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Growing in holiness as a family

6/13/2022

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"Celebrate the Holy Spirit" Synod group discussion. Photo credit: Wade Anderson.
The synodal journey in the Diocese of Calgary was a process of encounter, listening and discernment. There were many who questioned if undertaking such a journey would bear any fruits personally and communally. Like on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit breathed new life and hope into the weariness that we had been experiencing in these past few years. One parish synod leader described the experience in these words: “The synod allowed our parishioners to move from a period of isolation to gathering once more and in doing so discovering each other’s stories of faith. This was just the beginning of a renewal for our parish and Church in listening to the hurts of the past and to forge forward with hope to grow stronger together.”
 
There were many challenges that surfaced during these listening sessions but there was one overwhelming concern which was voiced and that was for families, youth and children in the life of the faith community. The responses on a family's experience of the Church reflected both ups and downs, and at times, quite serious challenges. Not all families felt welcomed, acknowledged, or appreciated in their communities. Many shared their personal accounts of frustration, hurt, and pain experienced when they had approached the Church. There is a general lack of understanding and acceptance of the uniqueness and conditions specific to families and the stages of life they are in. Often this results in the parishes’ inability to make connections with families in a truly effective way.  
Outreach, inviting, and being welcoming were emphasized over and over again. Families need parishes to make intentional efforts to foster relationships with them, help them to connect with other families in the community, and to work to strengthen these bonds. Special consideration also needs to be given in all our outreach activities to gauge how effective they are in addressing the broad spectrum of families and their living situations. These differences can include: ethnicity, culture, language, age, marital status, single parents, families with young children, and those without access to or familiarity with the latest technology. In addition, people and family circumstances change over time as we age, and communication modes and styles need to be adapted appropriately to the targeted age group.

One person stated “our children deserve a place where they can learn to know, love, and serve God.” This passionate appeal is echoed time and again by many in the community. Do we make consistent and intentional efforts to make sure youth get involved, feel welcome, be encouraged to participate, and have opportunities to be formed in the faith? Have we made space for our youth? Are we fostering an environment where experience and learning are encouraged without feeling scolded or frowned upon? A common concern repeated many times was a lack of organized events specifically to provide opportunities to engage youth, with a focus on ensuring they feel welcome, connected, needed, and loved. Many asked if we are proactively and properly funding youth programs to keep them engaged. The idea of sharing ministry with youth between smaller communities was raised as a possible way to share resources and maximize effectiveness. There is a need for perseverance, creativity, occasional re-evaluation, and a never-ending need for continuous innovation in our communication, outreach, and welcoming efforts as we journey with our youth and their families.

Ultimately, our youth want to journey with us. Thanks to the dedication of our teachers and parish catechists, over 500 youth participated informally in the synodal journey as they shared their experience of Church. As can be expected, the various responses provided a wide-range of answers, reactions, and perspectives; ranging from experiencing the Church as a community that welcomes, supports, inspires, and teaches, to feeling unwelcome, uninspired, and/or judged by the Church.

When asked how we could grow together as a community of faith, responses from our youth included a wide spectrum of ideas for activities to make faith and Church life more appealing. There was an expressed desire for the life of faith to be more inviting, inspiring, and to know God (Holy Spirit) personally. They felt that the Church needs to find new ways to pass on the message of faith in ways that consider individual interest, intellectual level, and age so as to lead young people to make personal decisions about their faith and their relationship with God and the Church. There must be a greater degree of collaboration and openness in accompanying them in relation to addressing modern-day issues and challenges pertaining to faith and morals. They want a better understanding of the sacraments, including the Mass so that the celebrations can be more personal and understandable.

Finally, an important and recurring theme found in our youth responses is the desire to see personal witness among those professing to be people of faith. Noteworthy of mention is their feedback relating to the impact schools, teachers, parents, and the Church have had in providing opportunities for growing in the knowledge and experience of faith.
These themes and others are found in the Diocesan Synod Synthesis Report.

​In this month of June there is also the World Meeting of Families (WMF) in Rome, June 22-26, 2022 which coincides with the closing of the “Amoris Laetitia Family Year”. This gathering, which is part of the current synodal journey of the Church, will place the priority of families at the center of the Church’s discernment of its pastoral accompaniment and outreach. Pope Francis is inviting every Catholic family to join virtually via live streaming. It could potentially be a valuable experience of walking together in the “participation, communion and mission” for families in the life of the Church. I encourage those in our parishes and lay associations to learn about initiatives at the national level by going to the Family and Life webpage at cccb.ca. 
​Pope’s Prayer Intention for June 2022:
For Families – We pray for Christian families around the world; may they embody and experience unconditional love and advance in holiness in their daily lives.
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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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​June 13, 2022
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The Restoration of the Sunday Obligation

5/18/2022

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May 18, 2022
 
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
 
The great feast of Pentecost celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into the life of the  Church through the Apostles, the disciples, and with Mary, the mother of our Lord, who were gathered in the upper room “constantly devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:12-14). This gathering for worship is necessary for our identity as disciples of Christ.
 
In March of 2020, the Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories issued in their respective dioceses a dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation to provide the faithful the freedom to choose and not be obligated to participate in large liturgical gatherings and thus to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during the time of the global pandemic.
 
Now, at this stage where the necessity for health and safety restrictions has been relaxed, a return to in-person gatherings on Sundays as a worshipping community is necessary for our continued spiritual nourishment and growth. Therefore, the Bishops of Alberta and Northwest Territories in their respective dioceses will be lifting the dispensation on Pentecost Sunday, June 5, 2022.
 
While acknowledging the continuing presence of COVID-19 in our midst, the decree restoring the Sunday obligation will continue to provide the exemption for those who are ill, vulnerable and those providing direct care for them, and those who cannot attend Mass because of frailty or old age.
 
Our sacred duty to worship God on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation orients our personal freedom to the worship and service of God. May the feast of Pentecost inspire us to constantly devote ourselves to prayer especially in the highest form of our worship of God in the celebration of the Sunday Eucharist.
 
Sincerely yours in Christ,

✠ William T. McGrattan
Bishop of Calgary
Download Decree for the Restoration of the Obligation
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Faith-filled young people

5/15/2022

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Photo: Confirmation Mass - at St. Peter's, Calgary.
This Easter Season I will once again have the opportunity to visit parishes, meet young people and their families, and confer the Sacrament of Confirmation.  In the months preceding the celebration of Confirmation at the parish, young people have completed a period of catechesis through a parish-based sacramental program which was offered in person or on-line due to the pandemic. The reception of this sacrament completes their initiation into the life of Christ and the Catholic Church. They are prepared by the priests and lay catechists in learning about the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit which they receive in the Sacrament. They deepen their understanding of the Faith through study, by engaging in apostolic service activities, and exploring the lives of the Saints who witnessed to Christ in ways that they can relate to in their lives.

The candidates also write a letter to the Bishop and express in their own words why they are choosing to be confirmed.  In many instances they describe the example of sacrifice that they recognize in their mother or father a concrete sign of love that supports the family. In their own words they also sense that they are called to deepen their relationship with God through prayer, and to be more faithful in living their faith by becoming a better person in drawing closer to Christ. These are the seeds of hope that I read and which are inspiring young people in the Church now.
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During this Marian month of May, Pope Francis offers this prayer for young people, “We pray for all young people, called to live life to the fullest; may they see in Mary’s life the way to listen, the depth of discernment, the courage that faith generates, and the dedication to service.”

Young people are naturally inclined to identify with our Mother Mary. Our Blessed Mother faced a challenging moment of discernment in her youth, a moment that tested the strength of her faith and trust in God, the Father.  Yet courageously, with her ear inclined to listen to the Lord, and her heart open to serving the purpose He set before her, she answered, “yes.”  Young people can reflect this courage and determination. In their zeal for social justice initiatives, their care of creation, and their commitment to building a more just and peaceful world, young people give witness to their Faith. And to pursue and accomplish these good works, young people need to engage in prayerful discernment supported by their families and the faith community of our Catholic schools and parishes.
 
It is this invitation that Pope Francis extended to young Catholics in his prayer intention for the Marian month of May which has been captured on video.
The video begins with six empty chairs which quickly become filled by three generations of a family: grandparents, parents and children – all of whom share a role in the discernment process. As Pope Francis speaks about the importance of family, a girl draws an image which gradually is revealed to be the Blessed Virgin Mary. Addressing the youth, Pope Francis points to Mary as a role model for young people.  The Holy Father highlights the attributes and gifts of Mary’s faith that continue to inspire young people today.
 
Pope Francis issued a pastoral document entitled, Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment in 2018.  The three sections of the document provide a much deeper reflection upon the themes presented in the video.
  • The first section presents the importance of schools and parishes in the lives and spiritual development of young people while stressing the need for authentic witnesses to the faith especially the laity who are formed pastorally to accompany young people alongside the clergy.
  • The second section examines the development of the mission and vocation of young people and the essential elements of accompaniment and discernment which can support them at critical times in their personal and faith development.
  • The third section outlines the synodal dynamic of “listening” for the Church and the need to move from "I" to "we", from “me” to “us”. The Holy Father recognizes that this is important to help young people understand the varied perspectives and cultures which they will experience in society today and in which they will be required to engage in dialogue and collaborative service throughout their lives.
 
In Christus Vivit, Pope Francis states, “If we journey together, young and old, we can be firmly rooted in the present, and from here, revisit the past and look to the future. To revisit the past in order to learn from history and heal old wounds that at times still trouble us. To look to the future in order to nourish our enthusiasm, cause dreams to emerge, awaken prophecies and enable hope to blossom. Together, we can learn from one another, warm hearts, inspire minds with the light of the Gospel, and lend new strength to our hands.”  (Christus Vivit #199)
 
Young people are the future of the Church at a time yet to be and they are the now in the present moment. Through receiving Confirmation and being sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit we cannot underestimate young people in their contribution to the ongoing synodal process of the Church. I encourage every youth ministry group, school, classroom, campus ministry group and others to see the synodal process as one that invites a dialogue with the voice of our youth and their experience of living the faith. The Church, especially the Bishop, needs to hear the voices of our faith-filled young people!
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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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​May 15, 2022
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An Easter Message from Bishop McGrattan

4/18/2022

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Each year the celebration of Easter takes us beyond the Cross of Good Friday to the joy and hope that comes from knowing that the Risen Lord is truly present in the world and in the lives of believers. For Mary Magdalene and the other women, Peter and the beloved disciple, the experience of the empty tomb would soon be transformed into that of encountering the risen Christ.

