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2020 Jubilarians

10/6/2020

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Most Rev. Eugene Cooney

​With 60 years of priesthood now behind him, Bishop Emeritus Eugene Cooney reflects fondly on his vocation. The heart of his ministry was serving the people of God, as both pastor and bishop. "The priesthood is my life's work, and I've had a great life," he said. "I've enjoyed it every step of the way."

Bishop Cooney grew up in Medicine Hat - the middle child of a prayerful family of five. In 1954 he entered St. Joseph's Seminary in Edmonton and was ordained in 1960. He was appointed Bishop of Nelson by Pope John Paul II in 1996, where he served until his retirement in 2007.

Now at age 89, Bishop Cooney's advice to those discerning their vocation, particularly in today's secular culture, is to turn to prayer daily and unceasingly. "When I was growing up, prayer and doing God's will was the most important part of our lives," he said. "We asked God for blessings everyday. We were very much aware that our life is in His hands. People today should remember that God's grace is necessary for us to get through and lead a good life."
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Bishop Emeritus Eugene Cooney at a retreat. Photo: Rev. J. Ronald Knott.

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Fr. Frank Feldmann
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Rev. Frank Feldmann, SAC

Looking back on five decades as the Lord's servant, Rev. Frank Feldmann offers only one message: "the honour belongs to the One who called me." Fr. Frank was born in Germany in 1940, in the midst of the Second World War. He was ordained in 1970, first appointed as an associate pastor in Swan River, Manitoba. He was welcomed into the Diocese of Calgary in 1974, serving at St. Cecilia Church. Through his years of priesthood, Fr. Frank has also served St. Paul's Parish in Airdrie, St. Agnes in Carstairs, St. James in Okotoks and St. Michael's in Black Diamond. He became dean of the Crowsnest Pass Pastoral Zone in 2010.

Fr. Frank's priestly journey came full circle in 2012, when he returned as pastor to St. Cecilia Church - the same parish he served when first arriving in the Calgary Diocese nearly forty years earlier. He retired in December 2014.

Rev. Daniel Stevenot

Rev. Daniel Stevenot grew up in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, the youngest of three boys. His family moved to Medicine Hat in 1961. His mother, a devout and prayerful Catholic, was the guiding influence in Fr. Dan's faith and vocation. As a teenager, Fr. Dan and his classmates started a youth group - a rare thing at that time. He also began to pray daily over his vocation. Once, while in prayer, Fr. Dan spoke that he would not like to be a priest, but instead be married with 10 kids. He then felt God tell him that, even as a priest, "You will have lots of children."

Fr. Dan entered seminary in Waterloo, Ont. when he was 19, and in 1980 was ordained at St. Patrick's Church in Medicine Hat. As a seminarian, Fr. Dan took great inspiration in wanting to help others discover God's love and how they need Him in their lives. Forty years later, that same inspiration remains within him today as pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Banff.
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Fr. Dan Stevenot
Read an interview with Fr. Daniel Stevenot here

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Fr. Arjay Abanto
Read more about Fr. Arjay Abanto here: "You did not choose me, but I chose you."
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Rev. Rowel Jose Abanto

The priesthood was Rev. Rowel Jose Abanto's childhood dream. As only a small boy, he memorized the novena to the Mother of Perpetual Help - a popular prayer in his home country of the Philippines. He entered the seminary in 1986 and was ordained in 1995 in his home Diocese of Daat, Camarines North.

Fr. Abanto was called to serve the Diocese of Calgary in 2016, and today serves St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, affectionately known in the diocese as Fr. Arjay. To become close to God, Fr. Arjay believes we must open our hearts and let the grace of God lead us wherever He wants us to go. His guiding principle in serving God and His people is the words of John 15:16: "You did not choose me, but I chose you."

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Fr. Philip Le
Read more about Fr. Le: "My Adventure with the Lord"

Rev. Philip Le

Rev. Phillip Le was born amidst the violence, poverty and suffering of the Vietnam War. His father died when he was one - leaving behind him, his mother and five siblings. These devastating hardships led Le to reflect on the meaning of life from a very young age. He found the answer in the Gospels, and from there he set on the path to priesthood.

Because of communist rule, Fr. Philip had to do his priestly studies underground. The government refused his ordination, so he fled the country in 1989 - a risk that nearly cost him his life. Fr. Philip is certain God protected him from being caught and executed.

In 1990 he came to Canada as a refugee. He continued his vocation at the Christ the King Seminary in Mission, BC. Le initially struggled with English, but as a missionary priest reminded him: “The war couldn’t kill you, the poverty couldn’t, the communists couldn’t ... So English, I assure you, cannot kill you either." In 1995, Father Philip Le was finally ordained. Today, he serves parishes in Claresholm, Nanton, and Champion. 

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Fr. George Madathikunnath
Read more about Fr. George here: "Sharing on Priestly Ministry"

Rev. Dr. George Madathikunnath

Born into a devout family in the village of Katialpoovam in India, Rev. George Madathikunnath began discerning the priesthood as a child. His discernment grew stronger through the encouragement and prayerful presence of his parents, as well as the inspiring religious conviction of his grandfather.

He was ordained in 1995, and in 2001 did his doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. He then taught theology in India, where he always advised students of the need for a personal encounter and relationship with Jesus, as the true source of all love, peace and happiness.  "Every day He calls us to serve Him radically and completely in one way or another," Fr. George said. In 2018, he joined the Diocese of Calgary as pastor to the Malankara Catholic Rite Community.

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Fr. Benedicto Tugano IV
Read more about Fr. Tugano

Rev. Benedicto Tugano IV

Even when he was only a small boy, Rev. Benedicto Tugano IV's life was filled with devotion. He would pray the rosary daily while riding his bike. He played with friends by pretending he was a priest, distributing biscuits to them as if it was communion. That inclination to priesthood stayed with Fr. Benedicto as, many years later, he and his elder brother entered seminary. While his brother eventually left the seminary, Fr. Benedicto Tugano was ordained in 1995.

Fr. Benedicto had many anxieties in the leadup to his ordination, that he would not be faithful to his ministry. But the words of his spiritual director continue to strengthen his faith to this day: "Just be faithful each day and you will make it."

After serving six parishes in the Philippines, Fr. Benedicto came to Canada in 2009. Since August 2018, he has served the Holy Cross Church in Fort Macleod.

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Fr. Ho Bong Yi

Rev. Ho Bong Yi

"The son of man did not come to be served but to serve." (Mk 10, 45). This Gospel verse resonated with Rev. Ho Bong Yi throughout his discernment to the priesthood. The words continue to motivate him now.

Ordained in 1995 in South Korea, Fr. Ho Bong Yi came to Canada in 2016 after studying theology in Rome and at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. Along with his pastoral duties, Fr. Yi was a professor at the Catholic University of Daegu and the director of St. Peter Minor Seminary in South Korea. Yi has been pastor for St. Anne's Korean Parish in Calgary since 2016.

Fr. Yi has a strong devotion to the rosary, and he encourages all those discerning their vocation to pray continuously and serve others with charity and selflessness. In those two acts, we can discover God's will for our lives, said Fr. Yi.

Written by Kyle Greenham for Faithfully
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A chat with Fr. Tugano

10/6/2020

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Where are you from?
I was born in the Philippines and I have one brother and two sisters. I was the second oldest. Before coming to Canada, I served six parishes in the Philippines, with the last one being St. John the Baptist, where I served as pastor for 10 years. I came to Canada in November 2009.

Tell us about your vocation
Ever since I was a little boy, I was already attracted to the priesthood. I remember playing with my friends when I was a child, I would pretend that I was a priest, and with biscuits in my hand, I would “give them Communion”. My vocation was also inspired by my father’s priest friend, whom I admired. My older brother went to the seminary before me, and I followed him.  Although he did not follow through the priestly vocation, I did.

I remember feeling fearful before my ordination. I was afraid of not being faithful to my ministry, but a Jesuit priest who was a professor and spiritual director at the seminary told me, “Just be faithful each day and you will make it”.

What’s your favourite prayer?
My favourite prayer is the Rosary. Even as a child, I would pray it while riding my bike. Whenever I travel or wherever I go, I pray the Rosary.

How do we get closer to Jesus? 
Spend time praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Any advice for those discerning their vocation?
I am very happy in my vocation. Life is about being with Jesus. Being a priest has filled my life with happiness. 
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Fr. Benedicto Tugano IV
Fr. Benedicto was born in May 1967 in Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines and was ordained to the priesthood on June 29, 1995 at Immaculate conception Cathedral by Most Rev. Manolo Delos Santos.  Father Tugano came to Canada the same year he was ordained where he was associate pastor at Sacred Heart Church, Calgary.  He served at St. Anthony’s Parish (2011-2013) and St. Albert the Great (2013-2015) as associate pastor. In August 2015, he became pastor of St. Peter’s in Milk River and St. Isidore Mission-Allerston. Father Tugano has been serving as pastor of Holy Cross Church in Fort Macleod since August 2018.

Interview conducted by Anne Marie Brown
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Sharing on Priestly Ministry

10/6/2020

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Please share about your family
I was born in a village called, Katilapoovam in Kerala State in India. My parents, Cheriyan & Eliamma and my elder sister Sara John (Jincy) and younger brother Philippose (Vinoy) and their family now live in Toronto, Ontario. My parents and grandparents were deeply religious. Their faith experience and especially my grandfather’s religious convictions were always inspirational guidance to my priesthood. My family always stood behind me with strong support and helping me with prayer and spiritual bond.

How did you discern your vocation to the priesthood?
I was born and brought up in a traditional Orthodox St. Thomas Christian family in India. From Childhood days and especially during my primary school days, I was liked and desired for a dedicated way of life. For this, I was supported by many holy lives and particularly the role model of my parents. My discernment to become a priest grew strong due to the encouragement coupled with the prayerful presence of my parents and grandparents. 

