Blog Archives

10/29/2021 0 Comments

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 31, 2021

Our Lady of Peace Parish
Also Serving Our Lady of the Smile parish, Waterhen Lake and
St. Jude’s Parish, Green Lake
Office Hours For Parish Secretary: Monday - Friday: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Office Hours For Fr. Doug: Tuesday - Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Office Phone: 306-236-5122
Cell Phone: 306-304-7271
Parish Email: olpsecretary@sasktel.net Pastor Email: olpmlpastor@sasktel.net
Facebook: Catholic Church Meadow Lake
Website: https://www.meadowlakecatholicchurch.com/
Address: 504-3rd Ave. East, Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1H5

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.” Psalm 18 Refrain

October 31, 2021 - 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Our Vision:
A Community of Disciples
Our Mission
We commit to form disciples who joyfully and faithfully
live out the mission of Jesus Christ
by enriching our relationship with God and neighbour
through the intercession of Our Lady of Peace.
Pastor:
Fr. Doug Jeffrey, OMI
Parish Secretary:
Lorraine Thibeault
Pastoral Council Chair:
Doris Beaubien

In Saskatchewan, the nurses and doctors in our hospitals and Intensive Care Units continue to struggle to accommodate the sick. People we know in our communities continue to fall sick, suffer and, in some cases, die. Our average daily case rate and death rate are among the highest per capita in Canada. Getting vaccinated is the best thing we can do to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Please encourage one another to get vaccinated. Wearing masks, sanitizing, social distancing and limiting the size of gatherings also help. Let us be safe and care for one another. Please be aware that if you HAVE NOT been vaccinated and you choose to join us for liturgy, you are EXPOSING YOURSELF TO SERIOUS RISK because of the COVID-19 virus.

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, MASKS ARE REQUIRED WHEN YOU ENTER THE CHURCH and the PARISH OFFICE! The next Songs at Seven will take place on November 4 at 7:00 pm. Catholic TRC Healing Response Appeal in English and French https://www.padiocese.ca/news-articles

All Saints Day, Monday November 1 – Mass at Our Lady of Peace Parish at 6:30 pm
All Souls Day, Tuesday, November 2 – Mass at St. Jude’s at 12:30 and at Our Lady of Peace Parish at 6:30 pm. You are invited to write the names of your deceased loved ones on paper and bring them to the parish and place them in the basket before the altar.
The doors to the Parish Office will be replaced on Wednesday, November 3. The Parish Office will be closed. Please make note of this on your calendars.
God is doing something mighty among the nations, and we get to be part of it with every Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift we pack. National Collection Week (Nov. 15-21) is coming quickly. Christmas Shoeboxes: Contact Pat or Rhys Beaulieu at 306-236-5959 to get your shoebox to fill, or pick one up at the back of the church, or come to the Parish Office during office hours (2:00 pm-4:30pm Monday through Friday.)

Mass Intentions
When there is a funeral, the daily mass will be cancelled. Check Facebook for the most up-to-date information. Tuesday to Friday and Sunday the masses will be livestreamed on Facebook.

Mon., Nov. 1 – All Saints’ Day – 6:30 pm – (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - Personal Intention
Tues., Nov. 2 – All Souls’ Day – 12:30 pm – (St. Jude’s Parish, Green Lake) and 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - +Barry Pethick by Jane & Ed Weber
Wed., Nov. 3 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - +Marlene Boyer by Theresa Tourand
Thurs., Nov. 4 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - Frey Family by Geoff Frey
Fri., Nov. 5 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - Frey Family by Geoff Frey
Sat., Nov. 6 – 7:00 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church, ML) - Anonymous
Sun., Nov. 7 – 10 am (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - People of God

2022 Catholic Women’s League Membership Fees of $30 are now due. Please drop off your payment in the collection basket in an envelope clearly marked with your name and CWL or in-person at the Parish Office Monday to Friday, 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. Note: the office is closed on Wednesday, Nov.3, 2021.

