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We are the Church #walkingtogether

7/31/2022

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The Francis Family of Calgary upon arrival at Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton
I remember the day a girl about my height with jet black hair bounded up my driveway asking to play. I was about five years old and shy. Lori was a high energy, outgoing six-year-old and we quickly became friends. For the next three years we had adventures, playing hide and seek and other childhood pastimes, sometimes getting into mischief together.

In upper elementary, I remember finding out that the reason Lori acted differently is because she had fetal alcohol syndrome. But as young children that difference never factored in, in fact, in my eyes she was exciting and fun to be around. 

Knowing Lori was a gift I received early in my life. I’ve carried the memories we made together with me ever since. And I carried her in my heart as I made the pilgrimage from my home in Calgary to Edmonton for the Papal Mass on July 26, 2022. 

I prayed for Lori, one of my first best friends, an Indigenous girl who was innocently sentenced to a life clouded by the effects of a preventable syndrome. Lori was adopted and while she never attended residential school, it’s likely someone from her family tree had spent time at one of these schools. To me, her situation is an example from my own lived experience of the repercussions of residential schools felt through the generations. 

When we arrived at Commonwealth Stadium, the first thing we did was take a family photo to remember our family pilgrimage as we will continue to unpack its significance in the years to come. 

Next we found our seats, and while waiting for the Papal Mass to begin I noticed four middle-aged women sitting behind me wearing Every Child Matters orange and black t-shirts. Among them was Kelly Spooner who was not herself Indigenous, but came to honour the memory of her uncle (through marriage) who died in 2019 and attended residential school for six years. 
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“I came for strength and to renew my spirit. It’s a part of history today,” said Kelly Spooner. 

Not long after, the Pope rode around the stadium greeting the crowd. Kelly ran down to the front gate to get a closer look. After he passed by she came back in tears, saying “I’m so happy he’s here.” ​
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Juan and Lupita Artega and their children holding signs to welcome Pope Francis along his route
PictureAmber Franco of Calgary with her family
​As the pre-Mass program was wrapping up, emcee Janelle Reinhardt asked the crowd to keep a prayerful silence. 

“The stadium truly became silent, it was powerful and profound, you could only hear the humming of the buildings. It was impressive in a crowd so large,” said Amber Franco, reflecting on this poignant moment. She drove from Calgary to Edmonton with her husband Mike and seven children.   

Calgary Bishop William McGrattan also took note of the prayerful atmosphere as he looked up into the crowd from ground level.  

“When we entered in the procession for Mass and I saw the number of people on the field and in the stands you had this sense of the presence of Christ in those who had gathered to be with the Holy Father,” said Bishop McGrattan. 

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Bishop McGrattan during the processional rite at Papal Mass
The Papal Mass was celebrated on the feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne – the grandparents of Jesus.  Pope Francis used this opportunity to speak about the importance of grandparents and family cohesion during his homily. 

“This message was simple, but one that everyone could receive and appreciate,” said Bishop McGrattan. “The message of a pastor who himself was advanced in age and not afraid to show the signs of declining mobility, and the need for assistance, which is experienced in every family.”  

Like any good pilgrimage, there are challenging moments and as we sat in the bleachers listening to Pope Francis our children began to get a bit restless in the blistering heat. I turned my own discomfort into a small offering toward reconciliation, all the while my heart growing in gratitude for the heroic effort of our 85-year-old pontiff. 

I thought this was a generous gesture toward reconciliation simply by showing up and “taking the heat” with us in every sense of the phrase. But I was also humbled by the elders some 80 years and up who had made the pilgrimage from various parts of the country also suffering their own discomforts in an attempt to heal and move forward.  

My own father Deacon Richard Loftson accompanied a group of Indigenous pilgrims from Manitoba on behalf of the Archdiocese of St. Boniface. He ministers to the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Indigenous Parish in Winnipeg. 

“They were thankful for the apology. They were emotional, in tears many of them. They had been waiting for so long,” said Deacon Loftson.

Bishop McGrattan also sought feedback as he encountered people affected by residential schools. 

