Someone very close to me has been away from the Church since we were teenagers, and for many years I have prayed for a return to the healing love the Lord holds in His heart. The two of us never did agree on much, and it has been that way for as long as I can remember. Over the years, we have learned to avoid certain topics to keep the peace, and that has worked because we care about each other very much. 
​
We all have people in our lives that we would so dearly love to come home to Jesus and His Church.  For the most part, we are called to pray and fast for them. Because of how close we are to them (and often the baggage that goes with that) it is likely that we are not the ones the Lord will send to share the Good News with them. He will send another. We are called to pray and fast. 
​
However, it is also likely that the Lord wishes us to reach someone else’s loved one, someone with whom we are called to share the Gospel.

Written by Ryan Schmidt, Director of Renewal, Diocese of Calgary.

It started with a handshake.

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

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

A tap on the shoulder

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

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

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

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

And then came the tap. 

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

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

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

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

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

​Walking with him after the high

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Memento Mori

That joy was soon tested.

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

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

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

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

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

One more soul

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

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

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

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

The second thing I would like to share is that Ron Huntley, who is currently journeying with our Parish Renewal Team leaders, has recently released a new book titled Road to Renewal: How Faith, Vision, and Courage Are Fuelling a Church Comeback. The book gathers the voices of twelve pastors and lay leaders who have led their parishes along the path of renewal. What emerges is not a model or a program, but honest voices from the field, people who are learning as they go and sharing what has helped them continue moving forward. The book is available on Amazon for those who are interested.

​As we begin this new year, I am thankful for the full year of the Jubilee of Hope we have just lived. My hope is that the grace we received continues to shape our daily faith and deepen the renewal already taking root across our diocese.

Written by Ryan Schmidt, Director of Renewal, Diocese of Calgary.

At the start of the 2025–2026 school year, the Diocese of Calgary launched the Feed the Hungry School Outreach Program, a new initiative aimed at addressing food insecurity among students and families within its Catholic school communities. Through targeted funding, the program supports practical, school-based responses that ensure children are nourished, supported, and better able to learn.

As part of this initiative, Calgary Catholic School District received $60,000 to support a designated school in providing a four-day-per-week lunch program. This funding ensures consistent access to nutritious meals for students who might otherwise arrive at school hungry, helping to remove a significant barrier to learning and overall well-being.

Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools received $20,000 to support its Grocery Cards to Support Families in Need program. This initiative assists families experiencing food insecurity by providing grocery gift cards, enabling them to purchase food and essential nutritional items with dignity and flexibility.

Medicine Hat Catholic Schools received $120,000 to establish and deliver a school-based food program at St. Mary’s School in Medicine Hat. This investment strengthens the school’s capacity to respond directly to student needs through a structured and sustainable approach to daily nutrition.

Reflecting on the impact of this support, Shari Gustafson, Principal of St. Mary’s School in Okotoks, shared: “Children are not truly available for learning when their tummies are hungry. It is heartbreaking to see nearly empty lunch kits in a world of abundance.”

She emphasized that the program provides not only food assistance but also dignity, stability, and hope for families in need.

Gustafson further described the response within her school community: “There were hugs, hearts overwhelmed, and it was clear that they knew they were loved, they mattered, and they belonged.”

She added that the support has made “a tangible and meaningful difference” and stands as a living witness to the Gospel call: “For I was hungry and you gave me food” (Matthew 25:35).

The Feed the Hungry School Outreach Program is available to all five Catholic school districts within the Diocese of Calgary through an application process. The initiative reflects the Diocese’s ongoing commitment to caring for the most vulnerable and to forming school communities rooted in compassion, justice, and faith in action. 
www.feedthehungrycalgary.ca

On Saturday, December 6th, along with parishes across the Diocese, almost 100 people gathered in the Hall of Holy Family Parish in Medicine Hat to partake in the live-streamed Advent Renewal Retreat. Following opening remarks by Bishop McGrattan and a Lectio Divina led by Ryan Schmidt, Archbishop Terrence Prendergast provided information and reflections focused on the Retreat theme of Advent Listening: How the Word Forms Hearts for Discipleship and Mission.

Over the course of this 2.5-hour Retreat, and following the ‘Conversation in the Spirit’ approach, there were 2 opportunities for small group discussions. As part of hosting at Holy Family Parish, our Parish Renewal Team and Parish Pastoral Council provided each small group (6 or less people per group) with ‘worksheets’ to capture summary comments of:

1. How does God call us and what holds us back from giving ourselves fully to following Christ and to becoming a disciple?
2. How can I share my joy/faith with one specific person?
3. What struck you from this Retreat?
   
