MAY 2021 ARCHGM NEWS THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GROUARD-MCLENNAN

IN THIS ISSUE

ARCHBISHOP PETTIPAS' CONVERSATIONS WITH BERTHA

FATHER FEROZ BIDS FAREWELL

EL SHADDAI CELEBRATES SIX YEARS IN GRANDE PRAIRIE

REMEMBERING ST. KATERI'S CANONIZATION

LITURGICAL NOTES

REFLECTION ON ST JOSEPH THE WORKER

The Northern Lights glisten over St. Joseph ...AND MUCH MORE Church in John D'or Prairie. TABLE OF CONTENTS News Bulletin - pg 3 A brief round-up of news in our Archdiocese and the Church around the world Conversations with Bertha - pg 5

The first installment in a new series by Gerard Pettipas Father Feroz bids farewell - pg 9

Passionate priest reflects on his three years in northern Alberta A growing faith - pg 12

El Shaddai celebrates six years in Grande Prairie

Community - pg 14

The latest updates from our parishes

'It's like a dream' - pg 17

Missionary and Indigenous Catholic fondly remember their pilgrimage for St. Kateri Liturgical Notes - pg 20 Archbishop Pettipas discusses some of the important liturgical feasts this month

Editor's reflection: St. Joseph the Worker - pg 21

How Christianity transformed the meaning of work Archbishop's Calendar - pg 24

See where the Archbishop will be over the next month Birthdays and Anniversaries - pg 25

Our priests and staff celebrating anniversaries this May

PAGE 02 news bulletin

New restrictions

As of May 5, Mass will now be limited to 15 people or 10% of firecode capacity – whichever is less - in all parishes in the Archdiocese. Funerals and weddings can have a maximum of 10 people, including all participants and guests. Receptions are not permitted. Please contact your local parish for any further changes.

We are as disappointed by these restrictions as many of you. Let us all pray for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bishop Reporting System

The CCCB’s new Canadian Reporting System for Sexual Abuse or Cover-up by a Catholic Bishop can be accessed on our website - archgm.ca or directly at bishopreportingsystem.ca

This service furthers our commitment to responsibility, accountability and transparency in matters of clergy sexual abuse and our commitment to facilitate healing and justice for victims-survivors.

"Marathon of prayer" to end the pandemic

Pope Francis has declared this May as a “marathon of prayer” to ask God, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. Daily to all Marian shrines in the world are requested.

“We join together in prayer with all the sanctuaries spread throughout the whole world, with the faithful, and with all persons of good will, to entrust into the hands of our Holy Mother the whole human race, sorely tried by this period of pandemic,” the Holy Father said.

PAGE 03 NEWS BULLETIN

Novena for Life

The for Alberta and the Northwest Territories are hosting the first-ever virtual Statewide Novena for Life, prior to the Alberta March for Life on May 13.

The Alberta/NWT State Council Novena For Life started on Wednesday, May 5, and will go until Thursday, May 13, 2021 @ 7 P.M. ( MDT). On the 9th Day, the Knight’s Worthy State Chaplain, Fr. Jim Corrigan, will have the “Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament” at his parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, in Sherwood Park.

Brand new Parishes page

Our website has a brand-new parishes page, with updated information and Mass times for all parishes, including infographics and a customized search bar to make it as easy as possible for parishioners to find information on their local church. Just visit www.archgm.ca/parishes.

Syro-Malabar community to receive new priest

Rev. Augustine Kallumkatharayil has served the Syro-Malabar Catholics in our archdiocese since October 2017, with Masses in McLennan, Grimshaw, Grande Prairie and Dawson Creek. As of May 1 2021, he has re-assigned to Ottawa, looking after Syro-Malabar parishes in Ottawa and , and will be Director of for whole Canadian eparchy of Syro-Malabar.

We express much gratitude for the warm welcoming he has brought in our archdiocese, and look forward to meeting his successor for our Syro-Malabar community, Father Boby Joy Muttathuvalayil.

PAGE 04 CONVERSATIONS WITH BERTHA - #1 This new series will appear from time to time in Archbishop’s Pettipas’ letters. These tales are of a purely Catechetical nature, and any resemblance between Bertha and any person known to the reader is purely coincidental.

Let me tell you a little bit about Bertha. Archbishop Gerard Pettipas, C.Ss.R

Bertha is a convert to the . She was raised in a Protestant Church of some sort – one of the many small evangelical churches that these days dot any city or small town. One of her best childhood friends was a Catholic, and Bertha admired lots of what she heard about the Catholic Church, and especially the Sacraments. She loved joining her friend for Mass. It didn’t all make sense to her, but she liked it. She became a Catholic when she married her husband, who was a Catholic but a reluctant one at times. Bertha felt it was important for her small family to pray in the same church. She still had lots of questions about the Catholic Church, though, and she was not shy to ask me these, even if she sensed her question might force me into a corner. Some Catholics would be shy to ask such things, even of a priest, let alone a bishop. I think there’s still a Protestant streak in Bertha.