Any priestly ministry stories before you arrived in Canada?
I was ordained to priesthood on 18th April 1995. After the ordination, I worked in a few parishes and as editor of the diocesan publication. In 2001, I was sent for higher studies in Rome and did a licentiate and doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University. After my studies, I was appointed as Chancellor of the Diocese of Muvatupuzha. Besides being the Chancellor, I was asked to teach theology in St. Mary’s Malankara Theological Seminary, Trivandrum. Before coming to Calgary, I worked in Switzerland as pastor of three parishes in the Diocese of Basel. In 2018, I joined the Diocese of Calgary as pastor to the Malankara Catholic Rite Community in Calgary while also serving as associate pastor at St. Michael's Church. I thank Bishop William McGrattan for his care and support for the Malankara Catholic community. Presently I am serving at St. Bonaventure Church in Calgary.

Any spiritual message to share from your priestly ministry
In my 25 years of priestly life, I was always happy to be with people serving, sharing and caring for them. I also enjoyed my priestly ministry in administering the Holy Eucharist, the summit of Christian life, dispensing of divine mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation, and the celebration of other sacraments. Of course, the priesthood is a gift from God. Priest is another Christ. He represents Christ to the world. 

How do we become closer to Jesus?
When I was working in the Seminary, I was teaching two subjects of Theology, Christology and Mariology. While teaching the doctrinal teachings of the Church, I never failed to advise my students the need of personal encounter and relationship with Jesus. Yes, Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world. He is the true source of love, peace, and happiness. Following the teachings of Jesus Christ shows our love for Him and our desire to be close to Him. If we make an effort for an authentic sacramental life, we certainly experience him as well as feel his love. 

Any message for those discerning a vocation? 
We are all created in the image and likeness of God. We have our dignity as sons and daughters of God. Together with this dignity as Children of God, we are privileged to have divine call to different vocations. Discerning and embracing our vocation is paramount important. Every day He calls us to serve Him radically and completely in one way or another, which requires faithful and active obedience, unwavering commitment, and devotion from the one called.
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As I celebrate my 25th Ordination Anniversary, I thank God for his great providence and grace.
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Rev. Dr. George Madathikunnath

Written by Rev. Dr. George Madathikunnath
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An adventure with the Lord

10/6/2020

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​I was born and grew up in Vietnam during the war. My father died and left six children to the care of my mother when I was one year old. War and poverty made life very difficult for everyone. The suffering of people forced me to reflect on what life was all about. I found the answer in the Good News of Christ, and that made me pursue the priesthood. During my training, the war ended and the communists took over the country. My fellow seminarians and I did our best to finish the training, mostly underground. When I finished my studies, I thought I would be a priest and would serve the people in my country. At that time, the communist government had the final word for any priestly ordination. Every year with permission from my bishop, I sent a request to the government, but the authority kept saying “no” to my ordination without an explanation. Six years later, I planned to escape the country by boat.  

Someone at the coast arranged and prepared for the trip. It was in March 1989. It took me two days on a canoe along the rivers to reach the ocean. I got on a little boat no longer than 20 feet, with 14 other people. They left at midnight without any troubles. Just about eight o’clock in the morning, the government boats appeared from nowhere and the guards began to shoot at our boat. Our boat got hit, but the people were okay, as we would rather have died than to let ourselves fall into the hands of the guards. When the strong wind and big waves approached them, the guards feared for their lives so they stopped chasing them. I continued my journey and realized it was God who protected me and my companions. I crossed the ocean and landed in Malaysia on the seventh day.

I arrived at a refugee camp called Pulau Bidong. There were over 15,000 people in that camp.  Life was not ideal, but safe. It was a matter of time that I would be in a free country. A Canadian delegation came, and thought that I would be a good candidate for Canada. 

February 5, 1990 was the day I put my foot on the free land of Canada, and it was the first time I ever saw and touched snow. I continued to enjoy life and freedom around Toronto and Mississauga. For a while I forgot the reason why I escaped, but God didn’t forget me. My priest friend and the Bishop of Calgary invited me to return to training again. I left everything and took a bus to Calgary. The Bishop sent me to study in Christ the King Seminary in Mission, BC. After a year, I went back to Calgary with distress, as I could not speak the language. I planned to quit, but I met with a missionary priest who worked in Vietnam for 40 years until the communists kicked him out. This changed my life. The priest said, “The war couldn’t kill you, the poverty couldn’t, the communists couldn’t, the ocean couldn’t, and the refugee camp couldn’t, so English, I assure you, cannot kill you either. Be patient if God calls you, he will give you an ability to master the language.”

I then spent the next three years at St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton and loved following the Lord. It took 26 years between my first day in a seminary and my priestly ordination (1969-1995). I felt like I was a slow learner! But for me, a priest is a man of joy, a man for others, and a man of prayer.  

Yes, dear people of God, have you ever had a thorough reflection on the life of a priest? If you do, or even if you do not, thank God for the priesthood and pray for your priests daily. With such actualities, with such a challenging future, the Eucharist is still a thanksgiving and a source of strength on a priestly journey. I cry out daily with fresh accents as the French priest Jean Baptiste Lacordaire did, “Yes, my God, yes indeed, what a life!”

Written by Fr. Philip Le
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Fr. Philip Le
Fr. Phililp was born in July 1956 in Hiep Hoa – Long An, Vietnam and came to Canada in_1990.  He was ordained to the priesthood on August 4, 1995 in  Calgary. His first assignment in Calgary was as assistant pastor at St. Mary’s Cathedral (1995-1997). He then moved on to St. Mary’s in Medicine Hat, which was later where he again served as assistant pastor (1997-1999).  Father Le also spent a year in Assumption Catholic Church in Hay River, Mackenzie-Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories (1999-2000). He was also pastor at St. Francis de Sales, in High River (2000 -_2010) and was the administrator of Holy Family in Medicine Hat (2010), where he also became the pastor (2011).  From 2011 to 2018, Fr. Le was at Holy Family, Medicine Hat. He currently serves the parishes of Christ the King, Claresholm, St. Cecilia’s Church, Nanton, and St. Mary’s Church, Champion as pastor.  
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You did not choose me, but I chose you

10/6/2020

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I am the youngest of 11 children. To become a priest is my childhood dream and my parents, Anunciacion and Rex, were instrumental in my vocation. I always accompanied my mother to church when I was young and memorized the novena to the Mother of Perpetual Help, one of the famous novena prayers to Mary in the Philippines. My vocation was nurtured through my active involvement in the parish especially the youth organization, an attitude I got from my father who was then a public servant in their community.  

I entered Holy Rosary Minor Seminary in the Philippines in 1986 and graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts, Major in Philosophy & Minor in Religious Education, and at the Holy Rosary Major Seminary with a Bachelor of Sacred Theology. I was ordained a priest on June 10, 1995 in my diocese (Diocese of Daet, Camarines Norte) by the Most Rev. Benjamin J. Almoneda, DD.  I also studied Liturgy at San Beda University and Human Development Psychology at De La Salle University both in Manila, Philippines. I assumed various ministries and parishes including Liturgy Director and Master of Ceremonies for 8 years, and my last assignment was as Rector and Pastor of the Parish and Shrine of St. Anthony of Padua, Mercedes, Camarines Norte.

After serving my home country for 21 years, I was called to serve the Diocese of Calgary in 2016 and was assigned by Most Rev. Frederick Henry, DD as Associate Pastor of St. Mary’s Cathedral for 3 years. I was appointed by the Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, DD as Associate Pastor of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church last August 1, 2019. 

Following the Lord is not easy but I rely on God’s mercy and love. During trials and difficulties, my spiritual director always said to me: “Don’t give up. His grace is enough for you and He will take care of you no matter what!” That’s why, I chose my priestly ordination motto as my guiding principle to serve God and His people: “You did not choose me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16).

When asked about how to become closer to God, my advice is this: one must have an open heart and mind, and let the grace of God lead you to where He wants you to go. To trust and surrender everything to the Lord is the best way to follow Him. For me, with God as my protector, Jesus Christ as my Master and Lord, Mary as my loving Mother, everything will be in place according to His will and plan.  

Written by Fr. Arjay Abanto
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Fr. Rowel Jose Abanto (Fr. Arjay)
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A chat with Fr. Daniel Stevenot

10/6/2020

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Tell us about your family
I was the youngest of three boys. I grew up in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. My father is Belgian, and my mother is French Canadian and Native - part Cree. In 1961, my family moved to Medicine Hat because there were no crops in Shaunavon. His family was members of St. Patrick’s Parish in Medicine Hat.  

How did you discern your vocation?
My mother was very spiritual and she prayed a lot. I would go to Mass with her and learned to pray, so she was a strong influence. In high school, my classmates and I started a youth group, which was quite a novel thing at the time, and we did lots of things, and we prayed together. In the early 70’s when there were a lot of changes in the Church, I began going to daily Mass and praying about my vocation. I told God that I didn’t want to be a priest but wanted to be married with 10 kids. I felt God saying to me, “You will have lots of children”. Also, there were several priests in the diocese that influenced me, like Fr. Krewski, Fr. John Petravicius, and Fr. Len Hagel. I had talked to Fr. Krewski several times about my vocation, and he expressed an interest “to just find out” if he did. Then one day Fr. Krewski told me that Bishop O’Byrne would be in town and wanted to see me. When Bishop O’Byrne asked me why I wanted to be a priest, I remember replying, “My friends are leaving the Church and losing their faith. I want to help people to realise how much God loves them and how they need Him in their lives”. So when I was about 19 years old, I went to the seminary in Waterloo with the Resurrection Fathers. I was supposed to go to the seminary in London but it was too late for registration, so I went to the seminary in Waterloo, which turned out to be a great blessing. 

