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Ukrainian-Canadian Church Buildings: Faith Versus Fate by Radomir Bilash As an identifiable group, the Ukrainians in Canada began settling the Prairie region at the end of the nineteenth century. One of the first institutions from the Old Country that they re-established there were churches. The earliest of them were built even before there were priests to serve them; when priests finally arrived, they were immediately welcomed and asked to...

Source: Catholic Organization for Life and Family Questions of life and death always provoke impassioned debates. Recently Canada again considered the possibility of legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide. Shouldn’t we allow these practices in order to respect the freedom and dignity of patients? Don’t we have a right to die at the time and in the circumstances of our choosing? Doesn’t compassion require us to agree to the...

Contest for Grades Kindergarten to 12: iWitness: iRespect (iwitness.edmontoneparchy.com). This contest encourages children and youth to witness how they respect their own bodies and the bodies of others by way of drawings, pictures, written works (including poetry, short stories, narratives, etc.), videos or combinations of these. Visit the website for ideas and examples. The closing date for submissions is June 20th. Winners will receive a...

Source: Catholic Organization for Life and Family The Catholic Organization for Life and Family will soon join with Catholics from across the country in celebrating Canada’s first National Week for Life and the Family – which will be observed this year between the solemnities of Ascension and Pentecost, from May 12th to 19th. With all the faithful in Canada, we thank our Bishops for setting this week aside as a time of special...

The 4th Annual “Bishop’s Prayer Breakfast” will take place 7:30 – 9:00 am, Wednesday, June 5, at Saint Josaphat’s Cathedral Hall – Verkhovyna (9637 – 108 Aveneue), Edmonton. The event supports, through prayer, our clergy, religious, monastics and laity in their leadership roles in continuing the mission of Christ in sharing the Good News among the people of God. This year’s guest speaker is Sr. Mary Clare Stack, UJ, MSW,...

Prayer for the Pope O God, who in your providential design willed that your Church be built upon blessed Peter, whom you set over the other Apostles, look with favour, we pray, on Francis our Pope and grant that he, whom you have made Peter’s successor, may be for your people a visible source and foundation of unity in faith and of communion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy...

UPCOMING EVENTS A National Week for Life and the Family, a new initiative of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), will be celebrated from May 12-19. The theme for this year’s week is The Family:  Facing life’s challenges together with Christ,” focusing on building a culture of life and a civilization of love. To assist parishes in marking the week through prayer and celebration, the CCCB together with the Catholic...

This Tuesday, March 19, 2013, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we celebrate the formal inauguration of the Petrine ministry of Francis, Servant of the Servants of God. Saint Joseph is both patron of the universal Church, and principal patron of Canada. On behalf of the Catholic Bishops of our country, I invite each member of our Church and everyone of good will to share in this moment of joy. Let us pray...

The following Clergy Pastoral Assignments take effect August 1, 2013: Calgary – Dormition of the Mother of God Parish – Rev. Michael Bohun Calgary – Saint Stephen the Protomartyr Parish – Rev. Mark Bayrock, Pastor; Rev. Bohdan Nahachewsky, Assistant Pastor Camrose and District Parishes – Rev. Greg Faryna Edmonton – Dormition of the Mother of God Parish – Rev. Myron Pyszcz Edmonton – Exaltation of the Holy Cross Parish –...

Re: District Boundary Realignment Слава Ісусу Христу! Glory be to Jesus Christ! To: Pastors, Parish Pastoral Councils and Faithful of Central Alberta Please be advised that effective August 1st 2013, there will be a number of changes to the configuration of Districts and style of ministry in central Alberta. The intent of the changes is to respond to both current and future pastoral and financial needs of our mission...

UPCOMING EVENTS During Great Lent, the Eparchy of Edmonton conducts its annual collection for “Aid to the Missionary Church in Canada.” The purpose of this collection is to support the needs of the Church in Canada. Three charitable institutions are the recipients of the collection: the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Alberta, Catholic Missions in Canada, and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Ukrainian Catholic Church in...

May 12-19, 2013 Suggestions to prepare and celebrate the National Week for Life and the Family – An initiative of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops – The Family: Facing Life’s Challenges Together With Christ The National Week for Life and the Family is an ongoing pastoral initiative of the Catholic Bishops of Canada. Each Bishop will decide when and how to implement this initiative in his diocese. Bishops across the country...

Source: news.va (Vatican Radio) The man elected to be the 265th Successor of Saint Peter in the conclave, is Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite. He was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires. He was ordained for the Jesuits on 13 December 1969 during his theological studies at the Theological Faculty of San...

Source: news.va (Vatican Radio) Citing the Latin formula, Habemus Papam, the Proto Deacon, French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran appeared on the central balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica Wednesday evening to announce the election of the 265th Successor of Saint Peter: Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., the first Jesuit pope in history, was elected to the papacy, taking the name of Pope Francis. Cardinal Tauran appeared on the...

