I was ordained in 1974 and served in parishes mostly in Southern Alberta. A notion of service nurtured my calling to the priesthood. I had an uncle who served as a missionary priest for many years. As well, my father and my five siblings pulled together to care for our mother.

​Volunteering at the old Calgary Children’s Hospital gave me additional frontline experience with service. Those were 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. The experiences that followed taught me that creation and notably human beings have the divine inscribed in them. God has taken flesh and continues to take flesh in our world.

I have discovered that truth again and again first in my family, in their love and laughter and care for each other. Then, in the good friends I have been blessed to discover along the way. I have slowly come to see that God has always been walking with me on the Emmaus Road, only it wasn’t to Emmaus, but to little places like Cranford, Wrentham, Cowley, Champion, and more recently Gameti, NWT.  

My uncle cautioned me: ‘Tim, never break another persons rice bowl.” Jesus had to tell Peter three times:  feed MY sheep. They are his sheep, not mine, and just like me they have their own weaknesses and often find their own way to divine nourishment. I have often forgotten that truth. I am grateful for all those with whom I have travelled the Emmaus Road. Your friendship and support have made the journey not just memorable but delightful…and always a joy. 

​Gerard Manley Hopkins put this discovery well in his poem: “As Kingfishers Catch Fire”:  “Christ plays in ten thousand places, Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his. To the Father through the features of [their] faces.”

Written by Fr. Tim Boyle for Faithfully. 

Read more:

• Celebrating Fr. Tim's 50th Anniversary
• Fr. Tim's Holy Week in Gameti, NWT

Fr. Timothy Boyle

• Ordained:  October 12th, 1974, St. Augustine’s, Taber
• Assistant:  St. Augustine’s, Taber (1974-1978)
• On Staff:  Sacred Heart, Calgary (1979-1981)
• Co-Chaplain:  Bishop Carroll High School, Calgary (1979-1981)
• Pastor:  St. Catherine’s, Picture Butte (1981-1986)
• Pastor:  St. Michael’s, Pincher Creek; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Waterton Lakes (1986-1993)
• Pastor:  Holy Spirit, Calgary (1993-2000)
• Pastor:  St. Patrick’s & Our Lady of the Assumption, Lethbridge (2001-2006)
• Pastor:  St. Basil’s, Lethbridge (2005-2006)
• Pastor:  All Saints, Lethbridge (2006-2012)
• Pastor:  Christ the King, Claresholm; St. Cecilia’s, Nanton; St. Mary’s, Champion (2012-2018)
• Appointment:  Vicar of Clergy & Bishop’s Delegate for Sexual Misconduct

I was born on May 22, 1957, the Feast of St. Rita, the patron of impossible cases. I grew up on the farm outside a small town: Eston, Saskatchewan; the second of 7 children in a very close Catholic family.

As a young child, my grandmother prayed that my brother and I might become priests but gramma passed away when I was about 10 years of age, and so the encouragement stopped. As a teenager, I thought about being a priest again, but the life of a priest did not seem that appealing — people can be very nasty to the priest. So, I chose a different route.

In 1975, I entered the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Campus and studied Engineering for one year, long enough to discover that it was not my profession in life. Still, the experience was profound in many ways and offered new ways of thinking and appreciation for architecture and design.

After taking a year off, I returned to studies at Medicine Hat College. College was much cheaper than university and so I studied there for two years before transferring to the University of Calgary to finish a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Personnel in 1981.

After graduation I worked for Hudson Bay, a marketing firm, as a buyer, Altitude Publishing as their Manager of Sales, then into the accounting field where I landed a position with the Banff International Hotel as their Controller and shortly there after as the General Manager. 
              
In 1990, I travelled through Europe for 6 weeks. During a stop in Rome, I attended the Wednesday gathering with Pope John Paul II in the Paul VI Audience Hall. At the close of the Pope’s address, Pope John Paul II walked down and greeted a number of people, I was one of the lucky ones to meet Pope John Paul II and talk with him. He asked where I was from and I told him:  “Calgary, Alberta, Canada.” He looked at me and then said, “The little one, he is the bishop there.” Bishop Paul O’Byrne was the bishop at the time, and when he traveled to Rome he traveled with the bishops from Edmonton and St. Paul who were both very tall men. After Pope John Paul II asked a few more questions, he placed his hands on my head and prayed over me, I was told later the prayer was for me to discern my vocation in life, which was strange to me as I was the general manager of a large hotel; I thought I had my vocation figured out.