What’s the best advice ever given to you?
Best advice given to me was to take my time and discern in my heart in my relationship with God what my calling truly is, and not to do it for anyone, or anything, but God alone. I told the Blessed Mother, “I don’t know if I can do this” and I didn’t feel worthy, but I felt Our Lady telling me that God would give me strength and He would lead me.

Share your favourite prayer
The prayer of St. Ignatius “Take Lord, receive…” and the prayer of St. Dominic Savio. 

How to get closer to Jesus? 
This is what I learned through life experience and through prayer. You need to spend time with God, find a quiet place that you can go to and spend time with Him. Sometimes you might question yourself saying “What am I doing here”, but you’ll be surprised when and how you will be touched by God. Just be aware of Him. I also encourage people to read the lives of the Saints, which I did in my youth, and they influenced my life. “They are real people and their love of God reflects who they are. You know it’s not fake”.

Any message for those discerning a vocation?
Have an open mind and heart to God. They may not be led to the priesthood, but all vocations are beautiful. ‘Make time for God, have God in your life, and be a good steward. All vocations are important!”

I can’t believe it’s been 41 years. I thank God for what I have and the people who have helped me along the way, as well as all the parishes, and even the ones that gave me headaches because they helped me to grow. It’s not always easy and there are ups and down in life, but I am happy for who I am, where I am at, and whatever good God has done through me.
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Fr. Daniel Stevenot
Father Daniel Stevenot was born in December of 1953 in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. He was ordained a priest on September 5, 1980 at St. Patrick’s Church in Medicine Hat by Bishop Paul O’Byrne. In the summer of 1979, Father Stevenot served as chaplain at the Foothills Hospital. After his ordination, he went to St. Basil’s Church in Lethbridge as Assistant Pastor (1980-1983). Subsequently, he went to St. Luke’s Parish and was again assistant pastor (1983-1986) whereupon he was transferred to Sacred Heart Church in Oyen (1986-1990) and was the pastor there for the next four years. In 1990, Father Stevenot became pastor of St. Michael’s Church in Bow Island where he stayed until 1995. The parish of St. Catherine’s in Picture Butte and St. Mary’s in Champion welcomed Father as pastor from 1995-1999. Following this appointment, he served as dean in Lethbridge (1997-1999) and then was appointed pastor of St. Anthony’s in Drumheller (1999-2006). Father Stevenot was then transferred to St. George’s Parish in Hanna (2003-2006). After taking a sabbatical year, Father Stevenot was appointed pastor of Holy Family in Medicine Hat (2006-2007). From there, he went to St. Bernard’s Church (June 2007) as pastor and remained there until August 1, 2015 when he went to St. Mary’s Parish, Banff where he is currently serving as pastor.

Interview conducted by Anne Marie Brown, Catholic Pastoral Centre
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Consecrated life is not dying, it's renewing

2/11/2020

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Have you ever met someone that made a distinct impression? I think most of us could answer “yes.” Maybe that person didn’t do or say very much, but in their very presence or being, they made an impact, small or large.

I first encountered a religious sister when I was in kindergarten. It was during Lent. Sister (the sands of time have eroded her name) was kind and gentle, listened intently to our five-year-old selves, and really seemed to know about Jesus.

Until that day, I had not yet understood that Jesus had eventually grown from the baby I knew in picture books to the man who would eventually die on the cross for all of us. I remember feeling surprised and a little afraid of this new revelation, but Sister’s gentle demeanour and peace about the whole thing made me think that this grown-up Jesus must be quite wonderful, and then I was very curious.

A quick online search tells me that Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul were nearing the end of their ministry in my hometown. Though I can’t recognize that sister from the photographs, I carry the memory of the day she illuminated Christ for me. I eventually forgot about her – in fact, this memory didn’t resurface until I sat down to write this story – but the imprint on my heart, the one about grown-up Jesus never left me.

It is thousands of small moments like that one that mark the lives of many of us who live in the Diocese of Calgary – churchgoing or not – and exactly why a day of prayer for Consecrated Life is something to celebrate. World Day for Consecrated Life was founded by Pope John Paul II in 1997. Men and women renew their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in parishes worldwide.

“The vocation of consecrated men and women have been for our Church from her earliest days a living witness to the truth of the fact God alone is enough and it is ultimately He to whom we must cling now in preparation for an eternity of adoring Him forever,” said Fr. Cristino Bouvette prior to the renewal of vows at the St. Francis Xavier chaplaincy’s Mass.
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Consecrated Life Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral, Calgary - Photo: Fr. Mariusz Sztuk.
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Ascension of Our Lord School Grade 9 students retreat with Sr. Madeleine Gregg, fcJ at the FCJ Centre.
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Faithful Companions of Jesus Sisters enjoying their outing to Banff.
Spanning the front of St. Bernard’s church on the Feast of the Presentation, Calgary’s consecrated women, along with a few priests, echoed Anna and Simeon, whose words were shared in the gospel, in proclaiming God’s gifts and committing themselves to service of Him.

“I didn’t realize there were so many sisters in our diocese,” a friend said to me after we’d welcomed representatives from some of the 28 communities of consecrated men and women within the diocese. Neither had I, I admitted, scanning the mostly unfamiliar faces.

The answer to that may lie in the fact that many of them are continually at work with the poor, sick and marginalized, not on the doorsteps of suburban housewives. But if we made a little effort to venture downtown to the FCJ Centre, or west to Mount St. Francis in Cochrane we would find religious houses of peaceful retreat.

Walk into St. Mary’s High School and you might find Sr. Dianne Turner, Franciscan Sister of St. Elizabeth teaching a class. Throughout our city and surrounding communities there are men and women of varying charisms working and witnessing to the love of Christ.

Relatively new to Calgary, but friends with various parishes in our city are the Seeds of the Word Sisters, hailing from Brazil. Inspired by their community is Brittany Andreas, 19-year-old student at Mount Royal University.

After connecting with campus ministries, reigniting her faith and looking to the future, she thought “I need to be open to everything. I can’t force my own vocation.” She began visiting the Seeds of the Word sisters’ home with a few other students. Soon, half-hour visits turned to two-hour heart-to-hearts.

“Hearing the stories of how they came to consecrated life was really beautiful,” Andreas said,

“It was also inspiring to know that they didn’t have perfect backgrounds either, because we all have mistakes that we’ve made.”

I could relate, but was inspired by the courage that Andreas showed in considering the consecrated life. When I was the same age, I wanted to run away if a sister talked to me. Having few encounters with consecrated women in the flesh, my distorted view landed somewhere between my Dad’s stories of nuns reprimanding him in elementary school, the Sound of Music’s cloistered Carmelites and the singing nuns of Sister Act.  Like Andreas, it was when I had real-life encounters with consecrated men and women that I came to realize my fear was baseless.

In a conversation with Sr. Dianne Turner after Mass, I admitted to her that my impression of the consecrated vocation when I was younger and unmarried was that it meant being alone. I had many examples of Catholic wives and mothers to draw from, but not very many sisters.

“Really in the end we are not alone because the Lord is with us,” she replied,

“[We have] the angels, the saints, we are never alone. Even if we’re the only one left in our order, which will soon happen to me, but I don’t feel alone because the Lord is always with me.”

In my collective encounters with people like Sr. Dianne or the Seeds of the Words Community, I soon realized that consecrated life also means being a part of and serving a community, and that like in a marriage, that community becomes a family of love.

Sr. Dianne went on to say later in our conversation that what the young need is to pray and ask God what it is He wants. That is the very definition of discerning a vocation – listening for God’s voice. 

CCO missionary Chris Kokot, 24, like Andreas has been inspired by the sisters in Seeds of the Word community.

“I’m thinking about their sabbatical year after my commitment to CCO is finished,” he said.

Sharing about how he wants to pursue God’s call for him, he said, “I think the Church needs people who know Jesus in a personal way. Many people have barriers pop up for them when it comes to Church teaching, but people who truly know God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and live it out are what we need more of.”

Chris spends his days with CCO reaching out to students on our city’s post-secondary campuses, and getting to know them with the hope that they’ll come to know God.

“You can know about God, or you can really know Him. There’s a difference,” he said.

It is because of the similarities between charisms or gifts of CCO and the Seeds of the Word community that draws Kokot towards a possible time of discernment with them.

Young, real and welcoming were key words in the rest of my talk with Kokot and Andreas, who felt like they could relate to the young sisters who throw snowballs and watch the same sort of movies.

It is true that many of the religious we see in Canada are, as Sr. Dianne put it bluntly, “old.”

“But I can’t help that I’m old,” she said honestly, wishing that the young might see past the age of many of our consecrated and see the beauty in the life.

Her hope was to inspire women and men who might like to work in Canada, “there are so few sisters to start off with, and many young women, if they are called go online and find an order in the States.

“What we really need is the witness of religious life here.”

“There are so many wonderful orders,” she said of a few we discussed that are primarily in the United States, but we agreed that in our own nation, there is still good work to be done.

In that spirit, Sr. Dianne and the Assembly of Women Religious have a retreat planned on March 7 to encourage women age 16-35 to come and get their questions about religious life answered from sisters representing several communities.  

​It is with hope that we must look forward to a new generation of consecrated people, while we treasure the work and wisdom of the last.

Written by Jessica Cyr
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A welcome from Seeds of the Word Community

2/11/2020

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To be honest, when they first pitched the idea to me, I was already fairly certain that it wasn’t going to happen. “Would you ever consider travelling to Brazil, Father, to learn more about our community and experience our life?” Sister Mary Elisabeth asked me one day. Immediately turning them down proved not to be so easy, but I had my doubts about going. 
After additional time in prayer, discovering an utterly miraculous open block of time in my calendar precisely over the days the Sisters had invited me - with the bonus that my friend, Fr. Nathan Siray, former pastor and a friend of the Sisters was also invited - we decided to take the plunge! I could never have dreamed what God was already preparing for us down in Belém. 

