Last year on Galiano Island I stood before a mural depicting orcas and noticed that it was actually a collection of smaller individual pictures, each intricate and unique, yet collectively expressing a beautiful web of marine life. Something similar is happening in east Lethbridge.

​All Saints Parish recently completed a 15 month process to develop a strategic plan for the future. Although the plan appears straightforward, it actually represents hundreds of individual inputs, from stakeholders within and outside the parish. Gathering and synthesizing these inputs was assigned to the ELCPAP team (East Lethbridge Catholic Parish Assessment Project), a diverse group of volunteers.

From the launch of the process in January 2023, Bishop McGrattan was adamant that “all options are open”. He gave the parish a clear mandate, a timeline and a professional facilitator to ensure the ELCPAP group did not get mired in conflict or stagnation. The group began with an open ended survey consisting of just three questions – What should we START doing? What should we STOP doing? What should we CONTINUE doing? Almost 400 people took the time to offer their thoughts. Some responses were pages long, some just a few lines, some impassioned, others jaded. Most were hopeful and all demonstrated genuine concern. This personal feedback was invaluable to the process. To understand parish dynamics, it’s important to explain the recent history of All Saints Parish.

These goals were presented to the bishop who, together with diocesan councils, gave them fulsome consideration. In April, the parish convened a town hall meeting at which the result of ELCPAP deliberations was summarized. Bishop McGrattan formally approved the strategic plan, with one caveat. Fiscal prudence dictated that any new building project required fresh assessment of scope and feasibility, in light of economic changes over the past decade.
​
Like a wall mural, the wishes of All Saints parishioners have been judiciously gathered, cemented with prayer, and assembled into a vision for the future. No single opinion can represent the whole and inevitably, the completed picture cannot fully encompass individual wishes. Going forward there will need to be a strong desire for unity in order to successfully build upon what has been started. There is still much work to be done but with goodwill and God’s grace, All Saints Parish can emerge greater than the sum of its parts.

Luis Ramos, chair of the Parish Renewal Team at Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish in Calgary, expressed his excitement about their first successful Parish Renewal Gathering, emphasizing the diverse participation from multiple communities and parish groups, "We had the participation of the Italian, English, and Spanish communities, along with 10 parish groups, and two parish ministries."

To capture the essence of the event, feedback was gathered from the Parish Renewal Team members. Diana Arellano shared her joy at seeing a broad spectrum of the parish involved. "What I hoped for indeed unfolded before our eyes—many faces, representing diverse ministries, spanning all age groups, and even welcoming new participants eager to engage, learn, and contribute their insights," she said.

Carlos Zerpa noted the parish community's eagerness to explore the three areas of pastoral priority and the nine actions presented, which was echoed by PRT member Angela Ruiz. "I think that people felt very comfortable during the event because of how welcoming the development of the meeting was, they also had many questions about this topic," Ruiz observed, indicating a community ready to engage deeply with their faith.

A key element of the gathering was a communal prayer session centered around Lectio Divina, reflecting on Hebrews 10:19-25. This session aimed to resonate with the diverse cultural backgrounds of the parishioners, fostering a sense of unity despite challenges. Luis Ramos shared a personal moment of confirmation during the prayer, feeling reassured that this was the divinely appointed time for parish-by-parish renewal, centered on Jesus Christ and community collaboration. "My inspiration is the desire of others to witness community work illuminated by the gospel and guided by the local church."

​Andrea Leites also spoke about her spiritual calling since the project's beginning. "I felt a strong calling. I feel that God is calling me to be an active part of this process and not a spectator," she shared.

Looking ahead, the team is cautious about introducing new activities, focusing instead on refining existing programs to better align with the Renewal's goals. "It's not about adding more to our plate but enhancing what we already have, ensuring our programs contribute effectively to our mission," Ramos clarified. This approach includes a strong emphasis on doctrinal and biblical training for everyone, equipping parishioners to serve as missionary disciples.

