Roughly 25.6 million people in Sudan, more than half of the country’s population, are facing acute hunger, making this one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies today.

Years of conflict, displacement, and economic collapse have left millions of families struggling to find even their daily bread. Children, pregnant women, and the elderly are among the most vulnerable, with many facing severe malnutrition and limited access to basic health care.

During this Lenten season, when we are called to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we are reminded that our sacrifices can become a source of life for others. Lent invites us to open our hearts to those who suffer and to respond with generosity and compassion.
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Please consider making a donation to support emergency assistance for families facing hunger in Sudan through Development and Peace — Caritas Canada. Your gift helps provide critical nutrition supplies, support local partners, and bring hope to communities enduring this crisis.

A message that appears to come from someone you trust can sometimes be the very thing designed to deceive. Recent scam attempts reported within our diocesan community remind us to pause and verify unexpected requests.

Please remain alert and cautious. Don't fall for urgency, presence of mind is necessary for your safety.

A few reminders:

• Be cautious with unexpected requests
  • ​Messages asking for money, gift cards, banking details, or personal information should always be treated with suspicion and ignored. 
  • Messages asking you to click a link to view photos or files when you are not expecting anything should also be treated with caution. If unsure, please verify the request before opening the link. 
• Verify before responding - If a message claims to come from a parish, the Diocese, a priest, or another trusted organization, confirm it through a known email address rather than replying directly. Often though, the message already sounds strange. If this is the case, ignore and consider it junk/spam.
• Be careful with phone calls - Caller ID can be spoofed, even showing the name of your bank. If a caller asks for personal or financial information, hang up and contact the institution directly using its official number.
• Remember what banks never ask - Banks will never ask for your PIN, full password, or verification codes, and they will never ask you to move money to a “safe account” or purchase gift cards.
• Do not click on suspicious links or attachments -When coming from an unverified source, even if it appears to be a pdf file, the file extension often shows that it is a shortcut to a link of a page, therefore, ignore the email and consider it junk/spam.

If you receive a suspicious message that appears to come from someone in your parish or the Diocese, please do not respond. Delete the message and report it to your parish or diocesan office if necessary.

“May the Lord give you peace.”

Pope Leo highlights this famous greeting of St. Francis of Assisi and places the notion of “Peace” at the heart of this Jubilee year of grace. In his prayer to St. Francis asking for his special intercession, the Pope recalled that St. Francis was a person who sought and lived peace:

“Saint Francis, our brother, you who eight hundred years ago went to meet Sister Death as a man of peace, intercede for us before the Lord. You recognized true peace in the Crucified of San Damiano, teach us to seek in Him the source of all Reconciliation that breaks down every wall. You who, unarmed, crossed the lines of war and misunderstanding, give us the courage to build bridges where the world raises up boundaries. In this time afflicted by conflict and division, intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers: unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ. Amen”

This Jubilee year of grace invites us to find inspiration in the life and witness of St. Francis for our own journey of faith, so that we, too, become models of holiness and constant witnesses of peace.

Francis was a particular witness of peace in his time: born into a life of privilege, he renounced all to follow the way of the Crucified Saviour, allowing Christ to be his source of peace. In humility and simplicity, he became detached from all desire for power, possessions or social status. Not needing to defend or protect anything, he went to the margins of society and served those in whom he recognized the face of the suffering Christ. Desiring to proclaim the message of reconciliation and peace to all people, he crossed boundaries and, through his respectful witness, engaged with Sultan Malik Al-Kamil, earning the Sultan's high regard and favour.

It is fitting in this Jubilee year that the Pilgrim Church of Christ be reminded that we, too, follow in the footsteps of Jesus and are called to conform our lives to his, just as St. Francis did. As Francis told his followers as he was close to death, “I have done what is mine to do. May Christ teach you what is yours.”