The gospels each follow a similar pattern for those who would come to believe. Initially scripture tells us that they did not recognize him. This was to signify for each of them the need to let go of their knowing him in the flesh, of not finding the body in the tomb. A necessary step of becoming detached from recognizing him in his earthly body, in order that they would become attached to him in new ways and know him in his resurrected and glorified body which was no longer bound by time or space. This believing community of disciples became the first witnesses to know that God’s love and presence in and through Christ has the power to transform our lives, to move us beyond the experiences of the empty tomb to the hope of our Easter belief!

The stark images of those caught up in the current tragedy of war throughout the world were reminders to us this Good Friday of Jesus' passion, the carrying of the cross, the suffering and death he endured. His acceptance of the Father’s will would ultimately be the source of new life, a hope that is found in the resurrection. God moves us in faith to act with the same love that our Lord offers for the entire world. It is a love that restores dignity for those who have been exiled from their homes, transforming strangers into neighbours, and calling us to respond with compassion and care to those who are suffering and vulnerable.

Jesus revealed himself to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in the midst of their doubt and despair. At first the disciples were prevented from recognizing him until he began to share with them his presence in the living Word of scripture and then in the sacramental sign of his presence “in the breaking of the bread” – the Eucharist. He also commissioned Mary as the “apostle (the one sent) to the apostles”, to bring this good news of the resurrection to the world. In a similar way each Easter celebration invites us to come and see, to encounter like the two disciples the presence of the resurrected Lord in Word and Sacrament and then like Mary to go and proclaim this mystery which God has accomplished through Christ. 

To enter into mystery means the ability to wonder, to contemplate; the ability to listen to the silence and to hear the tiny whisper amid great silence by which God speaks to us (cf. 1 Kings 19:12).  Like Mary we need humility to enter into this mystery and to receive through the Holy Spirit the whispering of the revealed truth that our search for life, goodness, beauty and love is fully revealed in the risen Christ. May our commitment to this sacred mystery be revealed in the witness which we give in the promoting of the dignity of each human person in our country of Canada. 

A blessed Easter Season to you and your family.

​Sincerely yours in Christ,

+ William T. McGrattan
Bishop of Calgary

April 17, 2022
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The Consecration of Russia & Ukraine

3/24/2022

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The Consecration will be livestreamed on Friday, March 25 at 9:45 am. ​Watch live on Youtube | Facebook

If you plan to come in person, please arrive by 9:45 am. 
Bishop McGrattan joins the Holy Father in the Act of Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at St. Mary's Cathedral on Friday, March 25. 
  • Prayer starts at 9:50 am. Act of Consecration at 10 am (5 pm Rome time). 
  • Mass in the Cathedral: 7:30 am & 5:00 pm
  • Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
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A penitential season of transformation

3/21/2022

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The Season of Lent began three weeks ago at Ash Wednesday when we received the ashes visibly marking us with the sign of repentance and of eternal life.

Lent is a season that invites us to reflect on the transformational change needed in our lives in anticipation of celebrating the new life in Christ at Easter. This Season often coincides with Spring – a season filled with the natural signs of rebirth, new beginnings, and new growth.  And in the Third week of Lent this year, we do in fact mark the first day of Spring. 

Lent provides the opportunity to grow deeper spiritually by engaging in the practices of fasting, almsgiving, and more frequent prayer from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday. These penitential days of Lent can truly help us to experience a spiritual transformation and thus to celebrate more fully the Easter Season.

This year the season of Lent is also offering us many moments and world events that invite a pause in the usual routines of living. The pandemic has taken a toll on people. Some have lost family members and friends during the pandemic and often those deaths were compounded painfully by isolation from one another. Some have lost employment or experienced a reduction in work hours. Others have suffered mental health issues as the health precautions imposed an isolation that impacted the provision of supportive mental health care services. Children were unable to attend school at times or they studied at home away from their friends. The list of impacts goes on. 

And then, as things slowly began to return to normal pre-pandemic practices, Russia attacked Ukraine and the world watched in horror the images of innocent people caught in the middle of this violent conflict. It has been shocking and tragic to see the suffering of the people in Ukraine as their homes are bombed and more recently the hospitals and shelters that are being targeted and destroyed.

The world is seeing a tragic injustice unfold that is causing deep suffering, a suffering that we can carry in our prayers asking for God’s strength and comfort.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)) denounces the destruction which is inflicted by war:
Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation. A danger of modern warfare is that it provides the opportunity to those who possess modern scientific weapons especially atomic, biological, or chemical weapons - to commit such crimes.” CCC 2314
The condemnation of Russia’s aggressive indiscriminate choice of warfare has been resolutely opposed by the countries of the world and is only matched by the bravery of the Ukrainian men and women fighting to defend their freedom and homeland. What outstanding examples of personal fortitude and perseverance!  

In the midst of this destruction and human suffering, there are witnesses to the faith who are reaching out to alleviate one another’s anguish. Mothers in Poland left strollers at a train station for those mothers arriving with children from Ukraine, a volunteer at the Polish border gave children candy and toys, Romanian volunteers gave flowers to women arriving from Ukraine on International Women’s Day, a person played the piano at the border crossing, people in Berlin greeted a train arriving from Ukraine with signs indicating how many people they could welcome with accommodation, etc.  A father and eldest son saying farewell to the mother and three other children in the family were asked by a reporter if they thought that the family would be reunited soon.  The eldest son replied quickly and without hesitation, “Everything will be alright.”

While the troubles of the world are many and they are very serious, these examples of human kindness and strength give inspiring witness to the faith and goodness of people. We join in this witness through donations to Ukraine, in supporting relief efforts, welcoming those displaced by the war to resettle in Canada and with our prayers.
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On the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (Friday, March 25), Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  His Holiness has invited Bishops around the world to join in this Act of Consecration. In solidarity with our Holy Father and in union with my brother bishops I will offer this Act of Consecration on behalf of the Diocese at St. Mary's Cathedral. A Novena Prayer is also being prayed in the nine days preceding the Solemnity and I invite you to join in the Novena Prayer and the Act of Consecration. This spiritual engagement is as important and needed as the relief efforts. The act of humbly seeking God’s mercy and grace in prayer this Lent can further the dialogue of peace. Such acts of penance can be transformational for us and the world.   
Because of the evils and injustices that all war brings with it, we must do everything reasonably possible to avoid it. The Church prays: "From famine, pestilence, and war, O Lord, deliver us." CCC 2327
​Let us continue to pray for peace. From famine, pestilence, and war, O Lord, deliver us.

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The Ukrainian Catholic leaders have prepared a Novena and invited all Catholic faithful from around the world to join them in prayer. We invite the faithful of the Diocese and all people of goodwill to participate in the Novena prayer above.
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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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​March 21, 2022
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World Day of the Sick 2022

2/6/2022

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Saint John Paul II established the World Day of the Sick in 1992 to invite the Church to be attentive to and to pray for the sufferings of the sick and those who care for them.
 
Institutions providing Catholic healthcare have long been a sign of the Church’s commitment to care for those who are sick and to accompany them in their suffering.  In fact, many religious congregations were founded to address the suffering of the sick, and in doing so, have established hospitals, promoted education in the medical sciences, and offered formation for those in the healthcare professions. This witness continues today around the world through the charisms of many religious congregations and Catholic lay faithful who serve as doctors, nurses, aids, and researchers.  This affirms in our world the Christian belief in the sacredness of human life from the moment of conception to a natural end, even with the challenges that illness and suffering can bring into the life of a person.
 
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (“CCC”) recognizes that when we are afflicted with sickness, it is both a time of challenge and a time of grace:
Illness and suffering have always been among the gravest problems confronted in human life. In illness, man experiences his powerlessness, his limitations, and his finitude. Every illness can make us glimpse death." CCC #1500

"Illness can lead to anguish, self-absorption, sometimes even despair and revolt against God. It can also make a person more mature, helping him discern in his life what is not essential so that he can turn toward that which is. Very often illness provokes a search for God and a return to him." CCC #1501

When we become ill and more acutely aware of the fragility of our own good health and how this can change so quickly as demonstrated during the pandemic, it is understandable for some to be burdened with uncertainty, questions, and fear.  This can be an experience of desolation and for some, isolation.  The importance of our works of charity in caring for the sick cannot be overemphasized.  In the Message for the 2022 World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis describes the importance of our pastoral presence to the sick, “This helps us to see how important is the presence at our side of witnesses to God’s charity, who, following the example of Jesus, the very mercy of the Father, pour the balm of consolation and the wine of hope on the wounds of the sick.”

This presence or accompaniment of the sick happens in several ways. 
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I would like to remind everyone that closeness to the sick and their pastoral care is not only the task of certain specifically designated ministers; visiting the sick is an invitation that Christ addresses to all his disciples. How many sick and elderly people are living at home and waiting for a visit! The ministry of consolation is a task for every baptized person, mindful of the word of Jesus: 'I was sick and you visited me'" (Mt 25:36) - (Pope Francis, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36) - Standing beside those who suffer on a path of charity, Message for the World Day of the Sick 2022.)
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St. Francis de Sales writes, “The Prayer of the sick person is his patience and his acceptance of his sickness for the love of Jesus Christ. Make sickness itself a prayer.”  And St. Jane Frances de Chantal echoes this same belief, “Suffering borne in the will quietly and patiently is a continual, very powerful prayer before God.”
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Let us thank the Lord for the progress that medical science has made, especially in recent times; new technologies have made it possible to prepare therapies that are of great benefit to the sick; research continues to make a valuable contribution to eliminating old and new pathologies; rehabilitation medicine has greatly expanded its expertise and skills. (Pope Francis, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36) - Standing beside those who suffer on a path of charity, Message for the World Day of the Sick 2022.)
As we mark this 30th World Day of the Sick and the COVID pandemic continues to challenge the world let us be generous in our support and prayers for those who are suffering with physical and mental illnesses, their care-givers and especially our healthcare workers.
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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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​Feb. 6, 2022
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Human Fraternity - Justice, Peace, Solidarity

1/17/2022

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It is the New Year, a time that marks beginnings, and it also coincides with the end of the Christmas season and the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. Scripture records that as Christ emerged from the waters of the Jordan, “the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended upon him like a dove, and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:16-17). This feast celebrates the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. A ministry which was to embrace all peoples despite their status, the circumstances of their life, the culture, and conditions in which they live. Through our baptism we share in this call, this mission of service through the continued outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit who can renew our strength, courage, and fortitude in the midst of the challenges we currently face with the pandemic.