Asked about what fuels their enthusiasm for the renewal process, Ruiz shared her joy in assisting others to reconnect with the church. Each team member's commitment to this visionary project reflects a collective drive to foster a dynamic, faith-filled community eager to grow and serve together.

Working together on the Parish Renewal Team has brought team members closer, fostering a sense of unity and dedication towards their common goal. Leites reflected on this collaboration, emphasizing the team's aspiration for the project's success. "During the preparation meetings, I was able to get to know the team members a little more. Each one wants to do their best so that this project is truly a spiritual renewal not only of our community but of the entire Diocese," she observed. Her enthusiasm for the educational component of the project is obvious, "Knowing that we are going to educate ourselves to serve in the best possible way excites me very much. I am very happy to have said yes to this call from God.”

Being at the helm of leadership role of the Parish during the Renewal process, member Carlos Zerpa referenced scripture, "In Ephesians 4:11, where Paul tells us that God chooses the leaders. Those whom He chooses, He equips. A leader is not self-made or self-appointed. Instead, a leader should be humble and aware that he is where he is because of God’s mercy and for the sake of God’s people,” he noted.

Further elaborating on his motivations, PRT chair Ramos shared his vision for unity and outreach through the Pastoral Renewal Plan. "My motivation for serving in the church has always been to promote unity in diversity and seek opportunities to lead others toward a life in Christ. The Pastoral Renewal Plan presents a broad vision that invites us to give up ourselves, get out of the ministry or group we have served for years, and go out to meet those people who need the love of God,” he said.

He also expressed gratitude for the parish community's eagerness to implement their ideas, guided by faith. "Our parishes are full of disciples eager to put many good ideas into practice. Let us take advantage of this itinerary that God shows us to resume our mission of sanctifying time and our works and, proud of our Catholic identity, bear witness to faith and charity," he shared.

Through these reflections, the team members of the Parish Renewal project expressed a unified commitment to deep, spiritual renewal—guided by formation, humility, and a profound sense of divine calling.

In conclusion, Arellano humbly noted the divine guidance behind their mission, "I recognize that this endeavor is not solely ours to lead, but rather God's project, and our role is to be faithful stewards of His will.” 

On Saturday, April 20, 2024, Sacred Heart Parish in Calgary welcomed approximately 60 parishioners for a parish renewal gathering as part of the Diocesan Pastoral Renewal. The event was a beautiful opportunity for our parish community to come together, learn about the Renewal, and pray as we seek to renew our parish life. 
 
During the gathering, attendees were introduced to the Diocesan Pastoral Renewal, shared a meal, and engaged in small group discussions. These discussions allowed parishioners to reflect on their pastoral priorities and to share their hopes and aspirations for our parish.
 
It was inspiring to witness the enthusiasm and engagement of everyone present, especially with having only 2 weeks of preparation. The event provided us with a valuable opportunity to engage the parish community and discern a common path forward for Sacred Heart Parish in light of the Diocesan Pastoral Renewal.
 
We are grateful to all who participated and contributed to making this event a success. As we continue our journey of renewal, we look forward to growing even more rooted in the Church’s mission of bringing people to Christ and forming missionary disciples. 

Submitted by Sacred Heart Parish Renewal Team. Photos courtesy of Sacred Heart Parish.

"We urgently need more vocations in our diocese—to Consecrated life and the Priesthood. Without everyone's involvement, how can we hope to see an increase in vocations?" Sr. Dianne, Assistant Director of Vocations, posed this compelling question at the Vocations Rally on Good Shepherd Sunday, April 21, at St. Michael’s Parish in Calgary.
 
“We really need to get that soil prepared so that the seeds of vocation can fall into it, and they can flourish,” she continued. Indeed, this was the driving force behind gathering the faithful at the Vocations Rally, aiming to enlighten us all on how to create such nurturing conditions.

