2020 Impact Report

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint." ~ Isaiah 40:31

The COVID-19 pandemic has created many uncertainties and challenges in the year 2020. They continue in this current year despite a growing sense of hope that there is an end in sight.

These hardships and difficulties have adversely affected the Diocese, its parishes, families, our lay employees and clergy. The necessary implementation of health and safety restrictions, financial and pastoral guidelines has been discouraging for parishioners, staff and lay organizations and devastating to the parish celebration of liturgies and programs of outreach.

These decisions of stewardship will provide a path of recovery for the Diocese. In the midst of this experience we have also received many graces and blessings from the Lord to renew our hope and trust in Him.

This 2020 Impact Report reflects the goodness of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit working through the generosity and sacrifice that we have all had to make. It is also a reminder that although darkness may come into our lives, the light of the risen Christ can burn ever more brightly in those of faith.

With this report we celebrate the stewardship and initiatives undertaken by the clergy, religious and laity in sustaining the Diocese in its outreach services, ministries and the life of our parishes. Our hope must always be in the Lord.

+ William T. McGrattan
Bishop of Calgary

To address the impact of the pandemic in the year 2020, the Diocese identified four priorities:

Promote the common good of our local parish communities through consultation and the informed implementation of health & safety measures.
Continue offering fundamental pastoral services, celebration of the Sacraments, pastoral care, sacramental preparation, and essential outreach.
Reduce operational costs in the parishes and the Diocese with the anticipated decrease in revenue from restricted attendance.
Prepare the Diocese and parishes for a financial and pastoral recovery in 2022.

To prepare for the post-pandemic stage of recovery, the Diocese of Calgary will

Assess the impact caused by the pandemic on parishes and diocesan pastoral services
Identify pastoral priorities for 2021/2022 and beyond.

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Together in Action (TIA) supports pastoral outreach through diocesan, and national programs. This annual financial campaign of the Bishop's Appeal invites the 68 parishes of the Diocese in fulfilling the mandate of the Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World that the local church be engaged in works of service to humanity.

The 2021 Together in Action is operating differently from previous years. Find out how here.

Parish Priests respond to requests for Sacraments for the sick and the dying in their parishes. Three cities in the Diocese require a system to support their ministry in the high volume of requests in hospitals, hospices, and care homes 24 hours a day.

In the City of Calgary where there are many hospitals and health facilities, dedicated hospital priest chaplains provide on-call service to emergency calls.

Prior to the pandemic, the ministry of the priest-chaplains was supported by parish lay pastoral ministers and coordinators who would visit patients and who may also provide Holy Communion upon request.

This outreach in the centre of the city of Calgary has been in existence for 25 years.

As a result of the pandemic, this essential program of outreach was unable to host the weekly sit-down Sunday meal. Therefore, Feed the Hungry has been providing curbside-pickup food and care packages to approximately 300 guests every Sunday since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.

Donations to Feed the Hungry through the Birdies for Kids website are matched up to 50% - donate here | Or donate directly below.

Elizabeth House is a family-oriented home which welcomes at-risk pregnant and parenting women who need a safe and supportive place to live. This life-skills program allows these courageous women to be supported as mothers and to be empowered to transition to independent living with their child by pursuing education and job skills training. This establishes the necessary foundation for a future of hope.

70+ volunteers totaling 450 hours contribute to maintenance, landscaping, peer support, cooking and nutrition, data entry, research marketing, communications, fundraising and donation drives.
20 community agency partners ensure additional support
100% of the resident families meet or exceed the CUPS Resilience Domain goals.

Donations to Elizabeth House through the Birdies for Kids website are matched up to 50% - donate here

St. Francis Xavier Chaplaincy (SFXC) promotes the faith formation and fellowship for young adults within the Diocese in outreach to university students, young professionals, and young families.

In Calgary, the priest-chaplain connects with all of the universities in the city, collaborating with Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO), and St. Mary’s University to support these young adults.

SFXC has also established St. John Paul II House for women (4 members) and St. Henry House for men (5 members). They hold regular catechetical formation during the week, as well as weekly RCIA sessions.

The Office of Vocations assists in the discernment of men called to the diocesan priesthood and women and men called to the religious/consecrated life. It also supports the formation and education of seminarians for ordination to the priesthood.

The Formation of Permanent Deacons is a 4-year Diocesan program of formation which assists married and single men to discern this vocation as an ordained ministry of service in the Diocese. The program integrates human, spiritual, theological and pastoral elements in order to assist candidates in identifying their vocation as Christ the Servant. The academic and pastoral dimensions of the program are offered in collaboration with St. Mary’s University and the involvement of diocesan priests and deacons.

Diocesan or secular priests receive a monthly salary with deductions for taxes, CPP, and EI. They may join the diocesan pension plan through a monthly contribution which is matched by their parish or by the Diocese. The normal age of retirement is between 68-70 years of age. However, some priests continue in ministry after this age or when retired continue to serve by replacing priests in parishes when needed.

The Diocese provides priests with various options for their residence in retirement. Some live independently providing for their own living accommodation, some live in parish rectories, and some live in the Dorchester Square in downtown Calgary where rental rates are lower due to the subsidy provided by the Diocese.

Retired priests that require more assistance due to health and age may choose to reside in the St. Jean Vianney section at Providence Centre. They contribute a monthly portion of the cost which is funded by the Diocese. Priests in ministry who are convalescing and require temporary support and assistance may also receive this care.

Mission Council coordinates diocesan, national, and international requests for the financial support of missionary outreach projects.

The Council helps the faithful to recognize the call to missionary discipleship, first through the personal witness of faith and secondly, the commitment to stewardship and the promotion of the integral human development of individuals and communities.

The call to mission is a call to be involved, whether it is local, national, or international.

Mission Mexico is a diocesan outreach by Catholics of Southern Alberta to some of Mexico's poorest people. It was founded in the year of 2000, initially supporting school construction, literacy, health, human rights, and micro-economic self-help projects, Mission Mexico is now focusing more on health and education projects in La Montaña, Guerrero, Mexico, as well as responding to emergency needs of the indigenous population there.

You are now able to donate to these special collections online under its heading on the giving page of the Diocese.

Below are links to various Lay Associations 2020 Annual Reports, showing how these organizations continue to operate during the pandemic. For an updated list of Lay Associations in the Diocese of Calgary, click here.