Source: news.va Vatican City, 13 March 2013 (VIS) – What do the voting ballots for electing a Pope look like? How are the votes counted? Can Cardinal electors who are sick still cast a vote? The Apostolic Constitution “Universi Dominici Gregis” (UDG) responds to these and many other questions. It was promulgated by Blessed John Paul II in 1996 to specifically address the norms that would regulate the Sede Vacante (period...

by Rev. Dr. Athanasius McVay The vacancy of the Sancta Sedes Apostolica, the Holy Apostolic See of Rome, is known as the sede vacante, the Latin ablative absolute of sedes vacans, meaning “when the see is vacant.” The Roman See (diocese) is called Apostolic because, Divine Providence deigned it to be the diocese of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul. It is called holy because many of its bishops were saints and martyrs.  In the...

For the more than 1.2 billion Christians around the world who are members of our Church, this is an important and solemn moment. The Cardinals of the Catholic Church, in prayer and meditation, free from interference by the outside world, will begin their Conclave to elect a new Successor to the Apostle Saint Peter. The word “conclave” refers to a place with a key. Only a few staff are permitted occasional access to the Cardinals. They...

by Rev. Dr. Athanasius McVay Amiddle-aged Italian woman exclaimed “he is my favorite pope!” as she stood next to me in Piazza San Pietro, at the conclusion of Pope Benedict’s final public audience. After an initial surprise, I started thinking about why her reaction was different from that of the average person in the street. My main conclusion was that most people who resented Benedict XVI did not know him, those who appreciated...

Edmonton Parishes: Dormition Parish – Paschal Schedule 2013 Protection of the BVM & Holy Eucharist Parish – Paschal Schedule 2013 St. Basil’s Parish – Paschal Schedule & Graveside Services 2013 St. Josaphat Cathedral – Paschal Schedule 2013 St. Nicholas Parish – Paschal Schedule 2013 St. Sophia Parish (Sherwood Park) – Paschal Schedule 2013 St. Vladimir Parish – Paschal Schedule...

On February 28, 2013, Benedict XVI, now Pope-Emeritus, leaves the Chair of Peter to dedicate himself to a life of prayer and solitude.  We give thanks to God for his scholarly intellect, his loving pastor’s heart, and shining holiness during his eight-year tenure as the head of the Church.  May the Lord bless Pope-Emeritus Benedict and grant him many blessed years! На Многая Літа! ...

February 19, 2013 Vaughan, Ontario Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the establishment of the Office of Religious Freedom within the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which will be dedicated to promoting freedom of religion or belief around the world. He also announced the appointment of Dr. Andrew Bennett as Ambassador to the Office. The Prime Minister was joined by Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship,...

Source: RISU Author: Rev. Dr. Athanasius D. McVay Only a few days ago, it seemed impossible that a Pope would resign. Then, in the words of the dean of the College of Cardinals, the world was struck by a “lightening bolt in clear skies” when Benedict XVI announced his abdication as Bishop of Rome and Head of the Universal Church. Since February 11 we have all been reflecting on the significance of the papal decision. And no doubt...

By Deborah Gyapong Catholic News Service SAINTE-ADELE, Quebec (CNS) — Western secularism underlies the worldwide economic crisis and challenges the future of Ukraine, the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church told Canada’s bishops. “The current economic crisis is merely the symptom of a much deeper spiritual and cultural crisis,” Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk told the annual plenary of the Canadian Conference of...

His Beatitude our Patriarch Sviatoslav has invited the faithful of the Ukrainian Catholic Church to make a pilgrimage to Kyiv in 2013 to celebrate the 1025th Anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan-Rus, Ukraine! The major celebration will be a special Divine Liturgy on Sunday, August 18 at the Holy Resurrection Sobor in Kyiv. Join Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak (Winnipeg), Bishop Stephen Chmilar (Toronto) Bishop David Motiuk (Edmonton), Bishop...

Most Holy Father, The Bishops of Canada received this morning the news of your intention to resign the ministry of Bishop of Rome. We and the faithful of Canada have grown to love and admire you, and so are marked today with sadness at your impending departure from your role as Supreme Pontiff. At the same time, we are full of gratitude to God for the wondrous blessings that have been ours because of your extraordinary leadership. With...

Friends in Christ, 40 Days for Life continues the prayerful tradition started in 2007, mobilizing people of faith and conscience now in hundreds of cities across the United States, Canada and the world. On Wednesday, February 13, the prayer campaign will begin in Edmonton and in 260 other cities around the world! We sincerely thank you for standing with us for these babies who are created in God’s image and who are very worthy of our...

Unicef currently estimates the number of homeless children in Ukraine at over 150,000.  The disease of Human Trafficking has hit Ukraine and children on the streets, are prime targets for these traffickers.  Solutions are needed to save these children and the Bridge of Hope program is offering one solution.  This solution is called Home of Hope. The Bridge of Hope program is the result of joint efforts of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy...

Dear Brothers, I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential...

All active Acolytes, and boys of the Eparchy of Edmonton (7 years and older) or those wishing to become active Acolytes are invited to attend at Camp St. Basil on Pigeon Lake. Acolytes (Altar Boys) serve an integral part in our churches and again are given an opportunity to attend the Annual Acolyte Camp to learn more about their church, faith and each other. The camp will offer spiritual, cultural and recreational activities. Program...