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What if religious life is for me?

4/23/2023

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I did not think much about the question the first time because I was confident that religious life was not for me. 

I have been actively involved in the Church and a charismatic community called Singles for Christ. I was trying my best to walk the talk and live the faith. I want to be a living witness to how I overcame trials and used them to fuel the desire to become a better version of myself. 

I never mentioned the stirring within about religious life to family or friends but to my spiritual director. At the time, I was advised to process the idea: know the reasons for pursuing the vocation and that I was not running away from something. I took the advice to heart. Yet at the back of my mind, maybe this is just a phase in my life, and eventually, this question will gradually disappear from my thoughts. However, in the past six years or so, the question stayed. It lingered. I would ask this question during my quiet time, prayer time, when I am on the bus, train, or driving, especially when I see religious people, and I would laugh at myself every time. There is no way I am heading in that direction!
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Azenette being blessed by the Sisters of Providence community at Providence Centre Chapel on February 18.
At a retreat organized by CFC-Singles for Christ, I had the opportunity to hear a Sister of Providence speak about their mission. Their charism of serving the underprivileged - those who are ignored, victims of injustice, marginalized, and voiceless - spoke deeply to me.

Over time, the asking, “What if religious life is for me?” became frequent. I want to believe that the best tool for discernment is action. So, I mustered the courage to act and reached out to the Sisters of Providence. 

In November 2021, I started my Come-and-See journey with the Sisters in Calgary, and by February 2022, I moved to Edmonton to continue the journey. I was immersed in community life. The experience became an occasion of growth and self-knowledge—an opportunity to understand others and myself. I felt loved and supported by the Sisters, and it caused me to appreciate the vocation to religious life. 

On February 18th, 2023, I entered as a candidate and the ceremony was held at the Providence Centre Chapel in Edmonton, with friends, family, Sisters of Providence, and Sisters from other congregations present. 
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As I continue to learn about myself in the context of religious life, I trust in divine providence in this journey of unfolding the question that led me here, “What if religious life is for me?”.
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Azenette and the Sisters of Providence

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Azenette Trongco, Candidate
Written by Azanette Trongco, a new candidate with the Sisters of Providence community. Azenette grew up in Bukidnon, Philippines and immigrated to Canada in 2010. She is both a teacher and a healthcare worker, most recently having worked in the healthcare field in Calgary. 

Photos courtesy of Sisters of Providence.
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Learn about The Order of Consecrated Virgins Living in the World

3/8/2023

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Since the time of Jesus, women have been drawn to follow a life of chastity in imitation of His celibate life and the life of His Virgin Mother, totally dedicated to the plan of the Father. In this vocation to consecrated virginity within the Catholic Church, women dedicate themselves as virgins to follow Christ more closely. These women, called “brides of Christ”,  have given themselves totally and exclusively to God. While living in their own homes and maintaining responsibility for their own livelihood, they enhance their devoted lives with the Liturgy of the Hours, and pray for the Bishop’s intentions and the needs of the Diocese.  It is a beautiful, life-enriching commitment that has been carried out since ancient times. Some of the early virgin Saints, such as St. Agnes, St. Anastasia, St. Lucy, and St. Agatha, are mentioned in the Roman Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer 1). 

Having listened to the requests of women seeking to fulfil this vocation as Consecrated Virgins, Bishop McGrattan has now established in our Diocese the Order of Consecrated Virgins Living in the World. Consecrated Virgins can be found around the world and both Popes St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI gave beautiful exhortations to assist them in living out their holy resolution. 

As Pope St. John Paul said: “The state of consecrated virginity makes the praise of Christ more spontaneous, listening to His word quicker, service to Him more joyful, and the occasion of offering Him the homage of your love more frequent. Yet consecrated virginity is not a privilege, but rather a gift of God, which implies a strong commitment in following Him and being His disciple” (International Conference of Consecrated Virgins, Rome in audience with Pope John Paul II, 2 June 1995).

Pope Benedict XVI added: "That your whole life may be a faithful witness of God’s love and a convincing sign of the Kingdom of Heaven. Take care always to radiate the dignity of being a bride of Christ, expressing the newness of Christian existence and the serene expectation of future life. Thus, with your own upright life you will be stars to guide the world on its journey" (Pope Benedict XVI’s address to the participants in the International Congress-Pilgrimage of the Ordo Virginum 2008).

Some may ask how this way of Consecrated Life differs from that of women Religious (Nuns and Religious Sisters). A characteristic of this form of life is the insertion of consecrated virgins in the particular Church (the Diocese), and thus in a specific cultural and social context. Consecration reserves them to God without distancing them from the environment in which they live and in which they are called to give personal witness (Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago 37). 

When a woman enters a Religious community, she is then bound by obedience to the mission of that community and may be placed wherever the community has a mission or may be cloistered in a monastery and thereby apart from the world although still very much concerned with its needs through her prayer. The Consecrated Virgin living in the world is immersed in the culture of her society and lives out her vocation among its people. She does not wear distinctive clothing and her work can be of any sort that is appropriate for a disciple of Christ. She may choose to live with other virgins, or alone, or with her family, but she does not have the same commitment to community that a Religious Sister or Nun does through her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. 

Advice from Fr. Cristino for those who feel called to the vocation of Consecrated Virginity: “Those discerning should ask themselves why they feel drawn to total consecration to Christ outside of a Religious community of women living the same lifestyle, and what draws them to making a public declaration of their interior vow versus keeping it private.”
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Written by
​Sr. Dianne Turner

​March 13, 2023

Learn more about this unique vocation here.
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Religious celebrates the the World Day of Consecrated Life

2/3/2023

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On February 2nd, 2023, religious from eight different communities gathered to celebrate the World Day of Consecrated Life on the Feast of Presentation of the Lord. It was a joy-filled day with the celebration of the Eucharist, meaningful conversations that deepened connections, and a delightful meal shared between those present.
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World Day Prayer for Consecrated Life

1/28/2023

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February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, is celebrated in the Church also as the World Day for Consecrated Life. In parishes, the celebration may be transferred to the weekend following February 2 to make the celebration more accessible. This is an opportunity for the Church to reflect on and celebrate the unique role and importance that Consecrated Life has in the Church. (CCCB)

The Consecrated Life includes all men and women who vow or promise to consecrate their lives to God and to provide a unique public witness as members of religious communities, apostolic societies, secular institutes, and consecrated virgins. (CCCB)
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The following is a prayer that can be offered for the local Church to ask the Lord for more vocations to these particular vocations in our Diocese.
The Consecrated Life, deeply rooted in the example and teaching of Christ the Lord, is a gift of God the Father to his Church through the Holy Spirit." ~ St. John Paul II: Vita Consecrata 1
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Prayer for Consecrated Life in our Diocese

O God our Father, Lord of the harvest, we ask You to send Your Holy Spirit to stir up the grace of Consecrated life vocations in the hearts of many within our parish community. Grant them the willingness and generosity to place their lives completely in Your hands as Religious priests, brothers and sisters, and consecrated virgins. Help us to support them by our own fidelity to Your call to holiness through prayer and Christian service. When You desire that members of our family and friends follow Your Son in this way, grant us the wisdom, love, and insight to support and encourage them to listen to Your voice and follow You without delay.  We ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
  • Download prayer card: print ready | 4 in 1 sheet 
  • Download graphic: ​square | wide #1, wide #2

Submitted by Sr. Dianne Turner, Assistant Director of Vocation
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Sr. Helen Hengel - 80 years of consecrated life

12/1/2022

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PictureSr. Helen Hengel, SCSL
I was born in 1922 and raised in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. I attended High School in Swift Current where I met the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis. Soon after I felt called by God to begin my life with the Sisters in Bienville, Quebec.

After the time of formation and profession of vows (1942), I returned to Western Canada teaching In Saskatchewan and Alberta until 1958. Then I moved to Medicine Hat to the Novitiate Formation community as Director until 1964. I was further blessed with the opportunity for religious studies in Rome, and then further studies in psychology and counselling in Calgary, Ottawa, and New York. My journey then was focused on spiritual direction, youth counseling (University of Calgary) and helping those who suffered from addiction and their families through recovery, counselling with AADAC, the 12 Step individual and group counselling. I also served those attending serenity retreats, and those in personal growth groups and retreats for women. 

My life has been blessed as a Sister, which has brought me joy and peace, challenges for growth. I cherised the call to support God's people in their journeys and times for prayer, and contemplation with a long life being held in God's love.
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." (Isaiah 26:3)

Submitted by Sr. Helen for Faithfully. 
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Sr. Clemence Liboiron - 75 years of consecrated life

12/1/2022

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PictureSr. Clemence Liboiron, SCSL
I have been abundantly blessed, as I was born and raised in Ponteix, Saskatchewan in a faith-filled family where love, prayer and acceptance were the dominant forces molding me and guiding me in my early life.

In my teen years I was privileged to be asked to be responsible for looking after the cleanliness of the sanctuary in our parish church. Years later when I was finishing my high school there were moments when I felt God's love and presence in my life and a deep desire to follow Him. So it was. I joined the congregation of sisters who taught me at St. Theresa Academy in Medicine Hat, the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis. For my formation and I went to Bienville, Quebec and in 1947 I made my profession of vows. I then  returned to western Canada for my initial training to become a teacher, and in later years earned a B. Ed and B.A in Alberta.

In my 30 years as a teacher, mostly in Saskatchewan, I was blessed to work with many wonderful teachers and many eager students. 

After a wonderful sabbatical in Ottawa, I had the privilege of taking biblical sessions in Jerusalem and time to visit the Holy Land. Shortly after this wonderful experience I was ready to accept the position as parish leader in parishes in the Archdiocese of Regina, Saskatchewan, as well as working with Father Sullivan in the task of training  lay people to lead the parishes for Sunday liturgy in the absence of a pastor.  

In 2011 I retired in Medicine Hat. I was a member of St. Patrick's Parish as well as had the time and privilege of visiting my relatives and friends. 

Presently I am retired and enjoying life in Swan Evergreen Village Senior Home in Calgary with other Sisters from my community. 


Submitted by Sr. Clemence Liboiron for Faithfully. 
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Fr. Vincent Ha: I am among you as one who serves

8/28/2022

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How did you discern your vocation to the priesthood?  Did your family take any part in it?

Fr. Vincent: I was born in Saigon, South Vietnam, in 1967, during the Vietnam War (1945-1975).  I was the 11th of 13 children.  My parents were very devout Catholics and I was raised in the faith.  From a very early age, I had a strong desire to become a priest.  After the Communists overran South Vietnam at the end of the war (April 30, 1975), they suppressed all churches and it was a very difficult time for me and my family, both economically and spiritually.

At the age of 13, it was obvious to me that the only way for me to become a priest was to leave Vietnam.  On my third escape attempt, I found myself on a small, overcrowded fishing boat in the South China Sea as one of the “boat people”.  After many harrowing experiences in which God saved me from death, I finally arrived at a refugee camp in Indonesia. Several years later, Canada accepted me as a refugee and I landed in Calgary in 1985 at the age of 17. I finally had the freedom to follow my dream of becoming a priest.

I supported myself by working many part-time jobs, after school and on the weekends. I was able to attend St. Mary’s High School in Calgary, graduating in 1988. Following graduation, to discern God’s plan for me, I attended the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, BC. I again supported myself by working full- and part-time jobs in the summer months in Calgary. After four years in Mission, I earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. During this time, I received my Canadian citizenship.

Following this, I met and was sponsored by the late Bishop Paul O’Byrne to study theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Edmonton in preparation for the priesthood.  At the end of my third year in 1996, I was ordained a deacon by the late Bishop O’Byrne, and served as a deacon at Holy Family Parish in St. Albert on weekends while continuing my studies at the seminary. Following my graduation at the end of my fourth year, with a master’s degree in theology, Bishop O’Byrne ordained me by the laying on of hands to be a priest on June 6th, 1997.  As a priest, my motto was, and still is:  “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27).

Any spiritual “nuggets” or pearls to share from your years in priesthood ministry?

