10 October 2007

Dear Pastors, Lay Pastoral Animators and Parishioners,

Retreat for Clergy.  I want to thank you for your prayerful support of the priests and deacons who gathered recently at Providence Centre in Edmonton for the first-ever clergy retreat in our archdiocese.  We were 19 in all, and the comments afterwards were all very positive.  It was both a time for prayer and reflection, as well as for fraternal sharing and support.

Francophone Pastoral Committee.  I have asked Anita Belzile of St-Isidore to help me to form a pastoral committee for the Francophones of our archdiocese.  This committee will try to research and make available programs and events that will strengthen the faith-life and catechesis of our people whose first language is French.  One of the committee’s first tasks will be to prepare for the visit among us of Christiane Gaouette in March 2008.  I would like to see as many communities in the archdiocese with Francophone parishioners represented on this committee, while keeping the size of the committee manageable.  I therefore ask that all pastors and lay pastoral animators and parish council chairs to try and find one Francophone parishioner from your parish who is willing to serve on this committee.  Please direct your representative to Anita Belzile at 780 624 8661, or belzile@wispernet.ca by November 15th.

Native Pastoral Committee.  In a similar vein, I am calling together representatives of our Aboriginal communities to form an archdiocesan Native Pastoral Committee.  I have contacted all the Band Chiefs with this objective in mind.  This committee will prepare for Sr. Eva Solomon’s presence in the archdiocese from 6-14 November.

Ceremony at St. Joseph’s on 22 October.  You will recall that the new St. Joseph Church in Grande Prairie was officially blessed and opened on Sunday 20 May 2007.  The new altar was blessed this past weekend, October 7th, at the 11:00 a.m. Mass.  On Monday evening, October 22nd at 7:00 p.m., there will be a Ceremony of Recognition to honor the many people who have had a hand in bringing this project to completion.  All pastors and other parish representatives are welcome to attend this ceremony.

Installation of Pastors.  Over the month of September, I have installed Fathers Charles Lavoie, Julien Benedict Mary and Dino Benedet as pastors of their respective parishes.  In all places, the parishioners commented on the beauty and significance of the ceremony.  While some had never seen or heard of such a thing in the past, I will continue to mark the change of pastoral charge in this way.

10th Anniversary of Diocesan Lay Formation.  On Sunday 23 September, the Diocesan Lay Formation Program in Peace River celebrated its 10th anniversary.  Many former graduates of this program joined the present class to celebrate this milestone.  I am grateful to Sisters Georgette Payeur, CSC and Louise Vanderploeg, SSND for their tireless efforts in this realm of Church life.

Budget 2008.  All the parishes have been sent documentation for preparing the 2007 annual parish financial report required by to the Chancery Office, as well as directives for a 2008 budget.  Some parish representatives have already contacted the financial administrator to express their surprise and dismay that we are putting in place a strategic plan for the financial health of the Archdiocese and its parishes.  I call on all of you to read carefully and ponder prayerfully the needs of our diocesan Church at this juncture in our history.  Alberta is experiencing an unprecedented growth and expansion, and we need to have the resources at hand to provide for the incumbent needs.

Father Paul Hernou.  Father Hernou has been assured that his health is sufficiently strong to return north, and so he has set the middle of October as a date to take up residence in John D’Or Prairie.  This is not to say that he is once again a man of 40, and he still needs to return to High Level three times a week for dialysis.  He is grateful for your prayers, and looks forward to being once again among the people he loves.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  In a recent letter from the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement, I was apprised of the 100th anniversary of this prayer initiative for the unity of Christians.  The Atonement Friars were founded as an Anglican Order in 1898, and then eleven years later they became Catholic.  They have worked tirelessly for the unity of Christian churches and ecclesial communities, long before this idea became popular.  To mark this 110th anniversary, they ask that our parishes make a special effort to collaborate with other Christian churches in your area to celebrate the Week of Prayer, from 18-25 January 2008.  If I may offer a word of experience: if you do hope to make such plans, start now!  Don’t want until December!  Materials are available on the web at www.weekofprayer2008.org.

CCCB Plenary: I will be joining the other Canadian bishops for the annual plenary session from 15-19 October.  There is much on the agenda, but I see that a major theme is the New Evangelization.  Please keep us in your prayers.

Sincerely in Christ the Redeemer,

+ Gerard Pettipas, C.Ss.R.
Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan

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