I have sensed a growing need to better understand the unique charism of the Seeds of the Word Community considering their expanding presence in our diocese coupled with the growing interest of our young people in discerning with them. After less than five years in Calgary, there was already a young woman from the community of Vauxhall living in one of their communities and my trip down was going to afford me the opportunity to visit her and have some of my questions answered. 

Alissa Going was in Calgary to attend a day of prayer and discernment for women considering consecrated religious life in October 2014. In walked two sisters wearing their distinctive blue habits and white veils. Who were they? Alissa thought. Later, Sr. Mary Elisabeth would recount that they themselves didn’t know what they were doing at that retreat. Upon arriving in Calgary their only concern was tracking down a parish where they could attend weekday Mass and were delighted to be greeted by the familiar and smiling face of Sister Diane Turner, also surprised to meet young, habited sisters in her parish. Naturally, she invited them to attend the day of prayer with her several days later. For Alissa, that series of chance meetings would change her life.

After learning more about their community, she decided to take up their offer to travel down to one of their houses in Brazil to experience what they call the Sabbatical Year. I asked Alissa to tell me more about what the year entailed and with her warm smile that beamed peace and her eyes closed, clutching her bible and notebook she said, “It’s a time when anyone is invited to give a year of their lives to God and let themselves be transformed by His Word in the heart of the Seeds of the Word Community.” She compared it to going to a year in Bible School or at the St. Therese School for Mission in Bruno, SK. The rest is history. 
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For myself as our diocesan Director of Vocations, and for Fr. Nathan as Alissa’s former spiritual director, it’s hard to describe the joy we received having the opportunity, brief as it was, to witness Alissa’s life in the heart of the Seeds of the Word Community, but to also be welcomed into it ourselves. Pope Francis has often referred to God as a God of surprises. He surprised me with a trip to Brazil; He surprised Alissa with her vocation on a day of prayer; He has surprised the Seeds of the Word Community with the welcome they have received in the Diocese of Calgary. I can’t wait to see the surprises He has in store for us all through these Seeds! 

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Seeds of the Word Community in Calgary

Written by Fr. Cristino Bouvette
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My first year as a Deacon

2/11/2020

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

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

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

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

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

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Written by Deacon Laing for Faithfully
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The Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict (1955-2019)

6/26/2019

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The Ministry of the Sisters of the Order St. Benedict in the Province of Alberta (1955 to 2019)

In 1955 the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict in Arborg, Manitoba responded to a call to teach in the province of Alberta in the new R.C. Assumption School in the village of Oyen. Since that grace-filled call, the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict have continued to minister to this day in other areas of the province of Alberta.

Their call came on December 20, 1954, when Fr. Stephen Molnar, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Oyen, Alberta wrote a letter to Rev. Mother Dorothea, O.S.B., prioress of the  Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict in which he requested the services of two teaching Sisters for the newly established Assumption R.C. Separate School District #5- (October 1, 1954) in Oyen, Alberta. The parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish had taken a great leap in faith and courage when they had the first Separate School District established in 27 years outside the cities and towns of the Diocese of Calgary. Thus, while the school district became firmly established, and plans were moving forward for the construction of the school, the greatest need still had to be addressed which was to obtain the services of at least two teaching Sisters who would pioneer this brave venture.

To his grateful surprise, Fr. Molnar received a reply from Mother Dorothea dated March 3, 1955 which indicated that the Sisters would be willing to respond favorably to his request pending the receipt of further detailed information and a site visit.

Following this hopeful response, Fr. Molnar quickly contacted the R.C. Bishop of Calgary and plans were swiftly put into motion for the sisters to begin a canonically established branch house, known as St. Benedict's Convent in the village of Oyen, Alberta.

As in all great plans and dreams, when the four Sisters arrived in Oyen, Alberta, on August 24, 1955, they found that the new school and convent were not ready. Furthermore, neither would be ready till the following May. Sacred Heart Parish had purchased a three-story home from a local Hutterite colony and made plans to have it moved sometime in the future near the site where the school was to be built. In the  meantime, the Sisters would teach in the parish hall and church sacristy or wherever a space for a classroom was available, and they would live in the parish rectory.

The first four Benedictine sisters (as they were commonly known) that arrived in Oyen, Alberta were Sr. Cecilia Socha, superior and homemaker, Sr. Clementine Janicki, piano teacher who would provide private music lessons to pupils in the village, Sr. Mathilda Lucas, teacher and principal (grades;7-9), and Sr. Gerarda Pura, teacher (grades 1-6). Besides teaching, the latter two Sisters took care of the sanctuary and altar linens at the Parish church, prepared the children's choir for both Low and High Masses, went to the  three Mission churches (Sibbald, Youngstown & Sunnybrook, Alberta) each Saturday and Sunday to provide religious instruction to the children. For the first couple of years, these Sisters also provided the janitorial service in the school as the budget was not able to handle the salary for a janitor.

Within a few years the school population grew and soon there was a need for more teachers. By 1963 there were six sisters living in the convent and ministering where needed. In all, 26 Benedictine Sisters continued their various ministries in Oyen and surrounding areas until 1973.

Meanwhile, in 1963 Fr. Molnar was transferred to Calgary to start the new Parish of St. Cecilia in the south west area of the city. Since he was so pleased with the missionary spirit and cooperative work of the Sisters of St. Benedict in Oyen, Alberta, he dared again to send a plea to the new prioress of St. Benedict's Monastery in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Mother Clothilde Kolano. This time his request was for several Sisters to teach in the two R.C. Separate Schools located within the parish boundaries, namely, St. Cecilia's and  St. Matthew's Schools. Initially, five Sisters were sent to establish a convent in Calgary — Sr. Eleanor Grzymalowski (house superior & private kindergarten teacher), Srs. Lioba Broda and Imelda Koldesk (teachers at St. Cecilia's school), Sr. Gregory Koldesk (teacher at St. Matthew's school) and Sr. Christina Wenger (housekeeper).

Following the firm establishment of the second convent in the province of Alberta, the ministry of the Sisters of St. Benedict continued to flourish over the years mainly in the area of education. Their teaching in the two original elementary schools soon expanded  to teaching religion in various elementary, junior high and senior high schools in the Calgary Catholic School system (St. Mary's community school, Bishop Grandin, Bishop O'Byrne, Bishop McNally, St. Rupert's, St. Benedict's, Bishop Kidd, Holy Cross, St. Mary’s High School) as well as working as an itinerant teacher for the Calgary Catholic School Board with special needs children in the area of visually impaired and developmentally delayed students and as a consultant for the developmentally delayed students. Additional works of the Sisters included ministering as Diocesan Liturgical Director at the Calgary Diocesan Liturgical Office; Director of Religious Education and RCIA at St. John's and St. Patrick's parishes; parish ministry as pastoral assistant at St. Patrick's and St. John's parishes; as member of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission; provision of adult religious education in St. James parish, Okotoks and St. Michael's parish in Black Diamond; nursing at the Calgary General Hospital; serving as house attendant at Diakonos House South (a residential house to provide refuge for first responders during difficult personal circumstances) in Calgary and Diakonos House North in Edmonton; and providing spiritual direction, directing retreats and training new spiritual directors at Providence Renewal Centre in Edmonton.

This June 2019, marks the end of an era of Benedictine presence In Alberta. After 45 years of teaching, Sister Dorothy Levandosky is retiring from teaching, returning to her home at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
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Reflecting on the ministry of the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict in the province of Alberta over the last 64 years, one can see that their response to a call to Alberta and to the various ministries has come from their discernment to do God's will as a community and as individuals. Their mission to witness Jesus Christ is visible in their contemplative living, provision of hospitality, a daily rhythm of community and personal prayer and their reverencing ministry to all God's people within and beyond their community.
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Sr. Dorothy Levandosky, OSB
This Friday, June 28, 2019, Sr. Dorothy Levandosky, OSB will be heading home to Winnipeg to retire after 45 years of teaching. To contact Sr. Dorothy, click here. 
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Our spiritual father

6/5/2019

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Fr. Timothy Boyle, Vicar for Clergy
Roman Catholic parishioners the world over will spill out of their parish churches on Sunday, June 16 with an especially-cheerful mission. En route to family engagements seasoned with handmade cards and gifts for dads old and new, many will stop to wish their parish priests a heartfelt, “Happy Father’s Day, Father.” 
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It’s a tradition Fr. Tim Boyle of Lethbridge has appreciated since his ordination in 1974. While the secular notion of fatherhood “is a metaphor I never used to understand myself as a priest,” he admits the good wishes are gratefully accepted. 

Deacon Troy Nguyen is at a significantly different place in his priestly vocation. Nguyen, 31, will receive Holy Orders on Friday, June 28, 2019. While he will have to wait a year before he hears the “Happy Father’s Day, Father” of the June greeting, he and Boyle already hold one Father’s Day tradition in common; both of these Calgary-born-and-raised priests use the occasion to thank God for their dads—and to contemplate their roles in the Church.

Are you hungry?

Nguyen says his dad is a man of few words. “But when we’re together at home, he’ll ask me, ‘are you hungry?’ I’ve come to recognize that simple question as an act of love and care. He wants to know if I am OK if I need anything. In some ways, I think I will be asking the people I serve the same question, ‘are you hungry?’ meaning, ‘how can I help, what do you need?’”

It’s an analogy Boyle can appreciate. He remembers his dad with great affection and is thankful for the many fathers he’s met in the parishes he’s worked in across southern Alberta. Like Nguyen, Boyle sees his vocation—and that of the secular dad—as rooted in service to others.