The New Year also brings with it the celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from January 18 to 25 and the International Day of Human Fraternity on February 4. The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2022 is, “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship Him” (Mt 2:2).  The theme speaks to the pressing need globally for solidarity and fraternity in the face of economic, political, and social turmoil, including the challenges and injustices which the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted. This celebration will be an opportunity to pray for the unity that God desires for all of creation.  It is this unity of persons which sows the seeds of mutual understanding that inspires justice, peace, and solidarity.

On December 21, 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/75/200 declaring February 4 as the International Day of Human Fraternity. It is now observed annually in order to heighten our awareness and focus upon human fraternity, solidarity, justice, and peace.  It is significant that the evolution of thought and work toward this resolution included Pope Francis and came as the result of Christian-Muslim cooperation. The Higher Committee for Human Fraternity provided the UN Chief with a message from Pope Francis and the Grand Imam, proposing that February 4 be designated as the annual International Day of Human Fraternity.
The UN resolution included three clauses specifically directed toward the religions of the world:
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  • Expressing deep concern at those acts that advocate religious hatred and thereby undermine the spirit of tolerance and respect for diversity, especially at a time when the world confronts the unprecedented crisis caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which requires a global response based on unity, solidarity and renewed multilateral cooperation,

  • Recognizing the valuable contribution of people of all religions or beliefs to humanity and the contribution that dialogue among all religious groups can make towards an improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all humankind,
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  • Underlining the importance of raising awareness about different cultures and religions or beliefs and of education in the promotion of tolerance, which involves  the acceptance by the public of and its respect for religious and cultural diversity, including with regard to religious expression, and underlining further the fact that education, in particular at school, should contribute in a meaningful way to promoting tolerance and the elimination of discrimination based on religion or belief, …

These values of tolerance, respect, engagement, dialogue, and understanding which are articulated in the resolution are also expressed with the depth of our Faith in the encyclical letter on fraternity and social friendship, Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis released on October 3, 2020.
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The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity met at the Vatican, Sep. 11, 2019. Photo: Vatican Media.
Our mission through baptism is to recognize in one another the sacred dignity we have as a son and daughter of God.  It is this type of dignity that Pope Francis describes as foundational to our relationship with one another.
​For Christians, the words of Jesus have an even deeper meaning. They compel us to recognize Christ himself in each of our abandoned or excluded brothers and sisters (cf. Mt 25:40.45). Faith has untold power to inspire and sustain our respect for others, for believers come to know that God loves every man and woman with infinite love and “thereby confers infinite dignity” upon all humanity. (Fratelli Tutti, 85.)
When this recognition of each other’s dignity is present, Pope Francis describes the sense of fraternity and solidarity that is fostered, a fraternity which cannot overlook the sufferings or injustices of another person.
The world exists for everyone, because all of us were born with the same dignity. Differences of colour, religion, talent, place of birth or residence, and so many others, cannot be used to justify the privileges of some over the rights of all. As a community, we have an obligation to ensure that every person lives with dignity and has sufficient opportunities for his or her integral development. (FT, 118.
Pope Francis speaks to the people, the generation of this time to urge a fraternity among all people rooted in the recognition of each person’s dignity.
It is my desire that, in this our time, by acknowledging the dignity of each human person, we can contribute to the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity. Fraternity between all men and women. … (FT, 8.
​Let us join together in praying for that universal aspiration to social fraternity.
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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary

​Jan. 10, 2021
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St. Nicholas - A Saint for Advent this year

12/5/2021

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On December 6th, the liturgical calendar of the Church notes an Optional Memorial for St. Nicholas, a Bishop. St. Nicholas is one of the most popular saints of the Church.  Folklore and legend describe him as a strong defender of the Faith with a heart for children. On this latter point, St. Nicholas is typically associated with Santa Claus and sometimes St. Nicholas and Santa Claus are described as one in the same person but the research that is available draws this latter notion into question. That said, there are many stories of his care for children by providing them with sustenance and saving them from the dangers of life.

St. Nicholas lived in the 4th century, and therefore little is known for certain about this saint. He was born in the village of Patara in Asia Minor, an area that was under Greek governance at that time. His parents were wealthy and they raised him to be a devout Christian. He is known to have taken the Gospels to heart especially the words of Jesus to sell one’s possessions and provide for the needs of the poor. After Nicholas’ parents died in an epidemic, he used his inheritance to assist those who were sick or in need.  He devoted his life to serving God and while he was still very young, Nicholas was made Bishop of Myra. Bishop Nicholas is known in legend and lore for his generous support of those in need, his love of children, his care for sailors and ships, and his devotion to the Catholic Faith.
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This legacy of charity to those in need, love of children, care for those who work in professions that support the operational functioning of our society, and commitment to the Faith are worthy virtues to ponder and appropriate as the Season of Advent begins this year.

The Season of Advent is designated as a penitential Season – a time to prepare spiritually for the coming of Christ at Christmas and in the fullness of time. It is a time to take stock and particularly this year, when the expressions and rituals of our Faith have been challenged by the health precautions we needed to take to curtail the spread of this pandemic, Advent provides us with the chance to focus the weeks of preparation on our spiritual lives.  Through prayer, ritual, acts of penitential preparation, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, in the words of the Catechism, Advent unites the faithful of the Church to the desire of St. John the Baptist:
When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursor's birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’" CCC #524
It is this Faith dwelling in our hearts and lived in our lives that inspires charity to those in need, love of children and all people, and care for another.

CHARITY - Charity supports those living in our midst who lack the sustenance to enjoy a basic quality of life.  Homelessness and mental health issues often render people in circumstances that they might never have thought possible. I am grateful for so many in the Diocese who support either in person or through the gift of financial sustenance, the needs of those who are sorely challenged by unstable housing, employment, or poor health.

​LOVE - Love for children bursting forth with new life and youth awakens the soul to exuberance and vitality.  It is sometimes said that Christmas is a time for children.  And it is a magical time for children.  However, it is also a time that reconnects people with the memories from childhood and the desire to share the story from that First Christmas in Bethlehem with our youth, the now and the future of our Church.  In many ways, where life may have wearied the adult, Advent reawakens the inner child connecting us to the excitement on children faces and the anticipation of great joy in the words of Luke’s gospel:
But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord." ~ Luke 2:10-11
CARE - Care for those who look after our community in ways that are evident and hidden is a sign of respect and gratitude. There are so many heroes and saints in our midst.  Workers and professionals have faced many challenges brought on by the pandemic and the disastrous effects of climate change. Early in the pandemic, I am told that people spontaneously thanked others for coming to work. As the pandemic time persists and the spirits grow weary, perhaps the Faith in our hearts will inspire us to speak a kind word to another. A gentle word and our care are much appreciated acts of encouragement and support.

​During this Season of Advent, may God who calls you to prepare for the coming of His Son, inspire you with His peace, hope, love, and joy!
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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
​
Dec. 3, 2021
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A shrine to Our Lady of Lavang

11/2/2021

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A shrine to Our Lady of Lavang in the parish of St. Vincent Liem, Calgary has recently been built and blessed, and is the  pride and joy of the Vietnamese community in the city. 
 
Fr. Joseph Canh Vu, pastor of St. Francis Assisi parish and former pastor of St. Vincent Liem parish (2009-2017), says the Blessed Virgin Mary is an important part of the Vietnamese Catholic culture and the shrine has become popular for those who want to pray and honour the Holy Mother of God.
 
The shrine is devoted to the story of Our Lady who is said to have appeared many times in Lavang, Vietnam in 1798.
 
“The Vietnamese people are fond of the devotion of the Virgin Mary in Vietnam. Families say the Rosary often before going to bed,” said Father Joseph. “In Vietnam, it’s a tradition to devote ourselves to the Virgin Mary.
 
“The community is very excited. When people come to Mass, or even weekday Mass, they go to say a prayer in front of the shrine.”
 
St. Vincent Liem Church, which is located in the Forest Lawn neighbourhood, was formerly in Inglewood. After years of growth in Inglewood, the Church made the bold move to build a new Church where it is located today at 2412 48th Street SE. The current pastor of the church is Fr. Nguyễn Đức Vượng. The associate pastor is Fr. Phạm Công Liêm.
 
The new church was dedicated on July 11, 2015 by Bishop Emeritus Frederick Henry of the Calgary Diocese. It is known for its grandeur and modern architecture, featuring an open concept, natural lighting, and the versatile design with a touch of the Vietnamese heritage.

​In the years 2009-2010, the St. Vincent Liem parish in Inglewood began to seriously contemplate building a new Church. The number of people attending Mass was increasing. Parking for the weekend was increasingly becoming more difficult.

 
From 2011 to 2013, the parish began planning the construction of a new Church. On June 15, 2013, the first broken stone officially opened the construction of a new Church in the Forest Lawn area. After the new Church was built, on May 16, 2015, the statue of Our Lady was moved and temporarily placed at the back area of the Church as a place for parishioners to pray.
 
On March 25, the parish held a Mass for the laying of the first stone to inaugurate the construction of the shrine. The project was completed in early October. On Oct. 10, Bishop William McGrattan officially blessed the shrine of Our Lady of Lavang.
Myloan Dang, who is a secretary and a bookkeeper for the parish, said the shrine is very important to the parishioners.
 
“From the beginning when we moved here we planned to build the shrine for Our Lady of Lavang back in 2013-2014 when the Church was completed,” said Dang.
 
“A lot of parishioners were longing to have it done. And they said they would do anything to help out whatever that is. It’s not just the people in our Church. We had lots of people outside the Church in the Vietnamese community who were very helpful to us. That’s what really motivated us - the people in the Vietnamese community came together and worked together to get this done.”
 
According to the Roman Catholic Saints website, “the fact that the Blessed Virgin visited a small group of Catholics in the little jungle village of Lavang, in Vietnam, in 1798, is not surprising to anyone who knows the ways of the Mother of God. She has always been faithful to her children by grace.” 
On one such evening, they were first frightened and then enchanted to behold a Woman and Child standing nearby in a mysterious glow of light. Simple as these people were, some among them recognized the Virgin Mother and Her Child. All listened entranced while Mary told them softly that she was fully aware of their hardships and of their chronic sickness due to contaminated water. She told them to gather certain leaves that grew near and make a strong tea of them; this would keep them healthy. Solemnly she added, 'From this day on, prayers said on this spot will be heard – and answered.'”

More information on Our Lady of Lavang can be found here.
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More photos from the blessing of The Shrine of Our Lady of Lavang with Bishop McGrattan are available here

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Written by Mario Toneguzzi for Faithfully. Mario is a veteran writer living in Calgary with his wife Marlene and their three children. They attend St. Peter's and St. Stephen's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Calgary. Mario was recently named one of the Top 10 Business Journalists in the world.  