Fr. Vincent: It is always challenging but it is rewarding. It is a journey. When you are on a highway you see many of these things called milestones. These markers sometimes show just another mile travelled, other times they inform you that you are nearing a location and others that tell you that you have arrived at a destination.

In life, milestones can be similar. I’ve been reflecting a good amount on this milestone of mine. It is 25 years since my ordination to the priesthood in Calgary in 1997 by Bishop O’Byrne. Some may think mostly about their body of work, their accomplishments. For me most of my reflection has been about others in my life over this time.

First and foremost, God has been so central in my life. Since I was a young boy, he has guided my spirit, my energy, my life path. Our Lord has showered me with abundant blessings and gifts. Some of those gifts took time for me to understand their value, or to appreciate them. But unequivocally there was no doubt that they were from God. His gift to me of becoming a priest is part of what we’re celebrating today.

I am thankful to my parents and family. Two of my sisters and my brother have travelled here to join me today. My family helped lay a foundation for me as a Catholic, as a curious and enterprising individual and as a diligent worker. I am very thankful for the abundant giving of themselves that helped me.

I have also been blessed by the Holy Spirit and how he has worked through so many of people of God. I have received the many, many works of charity, of love and understanding, of support and friendship from so many, and from so many other generous kind people that I have met and known over my faith and life journey. While some priests express their chosen vocation as a lonely one, I can say with certainty that has not been my journey.
           
There have been challenges during my time as a priest. Some of those challenges tested my spirit and faith in ways I thought I might not be able to overcome, but our Lord has taken care of me. There is a poem I believe you may have heard, and which I think expresses the grace and protection I’ve received from God and for which I am deeply thankful. That poem is about someone reflecting on their life which was characterized as a walk on a sandy beach and says in part:
“Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You’d walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”
He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and challenges.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.”


What was the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Fr. Vincent: Live your priesthood as it is your first day and last day of your life.

What’s your favourite prayer? 
Fr. Vincent: I have a few favorites prayers: Prayer of Abandonment by Thomas Merton; Ps. 51; Divine Mercy; Book of Sirach.

What’s your go to advice when people ask you, “Father, how do I become closer to Jesus?” 
Fr. Vincent: Study the Scriptures, celebrate and receive the Sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation. Also, have a genuine love and care for the well being of everyone.

Any advice for those discerning a vocation? 
Fr. Vincent: Through prayers ask God to reveal his plan for you and always be attentive and open to recognize and hear God’s plan.
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Fr. Vincent Ha Tuan

Ordained: June 6, 1997 at St. Mary’s Cathedral by Bishop Paul O’Byrne

Pastoral Assignments in the Diocese of Calgary
  • ​Associate Pastor: St. Patrick’s, Medicine Hat (1997-1998)
  • Associate Pastor: Sacred Heart, Calgary (1998-2000)
  • Pastor: Sacred Heart Oyen, St. Mary’s, Acadia Valley (2000-2003)
  • Pastor: Holy Trinity, Blairmore (2003-2004)
  • Pastor: St. Mary’s, Brooks July 31 (2004-2007)
  • Pastor: Our Lady of the Rockies, Canmore/Banff, February 19 (2007-2008)
  • Associate Pastor: Ascension R.C. Parish, Calgary (2009-2011)
  • Administrator: St. Augustine, Taber, AB (2011-2012)
  • Pastor: St. Augustine and St. Joseph’s, Taber, AB (2012-2016)
  • Pastor: Canadian Martyrs, Calgary (2016-2020)
  • Pastor: St. James, Okotoks (2020-present)



Interview conducted by Solomon Ip for Faithfully
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Fr. Kevin Lynch, OFM: Into the mystery

8/28/2022

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“If you don’t have a sense of mystery, you’re as good as dead. If that makes me religious, then I’m religious.” — Albert Einstein

Fr. Kevin Lynch, OFM, distinctly recalls the moment where he received his first experience of the Church, and his call to the priesthood. It was at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in McLennan, in northern Alberta, his family parish growing up.  He remembers a great, big building filled with light, and the priest coming down the aisle in procession. Young Fr. Kevin’s heart knew:  “I want to be one of those.”  This was his mystery, discovered at seven years old; where he felt called, where he felt he belonged.
          
The youngest of the three sons of Irish and Scottish immigrants, Fr. Kevin grew up on a farm 7 miles outside McLennan, AB, where “we had nothing, but we were happy”. Family life was stable, with a sense of belonging. At age 10, the family moved into town so that the children could receive an education from the Sisters of Providence, and for Grades 11 and 12, Fr. Kevin moved to Edmonton to study at St. Anthony’s College with the Franciscans. 

The mystery that penetrated his heart at 7 was still active, and so it made sense to follow up with the Franciscans in discernment. He had been stuck by the earthiness and groundedness of the friars, who entertained very little living in the abstract world. Fr. Kevin was sent first to Sherbrooke, Quebec, for his noviciate, and made his first vows at 20. He went on to Montreal for four more years of study in theology, before being ordained a deacon by Cardinal Léger, who emphasized the centrality of the mercy of God to the Franciscan way of life in his ordination homily. Much of his studies were quite routine, typical of the years before Vatican II, although learning French proved a good challenge. The seeds of Quebec’s Quiet Revolution were beginning to germinate, and the changes were visible. When Fr. Kevin first arrived in Quebec, he and his fellow novices were warmly driven around the city through the kindness of the people; by the time he left, there were nothing but suspicious stares and cold shoulders, leading Fr. Kevin to wonder why the Church leadership in Quebec had not noticed the disaffectedness of their flocks. At the end of his studies, Fr. Kevin was ordained priest in the church were he first felt the call, on June 16th, 1962, by Bishop Henri Routhier, OMI.

Fr. Kevin’s first assignment was teaching chemistry and physics at O’Leary High School in Edmonton. Changes were beginning to manifest themselves in clerical life at the time, not in the least with the Mass being celebrated in the vernacular, and concelebrations coming into practice. After a particular run-in with a parishioner’s somewhat anti-clerical family, Fr. Kevin began forgoing clerical collars. At one notable school dance in 1971, Fr. Kevin was dressed in a suit and tie. A student who was a known as a drug pusher at the school came up to him rather shocked, asking: “Where’s your collar?!  Someone has to stand for something around here…” Fr. Kevin noted the irony of the situation: he had to be placed upon a pedestal, but this student could do whatever he wanted.

A large portion of Fr. Kevin’s ministry was as director of religious education in Edmonton Catholic School District from 1973-1995. He was first sent on sabbatical to study religious education in the UK, and thereafter made a point to take time off every 5 years to allow for regular renewal. While he considers it to have been a rather routine administrative job, many changes were implemented in his time through consultation with the CCCB.  The “Come to the Father” program of catechesis was brought in, which shifted the focus away from traditional question-and-answer catechesis towards a more holistic understanding, and began renewal of religious education in Edmonton. As well, Edmonton Catholic schools began sending teachers to Newman Theological College at this time, forming in their religious education studies.
          
Fr. Kevin was also provincial minister from 1982-1992, and represented western Canada at general chapters, the international meetings of Franciscans, once in Assisi and once in San Diego. Part of the work involved travelling extensively to Europe, Asia and South America, and taking part in the theological discussions that were ongoing in these parts of the world, such as the growth of liberation theology in South America.

Fr. Kevin’s next assignment was to the retreat centre in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, where he worked to incorporate an ecumenical board of Lutherans, Anglicans and Roman Catholics to create an ecumenical retreat house, which ran in that configuration for about 10 years. Retreat work — giving talks and spiritual direction, and AA ministry (especially fifth step ministry) — has always been enjoyable for Fr. Kevin, and he continues this work now since arriving at Mount St. Francis in Cochrane in 2007.

Fr. Kevin has certainly seen many changes in his sixty years of priestly ministry. He has seen the shift in the understanding of faith from the intellectual assent so visible in his early days of seminary to being that of a personal relationship with Christ that is broadly seen and understood today. In encouraging others to grow in this relationship with Christ, he stresses the importance of setting time aside for prayer, be it five minutes or half an hour. This time must be set aside, to examine one’s conscience, to be grateful at the end of the day, or to simple just be, but at a certain time and place, taking the minutes, if not the hours to do so. As for specific prayers, Fr. Kevin has a particular fondness for what is commonly known as the Peace Prayer of St. Francis.  While shown not to be St. Francis’ actual words, it encapsulates much of his teaching well. 

For Fr. Kevin, the greatest vocation is that of baptism, the one from which we draw our dignity as the children of God; and yet, our quest to live out our baptism fully is never complete — we all need to become better Christians. As for advice for those specifically discerning religious life, Fr. Kevin’s advice is simple. One must continue to pray about the questions, and especially to pray for perseverance. A spiritual director is invaluable, as well as ensuring that it isn’t just a “head trip”, but that the seminarian or novice must be prepare to get their hands dirty. 
           
Overall, it’s been a “wholesome” journey for Fr. Kevin, from the first encounter wit the mystical in his home parish in McLennan, now through several placements, onwards through school administration until today’s work at Mount St. Francis. He has met all kinds of people, from beggars to governors, and despite their outward difference, Fr. Kevin has found similarities among all the people he has ministered to. He finds this to be a fascinating matter in ministry, that everyone is in need of love and respect, no matter their background. It seems that the initial mystery that drew Fr. Kevin in at a tender age keeps revealing itself still, well over sixty years on.
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Written by Solomon Ip for Faithfully
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Fr. Kevin Lynch, OFM

Ordained: June 16, 1962 in McLennan, AB by Bishop Henri Routhier, OMI
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Pastoral placement in the Diocese of Calgary
  • Co-Director at Mt. St. Francis Retreat Centre, Cochrane Aug. 31, 2007 
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Fr. Wayne Poile: It's a vacation for life

8/28/2022

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“It’s a vacation for life.”

So many times, I have used this sentence in giving a vocation talk to students in school. It is a humourous statement but in fact, how true after 40 years of priesthood. 

Like a vacation, living one’s vocation is a journey, meeting people where they are at and how they are living their lives and coming to know them. Like Jesus who went from village to village preaching the good news, but not putting down roots, so do priests in today’s world.

He also said the labourer deserves his wages. Those wages are the treasures of seeing God, at work in people lives, and to see the delight in them, as they find their God. 

Like Jesus, we walk along the road discussing the scriptures and opening our hearts, so that the words of Scriptures burn in our hearts and help us, the priests, and the people we are sharing with. There we discover that we and they are not alone when the world comes crashing down on us. We both see that our hearts experience Christ among us. 

I was born in Calgary and grew up just east of the downtown core. I grew up in the Calgary Catholic Schools attending St Anne’s in my early grades, and then off to St Mary’s Boys’ High School. By the time I graduated, St. Mary’s had become co-ed, but that did not stop God’s call. 

It seems that by being an altar boy and serving Mass, God opened a door for me to see the joy of living the Life of the Gospel. Serving Mass for the Precious Blood Sisters early in the morning helped me see religious sisters, who were joyful and happy in their vocation of a dedicated prayer life. Helping Fr. James Smith as a high school student, I saw the work of spiritual welcoming and care for people. Also, it opened my eyes to see that the labourers were few, and there was a great need in the church for good shepherds. 

So, off to the seminary, not knowing what was in store. The trials and the difficulties that I faced did not discourage me, but showed me more and more that God had a purpose for me. So, I persevered. 

What I learned on this journey… When people face difficulties in their lives, we need to ask this question: “Is this leading to God?” When facing problems and arguments, we have to stop and think, “Does this really matter?”

I cannot believe the blessing that God has given me in serving as a priest among the people of God in southern Alberta these past forty years. I have been truly blessed and grateful for the blessing God has given me on the journey.

