UPCOMING EVENT

• During Great Lent, the Eparchy of Edmonton conducts its annual collection for “Aid to the Missionary Church in Canada.” The purpose of this collection is to support the needs of the Church in Canada. Three charitable institutions are the recipients of the collection: the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Alberta, Catholic Missions in Canada, and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

     The Ukrainian Catholic Church in Alberta responds to the call of Christ to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28: 19-20). The Eparchy of Edmonton supports local priests in their travel, health care, pension, and clergy substitution, thus ensuring that they can respond to the pastoral needs of the faithful, especially the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and funerals in rural Alberta. Visit www.edmontoneparchy.com to see how the Church is working for you.

  Catholic Missions in Canada supports over 600 missionaries – priests, deacons, sisters, brothers and lay ministers – throughout 27 eparchies and dioceses right here in Canada, including the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Catholic Missions supports the local churches in our call to proclaim the Gospel among Firsts Nations communities, missionary support, religious education programs, building and repairs, lay pastoral leadership programs, and education of seminarians. To learn more about the work of Catholic Missions in Canada visit (www.cmic.info) and sign up for a free subscription to its quarterly magazine by calling toll free 1-866-937-2642.

  Each year the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is asked to speak out, give leadership, and provide guidelines for the faithful on a wide variety of topics in our daily lives.  For our bishops to do so, they must have the benefit of research and expert advice. Research and gathering information requires staff, time and money.  Through the yearly bishops’ collection, an appeal is made to all Catholics to be generous towards the work of their bishops. To learn more about the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, visit www.cccb.ca.

• Pastors are kindly requested to forward to the Chancery Office by January 31 (or shortly after their annual general parish meeting) the following documents for each parish or mission in their pastoral care:
  • A current list of the Parish Council Members, including position, name, address, telephone and e-mail.
  • 2019 Financial Statements, as well as a copy of the annual T3010A Registered Charity Information Return (for parishes who issue income tax receipts).
  • A photocopy of the Baptismal, Marriage and Death Registers entries for the year 2019.
    
• World Day for Consecrated Life was instituted by Pope John Paul II in 1997, a day of prayer for those women and men who have devoted their lives to God in consecrated life.

         This celebration is attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2. On this Feast, candles are traditionally blessed symbolizing Christ who is the light of the world. So too, those in consecrated life are called to reflect light of Jesus Christ to all peoples.

         On this day, we honour and celebrate those in consecrated life, in particular, the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, the Order of Saint Basil the Great, and the Skete of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-creating Cross.

         Please pray for all those who have made commitments in the consecrated life, and be sure to thank them on their special day. May they continue to be inspired by Jesus Christ and respond generously to God’s gift of their vocation.

• The 28^th World Day of the Sick will be celebrated on February 11.  Pope Francis, to mark the celebraton, issued a Message entitled, “Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11:28), Pope Francis urges that “what is needed is a personalized approach to the sick, not just of curing but also of caring, in view of an integral human healing.”
• 2020 Presbyteral Council Meetings:  (2:00 – 5:00 pm, Pastoral Centre):  March 9, October 5, and November 16.
• 2020 Clergy Conferences:  (10:00 am – 4:00 pm):  March 10 (Holy Eucharist Parish, Edmonton), , October 9, and November 17.
• 2020 Annual Clergy Retreat:  May 25-29, 2020 (Sanctum Retreat Centre). Retreat Master – Very Rev. Gabriel Haber, osbm, Provincial Superior, Order of Saint Bastil the Great.
• 2021 Annual Clergy Retreat:  May 17-21, 2021 (Sanctum Retreat Centre).
• 2020 Annual Clergy Study Days:  October 5-8 (Providence Renewal Centre, Edmonton).
  
• The National Week for Life and the Family will be celebrated May 10-17, with the theme, “Children: The Crowning Glory of Marriage.”

         Material to help celebrate the Life and Family has been prepared by the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF).  The material, which can be freely downloaded and reproduced, includes: a proposed plan for pastors and lay pastoral workers on how they might organize the Week; a message from the CCCB President, the Most Reverend Richard Gagnon; proposals for homily notes and Prayers of the Faithful; and suggestions for related events and activities.

         The material is available on COLF:  https://www.colf.ca/en/events/item/301-national-week-for-life-and-the-family-2020

• The 11^th Annual “Bishop’s Prayer Breakfast” will take place 7:30 – 9:00 am, Wednesday, June 3, at Saint Josaphat’s Cathedral Hall – Verkhovyna (9637 – 108 Avenue), Edmonton.

       The event supports, through prayer, our clergy, religious, monastics and laity in their leadership roles in continuing the mission of Christ in sharing the Good News among the people of God.

