OF PEACE: "RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. THE PATH TO PEACE"

2010-12-16T08:57:00.001-05:00

VATICAN CITY, 16 DEC 2010 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at midday today, a press conference was held to present the Pope's Message for the forty-fourth World Day of Peace. The Day falls on 1 January 2011 and has as its theme: "Religious Freedom. The Path to Peace".

Participating in today's press conference were Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Bishop Mario Toso, S.D.B., Msgr. Anthony Frontiero and Tommaso De Ruzza, respectively president, secretary and officials of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

Cardinal Turkson, speaking English, explained how this year's Message is made up of "an introductory reference to the attack on Christians in Iraq, the main body of the text which presents the meaning of religious freedom and the various ways in which it fashions peace and experiences of peace, and a concluding reflection on peace as a gift of God and as the work of men and women of goodwill, especially of believers.

"Religious freedom", he added, "is the theme of the Pope's Message for the World Day of Peace not only because that subject matter is central to Catholic social doctrine, but also because the experience of religious freedom - a basic vocation of man and a fundamental, inalienable and universal human right, and key to peace - has come under great stress and threat: From raging secularism, which is intolerant of God and of any form of expression of religion. From religious fundamentalism, the politicisation of religion and the establishment of State religions. From the growing cultural and religious pluralism that is becoming ever more present and pressing in our day".

"The Holy Father", the cardinal said, "sees the safeguarding of religious freedom in our multi-cultural, multi-religious and secularised world as one of the ways to safeguard peace".

"One of the important tasks that our world set for itself following World War II was the formulation, adoption and promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights", said the president of the pontifical council. Benedict XVI, he said, "is also worried about the increasing instances of the denial of the universality of these rights in the name of different cultural, political, social and even religious outlooks".

"Religious freedom is not a right granted by a State", it "is derived, ... from natural law and from the dignity of the person, which are rooted in creation. Rather, the State and other public institutions, ... need to recognise it as intrinsic to the human person, as indispensable for integrity and peace".

Cardinal Turkson went on: "Religious freedom is a duty of public authority" but "it is not an unlimited right. ... Religious freedom refers primarily to man's freedom to express his being 'capax Dei': his freedom to respond to the truth of his nature as created by God and created for life with God without coercion or impediments. It is in this that man finds his peace, and from there becomes an instrument of peace".

"Religious freedom does not imply that all religions are equal. Nor is it a reason for religious relativism or indifferentism. Religious freedom is compatible with defence of one's religious identity against relativism, syncretism and fundamentalism, which are all abused forms of religious freedom".

After then highlighting how "religious freedom is not limited to the free exercise of worship", the cardinal pointed out that "there is a public dimension to it, which grants believers the chance of making their contribution to building the social order".

"Denying the right to profess one's religion in public and the right to bring the truth of faith to bear upon public life has negative consequences for true development", he said.

"The exercise of the right of religious freedom as a way to peace thus implies the recognition of the harmony that must exist between the two areas and forms of life: private and public, individual and community, person and society. ... Accordingly, the development and the exercise of one's religious freedom, is also the task of one's community".

Referring then to the relationship between religious freedom and the State, Cardinal Turkson affirmed that, "although religious freedom is not established by the State, it (the State) nevertheless needs to recognise it as intrinsic to the human person and his public and communitarian expressions. Recognition of religious freedom and respect for the innate dignity of every person also imply the principle of the responsibility to protect on the part of the community, society and the State".

"The Church's appeals for religious freedom are not based on a claim of reciprocity, whereby one group respects the rights of others only if the latter respect their rights. Rather, appeals for religious freedom are based on the dignity of persons. We respect the rights of others because it is the right thing to do, not in exchange for its equivalent or for a favour granted. At the same time, when others suffer persecution because of their faith and religious practice, we offer them compassion and solidarity".

Cardinal Turkson concluded his observations by noting that "all proclamation of the Gospel ... is an effort to awaken the (religious) freedom of man to desire and to embrace the truth of the Gospel. This truth of the Gospel, however, is unique, because it is truth that saves. ... Evangelisation and the carrying out of the missionary charge, then, do not contradict and oppose the sense of religious freedom".

For his part, Bishop Toso affirmed that Benedict XVI's Message "invites us particularly to examine the truth of the right to religious freedom; in other words, its anthropological, ethical, juridical, political, civil and religious implications. ... Over and above mere tolerance, religious freedom is the marrow bone of all morality and freedom, of reciprocal respect, of peace".

"The Message reserves the same criticism for fanaticism, fundamentalism and laicism, because they all overlook the essence of religious freedom, which is the free and common search for transcendent truth".

"For the Church", the bishop concluded, "dialogue between followers of different religions is an important stimulus to collaborate with all religious communities for the promotion of peace. In this way - in a globalised world characterised by increasingly multi-ethnic and multi-confessional societies - the great religions can represent not a problem but a resource, an important factor of unity and harmony".

To read the text of the Holy Father's Message click here.
AC/ VIS 20101216 (1070)

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION "VERBUM DOMINI"

2010-11-11T10:16:00.007-05:00

"VATICAN CITY, 11 NOV 2010 (VIS) - At midday today in the Holy See Press Office, the presentation took place of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation 'Verbum Domini' of Benedict XVI, on the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church.

Today's press conference was presented by Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops; Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and Archbishop Nikola Eterovic and Msgr. Fortunato Frizza, respectively secretary general and under secretary of the Synod of Bishops.

The Apostolic Exhortation, which is dated 30 September, Memorial of St. Jerome, is the fruit of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which was held in Rome from 5 to 26 October 2008. The document, which has been published in Latin, Italian, English, French., Spanish, German, Portuguese and Polish, is made up of an introduction, three parts and a conclusion.

Archbishop Eterovic explained how in part one, entitled "Verbum Dei", the Pope highlights both "the fundamental role of God the Father, source and origin of the Word", and "the Trinitarian dimension of revelation". Chapter one - "The God Who Speaks" - underscores "God's will to open and maintain a dialogue with man, in which God takes the initiative and reveals Himself in various ways". It also dwells on "the Christological aspect of the Word, while at the same time underlining the pneumatological dimension". This section of the document also focuses on the relationship between the Eucharist and Tradition, and on the theme of the inspiration and truth of the Bible.

"Our Response to the God Who Speaks" is the title of chapter two of part one. "Man is called to enter into the Alliance with his God, Who listens to him and responds to his questions. To God Who speaks, man responds with the faith. The most suitable prayer is that made using the words which were revealed by God and are conserved and written in the Bible", said Archbishop Eterovic.