“In talking to some survivors at the various events, it was difficult for some to hear and relive these memories. For others, there was a sense of recognition that they were listened to by Pope Francis and that his words and actions were genuine in their eyes,” said Bishop McGrattan. 

Like many things, the future lies with the children in hopes they will learn from history and build a more just and merciful society where no child will ever again suffer the consequences of being forced to leave their family and lose their culture and heritage. 
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Calgarians Jason & Michelle Widmeyer and their family
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John Macdonald of Sundre, AB with his sons Joseph and Fulton wearing a Métis sash to honour their heritage.
PictureKonrad & Alissa Paley with their daughters
This is why our friends Alissa and Konrad Paley of Calgary also made the pilgrimage with their three young daughters (six years and under) to the Papal Mass with the same intention as our family: to build a culture of goodwill and reconciliation in their home. 

“Participating in this particular Papal Mass was really important as a Catholic and a Canadian,” said Alissa Paley. “The Church is made up of the people, we are the people of the Church. In order for the Church to work towards reconciliation we must show up.” 

“I was honoured to bring my daughters with me. I know that they currently don’t understand the gravity of this event, but I hope as they grow up they may continue to pray for the journey toward reconciliation in this country.”    

My thoughts have turned toward the child during this pilgrimage. Just like my friend Lori who did nothing to deserve the circumstances she inherited as a child, neither did I deserve the family and opportunities I have been afforded. Everything is a gift. In gratitude, I left Edmonton pondering how I can use the time I have left to seek holiness by laying down my life for my friends. 

== More photos from our Diocesan families during the Papal Mass (click "all comments")



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Written by Sara Francis for Faithfully. Sara is a writer living in Calgary with her husband Ben and their six children. They attend St. Bernard's / Our Lady of the Assumption Parish. 

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All photos are used with permission. 
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How do we take part in the World Day for Grandparents & the Elderly 2022?

7/24/2022

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SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO HERE
Let us minister together to ensure no one lives in isolation and loneliness. This Sunday, July 24, we invite you to take a step forward in co-creating compassionate communities that see relationship and accompaniment with the elderly and grandparents as a normal part of family, neighbourhood, parish, and communal life.
Share your visit with us and get a gift!
This World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly 2022, we invite parishioners and families to participate in the following activity: Make plans to visit grandparents and/or elderly individuals in your family, neighbourhood, or parish community on Sunday, July 24, the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. Consider taking with you some pastry, coffee, and/or flowers, and/or a handmade card with your child(ren). Ultimately, it’s about the gift of time and presence.
  • Share a picture from your visit and receive a gift that you can give back! Submit your photo (with caption) by emailing it to communications@calgarydiocese.ca or use this Diocesan form, and receive a beautiful gift for your grandparent(s) or the elderly you visit! 
  • Curious about the gift? Sacred Artist Debbie Thompson Wilson (Sacred Arts Guild of Alberta member, and professional Illuminator) will be creating a beautiful illuminated print of Sts. Anne & St. Joachim  for this special occasion. Limited number of prints will be given to those sharing photos from their visit on the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. 
SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO HERE
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4 practical things parishes can do
  1. Promote the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly in the parish bulletin and/or parish announcements, and encourage parishioners to join any special activity in the parish (if available), or to visit their grandparents or the elderly on that day.
    • Download and display the Diocesan poster about World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly with your parishioners 
    • Let parishioners know about the opportunity to get a beautiful gift of printed icon of Sts. Anna & Joachim, by sharing photos from their visit with the Diocese. See poster for more information on how to submit photo. 
  2. Promote the Plenary Indulgence promulgated by the Apostolic Penitentiary
    • ​Encourage individuals and families to invite and assist an elderly person to come to Sunday mass celebrated on the occasion of the Day. 
      • Consider hosting a special chat & coffee/cake, barbecue or pancake after the Mass. We have a poster template to help you advertise the event - contact us at communications@calgarydiocese.ca
    • Encourage individuals and families to participate with a homebound elderly individual in mass through television, radio, or online.
  3. Incorporate the suggested Prayer of the Faithful (see pg. 7) into the Sunday Mass and use the final blessing at the end of mass.
  4. With the support of Lay Associations in the Parish, organize a fund-raiser selling flowers that would then be presented to Grandparents and/or elderly in families, parish community, and/or neighbourhood.
SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO HERE
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3 Practical things families and individuals can do
  1. Visit your grandparents or elderly in your community on or around July 24
  2. Pray a rosary for the Pope's intention in July 2022 (for the elderly); intentions of grandparents, elderly in the family, neighbourhood, parish on or around July 24
  3. Do a trip down memory lane with your child(ren), looking at pictures of grandparents, great grandparents, and/or elderly individuals who had a significant impact in your life and family of upbringing, like teachers, aunts and/or uncles, mentors.   
SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO HERE
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Papal Visit - Livestream

