EPARCHIAL NEWSLETTER Aug 2018

UPCOMING EVENTS

• During the month of September, the Eparchy of Edmonton conducts its annual Vocations and Seminary Collection.       “It takes a whole village to raise a child.”  It likewise takes the support of the whole Church to form a deacon, priest, religious, monastic and lay member for ministry in the Church. It also takes our support to offer on-going education and formation for those already in sacred orders or involved in lay ministry.

         The faithful can acknowledge the role they play in nurturing vocations by offering their financial support to help defray such expenses as formation programs, retreats, conferences, seminars, tuition, books, and room and board.

         The collection supports Holy Spirit Seminary, Edmonton; the Basilian House of Studies, Edmonton; the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate Novitiate, Winnipeg; Clergy Study Days; and the Eparchial Diaconal and Lay Ministry Formation Programs;

         The collection also assists the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies, Toronto, which serves the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada by providing academic and spiritual formation for our future Church leaders.

         Studying at Holy Spirit Seminary this year are:  

  • Subdeacon Cyril Kennedy (Doctoral Studies in Sacred Scripture, Catholic University, Washington, DC);
  • Roman Kobyletskyy (Theology Studies, Saint Paul University, Ottawa);
  • Julian Savaryn (Theology Studies, Newman Theological College, Edmonton)
  • Orion Wiebe (Philosophy/Theology Studies, Newman Theological College, Edmonton)

         The suggested donation amount is $25.00 per family.

         Thank you for your generosity!   May God bless you and your families!

   

• The annual Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church will take place from September 2-11 in Lviv (Briukhovychi). This year’s theme is “The Word of God and Catechesis,” which builds upon Vision 2020 and the Vibrant Parish Spiritual Renewal Program. Please pray for our bishops that the Holy Spirit may grant them wisdom and guide and bless their episcopal pastoral ministry, at service to the Church and for God’s greater glory.
• The 75^th Annual Plenary Meeting of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops will take place from September 24-28 in Cornwall, Ontario. Please pray for our bishops that the Holy Spirit may grant them wisdom and guide and bless their episcopal pastoral ministry, at service to the Church and for God’s greater glory.
• The 85^th International Holodomor Memorial Day will take place on November 24. For 85 days prior to the Holodomor Memorial Day, Ukrainian communities around the world will participate in an international action:  “Light a Candle in Remembrance!”, organized by the Ukrainian World Congress, Beginning September 1^st, the first candle will be lit in a Ukrainian city, and everyday in a different part of the world a candle lighting ceremony will take place.Light a Candle in Remembrance! will take place in Alberta at 7:00 pm, September 21, Saint Josaphat Cathedral, where a Panachyda will be celebrated, during which the names of 85 Holodomor victims will be read.  The event is sponsored by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Alberta Provincial Council.

  The annual Holodomor Commemoration will take place as usual at 12:30 pm, November 24, at City Hall, City of Edmonton.

• 2018 Presbyteral Council meetings:
  • October 29 (2:00 pm  – 4:00 pm, Providence Renewal Centre)
    

• 2018 Clergy Conferences:
  • November 2 (9:00 am – 1:00 pm, Providence Renewal Centre)
    
• 2018 Annual Clergy Study Days:
  • October 29-November 1 (Providence Renewal Centre, Edmonton).
    (Providence Renewal Centre, Edmonton). The 2018 Synod of Bishops has chosen for its main theme, “The Word of God and Catechesis.” Building upon this, Rev. Stephen Wojcichowsky will lead this year’s Clergy Study Days:   “Delving More Deeply into Christ Our Pascha:  the Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.”

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• On July 3, Pope Francis met with His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav, at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican. The meeting was held at the request of the Head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, on the occasion of the celebration of the 1030th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’-Ukraine.
• Last year, Pope Francis convoked the 15^th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to take place October 3-28, 2018 in Rome on the theme of “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment.”       Pope Franics has now published the working document (instrumentum laboris).
• The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops marks the 50^th Anniversary of Blessed Pope Paul VI’s Encyclical Humanæ Vitæ with a pastoral statement entitled “Joy of Married Love.”       Written in an accessible and uplifting style, it aims to inspire and provide encouragement to married couples, highlighting the promise of joy which is at the core of Humanæ Vitæ. This anniversary text also acknowledges the continuing implications of the Encyclical in today’s society as well as its centrality in Pope Saint John Paul II’s Wednesday Audiences on the Theology of the Body and Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Lætitia.

         The statement can be accessed on the CCCB’s website at the following link: The Joy of Married Love

• Each year, the Office for Evangelization and Catechesis (Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops) produces a resource for catechists. The theme of this year’s resource is What Do You Seek?        The resource has two purposes. On one hand, it is an invitation for catechists to consider the way in which discernment helps them as they strive to live out their vocation. On the other hand, in light of the upcoming Synod of Bishops on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment, it is an invitation for catechists to enter into dialogue with young people, to accompany them as they grow in faith and to help them as they discern where God is calling them. 

        Included in the resource are suggestions for blessings and the commissioning of catechists, links to reflections on faith, vocation and discernment, and easy to use PowerPoint presentations.

         What Do You Seek can be found on the webpage of the Office for Evangelization and Catechesis

• The Roman Catholic / United Church of Canada Dialogue has released a report on climate change entitled: The Hope within Us.       Since October 2012, the Roman Catholic / United Church of Canada Dialogue has met eight times to explore our Churches’ responses to the ecological crisis, with particular attention to climate change.

         The report explores the spiritual resources we hold in common as Christians for addressing climate change and working for ecological justice.

         The report can be accessed at the following link: Hope Within Us Report (PDF)

• Bishop David appointed Rev. Danylo Kuc as Pastor of Saint Vladimir Parish, Red Deer, for the period September 1, 2018 to February 2019. As previously announced, Father Danylo commences his assignment as Pastor of Saint George Parish, Edmonton.

NOTEWORTHY

Noteworthy articles covering recent events in the life of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Alberta:

• “It was meant to be: Bishop David returns to complete the grass roots of Saint Sophia Parish (Sherwood Park) Project,” by Jayne Buryn, Communications Director.
• “A home of our own:  Saint Sophia Parish’s dream comes to fruition,” by Ellen Yakimyshyn and Terry Oszust.

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