Listen to "A dram with Mario Toneguzzi" with host Sean Lynn from God Squad Canada.

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Catholic Education Sunday 2021

10/26/2021

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A message from the Alberta Bishops for Catholic Education Sunday - Nov 7, 2021

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, 

The fourth wave of this pandemic continues to challenge us. In the midst of illness, uncertainty and insecurity, these prophetic words of Jeremiah resonate deeply:  “I will heal your wounds,” says the Lord. “I will restore you to health.”  These words offer comfort and hope to our Catholic school communities here in Alberta as they celebrate Catholic Education Sunday on November 7, 2021.  In solidarity with our fellow Ontario Catholic educators, we embrace the theme: Catholic Education: Rebuild, Restore, Renew Together. 
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The difficult circumstances of these past two years have placed upon our families the heavy burden of worry and uncertainty as they strove to support the educational learning of their children. Our Catholic schools worked closely with parents through the dedicated efforts of trustees, superintendents, teachers and staff, all deeply committed to fulfilling the vision of Catholic education for more than 183,500 students in 450 schools across the province of Alberta. The many acts of sacrificial love made for the sake of our students give witness to our faith, and serve to rebuild, restore and renew Catholic education. Together, our parish and school communities encourage parents to continue to choose a Catholic school for their children. We are grateful for the treasure that is Catholic education, and are eager to share it. 
Catholic Education Sunday is an annual event that serves to celebrate the important and critical role that our Catholic schools play in the province of Alberta.  It provides us with an opportunity to recognize the vibrant faith that is the foundation of our Catholic schools, and encourages us to reflect with gratitude on the countless blessings to be found within the Catholic educational community. Catholic Education Sunday also serves to challenge each of us to step forward as advocates, inspired and emboldened to ensure the future of Catholic education as an essential dimension of the mission of the Church. 

We, the Bishops of Alberta, recognize the vital role of Catholic education in the life and future of the Church and society.  We are deeply committed to ensuring the integrity of our Catholic schools and the gift of faith offered to our students and their families. With hope and boldness, we must rebuild, restore and renew together the wonderful legacy of Catholic education. 

As the pandemic continues to challenge us, we encourage all who have worked tirelessly to promote Catholic education to stay strong, continue your good work, pray for inspiration and guidance, and be strengthened in the promise offered to all believers:  “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast”. (1Peter 5:10) 

In this Year of St Joseph, during May’s Catholic Education Week, we consecrated all of Alberta’s Catholic schools to the loving care of St Joseph.  As we continue to ask for the intercession of our patron saint, we call all the faithful across our province to unite in a novena prayer for our Catholic Schools.    

Publicly funded Catholic education is a gift which must not be taken for granted.  Our commitment to Catholic education is steadfast. Together with the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association (ACSTA), the Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta (CCSSA) and Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education (GrACE), we shall continue our efforts to ensure the future of Catholic education in our province. 

United in prayer, let us humbly and confidently ask our loving God to rebuild, restore and renew all of our Catholic schools through His providential care.  

Yours sincerely in Christ, 
​
Catholic Bishops of Alberta and NWT 

​Download Resources
​
  • Bishops' Letter Regarding Catholic Education Sunday (ENG | FR)
  • Prayer of the Faithful petitions for Catholic Education Sunday
    • That our Catholic schools may be inspired by the example of the many great saints who have gone before them and who intercede for them, we pray to the Lord...
    • That our Catholic schools may reveal the glory of God in all that they do, we pray to the Lord...
  • Poster for Catholic Education Sunday (ENG | FR)
  • Novena for Catholic Education (ENG | FR)
  • GRaCE Catholic Education Sunday newsletter (PDF)
  • Online collection for Catholic Education Sunday is available at: catholicyyc.ca/catholiceducationsunday
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Catholic Bishops of Canada apologize to the Indigenous Peoples of this land

9/26/2021

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 ​The Catholic Bishops of Canada, gathered in Plenary this week, took the opportunity to affirm and acknowledge to the Indigenous Peoples the suffering experienced in Canada’s Indian Residential Schools. Many Catholic religious communities and dioceses participated in this system, which led to the suppression of Indigenous languages, culture and spirituality, failing to respect the rich history, traditions and wisdom of Indigenous Peoples. They acknowledged the grave abuses that were committed by some members of our Catholic community; physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and sexual. They also sorrowfully acknowledged the historical and ongoing trauma and the legacy of suffering and challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples that continue to this day. Along with those Catholic entities which were directly involved in the operation of the schools and which have already offered their own heartfelt apologies, the Catholic Bishops of Canada expressed their profound remorse and apologized unequivocally.

Together with the many pastoral initiatives already underway in dioceses across the country, the Bishops pledged to undertake fundraising in each region of the country to support initiatives discerned locally with Indigenous partners. Furthermore, they invited the Indigenous Peoples to journey with us into a new era of reconciliation, helping us to prioritize initiatives of healing, to listen to the experience of Indigenous Peoples, especially to the survivors of Indian Residential Schools, and to educate our clergy, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful, on Indigenous cultures and spirituality. They further committed to continue the work of providing documentation or records that will assist in the memorialization of those buried in unmarked graves.

A delegation of Indigenous survivors, Elders/knowledge keepers, and youth will meet with the Holy Father in December 2021. Pope Francis will encounter and listen to the Indigenous Peoples, so as to discern how he can support our common desire to renew relationships and walk together along the path of hope in the coming years. The Bishops of Canada have pledged to work with the Holy See and our Indigenous partners on the possibility of a pastoral visit by the Pope to Canada as part of this healing journey.

We are committed to continue the journey with the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples of this land. 

​24 September 2021 

READ LETTER OF APOLOGY

27 September 2021

​The Bishops of Canada, as a tangible expression of their commitment to walk with the Indigenous Peoples of this land along the pathway of hope, are making a nation-wide collective financial commitment to support healing and reconciliation initiatives for residential school survivors, their families, and their communities. 

With a target of $30 million over up to 5 years, this will include initiatives in every region of the country. The commitment will be achieved at the local level, with parishes across Canada being encourage to participate and amplify the effort.
READ PRESS RELEASE
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Bishop's Pastoral Letter re: Exemption from COVID-19 vaccination

9/22/2021

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September 22, 2021

​Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
 
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 being reported each day has significantly increased in our province. This brings to the forefront of our consciousness the need to safeguard the common good, and in charity to promote the safety of others by protecting our individual health and that of society. In some provinces, the sectors of healthcare, education and social services, public agencies and corporations have begun to announce mandatory vaccination as requirement for their employees and the public. This has resulted in the Diocese and the parishes receiving from members of the faithful the request for letters of exemption from the mandatory vaccination based on the grounds of religious belief.
 
While the Diocese respects the freedom of a person’s individual conscience as the Church teaches, the Church and her ministers cannot objectively attest to or endorse a person’s process of discernment in coming to their decision of conscience. Therefore, the Diocese and the parishes will not be issuing any letters of exemption from vaccination. 
 
The clergy has been strongly encouraged instead to accompany and assist those requesting such letters to know and understand the teachings of the Church on vaccination during this pandemic through statements released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), and the pastoral letter provided by the Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
 
As stated by my brother Bishops and in communion with the Holy Father, it is morally permissible to receive a vaccine approved for use in Canada against COVID-19, and while there are many possible reasons for one to struggle in their conscience with such a vaccine being mandatory, the Diocese will not take the position or role of endorsing an individual’s conscience and decision.
 
If vaccination will be mandated, there must also be on the part of legitimate authorities, the necessary provisions of reasonable accommodation which respects and promotes the dignity of the individual conscience and the decision of conscientious objection. However, those who choose not to be vaccinated for whatever reason must do their utmost to ensure that they take all precautionary measures possible to avoid places and circumstances where they and others would be most vulnerable. They must also follow the health and safety measures not only to prevent contracting the virus for themselves but also preventing others from becoming sick. This is everyone’s moral responsibility.  
 
Much prayer is needed in this time, in this polarized society, for those who have suffered so much and for those who continue to suffer from the reality of the pandemic. As Christians and people of goodwill, we must grow in our love and concern for others and use the gift of our freedom responsibly to help others especially those who are in most need.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
 
 +William T. McGrattan
Bishop of Calgary

  • Questions to help form our conscience in the context of COVID-19 vaccination
  • Note from Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 
  • Note from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops 
  • The Statement of the Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories
Download PDF

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Growing stronger, growing deeper and reaching higher

9/13/2021

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​On my parish pastoral visit to St. Mary’s in January 2019  I had the opportunity to celebrate a Dedication Liturgy for the Chapel at Holy Family Academy. Some representative students and their parents were in attendance and it was a reminder of the importance of the triad relationship of family – school – parish which is so important for the mission of  Catholic Education. This school also participated  with the parish in outreach to the Newbrook Lodge seniors home where once a month students from one of the school grades participate in Mass, prayed the rosary and visited with those living at the Lodge. I was amazed at the impact that this pastoral initiative had on the seniors and the staff. As Pope Francis often mentions, grandparents are essential in the life of society, the Church and our parishes. This is a true example of the permeation of the faith in and through our Catholic schools. Students learn by example and by being involved through such acts of service.
 
At the middle school Christ the King Academy and the high school St. Joseph’s Collegiate I met with all the students and gave a talk on technology, the media and internet  and then fielded their questions. Needless to say they were not shy but were also open to listen and to consider the benefits that we receive as well as the ethical challenges which we also face which can impact our dignity as human beings.

​In the discussions I touch upon how sometimes our experience of truth and beauty is altered through the media. At the conclusion of the session, the students encouraged one of their peers who possessed a developing artistic talent to share a picture that he had drawn of Christ as a child in the carpentry shop with St. Joseph. I was struck by the symbolism of what he had drawn. The picture showed Joseph’s back busy working at a table and the young child Jesus bending over to pick up some nails that had fallen on the ground. As the light  was shining in through the window onto the back of Jesus what you saw depicted across his back and tiny shoulders was the shadow of the cross. This memory has always stayed with me from that visit to the schools in Brooks is that in the wisdom of the Church our teaching of the truths of our faith are expressed in many mediums as depicted through such pictures of art. For students the human gifts of learning, art, music and even sports can that take on a deeper and more profound meaning in our Catholic schools. As Father Ronald Knox once stated about the unique identity of Catholic schools “ they fly to the heart of things” that truly matter.  I pray that this will continue to be the experience in the Catholic schools in Brooks.
 
As the community of Brooks and St Mary’s parish celebrate 25 years of Catholic education, I offer my heartfelt support and congratulations. It is evident that the faith and commitment shown by the early founders have allowed Brooks’ Catholic schools to flourish. Despite opposition, challenges, and times of despair, Catholic education in Brooks continues to grow stronger, grow deeper and reach higher. I will persist in my prayers for Catholic education  in this community, across the diocese of Calgary and throughout Alberta.