   

The following information provides a summary of themes that emerged from our small group discussions. While each parish in the Diocese will have their own unique perspectives, we suspect that there are also many commonalities with these themes from our parish.

Trust and Surrender

• ​Embrace God’s call with openness, even when it feels uncertain or overwhelming.
• Let go of fear, pride, and the need for control, trusting that God equips us for the mission.
• Practice daily “yeses” to God in small acts of faith and service.
  
  

Strengthen Discipleship

• Invest in faith education, especially for children and youth, to build confidence in living as disciples.
• Encourage growth through prayer, scripture, and silence, recognizing that faith deepens over time.
• Accept personal limitations and hardships as part of the journey, relying on grace rather than perfection.
  
  

Witness Through Joy

• Cultivate joy in Christ personally, then share it authentically with others.
• Evangelize through family connections, everyday conversations, and simple acts of kindness.
• Use forgiveness, patience, and prayer as foundations for outreach, especially when addressing wounds.
  
  

Build a Welcoming Community

• Create a parish environment that is open, inviting, and creative in its outreach.
• Encourage communal responsibility for evangelization—everyone has a role in planting seeds of faith.
• Celebrate sacraments as gateways to deeper discipleship and renewal.

Overall, those attending the Retreat felt that discipleship is not about perfection but about openness to God’s call, lived daily through trust, joy, and community. By saying “yes” together, the parish can grow as a living witness of Christ’s love. There was specific appreciation for the ‘Conversation in the Spirit’ approach to small group discussions, noting that it provided a calming, spiritual ‘space’ for each person to speak and be heard, lending to more fulsome conversations.

We certainly felt that this was a great Advent Renewal Retreat, in format, presentation, engagement, learning, and fellowship. We hosted a soup-and-sandwich buffet following the retreat to allow for further reflection, sharing, and fellowship, and that was great, too! The event will be spiritually helpful for each person who attended, and the information gleaned will help inform our parish renewal goals and actions.

A big Thank You to all who organized, presented, attended, participated, and served for this Advent Renewal Retreat. God is Great!!

During our Pilgrimage of Hope, Leisha and I escaped the Florentine rain to pray a rosary in Santa Maria del Fiore. We had completed the first decade when a pilgrim group from Texas entered and prepared to offer a Mass in English, an unanticipated blessing!

​In his homily, Rev. Jean-Oscar Nlandu said: “The journey of faith goes through struggle. What is hope? Hope is a refusal to let suffering have the last word.”
 
My faith life flashed before my eyes.
 
When I was 16, I immaturely understood faith as a series of impossible propositions, like the Apostle’s Creed we had made to start the rosary. We believe in a Creator of Heaven and Earth who sent His only Son to be immaculately conceived, crucified, and buried. The Son descended into Hell and rose on the third day. We also believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life in a world to come. At 16, faith was a checklist, and I didn’t believe in everything on the list, so I didn’t have faith.
 
I then left my Father’s house and ventured into the wilderness. Years later, when I found myself eating pig slop and became curious about returning to my Father’s house, faith became a precious commodity. My main concern became figuring out what spiritual payment I needed to make to acquire this thing called faith?
 
Then, during marriage preparation 18 years ago, Deacon Botari said to me, “I don’t know any priest or deacon who doesn’t have a problem with aspects of the faith; that’s where they concentrate their prayer and contemplation.”
 
Precisely. Because the journey of faith goes through struggle. 
 
Here’s how I now understand that journey. Faith and hope work together like two wings lifting the soul toward divine union. Faith is propelled by God's revealed truths—the eternal reality whispered through Scripture. Faith soars beyond reason’s doubts to pierce the veil of the unseen, but (to mix metaphors) this is a turbulent flight, evidenced in Mark 9:24: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” Faith does not eliminate doubt but places trust in the story of salvation already revealed — the Incarnation, the Resurrection, and the sacraments that continue to pulse with Christ's Blood. Faith enables me to struggle with the divine mysteries I don’t and will never fully understand. Prayer and contemplation are the tools of struggle that allow me to embrace the divine IS. I do not need to delay my trust. I can completely trust now, even if I don’t completely get it. 
 
