The Vocation Directors of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada will meet from March 5-6, 2009 at Holy Spirit Seminary, Ottawa. The purpose of the meeting is to coordinate better vocation efforts across the country, as well as exchange information on presently employed methods and efforts. Rev. Myron Pyszcz, Vocation Director, will represent the Eparchy of Edmonton at this conference.
The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, together with the World Women’s Alliance for Life and Family (WWALF) and the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO), organized the First International Conference on “Life, Family, Development: The Role of Women in the Promotion of Human Rights.” The conference will take place from March 20-21, 2009, in Rome. Mrs. Luba Kowalchyk will represent the Eparchy of Edmonton and the Ukrainian Catholic Women’s League – National Executive at this historical gathering.
On November 14, 2008, the Eparchy of Edmonton promulgated Parish Pastoral Council Guidelines, which took effect January 1, 2008.
The Guidelines have as their purpose increased unity and uniformity concerning parish life in the Eparchy of Edmonton. They are also an important tool for existing parish pastoral councils to help them better understand their role in relation to their pastor, with whom they collaborate, and with their parish, whom they serve.
Now that the parishes are somewhat familiar with the document, each and every parish and mission throughout the Eparchy are invited to revise their Parish By-law in light of the Guidelines. In this regard, see in particular the section entitled Resources: By-laws in general, Sample By-law, and Civil By-law. The revised Parish By-law is to be forwarded to the Chancery for review and approval by May 31, 2009.
For your information, a group by the name of One More Soul, Canada has organized and is promoting a conference on Pope John Paul II's theology of the body, to be held in Saskatoon, June 5-7, 2009. The Diocese of Saskatoon and the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon are among the sponsors. Clergy and religious can attend without a registration fee. More information is available at:
2009 Clergy Study Days: June 15 – 19, Inner Sanctum Conference and Retreat Centre, Caroline, Alberta. Rev. Peter Galadza, Kule Family Professor of Liturgy, Sheptytsky Institute, Saint Paul University, Ottawa, will lead us on a reflection on liturgical renewal within the Eparchy of Edmonton, based upon the 1996 Eastern Liturgical Instruction.
2009 Annual Clergy Retreat: October 5 (5:00 pm)– 9 (9:00 pm),Providence Centre, Edmonton (note change in dates and location).
2009 Presbyteral Council Meetings : 2:00 – 5:00 pm, Chancery Office: April 20, June 29, [September 14 (note - cancelled)], October 5 (Providence Centre), 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, April 21, October 9 (10:00 am – 2:00 pm, Providence Centre; note change in date and location), and November 3.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Attached is the 2009 Lenten Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI. The text, dated 11 December 2008, has as its title a verse from the Gospel of St. Matthew: “He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.”
Each year during Great Lent, the Eparchy of Edmonton takes a collection for the Church in Ukraine. Christians are urged to share their goods with others, and thus express in a concrete way their desire to come closer to God and all his children as a result of their Great Lenten efforts. The offering should reflect the money saved through penitential fasting, and set aside for God’s people.
The Church in Ukraine continues to develop and grow, but it cannot do so without the generous support of our faithful in Canada. This year, rather than taking up several individual collections throughout the year, we will rely on the generosity of our parishioners, who may wish to make a general donation or specify their donation accordingly:
- Aid to the Church in Ukraine (general needs)
- Andrew’s Pence (discretionary fund for His Beatitude Lubomyr to provide emergency aid as a situation arises)
- Annual Synod of Bishops
- Building of the Patriarchal Sobor-Cathedral of the Resurrection of Our Lord, Kyiv
- Catechetical Commission (to publish a Catechism for the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and them translate and publish in various languages)
- Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv (www.ucu.edu.ua; www.ucef.ca)
For your information, attached is a progress report of the Alberta-Ukraine Genealogical Project on “Documenting Church Properties in Rural Communities in Alberta.”
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