I like to go swimming at the Eastlink Centre. Not often, but every so often I’ll run into parishioners there. The other evening, as I came out of the men’s changeroom, I bumped into Bertha as she exited the women’s change room. “Good evening, Bertha”, I greeted her. “Oh, Your Grace. So nice to see you. Are you off somewhere right now? Or could I treat you to an ice cream at this fancy parlour nearby?” “That’d be nice, thank you”, I replied. We got in our respective vehicles and met up at Menchies. This story begins with a swimming trip to Eastlink Centre in Grande Prairie. As we each made our way into our custom-made cups of frozen yogurt, Bertha began. “Your Grace, in RCIA they told us about the Catholic Church going back to ’ twelve apostles. The Church that I grew up with didn’t make those sorts of claims, in the sense of a line of succession like a family tree.

PAGE 05 "We took the Bible very seriously, and so I believed firmly that we go back to Jesus Christ Himself, and his teachings. We would turn to the Bible when we wanted to know God’s Word about any teaching. But the Catholic Church makes stronger claims than that. Can you tell me more what that’s all about?”

“That’s a good question, Bertha. And to answer it fully, our ice cream would be either devoured or long melted. Let me try to put this as simply as possible.

“As Jesus came to earth to do the Father’s Will, that is to save us from eternal death and establish the Kingdom of God, he gathered twelve apostles from among his many followers, to be especially close to Him and leaders with him. This corresponds to the twelve tribes of Israel, who were the “Kingdom of Israel”, grown out of the twelve sons of Jacob. At the Pentecost event told by Luke early in the book of Acts, we see the Holy Spirit coming upon them, giving them the spiritual that they needed to become Archbishop Gerard Pettipas celebrates the 2021 Chrism Mass with the priests of the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan. confident and bold evangelizers, who would go forth from Jerusalem and bring Jesus’ message to the then-known world … which in those days was basically around the Mediterranean. The twelve apostles had become 11, of course, with Judas Iscariot’s suicide, but the 11 corrected that by selecting Matthias as a replacement for Judas. And you had St. Paul, after his conversion on the road to Damascus, also becoming what he called himself — an apostle.

“Many people who heard the apostles and others preach about Jesus came to believe and accept the Christian message, and asked to be baptized. The Christian community spread very quickly during the first decades and centuries, even in the face of persecution by Roman emperors and other leaders who were suspicious of what they saw as a new movement or sect. In each place, the apostle who founded a Church in that area might ‘lay hands on’ and thus ordain a successor to lead that community, while he himself went on to other cities and towns. These leaders of Christian communities were called by the Greek word, episcopoi, which means ‘overseers’. We translate that word into English as bishop. So, each bishop in the Catholic Church at least is the leader of a local Church, or what we call a . His spiritual lineage, like a family tree, goes all the way back to the apostles. This is what we mean when we say in the Creed at Mass every Sunday, ‘I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.’ It’s apostolic because it goes back to the apostles.”

Bertha looked down at her empty ice cream cup. She looked over and saw that mine was empty as well. “Thank you for this, Your Grace. But what you just said about one, holy and catholic raises other questions for me.” “Another time”, I said. “I should get back home. But thank you for the ice cream. And for this conversation.”

As I was driving home, I had the thought that the RCIA should last a lifetime. As this thought developed, I said to myself, “Of course. It does.”

The 'spiritual lineage' of the bishop goes Stay tuned for future installments of “Conversations with Bertha”. all the way back to the Apostles.

PAGE 06 PAGE 07 Tell us about events in your parish and faith community! e-mail: [email protected]

PAGE 08 Father Feroz bids farewell Passionate priest reflects on his three years in northern Alberta

As Fr. Feroz Fernandes bids farewell to his first parish, the place he has made home for the past three years, many fond memories run through his mind. But, the priest would not describe them as things he will miss. Instead, these are memories he will always carry with him. Rev. Feroz Fernandes, SFX

“As a priest, your heart goes 100 percent into the place you are assigned. And the people, they come to adopt you. The moment they adopt – you feel like you belong,” said Fernandes, who has ministered to the faithful of Grimshaw, Whitelaw and Duncan First Nations since 2018. “This sense of belonging I will carry with me from – a sense of belonging to the people, to the land, to the faith experiences.

“I won’t say I’ll miss it, because I’ll carry it with me.”

Originally from the state of Goa in India, Fernandes was ordained a priest in the Society of Pilar in 2002. Since then he has lived an adventurous life of ministry, as a missionary in remote communities without electricity or running water, an editor for a Catholic newsweekly, a member of the Society’s formation team, a YouTube vlogger, amongst many other roles.

His time in the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan marked not only his first experience as a pastor, it was also his first time in Father Fernandes with parishioners on Christmas Day, 2019. Canada.