Returning to Banff, I found myself reflecting more and more on what had happened, especially as Pope John Paul II only talked to one more person after me and left early as he was tired from his latest trip. My involvement in the church had always been there and I shared my experience with the pastor, Fr. Tom Garvey. Fr. Tom, who had arrived in Banff in 1984, had placed me on the Finance Committee, asked me to train the altar servers, and put me in charge of wedding rehearsals. Fr. Garvey became a sounding board for many questions and concerns. One concern was some people can be very mean to the priest, but I had discovered in the business world, people are not nice to the manager, to sales staff, to volunteers. Some people are just not nice, or as Fr. Tom put it, “We are all sinners in need of God’s mercy.”  Years later, Bishop Henry offered me similar advice: “Grow a thicker skin.”

In the early 1990s, Bishop Paul called for a synod in the Diocese of Calgary and I was placed on the Finance Committee for the synod.  This resulted in many trips to Calgary — no “Zoom” or “Teams” then.  One evening, while staying with my brother in Calgary, he looked at me and said, “Kevin, you’re doing so much for the church, why don’t you just sign up?”  So, in Lent of 1991, I applied to the diocese to go to the seminary to discover if God was calling me to be a priest, and for some reason Bishop Paul, “the little guy,” accepted me.

Seminary in many ways was a joyful time, the studies were amazing and challenging but mostly fascinating — why had I never heard this information before? Still, the greatest challenge of all was that I did not fit in. I was older than most of those with whom I was studying, and business and theology don’t mix in many minds. I had a minor in economics but when we studied the Economics of Christ, I was out in left field. Pastoral Care classes did not match what I had experienced in parish life, and nobody talked about Parish Finances or staff dynamics. 

Still in the midst of all of this a good friend, probably the best friend I have ever had, said something profound that has stayed with me, “What is the deepest desire of your heart?  Follow it.” I found myself writing poetry, waking up in the middle of the night with words running through my head, and if I fought, it just got louder, so I would get up write down what was running through my head and then go back to sleep, a very peaceful sleep. The poems are about journey and Mary and the words, “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will”.  Reading the poems over and sharing some of them helped to discern and accept God’s calling, but what really kicked it off was the last words on many of them, “Kevin, will you serve my people as a priest?”. My last year in the seminary was a constant message: “You don’t fit the image of a priest”. Having met many priests and even more since ordination, I am still perplexed as what the image of a priest might be. Still, it was recommended that I not be ordained to the priesthood. Bishop Paul sort of agreed with them but at the same time encouraged me to sign up for the Clinical Pastoral Education at Foothills Hospital. I completed a year of residency at Foothills and then Bishop Paul got me a position with the Calgary Catholic School Board as a chaplain. 
              
While I was with the Calgary School Board, Bishop Henry arrived in Calgary and after meeting with Bishop Henry, he agreed to place me at St. Mary’s Cathedral for evaluation and I was ordained to the diaconate on March 17, 1999, by Bishop Henry and ordained to the priesthood June 29, 1999, again by Bishop Henry. 

My first assignment was at St. Mary’s Cathedral as the associate pastor, but the day after being ordained to the priesthood, I was the acting rector of St. Mary’s Cathedral: Fr. Larry had left on holidays for a month.

​In June of 2000, I was notified that I would become the pastor of St. Albert the Great Parish in southeast Calgary and be responsible for building a church community and hopefully eventually a church building, and I should pray to my patron, St. Rita.

On August 15, 2000, at World Youth Day, I once again met Pope John Paul II and spoke with him. He, of course, had no recollection of me. This chance meeting in many ways was an affirmation of the call to serve God’s people as a priest.

I have attended WYD in 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2008 and a couple of in-between Youth Gatherings in Rome. I also have been privileged to lead numerous pilgrimages with groups from 12 to 50 people to Italy, France, Spain, Germany and, of course, the Holy Land. My great desire or “bucket list” item is to spend from Palm Sunday through Easter in the Holy Land. I have always found that a pilgrimage is far more restful and beneficial to my life and spirituality than a holiday. Holidays are fine, a pilgrimage is better. 

After 12 years at St. Albert the Great, Bishop Henry sent me to All Saints Parish in Lethbridge. Of interest: when I was working in the business world, my desire was to retire at 55. On May 22, 2012, the Feast of St. Rita, at the age of 55, Bishop Henry sent me to the retirement centre of southern Alberta. As he said, it was just for a few years to determine if a future direction for the parish could be found, and the golfing is good. Twelve years later, I am still here.