And what does Christ teach us? How do we live from a heart filled with the peace that only Christ can bring? The first requirement is receive the Good News proclaimed by Christ and to do as Francis did: be receptive to the grace that changes our lives – metanoia. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news!” (Mark 1:15) We, like Francis, are called to cling no longer to that which does not lead to peace in Christ: greed, inordinate ambition, arrogance, self-righteous judgments against others, pursuing our own selfish interest and desires without due regard for the needs and dignity of others. At his lowest point, Francis recognized his poverty before God and opened himself to becoming a vessel that God could use to advance the kingdom of peace. We are invited to recognize our own poverty, placing all in the hands of Christ to do with us as God the Father wills for us – discovering our unique mission of peacebuilding and peacemaking.

St. Francis did not see himself as a saint. He, in fact, understood himself to be a sinner, forgiven and in constant need of God’s grace and mercy. The life of penance he embraced was motivated by his love of God and desire to be a willing instrument in God’s hands.

God’s mercy is a constant focus within Church teaching. Recalling God’s indulgent mercy, Bishop Krzysztof Nykiel, Regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, which published a decree on God’s indulgence available this Jubilee year, reminds us that God’s grace can transform even our greatest weaknesses. God’s indulgence makes it possible to free the heart from the burden of sin and to purify and heal the harm sin causes.

The Church developed its teaching on indulgences from this notion of God’s mercy, which is more than we can fully take in or comprehend. In its essence, an indulgence reaffirms the forgiveness of sins and the healing and purification of the heart from the consequences of sin that comes as one allows God’s grace to transform one’s life. God’s indulgence is always available to us. “It is essential to understand that indulgence is first and foremost an encounter with God, and that its power lies not in our human efforts, but in the grace of God that transforms hearts… All penitential practices – such as confession, Communion, pilgrimage, prayer – are instruments of preparation that facilitate the encounter with God, but they do not replace the experience of grace itself. The authentic fruits of indulgence appear when a person consciously opens themselves to God’s transforming power, allows God to act in their heart, heals relationships, forgives, and is converted.” (Bishop Krzysztof Nykiel, quoted from “Indulgence is an Encounter with God, not a Spiritual Shortcut,” by Fr. Marek Weresa, Vatican News, January 16, 2026)

While the Church has established common practices which give expression to one’s interior desire to detach from sin, surrender to God’s mercy and be receptive to God’s grace  – including sacramental confession and participation in the Eucharist and reception of Holy Communion – “at the heart of the practice of indulgences is God’s love, always calling us to grow in holiness. Living out indulgences is not just about fulfilling a list of requirements; it is an opportunity to open our hearts to divine grace and to the intercession of the saints.” (Bishop Lucia, “Indulgences Explained,” from The Catholic Sun, April 10, 2025)

God moves in our hearts at all times and everywhere. During this Jubilee year of St. Francis, we are invited to find meaningful ways to grow in our relationship with God and in the love of our brothers and sisters, which reflects the path of St. Francis. Some of the particular ways may include making a pilgrimage to a place of worship dedicated to St. Francis, praying with the same words he used before the crucifix at San Damiano – “O most high, glorious god, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me a right faith, a certain hope and a perfect love, understanding and knowledge, O Lord, that I may carry out your holy and true command”; praying the Way of the Cross which became associated St. Francis after he promoted this devotion on his return from the Holy Land; praying before the Blessed Sacrament, mirroring the same desire of St. Clare of Assisi of giving yourself totally to the One who gave himself totally to you; meditating prayerfully (Lectio Divina) on a passage that reflects the spirit of St. Francis; finding concrete ways to serve the poor Christ in the suffering and marginalized; becoming an unarmed and disarming peacemaker in your home, community and workplace; spending time contemplating creation and the many ways it reflects God’s goodness and beauty; praying the Seven Joys of Mary, a particular Franciscan rosary which honours the joyful mysteries of the Virgin Mary’s life. During Lent, the Seven Sorrows of Mary are prayed; uniting your personal suffering, difficulties, illness, and diminishment in the same spirit of St. Francis, who wrote the Canticle to the Creatures, which exhort God’s praise, all while blind and close to death.
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As you take advantage of this Jubilee Year of St. Francis, may you hear St. Francis’ blessing addressed to you: “May the Lord bless you and keep you; May He show His face to you and have mercy on you; May He turn his countenance to you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6: 24-26)

Written by Susan Campbell, Mount St. Francis. 