It was while studying at Chicago’s DePaul University for a masters degree in public service management that Fernandes decided, if he truly wanted to better his leadership skills, he needed to spend some time as a parish priest.

“I needed grassroots experience,” he said. “I wanted to go to a diocese, understand the pattern of it, to live with the people, to walk with them.”

Fernandes prepared a letter and forwarded it to a friend priest in Calgary. From there, it was shared with other bishops in the province. Archbishop Gerard Pettipas was the first to respond.

“My thinking was the first diocese that reaches out to me – I will take it. I am not a home bug. I couldn’t even pronounce the name of the archdiocese. I still have trouble sometimes trying to spell it,” he said with a laugh. “But it was immediately very interesting to me. This archdiocese is very northern and isolated, with many different communities.”

PAGE 09 FEATURE STORY

As soon as he settled into Holy Family Church in Grimshaw, Fernandes made sure to partake of every uniquely Canadian experience he could. Having grown up in India, where it is always hot and humid, he particularly came to love Alberta’s snowy and bitter cold winters.

“I’ve tried skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding. I jumped into the Peace River polar bear plunge. I went ice fishing countless times. Tell me what I have not done in the snow,” the priest recalled. “I enjoy winter. Once it was -52 and I woke up in the middle of the night and went out to Bear Lake to watch the northern lights. Only a crazy guy like me would do that.

“I even made an announcement to the parish – whenever there are northern lights, give me a call, I will go.”

Fernandes’ outgoing and charismatic personality is a key part of his priesthood. Rev. Fernandes takes part in the “polar bear Through his time as pastor, he came to understand how much the priest is a point plunge” in Lac Cardinal Provincial Park. of connection, and not only in people’s spiritual lives.

“You connect people to God, but you also connect people to people,” he said. “What you do, what you say, how you say it, how you process what others say – it all matters. This has been the greatest lesson, that when someone comes to me with an idea or concern, I must take the time to process it, to be patient and journey with it.

“Because Canada is a very diverse place, the faith experiences amongst each of our people are very different. If a priest can pick up on this diversity and incorporate it into his ministry, and be the person who can bring equilibrium to the community, he will do well. If you can understand and incorporate their worldview, you will On Good Friday 2019, Fernandes took part in an ecumenical prayer walk. express faith much better.”

Fernandes lived this philosophy through his work with the Duncan First Nations community. Over the past three years, he has taken part in their pipe ceremonies, sweat lodges, and even fasted in the woods for three days, without food or water.

“These ceremonies were very fascinating. You discover how they look at the world and experience the Divine. And then you are better placed to express their faith experience, because you begin to see what God, the spirit, what all of these words mean to them.”

All of these efforts reflect Fernandes’ core work ethic – the greater Fernandes stops by the 2020 Alberta Pond Hockey the challenge, the more he wants to tackle it. Championship at Lac Cardinal Provincial Park.

PAGE 10 FEATURE STORY

“Challenge is a joy, it is like a dessert for me,” he said. “One of my prayers is, ‘God, if I don’t have a problem, give me one.’ Because problems only make you come closer to God, they make you a better person. If there are challenges, it means that I am trying to do better. Only if you are going out of yourself can you receive new knowledge.”

Looking back on a venturesome life of travelling, delving into new jobs and experiencing different ways of life, Fernandes says he ultimately sees himself as a pilgrim. While some people travel to discover interesting things, he travels so he can discover God – who will then make things interesting.

Now Fernandes will be moving to , the capital city of the , where he will be chief content editor for Radio Veritas Asia. The broadcasting company runs 21 Christian radio stations across Asia. As he prepares for this new pilgrimage in the Fernandes enjoys with Rev. Nel Esguerra, at Camp St. Martin. Philippines, the parting advice the shepherd offers to his Albertan flock is to discover holiness and hold on to it.

“It’s a message that’s stayed with me forever – holiness is amazing,” said Fernandes. “You taste it, it’s tranquillizing, it gives you a high that no other physical element can give. Holiness is not something that can be pursued. It is a , a gift you can only use for others. That is the beauty of life.”

As a parting gift, Rev. Feroz Fernandes gave Archbishop Gerard Pettipas an artwork detailing TOP: Father Feroz is visited by youth missionaries with NET a popular Christian conversion story from his home state of Goa in India. Canada. BOTTOM: Fernandes goes ice fishing.

PAGE 11 FEATURE STORY A growing faith El Shaddai celebrates six years in Grande Prairie

For Giegie Perez, El Shaddai has been a source of community, faith, and most importantly – healing.

When Perez first moved to Grande Prairie in 2018, her family was dealing with some difficult issues. At the time, their young daughter Chloe was continuously upset, crying into the late hours of the night.

It was the prayers and support of the El Shaddai community The Catholic charismatic renewal group El Shaddai has grown to more than 50 members at its Grande Prairie chapter. that ultimately lifted them out of that trauma.

