ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CALGARY
  • Blog
  • About
  • Give
  • News & Events
  • Ministries
  • Contact Us
  • Parish Finder
Picture

20 years of Permanent Diaconate

6/19/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
A Few Memories and Reflections on the 20th Anniversary 2022 of the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Calgary 

The primary movement for the restoration of the order of deacons in this century occurred in the death camp at Dachau. The identity of the deacon is conceived in the midst of indescribable human suffering. A “new” diaconate is envisioned as a permanent hope to those who are without hope.
 
During World War II, a group of Catholic priests, interned at Dachau prison camp, provided support and encouragement to many of the nameless and voiceless victims of injustice around them. Somehow they kept faith alive, sustained hope and witnessed to God’s unconditional love even in an atmosphere that viciously opposed and denied these gifts. One of these priests, Fr. Otto Pies SJ, who was seriously ill when released from the concentration camp, published an article titled “Cellblock 26 - Experiences of the Priestly Life in Dachau” - dealing with the sufferings of priests imprisoned here. He also reports about those topics that were the subject of the discussions among priests who were ready to discharge their responsibilities in the face of death. In conjunction with the increasingly more serious shortage of priests, Fr. Pies poses the question as ‘to whether or not it was time to act upon the nudges that were - apparently - being initiated by the Holy Spirit’ and to permit the diaconate to rise again.
 
Knowing that their aspiration required decisive action, these priests after their liberation, continued to meet and work to awaken in every Catholic a commitment to justice through personal service and advocacy. Many people came to join these survivors, who named their group the Deacon Circle. In time, additional groups convened throughout Germany, France and Eastern Europe.
 
In 1962 Pope John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council and within this growing awareness of the church’s obligation to be actively engaged in the world, the original members of the Deacon’s Circle, the Dachau survivors and those who had joined them in Munich wrote a letter in 1962 addressed directly to the council fathers in which they state:
 
“Would it not be a living testimony to the church’s concern for the temporal and supernatural needs of all peoples to have ordained deacons engaged in actual necessities of temporal life to the poor and the suffering, bringing  Christ both sacramentally and also in their committed care for the lowly and oppressed into places of neglect and destitution, of hunger and sickness?”

The rest of the story is our history
​
Vatican II reconstituted the diaconate in the western Catholic Churches, and taught that deacons are helpers to the bishop at the altar and in the ministry of the word, while caring always for those who might otherwise be overlooked by the successors of the apostles.
 
Three reasons behind the Council’s decision:
  1. a desire to enrich the Church with the functions of the diaconate, which otherwise, in many regions, could only be exercised with great difficulty;
  2. the intention of strengthening with the grace of diaconal ordination those who already exercised many of the functions of the Diaconate; and
  3. a concern to provide regions, where there was a shortage of clergy, with sacred ministers.
 
Deacons are ordained to make visible Christ, the servant of his people. The bishop is responsible for the selection, personal formation, ministerial training and assignment of deacons. 

Prior to my arrival in Calgary, I recall a discernment weekend experience in the Diocese of London. Our topic was to try and attuned ourselves as a selected and balanced group of leaders in the diocese - bishops, ordained priests, religious women, catechists, male and female lay leaders -  to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit through prayer and discussion led by a Jesuit priest whose expertise was discernment in the Ignatius Tradition.  Our question was straight forward: “Should We Introduce the Permanent Diaconate in the our Diocese.” At the end of our session, marked more by turbulence than peace, we held a vote - 60% yes, 40% no. Bishop Sherlock decided that the margin was not large enough to proceed and it would only divide the diocese. I was one of the 60%. My main argument was that our local church would be stronger with the fullness of the Sacrament of Orders - bishop, priests, and deacons.
 
Before the subject was revisited several years later, I was transferred to the Diocese of Thunder Bay in Northern Ontario in March of 1995. Fortunately, they already had introduced the permanent diaconate. We were a very large missionary diocese (geographically), many indigenous peoples, few clergy and  heavily reliant on the religious communities and the international community to staff our parishes and missions.  Both groups tended to be serving on a contract basis. Our married deacons were local - many were born and raised in the north, involved in business industry, recreation, etc. They and their wives who were part of the formation sessions were a terrific addition to our pastoral care delivery system. I was now more committed than ever.
 
