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Abuse in the Church - A Pastoral Response

8/17/2018

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  • Pope Francis has responded to new reports of clerical sexual abuse and the ecclesial cover-up of abuse. In an impassioned letter addressed to the whole People of God, he calls on the Church to be close to victims in solidarity, and to join in acts of prayer and fasting in penance for those "atrocities".  READ LETTER HERE
​
  • The Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories have issued a pastoral response to concerns raised by the recent report of extensive clerical sex abuse in Pennsylvania.  READ LETTER HERE
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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Like you and faithful Catholics everywhere, we heard the most recent revelations of child sex abuse by clergy in the United States with deep dismay.

We share with you a profound sense of disappointment, grief and anger over the actions of people entrusted to act in the name of Christ and guide His Church. We echo the sentiments expressed in the statement released (August 16, 2018) from the Vatican regarding the Interim Report of the Investigating Grand Jury of Pennsylvania:

“The abuses described in the report are criminal and morally reprehensible. Those acts were betrayals of trust that robbed survivors of their dignity and their faith. The Church must learn hard lessons from its past, and there should be accountability for both abusers and those who permitted abuse to occur….

The Holy See encourages continued reform and vigilance at all levels of the Catholic Church, to help ensure the protection of minors and vulnerable adults from harm. The Holy See also wants to underscore the need to comply with the civil law, including mandatory child abuse reporting requirements. 

The Holy Father understands well how much these crimes can shake the faith and the spirit of believers and reiterates the call to make every effort to create a safe environment for minors and vulnerable adults in the Church and in all of society. 

Victims should know that the Pope is on their side. Those who have suffered are his priority, and the Church wants to listen to them to root out this tragic horror that destroys the lives of the innocent.”
​

Our hearts break when we hear that children have been harmed in such a lasting and destructive way, through absolutely no fault of their own. It is particularly abhorrent when perpetrated by a member of the clergy. We share in the shame and sorrow of those whose faith has been shaken by this news. When a member of the body suffers, the whole body of Christ suffers. We encourage everyone to pray for the victims, and to remember that the power of the Gospel message can never be destroyed by sin.

To our brothers and sisters who have suffered personally or through family members who have been abused in the Church community, we pledge to listen, and to share your pain and anguish. We invite you to contact us at the local diocesan office.

To those who continue to serve the Church in ministry, whether ordained or lay persons, we are grateful for your dedication and faith in this difficult time. We stand with you, and we pray that God give us all the courage and resilience we need to persevere and remain always morally accountable in our ministry.

​We all have a sacred trust to protect those who are vulnerable, particularly children, and to stand up and speak when we witness that trust betrayed. We have made Safe Environments and Abuse Prevention programs a high priority in our dioceses. We cannot run or hide from instances of abuse and harm, and we have no desire to do so. We confront these situations with the Gospel principles of truth, justice, repentance and healing.

With this letter, we renew our commitment to ensure that any clergy, employee, or lay volunteer who commits an offence against children or other vulnerable persons is promptly removed from ministry, that any offences are immediately reported to civil authorities, and that victims receive an apology, compassion and assistance in recovering from any harm they have suffered, including compensation where appropriate.

With the help of God’s grace, we must continue to exercise our responsibility for the care of all victims, especially children. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may we always fulfill our moral obligation to uphold and safeguard the dignity of each human person. 

Sincerely in Christ,
Catholic Bishops of Alberta and NWT
✠ Richard W. Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton
✠ William McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
✠ Gerard Pettipas CSsR, Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan
✠ David Motiuk, Bishop of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Edmonton
✠ Jon Hansen CSsR, Bishop of Mackenzie-Fort Smith
✠ Paul Terrio, Bishop of St. Paul
17 August 2018  

====================================
Diocesan Contacts

Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton
Online: https://caedm.ca/ReportAbuse
Confidential phone line: 1-877-770-6777

Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary
Secure and confidential email: 
timothy.boyle@calgarydiocese.ca

Catholic Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan
Msgr. Charles Lavoie
Office of the Vicar General and Chancellor
Email: Clavoie2@serbernet.com
Phone: 780-532-9706

Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Paul
Deacon Ryan Sales
Office of the Safe Parish Coordinator
Phone: 780-645-3277

Roman Catholic Diocese of McKenzie-Fort Smith
Sister Mary Lee
Phone: 1-867-920-2129

The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton
Very Rev. Stephen Wojcichowsky, Chancellor
Office of the Chancellor 
Phone: 780-424-5496
Email: chancellor@edmontoneparchy.com
3 Comments

Scams Alert

8/13/2018

0 Comments

 
There are many scams going around masquerading as your clergy (priests, deacons or lately, the bishop).