If faith is the intellect’s assent to revelation, then hope is its active will. Hope is the irresistible longing that lifts me from the now to the not yet. Faith accepts truth, and hope yearns for the fullness of truth in the heavenly homeland amid and beyond our earthly trials. Hope, according to the Catechism, “sustains him during times of abandonment” (1818). When God feels absent, when the effort doesn’t seem worthwhile, hope continues to pull me toward the narrow gate. Hope resides, not in wishful thinking, but in actions that align with faith’s acceptance of the promise.
 
Here’s how this plays out in discipleship: I find the resurrection of Jesus easy to believe. My faith comes from core facts about Jesus that almost all scholars agree on. Jesus was crucified, and His tomb was found empty. His followers believed they had experiences with Christ after his death, proven by their willingness to suffer death for their belief that they had met the risen Christ. Not one of Jesus’s early disciples ever recanted, and as Beckwith suggests in Return to Rome, Jesus’s resurrection is the ONLY explanation that makes sense for the saints’ behaviour and the endurance of the persecuted church.
 
Jesus’s resurrection revealed the reasonable basis for faith when Doubting Thomas placed his fingers in Jesus’s wounds. After Jesus ascended, however, and the Apostles were alone on their pilgrim journeys in hostile lands, hope gave St. Bartholomew the willingness to be skinned alive, and St. Simon the Zealot the courage to be sawed in half. And just like the irony of exalting the cross, Michelangelo depicts a glorious Bartholomew carrying his skin like a tattered old costume, and a muscular St. Simon is the patron saint of lumberjacks. That’s what hope looks like; winking at the suffering involved in discipleship because suffering is not the last word.
 
I have struggled in my diaconal journey, but hope has kept my pilgrim feet keep walking. As the pilgrim’s scallop shell models, our individual journeys will eventually converge at that place where we are completely united to God and each other in love. No matter how far I walk, I always arrive at the beginning, and in the beginning was the Word. 

Written by Jason Openo for Faithfully. Photos courtesy of Jason Openo.

On Saturday, November 22, 2025, St. Peter’s Catholic Church welcomed the Diocese of Calgary’s second Renewal Gathering for Lay Associations. Co-chaired by Ryan Schmidt and Janet Lymer, the gathering brought together 96 registered participants representing 41 lay associations. The room carried a simple message: the Holy Spirit has already planted a wide range of charisms in our Diocese, and renewal will grow faster when we stop working in isolation.

The day began where renewal must begin: at Mass. From there, we moved into a steady rhythm of testimony and table dialogue, starting with the Diocese’s Year 3 Renewal video, “Lighting the Fire of Renewal.” Its message: You are called, You matter, You belong set the tone for everything that followed: encounter is personal, witness is public, and both require conversion.

Lay associations are not add-ons to parish life. They are the baptized living the Church’s mission through discipleship, service, and evangelization across southern Alberta. Gathering together made this visible, as diverse charisms met in prayer and dialogue, revealing how our gifts are meant to complement one another.
​
Through testimony and Conversations in the Spirit, participants listened deeply and discerned where the Lord may be leading next.

Carla Hamarsnes: Renewal begins on our knees
Carla Hamarsnes (Apostoli Viae) offered a candid testimony of returning to the Church after leaving as a young adult. She described the intensity of her search, daily Mass, reading, online formation, events, devotions, and a strong sacramental life, yet still feeling that deep interior transformation remained out of reach.

The turning point came through daily mental prayer, setting aside intentional time and space for Christ. Her witness highlighted a clear message: parish renewal is sustained not by programs, but by personal, faithful prayer.

Walking forward together

If there was one clear takeaway from the day, it was this: renewal will not be “delivered” to us. We will live it into being: through prayer, through encounter, and through witness.

Lay associations are already carrying much of this work across the Diocese. The invitation now is to strengthen our collaboration: share resources, cross-promote events, partner with parishes, and keep returning to the Eucharist and to personal prayer as the source of fruitfulness.
​
As we continue walking this renewal journey, called, loved, and sent, may our many charisms become one clear witness: Jesus Christ is alive, and His Church is being renewed.

Rerum Novarum Partners has secured a license to bring this film to Calgary as a community screening. Tickets will be approximately $7, and if the event generates any profit, half will be donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Society in support of those in need.

Screening Details
Triumph of the Heart - Introduction and Viewing
Sat, Jan 10, 2026, at 7 pm | Cardel Theatre – Quarry Park
180 Quarry Park Blvd, Calgary
​To get tickets, email [email protected]

This screening is an invitation to come together as a community to reflect on faith, courage, and the enduring power of love. Parish groups, families, and individuals are warmly encouraged to attend and invite others.

