catholic missions in canada magazine, winter 2014

CatholiC Missions in Canadawww.cmic.info winter 2014

ISSN

170

2-28

94

PLUS: Faith in action • God of all Creation • Advent in Tulita • Joys of mission

AGAINST ALL ODDSBuilding God a house

EDITOr’S NOTES

ThE LIGhT OF FAIThIn her story on page 12, lay leader Barbara Ann Charlie recounts how her parents always brought them to church each Sunday, and how her Popa, grandfather Anthony Throne, would welcome her and ask her to join the Throne family in the third pew. For Barbara, it has made all the difference.

“By being involved in the church and welcoming us to Sunday Mass,” Barbara says, “Popa created for us a sense of belonging. With their presence, Mom and Popa ensured an air of famil-iarity, a connection.” Barbara Ann today continues that tradition. By actively engaging in church activities, she is making sure that her gift of faith is lovingly passed from generation to generation.

In other stories in this issue, our missionaries share the beautiful mystery of God’s hidden presence in the bright hope and dark fears that accompany their daily struggles. As our missionaries navigate the snowbound and dark roads leading to their missions this Advent season, may you keep them in your prayers so they may continue to share the love and light of Christ.

Patria C. Rivera

contentsFEATUrES

6Building God’s House

Voices said, “Tear it down. Build a new church.”

Sister Fay Trombley, s.c.i.c.

12Doing something about it!

Being involved in church spurred by grandparents’ example

Barbara Ann Charlie

18God of all creation Jesus Christ can do

far more than we can imagine or think of

Sister Eucharia Mgbeadichie, h.h.c.j.

22Christmas on the edge

Dog’s rescue provides an example of God’s

marvelous life rescuesBishop Gary Gordon

28Advent in Tulita

Holy Family would have been welcomed in

Northern communityFather Jon Hansen, c.ss.r.

Volume 33, Number 4 Winter 2014

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contents CatholiC Missions in CanadaCatholic Missions In Canada® is the magazine of Catholic

Missions In Canada, founded in 1908 under papal mandate as The Catholic Church Extension Society of

Canada, to support Canada’s missions.

President:Father Philip J. Kennedy

National Director of Development: Kathleen Ancker, c.f.r.e.

Director of Finance and Administration:Don Smith, c.a.

Editor: Patria C. Rivera

Officers of Catholic Missions In Canada are:Thomas Cardinal Collins of Toronto, Apostolic Chancellor;

Bishop David Motiuk, Ukrainian Eparch of Edmonton, Alberta, Vice-Chancellor;

James Milway of Hamilton, Ontario, Secretary; and Terence Freitas of Unionville, Ontario, Treasurer.

Other members of the Board of Governors are:Bishop John Corriveau, o.f.m. cap., of Nelson, British Columbia; Archbishop Albert LeGatt of

St. Boniface, Manitoba; Bishop Robert Anthony Daniels of Grand Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador;

Bishop Stephen Jensen of Prince George, British Columbia; Sister Bernadette Feist, o.s.u., of Lebret, Saskatchewan;

Sister Carmen Catellier, s.n.j.m., of Pinehouse Lake, Saskatchewan; Marie Di Poce of Kleinburg, Ontario;

Leonard Racioppo of Toronto, Ontario; and Carlo De Pellegrin, c.a., of Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Published quarterly by CATHOLIC MISSIONS IN CANADA

201-1155 Yonge Street. Toronto, Ontario M4T 1W2

Tel: (416) 934-3424 1 (866) YES-CMIC1 (866) 937-2642 (toll-free)

Fax: (416) 934-3425E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.cmic.infoISSN Number: 1702-2894

Publications Mail Agreement 40044706Member of the Catholic Press Association

of the United States and Canada

©2014 Catholic Missions In Canada. All rights reserved.BN 11922 0531 RR0001

A yearly offering of $25 or more helps cover the costs of this magazine and our mission work.

Cover Photo: Raising the cross of the newly-reconstructed church at Our Lady of Grace

mission in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories.

Photo courtesy of Sister Fay Trombley, s.c.i.c.

32Joys of missionBeing with the people, listening to their hopes and dreams Sister Norma E. Samar, o.l.m.

40Thoughts about ordinationCMIC president reflects on the meaning of the priest’s celebration for God’s people Father Philip J. Kennedy

DEPArTmENTS 2 Editor’s Notes 4 From the President’s Desk 42 Gift Planning 46 Letters

Volume 33, Number 4 Winter 2014

CATHolIC MISSIoNS IN CANADA 3CATHolIC MISSIoNS IN CANADA 3

6

Carmelle St. Vincent helped organize church reconstruction in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories

ChArITY AT ChrISTmASThere was no explanation given for charitable task, but children were given an example of how to live lives as true ChristiansBY FAThEr PhILIP J. KENNEDY, PrESIDENT

ADVENT LESSON

I remember this scene from childhood. A couple of days before Christmas, I came

back home from delivering papers, and was surprised to see my mother standing in the snow-packed driveway, bundled

up against nonstop snowflakes, and the December chill. Wondering what she was doing there, I didn’t have to wait long to find out: “lordy,” she said, “Where is your dad? — the Sisters are waiting.”