Please exercise caution when responding to email messages.  If you receive unusual emails, check the sender's email address to see whether it is the person’s genuine address. Even if the sender's address looks correct, always verify suspicious emails by phoning the sender. There have been many similar scams reported by several parishes in our diocese and across Canada. 

Note that these scams do not stop at emails. Those in social media should stay vigilant when responding to friend requests or to other compelling posts requiring a response. There are many fake Twitter, Facebook and other social media accounts trying to impersonate people you know and our church leaders. Some scammers may take the time to build a relationship with you to gain your trust, before trying to extort money or other things like gift cards.

Please exercise vigilance when you are being charitable. Use the channels you are most familiar with and avoid becoming victims of a scam.

 
Below are samples of scam emails:
 
================
 
EXAMPLE 1
 
Subject: Hello..
 
Good day, [your name]
 
Please do you have a moment?
 
Regards
 
Bishop *** or Fr. ***
 
Sent from my iPhone
 
================
 
EXAMPLE 2
 
I need a favor from you, please email me back as soon as possible
Hope to hear from you soon.

Blessings
Fr. ***

 
Sent from my iPhone
 
================
 
EXAMPLE 3
 
To: *****
Subject: Re: GOD BLESS YOU
I should have called you yet I can't do this now because am in a pressing meeting, i need to get an iTunes card of $500 denomination of $50 or $100 for a friend at the hospital, would you be able to get it from any store around you? I'll pay you back when I get back.Let me know asap if you can get the cards for me
Blessings
Fr. ***

Sent from my iPhone

 

 
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Harvest day is coming soon!

8/7/2018

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Glenmore Potato Patch
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This year we decided to plant one type of potato (to the three last year).  These white table potatoes have a thin skin and will be ideal for roasting.  Last year, they came out of the ground clean and without any scabs/marks, which makes them easy to prepare for meals.  This photo was taken Monday and shows the first potato blossoms.

Seed potatoes were again provided by Sunnycrest of Lacombe and transported by volunteers for us.  The germination rate was just about 60%, which at first seemed disappointing except that the plants are thriving.  As we make successive trips to weed and hill the field, it is very encouraging to see the progress!  It is too early for me to estimate our final potatoes, but I am optimistic that it will be good. 

I am often asked why we hill potatoes.  Potatoes, as you may know, will green up when exposed to light.  This is undesirable not unto itself since the green is chlorophyll, but because a mild toxin called solanine is also produced.  It may cause nausea, which even if served with butter won’t be much fun.  So, it is definitely worth the effort to hill them!  I am grateful to the volunteers who come and patiently progress across the field in this effort.

Harvest Day is scheduled for Saturday September 22.  The Food Bank will be on hand along with a veritable beehive of helpers.  I hope you might consider being among the crew that will include St James Okotoks youth and dedicated workers from a number of parishes and community members at large.  Over the season I have welcomed several new people to the field due in part to our staying power I suppose, but also to the efforts of social media group.  Thank you for your support!

We are blessed to have two dedicated volunteers helping to maintain the beds at FCJ this year.  We were able to expand to three beds and have planted in a deliberate way to allow community involvement (should the opportunity arise).  A full bed of onions and another of garlic are almost ready to harvest.  In addition, children of the Sunday dinner planted seeds indoors which the volunteers and I subsequently planted in a third bed.  These are doing great (I had my fingers crossed) and will allow us to show the children the fruits of their efforts in the near future.
 
Exciting for me are three events, either in planning stages or already booked, that involve people from the community at large who experience marginalization to come and experience the garden.  This venue seems to have everything to offer in terms of a “garden retreat” experience.  As this unfolds I hope to be able to share more with you.
 

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Cliff Bungalow Mission Community Garden

The community garden members along with a couple of Feed the Hungry volunteers planted a variety of greens in May.  The first of these have been harvested and distributed.  A second crop of greens has now been seeded and should bear in about a month.  The community garden has also been provided with signage which instructs our fellow gardeners on how to share any surplus produce.

Words of Garden Wisdom from Norline Johnson

Plant Three rows of peas:
1. Peas of mind
2. Peas of heart
3. Peas of soul

For more information about volunteering at the garden, contact Linnea at 403-218-5542 or e-mail fthgarden@calgarydiocese.ca

Reported by: Linnea Ferguson
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