The Seven Sisters Apostolate is a Eucharistic Association of women who feel called to strengthen the church by ensuring that a Holy Hour is prayed each day of the week throughout the year for the sole intentions of a specific priest in their Parish.

The Anchoress of our Apostolate is charged with assigning each sister one Holy Hour to pray alone before the Blessed Sacrament for a pastor chosen for us.  Although we pray alone, we gather once a year, close to the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to celebrate with our pastors and sisters and to renew our commitment to the Apostolate.
​
On June 28 this year, the Apostolate at St. Luke’s Parish held our third annual Potluck Lunch at the church. Our Pastors, Fr. Fernando Genogaling, Fr. Derek Remus, and Fr. Barnabas Esegine, joined us and offered thanks for our prayers for their intentions. We were grateful for the opportunity to “break bread” together, and judging by the volume of chatter in the room, it was clear that our pastors and all of the sisters of the Apostolate enjoyed each other’s company.

To date, the Seven Sisters Apostolate at St. Luke’s Parish has 42 sisters who pray every week for the priests who shepherd us and for Bishop Rev. William McGrattan.  Although our commitment to pray for our pastors is for one year, the members of the apostolate may choose to recommit for a further year, as many of our sisters have done.

At St. Albert the Great Parish in Calgary, Homecoming is a beloved fall tradition, a joyful time when parishioners come together to reconnect, welcome new faces, and celebrate all that God is doing in their midst. This year, however, Homecoming 2025 carried a special focus: Parish Renewal.
 
Our renewal journey has reminded us that renewal is not only something happening within our parish; it begins in each of us. As we come home to our parish family, we are also called to come home to Christ through prayer and personal conversion. That message of “Welcome Home” was visible everywhere throughout the celebration, from the joyful greetings at our doors to the heartfelt words shared from the ambo.
 
Homecoming began with Name Tag Weekend, a parish tradition, where everyone attending Mass was invited to wear a name tag, from work, school, or even a creative homemade one designed by the children. It was a fun and meaningful way to get to know one another better and to recognize that each name represents a unique story of faith that makes our parish family stronger. At the same time, the parish hall came alive with the Ministry Fair, where parishioners explored the many ways to serve, grow, and share their gifts. It was a beautiful expression of how renewal becomes visible through active discipleship and stewardship.
 
The following weekend featured our Volunteer Appreciation Tailgate BBQ a spirited, faith-filled celebration where volunteers and their families came together as one “home team.” Wearing the colors of their favorite sports teams, parishioners shared food, laughter, and fellowship in gratitude for all who serve so generously throughout the year.

Homecoming 2025 concluded with the joyful unveiling of our Parish Renewal Plan, marking a milestone moment for the community. After two years of listening, prayer, and discernment, the Parish Renewal Team presented the plan and invited all parishioners to join this new chapter of faith and mission. Each person received a printed copy of the plan, along with a comfort cross and prayer card featuring the parish’s new Mission Statement.

​Simple reminders that parish renewal begins with personal renewal, and personal renewal begins with prayer. Following each Mass, the parish gathered for fellowship and refreshments graciously hosted by Couples for Christ, while viewing the newly released Diocesan Renewal video, connecting St. Albert the Great’s journey to the wider renewal movement across the Diocese.
 
Homecoming 2025 was more than an event…it was a living expression of renewal and welcome. As we move forward, may every heart at St. Albert the Great continue to be renewed in faith, hope, and love, so that together we may build up the Church and make our parish a true spiritual home for all.
 
Welcome Home, to renewal at St. Albert the Great!

Written by St. Albert the Great's Parish Renewal Team.

In early 2024, I was invited to join the Parish Renewal Team, tasked with translating the diocesan call into concrete parish initiatives. Around the same time, through my work with God Squad and the Heroic Men's Lay Association, I interviewed Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers about his new book Building a Civilization of Love: A Catholic Response to Racism. His reflections on the universality of the Church and how every communion line mirrors the rich diversity of God’s people led me to consider how our own parish might better reflect its members.

In his book, Deacon Harold challenges us to make the parish’s liturgical and communal life a true “mirror of the faithful.” Soon after, the Knights of Columbus hosted a men’s pizza night, providing a relaxed space for conversation and listening. Seizing the opportunity, I shared Deacon Harold’s challenge. I suggested that, instead of our traditional salmon dinner, we host an African-inspired barbecue, especially given the growing number of Nigerian families in our parish. David Asekomhe, who was present that evening, warmly embraced the idea and promised to explore it further.