It started with a handshake.

Not a debate. Not an argument. Just an invitation.

On a recent episode of Heroic Hotline, I sat down with longtime friend and ministry leader Richard Beaulieu to follow up on a conversation about what we call “handshake outreach,” the simple, human act of inviting a man into something meaningful.
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What followed was a story neither of us planned to tell, but one that captured exactly what that outreach can look like when it is patient, relational, and rooted in trust. 

A tap on the shoulder

Richard spoke about a friend he had known for years, a self-described atheist. “He would say he was an atheist,” Richard said, “but he would also tell these childhood stories.”

The stories always returned to one memory in particular, his grandfather, a Russian Orthodox priest, with long vestments and a long gray beard. “He would talk about it like it was nonsense,” Richard said. “But there was something endearing about the way he told it.”

The friend also spoke of a fleeting moment with Jesus as a young man, an experience that came and went, and later joining a church baseball team. Once the season ended, so did church.

Richard did not push his friend. He did not argue theology. He simply listened.

And then came the tap. 

“I just thought, maybe if he walked into a Catholic church again,” Richard said, “he might feel that love he sensed when he was a kid.” So he bought him a ticket.
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An invitation to come and see

The invitation was to the God Squad Men’s Conference. “Come,” Richard told him. “What’s the worst that can happen? You get a free lunch.”

The conference that year carried a weighty theme, Memento Mori, remember your death. Speakers included Father Raymond de Souza and Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, whose invitation to “come home to the Church” left a deep impression.

“For him,” Richard said, “it was a mountaintop experience.” 

“All of a sudden, the fog breaks, and there they are.”

​Walking with him after the high

Richard knew the experience could not stand alone. “You don’t leave a man floundering after that,” he said. “You journey with him.”

So the next invitation came, an Alpha program at their parish. Dinner included. No pressure. Still, something had shifted.  

The man was not ready to be prayed over. He was not ready for RCIA. But he was hungry. “I want more,” he told Richard.

He began attending RCIA just to explore. Then Mass. Then blessings during Communion. “A year earlier, he said, ‘No, it wouldn’t feel right,’” Richard said. “Now he was going up.”

Eventually, he said the words Richard had been waiting for, “I want to receive.”

At 70 years old, after a long RCIA process that included canonical complications, the man was baptized at the Easter Vigil on April 19, 2025.

“He used to call himself ‘one of the others,’” Richard said, referencing the labourers in the vineyard who arrive late but receive the same wage.

“He felt guilty about that,” Richard said. “Until he began to understand God’s unfathomable mercy.”

Memento Mori

That joy was soon tested.

In August, the man was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. By October 18, he had passed away. “He was part of the Church militant for six months,” Richard said.

His wife later told Richard that without faith, he would have been an angry patient, frustrated with doctors, with her, and with the world. “Instead,” Richard said, “he had peace. All the time.” A supernatural peace. “The only kind that can be inspired by faith.”

Richard connected the story to an account from the French Revolution, of religious sisters who went to their deaths with peace and forgiveness. “Only a faith inspired by courage could allow them to die that way,” he said.

The same courage, he believed, marked his friend’s final months. 

“Memento mori,” Richard added. “Remember your death.”

One more soul

The message Richard left with listeners was simple. “I always pray for one more soul,” he said. “Just one more than yesterday.”  

“Who’s the man in your life you need to tap on the shoulder? Buy him a coffee. Invite him. Walk with him.”

Submitted by Sean Lynn, God Squad / Heroic Men Canada.

​At its heart, the recent newsletter from the Apostolate of Eucharistic Adoration carries one clear message: Eucharistic Adoration changes parishes.

March, devoted to St. Joseph, the Passion of Our Lord, and the institution of the Eucharist, is a fitting time to return to the heart of our faith: Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. The Church has long taught that worship of the Eucharist outside of Mass is not secondary or optional. As St. John Paul II wrote in Ecclesia de Eucharistia:

Likewise, Redemptionis Sacramentum urges that Eucharistic adoration be diligently fostered “with the participation of the people.”
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The message is simple and direct: if we desire renewal in our parishes, we return to the Lord in the Eucharist.