Arriving in Calgary as the local Bishop, I was surprised that one of the most frequently asked questions, in addition to “when are you going to build us a church?”, was “What do you think of the permanent diaconate?” “I’m all in favour. It’s simply when and how?”
 
There was no permanent diaconate program west of St. Boniface. I recall an exchange at the one of the Western Conference of Catholic Bishops Meetings. I announced  that we were establishing a permanent diaconate program in Calgary and one of the senior bishops interjected “That here in the west we have opted for lay formation.” I replied: “I didn’t think that it was an either/or proposition, we can do both. Beside, I’m simply telling you, not asking for permission.”
 
First west of St. Boniface Diocese but happily, not the last!
 
There was also local opposition from many individuals and groups in the Diocese but not strong enough to stop the forward movement of the Holy Spirit. The biggest decision was to pick Developers and Coordinators who were of “good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom whom we may appoint to this task” (Acts.6:3). Fr. Bill Trienekens and Sr. Maria Nakagawa’  graciously accepted the appointment and set about building our program, selecting and forming our candidates, individually and communally. They have rendered enormous service to our local church! As my mom would say “And the proof is in the pudding.”
 
We were assisted in many way by the Archdiocese of Toronto who readily shared their experience and helped us walk in the direction of our hope.
 
In God’s providence, we were also assisted by the timely publication in 1998 of the two Vatican Documents:
  1. Basic Norms for the Formation of Permanent Deacons - Congregation for Catholic Education
  2. Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons - Congregation for the Clergy
 
I suspect that these two documents will influence the development of the Order of Deacon for years to come and therefore will directly influence how the faithful are shepherded by bishops and priests with the help of deacons. Practically, the deacon’s responsibilities are explained, the professional demands of his ministry are regulated, his juridical status and spiritual life are described. Most fundamentally, however, his identity is clarified.
Identity

In the first years after the restoration of the permanent diaconate, pragmatic considerations often seemed to shape its purpose and identity.
 
In some places, it seemed that the diaconate was intended, in particular, for catechists and delegates of the Word, so that familiar ministers and leaders of small communities would, through becoming deacons, make ordained ministry visible in their communities and throughout their diocese.
 
The new directory makes clear that local church cannot simply put the new label of deacon on the familiar reality of catechist without changing the life of the Church. The diaconate is a gift from God which changes not just the deacon but all of God’s people.
 
The diaconate was restored just when the Church’s relationship to the modern world was changing. The line between openness to the world and becoming “worldly’ was often not clear, and this lack of clarity influenced pastoral policy and, at times, teaching. Consequently, the permanent deacon, ordained but with a secular job, was sometimes hailed as the Church’s agent in the workplace and marketplace, as if this were not the vocation of every baptized Christian. Behind this seeming openness to the world lay a clericalism that assumed that only the ordained make the Church present in the world. The selection of candidates was often limited to those whose secular profession was proof of their position in the world and therefore of their value as deacons.
 
A second moment in the development of the restored diaconate brought forward candidates who were already visible in their parish communities as lay ministers and helpers in numerous church activities. Generous men who were obviously of good character and servants of the Lord and his Church sometimes were invited to become deacons as a kind of acknowledgment by their pastor that they were exemplary Catholics and helpful members of their parish. The diaconate became almost unique tied to parochial service.
 
The Directory comes providentially at a new moment in the developing understanding of the diaconate and the consequent criteria for the selection of deacon candidates. Full time work in the world certainly does not disqualify a man from the diaconate nor does prior ministry or service in a parish. But the Directory explains clearly that a deacon makes Christ the servant visible through ordination for a particular Church, a diocese, and not only for a parish. The relationship to the local bishop is central to the deacon’s ministry as servant to those who might otherwise be overlooked or neglected, especially the poor, as the local Church assembles around her bishop. The deacons’ sensitivity to the sick, the handicapped, the religiously illiterate, the victim so prejudice of every sort, the despised and those estranged from the community of believers will lead him to bring them to the altar of Christ. The greatest service a deacon offers is to invite others to the table where they can learn who Christ is by becoming members of his body. Having gathered the poor around the altar of Christ, the deacon proclaims the Gospel, which is always good news for the poor.
MINISTRY
(para 23-42) the Directory’s description of his service of the word, of the altar and of charity cannot be separated. Even though one or the other may be more emphasized in the course of a deacon’s ministerial life, he is always called to all three.
 
