Diocese On-line Marriage Preparation Course

https://www.rcdvictoria.org/marriage-prep

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January 16, 2025

1) The Camp Homewood Annual Diocesan Retreat for youth in grades 7-12 will be held January 31 – February 2 on Quadra Island.   The retreat will be led by FacetoFace Ministries and will include activities like archery and riding, as well as opportunities for prayer, praise, adoration, fellowship and the celebration of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist.  Youth should register through their parishes.    For more information, contact St. Patrick's Parish in Campbell River at 250-287-3498 or stpatricks-cr@rcdvictoria.org

2) “Grief to Grace” will be holding a retreat in May in Kelowna.  This program is for people 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.  Through a retreat program facilitated by mental health professionals and centered on Jesus Christ, participants are helped to find healing and journey to wholeness.  For more information please email grieftogracekelowna@gmail.com or make a confidential call to 250-808-6403.

3) There will be a Vocation Live-In on the weekend of February 8-9 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 phone 604-826-8975 or email  rector.minors@sck.ca

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January 9, 2025

1) WINTER 2025 PASTORAL CARE TRAINING SESSION

“God calls us to touch the lives of our aging, lonely, ill, palliative and dying sisters and brothers

with accompaniment, kindness and compassion as the hands and face of Christ. In these

sessions, you learn basic tools necessary to accompany those who are in need of the healing

ministry of Christ.” – Most Reverend Gary Gordon, Bishop of Victoria

The valuable and free Pastoral Care Outreach Training series will be offered online again this

winter. Nine sessions will be held via Zoom on Saturday mornings from 9:30 – noon, starting

on February 1 and running until April 5, 2025 (with no session on March 8 for spring break).

Participants who attend all sessions will receive a Certificate of Completion. Participants will

require a phone number and email address, a computer, tablet or Smart Phone with speakers,

microphone and webcam, a reliable Internet connection, and access to Zoom. Please register

through your local parish by January 21, 2025. For further information, please email

moiraking@shaw.ca

2) On Tuesday, January 14, St. Ann’s Parish in Duncan will host a visit of the relics of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Jean de Brébeuf, St. Charles Garnier, and St. Gabriel Lalemant.  This visit is part of a national devotional tour which is offering Canadians the opportunity for an encounter with these great saints to receive the graces of healing and reconciliation for themselves, their families, and our country.  The relics are expected to arrive at 11:30 am and will be welcomed by members of the Cowichan Nation.  Celebration of the Eucharist will follow, and the relics will remain at St. Ann’s until 5:00 pm, open to all who want to visit and pray.  For more information about the national tour, please visit https://martyrs-shrine.com/relic-tour/.

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December 19, 2024

1) Over the weeks of Advent, the Diocese is sharing a series of blog posts that explore new ways to bring purpose, shelter, and hope to those in need.  The final post for the Fourth Sunday of Advent is now available to read https://www.rcdvictoria.org/diocesanblog/making-room-today-living-the-lessons-of-the-manger.

2) Bishop Gary Gordon has written a message to the people of the Diocese of Victoria on the occasion of Christmas 2024.  The message may be read online at https://www.rcdvictoria.org/news/bishop-gary-gordons-message-for-christmas-2024

3) On Sunday, December 29, the Diocese of Victoria will join the world-wide Church in celebrating the opening of the Jubilee Year.  The Rite of Opening will happen at the 11 am Mass at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Victoria, with Bishop Gary Gordon presiding.  All are invited to participate in person or via the livestream at https://youtube.com/live/RIYRc_D5e4Y?feature=share.  

4) The 58th World Day of Peace  will be celebrated on 1 January 2025.  The theme chosen by Pope Francis for this year is “Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace’’.  For more information, and to read Pope Francis’ message for the Day, please visit https://www.cccb.ca/announcement/world-day-of-peace-2025/

5) The Canadian arm of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association is launching an emergency appeal to support struggling families in Bethlehem.  For more information, and to donate, please visit https://cnewa.org/ca/

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December 12, 2024

1) Over the weeks of Advent, the Diocese is sharing a series of blog posts that explore new ways to bring purpose, shelter, and hope to those in need.  The posts for the Second and Third Sundays of Advent are now available to read:

• Second Sunday of Advent: Finding Room at the Inn: A New Vision for Long-Term Care This Advent (https://www.rcdvictoria.org/diocesanblog/finding-room-at-the-inn-a-new-vision-for-long-term-care-this-advent)

• Third Sunday of Advent: Making Room for Joy: Supporting Children and Early Education (https://www.rcdvictoria.org/diocesanblog/making-room-for-joy-supporting-children-and-early-education)

2) Mass times at parishes across our Diocese for Christmas (Dec 24/25) and the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Dec 31/Jan1) are listed on the Diocesan website athttps://www.rcdvictoria.org/events/2024-christmas-mass-times.  More information will be added as it becomes available.