“We were praying the , singing praise and worship, and then Chloe stopped crying for the first time in months,” Perez said, recalling her family’s first experience with El Shaddai. “It was a big help in our family. It gave us this sense of forgiveness, and all of the anger in our hearts that we were dealing with at the time, it was gone.

“Our lives changed in a major way when we joined El Shaddai.”

This year, the Catholic charismatic renewal group El Shaddai is celebrating six years in Grande Prairie. Their chapter was started in early 2015 by seven parishioners at St. Joseph’s Church, who had been a part of El Shaddai groups in the Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

El Shaddai began in 1984 by founder , who had a profound religious conversion while overcoming a heart ailment. The experience inspired him to start his own radio program, which has now grown into one of the largest Catholic charismatic movements in the world. Worship in El Shaddai is centered on the celebration of Mass, and followed by a service filled with singing, dancing, studying Scripture and giving testimonials.

“We started an El Shaddai chapter here because we wanted to grow in faith and be closer to God,” said Irene Llanto, who has been a part of El Shaddai since 1996. “For us, it’s about creating that faith that’s in our hearts. So we sing, we raise our hands and praise God, we pray in thanksgiving for our blessings, and pray through the midst of our trials.

“We are blessed for this parish and our Archbishop for allowing us.”

The Grande Prairie chapter now has more than 50 Archbishop Gerard Pettipas partakes in El Shaddai celebrations. Irene Llanto members, although around 30 attend regularly.

PAGE 12 FEATURE STORY

Because of the pandemic, they currently host their meetings over Zoom every Sunday. Many members had never heard of El Shaddai until they discovered the group at St. Joseph’s.

“St. Joseph’s Church has become like home for me,” said Llanto. “I made lots of friends from joining the choir and doing other things. One of the goals of El Shaddai is to help the parish and parish priest, whether it’s in music, eucharistic ministry, or whatever else. So we stay very involved.”

Singing, dancing and testimonials are a big part of El Shaddai’s worship.

Since they first joined in 2018, Perez and her family have taken leading roles in St. Joseph’s El Shaddai chapter. Her husband Elvin now MCs their Sunday events and Perez plays guitar in their choir.

It has also been a great aid in passing on faith to her children. Recently, Chloe and Perez prayed for a family friend who was struggling to get pregnant. When the friend finally did have her child, Chloe saw it as Christ answering their prayers.

“It has given us so many good experiences,” said Perez. “When we sing, when we hear the and understand it so much more, it helps our faith and has hugely impacted our family.” Giegie Perez, her husband Elvin and children Chloe and Alex, are proud members of El Shaddai’s Grande Prairie What draws Llanto so strongly to El Shaddai is that it helps her experience the chapter. presence of God in a very real way.

“When I’m singing, I feel something in my heart. I really feel the presence of the Lord,” she said. “When I’m leading the worship, I feel like an angel is holding me.”

An important prayer in El Shaddai is asking God to grow the faith and bring more people to the Church. Similar El Shaddai chapters have recently started in High Level and Peace River.

“Because this diocese is so big we are always calling on God, asking Him for more workers,” said Llanto. “That’s one prayer we are always asking God - to give us more courage and help us in our goal of bringing more people to the Church.” While they usually celebrated at St. Joseph's Church in Grande Prairie, since the COVID-19 pandemic, all El Shaddai events have been held on Zoom.

PAGE 13 community Bird seed for those in need

Crystal Kosowan, youth coordinator with St. Joseph Church in Spirit River, and young parishioners from Spirit River and Rycroft recently made bird seed ornaments and placed them outside the Central Peace Health Complex in Spirit River.

The Grades 5-9 students did this so that long-term care residents could watch the birds feed from their windows.

PAGE 15 community

Mother's Day raffle

The Catholic Women’s League with St. Rita’s Church in Valleyview have organized a Mother’s Day raffle for May 9. With 750 tickets up for grabs, the prizes include a nearly $3,000 diamond necklace, a wishing well water fountain, a gardening basket, a homemade lap quilt and spa basket.

Candid shot

Fr. Antony Raj Iruthayam, HGN raises the Blessed Sacrament during an evening of Adoration last April, at St. Martin of Tours Church in Wabasca.

Highway Cleanup

Parishioners of St. James the Major Church in Manning held their annual highway cleanup fundraiser on May 1, with more than 37 volunteers. The group cleaned up 27 kilometres of Highway 35, fundraising $2,700.

The Knights of Columbus for Our Lady of Good Counsel in High Level also organized an annual Highway Cleanup along Highway 45, with 32 volunteers. Their cleanup typically raises more than $1,500 every year.

PAGE 14 community

Easter Sundogs This photo, taken on Easter Sunday, 2021, shows the "Sundogs" rising over St. Joseph's "Teepee" Church in John D'or Prairie. A mesmerizing shot of surely one of the most unique Catholic churches in Canada.