SPIRITUALITY
(para.43-62) Ordination as a deacon is a call to convert, to conform one’s heart and mind ever more closely to Jesus Christ, servant of his people; service as a deacon is a call to constant conversion so that a deacon’s ministry is not just a function. His spiritual life begins in relationships that are his by reason of ordination.
 
FORMATION
(para 63-82) the Directory gives special attention to the ongoing or continuing vocational and professional formation of deacons.

Deacons ordained in 2002:
Dcn. Paul Coderre – Sacred Heart, Strathmore
Dcn. John Hagan – Retired, Calgary
Dcn. Paul Heffernan – Holy Spirit, Calgary
†Dcn. Albert Henri – Deceased
Dcn. Allan Hinger – now in the Diocese of Prince Albert, SK.
†Dcn. Louis Lapointe -- Deceased
Dcn. Alex Martinez-Lievano – Holy Spirit, Calgary
Dcn. Clarence Otteson – now in the Archdiocese of Edmonton
Dcn. Robert Risling –Holy Family, Medicine Hat
Dcn. Albert Riendeau—Retired, Calgary
Dcn. Robert Wilson – Retired, Brooks
Dcn. John Wu – Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Calgary
Picture
Written by
Bishop Emeritus
Frederick Henry
​for Faithfully

June 2022
0 Comments

Trusting in God

8/10/2021

0 Comments

 
PictureDeacon Larry & Theresa Driver
Despite some tough health issues and challenges in recent years, Deacon Larry Driver has survived through the power of prayer.
 
In the fall of 2008, he went in to get an annual physical for his driver’s licence and the doctor noticed he had a large lump on the left side of his throat. It turned out to be Stage 4 melanoma cancer in his lymph nodes on his neck. But that was the primary. After an appointment in the cancer clinic, it was discovered cancer on his left tonsil. After surgery, he had both chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
 
Today, he describes himself as being “pretty healthy.” Although he’s a Type 2 Diabetic and taking some medication, but from a cancer point of view he’s clear.
 
Faith is what he carried him through the ordeal.
 
“I learned what prayer is all about at that point. Over the time, I had people praying all over the world for me to get better and to know that if you need help you ask people to pray for you . . . You need people to pray - to speak to the good Lord. The more people you’ve got praying for you the better your chances are of getting help. Not that He doesn’t help you but it’s the intercessions that we go to Mary and Joseph and the saints for. The more people you’ve got working for you the better it is,” says Driver.
 
Driver, who turns 70 in October, started the program in 2001 to become a Deacon in the Calgary Diocese. He was ordained on June 14, 2004.
 
Driver was attending St. Mark’s in Calgary where he saw Deacon Amadeo served as a deacon. ”It struck me as interesting that he was able to work there.” Closer to 2000, Larry asked Bishop Henry about the permanent diaconate.
 
Bishop Henry recalled this particular conversation with Driver. “Shortly after my arrival in the diocese, and upon meeting Larry, his first question to me was “What do you think about the permanent diaconate?” My reply was “I’m definitely in favour of it.” He was the first to raise the issue with me in the diocese. His question was actually repeated by others many times in the first six months.”

PictureDeacon Larry at St. Francis de Sales Parish
Driver has been a Deacon from the beginning at St. Francis de Sales in High River.
 
“I’ve been fortunate enough that the Bishops have left me in this parish so far for my Diaconate service,” he says.
 
Driver is originally from the Grande Prairie area. After graduating from the Grande Prairie Composite High School, he had jobs in labour, trucking and warehousing until 1975 then he was hired on by the City of Calgary’s Emergency Medical Services Department and moved to Calgary in July 1975.
 
“The City trained me as a paramedic at SAIT and I graduated as a paramedic with honours from the class and then I worked for the City until 1978. I moved back to Grande Prairie but that didn’t work out. So I came back to Calgary, was rehired and finished up my 32-year career with the City of Calgary,” says Driver, who retired in July 2007.
 
Being a Deacon fits in with his career being a paramedic.
 
“You’re there. You’re helping people. I could see that. But I also saw it as a faith journey to increase my faith and help others through that journey of faith,” says Driver, who has had an interesting personal journey of faith.
 