Indeed, that notion of service nurtured Boyle’s calling to the priesthood. He had an uncle who served as a missionary priest. As well, Boyle’s family (his dad and the six children), pulled together to care for their wife and mother after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Volunteering at the old children’s hospital gave Boyle additional frontline experience with service. “Those were some pretty formative experiences. And then I discovered that words have power, and I learned I had some ability to take ideas and give them expression in a way that helped people.” That knowledge, combined with a lifetime of faith practice nourished in his family, brought Boyle into the priesthood. He was ordained at the age of 24.

Nguyen’s journey included a break from seminary studies to finish a Bachelor of Education at the University of Alberta. In addition to teaching, he spent some time in the banking industry. The priestly vocation was “something I found really difficult to do at first,” admits Nguyen. “I felt like I was giving up everything. Now I understand that Jesus is worth giving up everything for. When I see an icon of Jesus on the cross, I realize he’s telling me, ‘God is worth it.’”

As a priest, Nguyen will share that faith with the people he serves in the Calgary Diocese. Now based at St. Peter’s, Nguyen also has strong ties to Calgary’s Vietnamese community. He will be the first Canadian-born Vietnamese priest ordained in this city. “When people I’ve met tell me they hope I can be their father, I know they are talking about my spiritual role in their lives. Still, it’s humbling.”

Boyle’s own role in the Church changed in 2018. Stepping back from the role of the parish priest, he now serves as the Bishop’s Delegate to a Diocesan committee that follows up allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct by clergy. He’s also the Vicar for Clergy, where he helps the Bishop with priest assignments. These are dramatically different roles for the long-time parish priest, but he accepts the challenges with the heart of a willing servant who believes the grace of Christ means “there will always be this core of love to keep His Church alive.” 

In the same way that earthly dads take care of their children, Boyle sees God’s hand in the world. “Life is not in the hands of fate. It’s not in the hands of chance. It’s a divine story that has God as its beginning and God as its ending,” says Boyle.

Nguyen echoes that sentiment. As a priest, he recognizes that his vocation is a gift from God that he can nurture with his faith. “Really, what people are looking for is hope. As a priest, I want to help them find that.”
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Deacon Troy Nguyen will be ordained priest on June 28, 2019 - Feast of Sacred Heart of Jesus

Written by Joy Gregory
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Fr. Cristino Bouvette

6/5/2019

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Which man of faith in the Calgary Diocese inspires you in your vocation as husband and father? Michael Chiasson shared his father figure: 
​This question immediately made me think of my dad, his role and place in my life….However, because my dad recently passed away, I also look at those father figures around. Fr. Cristino Bouvette inspires me. One thing that I’m super thankful for is his heart of prayer, his heart of obedience and his heart of openness. Those three things challenge me as a father because I see him as a young priest that is super faithful, willing to risk for the vocation he’s been entrusted, and it immediately makes me look in the mirror and ask: Am I a man of prayer? Am I obedient to who I’m being called to love? Am I dying to myself? I see that in him so much, and it’s beautifully attractive but scary because — would I be willing to do that? The final part is openness. Something that might not even be his style, (music for example) he sees the heart and how God would use that even though it might not be his specific way.
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Fr. Cristino Bouvette at One Rock
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Michael Chiasson attends St. Michael Catholic Community with his wife and two children. He is a motivational speaker and founder of Access52 based in Calgary. 

Written by Sara Francis
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Good Shepherd Sunday

5/7/2019

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This coming Sunday is the Good Shepherd Sunday, or the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The second collection this Sunday supports the education and formation of our seminarians. To help promote awareness of the Good Shepherd Sunday and to encourage donations for Good Shepherd Sunday, please use the graphic below for your parish social media, AV media, website or bulletin. 
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Like my mother, I found my own path

5/1/2019

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Jessica Cyr & her family
When I was a little girl, I remember my mom talking about her career aspirations – the things she dreamed of doing before I came along – and how when I came, she decided that staying home with me would be better. I vividly remember looking up at my mother, who was the most wonderful person I knew and in my 4- or 5-year-old mind thinking, “I want to be just like you.” I often go back to this version of myself when I start getting anxious about the path I’ve chosen; to stay home with my children like my mom before me.
Last week I found myself having the conversation about “what I do,” with other women. A bunch of soccer-moms trying to make small talk leaves me a bit wary.

“I stay at home with my five kids.” I said, eliciting replies of “Wow,” and “Five? You have five children?”, and then “and do you work?” (the question I was dreading).

“I work,” I say carefully, “having five kids means there’s a lot of work.”

A somewhat uncomfortable laugh. “Oh, of course, there is. Five! I just can’t imagine. But before kids, what did you do?”

“My background is in journalism. Now sometimes I freelance on the side,” I say.

I sense relief as I share this. A collective sigh as I share what I’ve contributed to life beyond the home. I do mean that sarcastically, because though I highly respect meaningful work outside the home, I don’t see why it can’t be on equal ground with the meaningful work many other women and I do within our homes. Aside from my household though, I am privileged to have the time for mother’s groups, school volunteering, and to commune with other moms who stay home. Women are needed in so many roles, and the choices we have today are abundant. There is a bit of material sacrifice in staying home, but I say this as a woman with the choice that many others don’t have due to poverty. The few things we don’t have compared to the time with my children are small.

I don’t view my position in the home as one might view a typical job, so I don’t want to call it a career, but I so badly want to convey to others that it is fulfilling. If I said the word “vocation,” in the soccer-mom crowd, I’m not sure what kind of looks I would get. 

In explaining vocation, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (898) states that “it belongs to the laity” – that is people who are not priests or religious; ordinary people like your average mom – “to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them toward God’s will.”

That means that even I, an ordinary mother, have a role to play in the kingdom. In my endless laundry, in my nightly wakings with babies and in all of the budgeting, story reading, disciplining and other seemingly mundane things that I do in my home, there is the opportunity to “direct them” to God and His ultimate plan. 

I certainly know quite a few Catholic mothers whose vocation also includes a career balanced with home. But I think we must remember that mothers in any walk of life are not the sum of what they do, but that motherhood is wrapped up in womanhood and indeed humanity itself. 

St. John Paul II famously wrote a thank you to mothers in his 1995 Letter to Women, 

“You have sheltered human beings within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become God's own smile upon the newborn child, the one who guides your child's first steps, who helps it to grow, and who is the anchor as the child makes its way along the journey of life.”​

These important words have echoed in my heart since I began on my own mothering journey 10 years ago. Being the anchor and the guide is no easy task, but seeing those first steps, hearing those first words and having the luxury of time with my children is an immense privilege. Some days are hard, and it is on those days that I think “Was I ‘God’s own smile’ or was I Satan’s scowl to these children.” 

The great responsibility of raising four boys and a little girl is a heavy burden, which some days is eased only by the very idea that God’s grace is upon my husband and me to do it. It also eases my mind to know that even great saints struggled in this vocation:

“I could never have imagined how much I would suffer being a mother,” wrote St. Gianna Beretta Molla to her husband in 1958, “… It’s a good thing you’re more optimistic than I am so you can encourage me – otherwise, my morale would be almost below zero.”

St. Zelie Martin, mother of St. Therese of Lisieux wrote in a letter to one of her daughters, “I long for rest. I have not even the courage to struggle on. I feel the need of quiet reflection to think of salvation, which the complications of this world have made me neglect.” 

In some ways, life has grown only more complicated for mothers since the time of St. Zelie, but we continue to look for the very same things; quiet reflection, rest, balance.

I find solace in the community of women I’ve built over the years; people who understand what the Catholic faith teaches about family and vocation. Without these gracious and welcoming women, I might’ve thought that staying at home with children is not for me. Coffee flows in the homes of my friends, and an understanding ear is there when I need it. 

My mother converted to Catholicism when I was a child, and her example of fervent love for God and practice of the faith has shaped my motherhood. Hence, I also find encouragement within the Church I was brought up in. I’ve been blessed to encounter priests who smile on my family and welcome their noise and laughter, even in the middle of their homilies. I’ve been fortunate to have encountered those amazing people who will hold a baby, or just smile kindly at us when the children are being children. And in my role at home, it is my joy to bring the Church and its beauty to my children.

Written by Jessica Cyr, parishioner of St. Bernard / Our Lady of Assumption in Calgary.
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Rest in peace, Ted Andrew

4/30/2019

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Ted Andrew at Chrism Mass, April 2019. Photo: Bandi Szakony.
One of the humbling privileges of serving as the vocation director of our diocese is coming into contact with young men who sincerely desire to give their lives to our Lord and the service of His Church. I would like to briefly share with you the impact one such of those young men has had upon me in the last year and a half. 
 
You may recognize the young man in the photograph as the one who presented the oil to be blessed as Oil of the Sick only two weeks ago at the Mass of Chrism. He and I first came into contact over Skype while he was still serving on a NET Ireland team. He had been diagnosed with cancer there which threw a wrench in his plan to return home at the end of his missionary year with the hope to enter the seminary for our diocese. His doctors were confident that he would recover there and return home well. 
 
That never turned out to be the case, and although he did make it back to Canada, he went through a roller coaster ride of sickness and health. His longing for the priesthood never wavered but at the beginning of April, when his doctors prognosticated that he would have only three months to a year left to live, he resigned himself to the fact he would never be ordained. Nevertheless, I asked him to consider himself my "assistant vocation director", wherein he would unite his sufferings to the Cross of our Lord for the intention of many and holy vocations to the priesthood for our diocese. He was unwaveringly committed to this spiritual work. Being present at our Chrism Mass was an opportunity for him to feel a share in our presbyterate.
 
Much sooner than expected, our assistant vocation director, Ted Andrew, peacefully passed from this life in the early hours of an Easter Octave morning, April 25, with his loving parents by his side. 
 
He will be laid to rest in his hometown of Youngstown following the funeral Mass at Sacred Heart in Oyen on Tuesday, April 30. Please join me in offering your prayers and Masses for this spiritual brother of ours, that His Father will look upon him with mercy, and in His goodness, favourably hear his prayers for the growth of our presbyterate. 
Presentation of the Oil of the Sick at the Chrism Mass (April 15, 2019). 