Chapter three has as its title "The Interpretation of Sacred Scripture in the Church". The secretary general of the Synod of Bishops explained how "Sacred Scripture should be, as the Dogmatic Constitution 'Dei Verbum' says, 'the soul of sacred theology'. ... The biblical hermeneutics of Vatican Council II must be rediscovered, also in order to avoid a certain dualism evident in secularised interpretations which could give rise to a fundamentalist and spiritualist interpretation of Holy Scripture. Correct interpretation requires complementarity in a literal and spiritual sense, a harmony between faith and reason". This chapter also examines relations between Christians and Jews, noting that they enjoy "a very special relationship ... because they share a large part of the Scriptures".

Part two of the document is entitled "Verbum in Ecclesia". Chapter one - "The Word of God and the Church" - underlines how it is thanks to the Word of God and the effect of the Sacraments "that Jesus remains contemporary to mankind in the life of the Church", said the archbishop.

"The Liturgy, Privileged Setting for the Word of God" is the title of chapter two, in which the focus turns to "the vital link between Sacred Scripture and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist". The importance of the Lectionary is mentioned, as is that of the proclamation of the Word and the ministry of reader, with particular emphasis being laid on the preparation of the homily, a theme of great importance in this Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation.

Chapter three of part two concerns "The Word of God in the Life of the Church" and highlights "the importance of biblical inspiration for pastoral activity, the biblical dimension of catechesis, the biblical formation of Christians, the use of Sacred Scripture in great ecclesial gahterings, and the Word of God in relation to vocations". Attention is also given to "lectio divina and Marian prayer", said the archbishop.

Part three of the document published today has as its title "Verbum Mundo". It draws attention to "the duty of Christians to announce the Word of God in the world in which they live and work". Chapter one - "The Church's Mission to Proclaim the Word of God to the World" - explains how the Church "is oriented towards the announcement 'ad gentes', to people who do not yet know the Word, ... but also to those who have already been baptised ... but need new evangelisation in order to rediscover the Word of God".

"The Word of God and Commitment to the World" is the title of chapter two, which recalls how "Christians are called to serve the Word of God in their most needy brothers and sisters and, hence, to commit themselves in society for reconciliation, justice and peace among peoples".

Chapter three of part three is dedicated to "The Word of God and Culture". It expresses the hope "that the Bible may become better known in schools and universities and that better use may be made of the social communications media, exploiting all the modern possibilities of technology. The theme of the inculturation of Sacred Scripture is also linked to the translation and diffusion of the Bible, which must be increased", said Archbishop Eterovic.

"The Word of God and Inter-religious Dialogue" is the title of chapter four. "Having established the value and topicality of inter-religious dialogue, 'Verbum Domini' ... supplies some important guidelines concerning dialogue between Christians and Muslims, and with members of other non-Christian religions, within the framework of a religious liberty which involves not only the freedom to profess one's faith in private and in public, but also freedom of conscience; in other words, of choosing one's religion".

In the conclusion, Archbishop Eterovic concluded his explanations, the Holy Father reiterates his exhortation to all Christians "to become increasingly familiar with Sacred Scripture".

The Apostolic Exhortation is now on the Vatican website in PDF format - Click here

Pope issues ‘most important document on Scripture since Vatican II’

Comment welcoming the new Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini by the Most Reverend Pierre Morissette, President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

New Evangelization and Life and Family Issues

2010-11-01T11:22:00.002-04:00

New Evangelization and Life and Family Issues

Discussed at Plenary Assembly of Canadian Bishops

(CCCB – Cornwall, October 29, 2010) – The annual Plenary Assembly of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) ended today after some 90 Bishops gathered for a week (25-29 October 2010) at the NavCanada Centre in Cornwall. This meeting is an important event in the life of the Church in Canada. Relations with Muslims and interfaith greetings and reflections were at the heart of the first session.

In addition to reviewing the work carried out over the past year by the various CCCB Committees and Commissions, the Most Reverend Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, was invited to address the Assembly over two sessions on the theme of “New Evangelization and Contemporary Society.” Each of these sessions was followed by lively discussions among the Bishops and the soon-to-be Cardinal Ravasi.

“The Christian notion of truth is founded on the transcendence and objectivity of reality. Truth precedes us and exceeds us. We do not possess the truth, we are possessed by it,” explained Archbishop Ravasi.

During their meeting, the Bishops reflected seriously on the international sexual abuse crisis, and asked the Permanent Council to conduct an evaluation of how the Conference could best continue to reflect on this issue.

They also had an in-depth discussion on parish renewal and various means of integrating young adults into Church life. This will be an ongoing study for the Bishops. “How to bring the Word of God in today’s society is fundamental,” said the Most Reverend Pierre Morissette, Bishop of Saint-Jérôme and President of the CCCB.

As a follow up to their work, the Bishops of Canada have called for a new Standing Committee to advise the CCCB and the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP). This new Committee will further strengthen the close bonds that already exist between the Bishops and CCODP. It will provide a forum to share information and collaborate more closely on achieving their common goal, which is to help the world’s most vulnerable persons. A more detailed report containing further information on the work of the Ad Hoc Committee and the duties of the new Standing Committee will be released before the end of next week. The Bishops have left Cornwall for Montreal to celebrate the Mass of Thanksgiving for the canonization of Saint Brother André.

During the Plenary, the Bishops also received the report from the Ad Hoc Committee for Life and Family. This Committee had been formed last year to discuss the leadership role of Bishops in promoting a culture of life and family.

“The Bishops need to exercise real leadership on questions of life and family,” said the Most Reverend Ronald Fabbro, C.S.B., Bishop of London and Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee. “These questions require a spiritual revival, a change of hearts. It is the work of the new evangelization.”

As a clear signal of their commitment, the Bishops voted to extend the term of the Ad Hoc Committee by at least one year. During this time, the Committee will reflect on a specific structure and concrete plan for future action, which would rely also on the resources, support and work of the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF).

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is the national assembly of the Bishops of Canada. It was founded in 1943 and officially recognized by the Holy See in 1948. After the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), the CCCB became part of a worldwide network of Episcopal Conferences, established in 1965 as an integral part of the life of the universal Church.

Canonization Mass Blessed Andre

2010-10-19T15:58:00.005-04:00

Oct. 17: Canonization Mass Blessed Mary Mackillop and Blessed Andre.

Catholictv.com

Visit of the Pope to the United Kingdom

2010-09-16T13:36:00.005-04:00

Apostolic Journey to the United Kingdom

on the occasion of the

Beatification of Card. John Henry Newman
(16-19 September 2010)

Click here for streaming video

Archived videos of

Pope Benedict XVI's

visit to the United Kingdom

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

2010-09-07T18:14:00.002-04:00

"Update on the new English-language translation

of the Roman Missal

for use in Canada"

The General Secretariat and the English Sector National Liturgy Office of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) have recently received queries regarding the English-language text of the third revised edition of the Roman Missal for use in Canada.

These questions follow an earlier announcement by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that it has received recognitio from the Holy See for the English-language text for use in the USA. In addition, the USCCB has released the text of the Missal as approved for the American dioceses, while also announcing that this new translation comes into force in the USA on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011. This implementation date was chosen to allow US publishers time to print and publish the text, while also enabling American dioceses and parishes to prepare Catholics for the changes in the new edition of the Missal.