What we are seeing in our Diocese

Last year, parishes across the Diocese of Calgary took up that invitation in a concrete way through the 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations.

At St. Mary’s Cathedral and in parishes throughout the diocese, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for extended hours. Parishioners signed up for time slots, many of whom returned more than once. Some came late at night. Others brought their children. Students in Catholic schools also participated, adding dozens of hours of adoration across chapels and classrooms.
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At Holy Spirit Parish in Calgary, 378 adorers were formally registered, with participation likely exceeding 500. Many described the experience as calm, peaceful, and holy. One recurring question that surfaced afterward was: When can we do this again?
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The numbers matter less than what they represent: a hunger to remain with the Lord.

The Heart of Adoration
​St. Teresa of Calcutta expressed it plainly:

Her words echo what many in our own diocese have experienced: silence before the Lord brings clarity, strength, and peace. It deepens love for Jesus and, from there, love for one another.

​Pope Benedict XVI, in Sacramentum Caritatis (§66), highlights its intrinsic link to the Mass: "In the Eucharist, the Son of God comes to meet us and desires to become one with us; eucharistic adoration is simply the natural consequence of the eucharistic celebration, which is itself the Church's supreme act of adoration... The act of adoration outside Mass prolongs and intensifies all that takes place during the liturgical celebration itself."

Why Adoration Matters​

​The newsletter cites a striking statistic: 70 percent of seminarians come from parishes with Eucharistic Adoration. While statistics never tell the whole story, they suggest something profound: where Christ is adored, vocations flourish.

Adoration draws us into sustained contact with the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. It strengthens faith in the Eucharist. It deepens reverence for Holy Communion. It fosters repentance, intercession, and reparation.

40 Hours Devotion for Vocation

​In our own Diocese, the 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations revealed a real hunger for time before the Lord. Parishes reported strong participation, including overnight hours. Students, families, and seniors alike came to pray. ​

Adoration is not an extra devotion. It is a wellspring of renewal for the Church. And it begins with one hour.

Where to find Adoration hours?

• Check the parish-submitted schedule for Parish Adoration in our Diocese.
• Join the 40 Hours Devotion for Vocation - and commit for one hour.

Submitted by Cindy Nickerson, Christ of the Redeemer School Division. Photos courtesy of CTR. 

I have procrastinated sharing my testimony. Not because it’s unimportant, but because I know that it is. I’ve started a handful of times, and then I stop because I’ve gone off track, or I’ve said too much or too little, or I don’t know where to go next. So what you are reading now may have grammatical errors or rambling, and it may not contain everything important, but what’s important is that you’re reading it. I come to you as a work in progress, not in perfection.
 
By the amazing grace of God, I was baptized last year on April 19, 2025. This event was a long time coming. From meeting my Catholic husband in my teens, to marriage prep in our 20’s, to our son born in 2020 – God (and my mother-in-law) were working to bring me here. Of course, God was working far before that. When I was conceived in a 13-year-old who had the option of abortion, but chose life (thank you, God). When I was a preteen and panicked because I knew that there was something far bigger than myself, but I couldn’t put a finger on it (and my firm atheistic household couldn’t confirm my feelings). When I was driving home through the mountains, my car almost took me over a cliff (and I knew someone had saved me). When I was severely but quietly struggling with my mental health, I had a plan to end my life, and a pair of headlights changed my actions (my God, you show up in so many ways). God was there, quietly working, quietly calling – waiting.
 
God’s call got me to RCIA the year before I was baptized. I left in February because I couldn’t commit to writing my name in the book to indicate baptism. I was worried about how my mom and my friends would react. I was worried because I didn’t have all the answers. I didn’t know if I truly believed in God. 

I was okay with leaving for a while. It hadn’t felt right and so I floated, trying to see what did. I had already experimented with other religions – when my husband and I started marriage prep, I identified as Buddhist. Then in the summer, I decided “once and for all,” that I was getting off the fence and I was going to live life happily as an agnostic. I wouldn’t go back and forth with anxiety about what to choose, I could be free! … Well, I started RCIA again in September.
 