The event, co-hosted with the Benedict XVI Institute from Newman Theological College, was a hopeful beginning for fostering vocations within our diocesan community. With more than 400 attendees, including pre-registrants and walk-ins, the Rally kicked off with Mass at 11 am, led by Fr. Edmund Vargas. Afterward, attendees were invited to enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by the Knights of Columbus in the narthex, and explore various booths featuring Religious brothers and sisters, seminarians, and vocations advocates before the start of the presentations.

Fr. Cristino, Director of Vocations, shared his astonishment at the turnout and the discussions he had in the days following the rally. “It was impressive to me, first of all, how many people were in attendance. But the follow up conversations I've been having with people all week clearly indicate that they were deeply impacted by all of the sharing they received in that brief time together!”

But this comes as no surprise. The insights shared by each speaker, combined with the sense of community encountered at the Rally, were a true renewal experience.

Videos from the Vocations Rally are available here:

• Video #1 - Featuring Dr. Ryan Topping, Fr. Cristino Bouvette & Fr. Santiago Torres; Greta De Souza
• Video #2 - Featuring Cedric & Greta De Souza, Seeds of the Word, Consecrated Life panel members
• Video #3 - Featuring Consecrated Life Panel members and Bishop McGrattan

​Videos courtesy of St. Michael's Catholic Community. 

The Office of Vocations is very thankful for the Vocations Rally Planning Team, Benedict XVI Instittute of the Newman Theological College, St. Michael’s Parish and Diocesan staff, video and photography team, Knights of Columbus, Seminarians, Consecrated Life members, Serra Club of Calgary, and many others who supported the Vocations Rally and came to support our Diocesan effort to create a culture of vocations! We wouldn’t be able to do it without you. 

Photos: Bandi Szakony, for the Diocese of Calgary

“What inspired you to get into Women’s Ministry?”

• Crystalina: “My first inspiration came from just wanting to let my friends, who were living similar lifestyles as mine in the past, know that there was a different way, that they could start over. Most people think, ‘well what’s gone is gone, it’s done. I made these mistakes, let’s just move on and pretend it never happened’. I wanted women to know it doesn’t have to be this way, that there is a different way, but it is up to us to have the courage and strength to change it. I want women to know that it doesn’t matter what has happened in their life, but that Jesus loves you, He wants you, He is still pursuing you no matter what.”

“What do you think is the greatest struggle and/or obstacle that women face today that hinders their ability to know and live out of their identity as a beloved daughter of God?”

• Crystalina: “The greatest obstacle from knowing and living our identity are found in our wounds, brokenness, and our own sin. It really has been a handicap in my life and I have held on to those wounds thinking I needed to protect them and keep everybody out of them, including God. However, it is when you allow the light of God’s healing and mercy in, when you expose the wounds and darkness to the light, God’s healing and mercy begins. The devil loses his stronghold and cannot follow you in God’s light. I want women in their identity to know not only how loved they are, but how important they are. When she lives in the will of God, and when she lives in what God created her to be, she can change the entire world with a ‘yes’. When we say ‘yes’ to God and we step into His will in our lives, we become a force to be reckoned with. Their identity is not their past wounds, not their brokenness, but rather their identity is in Jesus and what He is calling them to.”

“Can you share a time you came to know your own Belovedness?”

• Crystalina: “I was still going through my conversion. I went to an adoration chapel shortly after hearing a young man’s testimony. I was living in the muck of the world and felt so dirty, but his testimony just pierced that darkness, and the life of sin that I was living. I just couldn’t believe Jesus still wanted me and loved me and was calling me back to Him. It was such a moment in my life and I feel like He does that constantly in our lives, but we just don’t give Him the time of day to listen. That day completely changed my life. I was definitely beloved that day and I felt it for the first time in a very long time.” 

“What are you most excited to share with the women at our upcoming women’s conference?”