When our new pastor, Fr. Fabio de Souza, arrived, the spirit of Renewal gained new energy. David, still eager to bring the idea to life, gathered a planning team that included Emmanuel Edem and Emmanuel Udoh. Together they developed A Taste of St. Peter’s, a multicultural feast inviting every parishioner to bring a dish that represented their heritage.

Seeing other men step into leadership roles was deeply inspiring. Their enthusiasm sparked a renewed sense of excitement throughout the parish community.

Held on October 4, the event coincided with the launch of the third year of diocesan renewal. The celebration featured:

• Representation from thirty countries, each contributing several traditional dishes.
• Nearly two hundred attendees, a beautiful testament to the parish’s engagement and diversity.
  
  

The evening became a vivid portrait of the Church’s universality, with flavours, languages, and faces from around the world gathered around one table, living out the very spirit of “You belong.”

I pray that this Renewal continues to deepen our sense of belonging and reflect the universal nature of the Church in a world often torn by division. It fills me with hope to see volunteers stepping forward, each one helping to build up the Kingdom by doing the will of God.

May the spark lit by A Taste of St. Peter’s carry us onward, strengthening our community, enriching our worship, and bearing witness to the love that unites all God’s children in a Church of encounter.

This weekend marked the beginning of the third year of our Diocesan Renewal… You are Called, You Matter, and You Belong. It also coincided with a Worship Conference for liturgical ministry coordinators entitled The Church at Worship, held at St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Mary’s High School.
​
Those who attended the two-day gathering participated in a solemn Evening Prayer, the celebration of the Eucharist, three conferences delivered by Fr. Frank Scalia of the Archdiocese of Montreal, and several practical workshops, all designed to renew the heart of liturgical ministry. The Conference focused on deepening our understanding of the Church’s liturgical worship through prayer and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. General liturgical principles were introduced to guide our celebrations and to reflect on the various forms of liturgical leadership that serve the Body of Christ in our parishes.

On Friday evening, participants gathered at the Cathedral for a chanted Evening Prayer that began with the Service of Light, or lucernarium. In the silence of the darkened church, the assembly gathered in procession with the Easter Candle, as the proclamation of light was chanted, “The Light of Christ – Thanks be to God.” The sharing of the flame among the assembly became a powerful symbol of our faith in Christ’s resurrection and triumph over death.
​
Fr. Scalia’s reflections were both rich and instructive. On Friday evening he offered a foundational vision of liturgical worship, emphasizing that the Church’s liturgy is a spiritual and sacramental encounter with the living Lord in His Paschal Mystery. He reminded participants that the rites and prayers of the Church, handed down through the generations, have become the language of our Faith, enabling us to know it, celebrate it, and live it. Lex orandi: the way we pray together informs, lex credendi: the way we understand and believe the Faith, and leads to lex vivendi: the way we live as baptized Christians and missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.

On Saturday, Fr. Scalia outlined the principles of liturgy that form the foundation of renewal, drawing upon the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium. He emphasized that the Eucharist is the sacramental reality that makes present the one and same sacrifice of Christ offered for our salvation. To celebrate this sacred mystery with dignity, devotion, and adoration, several principles must guide us:

• Noble Simplicity: A celebration that removes what is non-essential and redundant, incorporating instead noble solemnity, beauty, and prayerful devotion.
• Sacramental Realism: A Spirit-filled expression of faith that signifies a real and living encounter with Christ, avoiding empty ritual or routine.
• Source and Summit: The sacred liturgy, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist, is both the source of the Church’s life and the goal toward which it journeys.
• Full, Conscious, and Active Participation: As members of the Body of Christ, we are called to enter into the mystery of the Eucharist with heart, mind, soul, and body, that we may be nourished as branches on the vine and bear much fruit.

In his final conference, Fr. Scalia reflected on the meaning of liturgical leadership, drawing from several Gospel passages where Christ reveals the deeper truth of Christian leadership, a love expressed in service that seeks the good of others. He reminded participants that every liturgical role, whether visible or unseen, must always be exercised as a form of service for the good of God’s People gathered in worship.