In October of 2023, I lead a pilgrimage group to Italy to visit the sight of Eucharistic miracles. This was a profound highlight in my life. I had been to many of them before but this trip for me was an immersion in the Eucharist. For me it was an affirmation of my faith and belief in the Eucharist, something I had never doubted. “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Jesus who takes away the sins of the world, blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.” And to top things off, a visit to St. Rita and the Eucharistic miracle of Cassia.

In January 2023, Bishop McGrattan proposed a project for Lethbridge to find a solution to our parish issues. After much research, study, surveys, and meetings, a proposal was offered to Bishop McGrattan on April 7, 2024, which was accepted with a few caveats. And so, my future is a bit clearer now. 

Fr. Kevin Tumback

• Ordained:  June 29th, 1999 — St. Mary’s Cathedral, Calgary
• Assistant:  St. Mary’s Cathedral, Calgary (1999-2000)
• Pastor:  St. Albert the Great, Calgary (2000-2012)
• Pastor:  All Saints, Lethbridge (2012-present)

A vocation requires faithfulness — a certain amount of determination and trust in God to see it through to its fruition. Fr. Joseph Canh Vu has certainly had his vocation tested, and it is his faithfulness to that vocation that has carried him through many trial.

Fr. Joseph was born in Vietnam in 1953, shortly before the country was partitioned into North and South, and baptized at St. Dominic’s Parish a week after his birth — it seems as though his vocation has been Dominican through and through. He is the youngest of four children from a Catholic family, and he credits his mother with developing his nascent faith life by inviting him to attend Mass every evening. He entered the minor seminary at age 12, where he was formed by the Dominicans, and gradually grew in the Dominican vocation, with time and with age. After a year of novitiate, which he describes as “real formation in the Dominican vocation”, he entered into further studies, professing his vows on the feast of St. Dominic, August 8th, 1973.

However, the political situation in Vietnam did not allow for Fr. Joseph to complete his studies. A year after the fall of Saigon, the Dominican house of studies in Thu Duc was seized by the Communist government, and Fr. Joseph was forced to return home. He then made the decision to flee Vietnam as one of the thousands of boat people — fleeing as a refugee on a boat from Vietnam before being rescued by a Norwegian vessel and brought to Japan. He remained in Japan for six months, before meeting the provincial prior of the Canadian province of Dominicans, who have had a mission in Japan since 1927. He was accepted to come to Canada to finish his studies, and arrived in Montreal on May 21st, 1980. Assigned to Ottawa in September of 1980, he undertook his studies at the Dominican University College of Ottawa, being ordained to the priesthood on May 20th, 1984, one day shy of his fourth anniversary in Canada.

Upon ordination, Fr. Joseph served in a number of chaplaincies in Ottawa, including the Vietnamese Catholic community, and St. Vincent Hospital. His time at the hospital was spent “growing in Canadian culture”, being present to the patients at the hospital, giving consolation to people who are sick and helping them to believe in God’s love. At the same time, a significant part of the ministry was also being present to the doctors and nurses of the hospital, helping them overcome work stress. After retiring from hospital ministry, he was assigned to St. Vincent Liem Parish in Calgary, where he was tasked in building the new church in Forest Lawn — a lesson in patience as he asked for help and contributions.

When asked about how to grow in our relationship with God, Fr. Joseph stresses the primacy of turning our regard to Him. Whenever we feel empty in our hearts, we must turn to God. This emptiness can come because we are very busy; without time for the Eucharist, our hearts are empty. In his experience as a hospital chaplain, he has seen that when hardships come, particularly health issues, we realize we need spiritual help — when people become injured, they have time to reflect on their futures and their life with God. 

In the development of vocations, Fr. Joseph believes that parents hold the key as the first teachers of the faith. Basic formation always starts with parents, and so a call to a life of service in the Church starts in the home.  He also stresses the importance of spiritual reading and prayer in order to build religious knowledge as part of the spiritual life. As well, he considers our relationship with others to be the measure of our spiritual life. These are the three pillars of the spiritual life for Fr. Joseph — reading, prayer and service. Through all of this, a constant source of strength for Fr. Joseph has been steadfast faithfulness to the Dominican life. The Liturgy of the Hours and Mass with his confreres at the priory have been his spiritual bedrock, which have helped him overcome all kinds of difficulty. 

​Fr. Joseph’s journey has been something of a saga, from Vietnam, through Japan, to hospitals in Ottawa, and now ministering in the midst of downtown Calgary. Yet through it all, his faithfulness to his vocation is what allows us to celebrate his forty years as a priest.