7/18/2022

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As we prepare to welcome Pope Francis to Canada, we invite Catholics from across the country to participate in this historic journey in a number of different ways.
  • In addition to television coverage of papal events, visit www.papalvisit.ca to access more than 10 livestream links of coverage featuring interpretation in many languages (including Indigenous languages), as well as livestream links from Vatican TV including commentary.
  • Salt & Light Catholic Media Foundation has a dedicated site for information and broadcast details for the papal visit -  https://slmedia.org/popeincanada 
  • Novalis has also produced a digital resource that includes texts for all the liturgies presided by Pope Francis, prayers as well as reflections on the significance of the Papal Visit. To download the resource, visit: livingwithchrist.ca 
We invite you to pray for the Holy Father and all those involved in this historic journey of healing, reconciliation and hope.
PAPAL VISIT EVENTS
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Walking together

7/18/2022

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Photo credit: Vatican Media
In April 2022 I had the privilege of accompanying the Indigenous Delegation to Rome to meet the Holy Father. It was historic in many ways but it was also a step of preparation for his visit to Canada. In his meeting with the survivors he made the commitment to “visit their ancestral lands, where their families live” and to accompany them on this journey of healing and reconciliation.

The Papal Visit takes place next week, and has been described as a “penitential pilgrimage” by the Holy Father. Early in June the Vatican confirmed that the Holy Father would visit three hubs in Canada: Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit. Given the Holy Father’s advanced age, limited time frame for the visit and the size of Canada, the host communities will minimize travel for the Pope and allow for events to take place in close proximity to these cities.
 
Edmonton is home to the second largest number of Indigenous people living in urban Canadian centres. It is near Lac Ste Anne, a place of annual pilgrimage for thousands of Indigenous peoples from across Western and Northern Canada. The Holy Father will visit the site of a former residential school, an inner-city Indigenous parish, celebrate an outdoor Mass at Commonwealth Stadium and on the Feast of St. Anne be with the pilgrims who make this annual pilgrimage to Lac Ste Anne.
 
In travelling to Quebec City, he will meet with the Indigenous peoples from Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. This region is also home to the Shrine of Ste. Anne-de-Beaupre which is one of the oldest and most popular pilgrimage sites in North America which annually draws people from throughout Canada and around the world.
 
The final stop for the Holy Father will be in Iqaluit which is the capital of Nunavut and home to 3,900 Inuit People. During the private encounter in Rome the Inuit Delegates invited Pope Francis to visit this northern part of our country and he expressed his openness that this meeting would take place.  
 
In the planning of this Visit we have been committed to ensuring Indigenous participation from across the country on programming and other key elements of the visit. Fr. Cristino Bouvette, a Calgary priest has also been asked to assist in the planning of the liturgies. His own Indigenous background and knowledge of working with these communities has been invaluable. There are also a great number of volunteers from our diocese who are committed to making this visit to Alberta a meaningful and faith filled experience for Catholics.  
 
This visit will be a new chapter of healing, hope and reconciliation that we pray will be a watershed moment for Indigenous peoples of this land and the Church’s relationship in our journey together.
 
It is important that we each commit to holding this papal visit in our prayers and to undertaking the reparations with Indigenous Peoples we are each able to accomplish in our own lives. For some, this may mean learning more about or participating in the Indigenous cultural or spiritual celebrations. For others, learning about the history and making contributions personal and financial to support the journey of healing and reconciliation. This is a whole Church effort and each one of us needs to hold this in prayer and make a real and practical effort to support reconciliation. 
 