This time, RCIA was much different. I wasn’t trying to decide if there was a God. I was trying to get to know Him. I was running towards the Eucharist and the Living Water. My consistent prayer was, “Jesus, DO NOT let me go.” I had been back and forth so long that I was worried my motivation would fade yet again, and my doubt would creep back in. Over and over, forcefully and often tearfully, “Jesus, DO NOT let me go.”

A big obstacle I had to overcome was telling everyone in my life that I was leading a new life. Of course, my husband Damien’s family was thrilled, and Damien himself came back to the church. He went to confession and became my sponsor. My family and friends however, reflected the life I lived before. They have different values and perspectives that don’t align with the church. What if I told them and they left? What if I lost my village that I rely on in raising my son as a mostly stay at home mom? What if I tell my loudly atheistic mom and she doesn’t want to talk to me anymore? I had a lot to lose and I chose to risk it.

However, what came back wasn’t anger or abandonment, but love and understanding. I didn’t lose one relationship, but the one change that surprises me the most to this day, is my mom. She has asked me questions out of curiosity, but not one interrogation like I had imagined. She asks about church and even said she would come to a Christmas Eve Mass to watch our son in a choir.

With everyone supporting me, I moved forward. I had my feet washed by Father David, and a few days later, he poured the water over my head to change my life forever. I sobbed through the ceremony from, “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;” (Isaiah 55:1) to kneeling after the Eucharist. Kneeling, I heard a loud celebration in my head, “YOU ARE HERE,” over and over again. All I could say back was, “I KNOW! I KNOW!”

In discussions since, I’ve mentioned that I regret not committing earlier. If I had known all that this life would offer, I wish I had gotten here sooner. Yet every time, the person answers: “You got here right when you were supposed to.” I’ve prayed a lot on this: God’s timing. We have been experiencing infertility for almost 2.5 years, and honestly, it’s been one reason that I’ve procrastinated on this testimony. I imagined writing in here – ‘I gave my life to Christ, and we finally conceived!’ While I cannot give you that good news here yet, I can give you this news: God’s timing is never early, it is never late, but it is always on time. And no matter what you are going through – God is still good.

​“Do not fear, only believe.”  Mark 5:36

Written by Jade Hawkins, Holy Spirit Parish, Calgary.
Image: Google Gemini, Feb 23, 2026.

First Friday adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a treasured devotion in many parishes. As it is a particularly good opportunity to pray for vocations to the Consecrated Life, the Assembly of Women Religious joined with Our Lady Queen of Peace parish on Friday, February 6, to pray all day together for this blessing for our Diocese. This helped sustain our prayer for vocations during the week for Consecrated Life, which began with the celebration of the Mass at the Cathedral on February 2.

Adoration for vocations is one of the ways that we participate in the renewal of our Diocese. By practicing the faith through this devotion and begging the Lord of the harvest for labourers for His harvest, we are witnessing to Christ by our prayers and inviting others to know Christ and engage in our Catholic sacramental life through the intimacy of silent adoration of the Lord.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells us to pray for vocations: “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).  Pope St. John Paul II said: “The entire People of God is responsible for promoting vocations and does so chiefly by persistent and humble prayer for vocations” (Ecclesia in America, n. 40).  

Thank you to the priests, Dominican Sisters, and many parishioners of Our Lady Queen of Peace parish who came to pray. Thank you to the dedicated Religious Sisters not of the parish who spent time before the Blessed Sacrament for this intention of vocations. They represented the Faithful Companions of Jesus, the Providence Sisters, the Gilbertines, and the Franciscan Sisters of St. Elizabeth. The Precious Blood Sisters told us that they would join us in prayer from their own monastery chapel. A special thank you to Lee Boyle who helped with welcoming everyone and stayed to pray almost the entire day.
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May the Lord hear our prayer and send us many young men and women to join the Consecrated Life in our Diocese.

Written by Sister Dianne Turner, OSE. Photos courtesy of Sister Dianne.

Over the years, I have also experienced profound personal suffering — the loss of my sons Andrew and Frederick -- surviving cancer multiple times, divorce, and the deep sorrow of losing my father, Deacon Renso Castellarin, and my sister, within weeks of each other. These experiences did not make me stronger in the way the world often speaks of strength. Rather, they made me more aware of my dependence on God and of my need for others. 