I thank God for the people who have helped me along the way, all the parishes I served in, and even the ones that gave me problems and trials because they helped me to grow as a servant of the Lord. It is not always easy and there are ups and downs in life.
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God is Good.
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Written by Fr. Wayne Poile for Faithfully
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Fr. Wayne Poile
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​Ordained: May 28, 1982, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Calgary by Bishop Paul O'Byrne

Pastoral Placements in the Diocese of Calgary:
  • Assistant Pastor: St. Bonaventure (1982-1986)
  • Assistant Pastor: St. Patrick’s, Medicine Hat; St. Mary’s, Redcliff (1986-1988)
  • Pastor: Sacred Heart, Canmore; St. Bernard, Exshaw (1988-1990)
  • Chaplain: Foothills Hospital (1990)
  • Chaplain: General Hospital (1991-1992)
  • Acting Pastor: St. Anne’s, Calgary (1993-1994)
  • Pastor: St. Agnes, Carstairs; St. Francis Xavier, Crossfield (1994-1996)
  • Pastor: St. James, Calgary (1996-1998)
  • Pastor: St. Ambrose, Coaldale; Sacred Heart, Raymond (1998-2001)
  • Pastor: St. Catherine’s, Picture Butte; Sacred Heart, Carmangay (1999-2001)
  • Pastor: Corpus Christi, Calgary (2001-2005)
  • Administrator: St. Anthony’s, Drumheller;
  • St. George’s, Hanna (2005-2006)
  • Sabbatical: Ecce Homo, Jerusalem, Israel (2006)
  • Pastor: St. Mary’s, Beiseker & St. Rita’s, Rockyford (2006-2009)
  • Pastor: Canadian Martyrs, Calgary (2009-2014)
  • Pastor: St. Bernadette’s, Calgary (2014-present)
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Fr. Tewelde Paulos: A Good Shepherd

8/28/2022

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Written by Deacon Michael Soentgerath

It is with great pleasure and honour that I share this reflection on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of Ordination to the Priesthood for Father Tewelde Asghdom Paulos.

Father Paulos was born in Monoxieto Eritrea. The village of Monoxieto has enjoyed a long history of having many young men and women from the village responding to a call from God to serve the Church as priests and nuns. Among his relatives many have also have become priests and nuns and even some who were ordained as bishops. Raised primarily by his uncle, who was a true living example of a faith- filled man, Fr. Paulos recalls how one day, while in grade eight, his uncle had a visiting bishop and priest come to the house. He was so inspired to meet them and said to his uncle, “one day I want to become like them”. This desire grew in his soul and after completing high school he entered the major Seminary where through the years he discerned his calling to give his life to the Lord, as a Catholic priest. 

Although many came from the village of Monoxieto, his was the first priestly ordination celebrated in the village and by a family relative, Bishop Kidanemariam T.Haimanot on July 20, 1997. It was a great day for the entire village that will always remain a very treasured memory, not only for him but also for all the residents still living there. After ordination he was appointed as the Rector for the Minor Seminary and Administrator of the Seminary High School from 1998 - 2000 while at the same time serving as Dominical Vicar for a small parish. In the year 2000 he was appointed as Financial Administrator and Administrator for Temporal Goods of the Eparchy of Asmara until 2006. From there he was asked by his bishop, to continue his theological studies at the St. John Lateran College in Rome.

​After his studies in Rome in 2009, Fr. Paulos came to Canada, first to Toronto and then in 2012 he came to Calgary to be part of the Diocesan Priest Hospital Chaplaincy Team and Pastor for the Holy Trinity Geez Rite Catholic Community. Looking back on his twenty five years of his priestly life, Fr. Paulos recalls with great fondness and gratitude, the years he enjoyed the friendship, mentorship and tremendous faith-witness of Bishop Zekarias Yohannes, Rev. Fr. Teklemichael Tekeste and Cambonian Missionary Sister Margaret in Eritrea. 

Father Paulos continues to be enriched in is priestly ministry to the sick, the elderly and the dying of our diocese, as a hospital chaplain. His effectiveness as Pastor of the Holy Trinity Geez Rite Catholic Community became most evident on July 16th this year, when the community celebrated his 25th Anniversary on the Feast of The Holy Trinity. The whole church community and his parents and relatives from all over, gathered from early in the morning, starting with prayers and chanting, then celebrating the Holy Mass followed by a festive lunch and afternoon in the parish hall. Young people had T-shirts with the Holy Trinity on the front and Fr. Paulos 25th Anniversary of Priestly Ordination, on the back. Presentations, skits and songs and dance coloured the afternoon with festive joy and gratitude.

​This was truly a witness of how much Fr. Paulos has endeared himself into the hearts of his faithful parishioners, who’s faces with smiles and laughter lit up the hall. One could truly experience the authentic joy that radiated from all those who partook in the occasion. Most certainly, the twenty-five years of priesthood have formed and shaped Fr. Paulos into a "Good Shepherd" who is loved by his flock, both young and old.

​May the Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, continue to make Father Paulos more like Himself, through his ministry as both Health Care Chaplain and Pastor of his community here in Calgary. 
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Fr. Tewelde Paulos

Ordained: July 20, 1997 by Bishop Kidane Teklehaimanot in Monoxieto, Eritrea

Pastoral Assignments in the Diocese of Calgary
  • ​Dominical Vicar to the Eritrean Gheez Rite Community and part-timemember of the Hospital Chaplaincy Team, Calgary (2012)
  • Chaplain: Calgary Hospital Chaplaincy Team (2014 - present) & resident pastor at Canadian Martyrs, Calgary, 
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Fr. Ian Gagne: Keeping Christ at the centre

8/28/2022

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How did you discern your vocation to the priesthood?
Fr. Ian Gagne: I graduated from Lethbridge College in renewable resources management, and I was working in the forest in Clearwater County near Nordegg, and I heard a background thing in my head saying “I have something better for you.  I had to learn to listen to God, to grown in relationship with God, to discern his will — but all of this takes place in relationship with God.

Any family stories? Were they involved in your discernment at all?
Fr. Ian Gagne:  I’m the first-born son of five generations of first-born sons!  I also have two younger sisters. I was born and raised in Calgary, and lived in Airdrie for junior high and high school. I had asked them:  “What would you do if I became a priest?” Their response was:  “Whatever you do is your role.” They were supportive — I knew I had their support if I needed it.

Any spiritual “nuggets” or pearls to share from your years in priesthood ministry?
Fr. Ian Gagne:  Be yourself, keep Christ at your centre, and love the people.  This has always been my life goal — I’ve always been Christ-centred. I’ve had God as my best friend, and I’ve stayed at His side.

What was the best advice you've ever been given, and who was it from? 
Fr. Ian Gagne:  “Be yourself and say what you mean in your homilies. Don’t just beat around the bush, get out there!” This was Fr. Bryan Frank — while I was a seminarian on pastoral summer placement at St. Mark’s in Calgary. 

What’s your favourite prayer?
Fr. Ian Gagne:  The Anima Christi. I pray it every Mass, after communion as I sit down.

What’s your go to advice when people ask you, “Father, how do I become closer to Jesus?”
Fr. Ian Gagne:  Pray, of course!  Value your relationship with Christ, and bring that relationship into prayer.

Any advice for those discerning a vocation?
Fr. Ian Gagne:  Be true to yourself, be centred in your relationship with Christ, and if you can’t find that centre, let Mary guide you — she is the morning star that leads us on our way.

Any other notable stories you want to share?
Fr. Ian Gagne:  Well, when I was in Hanna, the town was having its hundredth anniversary. I suggested that we should go to the graveyard and have some wine and a picnic, pray for the dead, and watch the fireworks!  I wasn’t expecting anyone would actually do it, but when I got there, a number of people were already there!  I’m not sure if it’s a kosher thing to do — but it happened!  I’ve enjoyed my 25 years — and I would do it all again!  It’s been a normal life — lived it out with God in His plan.
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Fr. Ian Gagne
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​Ordained: January 10, 1997  at St. Mary's Cathedral in Calgary by Bishop Paul O’Byrne

Pastoral placements in the Diocese of Calgary:
  • Associate Pastor: St. Luke’s, Calgary (1997-1999)
  • Chaplain: Foothills Hospital (1997)
  • Associate Pastor: St. Mary’s, Medicine Hat (1999)
    Pastor: Assumption Parish, Hay River, NWT (1999-2002)
  • Pastor: St. Mary’s, Cluny, Holy Trinity, Siksika, and St. Columba, Bassano (2002-2007)
  • Pastor: St. George’s, Hanna, Sacred Heart, Oyen, and St. Mary’s, Acadia Valley (2007-2016)
  • Pastor: St. Ambrose, Coaldale, and St. Catherine’s, Picture Butte (2016-present)
Interview conducted by Solomon Ip for Faithfully
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Fr. Henry Rosenbaum, SAC: The love of Christ urges us to action

8/28/2022

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As a young boy in Dortmund, Germany, Fr. Henry Rosenbaum had a fairly keen awareness of his vocational calling, understanding it as soon early as the age of 5. His kindergarten was run by nuns, and he was an altar server by the age of 8, all influences that would come together to encourage his vocation. He was raised close to family, with both his parents coming from large families. However, these were dark times in German history: being a practicing Catholic under the Nazi regime was difficult, especially with a last name which sounded vaguely Jewish. ​The war brought more challenges and sorrows: his parish church of St. Joseph’s was bombed five or six days after his first communion, and burned to the ground along with the Rosenbaum home.

In 1948, still feeling a call at the age of 13, Fr. Rosenbaum spoke to his parish priest about the matter, and was directed to the minor seminary of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottine Fathers) at Rheinbach. His family was very supportive, and it was at this time that Fr. Rosenbaum’s musical career started. One day in schola rehearsal, the director was called away to say Mass in a small parish elsewhere for Sunday; Fr. Rosenbaum was thrown the books, and was told to conduct. Confidence in his musical abilities would come with time as he directed the choir more often, learned the violin (there were already too many pianists), and conducted the Byzantine Rite choir for one of the Pallotine Fathers who was ordained in the Byzantine Rite. Just before his matriculation, he was still unsure exactly if he was supposed to join the Pallottines. He met one of the priests who knew his family from when he was younger. The priest asked if he did anything to get to the Pallottine Fathers. Fr. Rosenbaum answered that he
was sent by the parish priest, and that he was told that joining the Pallottines would be the right thing to do. 

Ordained in 1962, Fr. Rosenbaum and another Pallottine Father arrived in Edmonton the next year. This companion later was recalled to Europe and became very helpful in the Pallotine generalate in Rome. Fr. Rosenbaum was to study and enter the teaching profession, first obtaining his BA from the University of Edmonton, and then beginning his B. Ed. in Edmonton before being transferred to Calgary. Upon graduation in 1967, he began his 15-year stint at St. Francis High School in Calgary, teaching Latin at first, and later English, German and History. Once Religion became an accredited course in schools, he switched to teaching Religion full time. He would be a supply priest for various parishes on Sundays, but found that teaching was a full-time ministry of its own!

During this time, Fr. Rosenbaum’s earlier musical training found a new flourishing as he directed the choirs at St. Boniface Parish and the German Club, and founded the German Canadian Male Chorus of Calgary. There were four men interested at the first meeting, and by the second meeting, eleven were present. The membership grew rapidly — at this point in time, it was very important to the people. In Germany at this time, every parish would have a choir to sing the Latin at the High Mass, but often people chose to go to Low Mass to sing German hymns. The German Canadian Male Chorus still rehearses regularly at St. Boniface Parish, and is still very active, although without Fr. Rosenbaum at the helm.

In 1982, the Pallottines reassigned Fr. Rosenbaum to Swan River, Manitoba, and its twelve mission parishes, where he would remain for seven years. Some of his work was among Indigenous Canadians, giving him insight into current events of today. After this, Fr. Rosenbaum returned to Calgary to re-establish the education department of the diocese, while also serving as assistant and pastor at St. Cecilia’s and St. Boniface Parishes in Calgary, as well as being State Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus for 2002 to 2014. 

As the oldest priest in the Diocese of Calgary still in active ministry, Fr. Rosenbaum remains devoted to the congregation at St. Boniface as it faces new challenges. Priests with full fluency in German are hard to come by in Calgary, and the congregation is certainly aging. 