       This year’s theme focuses on Image to Likeness, Our Call to Holiness, based on the Book of Genesis, which writes, “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (1:27).

        Our guest speakers are Very Rev. Stephen Wojcichowsky, Protosyncellus/Vicar General and Hanya Fialka, Teacher, Saint Matthew Elementary Catholic School.

       Tickets $25.00 per person. $200 for a table of 8 persons. For tickets and more information, contact the Chancery Office at (780) 424-5496; chancery@edmontoneparchy.com.

•   Rev. Peter Babej, Pastor, Saint Josaphat Cathedral, will lead an Eparchy of Edmonton-wide Pilgrimage to the Holy Land from October 17-29, 2020.  Open to all faithful.  Itinerary and costs attached. For further information, contact Father Peter at (780) 422-3181 or :  fr.babej@eeparchy.com.

    The Pilgrimage will be an incredible conclusion to our Vision 2020:  Vibrant Parishes, Places to Encounter the Living Christ.  Prepare to walk in the footsteps of Our Lord!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Pope Francis, with the blessing of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, appointed Bishop Ken Nowakowski, until now Eparchial Bishop of New Westminster, British Columbia, as Bishop of the Eparchy of London, which includes all the United Kingdom.

  At the same time, Pope Francis appointed Bishop David Motiuk as Apostolic Administrator of the Eparchy of New Westminster, until such time as a successor to Bishop Ken has been appointed.  Bishop David continues as Eparchial Bishop of Edmonton.

• Pope Francis, with the blessing of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, appointed Rev. Mykola Bychok, CsSR, as the Bishop of the Eparchy of Melbourne, which emmpasses Australia, New Zealand and Oceania.

         Bishop-elect Mykola who was born in Ternopil, Ukraine. As a member of the Redemptorist Order, he studied in Ukraine and Poland, being ordained a priest in 2005. His priestly ministry has seen him serve in Russia, Ukraine and the United States, where he has spent the past five years.

         At the same time, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Peter Stasiuk, who has served as Eparchial Bishop of Melbourne since 1992. Bishop Peter turned 75 in July 2018.

   

• Patriarch Sviatoslav, with the blessing of Bishop David, has invited Very Rev. Stephen Wojcichowsky, Protopresbyter/Vicar General, to serve as guest preacher at this year’s annual 2020 Synod of Bishops to take place from August 30-September 8 in Lviv.  Father Stephen’s responsibilities will be to preach at each morning Divine Liturgy for the bishops during their Synod, as well as lead them in a spiritual day of renewal.

  As the Canadian government prepares to expand access to euthanasia, the Catholic Bishops of Alberta and Northwest Territories have written a Pastoral Letter to the faithful on this subject, entitled In Remaining True to Christ Now and at the Hour of our Death.

    In the Pastoral letter, the bishops offer a thoughtful reflection on Catholic teaching regarding respect for life and our responsibility to remain faithful to God’s will.

         All of us will need support at the time of our dying, they write, but assistance to hasten our death, the willful termination of a human life, is a very different matter. The letter offers words of encouragement on preparing for a holy death, and also calls on Catholics to contact their MPs to oppose any expansion of the current law and advocate instead for more access to palliative care.

  NECROLOGY   

    Right Rev. William (Bill) Hupalo passed away peacefully on January 27, at the age of 76 years.

         Father Bill was born on April 23, 1943 in Bonnyville, AB to parents Nicholas and Ruth Hupalo.  At the age of thirty, he discerned a call to the priesthood, first completing a Bachelor of Philosophy in Rome in 1972 and then a Bachelor of Theology in Ottawa in 1976.  He was ordained to the priesthood on July 18, 1976 by Most Reverend Bishop Neil Savaryn.  From 1976 to his retirement in 2017, he faithfully served a number of parishes, including as pastor of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Edmonton, St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish in Calgary and Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God Parish in Edmonton, among many others.  With great humility, he also served as Eparchial Administrator of the Eparchy of Edmonton three times over from 1990-1992, 1996-1997, and in 2006.  In honour of his dedicated service to God and the Church, he was elevated to Mitred Archpriest in 2012 by Patriarch Sviatoslav Shewchuk. 

  NOTEWORTHY

  “Eparchy of Edmonton Conducts Pilgrimage to Venerate Our Lady of Guadalupe,” by Marco Levytsky, NP-UN Western Bureau Chief, in New Pathway, December 31, 2

© 2019 Eparchy of Edmonton
9645 – 108 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5H 1A3
Tel: (780) 424-5496 Fax: (780) 425-2330
www.edmontoneparchy.com