Tell us about events in your parish and faith community! e-mail: [email protected]

PAGE 16 FEATURE STORY 'It's like a dream' Missionary nun and Indigenous Catholic fondly remember their pilgrimage for St. Kateri

Sister Mary Jeanne Davidson can still recall the canonization of St. like it was yesterday.

In those brief moments on October 21, 2012, as Benedict XVI entered St. Peter’s Square and an organ resounded over the tens of thousands of people there, the School Sister of Notre Dame was touched profoundly.

“Wherever this organ was I never saw, but it started playing ‘Veni Sancte Spiritus’ and I could feel it vibrating in my ribcage,” Sister Mary Jeanne recalled, in an interview shortly before St. Kateri’s April 17 feast day.

“We all just felt fully alive and excited. I thought I was in an ocean with the saints in heaven, with all the Indigenous people on earth and the suffering Church – we were all one at that moment.” St. Kateri Tekakwitha

St. Kateri Tekakwitha's canonization was on October 12, 2012

As Canada’s first Indigenous saint, Kateri Tekakwitha’s life has touched many. Her canonization was a particularly moving experience for Billy Thomas of the Woodland Cree community in Cadotte Lake. Years before the canonization, Thomas had visited Kateri's grave in Kahnawake, .

“It’s like a dream to talk about it. People don’t believe I was there,” Thomas said. “It was certainly a proud moment seeing her canonized. She means a lot to native people. It struck my heart when I visited her grave, so when I heard about her canonization I decided right away I had to go.”

The saint is also close to Sister Mary Jeanne’s heart. The School Sister of Notre Dame has worked with indigenous communities in the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan since 2002, mainly in the areas of Cadotte Lake, Little Buffalo, and Duncan First Nations.

Sister Mary Jeanne believes devotion to St. Kateri can particularly inspire Indigenous people because of the many trials Kateri had to endure to keep her Catholic faith.

PAGE 17 FEATURE STORY

St. Kateri first heard the Gospel through Jesuit missionaries in her village. In 1669, when she was 13, Kateri helped these priests treat Mohawks and Mohicans wounded in battle. It further convinced her of the holiness of their faith.

Kateri then spent her days wandering through the woods and praying to Jesus. She would make crosses out of sticks and branches around her – something people devoted to Kateri still do today. Her family, however, did not approve of her newfound faith and arranged to have her married. She resisted, having pledged her life to Christ, and eventually fled her village to live at the Jesuit Sister Mary Jeanne Davidson mission in Kahnawake, south of Montreal, where she remained for the rest of her short life.

“It’d be wonderful to share her story more, to awaken devotion to St. Kateri in our communities,” said Sister Mary Jeanne. “I pray to her all the time, and we have many reasons to pray to her today.”

While she continually prays for Kateri’s intercession, actually going to her canonization was never the sister’s intention.

It was in June of 2012, from within the Woodland Cree community’s small log church named after the of Jesus, that Sister Mary Jeanne announced to the people that a young Indigenous woman who died in Canada Billy Thomas plays music during Mass at his parish Sacred Heart in Cadotte Lake. was going to be canonized a saint.

As she was about to hand out prayer cards of the soon-to-be-saint to parishioners, telling them to pour out all their hopes and prayers to Kateri, Billy Thomas piped up from the back of the church – “We should make a pilgrimage! And sister, you should come too!”

By the time that Mass was over, there was already five people in the parish determined to make a pilgrimage to Rome and be there for the canonization. Seven people in total went.

“They were so earnest to make this a pilgrimage, right from the get go,” Mary Jeanne recalled. “There were many obstacles along the way, but we prayed. We had faith.”

Those obstacles came early on in the pilgrimage. Due to some forgotten passports, the group initially were split up at the Edmonton airport. But, providentially, they found each other two days later at the generalate for the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Rome. The group provided music for the sisters’ Masses each Indigenous people from across North and South America gathered morning. in Rome for St. Kateri's canonization

PAGE 18 FEATURE STORY

On the day of the canonization, they took a taxi to St. Peter’s Square at 4 a.m., where there were already lines of people crowding in. Their taxi driver managed to take them near an opening gate and the group got front row seats for the 10 a.m. canonization. As the hours went by, as many as 50,000 gathered there.

“A whole bunch of people from Canada were there, Indigenous people from all around the world,” said Thomas. “Somehow in that huge crowd we ran into our Archbishop Pettipas there, and then all of a sudden someone shouted my name ‘Billy! Billy!’ and a friend of mine from Manitoba was there too.”

“We made a circle there and prayed in thanksgiving and for the Church. It was just an incredible experience,” Mary Jeanne added. “In all things that happened we saw the hand of God.”

They took with them sealed letters of prayer intentions from the Woodland Cree community. The group bonded on one specific prayer intention – that St. Kateri would help them in increasing faith and a love for the Eucharist in their community.

