The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be celebrated January 18 to 25. Inaugurated in 1908, the event is now celebrated around the world on an annual basis.
The theme for this year is “Do good, seek justice” (Isaiah 1:7). The materials for prayer and reflection have been prepared by the Minnesota Council of Churches (USA), in the aftermath of the 2020 extrajudicial killing of George Floyd and the trial of the police officer responsible. As local Christian communities sought to respond to the anguish of these events, they also recognized their own historical complicity in perpetuating racial injustice. Inasmuch as the Church is summoned to be the sign and instrument of the unity God desires for the whole of His creation (cf. Lumen gentium, 1), the continued divisions between Christians constitute a scandal: we are thus called to repent of our disunity and work together for reconciliation among all peoples.
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity – previously named the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity – and the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC) have uploaded resources to aid the faithful in participating in this act of solidarity:
As the universal Catholic Church is summoned by Pope Francis to a new evangelization, through the 2023-24 Synod on Synodality, both ecumenism and interreligious dialogue are receiving renewed prominence. Hence the vademecum for the Synod, the “Official Handbook for Listening and Discernment in Local Churches,” proclaims: “The dialogue between Christians of different confessions, united by one baptism, has a special place in the synodal journey.”
For generations, Catholic dioceses and religious orders in Canada have been major contributors to the development and delivery of healthcare services across the country. The first hospital in Canada, the Hôtel-Dieu in Quebec City, was established in 1639 by three Religious Sisters of the Augustines de la Miséricorde de Jésus to provide medical care to the French settlers and Indigenous populations of the time. That hospital was the first in North America and is still in operation.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) announces the 2023 series of online weekly videos for the liturgical season of Advent. These videos are intended to help the faithful prepare for the celebration of the birth of Our Lord on December 25th, by offering resources and faith formation. Entitled Journey through Advent, the videos are a joint initiative of the Office for Evangelization and Catechesis, the National Liturgy Office and the Office national de liturgie...
This template, titled Praedica Verbum (“Preach the Word”) and developed by the Episcopal Commission for Doctrine, is intended as a resource for pastors, officially mandated pastoral agents, and others in the Church who work with young people. Focusing on what the Church calls “the initial proclamation of the Gospel,” it is intended to provide helpful information on the how and what of evangelization. The template was developed following consultations with numerous Catholic organizations in Canada engaged in the evangelization of young people.
On Thursday, October 26, a decree from the Dicastery for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life came into effect, appointing the Archbishop of Gatineau as Apostolic Commissioner for the Congregation of the Servantes de Jésus-Marie. With this decree, Archbishop Durocher assumes the competencies of the Superior General and the General Council of the Congregation. In short, Archbishop Durocher becomes responsible for the thirty nuns living at the monastery attached to the Diocesan Center on Mont-Bleu Boulevard in Gatineau.
Sunday, October 22 saw the official inauguration of Saint Paul Syriac Catholic parish in Gatineau. This parish, which had rented premises in various Ottawa churches since its foundation some ten years ago, recently acquired the Notre-Dame-de-l'Île church at 115 boulevard Sacré-Cœur. Under the terms of the contract signed between the two fabriques, the Notre-Dame-de-l'Île parish community will be able to continue to use the site to celebrate Mass on Sunday mornings.
Following the conclusion of the 2023 Plenary Assembly meeting, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) held its biennial election to determine the new members the Executive Committee and Permanent Council. The Most Reverend William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary was elected as President, and the Most Reverend Pierre Goudreault, Bishop of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière was elected as Vice President.
Over these last few days, the world has witnessed a rapid escalation of armed conflict in the Holy Land, with reports of a growing number of wounded or dead, including innocent civilians.
As the Holy Land is immersed in this violence and bloodshed, we remember that Jesus, the Son of God, who lived and walked there as Love Incarnate, through His teaching by word and deed, calls us as brothers and sisters to be always united by the bond of charity.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) held its annual meeting of the Plenary Assembly, 25-28 September 2023, at Kingbridge Conference Centre, King City, Ontario.
This year, Salt + Light Television, a Canadian Catholic television network, produced daily recap videos of the Plenary Assembly meeting, which summarize, in a dynamic way, the deliberations of the plenary meeting in a given day, with commentary from Bishops and other expert presenters. We encourage the sharing of these videos in dioceses/eparchies, as well as local parishes for the information of the faithful.
Abbé Fidèle Niyaminani passed away on Sunday, October 2, 2023 at Le Monarque residence in Plaisance. Born on June 26, 1944, he was the son of Ngurmbe Thomas and Nyandwi Isabelle. He is survived by his brother Albert and sister Cécile; three sisters (Thérèse, Appolonie and Anne-Marie) and two brothers (Jean and Alois) predeceased him...
The first Wednesday of October is the Provincial Day for the Permanent Deacons. The Assembly of the diocesan delegates of the permanent deacons, in partnership with the Carrefour intervocationnel, offers an animation kit (in French) to pray for this ordained ministry and to raise awareness for the mission of permanent deacons in our Church. We are invited to take advantage of this day to pray for deacons across Quebec, wives, and their families.
Archidiocèse de Gatineau
180, boulevard du Mont-Bleu,
Gatineau (Québec) J8Z 3J5
info@diocesegatineau.org
Téléphone: 819 771-8391
Télécopieur: 819 778-8969
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