The “Sisters” were the Good Shepherd nuns whose convent was a little way up the street from where we

lived at the time. The Sisters’ work involved taking care of young women, but they did many other charitable works. That’s why, so close to Christmas, these Sisters called on my mother to get someone

(meaning, my father), to help transport produce and other things that they received from local merchants and grocers to needy families in the neighbourhood.

They knew he had a nice handy and clean truck. But what caused my mother to fret while standing in the cold driveway was that father was late and soon it would be too late to stop at the convent.

Then in little time, my father’s truck appeared past the snowbank and back to the house. My mother’s explanation

‘What caused my mother tofret...was that father waslate and would be too late to stop at the convent’

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for her presence out in the snow came soon enough. “The Sisters called, and they need our help before it gets too late.” That was all my father needed to hear, so he told about how he had been out delivering turkeys with the Knights of Columbus, then he looked around and recruited a couple of us boys to help, and was off to the convent. He did what had been the practice many times before, and picked up the food that was neatly boxed for the recipients, gave one of us the neatly printed list that was prepared by a Sister, and off we were on the improvised route.

Hardly a word came from either of our parents about the purpose of this charitable task, or the virtues that were being encouraged in performing assistance to the needy, or how helping the poor was our duty as Catholics. They just gave us this kind of Christmas example, and let us see how they lived their lives as true Christians.

We would never forget my mother standing in the snowy evening, or my father making his truck available to help out the less fortunate. Christmas for us meant seeing a good example and reaching out to the poor. Ph

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The Kennedys in the summer time in front of their house in Sudbury, Ontario, ca. 1950s. From left: Anne, Kathleen (standing on chair), Neil, Andrew, Angus, Philip, and Michael.

CATHolIC MISSIoNS IN CANADA 5

FrOm hOUSE ChUrCh TO ChUrCh

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Missionary Sister arrived in Tuk in 2005 to find a rotting church

BY SISTEr FAY TrOmBLEY, S.C.I.C.

WhAT DOES IT mEAN

‘TO BUILD GOD A

hOUSE’?

Volunteer Jean-Marc Bélanger preparing to raise the bell and the cross of the newly-reconstructed church in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories.


A house for God in the Arctic? It is the mid-1930s. The oblates of Mary Immaculate arrive in the central

Arctic. God’s first tabernacle—an ammunition case! But there are not only priests, there are brothers. Thank God. They build! A simple functional architectural design is drawn up. Five mission houses are built in the Western Arctic. That was 75 years ago.

I arrived in Tuktoyaktuk in 2005 and learned: “We can’t use the church; it’s rotting.” The roof leaks every time you put the fur-nace on. The heat melts the ice

in the ceiling and the water drips down through the light fixtures. I was scared. oh, and the great logs under the church resting on the permafrost are rotting, too. Too many years of neglect and all the oblate brothers gone. Maybe we have to have “church” in my house. The early church did

it that way! It was called House Churches. Phoebe and Priscilla were House Church leaders in Corinth. Maybe that is my call, too.

House Church only works for so long. What can be done? Time to talk. Time to really examine the situation. We discovered it was even worse than “roof and foundation.” The four pillars that held up the cupola were also rotting, and the west wall—you could put your fist through if you removed the siding!

Voices said, “Tear it down. Build a new church.”

Bishop said: “No new church. You could have a trailer.” People couldn’t brook the thought—the

lifetime of a trailer in the Arctic is 20 years.

Any chance the church could be repaired? A con-tractor crawled over every inch of the church. Nine hours later he had enough info to draw up a report. It could be done—for

$300,000.00. Go away! We’ll do it for half. And we did!

How did we build God a house? our first meeting was 2009 and the last paintbrush stroke, bolt and screw were done in summer of 2014.

recipe? Two years of head-aches! Do we need an engineer?

Workers found the four pillars that held up the cupola were also rotting, and the west wall— you could put your fist through!

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A site supervisor? A permit? How to raise money? Where is skilled labour? We tried locally. We tried in the next village. Finally, a contractor in White-horse who was foreman for Habitat for Humanity agreed to take on the project for semi-vol-unteer wages. Then three skilled workers, mostly from the French community in Whitehorse came forward, also for volunteer wages. The skilled workers under the eagle eye and brilliance of the foreman completed the task in four weeks of “foreman time” over three summers. Astounding! And the church is beautiful and

solid and “above code,” all elec-trical and insulation and heating renewed and upgraded!