Sister Mary Jeanne believes that St. Kateri is still answering this prayer today. Recently, due to COVID-19 restrictions, Sacred Heart Church’s pastor Rev. Cyril Joseph placed a sign in the local store in Cadotte Lake, asking parents who would like to have their children baptized to provide their contact information. Then, those baptisms would be arranged one by one to comply with health restrictions.

After putting up the poster, Sister Mary Jeanne spoke “St. Kateri, please take care of this list.”

Over the next two months, 17 families signed up to have their children baptized. It was a much larger number than they expected.

“So there is a quietly growing faith. God is working all the time and He is blessing our archdiocese,” said Sister Mary Jeanne. “We just have to keep listening to the Spirit, and find how the Spirit awakens Under St. Kateri's protection, the faith continues to grow at Sacred faith in the people.” Heart Church in Cadotte Lake.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha, intercede for us and pray for us, especially for the Indigenous people of this Archdiocese, of Canada and of North America. May your conversion story inspire many to seek and know Jesus. Amen.

PAGE 19 liturgical notes liturgical notes for the month of may Written by Archbishop Gerard Pettipas, C.Ss.R

The month of May is dedicated to our Blessed Mother Mary. Some of us may May 1: St. Joseph the Worker: While recall “May processions” to honor and Communist countries exalt labor on this day pray to the Blessed Virgin. On May 24, with parades, in the Catholic Church, St. Joseph the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary is is held up as an example of the quiet dignity of celebrated. work in the life of all persons.

May 6: St. François de Laval: This first bishop in Canada (Quebec City) is the patron saint of all Canadian bishops. Pray for your own bishop, that he may become holy!

May 16: Ascension of our Lord: Forty days after the May 21: St. Eugene de Mazenod: Resurrection (Easter), Jesus founder of the of Mary ascends to his Father. Immaculate, who have served National collection for the faithfully in our and many other Pope’s pastoral works. is the Canadian north- May 23: Pentecost: The Holy Spirit west. comes upon the early disciples

assembled in Jerusalem. Considered to be “the birthday" of the Church. “Ordinary Time” resumes after this.

May 30: Solemnity of the Most May 31: Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Holy Trinity: The Church reflects Mary: This feast recalls the visit of on the profound mystery of the Mary to her relative Elizabeth, mother Godhead. of St. .

PAGE 20 FROM THE EDITOR ST JOSEPH THE WORKER A reflection from the editor The Book of Proverbs states, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

Kyle Greenham, editor One of the greatest threats to a healthy spiritual life is simply a lack of things to do. With it comes laziness, boredom, temptations and the slow ease into sin. Fr. Don Calloway says in his book Consecration to St. Joseph, “The devil hates an honest and diligent worker.” If that’s the case, then the devil must adore a lazy and inactive idler. Work is a most practical remedy to the many sins that easily follow from idleness.

Before you can let sinful thoughts take hold, quickly shift into some activity – whether it be physical exercise, practicing a skill, finally cleaning out that closet or storage space. Work is a spiritual antidote to this most prominent sin of the modern world – call it sloth, boredom, acedia, or a number of other names. In an age of TVs, smart phones, and a pandemic that has cancelled countless activities and kept many people shuttered within their homes, there’s no doubt that modern life directs us to be St. Joseph the Worker icon, passively entertained, not actively working. commissioned by the Archdiocese of Edmonton

May 1, the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker, offers us a chance to meditate on the spiritual nature of work, something that I think our Christian faith is uniquely capable of understanding and expressing.

At the beginning of time God commanded Adam to work, specifically, to toil and cultivate the earth. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. (Gen 2:15) …Fill the earth and govern it (1:28).” Thus, all Work is a most practical remedy to the many sins that easily follow from idleness, and it teaches a of our daily labours have a spiritual character, because we are fulfilling this most person to be humble. primordial of commandments – to work upon God’s creation and care for it. “Our daily work is a continuation in creation, consequently it has its archetype in God… All functions and occupations can and should be seen as reflections of His Divine Activity.” (Jean Hani, Divine Craftsmanship)

This sanctification of work reaches an entirely new depth through the Incarnation. When Christ enters the world, He spend His early years not as a royal prince or philosopher, but as a labourer. “Our Lord desired to do manual labour for many years before initiating his public ministry. Why did he do it? He did it because he wanted to sanctify work and teach us that work is honourable and pleasing to God.” (Calloway, Consecration to St. Joseph) Christ fulfilled that early commandment in Genesis as a carpenter – a man who takes the wood

St. Joseph is the model for Christian work created by God and through his labour shapes it into something new and useful. because “he taught the God-man how to work.” St. Joseph is the model for Christian work because “he taught the God-man how to work.”