This spirit of service prepared participants for the Saturday afternoon workshops, which focused on the specific ministries that contribute to the beauty and reverence of our liturgical celebrations: altar servers, sacristans, lectors, choir members, hospitality ministers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, liturgical environment, and liturgical committees. These sessions were led by lay representatives, permanent deacons, and priests of our Diocese, fostering dialogue, learning, and collaboration… a true sign of the fruits of our ongoing Renewal.
​
As we continue to implement parish pastoral plans and sustain our Diocesan Renewal, we must always return to the primacy of grace received through the Church’s liturgical life, in prayer, the Sacraments, and most especially in the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of the Christian life.

Photography: Bandi Szakony, for the Diocese of Calgary

Like all the parishes in the Diocese of Calgary, our parish, Saint Martha's, has been diligently working on the Parish Renewal over the past few years. We continue to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us, and it has been a wonderful journey meeting with one another under the spiritual guidance and prayers of our pastor, Father William Monis, and our Deacon Bruce Barnett. We tried to follow the guidelines and timing set out by the diocese and were happy to submit our results on schedule.

We didn't expect to win the draw for the barbecue, as many other hardworking parishes were competing for the same prize. We were very surprised on June 14 when our name was drawn from the hat. Many people got together to form a committee to organize this event. The response from the volunteers was tremendous! The barbecue took place on Friday, August 29, which was perfect timing. Bishop McGrattan was to be in Lethbridge in the morning for the opening school Mass for the Holy Spirit School Division staff.

We began with a beautiful Holy Mass at 5 pm with all our Lethbridge priests concelebrating. Not only was the Mass so beautiful, but Bishop McGrattan also used this time to install our new pastor, Father Valentine Suum, who joined us on August 1.

It was a very meaningful celebration, and all present appreciated the opportunity to be part of the installation. Our parish is comprised of many cultures, and one of the elders from the Blackfoot Confederacy, Martin Eagle Child, requested that his group make a presentation to our bishop and our two new priests at the conclusion of Mass.

After the final blessing, the First Nations group, in their traditional outfits, processed into the church to the sound of drumming to present a blanket to each of Bishop William, Father Valentine, and Father Luke. It was very powerful and all were moved.

Written by Teresa Spearman, St. Martha's Parish Renewal Team in Lethbridge. Photography courtesy of Matthew Visuals & Saint Martha's Parish.

​You’re invited, whether for a day, a weekend, or the whole week!
Join young adults and all pilgrims for this Marian Week in the heart of the Rockies. As part of our diocesan journey in the Jubilee Year of Hope, it’s a sacred time of prayer, pilgrimage, and celebration, and a special opportunity to receive plenary indulgences during this grace-filled year. 

Location: The Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies (2 Silvertip Trail, Canmore)
​​
Friday, Aug 15  

• 8:30 am - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mass with Fr. Pilmaiken at the Shrine Church, Canmore. Followed by:
  •  9 am - Adoration following Mass (overnight) until 10:45 am (Reposition) on Sat, Aug 16. 
    • 3 pm - Novena to Mary begins
    • 6 pm - Taize Prayer during Adoration 

​
Saturday, Aug 16 

• 11 am - Blessing of Pilgrims and Mass
• 4 pm - Confession 
• 5 pm - Anticipated Sunday Mass
  ​​

Sunday, Aug 17 

• ​9:30 am, 11:30 am - Sunday Mass, followed by Confession, 
• ​5 pm - Sunday Mass, at Shrine Church, Canmore

Saturday, August 23 at the Shrine Church

• 11 am - Mass with Bishop McGrattan (Jubilee of Legion of Mary)
• 2 pm - Bike Pilgrimage (Banff to Canmore)
  A 27 km scenic bike pilgrimage on Sat, Aug 23, 2025, from St. Mary’s in Banff to the Shrine Church in Canmore via the Legacy Trail, with rest stops, blessings, and arrival in time for the 5 pm Queenship of Mary Mass. To join, register here
  
• 4 pm - Confession
• 5 pm - Sunday Mass
  ​

Sunday, Aug 24 at the Shrine Church

• 9:30 am and 11:30 am - Sunday Mass 
• 5 pm - Mass​

A special gathering of young people from Canada took place in Rome on Tuesday, 29 July 2025, at the Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, during the Jubilee of Youth (28 July to 3 August 2025), part of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year celebrations.

The Jubilee of Youth brought together thousands of young people from around the world for a week of prayer, catechesis, cultural exchange, and joyful witness. This international pilgrimage invited young people to deepen their relationship with Christ and to be living signs of hope and communion in today’s world.