Fr. Joseph Canh Vu, OP

• Ordained:  May 20th, 1984, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church, Ottawa
• Chaplain:  Lycée Claudel, Ottawa (1984-1986)
• Chaplain:  Vietnamese Catholic Community, Ottawa (1984-1991)
• Chaplain:  St. Vincent Hospital, Ottawa (1986-1991)
• Further Studies:  1991-1993
• Chaplain:  Vietnamese Catholic Community, Ottawa (1993-2001)
• Chaplain:  St. Vincent Hospital, Ottawa (1993-2009)
• Pastor:  St. Vincent Liem, Calgary (2009-2016)
• Pastor:  St. Francis of Assisi, Calgary (2018-present)

Read more:

• St. Francis of Assisi: Spiritual Refuge in the City
• A Shrine to Our Lady Lavang

Practice the Faith: At home with your family

​Led by a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd catechist, this interactive workshop series equips families with practical tools to grow in faith during Advent. Through prayer, scripture, meaningful discussions, and hands-on activities, families will learn to create sacred spaces and devotional items at home, turning the Advent season into a joyful, faith-filled journey that draws all family members closer to Christ.

​St. Paul’s Parish in Airdrie began the 40 Hours of Adoration for Vocations on Sunday, Sep 22, with the 11 am Mass and concluded on Tuesday, Sep 24, at 3 am. During this time, at least two or more parishioners were signed up per hour, in addition to the many parishioners who dropped in.

We are very thankful for the encouragement of Bishop McGrattan and Fr. Derek Remus in organizing the 40 Hours of Adoration for Vocations in our Calgary Diocese. This sacred silence is really needed within our parish and the world.

We received a lot of positive verbal feedback, as well as emails from parishioners of all ages, inquiring if we could have Adoration more often. Adorers included parishioners from Airdrie, Crossfield, and North Calgary. It was especially wonderful to see families with young children come to adore Jesus, even if only for shorter periods.​

Thank you to everyone who helped organize our 40 Hours of Adoration and to the many Adorers who came out to spend time with Jesus and to pray for Vocations. Special thank you to Fr. Thomas Vadassery for his ongoing support.

Written by Scott Dixon. Scott lives in Calgary with his wife Caroline and three children. He is a parishioner at St. Michael's Catholic Community and a member of the Parish Renewal Team |  Photos courtesy of Scott Dixon and Mike Fitzsimmons.

Written by Sr. Dianne Turner, Assistant Vocations Director.

​For more information about Consecrated Virgins or Religious Life in our Diocese, please contact Sr. Dianne in the Office of Vocations. Photo: Office of Vocations, 2024.

Forests and oceans, mountains and lakes—there are so many miracles of nature where humans can tangibly experience the beauty of God's world. As we look around, we can witness His power, omnipotence, and selfless love. ​​

At our daycare, outdoor time is not simply recess but an integral part of the curriculum. Our playground connects to the garden, where we frequently observe children's interest and natural desire to be in and learn about nature. It is simple proof that we are designed to participate in the work of creation and partner with God in managing our world. The garden is where we engage all our senses, develop understanding, test our abilities, and learn about collaboration, effort, and dedication.

Through the natural processes in the garden, children have a unique opportunity to explore and learn about the seasons and the life cycle of plants. This hands-on experience deepens their understanding of the natural world and fosters a sense of wonder and appreciation. They also discover God's grace as they pray for rain, sun, and wind. It's an exciting journey of discovery that we are thrilled to share with you.

Caring for the garden helps shape children's sense of responsibility and pro-ecological attitudes, fostering skills such as organization, time management, and accountability. They learn that the earth provides food and that it must be cared for because our well-being depends on the health of the planet.
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Young children are receptive and enthusiastic learners, and when given the opportunity, they often surprise us with their remarkable understanding of the garden's lessons.

As educators, we are proud of the children’s learning journey and grateful for the support of parents and the community. We are confident they will carry the experiences of planning, nurturing, harvesting, and rejoicing in God's blessings into many areas of their lives. In a way, they are our garden, where we daily admire the mystery of life and collaborate with God in shaping a hopeful future for our world!

"Many families had to leave their homes to escape violence and start anew," he shared, with a heartfelt gratitude for the support they received in their new homeland. He spoke of the responsibility each person holds to be the salt of the earth by living out their faith and sharing it through love and service.