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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
​
September, 2021
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I will give you shepherds after my own heart

6/11/2021

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​At St. Peter’s Seminary where I was a rector before being named a bishop by Pope Benedict, the mission of our formation ministry was guided by this verse from scripture, “Dabo vobis pastores iuxta cor meumn, et pascent vos scientia et doctrina - I will give you shepherds according to my own heart, and they will feed you with wisdom and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15). The Solemnity of the Most Sacred of Jesus is the very heart of God spoken by Jeremiah, and it is to be the model of a priest’s heart in the exercise of his ministry.  

Having been rector in the seminary for many years, I have met many seminarians who walked through the doors of the seminary and after years of formation became ordained for service in the ministerial priesthood or through discernment discovered that we were being called to another path in life. Whether or not they found their vocation ultimately in the priesthood, the call to have the heart of Jesus is one that we all have received in our baptism to the ongoing conversion that we experience through God’s loving mercy.  

Many factors shape our lives… personal life history and experiences, attitudes and personality flaws, the brokenness of our humanity, and personal sinfulness can prevent us from having the heart of Jesus. Yet our hope lies in the love and mercy of the Lord Himself who calls us to follow Him even in the midst of struggles and suffering. It is He, after all, who shows us the way of love and provides the grace that we need to live this love in becoming His disciples. 

In recent weeks there is a lot of pain in the heart of our Lord with the reality of the suffering brought about by the long history of residential schools in our country. If our hearts are truly patterned after our Lord then our hearts will also be filled with sorrow and will grieve for our indigenous sisters and brothers who are suffering once again this trauma. Pope Francis, in his message after the Angelus on June 6, said, “These difficult times are a strong call for all of us to turn away from the colonial model and from ideological colonisations, and to walk side by side in dialogue, mutual respect and recognition of the rights and cultural values of all the daughters and sons of Canada.” Through the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we need to discover the strength to carry the cross and to acknowledge how we have contributed to the crosses that others have had to carry in their lives. This is the path of justice, healing, and reconciliation which flows from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

We turn to the Lord for mercy. We also ask the Lord to help us grow in compassion. As Christians, we desire for our hearts to be formed after the heart of our Lord Jesus in His wisdom, understanding, and most of all in seeking forgiveness from others. 
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Written by Most Revered William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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June 11, 2021

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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
 
The reported discovery of the remains of 215 children at the former Kamloops Indian residential school has shocked the consciousness of our country, its people, the Church, and the world to the painful and dark reality of our Canadian Indian residential school system. This has also surfaced once again the suffering and trauma which continues to mark the lives of our indigenous brothers and sisters and their communities.
 
On behalf of the people of the Diocese of Calgary, I personally share in this devastating sorrow and express my deepest regret at the loss of the lives of these children and the enduring pain which residential schools have caused within our indigenous communities. In solidarity, we must act in the pursuit of justice, reconciliation, and true healing.
 
As the Bishop of Calgary, through this statement, I personally recommit the Diocese in expressing the apology and regret made by the Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories in 2014 to our indigenous brothers and sisters.

We, the Catholic Bishops of Alberta and Northwest Territories, apologize to those who experienced sexual and physical abuse in Residential Schools under Catholic administration.
 
We also express our apology and regret for Catholic participation in government policies that resulted in children being separated from their families, and often suppressed Aboriginal culture and language at the Residential Schools.
 
We commit ourselves to work in the Catholic community and the wider society to challenge attitudes of racism and prejudice that continue to exist in Alberta and Canada today. Aboriginal communities still face many serious issues that go beyond what will be addressed at the TRC, including land, treaty rights, education, health care, housing, jobs, and environmental threats.
 
We will continue to find ways for Catholics, together with other concerned Canadians, to support more effectively Aboriginal peoples in their ongoing struggles to achieve justice and equity in Canadian society.
The picture and images of children’s shoes placed at the front steps with lit candles remind us of the voices of these children and the need for restorative justice. In prayer, we unite ourselves with our suffering brothers and sisters so that the Spirit will show us the path of solidarity in promoting true justice and healing.
 
For those families deeply impacted, we ask for the intercession of St. Kateri Tekakwitha for them to receive consolation, healing, and strength.
 
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
  
+William T. McGrattan
Bishop of Calgary

​June 4, 2021


Questions and Answers
  • FAQ - Oblates of Mary Immaculate
  • FAQ - Archdiocese of Vancouver
    ​
Statements
  • CCCB - Delegation to Holy See
  • A message from Pope Francis 
  • A message from Bishop McGrattan 
  • A message from Calgary Catholic School District on the renaming of Bishop Grandin High School.
  • A message from Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops  ​
  • ​A joint video statement from Chief Littlechild and Archbishop Richard Smith. Watch Statement |  Interview
  • 2014 Pastoral letter from Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories on Truth and Reconciliation
  • CCCB Resources:  Past statements | Encounter with the Popes | Initiatives

​Learn about Residential Schools
  • History of Residential Schools
  • Perspective on death and graves in residential schools
  • The policy battle that set the stage for a century of residential school death
  • Documentary: A National Crime 
  • Clarification on unmarked graves

​​​Crisis line for Indian Residential School survivors and family: 1-866-925-4419
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​There were 25 residential schools in the Province of Alberta. See: Residential Schools in Canada Map. Four of them operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) were within the boundaries of the Diocese. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary did not run any residential schools. Below are links to the four residential schools:
  • St. Joseph’s Residential School (Crowfoot) - Cluny, Alberta (1900-1968) operated by the Oblates of  Mary Immaculate (OMI) and Sisters of Providence
  • St. Mary’s Residential School (Kainai) - Cardston, Alberta (1898-1988) operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) and Grey Nuns of Montreal
  • Sacred Heart Residential School (Peigan) - Brocket, Alberta (1887-1961) operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI)  and Grey Nuns of Montreal
  • St. Joseph’s Industrial School (Dunbow) - East of Okotoks, near the junction of the Bo and Highwood Rivers  (1884-1922) operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) and Grey Nuns of Montreal​​

​​Truth and Reconciliation Findings
  • A Catholic response to Call to Action 48 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

​A brief guide about Treaty & Alberta Treaty Map (Alberta Teachers Association)

Let us join in prayer: 
  • For the children who died in the former Kamloops Indian Residential School and for all those impacted by this tragedy, that there may be healing founded on truth and that the Spirit will inspire our ongoing commitment to reconciliation. Amen.
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A message from Bishop McGrattan regarding Mass Killing in London, Ontario

6/10/2021

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The statement of Bishop McGrattan on the murder of a Muslim family in London, Ontario was read by Fr. Adrian Martens in his position as Coordinator of Ecumenism and Inter-Religious affairs at a rally and peace march across City Hall, Tuesday evening, June 8, 2021.

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June 8, 2021
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
 
On June 6, 2021, a family out on a walk was targeted for their Islamic beliefs. This attack has resulted in the deaths of four family members including a girl as young as 15, and a nine-year old boy still in hospital.
 
This attack was truly heinous and against what we all stand for as Canadians.
 
Firstly, I want to express the closeness of the Catholic and Christian community to the Muslim community. Over the years, side-by-side, we have spoken out jointly on the Rohingya Muslim crisis and the terrible mosque shooting in Quebec. Again, today we stand with Muslims against all religious hatred or intolerance of religious belief and practise. We stand together to denounce all forms of fear, hatred, and aggression against any person based on religion, gender, or culture. As our teaching at the Second Vatican Council states: “…the right to religious freedom has its foundation in the very dignity of the human person as this dignity is known through the revealed word of God and by reason itself. This right of the human person to religious freedom is to be recognized in the constitutional law whereby society is governed and thus it is to become a civil right,” (Dignitatis Humanae, 2).
 
We, Muslims, Christians, and people of goodwill, must stand together to fight against intolerance and ignorance of religious belief or practise and protect this freedom which is a basic civil right.
 
May we continue to advance the great work we have done together with the Calgary Interfaith Council, Habitat for Humanity, Calgary Catholic Immigration Services, and other venues. May we be reminded that there are more things that unite us than what divides us and that we must stand together against hatred, violence, and religious intolerance.
 
Yours in God,
  
+William T. McGrattan
Bishop of Calgary

Download Letter in PDF
​

Let us join in prayer:  
  • For Muslims and others experiencing shock and grief over the murder of the family in London, Ontario, we pray to the Lord…
  • For the protection of the right to religious freedom and an end to religious intolerance, discrimination, and persecution, we pray to the Lord…
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CCCB statement regarding recent discovery at former Kamloops Indian Residential School

5/31/2021

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​Statement from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops following the recent discovery at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation 

On behalf of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), I express our deepest sorrow for the heartrending loss of the children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. 

The news of the recent discovery is shocking. It rekindles trauma in numerous communities across this land. Honouring the dignity of the lost little ones demands that the truth be brought to light. 

This tragedy profoundly impacts Indigenous communities, with whom many people across this land and throughout the world now stand in solidarity. 

As we see ever more clearly the pain and suffering of the past, the Bishops of Canada pledge to continue walking side by side with Indigenous Peoples in the present, seeking greater healing and reconciliation for the future. 

We lift up prayers to the Lord for the children who have lost their lives and pledge our close accompaniment of Indigenous families and communities. 

May our Creator God bless all of us with consolation and hope. 

+ Richard Gagnon 
Archbishop of Winnipeg and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, ​31 May 2021


Related articles
  • A statement from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) regarding news from the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation on the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Residential School run by the OMI. Read message
  • Diocese of Kamloops: Bishop Joseph Nguyen's message about the findings at the former residential school site in Kamloops. Read message
  • Archdiocese of Edmonton: Video message from Archbishop Smith after the tragic discovery made at the former Kamloops Residential School site, and the way forward through the intercession of St. Kateri. Watch video ​
  • Resources from CCCB on Indigenous People (pastoral and current reconciliation initiatives, TRC, letters and statements, encounters with popes etc.)​ 
  • Current initiatives: The Bishops in Canada have been working with Indigenous Peoples since the 17th century. A number of religious institutes of consecrated life, as well as Catholic lay organizations, have also been involved in working with Indigenous Peoples; a more recent example is Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle, a Catholic coalition of Indigenous people, Bishops, lay movements, clergy, and institutes of consecrated life. The members of the Circle are engaged in renewing and fostering relationships between the Catholic Church and Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle | Listening Circles | National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous People |  Returning to Spirit 
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Let us join in prayer as a community of faith:
  • For the children whose death in Kamloops Residential School were undocumented and whose passing has now been recognized, may they be welcomed into the light and peace of your kingdom, and may they find the fullness of your charity and love, and live in the joys of eternal life. 
  • For the families of the deceased children in Kamloops residential school, may they be lifted from the depths of their grief and strengthened in faith and hope.  
  • For our current leaders and all of us, may God give us the courage to face our shared history and the desire to continue and forge new paths of justice and healing. May our respect for one another lead to acts of human solidarity and bring about spiritual and social change for the good of all.
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Catholic Education Week 2021

5/10/2021

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Letter from the Alberta & NWT Bishops

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

In May each year we mark Catholic Education Week, which celebrates the important and vital role our publicly funded Catholic schools play in the province of Alberta by providing a faith-based education to more than 180,000 students. The Alberta Bishops’ commitment to Catholic education remains steadfast. We engage actively with the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association (ACSTA), the Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta (CCSSA) and Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education (GrACE) to ensure the future of Catholic education in our province. 
 