Written by Fr. Cristino Bouvette, Director of Vocations
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The aftermath of World War II was my beginning

4/2/2019

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Sr. Carmelita Cusay, FMM, Catechist (middle) with First Communicants in St. Joseph's Parochial School in Manila, Philippines, 1961.
“I remember being four or five-years-old, walking through the ravages of WWII feeling determined to make something good out of the chaos, destruction, death and suffering brought on by what I think of now as a senseless war.

My outlook on life then and now was inspired by a devoted and loving dad and a dedicated and faithful mom. They taught me to love others as God loves you, be good to others as God is to you and to be a giver and let God give you as much as He is sure to give – these are the lessons that I tried to live up to. My thoughts of becoming a nun were triggered by the musicale that was part of our graduation in 6th grade. I was asked to sing my role in the song: “I wonder what I’ll be when I am big someday.” I was told to sing: “ I want to be a nun (3 x) when I am big someday.
Although on the inside I said, No, I don’t want to! My heart softly pondered on the thought. ‘Will Jesus want me? A nun?’ Throughout those High School and early College years – that question, now growing into a kind of song, became a strong force that led me to sneak hours after school to spend time before Jesus in the Eucharist at our church. Mom sensed my silence. Dad was confident that something beautiful was being nurtured in me.

Eventually, when I decided to leave home, it was not so easy to leave. I said Au Revoir as well as come and visit me. My dad eventually said to me, ‘why would I not offer my dear child back to God? She belongs to Him. She is ours as His gift and should we not offer her, to Him as our gift in thanksgiving?’ So, this has been my journey. Now I’m serving in Calgary with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM). There were rough roads, slippery roads, lots of smooth roads—a lot marked by many blessings.” 

If you would like to know more about becoming a nun, let's chat. 


​Sr. Carmelita Cusay, FMM | Religious Sister in Calgary
Caseworker for the Marriage Tribunal at the Canonical Services Department, Catholic Pastoral Centre. 
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Upcoming Ordination - Rev. Mr. Troy Nguyen

2/22/2019

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Most Reverend William McGrattan made an announcement on Friday, February 22, 2019, Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Apostle: 
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Reverend Mr. Troy Nguyen, having completed his studies through St. Joseph's Seminary and Newman Theological College in Edmonton, AB and currently serving at St. Peter's Parish, Calgary as Transitional Deacon, will be ordained to the Priesthood on Friday June, 28, 2019 at St. Mary's Cathedral at 7 pm. 

See photos from Deacon Troy Nguyen's Ordination to the Transitional Diaconate. 
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Deacon Troy Nguyen. Photo credit: St. Peter's Church.
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St. Bernard's parish welcomes the St. Francis Xavier Chaplaincy Centre

2/6/2019

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The moment I stepped into St. Bernard’s Church with one small child in tow and one gestating in my belly, I knew I’d be seeing more of the place. At a crossroads between our post-secondary days and life with a family, my husband Joseph and I were looking for a church to call home.

“Let’s go St. Bernard’s,” Joseph said, pointing out its 9 a.m. Mass time, ideal for our small child and in the community we’d moved to.  

I entered that Sunday with trepidation. I was a new mom with a toddler son who’d received a few annoyed glances at other Masses. We were elated and a bit surprised when people at St. Bernard’s just smiled at us and told us we were doing a great job, even though our toddler behaved exactly as expected – like a toddler. A smiling woman greeted us after Mass and offered us coffee and a cookie for our son.

That warmth and kindness was what made us stay. For almost eight years, we’ve been parishioners, welcoming three more children into our family and into the Church. It is that welcoming atmosphere that receives a new kind of young family – the church family that will be the St. Francis Xavier Chaplaincy Centre.

“It will be a tremendous addition to our community,” said longtime parishioner Nancy Steudler.

Nancy and her husband Chris began attending St. Bernard’s as a newly engaged couple in 1982. They too were welcomed by the parish and were married there in 1983. As their family grew to four children, they became leaders in parish ministries, contributing the life of the parish. They and many others expressed joy at welcoming young people from across the city to worship and keep the faith alive in this church.

During an information session for the parish, Fr. Matthew Emmelkamp, pastor at St. Bernard’s/Our Lady of the Assumption and Fr. Cristino Bouvette, Director of Vocations who will oversee the chaplaincy centre answered any questions that parishioners had.  Those in attendance seemed hopeful and mindful that young people are the future of the Church. 
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​At the inaugural Mass I had a sense of hope as I watched the pews fill with young people along with parishioners I recognized – a few being founding members of the parish.

Since Bishop McGrattan was a bit under the weather, he asked Fr. Cristino Bouvette to give the homily.

Fr. Cristino cited the Gospel for that day where Jesus says “nobody puts new wine into old wineskins.”

“With the loving concern and care as our shepherd, Bishop McGrattan has seen that this new wine needs a new wine skin” he said, referring to the students and young professionals, along with newlyweds and families who will access the centre.

Drawing again on the Gospel, Fr. Cristino, comparing the crowd to grapes, said “many of you have begun to experience being crushed by various means and methods, because the world has an infinite number of them. And you’re beginning to be strained and purified.

“But contained within you is a power; a power that must be harnessed. A power that must be properly and lovingly cared for and maintained in order that that rich wine will be yielded.

“That power is the power of your vocation; That way in which God from the beginning of time already orchestrated in His mind a plan for your heart that when brought to fulfillment would transform this world.”

It was in this spirit that the nearly-full church celebrated Mass together with the Bishop and many of our priests.  Afterward, the narthex was filled with a buzzing, joyful crowd.

The need for the chaplaincy centre has grown apparent as Catholic on-campus ministries at the city’s post-secondary institutions have stretched themselves to capacity, serving the needs of a growing contingent of young people, primarily 18-35-year-olds.
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“We’re not going to be a status-quo parish,” said Fr. Cristino, pointing to the transitional stages that students, young professionals and young families are in. The aim of the St. Francis Xavier Chaplaincy centre is to be an off-campus place of transition and a launching point for the future leaders of the Church. 

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“We’re about building missionary disciples,” Fr. Cristino said, expressing the hope that this centre will better serve the needs of a growing, vibrant community, working alongside ministries like CCO and the University of Calgary Catholic Community, while encouraging the young to go out and leave the community after a time of formation and build up the Church elsewhere.
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As a St. Bernard’s parishioner and mother of young children, it is exciting to see the next generation fill the church that has become my family’s home.  I look forward to watching the new ministry unfold with an abundance of hope in my heart for the future. My hope is that each young person who enters St. Bernard’s feels as welcome as I did nearly a decade ago.  

Written by Jessica Cyr
​Photography by Yuan Wang
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This is love, gathered 'round the kitchen table

2/5/2019

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Visitors to the Faba home may be surprised by the size and shape of the kitchen table. Where others might have a couch that faces a television, this family of 11 has a round table that spans 72 inches in diameter. This is where the family gathers for evening meals and in a month where the secular world pays lip service to messages about love, this family works to live it. Indeed, if red is the colour of love and the colour of a house might speak to what’s inside, the heritage red hue of the Faba home in southwest Calgary is right on the money.

Kari and Phil Faba, who married at 20 and 25, readily admit they didn’t begin their married life with a plan to have an extra-large family. “I would suggest that the one thing that made all of this happen, one child at a time, was that there was a love for the Church that allowed us to trust,” says Kari.

​Now parenting nine children ages 27 to seven, she and Phil talked to Faithfully about how they manage, as parents, to keep a love for Christ at their family table.
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Work-life balance

Kari’s got no shame in admitting she juggles faith-filled parenthood with paid work. But she knows where her priorities lie. Having worked full-time at a city bank until their third child arrived, she then moved to part-time work, taking night shifts opposite of Phil’s hours in the construction business. Looking ahead to her family’s future, she also partnered in a farmers’ market business that eventually became a full-time occupation.

These days, she and Phil own and operate that business outright. While they have full-time staff, The Stock and Sauce Co. at the Calgary Farmers’ Market is a seven-days-a-week enterprise and the Fabas are hands-on entrepreneurs.
The absence of firm boundaries between their marriage and their business partnership can be complicated. “It’s one thing to be married and then go off to your separate jobs,” says Kari. “We don’t have the luxury of comparing different job notes at night.”

​Here, faith helps them keep priorities straight, says Phil. “As Kari likes to say, in our marriage there is sacrament. In business, there is no sacrament.” Daily mass as frequently as possible, regular reconciliation, constant prayer. The Church, says Kari, “always has our best interests at heart.”
Quality time

Phil knows the notion of “quality time” with one’s children can come off sounding a bit corny. But he makes no apologies for how he and Kari make quality time with their kids a primary goal. In 2002, Phil took his first paternity leave when their son Thomas was born. “It was a totally different experience for me.” Taking responsibility for the home front helped Phil understand that while there may never be “enough” time, he would aim to know and love each child for his and herself. “Each one is different and you learn to nurture their strengths,” says Phil.

With the three oldest kids now living on their own (two own the house another brother rents a room in while attending university), Phil and Kari admit their parenting strategies have evolved with experience. Certain house rules, however, hold steady: All of the kids are involved in church, school and work; they participate in sports, but sit down to eat—together—every night; and they don’t leave family time to chance. By planning game and movie nights, they commit and recommit to being a strong presence in their children’s lives. 
Of trust, patience and faith

Phil admits that trust in God comes more easily to Kari than him and he is grateful for how her example strengthens her faith. “There were times when I worried: how am I going to feed them, how am I going to house them?” He also seeks to be more patient and admits, with a smile, “God gives me lots of opportunities to improve.” 
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Sitting beside Phil in their living room, one wall featuring a gallery-sized collection of school portraits, Kari smiles back at him. As she sees it, trust in God opens the door to what’s possible. “If we stay where it’s safe, we miss opportunities.”
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Written by: Joy Gregory ​
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Love for the refugees

2/5/2019

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We’ve all heard the clichés about life, lemons and lemonade. But what if it feels like God has made you responsible for a roomful of refugees who desperately need to learn to speak English and there isn’t a spare chair in any ESL class in the city? The Christian response, according to Sr. Ger Curran of the Faithful Companions of Jesus, is to pray about it—and then start your own lessons.