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December 5, 2024

1) The Diocese of Victoria will be sharing a series of blog posts over the weeks of Advent that explore new ways to bring purpose, shelter, and hope to those in need.  The first post, “No Room at the Inn: A New Look at an Old Story”, is now available to read at https://www.rcdvictoria.org/diocesanblog/no-room-at-the-inn-a-new-look-at-an-old-story

 

2) On December 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Church in Canada marks the National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples.  This initiative of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has been coordinated since 2002 by the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council.  To read this year’s reflection, please visit https://www.cccb.ca/announcement/2024-national-day-of-prayer-in-solidarity-with-indigenous-peoples/

 

3) December 15 is the deadline to apply to the 2025-2026 cohort of the Catholic Women's Leadership Foundation’s Leadership Program. This certificate program, offered in partnership with Saint Paul University in Ottawa, was developed to help Catholic women strengthen their leadership skills in an environment which integrates faith and spirituality.  The program will begin in June 2025 and is offered mainly online, with a final in-person residency in Ottawa in June 2026.  For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.cwlfcanada.ca/. 

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4)The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is once again offering the online Journey Through Advent video series.  As we prepare for the Nativity of Our Lord, it is hoped that the videos will be a source of spiritual comfort, peace, and meaningful preparation for all who watch them.  This year’s spiritual reflections will be led by the Most Reverend Frank Leo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto.  To view the videos, please visit https://www.cccb.ca/evangelization-catechesis-catholic-education/video-resources/journey-through-advent/.

 

5) The Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria is seeking a full-time Senior Accountant. The candidate will bring extensive accounting experience along with their professional approach to the Finance Department. This position would suit an individual who thrives in a fast-paced work environment and enjoys dealing with a wide variety of people of different ages, backgrounds and cultures.  For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.rcdvictoria.org/employment.  The posting will remain open until filled.

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October 17, 2024

1) The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has released “Called to Witness and Proclaim: A Pastoral Letter on Evangelization and Catechesis in the Family”. Framed around the story of Jesus healing the daughter of Jairus, the bishops hope that this letter will give families support and encouragement. To read the letter, please visit https://www.cccb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Called-to-Witness-EN-2024-09-09-FINAL.pdf

2) Aid to the Church in Need Canada, the Catholic Near East Welfare Association Canada, and Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada, with the support of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, are launching an appeal for prayers and generosity to support the most urgent needs of people in Lebanon.  To learn more, please visit https://www.cccb.ca/media-release/urgent-appeal-for-support-in-lebanon-joint-call-for-help-and-prayers/

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October 3, 2024

1) On September 30, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement on the occasion of the 2024 National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, reaffirming its commitment to walking with Indigenous Peoples on their healing and reconciliation journey.  To read the statement, please visit https://www.rcdvictoria.org/special-announcements/on-the-occasion-of-the-2024-national-day-of-truth-and-reconciliation

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September 19, 2024

1) The Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) is an agency of the Holy See which provides pastoral and humanitarian support throughout the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India, and Eastern Europe.  The Canadian branch of CNEWA is launching a campaign to raise $600,000 to supply ten hospitals in Ukraine with medical equipment, hygiene products and transportation.  For more information, and to donate, please visit https://cnewa.org/ca/where-we-work/eastern-europe/ukraine/​​

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February 22, 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.

 

“Without in any way minimizing or ignoring the suffering and sorrow caused by war and violence in other areas of the world, we stand together in inviting Christians and all people of good will to prayerfully consider how we are all called, and might contribute to, the achievement of peace in and for Ukraine.”

– excerpt from the Pastoral Letter.

 

Endorsed by 45 leaders, the Letter identifies six meaningful ways by which to foster peace:

1. Pray

2. Support Ukrainian Refugees

3. Urge diplomatic steps towards a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine

4. Seek cooperative relationships of humanitarian support

5. Remember February 24, 2022

6. Hope for reconciliation

 

The President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary, supported by the CCCB’s Executive Committee, is one of the aforementioned signatories to the Letter, now available in English, French and Ukrainian. You are invited to share these links to pray and work together for peace.

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October 12, 2023

The president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop William T. McGrattan has issued a statement in response to the escalation of the conflict in the Holy Land.  The statement may be found online at https://www.cccb.ca/announcement/statement-by-the-most-rev-william-t-mcgrattan-bishop-of-calgary-and-cccb-president-to-the-catholic-faithful-in-canada-on-the-recent-escalation-of-conflict-in-the-holy-land/.