The theme for this year’s Catholic Education Week is drawn from the Book of Isaiah. We offer it to our educators, students and families as the sure source of encouragement and strength as we respond to the challenges facing us all at this time in history. 
 
Those who hope in the LORD shall renew their strength. (Isaiah 40:31, NRSV.) 
 
The pandemic continues to have a deep impact on every facet of our communal life and society, including the Catholic Education of our young people. During the shut-down of schools in the spring of last year, Catholic Education faced this challenge by providing virtual classrooms, which continued to engage students in their academic learning and religious faith instruction. When the schools reopened in the fall, many new practices were put in place to adhere to the health precautions and ensure student safety. In the midst of these current challenges, Catholic Education continues to accompany students and their families, always encouraging them to see that our strength for both the present and future springs from our hope in the Lord. 
 
The Pastoral Statement on the Impact of COVID-19 and the Call to Christian Renewal we released last year identified the present moment as a “time for bold creativity and life-giving transformation for all” as we address the significant societal issues brought to light by the pandemic. It calls people of faith to chart a prophetic path of hope toward a more just society for the children of future generations. 
 
“Specifically, we seek new ways to promote authentic human development and flourishing in the very way that we live, care for others, work, organize society and interact with one another. Moved by our faith in Christ and inspired by the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, we invite the Catholic community to join us in looking afresh at certain aspects of our life together in society, to discern and decide a course for true social, cultural and spiritual renewal.” - Pastoral Statement on the Impact of COVID-19 and the Call to Christian Renewal. 
 
Pope Francis, in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti, proposes a similar renewal by rediscovering the value of human fraternity and recognizing ourselves as sisters and brothers, who are responsible for one another and called to stand by those who suffer. 
 
“Education and upbringing, concern for others, a well-integrated view of life and spiritual growth: all these are essential for quality human relationships and for enabling society itself to react against injustices, aberrations and abuses of economic, technological, political and media power.” (Fratelli Tutti, No. 167) 
 
Catholic Education endeavours to foster high academic achievement and provide students with personal and communal spiritual formation. It invites our young people to see each other and, indeed, all peoples of the world, as their sisters and brothers. This solidarity calls the students to respond to those in need both locally and globally. These good works help young people to seek the common good and to bring Christ’s love and hope to others, especially during this pandemic. 
 
This year Catholic Education Week once again unites us virtually as one “educational family” and as a “single family of faith” through liturgical celebrations, Scripture reading, and prayer., Each day of the week will focus on one of the “Five Marks of Catholic Education”, while also drawing upon themes for the Year of St. Joseph announced by Pope Francis. Thursday, May 13th is World Catholic Education Day, on which the contemplative and consecrated religious women and men of our Dioceses will offer special prayers for the teachers, staff, students and their families facing the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. We invite all clergy and parishioners to unite their own prayers to this initiative. 
 
May all of our efforts bring hope and renewed strength to everyone engaged in Catholic Education in this province. We gladly extend to our Catholic school communities our prayers and blessing for Catholic Education Week 2021. 
 
Yours in Christ,
 
Catholic Bishops of Alberta and Northwest Territories
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2021 Catholic Education Week Prayers | Download daily prayes

Pray with Alberta Bishops during Catholic Education Week - at 11 am each day.
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  • Monday, May 10 - Liturgy with Bishop David Motiuk, Eparchy of Edmonton | Zoom link | Meeting ID: 851 9184 0999 - Passcode: 103446 

  • Tuesday, May 11 - Seven Sorrows & Seven Joys of St. Joseph with Archbishop Pettipas, Archdiocese Grouard-McLennan | Zoom link | Meeting ID: 869 9150 4909 - Passcode: G PCSD

  • Wednesday, May 12 - Holy Mass with Archbishop Richard Smith, Archdiocese of Edmonton | Facebook Live link

  • Thursday, May 13 - Liturgy, World Catholic Education Day with Bishop Paul Terrio, Diocese of St. Paul | Zoom link | Meeting ID: 982 1302 9174 - Passcode: ss8L2Z  |  Thursday, May 13 is World Catholic Education Day on which the clergy and consecrated religious women of the dioceses will offer special prayers for the teachers, staff, students and their families facing the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. Please join us!
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  • Friday, May 14 - Liturgy, Consecration to St. Joseph with Bishop William McGrattan, Diocese of Calgary | Zoom link | Meeting ID: 992 7479 9089 Passcode: 1drDm3
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Witnessing to the faith at all cost

4/15/2021

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In his Easter Urbi et Orbi, Pope Francis spoke of the troubling situations in Myanmar, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Sahel, Nigeria, Tigray, Cabo Delgado, eastern Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh and reminded the faithful to “pray that all restrictions on freedom of worship and religion worldwide, may be lifted and everyone be allowed to pray and praise God freely.” 

Persecution of Christians around the world has increased dramatically over the past year.  This tragic mistreatment of Christians is inspiring Pope Francis’ prayer intention for April: We pray for those who risk their lives while fighting for fundamental rights under dictatorships, authoritarian regimes and even in democracies in crisis.
According to the 2021 World Watch List compiled by the Christian advocacy group Open Doors, more than 340 million Christians face persecution and discrimination because of their faith.  There has been a 60% increase since last year in the number of Christians slain for their faith.  More than 90% of the deaths occurred in Africa.

Christian communities across Indonesia were shaken following a suicide bombing at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Makassar, Sulawesi on Palm Sunday this year.

In India, the government has curtailed the foreign funding of Christian-run hospitals, schools and church organizations.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, Christians face increased levels of violence. In Nigeria, the number of Christians killed has almost tripled in the past year.

An orphanage in China’s Hebei province, the Nuns of the Child Jesus run an orphanage named “House of Dawn.”  The nuns, along with several volunteers, take care of disabled children and young people.  Given the religious mission of the orphanage, they have been unable to attain government funding and rely on donations from Catholics around the world.  The local government authorities are increasing their opposition to the orphanage and threatening to shut it down. 

On April 11 of this year, five priests, two religious sisters and three other persons were abducted in the town of Croix-des-Bouquets, close to the capital Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  And in March, Fr. Harrison Egwuenu, the principal of St. George’s College in Obinomba, Nigeria, was kidnapped and released a week later.
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These are just some of the reports from around the world that reveal to us the real and ongoing persecutions faced by Christians in other parts of the world.  They also reflect how deep faith inspires Christians to bear witness and to commit to the Faith even when it means facing tremendous and unwavering systemic discrimination and persecution.
The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it: "All however must be prepared to confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the Cross, amidst the persecutions which the Church never lacks." (CCC, 1816)
​While Article 18 of the United Nations’ Declaration on Human Rights affirms freedom of religion, it is not a right that is globally enjoyed by the faithful nor respected by civil authorities. 
​Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. (United Nations’ Declaration on Human Rights, Article 18)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks to the need for those public authorities in a society to promote and protect the common good and thus to respect the fundamental rights of its citizens.
First, the common good presupposes respect for the person as such. In the name of the common good, public authorities are bound to respect the fundamental and inalienable rights of the human person. Society should permit each of its members to fulfill his vocation. In particular, the common good resides in the conditions for the exercise of the natural freedoms indispensable for the development of the human vocation, such as "the right to act according to a sound norm of conscience and to safeguard . . . privacy, and rightful freedom also in matters of religion."  (CCC, 1907)
Here in our province, those in roles of public authority have faced questions dealing with religious freedom and their right to place restrictions on public gatherings of worship as legitimate measures to protect the common good, public health and the fundamental and inalienable rights of human persons to be safe and protected during this time of a pandemic. This has resulted in much debate, division and now demonstrations of civil disobedience. Prudential dialogue, authoritative scientific evidence concerning public health measures, the respect for fundamental human rights of individual citizens and groups must ultimately ensure the common good of society and promote the integral respect and promotion of the health and well-being of each person regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, religion or belief.  

Some have suggested that this is the beginning of religious persecution and the systematic repression and denial of such fundamental rights by public authorities here in our country and province. It is very true that we need to be vigilant in protecting such rights and we cannot forget that many of our brothers and sisters continue to face much more violent opposition for the living and witnessing of their faith. What is our responsibility and response to such realities? 
  • Constant prayer and petitions for those persecuted sisters and brothers asking for God to strengthen them with His grace, courage, and strength.
  • That we mark the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on November 1.
  • Raise awareness of Christian persecution globally by documenting and speaking about the incidents of unjust persecution in the hope of pointing toward just solutions.
  • Support those who are persecuted by encouraging and advocating for just laws and fair legal processes. 
  • Support interfaith and cross cultural dialogue.

It is deeply troubling that people are persecuted for their public demonstration of faith in Jesus Christ.  And it is also inspiring to realize that harsh persecution and systemic discrimination cannot prevent Christians from following Jesus Christ. In fact this is part of the life of the Church not only in the past but now in the present. This must be a source of confident hope. 