Fr. John’s message resonated deeply with the diocesan call to Renewal— to embody a community of encounter and witness. "We are called to show our faith to others through our experiences and our love," Fr. John reminded the congregation, ​

Rob & Christa

Rob, an accomplished chemical engineer, and Christa, a beloved high school science teacher, live in a Calgary bungalow with their loyal cat, Ryann. They enjoy wine and good food, card games, gardening, camping, hiking, and biking in and around Canmore. 

The couple first met on a hike with 20 mutual Catholic friends 14 years ago. Rob had just moved to Calgary after participating in a local mission with Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO), a university campus movement that he joined while studying at the University of British Columbia.

“I don’t know, was that just me dreaming, or was that me getting pulled into the afterlife? I don’t know, but it was pretty wild,” said Rob.   

​Rob lived life well and to the full after childhood cancer, building good friendships and approaching life with humour and wit. 

​Christa can testify that he doesn’t get worked up about the little things. “He really just ‘lived’, which I think is remarkable, considering all that he went through as a child,” she said.

Rob’s involvement with Catholic Christian Outreach in his last year of university and upon graduation as a young professional is where he learned how to deepen his faith and develop a personal relationship with Jesus.  ​

Subscribe to Faithfully now | Faithfully keeps you updated with what's happening in our Diocese; it also gives a snapshot of faith at work in the lives of everyday people in our Diocese; and provides us with opportunities to spread the Good News of Christ beyond the walls of our churches.

If you have been admitted to any of Calgary’s hospitals and would like the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, you can contact your parish priest or call the Diocese of Calgary Call Centre at 403-231-9505. This service is available for Alberta Children’s Hospital, Foothills Hospital, Peter Lougheed Hospital, Rockyview General Hospital, and South Health Campus. 

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Earlier this year, a group of thirty parishioners at St. Luke’s Church, Calgary, embarked on a great adventure: reading St. Augustine of Hippo’s masterpiece The City of God. 

​The book study was organized by the Legion of Mary, a lay association whose members seek union with Jesus through Mary and strive to practice the spiritual works of mercy. One of the spiritual works of mercy is to instruct the ignorant, and one way of instructing the ignorant is to provide people with an opportunity to read and discuss good books.

The Legion of Mary organizes two book studies at St. Luke’s each year. The decision to read The City of God was made after someone heard an unnamed priest talk about the book in a homily. Those who participated in the book study began reading The City of God in January and finished in June; each week, they met to discuss what they had read. Though some found the read challenging at first, everyone ultimately found it very rewarding, and readers obtained many insights into the beauty of the Catholic faith and how to live as a Catholic in today’s world.  

Written by Carlo Peregrina, Sacred Heart Parish Filipino Mass Ministry Coordinator. Carlo was born in Bulacan, Philippines, earned a philosophy degree in 2010 and served in various apostolates. Now living in Calgary, Canada, with his wife Trisha and their three children, Carlo works as a Retreat and Program Coordinator and actively serves at Sacred Heart Parish. Photos courtesy of Rodel Lozano, Joey Guinto, and Jimmy Ang.

As a bishop, one of the challenges is finding regular opportunities to be more present in the parishes. There is the yearly celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. The recognition of a special anniversary of a parish such as the celebration of St. Boniface German Parish’s 70 years of the dedication of their church this past weekend. I have also introduced the practice of making a three-day pastoral visit of a parish since coming to the Diocese and have completed over 35 visits to our urban and rural parishes as of this year. 
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On August 1, the yearly pastoral moves occur in the Diocese. It is at this time that some of the priests are asked by the bishop to accept a new parish assignment in the Diocese of Calgary. For the faithful, it is sometimes difficult to see a priest leave the parish, however, it should also be a sign of his obedient generosity in recognizing the needs of the diocese and of the commitment which he made at the time of his ordination. In transferring a priest to a new parish, it also offers the bishop the opportunity to go to the parish community to install the priest as pastor in an order of service that is known as a Mass of Installation.

The reaction of the parishioners at the conclusion of this Mass is always interesting. Some are intrigued that they have never witnessed such an order of service. Others are moved by the symbolism that the relationship of the priest to the parish community represents a commitment of pastoral and sacramental service which is shared with the parishioners and that is somewhat also analogous to that of marriage. I also say at the Mass that if I am the one who has made this pastoral move then it is important for the bishop to come to the parish as a further sign of support for the priest as well as the parish community.
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At the very beginning of the Mass, immediately after greeting the faithful, the bishop invites the congregation to be seated and then a member of the parish pastoral council comes forward to ask the bishop to install their new priest formally ​as pastor of the parish. The bishop then asks that the official letter of appointment be read to those present in the church. The parishioners then stand and sing the Gloria as a response of thanksgiving. Following the Liturgy of the Word and the homily, the Order of Service of Installation begins. 