If I have been able to accompany others in their pain, it is only because I have been accompanied in mine by faithful priests, religious, health professionals, friends, and family who reflected Christ’s mercy to me. Their service allowed me to heal. Any service I now offer is, in many ways, simply a continuation of what was first given to me. 

Service, I am learning, is less about doing extraordinary things and more about saying “yes” in ordinary moments. It requires humility, boundaries, discernment, and the willingness to ask forgiveness when we fail. A servant must remain teachable. I fail often. I misunderstand. I grow tired. But God, in His patience, continues to invite me back. 

Recently, after a medical crisis in which I came close to death, I was reminded again that my life is not my own. If I am still here, it is not because of my strength or merit. It is because God, in His mercy, has given me more time. Time to love. Time to reconcile. Time to serve. 

As we journey through Lent, I am reminded that service is not a title or an identity to claim. It is a daily choice, often quiet and unseen. We do not need to be perfect. We are simply asked to make a sincere effort and to trust that God will complete what we cannot. 

If there is anything my life has taught me, it is this: God remains present, even in suffering. He wastes nothing. And He continues to call each of us, in ways unique to our own story, to serve with humility, gratitude, and love. 

One of my favourite hymns is the Prayer of St. Francis. It reminds us to be instruments of peace, love and service. 
May we all have the courage to say yes, again and again.  

Written by Angela Castellarin for Faithfully. 
Photo 1: ​Image: Google Gemini, 23 Feb. 2026.
​Photo 2: Courtesy of Angela Castellarin.

In December 2024, my husband Don was diagnosed with terminal cancer. His prognosis was “a few months to a few years”. I was determined that he should remain at home as long as possible, but it was a grim Christmas marked by draconian changes to our routines. Somewhere in my fog of anxiety and exhaustion, I registered the start of the Jubilee Year of Hope. I decided then and there that I could either sink into despair or cling to hope. I actually did both, embracing both sorrow and consolation, like the pilgrims on the Jubilee logo who clutch a cross while dragging an anchor. 2025 became a year of unexpected spiritual growth. I discovered there are dozens of people in similar circumstances to ours - adrift following some drastic event, trying to adapt whilst grieving. This is my story, but it is also our story, all of us pilgrims of hope, still journeying beyond the end of the Jubilee Year.

Weary time for God
Before Don’s illness, I never seemed to have time to rest quietly with God. My prayers would be hasty thanks and distracted petitions. Now, having dropped all extraneous commitments, there was time to sit down, whilst Don was sleeping. Unfortunately, my brain felt too numb to pray, so I just listened to the quiet house or the sounds of wind filtering in from outside. I allowed the Holy Spirit to communicate for me “with sighs too deep for words”. Into this silence peace would creep. I became aware of God’s nearness. Those moments of connection, however fleeting, refreshed me. I realized I was being sustained by my Creator.

A year later, Don is still around (thank you, God), but new challenges arise every week. I am tired but grateful for small mercies and for the support networks we have. I have learned that extreme circumstances are paradoxical - I am angry but also accepting, worried but optimistic. I fear, but I continue to hope.                       ​

Written by Alice Matisz (All Saints, Lethbridge) for Faithfully.

Written by Ryan Schmidt, Director of Renewal. Save the date: April 17-18 - Renewal Conference on Missionary Discipleship - with Bishop Scott McCaig - St. Michael's, Calgary. Details coming soon!

The Presentation of the Lord draws us into the experience of His light, a light recognised, carried, and entrusted to the Church. As Bishop William McGrattan reflected in his homily, the candles blessed and carried at the beginning of the Mass recall “the light that is meant to be kept burning brightly,” first received at baptism, and lived each day in faith. 

That light shaped the Church’s gathering from the very beginning of the Mass. On Sun, Feb 2, 2026, close to 400 faithful gathered at St. Mary's Cathedral to celebrate the World Day for Consecrated Life on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Before the Eucharistic celebration began, the assembly gathered near the baptismal font for the blessing of candles. All the faithful, including members of consecrated life, received a candle for the procession. The faithful also brought forward some candles from home to be blessed. As flames were shared and the chant rose, candlelight slowly filled the cathedral, echoing Simeon’s proclamation that Christ is “a light for revelation to the nations.”