When Pope Pius XII issued Exsul Familia in 1952, it envisioned parishes for minority linguistic groups in different lands being established for two generations; St. Boniface is now in its fourth generation. However, many of the parishioners still cling to the little church on Broadview Road, St. Boniface being their spiritual home. Certainly, Fr. Rosenbaum takes pride in the work he has
accomplished there, even in the building itself. The simple, striking stations and beautiful crucifix are from Oberammergau, and the War Memorial organ (dedicated to those who perished in war) was purchased for all of $5,000 from a Dutch organ company in Toronto (a real steal). Yet, there are questions of what is to happen to the parish in the hereafter, as St. Boniface may have to scale down its operations and be served by itinerant priests once or twice a month, like
many other linguistic groups. 

Throughout his priestly life, Fr. Rosenbaum’s life has been that of a true son of St. Vincent Pallotti, whose motto was “The love of Christ urges us to action”. Certainly, in his sixty years in active service as a priest, this has been evident, encouraging the lay faithful to greater apostleship through his work as a teacher, as a musical pioneer, in indigenous ministry, with the Knights of Columbus — the ways are countless. His advice to those discerning religious life is distinctly Pallottine: “Do you love other people? This is what God does — if we want to show our love to God and dedicate our lives to God, we have to show our love to people. Do you think in terms of service? Do you love to do service to other people?”

Indeed, this is what Fr. Rosenbaum has done for sixty full years, and truly, there is no doubt that the love of Christ will still urge him to action in his apostolate still to come. 
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Fr. Henry Rosenbaum, SAC
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Ordained: 
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Pastoral Placements in the Diocese of Calgary:
  • Study: 1966-1967
  • Teacher: St. Francis High School (1967-1982)
  • Reassigned to Swan River, MB (1982-1989)
  • Provincial Delegate (1988-1993)
  • Co-ordinator: Religious Education Secretariat (1989-1999)
  • Assistant Pastor: St. Cecilia’s, Calgary (1993-1995)
  • Pastor: St. Boniface, Calgary (1995-2001)
  • Pastor: St. Cecilia’s, Calgary (2001-2005)
  • Provincial Delegate (2004-2008)
  • Administrator: St. Boniface, Calgary (2010-present)
Written by Solomon Ip for Faithfully
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Fr. Raul Ranola celebrates 50th Anniversary

8/28/2022

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Fr. Raul Ranola was born on July 7th, 1948 in Libon, Albay, Philippines, and was ordained to the priesthood in the same city on January 8th, 1972. After serving as professor, pastor and chancellor in the Philippines, Fr. Raul arrived in Calgary in 1987, serving first as assistant pastor at St. Mark’s, Marlborough, Calgary until 1989, and then as pastor at Our Lady of the Assumption in Bowness, Calgary until 1991.  Following this, he was assigned as pastor at Holy Trinity, Siksika and St. Mary’s, Cluny from 1991 to 1995, and was dean of the Drumheller Deanery from 1994 to 1995, before returning to St. Mark’s in Calgary as its pastor from 1995 to 2003.  Fr. Raul again became a dean, this time of Lethbridge Deanery, when he was assigned to St. Basil’s, Lethbridge from 2003 to 2005.  His last assignment was at Corpus Christi, Thorncliffe, Calgary, from 2005 until his retirement in 2017.

Fr. Raul’s pastoral accomplishments were felt well beyond his parish.  When I was an exhibit interpreter at Heritage Park, one of my supervisors and I got into a discussion about my desired career path.  When I mentioned I was considering the priesthood, she mentioned that she had known of a parish that had been just transformed by the current pastor, who she said “just got the place rocking.”  While not a woman of any particular faith herself, she had gone there with friends who were having a difficult patch in their lives, and had been struck by the strength of the parish that the pastor had fostered, though she could not remember the name of the parish or pastor initially. Upon some recollection, she remembered that the parish was Corpus Christi (on 4th Street NW), and the pastor was Fr. Raul.

I had approached Fr. Raul about the possibility of interviewing him for his golden jubilee before Mass at Corpus Christi when he was covering in July. He replied: “There is no need. Everyone already knows it’s my 50th anniversary!” And indeed, it is so.  Thank you, Fr. Raul, for fifty dedicated years of service to God’s people. 

Written by Solomon Ip for Faithfully
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Fr. Raul Ranola

Ordained: January 8, 1972 in Libon,Albay, Philippines

Pastoral Assignments in the Diocese of Calgary
  • Assistant Pastor: St. Mark’s, Calgary, 1987-89
  • Pastor: Our Lady of Assumption, Calgary, 1989-1991
  • Pastor: Cluny and Siksika Reserve, 1991 - Aug. 1, 1995
  • Dean, Drumheller Deanery Sept. 21, 1994
  • Pastor: St. Mark’s, Calgary, 1995-2003
  • Pastor: St. Basil’s, Lethbridge, 2003-2005
  • Dean: Lethbridge Pastoral Zone, Aug. 1, 2003
  • Pastor: Corpus Christi, Calgary, 2005 - 2012
  • Sabbatical: February 2012 to May 2012


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Fr. Rolando (Rudy) Badiola: Holy perseverance

8/28/2022

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In the Catholic worldview, marriage is often held up as the example of vocational perseverance. As any long-married couple is able to testify, perseverance is key in marriage. It takes a lot of effort, prayer, and creativity to stay faithful to such a vocation, when internal and external factors begin to pull at the fabric of the marriage. However, marriage is not the only vocation that takes a daily mustering of courage and perseverance to remain true; the same is true of the complementary vocation of holy orders. As Fr. Rolando (Rudy) Badiola’s life demonstrates, the ordained priesthood can come with its own set of trials, requiring a man to persevere in faithfulness.

Fr. Rudy was born in Baao, Camarines Sur, in the Philippines, the second of twelve children. The Badiola house was located just on the other side of the local church, a fixture of daily life in their household. Being so close by, the priests would visit their house most often, and the seminarians who would stay in the rectory over the summer were role models to young Fr. Rudy. The vocation to the priesthood grew with Fr. Rudy as he grew, but when he broached the topic to his family, they were unsupportive, with his mother as the only exception. They felt there was no need for him to be a priest, and they were concerned that he would be assigned to the middle of nowhere, to “rot in the place with no chance of improvement”. 

When Fr. Rudy was ordained at the tender age of 23 for the Archdiocese of Caceres, he was technically underage. In addition to teaching Spanish at the high school, he was doing much of the work of running the parish, as the pastor was elderly and sickly. While in an assignment to a town in Camarines Norte, the province was split from the Archdiocese of Caceres, and made its own Diocese of Daet.

Without a pastoral charge, Fr. Rudy made his way to Manila, looking for somewhere that would take him in. He was recommended by a priest he knew to a parish in Manila, where the pastor took him in and treated him like an assistant pastor. Here he became beloved of his pastor for many reasons, one of which was his willingness to minister in the slums of Manila. Eventually, Cardinal Sin asked for priests who were willing to work abroad, and his pastor, the cardinal’s private secretary, recommended him for the work. The cardinal had to ask Fr. Rudy: “What have you done that your pastor has nothing but good things to say about you?”

Fr. Rudy spent the next couple of years in Iran, travelling around the country to visit the small community of Catholics there. When asked upon his departure from the Philippines if he would be afraid because it was a Muslim-majority country, he expressed no fear, rather that one simply had to stay on the right side of the law.

​However, the adjustment was intense; Fr. Rudy found Iranian food gamey and unpalatable, and Farsi difficult to master. Eventually, the government of Iran found out he was a priest, and he was sent back to the Philippines, but not before a trip to Rome, courtesy of the Bishop of Tehran who was a Vincentian, who arranged for his order to tour Fr. Rudy around. 

Back in Manila, an opening came up for a priest to go to Canada, and Cardinal Sin asked him if he would go to Vancouver. After a trying time in Vancouver, Fr. Rudy applied for a transfer to the Diocese of Calgary, where Bishop O’Byrne asked for his immediate arrival. He was assigned to St. Peter’s in Northwest Calgary first for four months, in the days when the parish was still in ATCO trailers.

Following this, Fr. Rudy was given his first pastorship in the Diocese, that of Sacred Heart Parish in Oyen. The assignment was a daunting one: the drive from Oyen to Calgary was comparable to the one from his hometown of Baao to Manila. It was to be a lesson in Canadian life.

​Fr. Rudy has many beloved memories of his time there, as he learned to visit his parishioners and share meals with them. He had no cooking skills, so this was partly out of necessity, as well as pastoral creativity. This was no small feat either — in these days, Oyen’s territory was vast with a small Catholic population, with smaller missions in Acadia Valley, Empress and Bindloss. Even today, some thirty years later, Fr. Rudy reflects upon how well the people of this far-flung parish treated him, as he met with them, visited them, broke bread with them, and even learned to ride on their combine harvesters. He learned to meet his parishioners in their happiness. In one moving incident, he visited an older lady living in the far northern part of his parish, near the boundary with the archdiocese of Edmonton. As he came up the stairs, she began to cry — he was the first priest who had ever come out to visit. All of this dedicated work paid off in spades, as he was able to pay off the debt on the parish church in 3 years and burn the mortgage. When Bishop O’Byrne asked how he managed it, the reply was simple: “All they needed was a priest they could trust.”

The next few pastoral charges were in the eastern part of the Diocese, in Strathmore, Drumheller and Medicine Hat, after which Fr. Rudy was made the diocesan advisor of the CWL and asked for a transfer to Calgary to be able to take up this new ministry more efficiently. This appointment came as a surprise to him, but he was reassured that it was in fact the CWL who had asked for him. This was a huge consolation in his ministry, being first diocesan advisor and then provincial advisor for 11 years. In this time, he travelled to every province in Canada, and made two trips up north to fish in Yellowknife at midnight, places that he never thought he would see. While it could be a gruelling task, Fr. Rudy views his time with the CWL as a tremendous blessing.

Nowadays, Fr. Rudy spends his time at the Providence Centre, having retired 14 years ago from his last post at Canadian Martyrs in Calgary; he turned 84 years old this month. He still spends at least two stints of 15 minutes each with the Blessed Sacrament daily, praying the breviary or simply in conversation with Jesus. Fr. Rudy stresses the importance of speaking personally to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, rather than simple recitation of rote prayers. Direct answers must not be expected, but sooner or later, in bringing one’s problems and questions to Jesus, the answer will come clear.

When asked for advice for young men and women who would also be discerning priesthood or religious life, Fr. Rudy offered what only sixty years of priestly ministry could offer. 

“I never doubted my vocation. I went on, despite the problems I encountered. Some superiors will not like you — I never paid attention to that. The important thing is that I did my job as a priest. Never worry about anything; build your relationships with people — don’t say anything, don’t demand — people will see your needs, and bless you in return. Follow your vocation — your vocation will give you the grace needed. If it is meant for you, then it will come.”

This is certainly visible in Fr. Rudy’s life. Any number of the trials of his life could have broken his vocation. However, each hardship only made his vocation stronger, a sixty year long vocation that we celebrate as a testament to faithful, trusting perseverance.

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Written by Solomon Ip for Faithfully
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Fr. Rolando (Rudy) Badiola
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​Ordained: April 7, 1962 at St. John Cathedral Naga City, Philippines by Archbishop Pedro Santos.

Pastoral Placements in the Diocese of Calgary:
  • Assistant: St. Peter’s, Calgary (March 1980 - July 1980)
  • Chaplain: Rockyview Hospital (1980)
  • Administrator: Sacred Heart, Oyen (1980-1983)
    Administrator: Sacred Heart, Strathmore (1983-1987)
  • Pastor: St. Anthony’s, Drumheller (1987-1991)
  • Pastor: St. Patrick’s, Medicine Hat (1991-94)
  • Pastor: St. Anne’s, Calgary (1994-1996)
  • Pastor: St. Bernadette’s, Calgary (1996-2003)
  • Pastor: Canadian Martyrs, Calgary (2003-2006)
  • Retired: August 2006
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Rev. Kryzsztof Sobanski: A Missionary’s Journey

8/26/2022

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Growing up, Fr. Krzysztof (Chris) Sobanski, SDS, had a keen attraction to the missionary life, especially in far-flung fields from his native Poland. What started out as a dream to work in Africa later led to a missionary life in Canada, where he is now the associate pastor at St. Albert the Great Parish in Prestwick, Calgary.

