NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF VICTORIA:
March 8, 2024:
March 17 is Solidarity Sunday, an opportunity to support Development and Peace – Caritas Canada in its work with the poorest and most marginalized of our human family. Bishop Gary has written a letter to the people of the Diocese of Victoria, introducing this year’s focus on small-scale farmers and peasant communities, and encouraging all to embody Christ’s love through generosity and solidarity. To read Bishop Gary’s letter, please visit https://www.rcdvictoria.org/news/bishop-gary-gordons-message-for-share-lent-2024
Registration is now open for the Diocesan Youth Retreat. Since 2003, the DYR (formerly the Diocesan Youth Conference) has been the premier youth ministry event in the Diocese of Victoria. Grade 8-12 students and their chaperones are invited to the faith and fun-filled event, to be held on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11 at Camp Imadene. For more information and to register, please visit https://www.rcdvictoria.org/dyr
World Wide Marriage Encounter will be offering a virtual WWME experience April 19-21, 2024. Even when a marriage is going smoothly, there are always opportunities to make it work better. The Marriage Encounter experience helps you listen, share, and connect more deeply in order to uncover the secrets to a lasting, supportive, transformational marriage. Any questions can be directed to Doug and Candice Chappell at 778-479-7900 or Doug.candice.chappell@wwme.org. To apply, please visit https://wwme.org/
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March 1, 2024:
Bishop Gary Gordon will celebrate a special Mass at 4:00 pm on Saturday, March 16 in honour of the dedication of those who work or volunteer in health care. Everyone is invited to participate, either in person at Sacred Heart Church in Victoria (4040 Nelthorpe St, Victoria, BC), or via livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFqxWFAvwJE. A reception will follow in the parish hall for those attending in person.
All people of the Diocese of Victoria are invited to join in the celebration of the Chrism Mass on Thursday, March 21 at 7:00 pm. At this yearly liturgy, sacred oils are blessed and given to representatives from each parish in the diocese. These will be presented in each church on Holy Thursday and used during the coming year for Baptisms, Confirmations, and Anointings of the Sick. This year’s Chrism Mass will be celebrated at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Victoria (740 View Street), and also livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMGHYEro3bg
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Diocesan Family Camp. This year's theme is "On the Way Together", and the guest speakers will be Bishop Gary Gordon, Sr. John Mary Sullivan (Associate Director of Ministries and Outreach for the Archdiocese of Vancouver) and Joelle Dressler (Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization for the Diocese of Victoria). The camp will run from August 15 – 18 in Nanoose Bay. Please save the date – more information will be coming soon.
Applications are now being accepted for “Hope on the Horizon”, an outreach and leadership program to be held in Vancouver this summer from April 6 – 21. Coordinated by the Archdiocese of Vancouver in collaboration with Catholic Street Missionaries, the program is designed to introduce young people aged 19 – 30 to the life of a street missionary, sharing a life of prayer and service with others who go out into the streets bringing the love of Jesus to the homeless. For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.catholicstreetmissionaries.org/horizon
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February 23, 2024:
February 24 marks the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. National representatives of Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant communities, in collaboration with the World Evangelical Alliance’s Peace and Reconciliation Network, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and the Canadian Council of Churches, have signed a Pastoral Letter on Ukraine, Canada, and the Church, inviting all to join in praying for peace. For more information, please visit https://www.rcdvictoria.org/news/a-canadian-pastoral-letter-on-ukraine-canada-and-the-church.
Would you like to help remove invasive plants and restore the properties of St. Andrew’s High School, the Pastoral Centre, and Sacred Heart Parish? On Saturday, March 2, all are invited to the first weekly Garry Oak Meadow Restoration Project work party. Please meet in the Sacred Heart parking lot (4044 Nelthope Street, Victoria); the event will run from 10 am – noon, rain or shine. Pruners and shovels will be provided, but please bring your own gloves, safety glasses, and water. For more information and to sign up, please email jseale1234@gmail.com
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February 2, 2024:
From February 4 - 11, we will mark National Catholic Health Care Week in Canada, recognizing the important work of Catholic health care organizations in our provinces and across the country. More information and resources, including daily reflections and prayers for each day of the Week, are available on the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada website at https://www.chac.ca/en/national-catholic-health-care-week/.
On Sunday, February 18, the Diocese will celebrate the Rite of Election during the 11 am Mass at St. Andrew's Cathedral. In this liturgical rite, catechumens (unbaptized people who wish to join the Church) are presented to the Bishop and ask to be allowed to participate in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist at Easter. All are invited to participate in the Mass, either in person or via the livestream at https://www.youtube.com/@RCDVictoriaLiveOne.
Grief to Grace is a retreat program facilitated by mental health professionals and centered on Jesus Christ which helps those who have endured neglect, physical, emotional, sexual, and/or spiritual abuse in their family of origin, their community, from spouses/partners, and/or coworkers or supervisors, find healing and journey to wholeness. The next retreat in Canada is May 14 - 18, 2024 in Kelowna. For more information please email grieftogracekelowna@gmail.com or make a confidential call to 250-808-6403.