• Crystalina: “I’m excited to share that God has a purpose, a mission and a plan for your life. That He has created you for that specific purpose. I would say many women are not living out of what God has created them to be, but there is an invitation to go deeper into their relationship with Jesus and go deeper into their walk with Him and stepping into what it is that God is calling them to do with their lives.”

​
We are also excited to have Fr. Anthony Sortino, LC speaking at this year’s conference, where he will share about our inherent dignity and ability to be made new through the mercy of Christ. Fr. Anthony has spoken at women retreats in the past and has a gift in being able to provide a source of healing through his words and ability to assist others with entering into scripture. As a member of the clergy, we are grateful to Fr. Anthony for his wisdom and witness of the faith throughout his years of priesthood. 

It's truly exciting to see the Diocese of Calgary fostering an environment through their Pastoral Renewal, where Christians are reminded that they belong, and they matter. As a women’s ministry serving females of all ages, we hope to provide a platform in which women can encounter and witness Christ through our annual conferences; a space where women are able to reignite their faith and continue our journey of forming an authentic relationship with Christ. 

Written by Beloved Daughter's Ministry for Faithfully

Last Saturday, April 13, 2024, St. James' Parish in Calgary hosted its first renewal gathering, attended by twenty parishioners intrigued and excited about the Renewal. 

The event fostered four small group discussions, where the Holy Spirit's presence was felt, and the renewal team, along with parish priest Fr. Eligio Canete, were encouraged by the intensity and scope of the discussions about the parish's needs and actionable ideas for progress.

Acknowledging the busy weekend schedules of many parishioners, Fr. Eligio extended an invitation for those unable to attend to participate in alternative ways. "For those who cannot attend, we have placed whiteboards inside the church and our parish hall where they can post their inputs, ideas, and suggestions on sticky notes. All these feedback and suggestions will be considered and will inform our 5-year Pastoral Plan," he stated.

Ideas were wide ranging and spoke to all aspects of parish life from the young to the seniors. However, Real added, "I think it is a little early to talk about specifics as we are looking at other ways to obtain feedback from parishioners." 

Although this was the inaugural renewal gathering, it will certainly not be the last. To attract more people to get involved in the Parish Renewal conversation, the team set up a couple of feedback/idea boards at the back of the church and in the parish hall, inviting parishioners to share their voices, or ideas that could be integrated into the parish plan. This approach proved effective in drawing attention to the event and encouraging participation in the Parish Renewal conversation. 

Real Phaneuf reflected on the outcome of the event, stating, "Overall, the attendees left the gathering feeling heard and optimistic about the journey we are about to embark on."

The American Jesuit priest, writer, and Servant of God Fr. John Hardon once said, “[I]n God’s ordinary providence, vocations are the fruit of prayer…We mistakenly assume that some people just receive the grace of vocation and always respond to it. Not so. Vocations are the result of prayer twice over.” 

Yesterday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, known commonly as Good Shepherd Sunday, marked the 61st World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Jesus Christ tells us that praying for vocations is not an option but a must: “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38).

On Ash Wednesday of this year, Bishop McGrattan reminded us of the need to pray for vocations by issuing a letter introducing the 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations into the Diocese of Calgary. The Bishop wrote, “It is my hope that every parish in the Diocese will participate in the Devotion, taking turns holding it on the successive weekends throughout the year, so that it becomes a perpetual tradition in our Diocese.”

So far, eight parishes in our Diocese have held the 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations- five parishes in Calgary (St. Mary’s Cathedral, St, Anthony’s, St. Luke’s, St. Bonaventure, Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, Holy Spirit Parish, St. Michael’s) and two outside of Calgary (St. Martha’s, Lethbridge and St. Mary’s, Brooks). Other parishes are scheduled to hold the Devotion in the coming weeks. St. Anthony’s Parish, Calgary holds 40 hours of Eucharistic Adoration for Vocations once a month.