He was raised Anglican but over time he found the Roman Catholic faith more to his liking and he became a Catholic in the late 1980s with the help of Father Cooney, who eventually became a Bishop.
 
Driver has two daughters who both have two children - three boys and a girl. The family has played an important role in his success in becoming a Deacon as well as in his battle against cancer.
 
“My wife has been a super support through all of this and as much as she’s not on the altar she’s definitely been the one that has supported me the most in this,” says Driver.
 
Therese says it was only natural for her to support her husband on his journey to becoming a Deacon.
 
“If that’s what they want and feel called to do, who am I to stop them and if I don’t support them they can’t go on,” she says. “He felt the calling and was prepared to do what had to be done. It certainly didn’t harm me at all. It certainly gives me an understanding of what’s expected, of what the ministry is and it affects the family. You have to know that ahead of time. It does have an impact on the family and everything you do.”
 
Through Larry’s health challenges, the power of prayer became very important, adds Therese.
 
“To trust in God. If it’s meant to be it will happen, if it’s not then that will happen too. We trust in God and do the best we can and let God work the way He works. It’s God’s work one way or the other and we were prepared either way. If you’re going to survive this, great, if not then we’ll deal with it. So were our kids. They were all on board and you do what you have to. I grew up in hard times and you just do what you have to. That’s all there is to it.”


Picture
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.  Photos courtesy of Deacon Larry and Fr. Mariusz Sztuk.
0 Comments

My first year as a Deacon

2/11/2020

2 Comments

 
PictureDeacon Dale Laing at St. Thomas More, Calgary
It’s been more than a year since I was ordained as a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church, and what a year it has been! Guiding me during the four-year formation journey was a combination of prayer, effective mentoring, spiritual direction, self-reflection and practical experience.

An instrumental topic to me, and that of my spiritual director, has been the transformation of one’s ego. Every person he says, “whether they are aware of it or not, is engaged from the moment of birth in a titanic struggle to lead a life led by the spirit, or, a life led by the attractions of this world. He is fond of saying, “throughout our entire lives, but most especially a man in formation must grow increasingly aware of these two forces, each clamoring for our attention. One force leads to life, and the other to death”.

The battleground in this great seesaw for our soul is a person’s ego. It can serve as both sword and shield, our greatest ally, or, our greatest enemy. The successful path to life sees the pouring out, a little at a time from our old self (ego), then, filling the void with the love of Christ. Thus, guided by this new mixture of love, we gain greater strength to support our future actions and ministries.

All throughout my life, but especially during my diaconate formation, I came to fully realize the necessity of allowing this constant pouring out and re-filling, as a catalyst to mold myself anew.  Following that which promises life, I opened my heart wide to the workings of the Spirit and allowed my self-identity to shift toward the truth of Christ. Infused with a clearer sense of the necessity of living my life closer to God, I invited my wife and my family to join me in this new reality of love. 

My spiritual director says that formation for a new deacon never stops and once ordained, the deacon must continually be open, and vulnerable, to the revelations which Christ wishes to share with him. A new deacon must continually desire to hold his ego aloft, so that with Christ’s blessing, it may receive further refinement from the Holy Spirit. This willingness to constantly seek to have his ego molded by the Spirit of Christ, this change of heart, is at the very core of diaconal formation he says. Without it, no man can truly serve successfully in the capacity of deacon.
​
This continuous transformation of one’s ego is key for us all. We must let go of doing things our own way, and supplant them with God’s way. One must pour out the old self (one’s former worldly attractions) to receive the new from God. Gradually, our willingness to seek Christ over that of the world is God’s goal for us.

Picture

Written by Deacon Laing for Faithfully
2 Comments

Gingco’s journey from an underground movement to his ordination

12/3/2018

1 Comment

 
​With a servant’s heart, Joseph Gingco was pleased to help run the audio-visual equipment when his parish hosted an information meeting about the permanent diaconate back in 2013. Joseph, who has a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from the Philippines, knew his skills would prove helpful. Besides that, the life-long Catholic was curious about the topic.
​
Five years later, one of Calgary’s newest deacons believes God used that opportunity to serve to answer one of his prayers.
Picture

"I will seek you"

​When Joseph and his wife moved to Canada, he promised God, “Lord, when we are in Canada, I will seek you. I think Fr. Myles Gaffney’s intention with me was that I would help him that day as he was in charge of vocations in the Diocese and was the director of the Permanent Deacon program. In my heart, I believe God was just waiting for me to open the door.”