The CCCB wishes to remind Catholics in our country that the United States is one of eleven English-speaking Episcopal Conferences in the world. Each Conference of Bishops is involved in preparing its own text of the Missal. Once the proposed text has been duly approved by the Bishops of that Conference in a canonical vote, it is sent to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, along with any adaptations requested by the Bishops of that Conference. Each Conference must then wait until it receives recognitio by the Congregation before proceeding with the publication of the Missal and selecting a date for its implementation within its respective country.

The CCCB has now received recognitio for the standard texts of the Roman Missal that will be used by all the other English-speaking countries, but has not yet received recognitio for any adaptations for Canada, nor for the proposed Proper Liturgical Calendar for the Dioceses of Canada. The recognitio received by the United States, however, did include the decisions of the Congregation on the requested adaptations and the liturgical calendar for the USA. The Bishops of Canada cannot select a date for the implementation of the Missal in Canada until all the approved texts, including the adaptations, have been received and the necessary amount of time ascertained for the Canadian Missal to be printed and published. In addition, it is not CCCB practice to release liturgical translations in advance before the official liturgical books have been published.

As part of the preparation for the implementation of the Missal, the Bishops of Canada will also be issuing catechetical resources to assist Canadian Catholics in preparing for the new translation. These resources will be prepared by the CCCB English Sector Commission for Liturgy and the Sacraments, with the assistance of the Sector’s National Liturgy Office. However, these materials can only be finalized once the approved text of the Missal, as well as the adaptations and the liturgical calendar, have been received for use in Canada.

(Rev.) Msgr. Patrick Powers, P.H.
General Secretary

Pope Appoints Head of Bishops

2010-06-30T07:23:00.004-04:00

The Holy Father has appointed Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., Archbishop of Québec and Primate of Canada, to lead the Congregation and Commission.

Born on 8 June 1944 in Lamotte, near Amos, Canada, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Amos on 25 May 1968. He holds licentiates in theology and philosophy, and a doctorate in dogmatic theology.

On 15 November 2002, Cardinal Ouellet was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Quebec.

He is a member of the Pontifical Academy of Theology and was Relator General of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church” (5-26 October 2008).

He was created and proclaimed Cardinal by John Paul II in the Consistory of 21 October 2003, of the Title of S. Maria in Traspontina (Holy Mary in Transpontina).

CCCB News

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appointed today Cardinal Marc Ouellet, presently Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada, as new Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and President of the Commission for Latin America. Cardinal Ouellet has also been appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Quebec until he takes possession of his new ecclesiastical office in Rome.

No Church without Pentecost, No Pentecost without the Virgin Mary

2010-05-23T09:28:00.000-04:00

"(23 May 10 – RV) Marking the Feast of Pentecost, Pope Benedict XVI called special attention to feast of Our Lady Help of Christians on Monday, which is also a day of prayer for the Church of China, and urged all the faithful to pray for the Church in China and for unity among Catholics throughout the world. He asked that we pray in a special way for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, especially among people of Chinese origin.

Reflecting on the Feast of Pentecost before the Regina Coeli, Pope Benedict said, “There is no Pentecost without the Virgin Mary. Thus it was at the beginning, in the Upper Room where the disciples 'devoted themselves to prayer, together with some women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and his brothers' - as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles ( 1.14)."

THE CANADIAN CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS IS NOW ON WEB 2.0

2010-05-14T15:07:00.000-04:00

Ottawa – May 14, 2010 - In his message for the 44^th World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XVI invited priests to “make astute use of the unique possibilities offered by modern communications.” The Bishops of Canada have answered the call.

Today, Most Reverend Pierre Morissette, President of the Canadian Conference of Catholics Bishops (CCCB) unveiled the new and improved CCCB web site.

“The revamped site still contains all of the information everyone has come to expect to find on www.cccb.ca,” said the President “but with a sleek, dynamic new look, functional and user-friendly interface and many additional features such as a Bishop’s Blog, article sharing over Facebook and more.”

Roman Missal – Definitive text is approved

2010-04-30T17:17:00.003-04:00

April 30, 2010

Press Release from Bishop Arthur Roche, Chairman of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) welcoming the announcement of the approval of the definitive English text of the Third Edition of The Roman Missal.

Become one Body, One Spirit In Christ

World Communications Day

2010-04-26T07:23:00.001-04:00

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT XVI
FOR THE 44th WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY

"The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World:
New Media at the Service of the Word"

A Message from Archbishop O’Brien

2010-04-20T10:28:00.001-04:00

Read in the parishes on April 17 - 18, 2010

Good Friday's Collection for the Holy Land

2010-04-02T13:02:00.000-04:00

(02 Apr 2010 - RV) Every Good Friday, a special collection is taken up for the Holy Land. The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land uses this money for the upkeep of the Sacred Sites, such the churches at Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem.

Pray for me

2010-03-29T07:54:00.004-04:00

..... pray for me,
that I may learn to love the Lord more and more.
Pray for me,
that I may learn to love his flock more and more –
in other words, you, the holy Church,
each one of you and all of you together.
Pray for me,
that I may not flee for fear of the wolves.
Let us pray for one another,
that the Lord will carry us
and that we will learn to carry one another. .......

From the HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
St. Peter's Square
Sunday, 24 April 2005

The Pope to the victims of abuse

2010-03-20T07:27:00.003-04:00

New Vatican Internet Services

2010-03-20T06:47:00.001-04:00

The first is a new website:
www.resources.va
The second is a series of six (6) channels on Twitter, each in a different language. The English channel is named: news_va_en (to be read: news UNDERSCORE va UNDERSCORE en). The other languages are French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.

Welcoming news of the canonization of Brother André

2010-02-19T10:33:00.005-05:00

It is with much joy that the Bishops of Canada
welcome the 19 February 2010 announcement by
Pope Benedict XVI
of the canonization of Brother André.

"God's Doorkeeper" in Montréal to be Canonized

(RV - 19 Feb 10) Another person who will be declared a saint in October after today's announcement in the Consistory Hall of the Vatican was André Bessette, a religious of the Congregation of the Holy Cross from Canada.

The announcement is significant not only in the life of the Church in Canada, but also in the United States, where Brother André spent many years of his early life working in paper mills and factories.

Brother André is best known as the visionary founder of an Oratory dedicated to Saint Joseph in Montreal where people would gather to pray, a place which over the last century has grown into a massive shrine visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.

Fr. Claude Grou, the Rector of St Joseph’s Oratory of Mont Royal, spoke to us about the continuing value of Brother André’s life for Christians throughout the world today.

Witness Awakens Vocations

2010-02-16T06:44:00.001-05:00

(16 Feb 10 - RV) Pope Benedict XVI’s message for the 47^th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, was published today. It will be celebrated on April 25^th, Good Shepherd Sunday.

