Fr. Bob Bedard's Vision for the Church

What would a Church, explosively alive, look like? How can we form priests who see the goodness and potential in people to evangelize the world? These were some of the questions Fr. Bob Bedard reflected on early in his teaching career.

Being asked by the Archbishop of Ottawa to help found St. Pius X Boys’ High School was not something Fr. Bob ever imagined he would do. In fact, he never wanted to set foot in a high school again after a very negative experience as a transitional deacon. However, there he was, off to become a teacher! His vocation as a teacher and principal in a Catholic high school would prepare him for an even greater mission, founding one of the most solid seminaries the Canadian Catholic Church has ever seen. Now, 40 years later, the Companions of the Cross continue to lead the way in forming priests who are deeply rooted in faith and relevant to the lives of people in today’s world.

I met Fr. Bob on the steps of St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa when I was 19 years old. I shared that I was studying science at the University of Alberta and planning to become a dentist, and he exuberantly said he had thought he was going to be a dentist too! Little did I know that after that encounter, Fr. Bob would send me a personal letter inviting me to consider the priesthood and the Companions of the Cross, along with his first book, We Are All Called to Be Companions of the Cross.

Within a few months, I had renounced my academic golf scholarship and other scholarships to the University of Alberta, renounced the ways of the world and the pursuit of success, and decided to give my whole life for the Gospel and Eternal Life—to seek the Lord and, hopefully, become a Catholic priest and serve Him all the days of my life. It was a very exciting time.

 My seminary formation gave me the gift of human and spiritual formation to evangelize the world. The charism of the Companions of the Cross is evangelization, especially to the youth, the poor, and alienated Catholics. We were trained to meet people where they are and introduce them to Jesus. Our preaching at Mass was to be dynamic, relevant, insightful, and inspiring.
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One of the best ways I can describe Fr. Bob is that he was like a Catholic Billy Graham. When he spoke, he had everyone’s attention. Fr. Bob Bedard was a chosen soul, called to bring authentic Catholic renewal to Catholic schools, the priesthood, the lay faithful, and the entire universal Catholic Church.
 
I welcome you all to be inspired on Saturday, Nov 1, at St. Mary’s Parish in Cochrane, AB. We will begin at 7 pm, and the movie about Fr. Bob’s life runs for 75 minutes. After the film, there will be a short interview with Ryan Schmidt, Brian O’Neill, and Nicolas Simoni. We hope and pray that this event will spark deeper renewal and inspiration within all our Catholic schools, parishes, and throughout our entire diocese. 

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Written by Nicolas Simoni.