The evening held particular significance for the sisters and brothers of consecrated life, many of whom gathered and processed together in unity. In the Diocese of Calgary, consecrated life includes women and men in Religious Life, Consecrated Virgins and Hermits, members of certain Public Associations of the Faithful, and Societies of Apostolic Life. Though their charisms differ, all share a common call to witness God’s love through the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, in service to the People of God.

Sr. Dianne Turner, Assistant Director of the Office of Vocations, was deeply moved by both the turnout and the visible unity of the Church gathered that evening.

“I was really happy to see how many people came,” she said. “There were so many diocesan priests and religious priests behind the altar, and religious men and women seated in three rows on either side at the front.” She also noted the presence of Lauretta Dearing, newly consecrated to the Order of Consecrated Virgins Living in the World on November 21, 2025.

“The candles were incredible,” Sr. Dianne added. “People brought so many from home to be blessed, and everyone received a taper candle and a holy card.” The response, she said, was immediate. “They loved it. So many people expressed their thanks.”

In his homily, Bishop McGrattan recalled that the World Day of Consecrated Life was established by St. John Paul II in 1997 so that the Church might pause to give thanks. “The Holy Spirit needs to remind the entire Church that there are many gifts and many charisms,” he said, “and it is truly the Holy Spirit that continues to unite them and allow them to be at the service of the Church and its mission.” The presence of consecrated women and men in the diocese, he noted, is not incidental, but essential.

The Gospel proclaimed that evening, from Luke’s account of the Presentation, revealed that Simeon recognized Christ as salvation and light and also foretold suffering. Reflecting on this, Bishop McGrattan spoke of consecrated life as a radical witness shaped by both joy and sacrifice. “Many have experienced the grace of encountering Christ in the Incarnation,” he said, “and also the experience of following Christ in his death and resurrection.” This witness, he explained, often involves dying to self so that the grace of Christ may be revealed in those they serve.

Following the homily, all those in consecrated life stood together to renew their vows, reaffirming commitments already lived day by day, supported by the prayer of the gathered Church. The liturgy was prayerfully supported by the Seeds of the Word Community, whose music led the assembly through the celebration with reverence, beauty, and care.

The Diocese thanks the staff and volunteers of St. Mary’s Cathedral for their support of the celebration, with special appreciation to Ivy Bercelon and her team for their role in sharing the invitation and assisting with the liturgy and reception.
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The celebration continued in the parish hall, where the unexpectedly large turnout only underscored what had been witnessed throughout the evening. Bishop McGrattan’s words offered a fitting final note: “Let us be filled with a great joy and thanksgiving for the witness of our religious brothers and sisters and those in consecrated life, where they truly witness to Christ in the community, their life and their ministry.”

Photos: Bandi Szakony and Victor Panlilio, for the Diocese of Calgary.

​More than 155 years ago, the Sisters of Charity (also known as the Grey Nuns) arrived in what would become Alberta with little more than faith, courage and a deep conviction that every life is sacred. They cared for the sick, welcomed the vulnerable and built the foundations of Catholic health care in our province. 

Today, that same mission lives on in Covenant hospitals, continuing care centres and community health programs across Alberta. And it lives on through you: through the prayers, generosity and support of people who believe that compassionate care is still a calling. 

​When you support Covenant Foundation, you are not just remembering a legacy. You are helping carry it forward, ensuring that faith continues to be lived through care for generations to come. 
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This Catholic Health Care Week, learn about our sacred legacy at covenantfoundation.ca/oursacredlegacy 

Covenant Health sites within the Diocese of Calgary:

• Banff Mineral Springs Hospital (Banff)
• St. Michael’s Health Centre, St. Therese Villa, Buffalo Grace Manor (Lethbridge)
• St. Joseph’s Home (Medicine Hat)
• St. Teresa Place, St. Marguerite Manor, Evanston (Calgary)

Article & photos: Submitted by Covenant Health Alberta. 