“Our intention was not to provide professional classes, but we knew these people needed to learn basic words and phrases if they were going to be successful here. We also knew they couldn’t wait, so our classes were based on what they told us they needed to do: get on a bus, see a doctor, go to a store.”
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That combination of prayer and action backstopped the development of the Faith in Action committee based at the FCJ Centre Christian Life Centre in downtown Calgary. Strengthened by their hands-on experience helping several Syrian families settle in Calgary, the committee was formed a couple of years ago “to reach out to people who live in what we call the ‘shadowlands,’” says Sr. Curran. A professional counsellor whose work at FCJ includes individual and family counselling, Curran says the two-year-old committee doesn’t “define shadowlands specifically. It’s really about a willingness to find the people who need the most help.”

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Sr. Ger Curran with her Syrian Godchild
Called to action

In the fall of 2015, a committee of St. Mary’s parishioners, the FCJ Christian Life Centre Staff and FCJ sisters answered a global call for help and sponsored one refugee couple and their child from Syria, says Curran. Less than a year into that project, the committee discovered three fundamental truths about the Christian reaction to refugee sponsorship. First, the 12-month commitment mandated under federal sponsorship rules isn’t nearly long enough for the people you’re helping; second, when the people involved open their hearts to the process, 12 months isn’t long enough for the volunteers, either; and third, when you start to help people who need a particular kind of assistance, you’re likely to meet more of the same. 

That last reality demands decisions about whether you step up or look away. “But it’s not really a choice,” admits Sr. Curran. “We do it because Jesus did it.”

The call to help more refugees arose soon after the group connected with the first family. As that family took its first steps towards settlement, Curran’s group found itself helping another Syrian family. Over time, they also helped two more. Since the newcomers all shared the same Melkite Greek Catholic tradition, it wasn’t long before members of the St. Mary’s and FCJ group were attending masses with the new Canadians. Determined to help the refugees develop relationships in their own cultural community, FCJ Centre also started to host an annual Syrian Christmas party with help from three Catholic schools in the downtown area, St. Monica’s, Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Mary’s. In 2018, that event attracted more than 130 people. It’s down from the 180 who came the first year, “but the people who come really enjoy it and the little ones love seeing a Syrian Santa.”

In addition to helping the Syrians connect with other Arabic speakers in the Catholic community, the group reached out to members of the city’s Turkish Muslim community. Called by their mandate “to live out of our abundant resources,” the FCJ Centre now invite their Muslim friends to an annual barbecue on the FCJ Centre grounds, says Curran. 
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​Fast forward to 2019 and Sr. Curran, admits her social calendar now includes invitations from the people she knows through her refugee work. In addition to being the godmother of one of the three new babies born since the families moved to Canada, Sr. Curran is invited to several birthday parties, including some for preschoolers. When she wants to see how one of the families is doing, she attends a Melkite mass where she can visit with them over coffee after the Divine Liturgy.
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Strengthened by the experience of working with the Syrian refugees, the Faith in Action committee is now reaching out to help others working with Yazidi immigrants to Calgary. Also refugees of the war in Iraq, these immigrants, mostly women, experienced horrendous abuse.

As Sr. Curran sees it, this particular group inhabits the shadowlands, for now. “We don’t know what they need, but we know they need us. That’s enough to step in and try to help. It’s about love and how do we live our fidelity to our faith.”
People interested in learning more about the Faith in Action committee, or the need for ongoing support to the refugees supported by St. Mary’s and the FCJ sisters can contact Sr. Ger Curran a the FCJ Christian Life Centre. 

​Written by Joy Gregory
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Gingco’s journey from an underground movement to his ordination

12/3/2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

​Written by: Joy Gregory
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Wedding day | Joseph & Nirmla Gingco
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Boy-meets-girl-becomes deacon

12/3/2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by: Joy Gregory
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Jubilarian Priests 2018

7/6/2018

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Celebrating 50 Years of Priesthood
Celebrating 25 Years of Priesthood

50 Years

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Bishop Frederick B. Henry
A native of London, Ontario, Bishop Frederick Bernard Henry was born on April 11, 1943; the eldest of five sons in the family of Leo and Noreen Henry. After finishing high school, he entered St. Peter’s Seminary, London. He became a priest on May 25, 1968. In 1971, he earned a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, and in 1973 a Licentiate in Theology with a Specialization in Fundamental Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. He was an Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy at St. Peter’s Seminary from 1973 - 1986 and Dean of Theology and Rector of St. Peter’s Seminary from 1981 - 1986. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of London and Titular Bishop of Carinola and ordained to the Episcopate on June 24, 1986. He was installed as the fourth Bishop of Thunder Bay on May 11, 1995 and installed as the seventh Bishop of Calgary on March 19, 1998. Bishop Henry’s episcopal motto, ‘Dabo Vobis Pastores’ (I will give you pastors) is taken from Jeremiah 3:15, which reads ‘I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding’. This was the motto of the seminary in London, ON where Bishop Henry taught before coming to Calgary. As Bishop, he was passionate about addressing abortion, euthanasia, the disregard of the poor, and the education of young people. He was motivated by his love for the priesthood and by the growing population of Calgary. On January 4, 2017, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Henry, and has appointed the Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of the Diocese of Peterborough, as his successor. 
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Rev. John Maes  
Fr. John Maes was born in Antwerp, Belgium in January of 1943. He went to Edmonton seminary and was ordained a priest on May 18th of 1968 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Calgary by Bishop Harrington. He served as the Assistant Pastor of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Calgary in 1968, followed by Canadian Martyrs in 1971. He went on to serve as Pastor of a number of parishes in the Diocese of Calgary, starting with Holy Cross Parish in Fort Macleod (1973-77), St. Andrew in Vulcan (1977-80), St. Augustine in Taber (1980-84), St. Basil in Lethbridge (1984-89) and St Thomas More in Calgary (1989-95). His last pastoral assignment was also his longest. He served as the Pastor of St. Patrick’s Church, Medicine Hat from August 1998 until his retirement on July 31, 2010. 
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Rev. Dominic Phamvanbao
​Father Dominic Phamvanbao was born on November 16, 1939 and was ordained a priest on June 1st of 1968. With the Diocese of Calgary, his first assignment was with the Vietnamese Catholic Mission from 1978-1981 as an administrator. At the same time, he was also the associate pastor of Holy Spirit Parish (1979-1981.) He served as pastor at St. Ann’s Parish (1981-84), Our Lady of the Assumption Parish (1986-89), St. Francis Church (1989-95), Our Lady of Perpetual Help (1994-95), Ascension Parish (1995-99), Holy Trinity (1999). Also, he took on associate pastor roles at Corpus Christi Church (1984-85), St. Gerard’s Parish (1985-86), and St. Vincent Liem from 2009 to 2012 when he was assigned to the Archdiocese of Vancouver. Upon returning to Calgary in 2015, he resided at St. Dominic Priory.

25 Years

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Rev. Jaroslaw Dziuba
Father Jaroslaw ‘Yarek’ Dziuba was born in 1965 in Chrzanow, Poland. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 29, 1993 for the Society of the Divine Saviour, an order which emphasizes the universality of the Christian vocation, animating lay people to live their baptismal commitment and to be witnesses of faith in their private and social life. Within the Diocese of Calgary, he has served as a pastor at St. James, Calgary (2007-12) and St. James, Okotoks (2012-16). Father Yarek is presently the pastor of St Joseph, Calgary where he has served since August 2016 and he is also the Dean of Northwest Calgary. Among many things, Fr. Yarek is known for his theological and deep understanding of the Divine Mercy.
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Rev. Paul Raj
Born in 1965 in Palayamkottai, Tirnelveli, Fr. Paul is seventh of eight children. He has five brothers and two sisters. He decided to join the Diocesan seminary after grade 10 but his parish priest then vocation director looked at him and said that he was too young. After Grade 12, he joined the Pallottines and became a priest after 11 years of studies. He was ordained on December 19, 1993 by Most Rev. Irudaya Raj, D.D., Bishop of Palayamkottai Diocese, Tamil, Nadu, South India. He completed his Masters in Pastoral Theology in the Philippines in 2001-2004. He then returned to India to continue serving the church as a pastor and shared his knowledge by guest teaching in the seminary for the next 5 years and offering Pastoral Theology classes to the lay people. His ministry highlights thus far as Pallottine Priest has the Church he built and a 27 class room high school. His first assignment in the Diocese of Calgary was at St. Cecilia in 2014 as an assistant pastor. Father Paul is presently the pastor of St. Cecilia in Calgary and has been since December 2014. He is also the Vice Superior of the Pallotines in Canada. 
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Rev. Albert Sayson
Father Albert Sayson was born in 1962 in Naga City, Philippines. He studied in a Catholic school run by Chinese priests. This school provided students a venue to grow in faith and to be involved in church work as altar servers or members of the school choir. He served as an altar boy right through his high school years and continued to work as a convent boy during his first year of university. After almost a year, he was encouraged by Fr. Joseph Chen to attend a vocation campaign search. Out of curiosity he participated in the gathering and following that began to pray for guidance to take the entrance examination to enter in the seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 8, 1993 in Taytay, Rizal, Philippines. He is presently serving on his first assignment in the Diocese of Calgary as the associate pastor of Holy Family, Medicine Hat where he has been since December 2014. In his own words he said “I am so grateful to all the people who have been supportive and prayed for me. It is in the Mass that I encounter Jesus who has guided me and who I have been celebrating Mass for 25 years for. I am still encountering Jesus with all the people who attend as I celebrate the Eucharist. It was at the Chrism Mass that I renewed my promise to serve God’s people and his church as I celebrate my 25th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. I am so grateful to celebrate my anniversary with other jubilarians in the diocese of Calgary.”
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Rev. Jacek Walkiewicz
Father Jacek Walkiewicz was born in 1967. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1993. One of the main motivations of his priesthood is his love for serving and being with his people. He belongs to the religious order Society of Christ. He was sent to North American province in 1995, not long after his ordination. He was in Chicago for 4 years working as the pastor for Holy Trinity Church. He then served at Sacred Heart, Guelph, Ontario, which was his longest tenure so far. After fourteen years, he served at St Cyril and Methodius in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for two years. In 2015, his Superior Provincial asked him to go to Canada. He was assigned as the pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Calgary. 
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Jubilarian Sisters of 2018

6/13/2018

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The Diocese of Calgary is proud to honour our religious sisters celebrating significant anniversaries this year!