Deacon Joseph Gingco was ordained by Calgary Catholic Bishop William McGrattan on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. Watching closely were his wife Nirmla and their children, Ian Jay, Lemuel and Leianne Marie.

Joseph and Nirmal were married 26 years ago in the Philippines. Soon after the birth of their first son, they moved to Saudi Arabia, where Nirmla, a registered nurse, found work in a private hospital. That hospital was pleased to also hire Nirmla’s tech-savvy husband.
Vertical Divider
Raised in devout families that include a priest (Joseph’s brother) and a nun (Nirmla’s aunt), the couple connected with an underground movement of Christians while in Saudi Arabia. In a country that bans all religions other than a strict form of Islam, they attended secret services in people’s homes, closely following guidelines about how they arrived at and left the home churches.
​
​The young family, which included a second son born in Saudi Arabia, moved to Canada on July 8, 1999. Here, Joseph and Nirmla found work in their chosen fields. Church was a central part in the family’s life and all three of their children were altar servers and sang in a church choir. Joseph and Nirmla served as extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist at Sacred Heart Church and got involved with members of a Charismatic community. The family has attended St. Albert the Great Church since 2013 and that’s where he’ll serve the Church.
Joseph admits the diaconate formation program was challenging, especially since his entry into the program coincided with a major emergency surgery and three month’s convalescence for Nirmla. Juggling a critical role as her caregiver, three kids and a full-time job—plus online courses and monthly seminars—often seemed daunting. 

Looking back, he’s grateful for all that he learned and says his “tech guy” communications skills took a giant leap forward. Looking ahead, he admits to excitement and trepidation as he figures out how to serve the Church and his family.

Beside him, Nirmla smiles. She shares Joseph’s commitment to the Permanent Deacon program—and their family. Now working as an RN in cardiac care at the South Health Campus Hospital after years in palliative care at the Rockyview, she admits to being less of a worrier than her husband. And that strength serves Joseph in his new vocation. Following Nirmla’s lead, “I’m learning to trust Him and not worry so much,” says Joseph.
​
The journey may be new and uncertain, but their faith holds true. They will follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit will guide and God will provide.

​Written by: Joy Gregory
Picture
Picture
Wedding day | Joseph & Nirmla Gingco
Picture
1 Comment

Boy-meets-girl-becomes deacon

12/3/2018

4 Comments

 
Susan Laing remembers the Saturday afternoon in the mid-1990s that her husband decided to attend mass with her and their three children. Although they met at a dance held in a Catholic church she attended in Calgary—and were married in that same church— formal conversion to Catholicism was never on Dale’s short list of things he needed to do to be a good husband and father.

Baptized in the Anglican Church, Dale attended the United Church while growing up in Calgary’s Parkdale community. By the time he accepted a co-worker’s invitation to a dance to meet her sister, he was secure in his belief in God, but not given to the practice of faith. Over time, Dale saw the value of Susan’s witness to the Catholic faith. He joined the RCIA program and was confirmed in 2003.
​
The couple remembers how some parishioners were surprised to learn Dale had joined the RCIA process at St. Thomas More. Susan, a cradle Catholic, was active as an RCIA sponsor, while Dale was on the Finance Council. Over the years, they were involved in many ministries ranging from church cleaning to hospitality after mass (serving coffee). 
Vertical Divider
“I looked for ministries we could do as a family,” recalls Susan. Consequently, “A lot of people just assumed I was Catholic,” says Dale. After Dale was confirmed, the list of ministries they were part of grew to include service as lectors and commentators, Extraordinary Ministers of Communion and coordinating First Conciliation. Dale has also been involved with Together in Action and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Dale remembers the day his formal conversion took another sharp turn. “About two weeks after I was confirmed, my daughter and I were coming to mass together and she asked, ‘So what’s next on your spiritual journey now that you’re Catholic?’” His response: “maybe I’ll become a Deacon.”
​
Now a grandfather of three, Dale was ordained a Permanent Deacon of the Calgary Catholic Diocese on Saturday, November 17, 2018. He looks forward to serving at St. Thomas More parish, where Susan has attended Catholic mass since the couple married in 1982.
Picture

God's call

The call to become a Permanent Deacon began soon after Dale’s confirmation. “I dismissed it out of hand, but over the years, the thought was whispered into the ears of my mind, sometimes even at 2 a.m.,” says Dale. Eight years ago, another deacon serving at St. Thomas More approached him after mass and asked him if he’d thought about becoming a Permanent Deacon. 