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January 26, 2024:
Deacon Joseph Yuson, a seminarian for the Diocese of Victoria presently in formation at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Edmonton, will be ordained to the Ministerial Priesthood on Saturday, June 22, 2024 at 10:00 am at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Victoria. This is good news indeed for our Diocese! All are invited to join the celebration by participating in Deacon Joseph’s ordination Mass, either in person at St. Andrew’s or via the livestream at https://www.youtube.com/c/RCDVictoriaLiveOne/. Your prayers for Joseph and his intentions are appreciated as he prepares for service as a ministerial priest to the People of God in the Diocese of Victoria. Please also pray that we all may discern the vocation which God has planned for us, and respond generously and whole-heartedly to His call.
The CCCB Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace released a Pastoral Letter this week on the use of social media titled: “Let Your Speech Always Be Gracious.” It considers the benefits and dangers of social media from the perspective of Catholic Social Teaching, provides tools for moral reflection and self-examination, and suggests seven commitments by which to be guided for a more ethical use of social media. The letter can be read online at https://www.cccb.ca/announcement/bishops-release-a-pastoral-letter-on-the-use-of-social-media.
Registration is now open for the online course “Integral Ecology: From Laudato si’ to Laudate Deum”. Offered by the Pontifical Universities and Atheneums of Rome, the course is led by a renowned faculty of academics, leaders, and activists from around the world, representing some of the major institutions and groups involved in the area of creation care. The course runs until June, and consists of six 90 minutes modules, a workshop in March, and an online conference in May. The first module was released on January 25, but people can join the course any time before March 31. The course fee is 30 Euros (approximately $45 CAD). For more information and to register, please visit https://www.unigre.it/en/events-and-communication/communication/news-and-press-releases/registration-open-online-course-on-integral-ecology/.
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January 19, 2024:
- Our Lady of Victory Mission on Gabriola Island has sent an update on how the
Bishop’s Annual Appeal has helped their community. To read the update,
please visit https://www.rcdvictoria.org/diocesanblog/warm-thanks-from-our-lady-of-victory-mission.
- There
will be a Vocation Live-In on the weekend of February 10 -11 at the Seminary of
Christ the King in Mission, BC. Anyone wishing to enter the Seminary in the
next couple of years is welcome. For more information, please phone
604-826-8975 or email rector.minors@sck.ca.
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January 12, 2024:
- January 15 is the deadline to apply for the 2024-25 Catholic Women’s Leadership Foundation Program. The program is open to all Canadian Catholic women who have a genuine interest in making a difference in their communities and places of work, and is specifically designed to integrate faith and life, personal and professional leadership development. For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.cwlfcanada.ca/participate.
- To mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, all are invited to an ecumenical service at Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria (930 Burdett Ave) on Sunday, January 21 at 4:00 pm. Bishop Anna Greenwood-Lee of the Anglican Diocese of Islands and Inlets will preside, and Bishop Gary will preach. A reception will follow the service.
- Youth in grades 7-12 are invited to the annual Diocese of Victoria Youth Retreat, which runs from February 2 – 4, 2024 at Camp Homewood on Quadra Island. This year's theme is "Seek Him", and the retreat will be presented by Face to Face Ministries. The cost is $195 per participant (or $215 after January 15), which includes all food, accommodation, and activities. Youth are asked to register with their local parish. For more information, contact St. Patrick's Parish in Campbell River (stpatricks-CR@shaw.ca or 250-287-3498), or Bonni Roset, Camp Coordinator, at broset@telus.net or 250-203-1518.
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September 27, 2021 - Canadian Bishops announce a $30M National Financial Pledge to Support Healing & Reconciliation Initiatives. Click here for link
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September 24, 2021 - Statement of Apology by the Catholic Bishops to the Indigenous Peoples of this Land. On September 24, 2021, the Catholic Bishops of Canada issued a statement acknowledging the suffering experienced in Canada's Indian Residential Schools and expressing their profound remorse and apology. Click here for link
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August 30, 2021 - Letter from Bishop Gary Gordon regarding Truth & Reconciliation Day on September 30th. Click here for the letter
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August 26, 2021 - Background for Catholics on Residential Schools. Senator Murray Sinclair, the Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), once famously said of the residential school system: “It was education that got us into this mess, and education will get us out”. The Diocese of Victoria has created a new page on its website with information about residential schools. This “Background for Catholics”, adapted with permission from material provided by the Archdiocese of Toronto, includes information on the history of the schools, the recent announcements of unmarked graves, the archives and apologies of Catholic dioceses and religious orders, and past and current financial reparations. Sharing this information is part of the Diocese’s response to the TRC’s Call to Action #59: to ensure that members of our Diocese learn about our Church's role in colonization, the history and legacy of residential schools, and why apologies to former residential school students, their families, and communities are necessary. Click here for link to the Diocese of Victoria webpage
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June 3, 2021 - Please
see a statement of apology and commitment from Bishop Gary Gordon pertaining to the
Residential Schools in our Diocese. Click here for the statement.
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May 31, 2021 - Bishop Gary Gordon has issued the following statement in light of the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the site of the former residential school in Kamloops. Click here to read the Statement
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May 31, 2021 - The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a statement following the report of a recent discovery of graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. Click here to read the Statement
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April 8, 2021 - Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a statement regarding the expansion of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada. Click here to read the letter
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