An estimated 1,000 young people from across Canada made the pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth. Pilgrims represented dioceses, eparchies, national groups, movements, and associations from across the country.

A delegation of young adults from the Diocese of Calgary, led by Fr. Troy Nguyen, Fr. Cristino Bouvette, and Fr. Santiago Torres, joined the global pilgrims in Rome as part of their Jubilee Year Pilgrimage. Their journey, organized through St. Francis Xavier Chaplaincy (SFXC), has taken them through sacred sites across Italy, including Montecassino, Sepino, Assisi, Padua, Turin, Florence, and Orvieto, before reaching Rome for the Papal Mass with Pope Leo XIV at Tor Vergata. 

Adapted from CCCB. Photos courtesy of diocesan young adults SFXC pilgrims.

Written by Deacon Michael Soentgerath

​On June 13, 2025, a small group of us, invited by Anthony Banka from the Catholic Pastoral Centre, participated in World Elder Abuse Awareness Day at the Kirby Centre in Calgary. The theme of the Expo was “Growing the Conversation.”

We heard encouraging messages from several invited guests, including Mayor Jyoti Gondek. After the speeches, participants were invited to browse the incredible range of organizations and agencies in our city dedicated to supporting seniors, whether they be Indigenous, immigrants, refugees, or long-time Calgarians.

We were invited to represent the Diocese of Calgary and chose to focus on our Catholic response to palliative care as seniors approach the end of life. Our booth featured posters, pamphlets, and various other resources designed to communicate the inherent dignity of every human person, a dignity that remains intact from the womb to the tomb. We highlighted the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ program Horizons of Hope, which emphasizes the importance of ensuring that every person feels loved, useful, and wanted until the moment they are called home by our loving Creator.

As each of us engaged with individuals walking through the auditorium, we made a conscious effort to meet everyone as a fellow human being, a brother or sister of our Father in heaven. If our materials speak of human dignity and love of neighbour, then we knew we were called to embody that message in each encounter. These brief yet meaningful interactions often began with a warm smile or a simple gesture of welcome, an invitation from one person to another to share in the joy and hope that comes from the Good News: that we are all family.
​
By engaging with heartfelt sincerity, we believe many people felt a genuine connection to our message and were moved to take some of our materials home. It is our hope and prayer that, through these resources and the encounters they experienced, individuals might come to see the beauty and sacredness of life, even in its final stages, and choose life, trusting that God will welcome them to their eternal home once their time has come.

Renewal is truly taking root across the Diocese of Calgary. As of the end of June, over 30 parishes submitted their Pastoral Renewal Plans, each a beautiful expression of faith, discernment, and commitment to parish life.
​
To mark this milestone, parishes that submitted by June 15 were entered into the BBQ with the Bishop's draw. And now, the moment everyone’s been waiting for has arrived! Watch the video below, revealing the winner to a visit from Bishop McGrattan, complete with BBQ and celebration in the Fall!

While submitting a plan is not an approval process, each parish submission will receive supportive insights and feedback next month to help parishes strengthen and grow their efforts. Every plan is a parish community's response to their call to renewal, and we’re excited to witness what unfolds.

So, what’s next?

This fall, parishes will begin sharing their renewal plans more widely within their communities.

We’ll also mark the third anniversary of the Diocesan Renewal Launch with parish-wide announcements and celebrations at Masses on Sunday, Oct. 4–5. We hope that these moments will inspire renewed commitment and invite everyone to take part in the journey. From there, parishes will begin putting their action items into motion, and trusting that the Holy Spirit will continue to lead them, one faithful step at a time.

On Saturday, June 14, 2025, pastoral staff and lay ministers from across the Diocese gathered at the Martha Retreat Centre in Lethbridge for a day of reflection, renewal, and rest. Guided by Fr. Tim Boyle and supported by the Pastoral Ministry Office, the retreat offered sacred time to encounter God’s love more deeply, through prayer, beauty, silence, and sacramental insight. Below are reflections from participants who share how the day stirred their hearts and strengthened their calling to serve.

Letting God Work Through Me: A Sacrament Coordinator’s Insight
​
I attended the retreat at Martha Retreat Center in Lethbridge on June 14, 2025 organized by the Pastoral Ministry Office of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary, and I find myself still inspired by what I experienced and learned. Guided by Fr. Tim Boyle, I was reminded of the profound depth of God’s love especially as it manifests in the Holy Trinity and the figure of Sophia, wisdom itself. As he reflected on these truths, I was struck by how central God's love is to everything we do in ministry. It made me realize that without this divine love, the sacraments, creation, and even our efforts in faith formation would lack their true purpose.
 