Pope Francis reminds us that whenever Christians face persecution because of their belief in Jesus, they are not alone. Jesus is always present with each person.
In persecutions there is always the presence of Jesus who accompanies us, the presence of Jesus who comforts us and the strength of the Holy Spirit that helps us to go forward. Let us not be discouraged when a life that is faithful to the Gospel draws persecution from people. There is the Holy Spirit who sustains us in this journey.”
Throughout the Easter season we come to relive in faith, that with the Risen Lord, all our sufferings are transformed: death becomes life, mourning is met with consolation and the cross of Jesus gives meaning to our suffering.  May Christ our peace bring an end to all forms of persecution and restore the dignity of all people.  ​
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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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April 15, 2021
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Easter Message from the Bishop

4/3/2021

1 Comment

 
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The message of Easter – the Resurrection of Jesus – takes us beyond the Cross to the joy and hope that comes from seeing the Risen Lord. It was Christ risen who allowed his disciples to fully know that God exists, that there is a future for every human being and that our cry for unending life is indeed answered in Him. This is the true message of Easter!
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In this past year with the ongoing restrictions of the pandemic we have been intensely united with Jesus, in His passion, the carrying of the Cross, and the obedient acceptance of the Father’s will in sacrificial love for others. God has truly inspired many of us in faith to act with this same love, patient suffering, endurance and courage in the face of despair and in offering a hope which has been inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is such acts of love that restores human dignity for those who have been burdened by this pandemic, by the death of loved ones, the loss of employment and the limitations that were placed on normal human interactions of education, leisure, physical exercise and community gatherings. Christians and indeed everyone have been called to respond with compassion, solidarity and in caring for those who are suffering and most vulnerable. This is a true sign of hope, of Easter faith which caused the disciples not to proclaim the tragedy of Jesus death but rather the sharing of his resurrection, the promise of eternal life, of joy and confidence in the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus revealed himself to the disciples in tangible ways especially in the anticipation of His suffering and death. In the enduring gift of His Presence “in the breaking of the bread” – the Eucharist, we come to know in faith that our suffering and death can be united with Christ and have deeper meaning when offered to God.

He also commissioned Mary Magdalene after his resurrection as the “apostle (the one sent) to the apostles”, to bring this good news of hope, the promise of new life to the world. He invites us like Mary to enter the tomb, to enter into the mystery of how God transforms our experience of despair through a vigil of love into a promise of hope. To enter into mystery means the ability to wonder, to contemplate; the ability to listen to the silence and to hear the tiny whisper amid great silence by which God speaks to us (cf. 1Kings 19:12). Like Mary we need humility to enter into this mystery especially during this “silence” created by the pandemic. To know with confidence that our search for truth, beauty and love in these challenging times will be fully revealed in the risen Christ. May our witness of this sacred mystery revealed in the dignity of each human person, silence the deafening call for expanding euthanasia and assisted suicide in our country of Canada and to acknowledge that this pandemic continues to burden the most vulnerable in our society.   

Easter calls us to promote with renewed vigor the sanctity of human life with grateful and joyful hearts. Easter calls us to move beyond the tomb with the conviction to share the good news of the Resurrection with one another. Easter calls us to courageously follow Jesus Christ, the risen one, and to boldly proclaim that out of darkness and suffering comes new life. This Easter let us rise up to meet the world our society and with the witness of our faith. It is my hope that in this coming year we discover new ways to share this Easter faith, the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection. 
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A blessed Easter Season to you and your family.

​Sincerely yours in Christ,

+ Most Reverend William T. McGrattan 
Bishop of Calgary
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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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April 3, 2021
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Is it okay to be vaccinated against COVID-19?

3/17/2021

6 Comments

 
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Many people might be surprised that the question is even being posed. What could be wrong about receiving a vaccine, when we know that vaccinations save lives? The moral issue arises from the fact that vaccine development and testing often make use of cell lines derived from either the tissue of aborted fetuses or destroyed human embryos. Therefore, reception of a vaccine developed and produced from this unethical research presents us with a dilemma that seriously engages our conscience. ​The short answer from our Bishops on whether it's okay to be vaccinated against COVID-10 is: Yes, it is.  Learn more about it from the Bishop's letter re: COVID-19 Vaccine. 
  • CCCB Statement on ethical concerns related to currently approved COVID-19 vaccines (March 9, 2021) 
  • COVID-19 Vaccine Q&A from Calgary Catholic Medical Association (March 17, 2021)
  • Download Letter from the Alberta & NWT Bishops here (Dec. 2, 2020)
  • Statement from Pro-Life Catholic Scholars on the Moral Acceptability of Receiving COVID-19 Vaccines (March 5, 2021)
  • Related notes:
    • Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the use of vaccines during the pandemic - Read more​ 
    • Vatican News: Vatican CDF says use of anti-Covid vaccines "morally acceptable" - Read more
    • Vatican News:  The Pontifical Academy for Life stresses the importance of overcoming "vaccine nationalism" so that everyone can have the opportunity of being vaccinated and nobody is left behind in the fight against Covid-19 - Read more
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Return to me with all your heart

2/11/2021

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Yet even now, says the Lord,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
rend your hearts and not your clothing. 
Return to the Lord, your God, 
for he is gracious and merciful, 
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, 
​and relents from punishing. (Joel 2: 12-13)
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Each year at the Mass for Ash Wednesday, which begins the Season of Lent, we hear this reading from the Prophet Joel.  Despite not knowing many specific details about the life and preaching of this prophet, he does leave us with a challenging call each year to a spirit of repentance, conversion and hope during this time of Lent.

Joel’s prophetic message begins with a lament over the destruction of the land (Joel 1:2-12). The prophet presents many powerful images of the dire situation in which his community has found itself.  The land has been invaded, laid waste, “widowed,” without produce for food or sacrifice and all joy has slowly withered from the hearts of the people.

The reality is that Israel has failed to heed the warnings of earlier prophets, and Joel's appeal for repentance, and his message of further destruction, is one more sign of the nation’s continued rebellion against the God of their ancestors, the refusal to heed His word and to obey the covenantal promises received at Mount Sinai. Now, the entire people of Israel are being called to fast, and to cry out to the Lord their God, in sincere repentance of heart.  In truth, he is offering his people words of encouragement and the strength to endure. Through all of this, Joel is confident that the Lord will hear their cries and rescue his people. It is the faithful constancy of God with his promise of life and protection for his people that must be the foundation of their hope.

The continued grace and mercy of God is heard in the divine appeal, to the people of Judah to repent of their sins and return to the Lord – “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, and weeping and mourning.”  These are the external demonstrations of an inner repentance of heart.   “Rend your hearts and not your clothing.”  The meaning of this passage is renewed and lived each Lent, for we are reminded that it is never too late to turn away from sin; to return to the Lord with full heart, and to receive forgiveness and salvation.  

The Prophet Joel’s proclamation initiates this call of repentance for each of us during Lent. It calls us to forty days of a faithful preparation for the joyous celebration of Easter – an Easter that will once again celebrate the hope of the Resurrection even in the midst of a threatening pandemic and its devastating effects on our lives.   Through prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we can experience this inner conversion of heart that will open our lives to receive the in-breaking reign of God’s grace and the hope revealed through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Such hope and conversion is at the heart of Pope Francis’ Lenten message this year:
​First, we are called to witness to the great hope we hold in our faith.  ​In these times of trouble, when everything seems fragile and uncertain, it may appear challenging to speak of hope. Yet Lent is precisely the season of hope, when we turn back to God. (Lenten Message 2021, Pope Francis)  
Paul prays in the Letter to the Ephesians for this hope.
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, (Ephesians 1:17)
Second, we are to be inspired this Lent to speak a kind word of hope to one another. 
In Lent, may we be increasingly concerned with “speaking words of comfort, strength, consolation and encouragement, and not words that demean, sadden, anger or show scorn” (Fratelli Tutti, 223). In order to give hope to others, it is sometimes enough simply to be kind, to be “willing to set everything else aside in order to show interest, to give the gift of a smile, to speak a word of encouragement, to listen amid general indifference” (ibid., 224).  (Lenten Message 2021, Pope Francis)
It may seem to many that we have been living an extended period of Lent since the onset of this pandemic and its health precautions and restrictions. Perhaps the Lord is inviting us to truly know the enduring truth of the Prophet Joel’s words this Lent “return to me with all your heart”. This Lent, is an opportunity to receive God’s grace without any reserve or restriction, and a time of great hope that inspires us in humility to seek reparation, forgiveness - and in the words of the psalmist, to experience a clean heart.  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)
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The first video will be shared on Ash Wednesday | Visit catholicyyc.ca and diocesan social media (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram).
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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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February 10, 2021
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Caring for one another globally and locally

1/12/2021

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Feed the Hungry Volunteers - June 2020.
In 1967, Pope Paul VI established the World Day of Peace to be observed annually on January 1st which coincides with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Pope Paul VI was inspired by Pope John XXII’s 1963 encyclical Pacem in Terris (On Establishing Universal Peace in Truth, Justice, Charity, and Liberty) and so he wrote his own encyclical in 1967, Populorum Progressio (On the Development of Peoples) to promote universal peace.  

In these subsequent decades there have been several magisterial declarations of social doctrine issued on the World Day of Peace. Pope Paul VI, Saint John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have made significant pastoral statements on the World Day of Peace in each year of their pontificates on topics such as the right to life, human rights, the United Nations, women's rights, the dignity of work and labour unions, economic development in poorer countries, diplomacy among nations, peace in the Holy Land, globalization, terrorism, and the care of creation.  

This year, the 54th World Day of Peace, Pope Francis’ message is titled A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace. Pope Francis begins this message recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated and worsened existing world crises and he highlights two specific areas. First, the tragic impact of COVID-19 on those who are most vulnerable. Second, His Holiness issues a warning about the increasing prevalence globally of racism, prejudice, nationalism, wars, conflicts and violence that have led to death, destruction, and intolerance.

It is easy to become complacent especially if there is no direct experience of the COVID-19 virus within our family and social circle. The numbers of new cases of COVID-19 and the number of deaths are issued daily – locally, nationally, and internationally.  Behind each number is a person, a family, loved ones and we believe the dignity of that person reflects God. “Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 357.)  So the statistics are not mere numbers, the statistics tell the story of the human impact and that is tragic and sobering. The complacency or indifference to the suffering of others is an emerging phenomena that inspires Pope Francis’ call for a culture of care.

The impacts of the pandemic and other events of 2020, he says, have underscored the importance of caring for one another and for creation in our efforts to build a more fraternal society. A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace is a message “to combat the culture of indifference, waste and confrontation so prevalent in our time,” Pope Francis writes.

A year before the pandemic, Pope Francis issued a similar declaration called A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. In it, he makes the following statement, “Faith leads a believer to see in the other a brother or sister to be supported and loved. Through faith in God, who has created the universe, creatures and all human beings (equal on account of his mercy), believers are called to express this human fraternity by safeguarding creation and the entire universe and supporting all persons, especially the poorest and those most in need.”

The global issues can admittedly be overwhelming. But they do invite us to examine what is possible in our own homes, parishes, and local communities to demonstrate love and care for one another. Saint Theresa of Calcutta, a renowned and loved missionary of the Church, said, “Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do.”