Fr. Chris was raised in a religiously observant family in Poland. His father had aspirations to become a priest, but was unable to enter seminary due to his financial circumstances. Fr. Cris and his sister are only a year apart, and she now lives in the UK, married with four children. Discernment began in high school, when a friend was invited to a retreat with the Salvatorian Fathers. A good portion of his reading at this time was about missionary work, particularly in Africa. After a basic retreat over the winter break, he was invited to two-week retreat that was much more focused on vocations. These were hybrid summer camps and retreats — they were held in touristic areas of Poland such as the Baltic coast, and had lots of opportunities for fun and games, but also had an emphasis on Mass and spiritual talks and spiritual works. Fr. Chris was quite taken, and entered the Salvatorian noviciate in 1975 after high school.  After completing the usual course of studies, he was ordained in Trzebinia, Poland on May 8th, 1982.

Having been drawn first by the missionary activities of the Salvatorians, Fr. Chris was dismayed to be on local assignments in Poland for the first few years of his ministry. He later found out that this was because his father went to his provincial superior every year and asked that he not be transferred abroad. However, in 1986, Fr. Chris was sent to Switzerland to study French, with the intention that he become a missionary in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Originally, it was thought that French would be the necessary language in the Congo, having been a Belgian colony, but it quickly became apparent that Swahili was necessary for daily function. Initially, Fr. Chris tried studying the literary form of Swahili using books from Tanzania, but quickly found out that Kingwana Swahili in his region of the Congo used very little Swahili grammar. He also began to learn Lunda, although he could read and pronounce some words, he never gained fluency.

However, it was certain aspects of the missionary life that caused Fr. Chris to re-evaluate his life in the Congo. Most strikingly, when one of the Salvatorians died, he was buried in a simple grave with nearly no marker, which was the complete opposite of the funeral tradition in Poland, where graves are well-marked and regularly visited. After realizing that this was likely to be his end as well, he applied for a transfer, and was asked to come to Canada.

In Canada, Fr. Chris was assigned first for two years as associate at St. Joseph’s Basilica in Edmonton, then for four years in Lacombe and Ponoka, and then for two years at Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin Parish in Edmonton. It was this last parish that proved to be the greatest challenge in Fr. Chris’ life as a missionary, requiring all of his skill in inculturation to bring the parish into line with regular liturgical practice.  Since then, he has been associate pastor at St. Patrick’s, Calgary, and now serves as associate pastor at St. Albert the Great, Calgary.

Despite all this, Fr. Chris insists his spiritual adventures are not those of great miraculousness. He has stayed rooted to the spiritual centre of his priestly life, the celebration of the Eucharist, the hearing of Confessions, and praying the breviary.  He prays his act of consecration to the Blessed Mother daily, a reminder that Mary has been chosen as the keeper of the priesthood. 

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When asked for his advice for those discerning a religious vocation, Fr. Chris’ replies are still missionary in spirit, that the central mandate of a Christian is to go to all nations, baptize and evangelize. For Fr. Chris, being a missionary in the Congo is much more simple than being one in Canada: in the Congo, importance was placed on the family, and the people lived in a holy poverty; in Canada, society has stopped believing in life according to God’s commandments. He believes that those with a religious vocation must be of deep spirituality and good formation, these being necessary to speak to those who are well-versed in worldly education. Above all, he insists on the necessity that one witness to Christ to one’s brothers and sisters, and having the wisdom to preach the gospel in difficult conditions, which only comes with good relationships with the Holy Trinity and Our Lady. Despite changing times, Christ’s request will never be cancelled — that the Church help people to find God and respect His commandments. Following this mandate must be key for those entering religious life — words can convince people, but only actions can be imitated.

It seems that despite no longer working in the most obvious of mission territories, Fr. Chris is still putting his missionary skills to good use here in the Diocese of Calgary, and instilling the same missionary spirit into his flock today. We are grateful to God for his 40 years of evangelism and service to God’s people, preaching the Gospel both near and far. 


Written by Solomon Ip for Faithfully
Photos courtesy of Fr. Chris
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Fr. Kryzsztof (Chris) Sobanski, SDS
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​Ordained: May 8, 1982

Pastoral Placements in the Diocese of Calgary:
  • Associate Pastor: St. Patrick’s, Calgary, August 1 (2014-2018)
  • Associate Pastor: St. Albert the Great, Calgary (2018-present)


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Santiago Torres

5/11/2022

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Mr. Santiago Torres will be ordained to the Transitional Diaconate by Bishop McGrattan on Saturday, May 21 at 11 am at All Saints Parish in Lethbridge. Earlier this month, Chris Moraes, the President of the Serra Club of Calgary sat down with Santiago at his home parish of St. Bonaventure to ask him about his vocations journey and his upcoming ordination.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
“I am currently 33 years old. I was born in Colombia and moved to Canada when I was 16 years old with my mother, step-father and my younger twin sisters. My parents separated in my youth and moving to Canada was a challenge. At that time I was not practising my faith. I enjoy making visits to my native Colombia and visiting my father when I am there.”

Who is your favourite Saint? 
My grandparents have always been very influential on me and my faith. When I was young they gave me a book about St. Dominic Savio. At his first holy communion St. Dominic said to God that he never wanted to sin again which was a very inspiring message for me. I took him as my confirmation saint and his story has inspired me to always trust in the Lord and has given me strength many times throughout my life.

When did you first become aware of your call? Who was instrumental in encouraging you to explore it?
At the age of 16 I met a girl at my school who was also from Colombia. We grew close and eventually began dating. She was very strong in her faith and brought me to Mass and encouraged my prayer life. Eventually we ended our relationship but my faith remained because of her. On one occasion I heard about a CCO Mission at my parish. My first deep conversion took place when I attended an evening of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. I was invited to take part in a Faith Study and that was when I really started to connect all of the aspects of my faith and especially came to discover a real relationship with our Lord Jesus. After that I started to get involved with CCO and I joined the executive of the campus ministry group at the UofC. This allowed me to share with others the encounter that I had personally experienced with Christ.

How has the Diocese of Calgary been instrumental in the discernment of your own vocation? 
The Blessed Sacrament chapel at St. Bonaventure is where I really began to hear the Lord calling me to his service. It was also the witness of several priests that allowed me to be open to this call. Around the time of my conversion, Father Cristino was on his pastoral internship at St. Bonaventure and he likes to recall the story that he began praying for my vocation way back then. The spiritual direction from Fr. Wilbert Chin Jon was instrumental in navigating fears, doubts and feelings of unworthiness for such an important calling. The friendship of Fr. Troy Nguyen in the early days of discernment also helped to ease some anxieties about going to spend the first few years at Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon to begin my priestly studies. \

What has been the greatest challenge that you have gone through as in your Seminary formation?
The seminary is a place that really helps you to get to know yourself. It is an interesting balance of guidance, formation, and evaluation. At times it can magnify your shortcomings, and there are times when you find yourself comparing yourself to the other gifted and faith filled young men. It does, however, also help to discover the great gift of the priesthood and to accept that despite feelings of unworthiness, that God can indeed call you to serve him in this vocation.
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What has been your greatest joy or consolation in this journey?
The abiding understanding that God always responds to openness with faithfulness and that he wants to fulfil you with happiness. The relationships that are forged with your brother seminarians allow you to wrestle with the doubts. It is a true brotherhood and gives you strength for the journey of discernment.

In the few months that it has been established in our Diocese, have you been aware of the Serra Club and its activities?
Yes, absolutely. Sometimes the seminary can become a bit of a bubble and you just keep your head down and keep working towards the goal. It is a wonderful realisation that you are not alone on your journey and that there are many dedicated people out there praying with and for you. The letters of encouragement from students and lay people have been a great blessing to me and I am grateful for the presence of the Serra Club and the work that its growing membership is doing to promote and support vocations in our Diocese.

What is the thing you are most anticipating as your ordination to the transitional diaconate it approaches?
The thing I am most excited for is simply just “Living it” and being entirely dedicated to the ministry of the deacon. I am sure it will bring new questions, new challenges, and new learning. The ordination brings both a sense of finality of one process but also a new beginning of a new one in the ordained ministry.

What piece of advice would you give to a young person who feels like they might have a call to a religious vocation?
First of all, talk to someone about it. A spiritual director, vocations director or your parish priest will help encourage, guide, and help you to know that you are not crazy for thinking you might be called to the priesthood. Fr. Wilbert was able to reassure me that despite my insecurities, that God would sustain and inspire me to keep saying “Yes.” Secondly, Give the Lord the chance to show you that He is God and that he  knows and loves you and that wants what is absolutely best for you.


Photo credit: Chris Moraes.

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Santiago Torres, currently in seminary formation and studies at St. Joseph Seminary, Edmonton, has been called to Ordination to the Transitional Diaconate.

​He will be ordained  a transitional deacon by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, at the parish where he completed his pastoral year, All Saints’ Parish, Lethbridge, on 
Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 11 am. 
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  • To attend the Ordination, please register online here
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Radiating Christ

1/23/2022

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PictureBr. Michael Perras. Photo: Solomon Ip.
Above his bedroom door, Br. Michael Perras, OFM, has a small banner made by his great-aunt who was an Ursuline sister which reads: “To Radiate Christ”.  For him, it serves as a reminder to put on Christ when putting on his habit every day.  Yet it also speaks to something deeper, the call for Christians to radiate Christ to the other.  Those in consecrated life have chosen this as their life’s work, whether contemplative or active, ordained or not, male or female.          

The feast of the Presentation makes this clear to us — that we are to live in imitation of Christ, the “light to enlighten the nations”.  This feast has long fascinated Br. Michael (Mount St. Francis, Cochrane), in particular the figures of Sts. Simeon and Anna. In Br. Michael’s words, they serve as reminders: reminders to be amazed and to give praise, reminders to hope and trust, reminders of the elders in our lives, reminders of those who pass on the amazement of encountering Christ, and as reminders of those who call out the truth of who we are — in many ways, they are types of the consecrated life itself.  The feast itself is a reminder:  the hints of our baptismal promises in the liturgy are a reminder that we live as children of God, in the dignity of being anointed priest, prophet and king as Christ was in his Incarnation among us.  Finally, Candlemas has been traditionally seen as the tail end of Christmas, with its themes of light-bearing.  It is only right then, that the consecrated life and the Presentation of Christ are celebrated together, serving to remind us that we are all called to be bearers of light, and to witness to the light — to radiate Christ into the world.
           
When we think of the consecrated life, the mind quickly turns to nuns and religious sisters, and for good reason.  Women far outstrip men in North America to the vocation of consecrated life, both in number of vocations and variety of orders.  However, they do not comprise the only groups under the term “consecrated life”.  Rather, the consecrated life includes all who profess public vows of poverty, chastity in the form of celibacy, and obedience, within a permanent state of life recognized by the Church.  Compared with sisters and nuns, brothers, monks and friars are far less common in North America, especially within this diocese. Some orders have come and gone quite quickly, such as the Benedictines, while others enjoyed enduring tenures among us, such as the Brothers of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Franciscans have maintained a steady presence in Cochrane from the 1940s until now, and among them lives the sole non-ordained religious brother currently in the diocese:  Br. Michael.

For Br. Michael, the call to religious life “came out of nowhere”.  He grew up in a parish which receive Redemptorist missions regularly, and had two great-aunts who had been Ursuline sisters, but these seemed to be more “stepping stones” to the consecrated life, not “runway moments”.  His parents owned the grocery store in Glenavon, SK, which was a primer in the life of service, and this continued in his life into youth ministry work throughout Saskatchewan.  However, several things drew him to the Franciscans. Having tried to live simply during his pre-Franciscan life, an added depth was encountered in religious life, where the continual call to simplicity means to live out of who one is.  Community and fraternity naturally grow out of this simplicity, with the discovery that “I can live out who I am in this way” among the messiness and the goodness of community, not changing who God has asked him to be. 

The centrality of the Incarnation to the Franciscan charism also drew Br. Michael. St. Francis’ life was centred upon the humility of the Incarnation and the charity of the Passion, and for Br. Michael, who has been drawn to the Incarnation since childhood, this aspect of the charism is central:  “God with us”, Emmanuel. Flowing out of this incarnational reality comes a broader understanding of living the Gospel as good news, in everything done in everyday life.
           