Message from the Finance Council: The Finance Council met on October 20th and reviewed what has been happening in the parish since June. The following are some highlights from the meeting. Fr. Doug will be posting the job of Parish Secretary as soon as possible. The Council has begun to prepare a 5-year plan for the parish regarding maintenance and finances. This is a work in progress and will be brought to the parish for feedback and clarification.
When we reviewed our Financial Statement, we noticed that, not surprisingly, our income is down from previous years. Our expenses are also down from what was budgeted. Due to the vandalism of various Churches across the country our Insurance Premiums have increased significantly (75%). As you may have noticed, we have done a lot of work on our Church yard; work that was needed. We budgeted $3,000.00 but we have spent $10,000.00 – the bulk of the cost was for the gravel mix and the grading needed to build up the slope on the west and east sides of the Church to facilitate drainage away from the Church and for the fencing around the rectory. The costs – soil, gravel, bricks, and edging used inside the rectory yard are paid for by Father Doug.
More specifically, as of October 8, 2021, here is where we are in reference to our budget.
We had budgeted $88,700.00 total income for the year. We had budgeted total expenses of $103,700.00.
As of October 8, our total income is $77,926.50 and our total expenses are $89,350.96. Our major source of income is our Sunday donations. We budgeted income of $80,000.00 from our Sunday Envelopes and we have taken in $63,445.42 as of the beginning of October.
If anyone would like to see a detailed financial statement, please feel free to contact Fr. Doug or Pat Bencharski and make arrangements accordingly.

Regarding a donation to the Northwest Community Lodge for the furnishing of a room. As a Catholic Parish it is important that we are engaged in the life of the Community according to our ability. Many of our Elders (Family and Friends) are residents of The Lodge. As a parish we have decided to donate the money needed to furnish a room at The Lodge. The $12,000.00 we donate will provide the following: new beds with many functions to support each resident’s need, new mattresses, bed side tables, chairs, built in desk and closets in each suite. Each resident will have their own private washroom as well.
Parishioners are invited to make a donation to the parish: Make it payable to “Our Lady of Peace Parish” and indicate it is for “Furnishing a room at NCL”. When we reach $12,000.00 the parish will make a contribution to the Northwest Community Lodge Association. Your donation will be added to your envelope total and your envelope will be receipted as per usual. If you have any questions, please contact Fr. Doug or Pat Bencharski!

THE BISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL: “To Serve and Give His Life”: We sometimes need to remind ourselves that God has given us all the resources, and we are but stewards of what we have been given. The ability of the Church to be fruitful in today’s world is dependent on the willingness of the faithful to nourish the church with our gifts through such things as the Sunday collection and the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. Please give generously as you are able.

Diocesan Pastoral Council Update: Join us on Saturday, October 30, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to noon via Zoom to attend the Diocesan Pastoral Council (DPC). This year’s topic is the worldwide Synod called by Pope Francis to create a new springtime for the Church, a time to dream about the Church we are called to be, to bind up wounds, to weave deeper relationships, to learn from one another, to build bridges and restore strength. Please see the Diocesan website at padiocese.ca and click on the ‘Register for the DPC’ for more information about the Synod or to register to attend the DPC from your home computer.

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY: Thank you for answering your baptismal call to witness for mission on World Mission Sunday!

What Are We Waiting For? Finding Meaning in Advent and Christmas. Wednesday, November 17, 2021 – 7:00 p.m. Fr. Richard Leonard, SJ will be joining us via Zoom to help us prepare for the holy seasons of Advent and Christmas. Through a series of stories and reflections, we will be invited to reflect anew on the gospel stories heard during these days. If you want to take part in this presentation from the comfort of your own home you can do so by using the following link to REGISTER or you can join us here in the Church to watch the presentation. In this case, please contact the parish office (306-236-5122).

If you have difficulty registering, please contact the Parish Office. Fr. Doug will register those who choose to gather in the Church, and he will be here for all the presentations.

What’s your Catholic IQ?   Last bulletin’s question and answer: The Second Vatican Council took place in (c) the 1960s. This Council had a major impact on the Church as we know it today.
This week’s question: Catechists are (a) the underground burial chambers of the early Church (b) those who teach the faith (c) those preparing to be baptized (d) categories of sins. [p.21 #9]

Scripture Insights – 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Source Book for Sundays, Seasons and Weekdays 2021: The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy, LTP Liturgy Training Publications Copyright 2020, 3949 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609, pg. 374. Jesus’ departure from Jericho signals the beginning of the final journey to Jerusalem and the passion that awaits him there. Mark takes a break from his terse writing style to describe the healing of the blind Bartimaeus in detail.
“Love God and love your neighbour” captures the essence of Jesus’ message. Today’s First Reading contains a passage known as the Shema Israel (“Hear, O Israel,” Deuteronomy 6:4), the central statement of belief of the Jewish people. A high point in the synagogue service still today is the recitation of these words. There is only one God, and God alone is Israel’s God. This belief calls forth a total dedication to God with your heart, your soul, and your strength—God must be loved with our entire being.