Suddenly, the whisper had a voice—and that voice revealed the path to a new vocation.

Both spouses are part of the rigorous formation process that leads to the husband being ordained as a Permanent Deacon. The first weekend of that process “was a bit overwhelming,” admits Susan, who works in the business office at Bishop McNally High School. “All the way through the process you’re discussing what you’ve learned and processing what that means in your own lives. But after a while, you learn to trust in God’s plan for you. It gets easier.”

Her husband agrees. “You absorb ideas from sitting in the pews and listening to the readings and homilies. But the Permanent Diaconate process goes so much deeper and it changes how you understand the Church and its teachings.”
​
Dale, who manages one of the many parts departments at the City of Calgary, says he’s still learning what his new role at St. Thomas More demands. Sitting in the church narthex, he points to a display of flags that represents the diversity of a parish whose people come from more than 80 different nations. The soft-spoken grandfather of three knows this is a special place—and having raised three kids in the pews of this church, he’s excited about what lies ahead.

“I can now see the progression of God’s hand in my calling, from a simple thought to midnight urgings, to other people recognizing the light of Christ within me, to my joining my voice with that of Mary in saying ‘Yes’ to God’s call,” says Dale.

Written by: Joy Gregory
Picture
Picture
4 Comments

    Author

    Catholic Pastoral Centre Staff and Guest Writers

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018

    Categories

    All
    Advent & Christmas
    Art
    Bereavement
    Bishop Emeritus Henry
    Bishop McGrattan
    Book Review
    Care For Creation
    Catechetics
    Catholic Charities & Development
    Catholic Education
    Catholic Schools
    CCCB
    Christian Unity
    Climate Change
    Consecrated Virgin
    Conversion
    Covid 19
    Culture
    CWL
    Development & Peace
    Devotions
    Diocesan Event
    Discipleship
    Ecumenical
    Elizabeth House
    Environment
    Euthanasia
    Evangelization
    Faithful Living
    Faithfully
    Family
    Feed The Hungry
    From The Bishop's Office
    Fundraising
    Funeral
    Grieving
    Health
    Health Care
    Homelessness
    Indigenous
    In Memoriam
    Interfaith
    Jubilarians
    Lay Associations
    Lent
    Lent & Easter
    Liturgy
    Marian
    Marriage
    Mary
    Mass
    Mental Health
    Migrants
    Miscarriage
    Mission Mexico
    Movie Review
    Music
    One Rock
    Online Formation
    Ordination
    Parenting
    Parish Life
    Pastoral Care
    Pastoral Visit
    Permanent Diaconate
    Pope
    Pope Francis
    Prayer
    Pray For Peace
    Priesthood
    Prolife
    RCIA
    Reconciliation
    Refugee
    Religious Education
    Religious Freedom
    Religious Life
    Resources And Guidelines
    Sacred Art
    Safe Environment
    Saints
    Scripture & Reflection
    Seniors
    Social Justice
    Stewardship
    St. Joseph
    Synod
    Vocation
    Youth And Young Adults
    Youth Ministry

    RSS Feed

GET TO KNOW US
Our Bishop
Offices & Ministries
​Our Staff
Read our Blog
Catholic Community
​Lay Associations
CONNECT WITH US
Contact us
​Careers
​Parish Boundaries

News & Events
Faithfully
​Reporting Abuse
NEED INFO ON
Becoming Catholic
Marriage Preparation
​Vocations
Annulment 
Sacraments Prep
Catholic Funeral
GIVE TO
Diocesan Ministries
Together in Action
Feed the Hungry
Elizabeth House
Your Parish Church​ 
​Other Ministry

Catholic Pastoral Centre  | 120 - 17th Ave SW, Calgary, AB  T2S 2T2 | ​Phone: 403-218-5500 | communications@calgarydiocese.ca
Charitable Number: 
10790-9939-RR0076​. Donate Now.
  • Blog
  • About
  • Give
  • News & Events
  • Ministries
  • Contact Us
  • Parish Finder