Br. Michael sums up his experience of consecrated life quite succinctly in the phrase “big brother, little brother, always a brother”. As the eldest of four, being the big brother has always been a part of his life; and joining the Order of Friars Minor, the experience of “minority”, of being little and simple, is central to the charism. From this place of being a biological brother flows the life of being a religious brother. Biological siblinghood calls us to the importance of relationship and building bridges, and questions how we build links, how we forgive and reconcile, and how we engage with others with different viewpoints; it is only natural that religious brotherhood does the same in different dimensions — being present to others, listening to others on their journey, encouraging what they have and offer. Br. Michael sees his vocation as that of a link in a chain — being others’ connection to faith and to the Church, the Church’s connection to the world, and linking these together in new and unexplored ways.

Each religious brother and sister lives out their vocation in a different way, stemming from the consideration of what they have and what they offer. Historically, unordained brothers were manual labourers who made life function for their order; nowadays, many are engaged in academic pursuits or in active ministry work — Br. Michael himself works in retreat ministry and spiritual direction. Despite changing situations, the most important facets of consecrated life have not:  to announce the Good News, and to witness to the Good News lived out in the lives of the people of the broader community. 

For Br. Michael, consecrated life is an invitation for us to deeper listening and awareness of God’s working in our lives and those around us. In our noisy world of instant gratification, consecrated life gives us pause to reflect on what and who we are listening to. The work of fraternity, hospitality and service that so many religious carry out points out that all Christians have a vocation to community and to being the Church. The ordained priesthood can often seem removed to some, and so the accessibility of consecrated life speaks to the connection, approachability, inclusivity and dialogue that all Christians are meant to embody, to the centrality of relationship in humanity. To sum it up, consecrated life is a sign for us to live life for the other, and not for the self.
           
In Br. Michael’s words, consecrated life is one of “witness and connection, being present and listening” — a life remarkably similar to those of Sts. Simeon and Anne.  As we approach the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, let us grow in the lessons that consecrated life teaches us: chiefly, let us grow “To Radiate Christ”.  


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​Written by Solomon Ip for 
Faithfully. Solomon Ip is a born-and-bred Calgarian, a member of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, and is an exhibit interpreter at Heritage Park in Calgary.  He worships at St. John the Evangelist, Calgary; All Saints, Lethbridge; and the Calgary and Lethbridge branches of the St. Francis Xavier Chaplaincy. ​
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There is no mission without contemplation

12/19/2021

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Sr. Bridget (formerly Alissa Going) in her profession to Consecrated Life in Brazil.
Over the past few months as I have become acquainted with the members of the Seeds of the Word, I have come to see Our Blessed Mother in each one of them: a joyful young woman dressed in simple blue clothes, her life overflowing with the Life of God. The Seeds of the Word is a Brazilian contemplative and missionary community whose mission in Calgary began in 2014.  Visiting their home, I have peeked into the community’s life of prayer, penance, and mission, which they live in cheerful hiddenness. Their contagious smiles reveal the treasure of their courageous hearts which have opened to receive and give the gift of God.

The focus of the community is intimacy with Jesus Christ through the Word of God. For them, Jesus is the Precious Seed, whom they receive in personal and communal prayer, and then share with the world. Christmas is the most important feast for the community because of the centrality of the Word of God in their spirituality. Sr. Ana Sophia shares her experience: “I always get emotional at Christmas time when we contemplate that Baby... the Word of God Who came to save the world. It is so powerful to look at Him.”

One of the newest sisters, Sr. Bridget, formerly Alissa Going, from Vauxhall, AB, professed her first vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience on December 3, the feast of St. Francis Xavier. Through these vows, she has made a commitment to her first year of consecrated life. As Sr. Ana Sophia explains,

“the call to consecrated life is a special call from the Lord, not to everyone, but just a few people who He separates from the world to Himself because these people need more than what the world offers us. That’s why we leave everything behind for Him: because those good things are not enough. We need more.”

​Consecrated men and women show each of us, whatever our state in life may be, that it is only in giving ourselves to God that we can receive Him. At Christmastime, the Child Jesus reaches His sweet hands out to us in love. In order to truly hold Him in our arms, we must release our mortal grasp on all the things that pass away. If human weakness trembles at the prospect of such self-emptying, it is still when it senses the warmth of love shared in the manger.

​Ana, one of the postulants said, “We do not lose anything. We just gain everything.” Sr. Mary Elisabeth remarked that as Sr. Bridget consecrated herself to God, “she was so happy, she was glowing!” It is nothing less than the radiant glow of heaven, in which consecrated people participate on earth.

The community follows Our Lady’s Christmas-time model in being both contemplative and missionary. After receiving the Word of God in her heart and in her womb, our strong and selfless Mother travelled with haste over rough hills to share the gift of God with her cousin Elizabeth. If it is contemplation to receive the embrace of God, it is mission to offer this embrace to others.

The community’s Rule of Life states that “there is no mission without contemplation.” The generous prayer lives of the Seeds of the Word overflow into their lives of mission. They are missionaries in everything they do, lovingly offering each moment of their day for the salvation of souls. “If during the day we don’t go anywhere, we are still missionaries in the house.”
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The specific apostolate of the community varies based on the diocese they are in. In Calgary, the Seeds visit schools, parishes and groups to share the Word of God. Their sabbatical year program, which currently takes place internationally, is an opportunity for people of all ages to grow closer to the Word of God and to find their places in the Church. Sr. Bridget took part in the program as a way to take a step forward in discerning her call to the consecrated life.

Ana said of Sr. Bridget, “It was very beautiful to see her courage because if you want to follow Christ you need to be very courageous... to go to another place where God is calling you. It was very beautiful to see how she said yes to God’s plan, whatever it was, even if it was hard for her. We pray that many other people here in the diocese will also answer the call of God, even if it is difficult.”

Each sister in Calgary has left her family and country to share the Word of God in our city. Like Our Blessed Mother, they are eager to travel long distances and surmount tall hills for the sake of sharing the Gospel. I was blessed to be present to bid farewell to Sr. Bridget and Sr. Edith Mary as they left the St. John Paul II house in Calgary to go to the community’s new mission in the Philippines. As the door closed behind them, one of the remaining sisters said with a sad smile on her face, “this is the life of the missionary.”

​“Religious life,” Sr. Mary Elisabeth insists, “takes courage to embrace, to say that I will say no to the things the world gives me and to say yes to a life that is hidden many times, a life with sacrifices many times, but a real life, a life with Jesus who is real. It's not a life of dreams. It's a real life in which you love God through people. It’s a life offered to others. It’s a life that is given 24/7.”
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Regardless of the state of life to which God calls him or her, each Christian is called to a courageous life of contemplation and mission. As Christmas draws near, we are each invited to open our hearts to the Infant Jesus, that Adorable Little Seed, Who wishes to be planted firmly in our souls and to bear the fruits of love, peace, and joy in our lives. 

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Written by Angela Blach for Faithfully. ​Angela Blach is a member of the St. Francis Xavier chaplaincy. She is taking a gap year from her History degree at the University of Calgary. When she's not at work, she enjoys reading, writing, taking walks, and spending time with her friends.

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We can grow in intimacy with the Word of God and support the mission of the Seeds of the Word by purchasing their yearly Lectio Divina Compendium. It is a little book that lays out the daily Mass readings as an aid to praying with Scripture. For this and other inquiries, the Seeds can be contacted at seedsoftheword.community@gmail.com.
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Christmas cards for the retired priests

12/1/2021

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Every year the students at Christ the King Academy in Brooks, Alberta sign up for a variety of service projects and good works to help prepare their hearts for Christ’s coming during this Advent season. Usually, the students engage in works such as baking muffins, praying for the living and the dead, or cleaning up around the neighbourhood. This year however, we started what we hope to be a new tradition – writing Christmas Cards to our dear retired priests of the Diocese!
 
The idea came about during the grade six’s religion class, when learning about the Sacrament of Holy Orders and the life of service a priest undertakes. The students were quick to realize that the vow of celibacy meant that for many priests, we as Catholics are their family members! While priests are serving in their parishes, they are surrounded by the many families who help take care them and thank them for their service… but what happens when a priest retires? 
 
The students were surprised to learn that our retired priests are still helping celebrate Mass and administering Sacraments where they can, despite no longer have a parish family around them. We discussed how we can show our love and thanks to these priests who spent their lives working for us, and the answer seemed clear – we would write them Christmas cards! Each student wrote a card to some of the retired priests in the diocese to let them know we are praying for them by name as a class and we are forever grateful for their years serving us. 

Written by Michael Metcalf for Faithfully. Michael is a Grade 6 Teacher in Christ the King Academy, Brooks, AB. 

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Fr. Stefan Ganowicz: A servant attitude

10/24/2021

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It is with great pleasure that I offer a few words to honour Father Stefan Ganowicz on this very special occasion of his 50th Anniversary of Ordination to the Priesthood! 

Father Stefan was ordained in his home town of Poznan in Poland on the 20th of May 1971 and on started his priestly ministry in the Diocese of Calgary in March of 1974. Although I have known Father Stefan since 1984 it was only in the early 1990’s that I had a chance to get to know him better when he became Pastor of St. Bernadette Parish here in Calgary. I sensed from the time I got to know him better that he was a priest truly inspired by the vision and spirit of the Second Vatican Council. His paradigm of being “Church” was deeply inspired by the Church’s own vision of empowering the People of God to claim more profoundly their Baptismal grace and together with their Pastor join in an awareness of the great calling to Apostolate of Christ as both ordained and laity.

Fr. Stefan would enthusiastically embrace any and all opportunities that would enkindle within the faithful he was serving, a greater love of God and an authentic expression of their call to Christian ministry as laity. It is to no surprise that Bishop Paul recognized his passion for this and utilized his giftedness as not only a parish priest but also to serve on the Diocesan Theological Commission as Chaplain for Mount Royal College and Bishop Carrol High School, as well as the Bishop’s Representative for Ecumenical Affairs within the Diocese of Calgary. Following this, he was also appointed as Chaplain to the Reserves of The National Defence Unit, Calgary Highlanders. 

Father Stefan recalls with sincere gratitude, how Bishop Paul graciously gave him special permission one year, to allow the newly confirmed youth of St. Patrick’s Parish in Medicine Hat to be prepared and to assist with the distribution of Holy Communion at a school Mass. Fr. Stefan wanted to use this a special teaching moment to show that the newly confirmed are now fully initiated into the Church. It was not the norm and so he recalls this moment as a real tribute to Bishop Paul’s willingness to go the extra mile to be supportive.

It was when he was appointed to the Hospital Chaplain’s team in the year 2000, that I really got a true sense of Fr. Stefan's great charism and passion for building the Kingdom of God primarily by supporting and embracing the opportunity to work alongside our Pastoral Care lay ministers in the acute care hospitals of Calgary. As the person overseeing the Health Care Apostolate of the Diocese at that time, I recall emails and letters coming from doctors and nurses thanking the diocese for the outstanding pastoral care ministry that Fr. Stefan provided at the Peter Lougheed Hospital. His ability to validate each human person in their most frail and vulnerable hours was a true testimony of Fr. Stefan’s effective pastoral care skills as a priest. His ability to include family members and staff into the rituals and prayers was a precious gift to all involved. 

On this beautiful occasion of Father Stefan’s 50 years as a priest he can truly look back on a vocation that has enriched so many people and helped make the Kingdom of God more visible in this world. At the heart of his ministry was a servant attitude that allowed the Lord to do the Lord’s work through his ministry as a priest and together with the baptized faithful become an instrument of grace in the apostolate of pastoral care for the sick. In the words of St. Paul in Philippians 1:6 "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Congratulations Fr. Stefan and may the Lord richly bless you with good health in mind and body as you continue to serve the Lord as a faithful priest, in the vineyard of the Lord! 
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Fr. Stefan Ganowicz

Ordained: 
May 20, 1971 in Poznan, Poland. Arrival in Canada: 1972.