The journey involves words, for sure – and the Holy Father will echo the apology he made to the Indigenous Delegation when we visited Rome. Let’s each commit to offering our own efforts so that in the experience of Indigenous Peoples, we can collectively make real and palpable the Apology of Pope Francis on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church.
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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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​July 18, 2022
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The blessed visit of Our Lady of the Cape

7/18/2022

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Revered as the Queen of Canada, Our Lady of the Cape was unheard of until the western pilgrim statue tour visited our Diocese in May 2022, and culminated at the Papal Mass in Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton. Thanks to the hard work of Christine Gamache, Our Lady of the Cape pilgrim coordinator for our Diocese and the pilgrim tour team, the faithful in the Diocese of Calgary were re-introduced to the beautiful devotion, and had the chance to venerate Canada's National Madonna and to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  ​

Christine and the pilgrim team has gathered amazing stories, photos, and testimonies from the Our Lady of the Cape's pilgrimage in Calgary & Canmore to share with you. Grab a cup of tea, and enjoy this beautiful collection of photos, stories, and testimonies from those who participated in this blessed visit of Our Lady of the Cape.
STORIES, PHOTOS, TESTIMONIES
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Custodians of Beauty

7/15/2022

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"Remember that you are the custodians of beauty in the world.” says Pope Benedict XVI is his address to Artists.

The Sacred Arts Guild of Alberta (SAGA) is a community of artists and associates who are interested in the study, preservation, and renewal of traditional methods for creating liturgical and sacred art in the Christian tradition. SAGA presented their inaugural Legacy Project in November 2021 featuring a short film on Sacred Artist Fr. Gilles LeBlanc, retired priest in the Diocese of Calgary. They hope the film will encourage you to explore our faith more through the Sacred Arts.

The SAGA Team is proud to have partnered with Annie Chirka, videographer and editor, with the intention of celebrating those members of our community who are faithful “Custodians of Beauty”.

Please visit our website to learn more about how you can be part of this Sacred Arts initiatives: SacredArtsGuildofAlberta.com
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Praying with Sacred Art

7/15/2022

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With today’s technology, we can enter into prayer through a guided Christian meditation using art from the comfort of our own home. This video by Fr. Geoff Wheaton SJ of the Jesuits of Britain meditating on the work of James Christensen gives us an experience of prayer with the Ten Lepers.

Watch this YouTube video and meditate on our need for gratitude in our life for the God’s abundant blessings. For more videos like this, use this link for the Praying with Art playlist 

Consider this…

“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”  ~ Philippians 4:8

The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2502 says,
“Sacred art is true and beautiful when its form corresponds to its particular vocation: evoking and glorifying, in faith and adoration, the transcendent mystery of God - the surpassing invisible beauty of truth and love visible in Christ, who "reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature," in whom "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily." This spiritual beauty of God is reflected in the most holy Virgin Mother of God, the angels, and saints. Genuine sacred art draws man to adoration, to prayer, and to the love of God, Creator and Saviour, the Holy One and Sanctifier.”
Surround yourself with truth, beauty, and goodness and you will seek God. 
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Art: Annunciation - by Ivanka Demchuk in Ukraine. Used with permission.

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Can I get a Yahoo?

7/15/2022

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Sean Lynn at Stampede 2022
PictureSt. Paul's Church in Brocket
I just finished working the first three days of The Calgary Stampede as a police officer and it was packed! It amazed me to see the number of serving members who take annual leave to volunteer to help out at the stampede. This event attracts 2500 volunteers to work long days to pull off the World’s Greatest Outdoor Show!

We need that volunteer spirit to bring our diocese and parishes into the vibrant church community that God wants us to have. God Squad has chosen the mission of inviting men into God’s work in Canada. To make it clear, we are not asking you to join under the God Squad banner but rather to work collaboratively with us to encourage men to be part of the fabric of the Church’s mission. We would love to hear what is happening in your parish regarding ministry to men and how we can help. Please contact admin@godsquad.ca

To this end I would like to invite the men of the Diocese of Calgary to join us in painting St Paul’s Church in Brocket on Saturday August 27, 2022, weather permitting. Note that family and friends are welcome to volunteer as well. ​This is an excellent opportunity for us to strengthen our relationship with our First Nations brothers and sisters and to beautify the Lord's dwelling place.