70 years

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​Sr. Mary Clare Bednarik, SCSL | Sisters of Charity of St. Louis
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Mary Clare was born in Czechoslovakia in 1928. Her family immigrated to Medicine Hat, Alberta where she grew up with one sister and one brother. It was here, while completing her education, that she met the “Louies”. Mary Clare went to Levis, Quebec to join the Sisters, soon becoming bilingual. She professed her vows in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Following the completion of a B.A. and B. Ed, Mary Clare became an efficient and well loved educator in Saskatchewan and Burnaby, British Columbia. She was later led to use her skills as treasurer in the community’s Provincial Administration. In her own words, Mary Clare stated that “there was much to do in the Kingdom” so she embraced a variety of volunteer activities, sharing with many the gifts God had graciously bestowed on her over the years. This included 12 years in Oliver, BC with the Indigenous community and parish ministry, gardening and fruit gleaning with the Okanagan Gleaners ministry before retiring to Calgary in 2014. Mary Clare recognized and acknowledge the hand of God in every phase of her life. “The Lord called me from birth,  from my mother’s womb he gave me my name”, (Isaiah 49:1)… “…even to your old age I, the Lord, am the same, even when your hair is gray I will bear you” (Isaiah 46: 4).
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Sr. Dolores Blanchette | Sisters of Providence
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Sister Dolores says, ‘I was born in Girouxville, in a small town north of Peace River, where I was the second of five children. As far as I could remember, I always wanted to be a Sister Missionary. I became acquainted with the Sisters of Providence while working in the McLennan Hospital and I entered the novitiate in Montreal, in 1947. In 1949, I came back West and worked in different Missions. In 1977, I was sent to Egypt to open a mission along with two other Sisters from Quebec. In 1992 I came back to McLennan, Alberta and worked with the elderly there until my transfer here to Father Lacombe Centre in 2016.
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+ Sr. Anna Stauber, SCSL | Sisters of Charity of St. Louis
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Sister Anna was born in 1927 and raised on a farm near Success, Saskatchewan where she loved the farm life and all its activities. At St. Joan of Arc Academy in Swift Current she first encountered the “Louies”. By the next summer she was off to Quebec to join the community so beginning her religious life. Three years later, back in Saskatchewan, she started teaching, which she loved, and continued when she moved to Calgary. Later Anna began a missionary life in Ilo, Peru. It was there that she came to love simplicity of life and the poor.  On returning to Canada, she updated her theological and scripture studies at Newman College in Edmonton before undertaking parish ministry in Regina and Edmonton. She loved sharing faith and had a heart to share the Good News. In 1989 she joined the Native Ministry Team in the Oliver, BC  region where she spent 24 years with the Indigenous people and the parish in Oliver. To round off her experiences and her desire to “be evangelized by the poor” she spent 6 months in Haiti teaching English. Anna is now retired in Calgary. Anna is grateful for all the blessings God’s has given her over these 70 years.  “I was taught that God always has special blessings when we follow his lead – and I’ve found this to always come true for me”

65 years

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Sr. Marilyn Matz, FCJ | Faithful Companion of Jesus
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Sr. Marilyn Matz FCJ is celebrating 65 years of religious life in the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus. Marilyn was born and grew up in Empress, Alberta. She went to school to the FCJ sisters and entered the novitiate in Calgary. Marilyn taught Chemistry and Math in her earlier years. Subsequently she served the FCJ Society as Local, Regional and Provincial leader. Marilyn’s time in Igloolik, NWT/Nunavut was one of the happiest for her. Marilyn always liked scrabble and still plays some Saturday mornings.

60 years

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Sr. Bernadette Gaetz, SCSL | Sisters of Charity of St. Louis
Sister Bernadette Gaetz was born in Medicine Hat in 1939, one of four girls in a family of eleven. She entered the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis in 1956, became a teacher, and later a Home Economics teacher during which time she had the privilege of designing the Home Economics Room at McCoy High School in Medicine Hat. She became a member of her Congregation’s Western Formation Team, and then a General Councillor from 1994 to 2006, serving first in Rome and then in Montreal. At the end of this mandate she returned to Lethbridge, where she settled into retirement. Among the blessings of her life she counts her teaching years and her twelve years as General Councillor, because they gave her the gift of visiting and meeting our Sisters throughout the world. Sister Bernadette now lives in retirement in South East Calgary, filled with gratitude for the rich life which has been hers for over sixty years.
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Sr. Ria Gerritsen, SCSL | Sisters of Charity of St. Louis
“Ria” was born in Deventer, the Netherlands, immigrated to Canada with her family, and settled in Calgary. She completed her schooling there in Calgary, religious life formation in Medicine Hat, and her teaching training in Moose Jaw and Alberta. She taught for several years in Medicine Hat and Saskatchewan before launching forth for theological studies at Newman College in Edmonton. She was Directress of Novices for several years, then worked in parish ministry before undertaking further studies in Rome and sitting as a Councillor on the Generalate Leadership Team in Rome. While there she wrote the first biography of the Foundress written in English, entitled Led By Love: a Biography of Mother St. Louis. Upon her return to Canada, Ria has used her many gifts in parish ministry, translation work, archives management (both Diocesan and Community), retreat ministry and as a member of our Provincial Leadership Team. Now enjoying retirement in Calgary, Ria continues translating from French to English,  she follows  her passion for writing and has more time for quiet, contemplative life.  “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30-31)
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Sr. Patricia MacDonald | Faithful Companions of Jesus
Sister Patricia MacDonald is celebrating 60 years in the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus. Sister Pat grew up in St. Joseph’s Parish, Calgary.  After spending most of her teaching years elsewhere, she returned to the diocese for school and parish ministry in Oyen, Lethbridge and Calgary. On the “support staff” of the FCJ Centre and Sacred Heart Convent, Sister Pat helps to get things fixed and even manages to do puzzles and handwork. 
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Sr. Margaret Nadeau | Sisters of the Precious Blood
I was born in Medicine Hat and was baptized in St. Patrick’s Parish there. After attending school in the ‘Hat, graduating from St. Theresa’s Academy and then working for a  a few years,  I entered the Precious Blood Monastery in Calgary, near St. Ann’s Church, on October 3rd,  l955.  Part of my formation in religious life was given at the Calgary Monastery before I was transferred to the Central Novitiate of our Congregation in London, ON. I pronounced First Vows in London on April 30th, 1958, Feast of St. Catherine of Siena. In the 60 years of my religious life, I have enjoyed assignments to many Monasteries across Canada including London, Regina, Nelson, and Hamilton. I have also appreciated being  part of my home Precious Blood Community in Calgary where I presently live. It is a blessing and a privilege to  pray with and for  the Church of Calgary, the universal Church and the needs of all people.​ 

50 years

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Sr. Pauline Michaniuk | Sisters of the Precious Blood
I was born in Mission, BC in 1946. When the Fraser River started flooding my parents moved to Calgary in 1948. I was raised in St. Anne’s parish and attended St. Anne’s School. There I was involved in the school field days, which I enjoyed very much. Then I went on to St. Mary’s Girls High School. By this time I was working on the weekends and was involved with the Sodality of Mary. At the parish I joined the Catholic Youth Organization and the Legion of Mary.  Our family lived a block away from the Sisters of the Precious Blood Monastery. They asked if I would pick up their mail after school and take it to the mailbox. That was my introduction to the Sisters. I entered the Sisters of the Precious Blood on October 15, 1965, and made my First Vows on October 15, 1968 in London, ON.  I am happy to be back in Calgary after being away for 25 years. I have had many transfer throughout those years, which was for my growth and understanding of life and my life in Christ. The Lord Jesus has been my Shepherd, Guardian and friend all these years, and for the years to come.

25 years

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Sr. Ely Orolfo Nasol, DM | Daughters of Mary Mother of the Church Institute
Sr. Ely was born in the province of Albay in the Philippines in 1962 where she is the third of four children. For her secondary education she studied in a Catholic School run by the Benedictine Sisters where her vocation to the religious life was awakened. She wanted to be a missionary sister from an early age but the sisters told her to finish her university degree. After finishing her BS in Biology she started her teaching career but the call to the religious life became irresistible and she entered the convent in 1990. She believes that joining the Daughters of Mary was God’s will for her because she did not even know the name of the Institute when she entered in 1990. She pronounced her first vows in 1993. After finishing her years of formation she was given the opportunity to have further studies in the consecrated life in preparation for her assignment as Vocation Directress and later on as Directress of Novices. She was also given the opportunity to finish her Master’s Degree in Theology after her election as Secretary General of the Institute. In 2016, after finishing her second term as Secretary General and Councilor she received with joy her assignment to Canada. Like the Blessed Virgin Mary she wants to spend her life doing God’s will. In her own words she says, “If I have to waste my life, I will waste it by doing God’s will for me.”
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