Pastoral assignments
  • Associate Pastor: St. Patrick’s, Medicine Hat (1974-1976)
  • Associate Pastor: St. Anthony’s, Drumheller (1976-1978)
  • On Staff: Corpus Christi, Calgary June 23 (1979-1981)
  • Member of Diocesan Theological Commission: (1980-1984)
  • Pastor: St. Agnes, Carstairs and St. Francis Xavier, Crossfield (1981-1984)
  • Associate Pastor: St. Mark’s, Calgary (1984-1985)
  • Chaplain: Mount Royal College and Bishop Carroll High School (1985-1987)
  • Bishop Representative to Ecumenical Affairs (1985-1987)
  • Pastor: Sacred Heart, Strathmore (1987-1990) and St. Anne, Hussar (1988-1990)
  • Chaplain to the Reserves of The National Defense, Unit of the Calgary Highlanders, Calgary (1990-2009)
  • Administrator: St. Bernadette’s, Calgary (1990-1996)
  • Administrator: St. Anne’s, Calgary & Chaplain Bishop McNally High School (1996-1999)
  • Administrator: St. Anne’s and Chaplain at Peter Lougheed Hospital (2000-2001)
  • Chaplain: Peter Lougheed Hospital (2000-2003)
  • Chaplain: Peter Lougheed Hospital, Calgary (2003 to 2017)



Written by Deacon Michael Soentgerath for Faithfully, October 2021.
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Fr. Joseph Hau Duc Tran: You are a priest forever

10/23/2021

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Fr. Joseph Hau Duc Tran was born on May 19th, 1934, in French-controlled Vietnam.  He was educated in the French system, and left his native country at 19 years old in 1954 at the end of the war between France and Vietnam.  He spent the next four or so years with the Dominicans in Hong Kong, beginning his philosophy studies there, before being sent to Rome and France to continue his theology studies.
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Fr. Tran studied for his Doctorate in Sacred Theology in Rome, where seminarians were split into three groups — he was among those assigned to the Spanish group.  The Dominicans allowed for his ordination before his studies were finished, and so he was told to arrive at a certain basilica early on a Friday morning for his examinations, which were to be presided over by a cardinal.  His Eminence asked Fr. Tran a number of questions on philosophy and theology, which were to be answered in Latin; there were also a number of personal questions about ecclesiological ideas and languages spoken.  Soon enough, he was told to prepare for his pre-ordination retreat, and to be at St. Peter’s Basilica for July 2nd, 1961.

Fr. Tran says that he could talk at length about the ordination ceremony, about the papal liturgy of the time (which he says is not so different from how it is today), about how crowded the basilica was…  Yet, what impressed him most about the ordination was the morning of, where he and his fellow ordinandi were treated to special audience with St. John XXIII.  Fr. Tran was struck by the saint’s humility and accessibility.  He greeted each candidate personally and shook their hand; he looked very unofficial, as though he were just one priest among many brothers.  The rather rotund St. John XXIII also struck Fr. Tran with his impressive size and the presence that came with it, which seemed to chase away all fears.  Yes, indeed — St. John XXIII was truly “Il Buon Papa”, the Good Pope.

After obtaining his doctorate, Fr. Tran was sent to Manila in the Philippines to teach at the University of Santo Tomas, where he remained for 10 years.  This was followed by two years in France and Rome, and then to Los Angeles, where Cardinal Manning assigned him as assistant at Our Lady of Loretto Parish, and to work with Vietnamese refugees arriving to the United States.  He remained in California for 4 years before joining a cousin who was an associate priest in Illinois.  After his time as chaplain of the St. Francis Medical Centre in Peoria, Fr. Tran came to Canada.  Initially spending four years with Queen of Martyrs Vietnamese Parish in Edmonton, he was invited to Calgary to become administrator of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Bridgeland, and St. Francis of Assisi Parish downtown.

At this time, a number of parishes in the diocese of Calgary were being considered for closure, and Fr. Tran was concerned that his little church on Sixth Avenue was in its last days.  He wrote letters to the planning committee, asking for St. Francis to be kept open.  He invited Bishop Henry to preside over the next set of confirmations, and for a reception to be given.  This was the beginning of a fruitful relationship between Fr. Tran and Bishop Henry — after the reception, Bishop Henry informed Fr. Tran that his parish was not in danger of folding, and he was given the mandate to revive the parish to further serve the needs of the downtown community.  During his 19-year tenure at St. Francis, Fr. Tran advocated for the expansion of his little parish, including lobbying for a floor of The Bow to be given to St. Francis, which was unfortunately defeated, 7 to 6.  Due to his advancing age, Fr. Tran reluctantly retired in 2016, “only beginning to be fully alive”.

In my discussion with this well-travelled and well-seasoned man of God, it becomes apparent that Fr. Tran, like the saint who ordained him, has a very unique view of the Church, and its eternal nature.  “Nobody can say what the Church looks like — it is mysterious and yet human.  I have been a witness of the times, and I have been many places, the Church is changing all the time.  It is like a bouquet of flowers blooming, everlasting roses which are ever new… the Church is alive, impressive with tradition, but yet ever changing, ever new.”  At 88 years of age, Fr. Tran professes that each passing year only increases his loyalty to the Church, which is “something marvellous, something to be loved.”  His advice is that “we should let ourselves be led by our high goals”, and that “there is nothing to be worried about in the Church.”

Fr. Tran’s ordination motto is:  “You are a priest forever” (Psalm 110:4), which seems to have had some significance.  In my conversation with Fr. Tran, his understanding of the Christian life as being destined for eternity is truly a cornerstone.  “If He calls me away tonight, so be it — let His will be done.”  If not, then he will continue to do penance in this world.  But one thing is certain, Fr. Tran gives thanks to God for his sixty years of priesthood, “a marvellous blessing lasting to eternity.”
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Fr. Joseph Hau Duc Tran, OP
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Ordained:  July 2nd, 1961, St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome by St. John XXIII

Pastoral Placements in the Diocese of Calgary:
  • Administrator:  Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Calgary (1996-1997)
  • Pastor:  St. Francis of Assisi, Calgary (1997-2016)

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Written by Solomon Ip for Faithfully. Solomon is a born-and-raised Calgarian, who got letters after his name in Lethbridge. He worships at All Saints, Lethbridge; St. John the Evangelist, Calgary; and both the Calgary and Lethbridge chapters of the St. Francis Xavier Chaplaincy. He is an oboist by training, chorister by grace, hobby wordsmith, amateur calligrapher and museum enthusiast.
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Fr. Marino Infante: In his own words

10/23/2021

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Where were you born?
I was born in a town called Laoang, Northern Samar, Philippines. There are five of us in our family. I grew up in a very religious family — we were nurtured by our parents by going to Church every Sunday and every single day to attend Mass.  I am the fourth in the line up. One of my sisters is a nun from the Religious Congregation of the Reparatrix Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Naples, Italy. After her nine years of formation in Italy, she was sent back to Philippines to serve in their congregation. My parents and my sister (the nun) are instrumental in my call to the priesthood.
 
How did you discern your vocation? 
I started my discernment in 1985 when I was in my 4th year of high school. My vocation was inspired by the priestly life of my two relative priests, Fr. Leandro Infante and Fr. Romeo Infante; and most especially my vocation was inspired when I witnessed an actual ordination in my hometown right after my high school graduation. I entered into my seminary formation in 1986 at the age of 18; and was ordained at the age of 28.
 
What is your favourite prayer?
Since my childhood, my parents would always put a rosary in my pocket to remind me of praying the Rosary; and since then, the Lord’s Prayer and The Hail Mary have become my favourite prayers.
 
What is your go-to advice when people ask you, “Father, how do I become closer to Jesus?” 
The best advice I give when people ask this question —  is PRAYER or DAILY MASS or Daily Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
 
Any advice for those discerning a vocation?
If anyone is considering the priestly vocation, let him be prayerful first, seek the help of his pastor and his parents and keep on responding God’s call through daily reading of the Word of God.
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Anniversary video of Fr. Marino Infante
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An interview with Fr. Marino Infante, October 2021
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Fr. Marino Infante

Ordained: March 10, 1996 at St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Laoang, Diocese of Catarman, Northern Samar, Philippines, by Most Rev. Angel Hobayan

Pastoral assignments in the Diocese of Calgary
  • Associate Pastor: St. Peter’s, Calgary (2008-2011)
  • Associate Pastor: Holy Spirit, Calgary (2011-2012)
  • Associate Pastor: St. Luke’s, Calgary (2012-2016)
  • Pastor: St. Michael’s, Bow Island (2016-2018)
  • Pastor: St. Mary’s, Brooks (2018-present)
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Fr. Samer Naaman: Loving as the Father Loves

10/23/2021

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St. Basil's Melkite-Greek Catholic Parish
Fr. Samer Naaman during Liturgy at St. Basil's Melkite-Greek Catholic Parish
I believe that the priestly vocation is founded and grown in a believing family that sets a good example for its children. My father used to participate in Mass every day, and so did my mother. In addition, she was involved in spiritual activities in several churches near our house. My brothers and I saw their faith and were affected by their devout practice. In addition, my uncle was a bishop, and he visited us at home from time to time. My brothers and I enjoyed meeting him and listening to his words. His presence often made us wonder about the priestly vocation and the reasons that motivate a person to become a priest... 

The thought of the priestly vocation first came into my mind at the age of twelve when I said for the first time: "I want to be a priest." My parents didn't pay any attention to my words then because I was young and probably unaware of what I was saying. With time, I became sure of my desire to be a priest in the service of God and mankind. I moved away from my brothers and my parents at the age of eighteen to study philosophy and theology, and I was very happy. I was certain of the Lord Jesus' saying that “every sacrifice we make for Christ on earth, we get double it in this life plus eternal life,” and that there is “greater joy in giving than in receiving.” In my university studies, which lasted eight years, my theological knowledge was established, especially in the theology of Christ, the interpretation of the Bible and the meaning of the sacraments... As for studying philosophy, it gave me the ability to think logically, open up to the truth in others, and to accept the other as different. 

I worked hard in my priestly ministry to be open to everyone, and to serve every person, and I realized how much people today are in need of people who would listen to them. So I trained in listening skillfully and worked hard on knowing people’s needs in order to help them meet those. What enhanced my skills were my master's studies at the University of Montreal in accompanying patients in hospitals. Therefore, studying for a master’s degree in theology taught me a lot about listening and its importance, and my first booklet came out under the title “Psychological and Spiritual Accompaniment.” As for my master's in philosophy, it taught me the importance of dialogue between human beings, religions and cultures in order to enrich humanity and to reduce conflict. And I reached the following conviction:  the difference between humans is natural, and their difference in seeing God is natural. As for their human intellectual and ideological differences, they are natural, logical, and necessary. 
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I thank God for granting me the grace of priesthood which I do not deserve no matter how hard I work for it; I ask him to abide in me till the end, because if I were to go back in time and age, my choice would be nothing other than the priesthood. The priest, in my view, is a father who loves all human beings in the example of his heavenly Father, and works to serve them, especially spiritually.

Written by Fr. Samer Naaman for Faithfully, October 2021.
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Fr. Samer Naaman

Fr. Samer Naaman is ordained on June 29, 1996. He started his ministry in Calgary on July 1, 2020. He is the pastor of St. Basil's Melkite-Greek Catholic Parish
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Fr. Jack Bastigal: A sower went out

10/23/2021

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Born to Slovakian immigrant parents in the Drumheller Valley, Fr. Jack Bastigal's priestly vocation is a product of good seed sown in good soil, sown while he was still an altar boy at the tiny mission church of St. Francis of Assisi in Rosedale. The Drumheller Valley at the time was a patchwork of small mining towns, served by a team of three priests stationed at St. Anthony's Parish in Drumheller itself; one to serve Nacmine, Midland and Newcastle west of town, another to serve Rosedale, Wayne, East Coulee and Dorothy to the east, and the third to remain in Drumheller.

ln Fr. Jack's childhood, Fr. Stephen Molnar served the east leg of the valley, and was a frequent visitor at the Bastigal house, mostly for Mrs. Bastigal's cooking. However, there would come the questions and the suggestions from the priests growing up: "Maybe you might want to think about becoming a priest ... " Fr. Jack describes this as the planting of the seeds: "You really don't know if they're going to mature or germinate." 