A scribe (someone well trained in interpreting the Jewish Law) comes to Jesus in today’s Gospel with a question: “Which is the first of all the commandments?”

This was a much discussed question in Israel at that time, with two main schools of thought: Rabbi Shammai was very strict, while Rabbi Hillel was more pastoral and taught that the whole law is summed up in the words “What you hate for yourself, do not do to your neighbour.” Against this background the scribe wishes to see where Jesus stands. Jesus quotes the words of the Shema Israel but goes even farther by adding a second part: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (from Leviticus 19:19). By bringing together these two commandments, Jesus makes an important point. While he upholds the Old Testament, he also offers a clear way of interpreting the numerous laws—through the lens of love: love God and love your neighbour as yourself. Jesus offers us today a path to follow in life: love of God and love of neighbour should direct every action. When faced with decisions in life, our first question must always be: How does the law of love of God and neighbour influence this situation?

The Ten Commandments, at their core, boil down to love. When a person loves God, he will keep the Sabbath holy and will not take the Lor4d’s name in vain. When a person loves her neighbours, she will not steal from them or lie to them. Each of the Ten Commandments falls under loving God and/or loving others. The Shema is a basic understanding of God that is explained in today’s reading from Deuteronomy. The children of Israel passed down this teaching to each generation. Jesus is the one sacrifice whose salvific act is our saving. He is both priest and lamb. When the Sadducees tried to trick Jesus into blasphemy about the most important of the commandments, he gave an answer that is the sum of the commandments and one that we still call on today; both are a prioritization of love.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The following excerpt is taken from the documents produced by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It is taken from the History (pp 15-16) of the document entitled “What We Have Learned” and accessed at the following website: https://nctr.ca/records/reports/#trc-reports.
The Imperial Context: The whole part of the residential school was a part of a bigger scheme of colonization. There was intent; the schools were there with the intent to change people, to make them like others and to make them not fit. And today, you know, we have to learn to decolonize. — Shirley Flowers, Statement to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada43
The mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada requires it to report on “the history, purpose, operation and supervision” of Canada’s residential schools. These schools were part of a process that brought European states and Christian churches together in a complex and powerful manner. The history of the schools can be best understood in the context of this relationship between the growth of global, European-based empires and the Christian churches. Starting in the sixteenth century, European states gained control of Indigenous peoples’ lands throughout the world. It was an era of mass migration. Millions of Europeans arrived as colonial settlers in nearly every part of the world. Millions of Africans were transported in the European-led slave trade, in which coastal Africans collaborated. Traders from India and China spread throughout the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, bringing with them indentured servants whose lives were little different from those of slaves.44 The activities of explorers, farmers, prospectors, trading companies, or missionaries often set the stage for expansionary wars, the negotiation and the breaking of Treaties, attempts at cultural assimilation, and the exploitation and marginalization of the original inhabitants of the colonized lands.45 Over time, Indigenous children in places as distant from one another as East Africa, Australia, and Siberia would be separated from their parents and sent to residential schools.46
The spread of European-based empires was set in motion in the fifteenth century when the voyages of maritime explorers revealed potential sources of new wealth to the monarchs of Europe. The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs and the Incas gave Spain, and ultimately all of Europe, access to the resources of North and South America. This not only enriched the Old World, but it also unleashed an unceasing wave of migration, trade, conquest, and colonization.47 It marked the beginning of the creation of a European dominated global economy. Although it was led initially by Spain and Portugal, this era of imperial expansion came to be directed by Holland, France, and, in the end, most stunningly by Britain.48

