Українська Католицька Едмонтонська Єпархія
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton

EPARCHIAL NEWSLETTER
October 2007

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Annual General Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church will take place September 27 – October 7, 2007 in Philadelphia. This is the first time the Synod will meet outside Ukraine in recent years. The location was specially chosen to coincide with the 100 th anniversary of the appointment of Bishop Soter Ortynsky, the first bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States.

The 33rd Eparchial Convention of the Ukrainian Catholic Youth in Canada, Ukrainian Catholic Women’s League of Canada, and the Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood of Canada will take place October 12-14 in Edmonton. The theme of the convention is “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit – Ministering to the Poor in Our Midst.”

The Alberta Coalition Against Human Trafficking has organized a conference The Alberta Symposium on Human Trafficking, October 12-14, Red Deer Lodge, Red Deer. Award-winning journalist Victor Malarek, author of The Natashas: The New Global Sex Trade, will give the keynote address.

Presbyteral Council/Consultors Meeting : 2:00 – 5:00 pm, November 21, Chancery Office.
Clergy Conference : 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, November 22, Saint Sofia Parish, Sherwood Park (see map for directions).

Eparchial Clergy, Clergy Families, and Religious – Saint Nicholas Gathering, Friday, December 28, 11:00 am Divine Liturgy (all clergy invited to concelebrate), followed by a Christmas dinner and visit by Saint Nicholas, Exaltation of the Holy Cross Parish, Edmonton. Join Bishop David in a relaxing and casual day at the newly constructed Holy Cross Parish as the eparchial clergy, their families and female and male religious come together in fellowship to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and exchange best wishes of peace, hope and joy for the New Year.

Metropolia Sobor 2008: The entire hierarchy, clergy, religious and monastics of the Winnipeg Metropolia will assemble May 26-28, 2008 in Edmonton for a unique conference to reflect on the theme of “The Mission of Our Church: Receiving and Sharing – Catechesis as Evangelization.”

World Youth Day will take place July 2008 in Sydney, Australia – Days in the Eparchy Program, July 7-13; World Youth Day Program, July 15-20. Contact Jenn Zubrack, Eparchial Youth Coordinator, for further information.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Attached is the Holy Father's Message for the 81 st World Mission Day, which this year will be celebrated on Sunday, October 21. The message theme focuses on: "All the Churches for all the world."

The Holy Father met on September 24 with prelates of the Ukrainian Episcopal Conference who have just completed their ad limina visit (Roman Catholic bishops of Ukraine). Apart from the bishops of Latin rite, also present at the audience were the bishops of Greek-Catholic rite.

Made public was a response from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to certain questions raised by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops concerning artificial nutrition and hydration.

Bishop David issued a Pastoral Letter (Пасторальний лист) to the Clergy, Religious and Faithful of the Eparchy of Edmonton on the 75th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine – Holodomor (1932-1933). Three special events are planned to commemorate the Holodomor: Education – “Hunger Banquet,” November 22, Youth Unity Centre, Edmonton; Social Outreach – “Feeding the Poor of Today,” November 23, Eparchy-wide; and Prayer – Panachyda Service for the Deceased, November 24, Edmonton City Hall.

DVDs of Bishop David’s Solemn Installation as Fifth Eparchial Bishop of Edmonton and Banquet, Saint Basil Parish, Edmonton, March 24, 2007 ($20.00) are available through the Chancery Office.

Bishop David granted priestly faculties to Rev. Metodio Techy, osbm (Basilian House of Studies), to assist in parishes throughout the Eparchy of Edmonton. Father Metodio was ordained to the priesthood on July 15, 2005 in Brazil. He is studying English at the University of Alberta.

Rev. Mark Bayrock will represent the Eparchy of Edmonton at the upcoming Annual National Meeting of the National Federation of Presbyteral Councils (NFPC) to be held October 1-5 in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The NFPC works “in a spirit of unity and collegiality with priests and bishops in Canada, and supports presbyteral councils in their role as advisors to individual bishops and by assisting priests in the integration of their spirituality, ministry and leadership” (“Vision Statement,” www.nfpc.ca).

The 49th International Eucharistic Congress will take place in Quebec City from June 15-22, 2008. The theme of the Congress is: “the Eucharist, gift of God for the life of the world.” In response to the June 10 eparchial-wide collection in support of the Eucharist Congress, $2,435.15 were collected from eight parishes ($1,250 Saint Josaphat Cathedral; $300 Saint Vladimir Parish, Edmonton; $285 Saint Basil Parish, Edmonton; $250.15 Holy Trinity Parish, Vegreville; $160 Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Mundare; $100 Saint Stephen Parish, Calgary; $55 Saint Olga Parish, Vermilion; and $35 Protection of the Mother of God Parish, Edmonton).

This year’s donations from the Annual Bishop’s Tea (September 9) totalled $9,545. The amount in its entirety will be used in support of eparchial youth ministry programs.