7 January 2008

Dear Pastors, Lay Pastoral Associates and Parishioners,

Happy New Year! I am reminded that the month of January is named after the mythical Roman god Janus, the god of gates and doors, beginnings and endings. He is depicted as having a head with two faces, one looking each way. He could thus look ahead into the future, as well as back into the past. The last days of an old year and the first days of a new are indeed a time when we do this kind of reminiscing and projecting. 
For my part, I look back at the year 2007 and it seems surreal. This time last year, I was still making preparations for my ordination to the episcopacy, which took place on January 25th. Much has happened since then, both to me and within the archdiocese. My life has lost some of its well-worn features; our archdiocese also seems to have a different look to it. At the same time, I gaze into the future and wonder what the coming months will bring. The familiar hymn, “We walk by faith and not by sight …” expresses some of what I feel about 2008 as it breaks upon us.

December Highlights
The first days of December were marked by the death of Father Claude Lemieux. Having been so engaged in the Grande Prairie parish and the archdiocese for the past several years, it’s hard to believe that he is now gone from our midst – with every birth and death, our community of faith is changed. I presided at both funeral Masses for him, in Grande Prairie on the 6th and in St. Albert on the 8th. 
This was followed by the semi-annual meeting of the Alberta Bishops, in Edmonton. Along with recurring agenda items of Catholic education, Catholic hospitals, and the plans for new seminary and theological college buildings, we had the pleasure of being joined for supper by Premier Ed Stelmach. 
I then went on to Ottawa for another meeting of the corporation of Catholic entities dealing with the Indian Residential School settlement agreement. The various elements of this agreement are moving ahead according to plan. We hear of glitches along the way, but the fifty Catholic dioceses and religious orders are working hard at holding up our commitments under the agreement. The board meetings of this corporation will continue to make demands on me for several years to come.
While I was that far east, I decided to go home to Halifax for a few days, to spend some pre-Christmas time with family and friends. Being back in McLennan for Christmas itself, I offered my services to a couple of Native communities in the area that have not had Mass in a long time: I was in Cadotte Lake at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and in Trout Lake for midnight. 

Galilee Weekend
You may recall that last year, the team of Fr. David Purcell, Henriette Romancewicz and I offered a Galilee Experience of Vocational Discernment, for any young adults (18-30 years old) who were interested in learning more about the call of God in our life and how one might prayerfully listen to his promptings. We have planned another such weekend, to be held at the Chancery here in McLennan on the weekend of February 1-3, 2008. Brochures and application forms have already been distributed in your parishes. I ask you all to promote this weekend, and encourage any young adults you think would benefit from it to attend. So as to make the experience available to as many as possible, we discourage past participants from repeating.

Bishop-elect John Corriveau
The Diocese of Nelson BC has been assigned a new bishop. Father John Corriveau, a Capuchin Franciscan priest, will be ordained to the episcopacy on January 30th in Kelowna, and installed as bishop the following day in Nelson. I hope to attend these ceremonies. Bishop-elect Corriveau is a first-cousin of the Redemptorist Father Raymond Corriveau, whom some of you may recall meeting at my own ordination as a bishop last year.

Returning to Spirit
Of the many programs for healing and reconciliation involving First Nations people and non-Native Canadians, one that has been highly acclaimed is called Returning to Spirit. It was designed and developed by mostly Catholic leadership, and has been offered over the past several years. This program has three steps to it: a week for Native people, a week for non-Natives, and then a week that brings members of the two groups together for an exchange aimed at reconciliation and healing.
I have been asked to host the upcoming non-Native workshop at Star of the North Retreat House in St. Albert, from March 3rd to 7th. This will also be the first such workshop to reach out to and welcome persons from other Christian Churches. If anyone from our archdiocese is interested in taking part in this workshop, please feel free to contact me.

Archbishop’s Dinners
I have spoken previously about a series of three fundraising dinners being offered across the archdiocese. The plans are taking shape for these dinners, which will be held in High Prairie on February 29th, Peace River on March 14th, and Grande Prairie on April 4th. The price of the meal itself is $25.; during my keynote address, I will be making an appeal for donations to the archdiocese. My speech is entitled The Archbishop’s Vision – Many Tiles in the Mosaic of the Church. To purchase tickets for any of these dinners, please contact Grant Mann at the chancery office in McLennan.

Once again, I pray for God’s blessings to come upon you as we move into 2008. May it be a year of peace and common effort for the Kingdom of God.

+ Gerard Pettipas, C.Ss.R.