DIOCESAN NEWS & BEYOND

Synod 2021-2023 For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission: This will be a regular feature in our parish bulletin going forward. Information regarding the Synod and our involvement in it will be found here. Excerpt taken from Paragraph 6 on pp 8-9 https://www.synod.va/en/documents/english-version-of-the-preparatory-document.html . “6. This situation, which, despite great differences, unites the entire human family, challenges the Church’s ability to accompany individuals and communities to reread experiences of mourning and suffering that have unmasked many false certainties, and to cultivate hope and faith in the goodness of the Creator and his creation. However, we cannot hide from the fact that the Church herself must face the lack of faith and the corruption even within herself. In particular, we cannot forget the suffering experienced by minors and vulnerable people “due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons.”4 We are continually challenged “as the People of God to take on the pain of our brothers and sisters wounded in their flesh and in their spirit.”5 For too long the cry of the victims has been a cry that the Church has not been able to hear sufficiently. These are deep wounds that are difficult to heal, for which forgiveness can never be asked for enough and which constitute obstacles, sometimes imposing ones, to advancing in the direction of “journeying together.” The whole Church is called to deal with the weight of a culture imbued with clericalism that she inherits from her history, and with those forms of exercising authority on which the different types of abuse (power, economic, conscience, sexual) are grafted. It is impossible to think of “a conversion of our activity as a Church that does not include the active participation of all the members of God’s People:”6 Together let us ask the Lord for “the grace of conversion and the interior anointing needed to express before these crimes of abuse our compunction and our resolve courageously to combat them.”7”

32nd ANNUAL MICHAEL KEENAN LECTURE, St. Thomas More College: Save the date for the 32nd Annual Michael Keenan Lecture at St. Thomas More College with Saskatchewan author and naturalist Trevor Herriot, Thursday, November 4th, 7:30 pm. Register for in-person and live-stream options at https://bit.ly/Keenan2021STM. The topic of the lecture is “Hunger at the Banquet: A Faith and Justice Lens on Food, Land, and Colonialism on the Prairie”.

Gift Card Scam: The Bishop and Diocese have been targeted in a scam. The scam uses the Bishop’s name to scam gift cards. This is not the Bishop’s email address and the Diocese does not have project going on of obtaining gift cards for persons in need. Someone is using the Bishop’s name to fraudulently gain money. Please do not respond to the email, just delete.   This is what the scam email looks like:

From: Stephen Hero md@wittinglegals.org
Date: Mon, Oct 25, 2021 at 2:31 AM
Subject: ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF PRINCE ALBERT
To:
How are you doing? Are you available at the moment? I need your assistance to handle a little project. Can you please handle this for me on behalf of the Organization? The ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF PRINCE ALBERT is requesting gift card donations to assist Veterans at hospice care welfare with patients who have been negatively impacted by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every gift helps provide resources that will stabilize a Veteran and ensure a positive upward trajectory during this critical time. I have decided to make it a personal duty and I'll be responsible for the reimbursement of cards bought. Kindly confirm if you can help out.

0 Comments

10/23/2021 0 Comments

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 24th

Our Lady of Peace Parish
Also Serving Our Lady of the Smile parish, Waterhen Lake and St. Jude’s Parish, Green Lake
Office Hours For Parish Secretary: Monday - Friday: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Office Hours For Fr. Doug: Tuesday - Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Office Phone: 306-236-5122
Cell Phone: 306-304-7271
Parish Email: olpsecretary@sasktel.net Pastor Email: olpmlpastor@sasktel.net
Facebook: Catholic Church Meadow Lake
Website: https://www.meadowlakecatholicchurch.com/
Address: 504-3rd Ave. East, Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1H5

“The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” Psalm 126 Refrain

October 24, 2021 - 30h Sunday in Ordinary Time (World Mission Sunday)
Our Vision:
A Community of Disciples
Our Mission
We commit to form disciples who joyfully and faithfully live out the mission of Jesus Christ
by enriching our relationship with God and neighbour through the intercession of Our Lady of Peace.
Pastor:
Fr. Doug Jeffrey, OMI
Parish Secretary:
Lorraine Thibeault
Pastoral Council Chair:
Doris Beaubien

In Saskatchewan, the nurses and doctors in our hospitals and Intensive Care Units continue to struggle to accommodate the sick. People we know in our communities continue to fall sick, suffer and, in some cases, die. Our average daily case rate and death rate are among the highest per capita in Canada. Getting vaccinated is the best thing we can do to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Please encourage one another to get vaccinated. Wearing masks, sanitizing, social distancing and limiting the size of gatherings also help. Let us be safe and care for one another. Please be aware that if you HAVE NOT been vaccinated and you choose to join us for liturgy, you are EXPOSING YOURSELF TO SERIOUS RISK because of the COVID-19 virus.