Appeal to the Pastors and Faithful of the Catholic Church in Canada

2010-01-14T19:08:00.003-05:00

The impact on the people of Haiti is enormous, following the massive 12 January 2010 earthquake centring on the region of its capital, Port-au-Prince. Although reliable estimates on the human casualties are not yet available, reports indicate that much of the city is in rubble, thousands are feared dead, and hundreds of thousands left homeless. Three million people are in need of disaster relief – which represents one-third of the nation’s total population. Among the many whose deaths are deplored in the earthquake is the Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Most Reverend Serge Miot.

Earlier today, the Holy Father appealed for assistance to Haiti. Speaking at the end of the General Audience, Pope Benedict XVI called for international generosity and solidarity toward our Haitian brothers and sisters who are suffering and in need, and gave his assurances that the Catholic Church will provide immediate and urgent assistance.

As President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, I invite all the Bishops of Canada to join me in urging all Canadian Catholics and people of goodwill to pray fervently and to respond quickly and generously to the needs of the people of Haiti in this hour of urgent need. We also wish to assure our brothers and sisters in Canada who are of Haitian origin that we are united with them in prayer and action.

Our Conference joins with the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace in launching a joint emergency campaign for Haiti. We will be working closely with Development and Peace – which is also officially Caritas Canada – in helping to organize and promote this appeal, as well as in assuring appropriate follow-up with the Church in Haiti and with its Episcopal Conference. Development and Peace has already launched its appeal for Haiti by immediately sending $50,000 in emergency assistance to Caritas Haiti. In addition to special parish collections that the Bishops of Canada may be authorizing in their respective dioceses, contributions for Haiti can also be made directly through the Development and Peace website.

May the Holy Spirit touch all hearts so that we are worthy followers of Jesus Christ in our generosity and solidarity by responding to this emergency campaign for Haiti.

+ Pierre Morissette
Bishop of Saint-Jérôme
President
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

CO-ORDINATION OF CHURCH'S EFFORTS FOR HAITI EARTHQUAKE

VATICAN CITY, 15 JAN 2010 (VIS) - The following communique was released yesterday afternoon:

"In the hours following the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, the Holy Father made an appeal far the mobilisation of spiritual and material assistance, declaring that 'the Catholic Church will not fail to move immediately, through her charitable institutions, to meet the most immediate needs of the population'.

"As with other tragedies, Catholics are already being zealous in providing tangible aid. Several Catholic agencies are at work and are sending manpower, which is especially urgent. The Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum', in direct contact with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the international humanitarian agency of the bishops of the United States, has asked it to co-ordinate the relief efforts at this stage. The 300 plus on-the-ground personnel, who have long been active in Haiti, and the past experience, expertise and resources of CRS will enable prompt and effective co-ordination of the Church's efforts, which, in the words of Pope Benedict, must be generous and concrete to meet the pressing needs of our Haitian brothers and sisters".

15 January 2010

Dear Friends in Christ:

The January 12^th earthquake in Haiti has caused massive devastation and many human casualties. The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Most Reverend Serge Miot, is among those who died in Tuesday’s earthquake. Our Holy Father, Benedict XVI, during the General Audience on Wednesday of this week, called on Catholics to join him in prayer for the victims of this catastrophe and to show our solidarity with them through our concrete support. He pledged that the Catholic Church, through her charitable institutions, will move immediately to meet the most urgent needs of the population.

I invite you to join with me in responding to the Holy Father’s request. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace – which is also officially Caritas Canada – are launching an emergency campaign for Haiti. You may make your contribution to this charitable initiative by placing an envelope marked “Haiti Relief” in the Sunday collection. These contributions will be recorded and receipted in the parish and then forwarded to the Chancery Office, where they will be transferred to the emergency fund for Haiti set up by Development and Peace.

The Federal Government announced today that it will match dollar-for-dollar any donation made to Canadian charitable organizations between January 12 and February 12, 2010.

Please remember the people of Haiti in your prayers and through a generous contribution.

Most Rev. Brendan M. O’Brien
Archbishop of Kingston

Chalice Update on Relief Efforts in Haiti

2010-01-14T19:01:00.002-05:00

Looking ahead, food security is of great concern. Previously food supply was heavily relied upon from Port-au-Prince and with the current situation we are expecting that food will not be able to make it to our more remote communities. In anticipation of food shortages our Sites are assessing their reserves, promoting rationing of food and determining alternative means of supply. Fortunately, due to our established offices and regular sponsorship program operations our Sites are in a healthy position to facilitate the funding of emergency supplies and aid. Chalice is able to continue to facilitate disaster relief to ensure our children and families are kept safe.

World Day of Peace

2009-12-15T07:38:00.003-05:00

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT XVI
FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE
WORLD DAY OF PEACE

1 JANUARY 2010

Microchalice

2009-11-24T22:52:00.006-05:00

"What is Microchalice?

Microchalice is an organization that is founded on ecumenical principles desiring to link willing lenders directly with the working poor. We feature actual micro entrepreneurs that need your help to succeed. Microchalice is a non-profit organization that exists by donations, we do not charge service fees. We work with credible microfinance institutions in the developing world."

"Microfinance Under the Spotlight

(15 Nov 09 - RV) In the past 25 years, microfinance has become a key tool in the fight against poverty.
It began by NGO’s in developing countries supplying micro-credit – small loans for small enterprises.
This week a conference in Rome took a look at the state of the industry."

Church Examines Its Use of Internet

2009-11-12T21:28:00.001-05:00

"the Internet is neither good nor bad: 'As any instrument placed in man's hands, the Internet becomes what man himself decides.'"

Funeral Information

2009-11-12T07:32:00.001-05:00

St. Paul the Apostle Parish's website has valuable information pertaining to Funerals.

Caritas in veritate

2009-07-07T08:14:00.003-04:00

ENCYCLICAL LETTER
CARITAS IN VERITATE
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
BENEDICT XVI
TO THE BISHOPS
PRIESTS AND DEACONS
MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS
THE LAY FAITHFUL
AND ALL PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL
ON INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
IN CHARITY AND TRUTH

Benedict XVI's Third Encyclical : 'Charity in Truth'

2009-06-29T12:41:00.002-04:00

(29 June 09 - RV) Pope Benedict XVI signed his latest encyclical today.
The document, entitled
"Charity in Truth"
is expected to be published soon.

The Holy Father made the announcement at his Angelus
for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.

ENCYCLICAL "CARITAS IN VERITATE" TO BE PRESENTED ON 7 JULY

CLERGY APPOINTMENTS

2009-06-18T15:34:00.003-04:00

Effective 15 July 2009, unless otherwise indicated:

Rev. John Gillis is appointed Pastor
of the parish of Holy Name of Jesus, Kingston Mills.
Rev. Thomas MacDonald is appointed Administrator of the parish of St. Ann, Merrickville.
Rev. Cosmas Ajawara is appointed Administrator
of the parish of St. Mary, Chesterville, and the mission of St. Daniel, South Mountain.

