Policy for inviting Bishops, Priests, Deacons or Lay Speakers into the Diocese of Calgary

Invited speakers to the Diocese of Calgary help further the mission of the Church. The following is the procedure to follow before extending invitations to guest speakers who will address conferences, workshops, retreats, rallies, etc., or are sponsored by the Diocese, or under the auspices of any Catholic association, agency, institution or facility to lead retreats, talks etc.

1. All guests, including Bishops, priests, deacons or speakers must have the express permission of the Bishop of the Diocese or the Chancellor. The first step in the procedure, is to write to the Bishop of the Diocese of Calgary, addressed to the Chancellor requesting permission to bring in such a person. In addition to the letter or email to the Chancellor, a reference form must be filled out for the individual you are inviting under one of the following categories: Catholic Clerical Faculties, Permission for Lay Catholics or Religious, or Permission for other Christians and non-Christians.
   When applying for this approval, your letter should include the following:
   1. Relevant dates
   2. The ministry the individual will be engaged in
   3. A short biography of the person and their qualifications
2. Once you receive permission from the Chancellor, you may then procede to invite the individual to the Diocese. 
3. When all arrangements are in place, a letter will be issued from the Chancellor acknowledging faculties or giving permission to the individual.
4. This procedure takes time, so please ensure that you send your application well in advance. Requests are only accepted by letter and not by word of mouth or telephone.

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Download Forms

• Lay speaker permission form 
• Non-Catholic and non-Christian Speaker Permission Form​
• Request for faculties for non-diocesan clergies

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