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, MASKS ARE REQUIRED WHEN YOU ENTER THE CHURCH and the PARISH OFFICE!
The next Songs at Seven will take place on October 28th at 7:00 pm.
Catholic TRC Healing Response Appeal in English and French  https://www.padiocese.ca/news-articles
Feel free to join us for the Rosary at 11:30, Tuesday-Friday. The Church will be open for an hour. come and pray the rosary together or alone. Please take note of the intentions for the month of October. If you do not feel comfortable gathering with others, you can pray the rosary at home for the intentions listed. Let us ask Mary to intercede for us!
God is doing something mighty among the nations, and we get to be part of it with every Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift we pack. National Collection Week (Nov. 15-21) is coming quickly. Christmas Shoeboxes: Contact Pat or Rhys Beaulieu at 306-236-5959 to get your shoebox to fill, or pick one up at the back of the church or come to the Parish Office during office hours (2:00 pm-4:30pm Monday through Friday.)

Mass Intentions
When there is a funeral, the daily mass will be cancelled. Check Facebook for the most up-to-date information. Tuesday to Friday and Sunday the masses will be livestreamed on Facebook.
Mon., Oct. 25 - Personal Intention
Tues., Oct. 26 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - +Ernie Hofer by Jane & Ed Weber
Wed., Oct. 27 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - +Flora Lavallee by Theresa Tourand
Thurs., Oct. 28 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook - +John Weber by Jane & Ed Weber
Fri., Oct. 29 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook - +Lena Weber by Jane & Ed Weber
Sat., Oct. 30 – No mass today
Sat., Oct. 30 – 7:00 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church, ML) - +Christopher Tourand by Theresa Tourand
Sun., Oct. 31 – 10 am (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - People of God
Sun., Oct. 31 - 12:30 pm (St Jude’s Church, Green Lake) - People of God
Sun. Oct. 31 – 3:00 pm (Our Lady of the Smile Church, Waterhen) - People of God
October – Rosary Project: During October, the Our Lady of Peace Church will be open from 11:30 – 12:30 Tuesday - Friday for people to pray the rosary. Whoever gathers can decide who leads. Sanitizer will be available. We ask those in attendance to select one person to sanitize after the gathering. All people are invited to come (masked, social distancing).
October 23 – For educators and all who work in our schools
October 24 – In gratitude for our grandparents
October 25 – For those who suffer because of racism
October 26 – For truth and for reconciliation
October 27 – For all immigrants and refugees
October 28 – For the gifts of faith, hope and love
October 29 – For those who struggle with their mental health
October 30 – In gratitude for the founding families of our parish community
October 31 – For our parish community that we might welcome those who are most in need
Diocesan Pastoral Council Update: Join us on Saturday, October 30, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to noon via Zoom to attend the Diocesan Pastoral Council (DPC). This year’s topic is the worldwide Synod called by Pope Francis to create a new springtime for the Church, a time to dream about the Church we are called to be, to bind up wounds, to weave deeper relationships, to learn from one another, to build bridges and restore strength. Please see the Diocesan website at padiocese.ca and click on the ‘Register for the DPC’ for more information about the Synod or to register to attend the DPC from your home computer. You may attend in person at Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake (for the Meadow Lake Cluster of Our Lady of the Smile, St. Jude and Our Lady of Peace). If attending in person, contact the parish office at 306-236-5122 by Wed., Oct.27.   Continue to watch our bulletin for more information.

THE BISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL: “To Serve and Give His Life”: Doing the little things in life in God’s name can be a great way for us to take the steps necessary to become a better disciple. St. Therese Lisieux once said, “You know well enough that our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love at which we do them.” Please give generously to this year’s Bishop’s Annual Appeal.

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY: Today is World Mission Sunday and every Catholic community and parish throughout the world is involved in this special event. It is a day when we demonstrate that we are missionaries with a role to play in spreading the message of the Gospel. We are sent to be witnesses to the world of what we have seen and heard, through our prayer and personal sacrifices. The financial assistance you offer on World Mission Sunday, will support mission priests, religious sisters and brothers, and catechists who are Christ’s witnesses to a world in need of His love, healing and peace. As always, your prayers are your most treasured gift to the missions. Thank you for your prayers and donations on this World Mission Sunday.

What Are We Waiting For? Finding Meaning in Advent and Christmas. Wednesday, November 17, 2021 – 7:00 p.m. Fr. Richard Leonard, SJ will be joining us via Zoom to help us prepare for the holy seasons of Advent and Christmas. Through a series of stories and reflections, we will be invited to reflect anew on the gospel stories heard during these days. If you want to take part in this presentation from the comfort of your own home you can do so by using the following link to REGISTER or you can join us here in the Church to watch the presentation. In this case, please contact the parish office (306-236-5122).