The Bastigal family moved to Calgary, and Fr. Jack went to St. Mary's High School, where he graduated in 1954. The Basilian Fathers there kept planting more seeds, asking what he was going to do after graduation, a topic that was well-discussed among his "buddies" there - what kinds of jobs to get, what would be good work. Fr. Jack strongly considered engineering, and then finding work in the nascent oil industry in Calgary. He had applied to Gonzaga University in Seattle, and was accepted. His parents were thrilled - they had advocated that Fr. Jack get a good education, find good work, and avoid the difficult work that had been working in the Drumheller Valley coal mines. But lo and behold, the seeds stuck ... 

A month or so before his departure for Seattle, something seemed wrong.  It was impossible to verbalize, especially to his parents, but he needed more time to decide before jumping into this career; the Bastigals were decidedly less than thrilled. 

ln the mid-1950s, it was possible just to walk into a potential employer's office and see if they were hiring, and so Fr. Jack went down to the Imperial Oil Refinery looking for work- he was hired to the labs on the spot, thrilling his parents once again. But around Christmas, things just seemed wrong right again, and so Fr. Jack quit his job, causing another debacle with his family. One would have assumed that this cycle would not continue on, but it did twice more through the winter and spring of 1955 ... Fr. Jack was hired on in customer relations with the Electric Light Department of the City of Calgary, and all was going smoothly until the spring, when suddenly working in an office building on Sixth Avenue SW wasn't as appealing as being outside. Fr. Jack transferred to the Parks Department, and he still vividly remembers seeding the grass at 14th Street and Memorial Drive NW. Around this time, he reconnected with the president of his class from St. Mary's, Mike Tansey. Mike had been set on becoming a priest, and had gone to St. Joseph's Seminary immediately after graduation. Fr. Jack was hesitant. He had thought about going to seminary, but wasn't sure if it was for him. Mike was reassuring: "If it isn't for you, you'll know pretty quickly. lf you come up there, and you see it isn't for you, just let them know, and off you go!" So it was that Fr. Jack Bastigal made his decision to enter the seminary, at this point in time at the original St. Joseph's Seminary on 110th Street in Edmonton, where first year accommodations were in a 10' by 12' room, shared with another seminarian. It was a real testing of the vocation, whether or not one was serious about it. To make a long story short: along came ordination in 1961. 

Fr. Jack stresses that discernment of the vocation is very personal; each vocation comes in a different way. For some, it is an automatic understanding, for others, less so. He is grateful to the priests who brought up the possibility of the priesthood over the years, as each one made him consider it seriously over the years. "It pushed me to make a decision, and- lo and behold!"

When asked about highlights in his years in ministry, Fr. Jack brings up treasured memories and friendships built up in ecumenical work. In the early 1960s, demarcations between denominations were still strict, but opportunities for ecumenism seemed to come up more regularly for Fr. Jack than his brother priests. One of his first placements was as assistant at St. Pius X in Calgary, and chaplain at the University of Calgary. It was initially a challenge, working with the other chaplains within the same offices: "When you leave the seminary, you're convinced that it's the Catholic Church, and the others aren't following the way of the Lord fully!" But the experience sowed its own seeds - as Fr. Jack was challenged and shared understandings with other professors and chaplains, it opened up a broader understanding of "who is acceptable by God, who is being used by God". Later on, these seeds would bear their own fruit.  

Years later, Bishop O'Byrne asked Fr. Jack to become founding pastor of Ascension of Our Lord Parish in Calgary. At the same time, he became aware that a good friend from Calgary Interfaith, Pastor Bob Schoenheider, was currently selling his congregation's small Lutheran church building in the downtown core, and looking for a space to build. Since both needed land they began discussing the possibility of a joint venture, an ecumenical centre to house both congregations. The idea was presented to Bishop O'Byrne and Lutheran Bishop Bob Jacobson, who were happy to endorse the project. And so was born the Sandstone Valley Ecumenical Centre, with two distinct worship areas, a common narthex, meeting rooms and offices; the beginning of a journey together in faith. 

Unfortunately, over the years, Mount Calvary Lutheran had its struggles, and eventually folded, but the friendships that Fr. Jack built with the people of Mount Calvary have stayed firm. He says that "it's those kinds of things that make such a difference: you recognize that you are all looking to praise, honour and worship the same God".  While Sandstone Valley Ecumenical Centre is no more, the seeds it has sown have borne fruit. Once past his term as bishop, Bob Jacobson of the Lutheran church and his wife were received into the Catholic Church. He was allowed to take Catholic orders, and became chancellor of the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan.

Again, while at St. James in Okotoks, Fr. Jack's experience in ecumenical settings was crucial. One of the teacher-librarians at the Catholic school, Marilyn Smith, had mentioned that her husband was an Anglican priest, and that he would like to meet with Fr. Jack. After the usual pleasantries, Fr. Jack asked Fr. Steve if there was anything specific he would like to discuss; the response was that he and his wife were thinking of becoming members of St. James' Parish! A while afterwards, Fr. Jack was struck while preaching one Sunday that Fr. Steve might consider becoming a priest in the Roman Rite. This matter was mentioned to Bishop Henry, and it was suggested that Fr. Steve might be assigned some readings and a course of study. After this study period, a letter of recommendation, and lightning-speed approval from Rome, Bishop Henry came to St. James' Parish in Okotoks to ordain Fr. Steve and to officially appoint him to serve in the parish. 

It is a strange fact of most grains, that in common speech, their fruit and their seeds are discrete ideas, yet they are one and the same, botanically speaking. After a priestly life bearing much fruit borne of good seed, one would assume that Fr. Jack would now be content to rest quietly in his retirement. Yet - for a good while after this formal interview was concluded, Fr. Jack and I discussed the current situation in the Church in this diocese. He has recently moved to Dorchester Square in the heart of Calgary and is settling into his new apartment, enjoying the companionship of his brother priests, and filling in when needed in various parishes throughout the diocese. From his new perch overlooking a busy part of the city, he has witnessed some of the effects that COVID-19 has had on the community. The number of people experiencing financial, psychological and spiritual needs has increased, and Fr. Jack wonders what could be done to serve such people, aside from the agencies that exist in the city; his compassion towards them is palpable through the telephone. His hope is that as the pandemic ends parish life will experience a resurgence - a resurgence of faith. It is clear that despite (or because of?) his long, fruitful life as a priest, Fr. Jack is still the sower, scattering the fruit of his vocation far and wide, looking for it to land in good soil. 
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Fr. John (Jack) Bastigal

Ordained: May 27, 1961, St. Mary’s Cathedral by Bishop Carroll

Pastoral Placements
  • Assistant: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Calgary (1961-1962)
  • Assistant: St. Pius X, Calgary; Chaplain, University of Calgary (1962-1966)
  • Diocesan Director of Vocations (1966-1967)
  • Administrator: St. Victor’s, Gleichen; St. Columbanus, Arrowwood; St. Ann’s, Hussar (1966-1967)
  • Assistant: St. Luke’s, Calgary; Assistant Director, Catholic Information Centre (1967-1968)
  • Studies: Research Coordinator, Institute of Social Research, Fordham University, Department of Sociology, New York City (1968-1978)
  • Visiting Professor, University of Puerto Rico (1976)
  • Director: Council of Social Affairs — Diocese of Calgary (1978-1984)
  • Pastor: Ascension of Our Lord, Calgary (1982-1994)
  • Pastor: St. James, Okotoks (1994-2008)

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Written by Solomon Ip for Faithfully. Solomon is a born-and-raised Calgarian, who got letters after his name in Lethbridge. He worships at All Saints, Lethbridge; St. John the Evangelist, Calgary; and both the Calgary and Lethbridge chapters of the St. Francis Xavier Chaplaincy. He is an oboist by training, chorister by grace, hobby wordsmith, amateur calligrapher and museum enthusiast.
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Fr. Bill Stephenson: Getting started

10/23/2021

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I don't believe that vocations come from any dramatic events, insights or extraordinary experiences;  I believe that vocations often come from large, generous and committed families, with very generous parents.  In my case, it was a large family of twelve children with hard working, generous parents and grandparents. No one urged me to become a priest, but many people contributed to facilitating my vocation.

I attended Catholic school with the Sisters of Charity of Halifax teaching and serving as administrators; the pastor and his various assistants were very present to the school.  I was especially influenced by the pastor who was very committed, very prayerful, and very much involved in the community. He served in the parish for more than thirty years. Although it was a fairly large school, about 1,100 students from grades one to eleven, he knew all the students, their families and their history. He was very involved in facilitating sports, social events, and Summer Camps for the children. It was at the parish Summer Camp that I was especially impressed by his prayer life.  He spent hours in the camp chapel in prayer and had daily Mass for the campers.  

I also had the privilege of having two uncles who were parish priests in my home diocese.  Although I wasn't very close with them, they gave me the confidence that a vocation to the priesthood was not beyond the realm of possibility.  One of the most interesting bits of advice I received when getting ready to go the Seminary was from one of those uncles who told me that if I felt like leaving the Seminary, then leave. I think he was telling me that I should not feel obligated to be a priest just because he had two uncles who were priests, and not to go through with it just because other people expected it of me. On the other hand, it was very important to me that people did in fact expect me to enter the Seminary.
       
Another support for my vocation was attending Xavier Junior College and St. Francis Xavier University in my home diocese. There were a number of priests on staff at these institutions and they were very encouraging to any student who might be considering a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. They taught the courses that were required, especially Latin and Philosophy. They were almost like recruiters who would recognize candidates for religious vocations, and they were always available for counselling, spiritual direction and sacraments.

I began theology studies at St. Augustine's Seminary in Scarborough, ON in September of 1957 after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the university. My home diocese in Nova Scotia at that time had an oversupply of priests. They also provided many priests for the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society and various other religious communities also. The bishop there decided I wasn't needed in his diocese, so I applied to the bishop of Calgary who accepted me. I was ordained on May 27th, 1961 in Antigonish, NS, for the Diocese of Calgary. The seminary life was rather spartan, but I felt at home there because my life growing up was similar. I appreciated the opportunity to get to know clergy and seminarians from various parts of the country.

After ordination, I was appointed the secretary to Bishop Carroll which was a great challenge, but also a privilege. I learned much of the history of the diocese and the priests, and got to travel about the diocese for Confirmations and other occasions. I learned a great deal from Bishop Carroll and the other priests who worked at the Bishop's Office in my time there. However, I was more attracted to work in parishes, and in 1968, I was appointed pastor of the small parish of St. Clement’s (now Mary, Mother of the Redeemer) while still acting as Chancellor of the Diocese during the episcopate of Bishop Paul O'Byrne.    

In 1972, I was appointed Co-Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Calgary, along with Monsignor John O'Brien and Fr. Duncan T. Sullivan.  It was a very busy parish with very active lay people, and many marriages and funerals.  One of the requirements for a priest is to be able to work with the laity, and to be supported by them.  I have been greatly assisted in my ministry by the support, encouragement and involvement of the parishioners I have worked with. We have great need of active lay involvement in the parishes. 

In summary, vocations come with the support and love of family members, the clergy, and the wider community, along with a generous willingness to endeavour to follow where the Spirit is leading us.  

Written by Fr. William Stephenson for Faithfully, October 2021.
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Fr. William Stephenson
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Ordained: May 27, 1961, Antigonish, NS by Most Rev. William Power

Pastoral Placements
  • Episcopal Secretary (1961-65)
  • Chancellor (1965-70)
  • Pastor: St. Clement’s, Calgary (1968-1971)
  • Studies: Lumen Vitae, Brussels, Belgium (1971-1972)
  • Co-Pastor: Sacred Heart, Calgary (1972-1977)
  • Pastor: Sacred Heart, Calgary (1977-1982)
  • Rector: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Calgary (1982-1993)
  • Sabbatical: (1993-1994)
  • Pastor: St. Bonaventure, Calgary (1994-2006)
  • Administrator: St. Anthony’s, Calgary (2008-2009)
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