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August 17th, 2023

1) A post has just been added to the Diocesan website with photos from our delegation’s pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2023.  The post can be viewed at https://www.rcdvictoria.org/diocesanblog/world-youth-day-2023.

 

May 17, 2023

1) A new post has been added to the Diocesan website with an update on Synod 2021-2024.  It includes info about the recently released “North American Final Document for the Continental Stage of the 2021-2024 Synod”, as well as links to our diocesan, regional, and national reports that were created during the Diocesan Stage of the Synod.  To read the post, please visit https://www.rcdvictoria.org/news/synod-2021-2024-the-journey-continues

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The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has released four Pastoral Letters – to the First Nations, the Métis, the Inuit, and the People of God. The Bishops of Canada decided to write these letters after being updated on discussions with Indigenous partners during their plenary meeting last September.  They outline a set of specific commitments which are meant to guide local reconciliation.

These letters can be viewed at: https://www.cccb.ca/indigenous-peoples/that-we-may-walk-together-series-of-pastoral-letters-2023/

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Diocesan Livestream

Starting on Monday, November 21st, the regular weeknight livestream at 7:00 pm will be livestreamed from Sacred Heart Church in Victoria (4040 Nelthorpe St), and will also be open to those who wish to attend in person.

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Working Towards Freedom: Study guide on human trafficking now available

“Working Toward Freedom” is a new study guide created in response to a call to mission: to reduce the harms of human trafficking in our local communities and uphold the dignity of every child of God.

The guide was developed jointly by the Diocese of Victoria, the Archdiocese of Vancouver, and the Diocese of Saskatchewan. Based on the CCCB's recent Pastoral Letter on Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation in Canada, it delves deeper into the letter and animates it in each specific community's context.  Through prayer and education, the guide leads participants to become more aware of the human trafficking that is occurring in our midst, and helps them learn how to bring to light situations where people may be in danger.  The authors of the guide are Evelyn Vollet, Sr. Nancy Brown, Barbara Renaud, Myron Rogal and Annette Turgeon.

The guide will be launched this month with a one-hour webinar.  All are invited to join and learn more about the guide, either on Thursday, November 24 at 9:00 am PST, or on Saturday, November 26 at 10:00 am PST.  The webinar will provide an overview of each section and recommendations on how to use the guide.  The webinar is free, but advance registration is required at https://form.jotform.com/222704961965262.

Pope Francis describes the Church’s mission as a permanent state that calls us to go to the peripheries of society.  No one is exempt from being able to do something about this horrific crime taking place within our communities.  For more information, please contact Annette Turgeon at tcrmi1@telus.net.

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April 1, 2022

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has released a statement welcoming the apology made by Pope Francis today in Rome to Indigenous Peoples.  The statement can be read at https://www.rcdvictoria.org/indigenous/canadas-catholic-bishops-welcome-popes-apology-to-indigenous-peoples

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Canadian Reporting System for Sexual Abuse or Cover-Up by a Catholic Bishop

 

On Thursday, May 6, 2021, the Bishops of Canada launched a national, bilingual service for reporting situations of sexual abuse either committed or covered-up by a Bishop.  This service furthers their commitment to responsibility, accountability and transparency in matters of clergy sexual abuse and their commitment to facilitate healing and justice for victims-survivors.

 

Individuals can access the reporting system online (BishopReportingSystem.ca) or by calling toll-free 1-866-892-3737 from anywhere in Canada, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year.

 

The reporting system was developed by ClearView Strategic Partners, a Canadian provider of an independent reporting platform.  ClearView’s technology benefits anyone wanting to make such a report by providing them with a secure and confidential platform, allowing them to remain anonymous if they so choose, and ensuring all communications are documented and preserved.

 

The Catholic Bishops of Canada condemn the sin and crime of sexual abuse in the strongest possible terms. No one should ever have to endure the pain, humiliation, and long-term suffering it causes, nor should anyone have to doubt that serious consequences await a perpetrator of sexual abuse or cover-up. With this reporting system, the Bishops make themselves accountable to live with integrity and to address reports of sexual abuse according to Church and civil law. The Church grieves with victim-survivors and profoundly regrets the tremendous harm caused. The Bishops of Canada wish to reach out and accompany victims-survivors along the path that restores justice and promotes healing.

 

Reports of current or historical sexual abuse by any other member of the Diocese of Victoria (clergy, religious, employees or volunteers) may be made by calling 1-800-968-3146.  This number connects to an independent reporting service which can assist in contacting the appropriate authorities and help access counselling services. For more information about Responsible Ministry and Safe Environment in the Diocese of Victoria, please visit https://www.rcdvictoria.org/responsible-ministry.

 

Thank you for your prayers and the support you provide to victim-survivors in the ongoing work of healing.

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