5-Week Advent Virtual Bible Study – Wednesdays - Nov. 24, Dec. 1, 8, 15, & 22 at 7:00 p.m. This bible study will begin the week following Fr. Richard Leonard’s presentation. The bible study content will be the Advent Sunday and Christmas Eve Gospels and our method will be Lectio Divina and small group sharing. Lectio Divina (Latin for "Divine Reading") is a traditional monastic practice of scriptural reading, meditation, and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's word. To take part in this program from the comfort of your home, please click on the following link to REGISTER or contact the parish office (306-236-5122) if you would like to join us in the Church.
If you have difficulty registering, please contact the Parish Office. Fr. Doug will register those who choose to gather in the Church, and he will be here for all the presentations.

What’s your Catholic IQ?   Last bulletin’s question and answer: Our Pope’s name is: (b) Francis. From Wikipedia on October 19, 2021, we learn: Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Dec.17, 1936, is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 2013. Francis is the first pope to be a member of the Society of Jesus, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first pope from outside Europe since Gregory III, a Syrian who reigned in the 8th century. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked for a time as a bouncer and a janitor as a young man before training to be a chemist and working as a technician in a food science laboratory. After recovering from a severe illness, he was inspired to join the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1958. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969, and from 1973 to 1979 was the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He led the Argentine Church during the December 2001 riots in Argentina. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on February 28, 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on March 13. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Throughout his public life, Francis has been noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, international visibility as pope, concern for the poor and commitment to interreligious dialogue. He is credited with having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors….
This week’s question: The Second Vatican Council took place in (a) the 1760s (b) the 1860s (c) the 1960s (d) the early 2000s.

Scripture Insights – 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Source Book for Sundays, Seasons and Weekdays 2021: The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy, LTP Liturgy Training Publications Copyright 2020, 3949 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609, pg. 368. Jesus’ departure from Jericho signals the beginning of the final journey to Jerusalem and the passion that awaits him there. Mark takes a break from his terse writing style to describe the healing of the blind Bartimaeus in detail.
In both Old and New Testaments, blindness is often a symbol of ignorance, particularly the ignorance of unbelief and lack of insight (see Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 15:14; Romans 2:19). The servant of the Lord was to open the eyes of the blind (see Isaiah 42:7). Thus, healing blindness became a mark of the Messiah.

The story of Bartimaeus (the name in Hebrew or Aramaic means “son of Timaeus”; it is translated for the Greek-speaking audience) is the story of a simple healing by Jesus, another example of his election by God and his compassion for others. A deeper interpretation focuses on the beggar’s shout to the “Son of David” and on his identification of Jesus as “my teacher” (Rabboni, the same word used by Mary Magdalene in John 20:16). This suggests that the one who is blind sees more clearly than those who are sighted. Still another emphasis can be placed on the closing line, “Immediately he received his sight and followed [Jesus] on the way.” Coming just before the entry into Jerusalem and the passion, the story of Bartimaeus provides a sterling example of Christian discipleship. Particularly after the difficult teachings on divorce, ambition, and riches. Finally, note the question Jesus asks: “What do you want me to do for you?” It is the same question he asked James and John when they wanted to be placed at his right and left hand. In both cases, the availability and vulnerability of Jesus as he awaits the answer gives some indication of the openness we must have toward others who call on us. The faith of Bartimaeus, his willingness to speak the deepest desire of his heart, and his immediate response of following Jesus remains a constant source of inspiration for the Church.

Bartimaeus, blind since birth, was healed by Jesus. After Jesus healed him, he began to follow Jesus. Like Bartimaeus, we are called to respond to the healing Jesus offers us in our lives. When we read that Jesus healed the blind, we understand that he could control nature and change the biology of a person. Those who were healed could go forth and live a regular life in the communities. Some blindness references a spiritual blindness or being unaware of something. How can Jesus heal our blindness? The priesthood vocation is meant to be a life of ministry and sacrifice for Christ and for others.
The following excerpt is taken from the documents produced by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It is taken from the History (pp 14-15) of the document entitled “What We Have Learned” and accessed at the following website: https://nctr.ca/records/reports/#trc-reports