PAGE 21 FROM THE EDITOR

“When he became flesh, Jesus sanctified human work and elevated it to a level of greatness that did not exist prior to his Incarnation. Though divine, God humbled himself, became a man, and worked like a man. In his humanity, he learned how to work as a man by imitating the example of his earthly father, St. Joseph.” (Calloway, Consecration to St. Joseph)

Pope Pius XII noted this too when he declared the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1, 1955, seeing in St. Joseph the exemplar for all working class people: “The humble workman of Nazareth personifies before God and the Church the dignity of the man who works with his hands, and is always the provident guardian of you and your families.”

But this “dignity of the man who works with his hands” was not the attitude of the pre-Christian world. The ancient philosopher Aristotle famously defended slavery as something necessary in society, because physical labour was undignified for the upper classes and gifted intellectuals. Without slaves to do all the physically demanding toil of life, Aristotle argued, philosophers would not have the necessary time to contemplate. The Jesuit priest and economist Heinrich Pesch noted that, in the pagan world which preceded Christianity, “All work which did not have a predominantly intellectual character was looked on with disdain and as unworthy of a man’s respect. It was done by slaves and burdened with the stigma of bondage.” (Pesch, Liberalism, Socialism and the Christian Social Order)

Christianity ushered in a new dignity to work through St. However, the Catholic “Middle Ages brought work to its proper Benedict’s motto “Ora et Labora” – work and prayer. status… There was the Christian principle that the natural goods of this earth are destined by God to provide for the needs of all, and not for satisfying the fantasies, or merely enriching, certain individuals.” This Christian principle of work also meant that “Man ought to work for the sake of the glory of God who commanded work, and to have the blessing for his industry which lies in the soul; and what is conducive to Christian joy and happiness, and no less in order to share the fruits of our work with the poor and the sick.” (Pesch, Liberalism, Socialism and the Christian Social Order)

How did the Middle Ages bring about this transformation? With the collapse of the Roman Empire, around 4th century AD, came the collapse of this pagan attitude towards work; namely that physical labour was nothing more than an unfortunate burden only fit for The Benedictine monks exemplified lives of both rigorous lowly slaves. Christianity demolished this worldview and brought a physical labour and the meditative contemplation of prayer. new dignity to work, largely through the Benedictine monks and their motto – Ora et Labora – work and prayer.

PAGE 22 FROM THE EDITOR

After Rome’s collapse, it was the Benedictine monasteries that restored order and rebuilt much of Europe. Through their motto of Ora et Labora, Benedictine monks lived lives of strenuous farm work and agricultural development, but also devoted many hours each day to prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours and the reading of Scripture. These Christian monks exemplified lives of both rigorous physical labour and the meditative contemplation of prayer. They proved the Aristotelian view wrong, showing that a man’s daily life could consist of both intellectual, spiritual and physical pursuits. By the Benedictines example, a new dignity and honour was placed on work that the world had not seen until that time. This new Christian attitude towards work also cultivated the virtue of humility. Work can not only cure us of the idleness that leads us into temptation, it can also heal us of our pride. Nothing chips away at a man’s selfishness or his delusions of grandeur more than submitting to the (often humiliating) task of learning a new skill. Whether that be learning how to change the oil in your car or trying your hand at a home plumbing issue, these tasks begin with a humble admittance that we still have things to learn. As John Waters put it in his book Give Us Back the Bad Roads, “Making things, fixing things… takes a man out of his self-absorption and renders him answerable to the logic of the world and the rest of its inhabitants. It is the enemy of narcissism and self-will.” Work answers our inner insistence to know and understand things, it saves us from “the devil’s workshop” of By work we learn how important it is to cooperate idleness, and by work we learn how important it is to cooperate with the with the world, with each other and fulfill God’s commandment to be the caretakers of His creation. world, with each other and fulfill God’s commandment to be the caretakers of His creation. “We must recognize God as the sole source and energy in all we do and in all the gifts we receive… By returning our action to God, we avoid returning to our own ego.” (Hani, Divine Craftsmanship)

In our time, when it often seems like selfish pride and ego reigns supreme in society, where looking good on your social media profile is more important than doing good works in the world, the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker is needed now more than ever. It gives us the chance to acknowledge the dignity of work, the great humility it can teach us, and the way it can bring us closer to God. This is embodied in no one as much as St. Joseph, the man who taught Christ how to work.

I hope this feast of St. Joseph the Worker aids you in meditating on the importance of work, and why all Christians should remember and live by that Benedictine motto – Ora et Labora – for this is key to a healthy and upright life. Both in our spirit and in our day-to-day living, we need to make time for prayer and time for work to embody the complete human person God intends us all to be.