​Please consider joining us and partake of our Barbecue Outreach for some great food, fellowship and community service. 


Submitted by Sean Lynn, God Squad Canada
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Lessons from my Gong Gong

7/13/2022

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CJ and his Gong Gong
One of the most interesting things I learned from my Gong Gong, which is Chinese for “grandpa”, was that he grew up as the tenth child in his family. That came as a profound struggle for him since his family wasn’t well-off, and as the tenth child he usually perceived or felt the lack of parental comfort that his older siblings would get more regularly. He told me this story because I, on the other hand, have grown up as an only child. This difference in growing up is how a lot of my conversations with him have centered around life advice founded in the principles of gratitude, perseverance, and honesty. I am only able to see him in person every summer for about a week or so, and I take his lessons to heart, especially now that I have been unable to go visit him in precaution of his health.

Gratitude was the first and often returned to principle that my conversations with my grandpa would go. Primarily since I was an only child, I had no siblings to worry or quarrel with regarding attention or care from my parents, which is why my grandpa instilled into me how wholly grateful I should be when I’m looked after regarding all matters of my life: food and water, shelter, education, and most importantly, a parental devotion to forming my initial relationship with God. Since my grandpa told me tales of feeling neglect, I understand that he instilled this value into me because he wanted to emphasize how extremely blessed I am and should never take it for granted.

There still are, unfortunately, times when I do take blessings for granted. However, this is where the principle of perseverance becomes critically important. I have to admit and take responsibility for arguments and mistakes I make, which is embodied by the occasions where I would argue with my grandpa since I couldn’t quite understand what he was talking about. The key takeaway from these admittedly unpleasant interactions is that after I apologize and more closely listen to him, I do not beat myself up over the argument or misunderstanding. This also goes for when I am trying to convey something to him; something that I perhaps have great difficulty explaining to him in a way he can understand, and the perseverance he helped instill in me allows me to find that way. I still cannot imagine how much he had to persevere as the tenth child in order to make his views or opinion known to his parents. This perseverance can then be carried over to many other pursuits in my life such as education and career.
           
As I’ve discussed with my grandpa, these two principles of gratitude and perseverance become tightly interwoven with the principle of honesty. Gratitude for blessings must be genuine, it cannot be flippant or sarcastic as that is not only disingenuous, but also a new source for arguments or making ungratefulness even more apparent. When it comes to perseverance, my grandpa helped me to draw a line between the two unhelpful extremes: giving up or setting boundaries too early, or not setting proper boundaries for myself. Honesty is required to temper both extremes and find a proper balance. For example, a particular lesson my grandpa gave me over one summer vacation was regarding the emotional drama that I found myself wrapped up in during my high school years. He told me that it was good that I wanted to do my best to help my friends through the drama, but that it should not come at a cost to my own emotional well-being. I realized after that particular conversation that I had to give up and properly step away from the emotional turmoil I had gotten entangled in during high school; and that ended up preserving my emotional health so that I could graduate from high school.

I haven’t been able to visit my grandpa in a long time, and even though we do video calls and occasionally send emails, nothing is comparable to being able to physically talk with him face to face. In honour of 2022’s World Day for Grandparents & the Elderly, I wish to convey my heartfelt gratitude to my grandpa for all the lessons and advice he has given me so far in life. I pray to be able to visit him again soon and catch up on all the time we’ve missed.

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​Written by Christopher James (CJ) Panlilio for Faithfully. He is a full time student at St. Mary’s University in Calgary, who recently graduated from the Bachelor of Arts program of Social Justice and Catholic Studies. He has further plans to take the after-degree Bachelor of Education (Elementary) program at St. Mary’s. Apart from writing fiction, he enjoys good food and drink, spending time with both children and elderly, and making puns.
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