The spiritual and corporal works of mercy have always been the Church’s witness to “love in action” in every age. They express our mercy, compassion and justice for one another, the foundation of our human fraternity "especially to the poorest and those most in need”. In our current day in the midst of the challenges of this pandemic and its restrictions both locally and globally, the spiritual and corporal works of mercy can guide us.

Spiritual works of mercy ….
  • Instruct the ignorant. Speaking words of truth that are based on faith and reason.
  • Counsel the doubtful. Speaking words of hope and encouragement inspired by the Holy Spirit. 
  • Admonish the sinners. Speaking words of truth and love that are non-judgmental.
  • Bear patiently those who wrong us. Allow for the gift of silence to inform our words of response rather than anger and retaliation.  
  • Forgive offenses. Speak with words that promote reconciliation and peace. 
  • Comfort the afflicted. Speak words of healing and justice in the face of adversity and evil. 
  • Pray for the living and the dead. Speak words of faith and belief in prayer to God as individuals and communities who are committed to the dignity of all human life and the promise of everlasting life. 

Corporal works of mercy ….
  • Feed the hungry. Support programs and initiatives locally such as food banks, Saint Vincent de Paul, school breakfast and lunch programs, disaster relief, humanitarian and international aid. 
  • Give water to the thirsty. Support social justice initiatives to ensure clean drinking water that is free from pollution and call for an end to the commercialization of the sale of water which should be a basic human need and thus a right.  
  • Clothe the naked. Support programs and initiatives that offer clothing in our community and schools such as Pass it On and the GoodWill. 
  • Shelter the homeless. Support programs such as the Calgary Homeless Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and affordable housing initiatives. 
  • Visit the sick. Reach out to the sick in safe ways, to family and friends through the internet, to the elderly who are isolated by giving them a phone call or send a card and/or letter of support and prayer.  
  • Visit the imprisoned. Reach out in safe ways to shut-ins, those who are struggling both emotionally and mentally to feel connected.
  • Bury the dead. Reach out to those families who have lost loved ones through the internet to show they are not forgotten and that our belief in the gift of everlasting life can be a source of strength that is found in our shared faith in Christ. 
As we strive to foster a culture of care wherever we find ourselves, “may we never yield to the temptation to disregard others, especially those in greatest need, and to look the other way; instead, may we strive daily, in concrete and practical ways, to form a community composed of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another.” (A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace, 9)   

This pandemic should not deter us in promoting such care for each other!  May God who calls each of us in His goodness also inspire us to discover these new paths of love through the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
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 Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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January 10, 2021
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2020 Bishop's Christmas Message

12/22/2020

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Christmas: A Light of Faith, Hope, and Love in our World
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light… (Isaiah 9:2)
This Christmas Eve we will hear the words of the prophet Isaiah ring out “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light”. How does one begin to describe the experiences of this past year? It is as if a shadow has been cast over our lives by a “pandemic of darkness”.  Many here and across the globe have lost their lives to COVID-19 with their families left to mourn their passing, many have survived the virus with lasting effects, and others have risked their lives to provide medical care and to conduct the scientific research leading to a vaccine.  It has left many marked by profound sadness, isolation, and fear. 

There is also some understandable impatience with the health precautions and restrictions that place limits on our normal ordinary human interactions such as work, social activities, family interactions, and religious gatherings. Yes, we all have had to make sacrifices.

It is into this world, here and now, that God’s love is being revealed. It is a light that comes to us in darkness.

The Nativity of Christ which we celebrate at Christmas is not merely a recollection of an historical event or of a birth which took place in the past. It fixes our gaze on the future, on his second coming at the end of the ages while acknowledging His presence here and now in our lives, each and every day. With the challenges that we have faced this year we might be tempted to give up, to not see Christmas and its celebration through this light of faith, hope and love.
 
A prayer to the Immaculate Conception beautifully captures the action of God and the docility of our Blessed Mother, “Father, the image of the Virgin is found in the Church. Mary had a faith that your Spirit prepared and a love that never knew sin, for you kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Trace in our actions the lines of her love, in our heart her readiness of faith”. God has traced the lines of Mary’s readiness of faith and love through our lives during this Advent season in the acts of love and sacrifice which each of us have freely accepted for the good and the wellbeing of others. They have probably gone unnoticed in the eyes of the world, much like Mary’s “fiat”, which was a simple response of yes to accepting the will of God. In our Catholic tradition, Mary has always been a type or model of the Church’s response to the will of God. As Mary came to believe, to conceive and to give birth to Jesus, the Son of God, this same action of God tracing His grace and love in our lives can come to birth this Christmas with a renewed sense of hope.

As St. Ambrose said, “You also are blessed because you have heard and believed. Home - I am Blessed 2020A soul that believes both conceives and brings forth the Word of God and acknowledges his works. Let Mary’s soul be in each of you to proclaim the greatness of God” (Office of Readings, Monday of the 4th Week of Advent). This year as we approach the celebration of Christmas, the I Am Blessed campaign of the Diocese is once again an opportunity to witness to our faith despite the suffering we may be experiencing, to recognize the blessings from God in the midst of our daily reality, and to seek out opportunities to be a blessing for others through prayer, giving, and in our acts of service for others. 

As we prepare for Christmas, and the octave of this feast, let us rediscover how connected we are to one another. I invite us to experience in this coming year the hope that is found in the promises of God as did Mary. In the words of Pope Francis, Christmas is the feast that “returns us to the horizon of hope, a horizon that does not disappoint because it is founded on the Word of God” (Angelus, 1st Sunday of Advent, December 1, 2013).  The incarnate Word, the nearness of God which we celebrate on the Solemnity of the Nativity of Jesus, has transformed human history and can restore in each of us this profound gift of hope. 

In this time of pandemic when we look for that light in our darkness, I offer my Christmas greetings and heartfelt best wishes to all the faithful of the Diocese.

I express my gratitude and esteem for the witness of pastoral charity exhibited by the priests and the deacons who exercise the role of Christ the Servant, the presence of the religious communities that offer their unique charisms and a witness to holiness, the co-responsibility of the lay faithful - including the volunteers and parish staff - as a living sign of Christ in the world, the role of the teachers and catechists in our schools and parishes, and the essential gift of family life that is shared so readily in an expression of sacrificial love and an openness to new life. Finally, to those who have both in the past and now serve at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, I am grateful for the dedication and cooperation that is expressed in our desire to be of service to the parishes of the Diocese in these challenging times. May God bestow his blessings upon all of us as we look forward in faith, hope and love to the coming year.  

Sincerely yours in Christ,
 
+ William T. McGrattan
​Bishop of Calgary

Download Letter in PDF
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How to love Christ with greater intensity & depth?

11/24/2020

3 Comments

 
The days of this Advent Season are upon us. It has traditionally been a time of spiritual preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas and of anticipation and preparation for Christ’s second coming in the fullness of time. Spiritually it is to be a time of waiting, expectation, and hope which should mark our lives as Christians each and every day. Although this year admittedly seems different, it should not overshadow or take away from the purpose of these sacred seasons.

Much is said about the challenges we are facing in this pandemic, however, the pandemic has also impacted us in ways that can potentially invite us to grow in patience and hope – especially during Advent. Patience as we await a vaccine and a cure, and hope as we long for the post pandemic days.

It seems unlikely that we will be able to enjoy large family gatherings with members outside of the immediate household, visits with friends, shopping in crowded malls, carolling, travelling, and other festive traditions. Despite the recent limits on social gatherings and commercial venues, the trajectory of COVID-19 infections in this second wave is a matter of concern. And while the pandemic will change many of the Christmas traditions, there may be a need to peel away such cultural trappings and discover a Christmas with a renewed authenticity of faith. If the busy hustle and bustle at Christmas disappears, this could lead to a more intensive focus on the significance of the Solemnity and allows us to enter into the stillness of that holy event. 

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Switzerland captured such changes in the following statement, “This year we cannot celebrate Christmas where and how we would like: in church, with our families — large or small — with friends and relatives. Many of us will be in quarantine or self-isolating and could feel excluded; others must work over the Christmas holidays to provide essential services. However, no matter how adverse the circumstances are, Jesus comes into the world as light and takes his place among us.”  (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Switzerland, November 17, 2020)

Although this statement describes many states of life and faith, what has not changed is that over 2000 years ago, a child was born through the grace of God to Mary and Joseph and this child was named Jesus who was the Christ, the Son of God. And His birth brought great joy to the angels who heralded his birth and to the shepherds and magi who followed the dawning of this transcendent light.  To a people who walked in darkness, He brought light; to those in despair, He brought hope.

Scripture speaks of how the coming of Christ changed the lives of the shepherds, the magi and in Jesus’ lifetime – all those who encountered Him. Today, how is Jesus Christ changing our lives and calling us to love Him with greater intensity and depth?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church invites us to contemplate Jesus’ coming among us in a significant and personally transformative way: “To become a child in relation to God is the condition for entering the kingdom. For this, we must humble ourselves and become little. Even more: to become "children of God" we must be "born from above" or "born of God". Only when Christ is formed in us will the mystery of Christmas be fulfilled in us. Christmas is the mystery of this marvelous exchange" (CCC 526)

Christ comes to us today—in His Holy Sacraments, in His Word, and in our encounters with one another. The spirit of the Incarnation is ongoing as Christ is gradually formed in us. That holy night in Bethlehem was a beginning of Christ being present to and with us.

Each of us is created to know Jesus Christ and to have a close, personal and loving relationship with Him–a life-changing relationship that transforms every aspect of living and sows the seeds of hope, mission, deep peace and joy within us.  

There are things we can and need to do to nurture this relationship and personal encounter with Christ. 
  • Setting aside a regular time for prayer to sustain this relationship with Christ.     
  • Asking Jesus to reveal to us His plan for our lives and discerning the choices that we make prayerfully so that we might be more responsive to His promptings and that of the Spirit.  
  • Recognizing the times when we have strayed from Jesus and asking Him to lead us through the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that we might humbly ask for forgiveness and resolve to walk the path of faithfulness.
  • Receiving fruitfully the holy sacraments – especially the Eucharist when we receive the real presence of Christ.
  • Contemplating the Word of God and learning about the teachings of the Church as it informs the life we live. ​
  • Serving those who are vulnerable or in need while recognizing the face of Christ in the poorest of the poor.
There are many ways that Jesus Christ is present among us and that we are blessed. This year once again in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic we are promoting the I am Blessed campaign to remind us that through prayer, acts of service and in sacrificial giving, Christ is still being born in each one of us and in the lives of others. Through the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are called to welcome Christ into our lives and to bring the presence of Christ as a blessing to our neighbours and the world. ​
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Written by Bishop William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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November 24, 2020
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