Priest Assignment; Deacon Assignment; Clergy Personnel Announcements; Pastoral Assignment; Priests Move

From Jan 10, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027, the Church marks a special Jubilee Year of Saint Francis of Assisi on the 800th anniversary of his death. During this year, the faithful may obtain a plenary indulgence by fulfilling the usual conditions (confession, Communion, prayer for the Holy Father, detachment from sin) and engaging in acts inspired by the Franciscan spirit, such as pilgrimage, prayer, works of charity, and humble service.

This Jubilee invites not only celebration, but a deeper imitation of St. Francis through a Gospel life lived simply, faithfully, and daily.

• Read more (Year of St. Francis, Vatican News)
• Info on Plenary Indulgence on the occasion of the Year of St. Francis

This message feels especially relevant today. Many of us communicate more than ever, yet still feel unheard or disconnected. Pope Leo invites us to pause and ask how we are using these tools, and whether they are helping us grow in relationship or quietly pulling us away from it.
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Read more

• Vatican News overview
• Full message from Pope Leo XIV

Every year, the Assembly of Women Religious and the Office of Vocations in the Diocese of Calgary invite young single women, age 16 or older, to join in a fun night of food, companionship, games, and prayer.

In previous years, the Fun Night attendees were graciously welcomed by the Faithful Companions of Jesus Sisters at the FCJ Centre, but as the event has continued to grow, a larger venue was needed! This year, the Fun Night was hosted at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, where nearly 40 young ladies and Sisters enjoyed an evening of great food, group games, and conversation.
 
The evening began with a prayerful welcome, followed by a delicious pizza supper, other nutritious foods, and a cookie extravaganza. (No really, there was no shortage of cookies!) The ladies in attendance got to converse with Sisters from seven communities here in Calgary: the Faithful Companions of Jesus Sisters, the Seeds of the Word, the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, the Providence Sisters, the Dominican Sisters, the Daughters of Mary Mother of the Church, and the Franciscan Sisters of St. Elizabeth. 
 
The Fun Night gives young women the opportunity to connect with the Sisters to learn more about the vocation to the Consecrated life and who the Sisters are as real people. In turn, the Sisters are thrilled to make some new friends and to spend time with the other Sisters as well. It was very exciting to welcome a few new attendees this year, as this event was their first time meeting or interacting with any religious Sisters. 
 
Everyone jumped into the group games with enthusiasm and lots of laughter. We learned some interesting traits about everyone in the Fruit Salad Game, and we appreciated a variety of artistic talents during a very amusing and competitive bout of Pictionary. The games invited everyone to participate and get to know each other a little better.

“People were very friendly, and there was an innate sense of community,” shared one attendee. “The Sisters were funny and welcoming, and it was so cool to meet Sisters from different backgrounds and paths!”
 
At the end of the evening, each community of Sisters shared something about their community in a brief panel discussion, and the evening concluded with Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. All the women were provided with a list of the upcoming vocation events with the hopes that they will participate in future encounters with the Sisters - and we hope to see you there too!

​Written by Noëlle McCusker and Sr. Dianne Turner. 

As a long-standing tradition, the Bishop of Calgary and the Office of Vocations have brought together the current seminarians and their parents for a Christmas supper. Last December, it was held at St. Cecilia’s church with a delicious meal provided by the Catholic Women’s League and the Knights of Columbus of that parish. This event, which honours both parents and their seminarian sons, demonstrates the importance of strengthening family life to support vocations to the priesthood in our Diocese.
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A particularly edifying part of this gathering is the speech by the parents of a recently ordained priest. This personal sharing of the experience of these parents is offered as a support for the parents of the current seminarians as they navigate their own son’s journey towards the priesthood. Knowing how other parents have successfully supported their sons over the many years of discernment and formation demonstrates that, as a local Church, we are here to help one another.

This year, the parents of the newly-ordained Fr. Peter An accepted this role for which we are truly grateful. Here follows the speech of Fr. Peter’s mother, Jinhee An. With her husband, Sungchan An, at her side, she described her experience as the mother of a son called by God to be His priest.