The response to the 40 Hours Devotion has been extraordinary. During the last month and a half, more than a thousand parishioners have come to adore Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and pray for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. In one parish, as many as 378 people signed up for the adoration, and many more came who had not signed up. A parishioner remarked, “No issues came up, all went smoothly…Calm, peaceful, holy.” 

At one parish, besides praying for vocations, parishioners prayed for other important intentions as well, such as peace in the world, peace in families, an end to abortion and euthanasia, and the conversion of sinners.

An important part of the 40 Hours Devotion is overnight adoration.  Getting up in the middle of the night is a sacrifice, but precisely for that reason, the spiritual fruits of nocturnal adoration are immense. Particularly noteworthy, therefore, is the number of people who have come out to adore the Blessed Sacrament during the night. One parish reported having an average of 14 persons in the church from 12 am to 6 am.  In a testimony submitted to the Office of Vocations, a young person from another parish writes:

God has given our church enough ministerial vocations. Many of them have been given to women. Fatima Lee received one of those calls. Born in Hong Kong supported by a mother who believed in education, Fatima’s call to serve God was shaped when as a young women she left Hong Kong to study theology at Louvain in Belgium. 
​
Her vocation to serve the church was put on hold when she married Bernard and together they raised their two sons, eventually settling in Toronto. In the course of time she found her way back into ministry and served the People of God in a parish for many years. The sudden death of her husband eight years ago resurrected her original vocation to be a missionary. When the Archdiocese of Toronto invited local priests to serve in the north, Fatima asked Bishop Kasun if they would sponsor a layperson.

Six years ago she began a new chapter in the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith. She serves as the Diocesan Religious Education Coordinator, creating and offering sacramental preparation programs for catechists, working with lay leaders and on various projects for the Bishop.

But her true heart’s work is as the spiritual leader of Village of Gameti where she shares reflections on scripture and leads their Sunday communion service whenever she can. 

When I first visited the village with her, I thought of the winter north as something similar to their picturesque winter castle festival. The ice road is seen from the air as a straightforward, simple, smooth drive. But accompanying Fatima this year, I have begun to see that ministering in the north is a mix of breathtaking beauty and heartbreaking challenges. 

“We are excited to have Timothy joining the Diocese as Executive Director – Business & Operations and expect that his considerable experience in human resources, corporate finance, financial reporting and analysis, board governance, enterprise risk management, and operations management will benefit the Diocese greatly,” said Rev. Wilbert Chin Jon, V.G., Moderator of the Curia.
 
Timothy holds an MBA from the Smith School of Business at Queens University, where he also completed the Centre for Social Impact’s graduate program in socially responsible leadership. Previously, he attended the Schulich School of Business at York University where he completed an undergraduate degree in Economics & Business. Timothy is a professional member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, Institute of Internal Auditors, Chartered Professionals in Human Resources, and the Society for Human Resources Management and has served non-profit boards as a member and through his consulting & advisory practice. In addition, he is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive and has completed Osgoode Hall Law School’s program in Indigenous Peoples and Canadian Law, along with the Project Management Institute’s construction professional’s designation. Timothy is an avid runner, cyclist, conservationist, and father of three.
 
“I’m excited to build on the outstanding work of our team.” said Timothy. “Our community is extremely welcoming and is very special to both me and my family. The critical role of the Diocese, in building a healthy, dynamic, resilient, and sustainable community cannot be overstated. Moving forward collaboratively, while leveraging our team’s knowledge, skills, and abilities, I’m optimistic that the sky is the limit about what we can achieve together.”

This year, National Volunteer Week will be from April 14 to 20, 2024, and we're taking a moment to celebrate the incredible impact volunteers have on our parish communities!

Our volunteers, the quiet champions of our parish, embody love in action. They uplift those in need, prepare the sacred liturgies and sacraments, maintain our sacred spaces, and nurture our young during their formative years. Their dedication echoes far beyond the Holy Week preparation and Easter Sunday—a constant reminder of the impact one person can have in the lives of many. We’re profoundly grateful for their presence and the grace they bring to our Church.