St. Joseph the Worker, pray for us. St. Joseph the Worker, pray for us

PAGE 23 archbishop's calendar

may - june 2021

Sunday 2 May Sunday Mass (live-streamed), Grande Prairie Monday-Thurs 3 to 6 May Regina Archdiocese Clergy retreat, Zoom Friday 7 May Curia Meeting, Grande Prairie Saturday 8 May Faith Formation Meeting, Zoom Saturday 8 May Sacrament of Confirmation, Grande Prairie Sunday 9 May Sunday Mass, McLennan Monday-Friday 10 to 14 May Catholic Education Week Monday 10 May Sacrament of Confirmation, Grande Prairie Wednesday 12 May CEFFA Board of Directors, Zoom Wednesday 12 May Sacrament of Confirmation, Grande Prairie Thursday 13 May March for Life (virtual) Friday 14 May Sacrament of Confirmation, Grande Prairie Saturday 15 May APC Meeting, Zoom Saturday 15 May Sacrament of Confirmation, Peace River Sunday 16 May Sunday Mass (live-streamed), Grande Prairie Wednesday 19 May Meeting of School Board Superintendents and Chairs, Zoom Saturday 29 May Sacrament of Confirmation, High Prairie Sunday 30 May Sacrament of Confirmation, Fort Vermilion (TBA)

Tuesday 1 June Demolition of St. Mary’s School, Fort Vermilion Wednesday 2 June AB/NWT Bishops Meeting, Zoom Thursday 3 June Curia Meeting, Grande Prairie Sunday 6 June Sunday Mass (live-streamed), Grande Prairie Sunday 6 June Sacrament of Confirmation, Beaverlodge Thursday 10 June Réunion des Partenaires du CEFFA, Zoom Saturday 12 June Youth Committee Meeting, Zoom Sunday 13 June Sunday Mass and Confirmations, McLennan Sunday 13 June Sacrament of Confirmation, Sexsmith Tuesday 15 June Council of Priests, Zoom Wednesday 16 June Presbyterium Meeting, Zoom Thursday 17 June Curia Meeting, Grande Prairie Sunday 20 June Sunday Mass (live-streamed), Grande Prairie

PAGE 24 BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES

Birthdays May 1st Paulette Carrier, Finance Administrator May 12th Father Andrew Simiiyu, FMH May 21st Father Ndzefemiti, SDV

May Anniversaries 7th Archbishop Gerard Pettipas’ 44th anniversary of ordination 13th Father Arockiam Savarimatha celebrate’s his 42nd anniversary 14th Father Jeyapaul Packiasamy will celebrate his 43rd anniversary 21st Deacon Reginald Bouchard celebrates his 23rd anniversary to the diaconate 27th Father Leo English CSsR will be ordained 27 years 29th Father Julien Benedict Mary will celebrate 47 years of priestly ordination 30th Father Henry Kiggundu FMH celebrates his 12th anniversary 30th Father John Basiimwa FMH will celebrate his 11th anniversary 31st Father Gerald Mendoza celebrates the 9th year of his ordination.

May Feasts for Canadian Saints and Blessed 4th Blessed Marie-Léonie Paradis, Foundress of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family 6th Saint François de Laval, First bishop of Québec 8th Blessed Catherine de Saint-Augustin, was instrumental in the establishment of Hotel Dieu de Québec, one of the first hospitals in Nouvelle France. 24th Blessed Louis-Zéphirin Moreau, Fourth bishop of Saint Hyacinthe, Québec

Blessed Catherine de Saint- Augustin Vehicle registrations: family name starting with C and N. Due by month end.

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PAGE 25 contact

We want your contributions to this newsletter!

To contact the editor for story ideas or to let us know what’s going on your parish and faith community e-mail Kyle Greenham at: [email protected] or reach us by phone at 780-532-9766

We are creating a Community Bulletin for future editions that will give readers a full scope of events and happenings across the parishes of our Archdiocese. Your input will be a great help in this effort!

Send us your feedback: We are re-vamping and reorganizing this newsletter, and would like to give it a brand new name! If you have any suggestions, comments, criticisms or advice to make this newsletter better, please let us know!

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PAGE 26 PRAYERS AND DEVOTIONS May Prayers of the Faithful for Catholic Education 1. For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may show the love of God in the world, we pray to the Lord. 2. For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may be blessed with courage and energy to continue to live out their invaluable role in our society, we pray to the Lord. 3. For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may be inspired by the example of the many great saints who have gone before them and who intercede for them, we pray to the Lord. 4. For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may nurture the growth and wisdom and virtue in the young, we pray to the Lord.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of thy Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy clemency hear and answer me. Amen.

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PAGE 27 our patron saint

St. Martin of Tours, patron of our archdiocese, you showed yourself open to the needs of the poor. You cut in half what you had, your soldier's mantle, and shared it with a needy beggar. We ask your intercession for our local Church, that we may be brave as you were brave in reaching out to others. Give us the spiritual insight to see that the many gifts that are given to us are not for us alone, but for the good of all.

Watch over us as we share our treasures with others, especially with treasures that are our faith, hope and love. Open our hearts to others' needs; give us the generosity of true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, and lead us to the fullness of life that is the inheritance of the pure of heart.

St. Martin of Tours, pray for us.

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