Proclaiming a Year for Priests

2009-06-18T07:34:00.002-04:00

LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE
BENEDICT XVI
PROCLAIMING A YEAR FOR PRIESTS
ON THE 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DIES NATALIS
OF THE CURÉ OF ARS

Ladies Night 2009

2009-05-20T14:09:00.006-04:00

Highlights

Pontifical Council for Social Communications Launches New Website

2009-05-19T14:42:00.001-04:00

Every year the Church celebrates World Communications Day. This year it falls on the 24th May, that’s next Sunday, and for the occasion Pope Benedict XVIth has a special message for young people across the world. The theme for 2009 is New Technologies, New Relationships. Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship. And also for the occasion, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications is launching a new web site – it too - especially directed to young people. Philippa Hitchen spoke to the President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli about the exciting new initiative

Watch for POPEtoYou on May 24, 2009

Urbi et Orbi message of his holiness pope Benedict XVI

2009-04-12T08:33:00.001-04:00

"Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world,

From the depths of my heart, I wish all of you a blessed Easter. To quote Saint Augustine, “Resurrectio Domini, spes nostra – the resurrection of the Lord is our hope” (Sermon 261:1). With these words, the great Bishop explained to the faithful that Jesus rose again so that we, though destined to die, should not despair, worrying that with death life is completely finished; Christ is risen to give us hope (cf. ibid.)."

Pope launches YouTube channel

2009-01-23T10:08:00.010-05:00

Click Here for the Channel

Here is another established, non Vatican, link

World Day of Peace

2008-12-31T11:12:00.005-05:00

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT XVI
FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE
WORLD DAY OF PEACE

1 JANUARY 2009

FIGHTING POVERTY TO BUILD PEACE

HOPE IN FACING CURRENT DIFFICULTIES

FRIDAY, 2 JANUARY 2009

Urbi et Orbi, Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T12:07:00.001-05:00

URBI ET ORBI MESSAGE
OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI

CHRISTMAS 2008

Federal Election 2008 Guide

2008-09-19T11:50:00.006-04:00

With a federal election campaign underway, the Social Affairs Commission of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has issued a guide inviting Catholics to vote but to do so with discernment.

Federal Election 2008 Guide
Making your voice heard
Click here

Ladies Night 2008

2008-06-19T09:53:00.004-04:00

Once again, Ladies Night was a big success and loads of fun.

The men of the parish provided a Mexican theme and the food was delicious!
The men are very entertaining! Photos Courtesy of Sandra Murray.

OPEN HOUSE FOR FATHER SHEA

2008-06-11T15:44:00.006-04:00

Father Shea will be saying his last Mass at Holy Name Parish

on Sunday, July 13, 2008.

There will be an Open House on July 13th from 1-3PM

at Holy Name School.

Please come and let Father Shea know how much he has meant to our parish!

Everyone Welcome!

Photos

Father Shea's Hockey Pool

2008-06-06T11:05:00.001-04:00

Final Standings for the Holy Name Parish Hockey Playoff Pool
Top 15

1. Hailey Bryan -123	9. Bill Pearse - 84
2. Gale Hulton - 99	10. John O’Shea - 82
3. Angela Sirosky-Yanyk - 96	11. Father Shea - 82
4. Roger Lamarche - 96	12. Hayden Hulton - 82
5. Cathie Pearse - 90	13. Andre Turenne - 81
6. Gary Richards -90	14. Tyson O’Toole - 81
7. Dillon Hulton - 86	15. Lucas Townsend -78
8. Tim O’Toole - 85

POOL PRIZE WINNERS
1st Place : Hailey Bryan
2nd Place : Gale Hulton
3rd Place : Angela Sirosky-Yanyk & Roger Lamarche

Other Notables
Cathie Pearse beat her husband and her son
3 of the Top 5 were female
3 of the bottom 5 were female
Fr. Shea just missed the top ten

PARISH PLAYOFF HOCKEY POOL AS OF MAY 23
(TOP 15 AFTER 3RD ROUND)

1. Hailey Bryan -96	9. Tim O’Toole - 73
2. Gale Hulton -84	10. Bill Pearse - 72
3. Roger Lamarche -83	11. Cathie Pearse -72
4. Dillon Hulton -77	12. John O’Shea - 72
5. Angela Sirosky-Yanyk	13. Tyson O’Toole - 71
6. Gary Richards -75	14. Andre Turenne - 71
7. Hayden Hulton -73	15. Jared Townsend - 66
8. Father Shea - 73

PARISH PLAYOFF HOCKEY POOL AS OF MAY 9
(TOP 15 AFTER 2ND ROUND)

1. Hailey Bryan - 61	9. Jared Townsend - 55
2. Roger Lamarche - 61	10. Andre Turenne - 54
3. Dillon Hulton - 61	11. Tyson O’Toole - 54
4. Gary Richards - 58	12. John O’Shea - 53
5. Father Shea - 58	13. Cathie Pearse - 52
6. Hayden Hulton - 58	14. Tim O’Toole - 52
7. Lucas Townsend - 57	15. Paula Hulton - 52
8. Angela Sirosky-Yanyk - 55

Top Ten in the Parish Playoff Hockey Standings as of April 23rd

1. Hayden Hulton - 37	6. William Soo - 34
2. Father Shea - 35	7. Tyson O’Toole - 34
3. Paula Hulton - 35	8. John O’Shea - 33
4. Dillon Hulton - 34	9. Tim O’Toole - 33
5. Gale Hulton - 34	10. Lucas Townsend - 33

Priest Moves

2008-06-03T10:06:00.003-04:00

It is with great sadness that we will be saying good-bye to Fr. Shea.

He will be leaving Holy Name of Jesus in July and will be going to

St. Joseph's Parish in Belleville.

Fr. Shea has been at Holy Name for 10 years and we will miss him.

We wish him the all the best at his new parish.

In July we will be welcoming Fr. Cosmas Ajawara into the Holy Name Family

as our new pastor.

Father Shea assures us that Fr. Cosmas is a great guy and a great priest!

ARCHDIOCESE OF KINGSTON

2008-06-02T18:01:00.001-04:00

Clergy Appointments 2008

Most Rev. Brendan O'Brien
announced the following retirements and clergy appointments,
effective 17 July 2008

Easter Message Urbi et Orbi of His Holiness Benedict XVI

2008-03-23T08:45:00.000-04:00

"Resurrexi, et adhuc tecum sum. Alleluia! - I have risen, I am still with you. Alleluia! Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus, crucified and risen, repeats this joyful proclamation to us today: the Easter proclamation. Let us welcome it with deep wonder and gratitude!"

