• catholic women's league

    The Catholic Women's League of Canada is a national organization rooted in Gospel values calling its members to holiness through service to the people of God. The CWL organization consists of over 60,000 members all across Canada and is open to women aged 16 and older. The CWL contributes to the life and vitality of the church, family and community at home and abroad.


    The CWL Council at St. Patrick's was formed in 1926 and has approximately 90 members.  


    Membership is ongoing and the dues of $45.00/year must accompany a registration form available at the parish office or the link here.  The CWL is active in the parish throughout the year but summers are quieter due to holidays.  Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at 1:00 pm, in the Parish Centre.  


    Membership is what you make it.  The CWL is also looking for members to be on the Executive Council who meet once a month to discuss finances, activities, planning, etc.  If you want to learn more, contact the President to discuss joining:  Kathleen:  greytpats@gmail.com


  • knights of columbus

    The Knights of Columbus was established in 1882 by Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn., and a group of parishioners. The intent was to bring financial aid and assistance to the sick, disabled and needy members and their families.

     

    Father McGivney was Beatified on October 31, 2020.  The beatification Mass was celebrated at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut, with Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin presiding on the Pope's behalf.

    This lay order was founded on the principles of Charity, Unity and Fraternity. Later the principle of Patriotism was added, to encourage active Catholic citizenship and foster the spirit of patriotism in members and the community at large.

     

    The Knights by the numbers:

    • More than 2,000,000 members in 17 countries and donations worldwide totalled $175,079,192 and close to 74 million hours of service.
    •  In BC and Yukon alone there are 12,500 members. In Canada donations were $22,241,473 and gave over 9 million hours of service.

     Father McGivney’s vision for the Knights of Columbus was also to offer low-cost life insurance to the immigrant families of his parish that faced destitution if the breadwinner died. Today, the order’s insurance arm has grown into one of the strongest, triple-A rated financial corporations in North America. Because it is a charitable corporation, its profits are used to support the Catholic Church and many charities.


    Internationally, the Knights provide scholarships to seminarians and the children of brother Knights, purchase ultrasound machines for pregnancy centres, purchase wheelchairs and prosthetics, and fund research into Lou Gehrig’s disease. They restored St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

    Locally, the Knights of St. Pat’s provide bursaries to the students of St. Patrick’s School and scholarships to the students of St. Andrew’s High School. Its members volunteer their time to support a wide range of Church and community activities like assisting Father William with the liturgy and administration of the parish, supporting the elderly and disadvantaged in the community, sponsoring and coaching sports teams, and much more.


    Membership in the order is open to practicing Catholic men who are at least 18 years old. St. Patrick’s Council, No. 7934, received its charter on February 13, 1982. It currently has approximately 110 members. The council normally meets on the first Thursday of every month, during the pandemic, meetings have continued virtually.

        

    Through the Knights, Father McGivney gave Catholic laymen a new opportunity – the chance to grow in holiness while contributing to their parishes, communities and the security of their families. Now is the right time to become a Knight.

     

    Why join the Knights of Columbus?

    If you’re interested in helping those in need, serving your parish, growing in your faith or having exclusive access to top-rated insurance protection for your family, then the Knights of Columbus is the organization for you.

    These are just some of the reasons to become a Knight.

    We are a band of brothers, a network of men in communities around the world dedicated to doing good in the service of God and our neighbour.


    Contact Grand Knight - Serge Sabourin:  brothersergegk7934@gmail.com 

    For further information to learn more, log onto the order’s website - www.kofc.org


  • development & peace

    The Canadian Catholic Organization for DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE is the official international development agency of the Canadian Catholic Church.  It is a membership-based organization founded in 1967 by Canada's bishops, laity and clergy to fight poverty in the countries of the South, and to promote greater international justice. Inspired by Gospel values, particularly "the preferential option for the poor," the goals of DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE are to support initiatives by people in the Global South to take control of their lives and to educate Canadians about North-South issues. Our education, advocacy and fund-raising work here at home is carried out by DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE members from coast to coast. It has a website at http://www.devp.org/en.


    Local groups meet in most parishes throughout the Victoria Diocese. The St. Patrick's D&P committee usually meets on the third Tuesday of the month from September to November and from January to April. They plan activities around a Fall education campaign called Fall Action and the Spring Lenten fund-raising campaign called Share Lent.  St. Pat's D&P committee host coffee after the 11:00 mass the last Sunday of each month. They participate in D&P inter-parish events and Diocesan events.


    For more information contact Nancy Stuart 250-477-6952. 


  • st. vincent de paul

    The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a worldwide volunteer organization of lay people with over 900,000 members in 45,000 conferences in 130 countries. These members dedicate some of their time to people in their community who are poor, forgotten or oppressed. They seek, through justice and charity, to make a difference in the world and to bear witness to the power of the Christian faith.


    The members of the St. Patrick's Conference volunteer their time primarily at the Victoria Social Concerns Office where they assist the staff preparing grocery hampers for the poor and homeless. Their mission is to live the Gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, and joy.  


    The Conference meets on the Fourth Tuesday of the month in the Boardroom of the Parish Centre at 7:00pm. The Conference is always looking for volunteers; anyone interested in the Society is encouraged to come to a meeting.  For meeting times check the Parish Calendar or contact the Conference President.


    For more information, contact Colin Scott 250-995-3227