The 2008 Annual Parish Reports (general info, parish census and sacrament statistics) are to be forwarded to the Chancery Office prior to December 31.
Parishes and organizations are once again invited to share the joyous news of Our Lord’s Birth with Bishop David with the age-old custom of Christmas Carolling. Please contact the Chancery Office to schedule a time on the following dates: December 28 (2:00 pm – 6:00 pm); January 17 (2:00 pm – 6:00 pm) and January 18 (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm).
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is observed in Canada between the two Sundays within which January 25 falls. The Week of Prayer seeks to increase unity in the body of Christ by gathering different traditions for prayer and worship together. The Edmonton and District Council of Churches invites you to a time of worship and prayer on January 25, 7:00 pm, at Saint Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, Edmonton (10825 – 97 Street). This year’s theme is “That They May Become One in Your Hand” (Ezekiel 37: 17).
The Eparchy of Edmonton is launching a new program for catechesis and faith formation – “Generations of Faith.” The program moves away from a focus on children-only to a community or “whole church” paradigm of faith formation, where once a month, the entire parish – children, youth, young adults, adults and seniors gather together in prayer, for a meal, and then to learn more about God, the Church and our Faith.
Pastors are invited to select and to accompany five members of their parish or parish district to attend a special hands-on training session led by Sister Ann Laszok, osbm, January 23-24, 2009 at the Chancery Office.
Parishes which undergo the training sessions will then launch the program in Great Lent with monthly sessions on the Church (Liturgical) Year – The Great Fast: Forgiveness and Repentance (February), Good Friday: the Passion (March), Bright Week: Joy and Celebration (April) and Pentecost (Empowered by the Holy Spirit for Christ’s Mission to the World (May).
For more information, contact Gloria Green, Director of Religious Education, at 780-425-9907. Also, visit www.generationsoffaith.org.
Pope John Paul II instituted World Day of the Sick in 1992, setting aside February 11 for its annual celebration. Each year the Catholic Health Association of Canada produces a resource package to assist parishes in celebrating the World Day of the Sick, including: two reflections for reproduction in a newsletter or bulletin, a prayer card, camera-ready artwork; a pamphlet providing a list of suggested activities; and a suggested format for a prayer service/liturgy. These and other World Day of the Sick resources can be ordered from www.chac.ca or (613) 731-7148.
2009 Clergy Study Days: June 1 – 5, Inner Sanctum Conference and Retreat Centre, Caroline, Alberta.
2009 Annual Clergy Retreat: September 14 (5:00 pm) – 17 (9:00 pm) (note change in dates), Camp Oselia.
2009 Presbyteral Council Meetings: 2:00 – 5:00 pm, Chancery Office: January 22, April 20, June 29, September 14 (note change in date) (Camp Oselia), October 5, and November 2.
2009 College of ConsultorsMeetings – in conjunction with Presbyeral Council meetings, or as otherwise convoked.
2009 Clergy Conferences: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, January 23, April 21, September 18 (note change in date) (10:00 am – 2:00 pm, Camp Oselia), and November 3.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Pope Benedict XVI’s
published his message for the celebration of the XLII World Day of Peace (1 January 2009) on the theme “Fighting Poverty to Build Peace.” An extract of the message is attached. The full message may be accessed at the Vatican website.
The Holy Father has chosen the themes for the next three World Youth Days so as to help build a spiritual itinerary that will culminate in the World Youth Day celebrations scheduled to take place in Madrid, Spain from 16 to 21 August, 2011.
- 24th World Youth Day (2009): "We Have Set Our Hope on the Living God" (1 Tim 4:10)
- 25th World Youth Day (2010): "Good Teacher, What Must I do to Inherit Eternal Life?" (Mk 10:17)
- 26th World Youth Day (2011): "Rooted and Built Up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith" (cf Col 2:7).
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued an Instruction Dignitas Personae on certain bioethical questions. This instruction is the fruit of study that the Congregation undertook in 2002 on new questions in bioethics with the goal of bringing the same dicastery’s instruction Donum vitae (1987) up to date. An excerpt of the document is attached.
NECROLOGY
Most Rev. Ivan Semedifell asleep in the Lord on December 6, 2008 at the age of 88. Bishop Ivan was ordained to the episcopate in 1978, where he served first as an Auxiliary Bishop, then as Eparchial Bishop of the Eparchy of Mukacheve, Ukraine, until his retirement in 2002. Vichnaja Pamjat!
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