General Audience, 6 February 2008

2008-02-06T12:33:00.000-05:00

BENEDICT XVI

GENERAL AUDIENCE

Paul VI Audience Hall
Ash Wednesday, 6 February 2008

Lenten Journey

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today, Ash Wednesday, marks the beginning of our annual Lenten journey of prayer and penance."

Lent 2008

2008-01-29T11:24:00.000-05:00

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
BENEDICT XVI
FOR LENT 2008

“Christ made Himself poor for you” (2 Cor 8,9)

Christmas Message 'Urbi et Orbi' of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

2007-12-25T08:07:00.000-05:00

“A holy day has dawned upon us.
Come you nations and adore the Lord.
Today a great light has come upon the earth.”

CTV - Weekly Schedule - Vatican Video

2007-12-20T10:11:00.000-05:00

"Monday 24
at 23.55 Rome time - 17.55 (5:55 p.m.) Kingston time
Christmas Midnight Mass
Vatican Basilica"

Click here to view

Message for the celebration of the World Day of Peace 2008

2007-12-11T10:04:00.000-05:00

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT XVI
FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE
WORLD DAY OF PEACE

1 JANUARY 2008

SPE SALVI

2007-11-30T07:38:00.000-05:00

ENCYCLICAL LETTER
SPE SALVI
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
BENEDICT XVI
TO THE BISHOPS
PRIESTS AND DEACONS
MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS
AND ALL THE LAY FAITHFUL
ON CHRISTIAN HOPE

BENEDICT XVI
ANGELUS
Click Here
St Peter's Square
First Sunday of Advent, 2 December 2007

This Sunday is therefore a day specially suited to offering the entire Church
and to all men and women of good will my second Encyclical,
which I wanted to dedicate precisely to the theme of
Christian hope.

Installation - Archbishop O'Brien - Photos

2007-07-27T11:36:00.000-04:00

"Installation Ceremony
Most Rev. Brendan O'Brien
9th Archbishop of Kingston
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception
Kingston, Ontario"

click here

Catholics to celebrate feast of St. Patrick two days earlier in 2008

2007-07-19T16:42:00.000-04:00

DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) - Catholics worldwide will celebrate the feast of St. Patrick two days earlier next year after the Vatican gave permission to move the feast day to avoid a conflict with Holy Week."

VIS-Press releases

2007-07-07T08:33:00.001-04:00

Apostolic Letter "Summorum Pontificum"click here
10 July 2007
On 7 July 2007, Pope Benedict XVI promulgated an Apostolic Letter on the use of the Roman Liturgy prior to the 1970 reform.

The decree will become effective on 14 September 2007.

Pope relaxes restrictions on use of Latin-language Tridentine Mass

At the Vatican, a celebration of Canada Day -- a little early

2007-06-28T09:04:00.000-04:00

"Archbishop O'Brien will be able to wear his new pallium to his July 25 installation Mass in Kingston."

Pope gives pallium to 46 archbishops as sign of unity with him
June 29, 2007

THE HUMAN FAMILY, COMMUNITY OF PEACE

2007-06-20T08:52:00.000-04:00

'THE HUMAN FAMILY, COMMUNITY OF PEACE,' is the theme of the Pope's Message for the 41st World Day of Peace, due to be celebrated on January 1, 2008. A communique made public today affirms that the theme chosen by Benedict XVI 'is based on his conviction that the perception of a common destiny and the experience of communion are essential factors in the realization of the common good.'

Archbishop of Kingston

2007-06-15T10:54:00.000-04:00

"INSTALLATION
Most Rev. Brendan O'Brien
as Archbishop of Kingston
Wednesday, 25 July
2:30 p.m.
St. Mary's Cathedral, Kingston."

VIS-Press releases

2007-06-01T11:06:00.000-04:00

"Appointed Metropolitan Archbishop Brendan Michael O'Brien of Saint John's Newfoundland, Canada as metropolitan archbishop of Kingston (area 16,500, population 321,000, Catholics 117,800, priests 84, permanent deacons 18, religious 170), Canada."

Archbishop Brendan Michael O'Brien
Click here

James McGarvey; Priest, veteran passes away

2007-05-27T08:17:00.000-04:00

"Serving in all four sections of the archdiocese, McGarvey dedicated 54 years to the priesthood, with his final stop at Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Kingston Mills from 1983 to 1992, when he retired."

44th World Day of Prayer for Vocations

2007-04-25T07:34:00.001-04:00

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT XVI
FOR THE 44th WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

Msgr. Tom Raby

2007-03-01T07:36:00.000-05:00

Msgr. Tom Raby retired his long-running Catholic Register column

LENT 2007

2007-02-17T08:38:00.000-05:00

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
BENEDICT XVI
FOR LENT 2007

“They shall look on Him
whom they have pierced” (Jn 19:37)

Most Rev. Anthony Meagher

2007-01-16T09:08:00.000-05:00

Let us pray for the
Meagher and Giroux families,
and for the people
of the Archdiocese of Kingston,
in this time of grief.

Online condolences
click here

Kingston archbishop led church through his illness
National Post (Click Here)

Common Declaration

2006-11-30T13:02:00.000-05:00

Common Declaration by Pope Benedict XVI and Patriarch Bartholomew I

“This is the day that the Lord has made,
let us rejoice and be glad in it!”

Pope asks prayers for trip to Turkey

2006-11-28T07:39:00.000-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI asked the faithful to pray
for the success of his voyage to Turkey
during his Angelus audience on
Sunday, November 26.

APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS
BENEDICT XVI
TO TURKEY
(NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 1, 2006)
Click here

Spiritual Pilgrimage With Pope

2006-10-28T11:44:00.000-04:00

Spiritual Pilgrimage With Pope Benedict XVI
"Knights, their families, and all Catholics
are being asked to pray daily for the Pontiff during the trip,
which begins on Tuesday, Nov. 28 and concludes on Friday, Dec. 1."

Fr. Tim's Photo Album

2006-08-10T10:30:00.000-04:00

Fr. Tim's Photo Album

"Update to Fr. Tim's Photo Album"

2006-03-03T11:18:00.000-05:00

Encyclical Letter "Deus Caritas Est"
click here:
"The Church's charitable activity
as a manifestation of Trinitarian love"

ENCYCLICAL LETTER
DEUS CARITAS EST
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
BENEDICT XVI
TO THE BISHOPS
PRIESTS AND DEACONS
MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS
AND ALL THE LAY FAITHFUL
ON CHRISTIAN LOVE

2006-03-03T10:18:00.000-05:00

MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER BENEDICT XVI
FOR THE 40th WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY
Click here

2005-07-12T12:47:00.000-04:00

Fr. Tim's Photo Album
Has Been Updated

2005-06-18T19:26:00.000-04:00

Archbishop Meagher announces the following retirements
and clergy appointments,
effective 6 July 2005

RETIREMENTS:
Rev. Edward J. Keyes retires as Pastor of the parish of St. Edward the Confessor, Westport.