The priest standing beside the bishop leads the faithful in professing their faith in the Nicene Creed. He then states his personal witness of faith by acknowledging that he believes with religious submission of will and intellect everything contained in the Word of God and that which has been handed down in Tradition through the Magisterium regarding the teaching on faith and morals. The priest then continues with an Oath of Fidelity stating that he will preserve communion with the Catholic Church, carry out with great care and fidelity the duties toward the Church, hold fast to the deposit of faith, hand it on and explain it, avoid any teaching contrary to it, foster the common discipline of the Church, and faithfully assist the diocesan bishop, so that the apostolic activity, exercised in the name and mandate of the Church be carried out in communion with the Church. He then concludes this oath by placing his hand on the Book of the Gospels that is held the deacon and states, “So help me God, and God’s Holy Gospels on which I place my hand.” 

At this point in order of service, a procession led by a cross bearer then leads the priest and the bishop to the places within the Church where the sacraments are celebrated. It begins at the baptismal font, moves to the confessional or reconciliation room, to the ambry which contains the blesssed oils for the sick, continuing to the pulpit where the scriptures are proclaimed and the prayers of the faithful read, to the altar where the Eucharist is celebrated, and finally, the priest is taken to the celebrant’s chair where he is reminded of the symbols of his ordination in the stole and chasuble that he wears. It concludes with the bishop reminding the priest to offer his generous priestly service to the parish that is now entrusted to his pastoral care. 

I have come to see that the Installation Mass of the Pastor, for those parishioners who are present, is a catechetical opportunity to see the importance of the sacraments in the life of the parish as being the responsibility of both the priest and the faithful. As the bishop, it offers me the opportunity to be present in a parish to acknowledge the ministry of the priesthood and the witness and the sacrifice that all of the priests in the Diocese make in serving our parishes with a spirit of generous obedience.
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I ask for your prayers for all of our priests, especially for those who are taking up new pastoral assignments this year. In the spirit of our Diocesan Pastoral Renewal, please also pray for our seminarians, who in discerning God’s call, they may respond with that same generosity of heart as they prepare to become ordained priests in the future.  

The following priests were installed as pastors in their new parishes: 

• Rev. Vijaya Bathineni, August 18, 2024, as pastor of St. James, Okotoks
• Rev. Marino Infante, August 17, 2024, as pastor of St. Michael's, Pincher Creek
• Rev. Cristino Bouvette, August 24, 2024, as pastor of Sacred Heart, Strathmore
• Rev. Tadeusz Jordan, SDS, August 25, 2024, as pastor of St. Joseph's, Calgary
• ​Rev. Pawel Andrasz, August 31, 2024, as pastor of St. Peter's, Milk River
• Rev. Joseph Glaab, OFM, September 1, 2024, as pastor of St. Mary's, Cochrane
• Rev. Eligio Canete, September 7, 2024, as pastor of St. Mary's, Brooks
• Rev. Domingo Bongalos, September 14, 2024, as pastor of St. James, Calgary
• Rev. Fabio DeSouza, September 15, 2024, as pastor of ​St. Peter's, Calgary

Photos courtesy of Miranda Bunarto, St. Joseph's Parish in Calgary; St. James' Parish in Okotoks; Sacred Heart Parish in Strathmore; Frank Buendia, St. Mary's Parish in Brooks; Annie Chirka, St. Peter's in Calgary; and St. James' in Calgary.

One of our challenges in building a more vibrant parish community is that our attendance at Mass is sparse, with many of our parishioners being elderly. On Tuesday evenings, there is Eucharistic adoration for an hour before Mass. Father Joe started the adoration as part of the Renewal Process, and it has been well received. The Rosary is prayed before weekend Masses. The Knights of Columbus host a pancake breakfast once a month, providing an opportunity for parish members to fellowship after Mass.

Another aspect of Parish Renewal is the team (six of us, including Father Joe) starting a "Potluck with Padre" on the first Saturday of every second month, after the 5 pm Mass. Those who attend have enjoyed coming together to share a meal and visit. We are also organizing a Bible study, which will begin in late September.

We are blessed to be part of the Renewal process in this diocese. We look forward to enriching our faith and growing in our sense of Christian community.