Throughout the retreat, I became more aware that my role as a Sacrament Coordinator is not about hierarchy or titles, but about reflecting God's boundless love to those I serve. This shift in perspective was powerful for me. It challenged me to approach my ministry with humility and a renewed sense of selfless service rooted in divine benevolence. I felt a deep calling to see my work as an extension of God's love, as an act of sharing His goodness, patience, and compassion.
 
The icon of the Transfiguration especially resonated with me. It reminds me that transformation is possible, not just for the figures in the Bible, but for myself as well. Seeing Jesus at the center of the icon inspires me to emulate His example, to become more Christ-like in my attitude, words, and actions. It encourages me to assess my strengths and weaknesses honestly; trusting that through God's grace, I can grow and improve in serving others.
 
Most profoundly, I was reminded that true service is humble. It’s about echoing God's humility, serving others not for recognition, but out of love. This retreat has rekindled my passion to serve with renewed enthusiasm, knowing that my work is part of a larger divine story. I am encouraged to lead with love, to emulate Christ’s humility, and to allow God's transformative power to shape both my ministry and my life.
 
This experience has deepened my understanding that Sacramental ministry is not just about tasks, but it's about creating space for God's love to work through me, bringing hope, healing, and transformation to those I am privileged to serve.
  
Carlo Peregrina, Sacrament Coordinator
Sacred Heart Parish, Calgary

For others on the retreat, the day brought a similar sense of grounding and grace.

Cristiana from All Saints Parish in Lethbridge shared how the retreat met her in a moment of spiritual weariness. “I’m sincerely grateful for the day spent at Martha Retreat Centre, it was grace that quenched my thirst for Truth,” she wrote. Surrounded by a culture that pushes self-achievement and image, she said it was easy to slip into promoting a version of Catholicism that’s more about appearances than the cross. Yet the retreat pulled her back to the heart of the Gospel: “Instead of being a herald of a triumphant faith, I was reminded to be a witness to a Saviour who enters into our suffering to bring real life.”

Mimi, from St. Mark’s Parish in Calgary, described the retreat as a much-needed chance to breathe and be still. “It was a blessing to be welcomed into a holy time and space,” she shared. She appreciated the rhythm of the day, especially Fr. Boyle’s gentle and creative approach. “His use of imagery and the contemplation of photographs coaxed the mind to expand its understanding, while the celebration of Holy Eucharist, followed by a period of meditation with the aid of an icon, encouraged the heart to open to the promptings of the Lord." 

Both Cristiana and Mimi expressed deep gratitude for the space to pause, pray, and be reminded of what really matters. “Thank you for setting the meeting time and space for this unforgettable encounter with the Lord,” Mimi added.
As Cristiana put it, “What a magnificent God we have: only He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the humble!”

Among the participants were the oldest couple at age 67, and a pair who have been civilly married for 27 years. With humility and tenderness, they joined others in lovingly revisiting their commitment to one another, now preparing to sanctify that bond through the Sacrament of Matrimony.

This course is not a standalone event—it is a gateway. All participating couples are now on a common path, eagerly anticipating their Church wedding during one of three upcoming Sacred Grace Wedding Masses this year: September 13, October 25, and November 8. Each of these Masses will be a profound celebration—not only of marital love but also of God’s grace alive in our midst, renewing the very foundation of family life in our parishes.
​
A second offering of the Marriage Integration Course is scheduled for July 19, 2025, where another forty or so couples will revisit their own commitment to each other.

We invite all parishioners across the Diocese to keep these couples in your prayers—that their journey toward the Sacrament may be filled with grace, healing, and joyful anticipation. May our collective prayer sustain and bless them as they take this sacred step forward.

Written by Deacon Greg Bercelon, Coordinator for Sacred Grace: Church Wedding for Civilly Married Couples. 

Watch now!

Our new Holy Father’s words in his first homily to the College of Cardinals contains much food for thought and prayer as we prepare for the great feast of Pentecost and develop our pastoral renewal plans.

Reflection:

• In what ways can I make Jesus known and glorified through my actions?
• Through the actions of our pastoral plan?

Let us pray the Novena to the Holy Spirit with these actions in mind.