Rev. Paul S. McAvoy retires as Pastor of the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Kingston.

PASTORS:
Rev. John F. E. Grainger is appointed Pastor of the parish of St. John the Evangelist, Gananoque, and the mission of St. Philomena, Howe Island.

Rev. John S. Brennan is appointed Pastor of the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Kingston;

Rev. Roderick L. McNeil is appointed Pastor of the parish of St. Patrick, Napanee, and will take on the position of Associate Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Kingston.

Rev. Stanley S. Alanen is appointed Rector of the parish of St. Mary's Cathedral, Kingston.

Rev. Michael A. P. Reed is appointed Pastor of the parish of Blessed Sacrament, Arnherstview, and the mission of St. Bartholomew, Amherst Island.

Rev. Louis L. DiRocco is appointed Pastor of the clustered parishes of Sacred Heart of Jesus, Marmora, and Sacred Heart of Mary, Madoc, and the mission of St. Bernadette, Ormsby.

Rev. J. M. Stephane Pouliot is appointed Pastor of the parish of St. Francis ofAssisi, Frankford, and the missions of St. James Minor; Stirling, and Sacred Heart of Jesus, Batawa.

ADMINISTRATORS:

Rev. Marek (Mark) A. Chochrek, is appointed Administrator of the clustered parishes of Holy Name of Mary, Marysville, St. Vincent de Paul, Deseronto, and St. Charles Borromeo, Read.

Rev. Wieslaw (Wes) S. Chochrek, is appointed Administrator of the parish of St. Edward the Confessor, Westport, with responsibility for Christ the King Polish Apostolate, Kingston.

ASSOCIATE PASTORS:
Rev. Dominic McGee, OFM Conv., is appointed Associate Pastor (half-time) of the parish of St. Mary's Cathedral.

Rev. Donald Oberwarth is appointed Associate Pastor of the parish of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Belleville.

CHAPLAINS:
Rev. Sebastian B. Amato is appointed Spiritual Director of the Catholic Women's League of the Archdiocese of Kingston

Rev. Daniel Quackenbush continues as Chaplain of Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School, Kingston, with additional responsibility for leadership of the Spanish Community in Kingston.

Rev. Raymond J. de Souza is appointed full-time Chaplain, Newman House, Queen's University.

2005-04-19T13:10:00.000-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI
19 April 2005

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany,
was elected the new pope Tuesday evening in the first conclave of the new millennium.
He chose the name Pope Benedict XVI.

“Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me — a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord.

The fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers.

In the joy of the risen Lord, trusting in his permanent help, we go forward. The Lord will help us and Mary, his very holy mother, stands by us.”

2005-04-02T19:08:00.000-05:00

Pontificate - John Paul II
"Do not be afraid..."

2005-02-02T01:30:00.000-05:00

Catholic Women's League Web Page

2005-01-22T18:39:00.000-05:00

Celebrate Marriage: an annual event

Statement on "Same-sex Marriage"
by Archbishop Anthony G. Meagher

2005-01-14T15:58:00.001-05:00

See the recent profile of Father Shea,
posted here with the permission of
Profile Kingston

Statue has a new home in Kingston Mills

2004-12-12T09:30:00.002-05:00

Article for the Journey - Christmas, 2004

By Karla Nichols

There's an interesting story behind the gift to Holy Name of Jesus parish in Kingston Mills, of a statue of Mary, Our Blessed Mother.

It came to us from Fr. Norbert J. Gignac of Thornhill via Monsignor Thomas J. Raby who was pastor here at Holy Name from 1953 to 1969. Msgr. Raby and Fr. Gignac were classmates at St Augustine's Seminary and became good friends and have remained so all these many years.
The statue - Our Lady of Lourdes - was once the property of the Sisters of St Joseph in Toronto. Fr. Gignac's sister was a member of this congregation.

The statue was actually one of a pair of statues; there was a smaller statue of St. Bernadette kneeling at her feet, depicting the apparitions of Our Lady to the young peasant girl in France many years ago.

Unfortunately, the statues were vandalized; the statue of Saint Bernadette was completely demolished and the nose broken off statue of Mary and the chin was chipped.

The statue of Mary was taken away and repaired but was never returned to its former home in Moreau Park because of the fear of tuther desecration. The care of the statue was turned over to Fr. Gignac and it was transported to a piece of real estate on a lake north of Toronto.

There it stayed for many years as the patroness of the Gignac family until the property was sold a few years ago.

Once again, Fr. Gignac had the statue in his care but he was then retired and living in an apartment. He wondered what he might do with a 400-pound statue.

So he spoke to his friend Msgr. Raby. Maybe Msgr. Raby knew of a good situation for the statue.

He did. Sort of! The statue arrived in Napanee and was stored in Msgr. Raby's basement for two years. But he did have plans for it. A parishioner painted it and brought it back to its former beauty.

The statue was offered to Holy Name parish and Fr. Tim Shea, pastor, was most pleased to accept this wonderful gift. It was decided that the most suitable spot for the statue was between the church and Monsignor Raby House, where it would be visible to parishioners processing into Mass and also to motorists passing by on Highway 15.

Roger Levac, a parishioner, arranged to have the statue of Mary transported to Kingston Mills. The Knights of Columbus became involved and built a suitable podium. On Saturday, November 20, Msgr. Raby and Fr. Gignac jointly blessed this most beautiful statue of ours.

Fr. Gignac dubbed it, Mary, Queen of Kingston Mills. I think the name will stick.

2004-10-26T16:33:00.000-04:00

A BIG “THANK YOU” TO ROY GOULD
He modified all the racks in the pews so that the new hymn books fit properly.
Many thanks, Roy, for your many hours of work - you did a great job.

2004-09-28T19:31:00.000-04:00

Click here to view the start of
Father Tim's Photo Album

2004-07-23T13:43:00.000-04:00

THANK YOU TO THE ANGELS - Knights Roy Gould, Basil Brosso, Bob Bryan, Ray Croxford & Phil Marshall who erected the beautiful Statue of Mary on the east side of the Church. The Statue was donated to the Parish by Msgr Tom Raby.

click on picture for a larger image

There are more photos in this weekend's online bulletin
Click here to go to the bulletin.

2004-07-08T10:46:00.001-04:00

Article for the Journey - August 15th, 2004

Holy Name of Jesus Parish
Karla Nichols

Many activities have taken place in the last few months and more to come.
Our second Ladies’ Night took place Saturday, May 1st to a sold out crowd.
The theme this year was the “Old West”. The dinner, organized by Guy Lahaie & Ron Arsenault- Barbecued Chicken & Ribs, baked potatoes, beans, dessert, wine - was delicious. This is the night when the men of the Parish do everything - organize, decorate, cook, serve, and if that isn’t enough - the ladies are treated to some special entertainment after dinner - music by Jim Ford & Father Mark Ruckpaul- hilarious skits: “The Pestered Golfer”; “El Paso” & “Stumpy the Track Star”, even a Trivia Contest.. The finale was the “never forget” take-off of the famous “RCMP Musical Ride”- no horses of course, but mops, brooms & hockey sticks were the vehicles as the cowboys, all in western garb, manoeuvred with precision between the tables, bales of hay, barrels & rail fences- absolutely fall down with laughter entertainment. A big “thank you” to all the men of the Parish & especially, our pastor, Father Tim Shea who “steered” the “cowboys” through the whole event.