“Students’ hearts were hardened. Rick Gilbert remembered the Williams Lake, British Columbia, school as a loveless place. “That was one thing about this school was that when you got hurt or got beat up or something, and you started crying, nobody comforted you. You just sat in the corner and cried and cried till you got tired of crying then you got up and carried on with life.”36 Nick Sibbeston, who was placed in the Fort Providence school in the Northwest Territories at the age of five, recalled it as a place where children hid their emotions. “In residential school you quickly learn that you should not cry. If you cry you’re teased, you’re shamed out, you’re even punished.”37 One former student said that during her time at the Sturgeon Landing school in Saskatchewan, she could not recall a staff member ever smiling at a child.38 Jack Anawak recalled of his time at Chesterfield Inlet, in what is now Nunavut, in the 1950s that “there was no love, there was no feelings, it was just supervisory.”39 Lydia Ross, who attended the Cross Lake school in Manitoba, said, “If you cried, if you got hurt and cried, there was no, nobody to, nobody to comfort, comfort you, nobody to put their arms.”40 Stephen Kakfwi, who attended Grollier Hall in Inuvik and Grandin College in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, said this lack of compassion affected the way students treated one another. “No hugs, nothing, no comfort. Everything that, I think, happened in the residential schools, we picked it up: we didn’t get any hugs; you ain’t going to get one out of me I’ll tell you that.”41 Victoria McIntosh said that life at the Fort Alexander, Manitoba, school taught her not to trust anyone. “You learn not to cry anymore. You just get harder. And yeah, you learn to shut down.”42
These accounts all come from statements made by former residential school students to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. These events all took place in Canada within the realm of living memory. Like previous generations of residential school children, these children were sent to what were, in most cases, badly constructed, poorly maintained, overcrowded, unsanitary fire traps. Many children were fed a substandard diet and given a substandard education and worked too hard. For far too long, they died in tragically high numbers. Discipline was harsh and unregulated; abuse was rife and unreported. It was, at best, institutionalized child neglect.
The people who built, funded, and operated the schools offered varying justifications for this destructive intrusion into the lives of Aboriginal families. Through it, they wished to turn the children into farmers and farmers’ wives. They wanted the children to abandon their Aboriginal identity and come to know the Christian god. They feared that if the children were not educated, they would be a menace to the social order of the country. Canadian politicians wished to find a cheap way out of their long-term commitments to Aboriginal people. Christian churches sought government support for their missionary efforts. The schools were part of the colonization and conversion of Aboriginal people and were intended to bring civilization and salvation to their children. These were the rationales that were used to justify making the lives of so many children so unhappy.”

DIOCESAN NEWS & BEYOND
Synod 2021-2023 For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission: This will be a regular feature in our parish bulletin going forward. Information regarding the Synod and our involvement in it will be found here. Excerpt taken from Paragraph 5 on pp7-8 https://www.synod.va/en/documents/english-version-of-the-preparatory-document.html . “5. A global tragedy such as the COVID-19 pandemic “momentarily revived the sense that we are a global community, all in the same boat, where one person’s problems are the problems of all. Once more we realized that no one is saved alone; we can only be saved together” (FT, no. 32). At the same time, the pandemic has also made the already existing inequalities and inequities explode: humanity seems increasingly shaken by processes of massification and fragmentation; the tragic condition faced by migrants in all regions of the world shows how high and strong the barriers dividing the single human family still are. The Encyclicals Laudato si’ and Fratelli Tutti document the depth of the fault lines that run through humanity, and we can refer to these analyses to start listening to the cry of the poor and of the earth and to recognize the seeds of hope and of the future that the Spirit continues to sow even in our time: “The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home” (LS, no. 13)”

Partnering with Parents for Sacramental Formation: We often hear that parents are the first educators of the faith for their children. What does this mean? How does this change how we offer the sacramental formation sessions in our parishes? When the parents come to the sessions we offer, do we treat them like they are the first educators? What would that look like? How do I as a catechist partner with parents to support them in their role as the first educators of the faith for their children? If these questions interest you or raise more questions that you would like to discuss, please join me on... Thursday, October 28 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Partnering with Parents for Sacramental Formation will look at some of the challenges and opportunities when journeying with parents who desire to initiate their children into the Catholic Church. This session would be of interest to those who facilitate baptism and confirmation-first Eucharist sacramental formation. Contact Christin Taylor at the Diocesan Office 306-922-4747 Ext.227.

0 Comments

10/16/2021 0 Comments

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 17th, 2021

0 Comments

10/9/2021 0 Comments

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 10, 2021

0 Comments