Diocesan News

June 27, 2008

FRIDAY FAX: This will be the last regular Friday Fax until Friday, August 29. We wish you an enjoyable summer!

THANK YOU: Deacon Rick McLellan is retiring from his position as Coordinator, Permanent Diaconate Ministries for the Archdiocese, on June 30, 2008. We wish Deacon Rick the Lord’s blessings in his future ministry in the Church.

CANADA DAY HOLIDAY: The Diocesan Centre will close at 12:00 noon on Friday, June 27 and reopen on Wednesday, July 2 at 8:30 a.m.

PASTORAL APPOINTMENTS FOR THE ENGLISH SECTOR - ADDITIONS: See June 20 Fax for complete listing.

Rev. Brian Hennessey has been granted a three-year extension of his appointment as Pastor of Our Lady of the Visitation, Gloucester.

Rev. Lindsay Harrison has been granted a one-year extension of his appointment as Associate Rector of Saint Patrick Basilica, Ottawa.

APPOINTMENTS OF NEWLY ORDAINED DEACONS:

Deacon Tom Cuddihy is appointed to Holy Spirit Parish, Stittsville and to the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre;

Deacon Peter Fan is appointed to Holy Spirit Chinese Community and to ‘teaching ministry in youth development and schooling’;

Deacon Kevin Foley is appointed to Notre Dame Cathedral and to the Royal Ottawa Hospital Pastoral Care;

Deacon Peter Lafleur is appointed to St. Theresa Parish and to the Shepherds of Good Hope;

Deacon Mark Masson is appointed to St. Philip Parish, Richmond, to develop a liturgical training program for deacons and candidates, and to act as Master of Ceremonies for the Archbishop;

Deacon Ron McRae is appointed to Good Shepherd Parish, and to the coordinating committee for adult faith development.

PASTORS: Please mark your calendar for ‘Priests’ Study Days’, Nov. 3 – 6, 2008 at NAV CANADA, Cornwall.

RINGING OF CHURCH BELLS: Archbishop Prendergast has asked that the churches of our diocese ring the bells, as a gesture of solidarity and celebration, on Thursday, July 3, 11:00 a.m. in honour of the 400^th Anniversary of the foundation of Quebec, which is the cradle of the Catholic Church in Canada.

PASTORAL YEAR CALENDAR: The Calendar for 2008 – 09 will be sent to your parish in the near future.

FROM THE OFFICE OF STEWARDSHIP & PLANNED GIVING: Leaving a Bequest is a popular method of planned giving. Some of our parishes have inserted a text in the Parish Bulletin reminding parishioners to consider the Church as a beneficiary of their estate. We invite every parish to do the same. For a sample clause to insert in a Will, please contact Mr. Jules Dagenais (613-738-5025, ext. 235); (jdagenais@ecclesia-ottawa.org).

CATHOLIC OTTAWA SPRING 2008 NEWSLETTER: Now available in your parish.

FROM THE DIOCESAN CENTRE

PAULINE YEAR: In the Roman basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls at 6 p.m. on Saturday 28 June, eve of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, Benedict XVI will preside at first Vespers for the inauguration of the Pauline Year. This Jubilee Year commemorates the two-thousandth anniversary of the birth of the Apostle of the Gentiles.

CANADA DAY – JULY 1: On July 1, Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J. will preside a special bilingual mass at 9:00 a.m. for our country in Notre Dame Cathedral. Come join us in prayer for Canada! To avoid road closures, it is best to approach the Cathedral from St. Patrick Street and not Sussex Drive. Info: (613-241-7496).

END-OF-LIFE ISSUES – CONVERSATIONS WITH MARGARET SOMERVILLE: In partnership with Saint Paul University. Two sessions with Margaret Somerville, Ethicist, McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law, Montreal. An important opportunity to explore end-of-life issues and to grapple with euthanasia. Session 1, Ethical Distress, Ethical Conflict and Euthanasia by Confusion, Fri., Oct. 17, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (for those involved in health care). Session 2, Dying as The Last Great Act of Living: Keeping the Euthanasia Debate in a Moral Context, Sat., Oct. 18, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon (for the public). Saint Paul University. Please mark your calendars. More information to follow.

WORLD YOUTH DAY 2008: From July 8 - 23, 60 pilgrims from Ottawa (along with 13 from Winnipeg) will be journeying with Archbishop Terrence Prendergast to World Youth Day 2008. The theme is: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses (Acts 1:8). On July 8th, they will be traveling to Auckland for the "Days in the Diocese", where they will be billeted in homes around St. Thomas More Parish and experiencing the faith life and culture of the area. On July 14th, they will travel to Sydney, attending Catechetical (teaching sessions) by Bishops and Cardinals each day. The culmination of these days will be an overnight vigil and Closing Mass with Pope Benedict! For info on television coverage: (http://www.saltandlighttv.org/). The trip will end with a two day retreat where the youth will reflect upon their experiences and see how they can be witnesses when they return to Canada. For more info on the trip and to view the Pilgrimage Blog: (http://www.ecclesia-ottawa.org/).

COME & SEE FOR MEN: The Come & See gatherings for July & August have been cancelled. Vocation discernment gatherings will resume in the fall. Please watch for further details.

FOR YOUR SUMMER READING: 'Spe Salvi’ (on Christian Hope) and ‘Sacramentum Caritatis’ (on the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of the Church’s Life and Mission), two recent documents from the Holy Father. Available online at (www.vatican.va). Also, ‘The Holy Longing’ by Rev. Ron Rolheiser, OMI. If you have a favourite book that you would like to recommend to others, let us know.

VARIA

BIBLE STUDY COURSE ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN AND THE JOHANNINE LETTERS: Begins September 15 at the Good Shepherd Parish. Sessions are on Monday nights. Pre-registration is required and places are limited. Info: Deacon Ron McRae (613-841-4698); (ronald.mcrae@sympatico.ca).

PILGRIMAGE TO CHINA: With Fr. John Vandenakker of the Companions of the Cross. Apr. 14 - May 1, 2009. Itinerary: (www.companionscross.org/events/upcoming.html); Gail Goshko (613-744-1418).

WAUPOOS FARM: Come out to Waupoos Farm for some fun this summer. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays for summer fun. Wednesdays, 11:00 am, come see Little Rays Reptiles. Saturdays, 4:30 p.m., Mass followed by potluck bbq. There will be crafts/games/swimming throughout the summer. Info: (www.waupoos.com); (613-822-2189).

A reflection by Pedro Arrupe, S. J.

Nothing is more practical than finding God, It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning;

that is, than falling in love in a quite what you will do with your evenings;

absolute how you spend your weekends;

final way. what you read;

who you know;

What you are in love with, what breaks your heart;

what seizes your imagination, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

will affect everything.

Fall in love,

stay in love

and it will decide everything.

Have a save and enjoyable summer!

from English Pastoral Services