Our First Parish Golf Tournament took place Sunday, May 30th at Westbrook Golf Course - thanks to Gary Richards, Ron Arsenault, Roy Gould & Bill Walker for organizing this much enjoyed event - over 50 golfers took part and everyone went home with a prize for their efforts. Following the Golf Tournament over a hundred were served a delicious Pot Luck Supper at Monsignor Raby House arranged by Hanna Lahaie & Karla Nichols and the members of the C.W.L. It was a wonderful get-together and a great send-off for our Father Mark Ruckpaul who will be Associate Pastor at St Peter’s Parish in Trenton. Gifts from the Parish, Knights of Columbus, C.W.L. and others were presented to Father Mark and many good wishes go with him to Trenton - he will be missed by all for his gentleness, his music, his humour, his homilies & his humility - never change Father Mark.

Annual Barbecue for the Seminarians takes place here at Holy Name Parish on Monday, July 19th Mass at 5:30 pm followed by dinner.

Summer Church Camp is happening again this year July 12th - 16th & 19th - 23rd
- each day from 10 am to 3 pm for children from kindergarten to Grade 6. It is organized by teenage parishioners with the help of their mothers. The camp has operated each summer since 1995 and has been very successful. Activities include: prayer, water days, crafts, songs, games, scavenger hunts, sports and more.

Parish Communion Breakfast takes place Sunday, Sept 26th - Guest Speaker is Ann Hanley

Calendar of Events

Our Parish Wellness Ministry is in full swing - under the direction of our pastor, Father Shea, and his able assistants, Barbara Fleet, Pauline Burns, Sylvia Kerr, Gary & Jean Richards, Vi Pearse and others. A Drop In Centre has just been started, the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 1:30 pm in St Joseph’s Room. This is for anyone who wishes to have a coffee & chat, blood pressure checked.

Seniors’ Bridge begins on Wednesday, July 7th and every 2nd Wednesday until Sept 1st. If you are interested please call Lois Halligan-548-3168.

The ALPHA program took place last fall and was a great success. It will be offered again this year beginning Tuesday, Sept 7th & every Tuesday until Dec 7th .

Our Parish Bazaar looms in the distance - Saturday, Nov 13th - preparations have already begun with dates set to prepare the Tortiere & the first date set for Craft Night.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place every Thursday, except holidays, from 6 am to 10 pm.

2004-06-22T19:36:00.000-04:00

Archbishop Anthony Meagher has announced the following retirements and clergy appointments effective 7 July 2004, except as noted otherwise:

RETIREMENTS:

Rev. Francis M. O’Connor retires as Pastor of the parish of St. Joseph, Kingston.

Rev. Liam P.J. Tallon retires as Pastor of the parish of St. John the Apostle, Kingston (effective 18 August 2004).

Rev. Robin F.Q.J. Gwyn retires as Pastor of the parish of St. Mary, Carleton Place, and is on indefinite leave from active ministry (effective 3 May 2004).

PASTORS:

Rev. David Collins, OFM Conv., is appointed as Pastor of the parish of St. John the Apostle, Kingston (effective 18 August 2004).

Rev. Robert J. Chisholm is appointed Pastor of the parish of St. Mary, Morrisburg, and the mission of St. Cecilia, Iroquois.

Rev. René P-E. Labelle is appointed Pastor of the parish of Sacred Heart of Mary, Wolfe Island.

Rev. Brian P. Hart is appointed Pastor of the parish of St. Gregory the Great, Picton, and the mission of St. Frances, Wellington.

Rev. Msgr. M. Joseph Lynch is appointed Pastor of the parish of St. Joseph, Kingston.

Rev. Brent J. Brennan is appointed Pastor of the parishes of St. Anthony of Padua, Centreville, and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Erinsville.

Rev. Shawn J. Hughes is appointed Pastor of the parish of St. Lawrence O’Toole, Spencerville, and the mission of St. Theresa, North Augusta (effective 18 August 2004).

Rev. Louis L. DiRocco, who is currently Administrator of the parish of Sacred Heart of Mary, Madoc, and the mission of St. Bernadette, Ormsby, is appointed Pastor of this parish and mission.

ADMINISTRATORS:

Rev. Czeslaw Zenon (Zeno) Zgudziak, S.D.S., is appointed Interim Administrator of the parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus, Lanark, and the missions of St. Columbkill, McDonald’s Corners, and St. Patrick, Ferguson Falls (effective 3 May - 1 August 2004).

Rev. William M. Steacy, C.Ss.R., is appointed Administrator of the parish of St. Patrick, Railton, and the mission of St. Mary, Odessa.

Rev. Joseph Machaj is appointed Administrator of the parish of St. John the Evangelist, Flinton, and the mission of St. Kilian, Ardoch.

Rev. Jaroslaw (Yarek) M. Dziuba, S.D.S., is appointed Administrator of the parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus, Lanark, and the missions of St. Columbkill, McDonald’s Corners, and St. Patrick, Ferguson Falls (effective 1 August 2004).

Rev. Jose Aricatt Kunjuvareerd is appointed Interim Administrator of the parish of St. Mary, Morrisburg, and the mission of St. Cecilia, Iroquois (effective 21 May - 7 July 2004).

Rev. Milton S. Remedios is appointed Administrator of the parish of St. Mary, Carleton Place (effective 3 May 2004).

Rev. Julius R. Nwagbara, S.M.M.M., is appointed Administrator of the parish of St. Philip Neri, Toledo, and the mission of St. Denis, Athens.

ASSOCIATE PASTORS:

Rev. Paulraj (Paul) Lourdusamy is appointed Associate Pastor of the parish of St. Mary’s Cathedral (effective 6 May 2004).

Rev. Sunny Sebastian is appointed Associate Pastor of the parish of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Kingston (effective 6 May 2004).

Rev. Alfred F. Alilio is appointed Associate Pastor of the parish of St. Joseph, Kingston.

Rev. Mark E. Ruckpaul is appointed Associate Pastor of the parish of St. Peter in Chains, Trenton (effective 10 June 2004).

CHAPLAIN:

Rev. Raymond J. de Souza is appointed Chaplain at Newman House, Queen’s University, Kingston, while remaining Associate Pastor of the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Kingston (effective 18 August 2004).

SABBATICAL LEAVE:

Rev. Robert B. Arsenault is granted a one-year discernment sabbatical with the Companions of the Cross (effective 18 August 2004).