But behind all this was a gifted and generous woman with a steady mind for detail and organi-zation. She searched for the skilled volunteers, the local labourers, the best travel rates, retailers who gave a 10-per cent discount on building materials, a barge company who expedited trans-portation, a local airline who gave reduced fares to workers on the church, an airline charter who would carry “dangerous goods” or emergency supplies. She phoned forever, all year long. She placed

They came, they saw, and they rebuilt: The workers from Whitehorse, Yukon from left: Jocelyn Bouchard, Jérôme Bélanger, John Wright and Jean-Marc Bélanger.

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the orders. She organized sched-ules and book work and bill payments and even the three C-cans of materials. And all this was done with the greatest diplo-macy! What a dedicated servant!

All of this was us building a house for God. But we found there was another side to all of this. God began to build a house for us! our local church family needed meetings together. We needed to listen to one another. We needed to plan and to change plans. We needed to be patient and believe it could be done.

People in town started to drive slowly around the site to watch the progress. Anglicans, Bap-

tists, Pentecostals, all took an interest. local unskilled youth were hired, each of whom worked and learned alongside a profes-sional. The major local transport company began to lend us safety equipment, a forklift, even a crane, and shared their expertise! The local tour guide brought visitors

around, and kids were all around like flies, offering to help pick up “gawbage” and all reporting home to their parents. Town spirit and pride was growing. A spirit of hope was growing.

What was all of this that we were seeing? What was secretly happening? Something deeper was going on. Yes, that’s it. God was building us!

PoSTSCrIPT: on August 24, 2014, the church in our lady of Grace mission in Tuktoyak-tuk, was finally reopened with a Mass celebration by Father Magnus Chilaka. Sister Fay

phoned in after the event: “We had four baptisms—so we’re off to a good start! Thanks to you all!” The new church was rebuilt with help from volun-teers and a generous Catholic Missions In Canada benefac-tor, leonard Gillis,

without whose support this would not have been possible.

Sister Fay Trombley, a member of the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception, is pastoral administrator of Our Lady of Grace parish in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, in the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith.

‘We needed to listen to oneanother. We needed to planand to change plans. Weneeded to be patient andbelieve it could be done.’

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Great Need, Great Hope

Catholic Missions In Canada’s video, Great Need, Great Hope, presents the breadth and depth of missionary work in Canada through stories and interviews of missionaries in the field and the people they serve.

It provides a close look into some of the mission communities in the Canadian Prairies, and the people’s pains and struggles and joys as they try to live their faith in a fast transitioning world.

B e i n s p i r e d : c m i c V i d e o n o w a V a i l a B l e !

Video 1: Short version: 4:55 min.

Video 2: Extended version: 9:07 min.Produced by: Catholic Missions In Canada (2014)

Filmed by: Rob Waymen and Zia Khalid

Available for purchase at

$10.00 each!(includes shipping)

Please call 416-934-3424, Ext. 230, or toll-free 1-866-937-2642, or email [email protected].

Phot

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Rob

Way

men

Remarks made by lay leader Barbara Ann Charlie of Duncan, British Columbia, at the

Third Annual Diocesan Conference in Victoria, British Columbia, October 2013

BY BArBArA ANN ChArLIE

DOING SOmEThING

ABOUT IT!

I am Barbara Ann Charlie. I am from Cowichan. I am wife to Tom Charlie and mother to Suzanne and David Charlie. I am proud to be grandma to

five beautiful children.I am a parishioner at St.

Ann’s church, a beautiful church situated at the base of Mt. Tzou-halem. St. Ann’s is where I was baptized and also where I was married. My children and my beautiful grandbaby Axis were also baptized at St. Ann’s.

When I was a child, my par-ents took me to Sunday Mass each week. I remember walking into the church and being welcomed and seated by my grandfather, William Throne, my Popa. While being escorted to the third pew on the left side I would see my grandmother, Mom, as we called her, kneeling at the last pew with her rosary beads draped over her hands, quietly reciting the rosary. I will always remember the sparkle of

FAITh hANDED DOWN AND PrACTISEDPh

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Barbara Ann Charlie: Faith by praying and doing.


her beads. As a family of eight, the Throne family took up the whole third pew.

As a teen and most of my adult years, my attendance at Mass was sporadic. Yet my dad never wavered and always encour-aged me to attend and be involved in the church. When I did attend, I always noted my dad’s smile and the glimmer in his eye as I sat next to him—something I will always remember.

My dad sang all the hymns beautifully; I especially loved when he sang the Hulqumi’num songs. Dad also read the read-ings perfectly. What an amazing voice. Dad would always encourage me to sing. Now I don’t have the voice he had, but he always said, “It doesn’t matter what you sound like, just sing!”

looking back now, I wonder if Dad’s encour-agement was because he knew that singing songs praising God would be healing

to my spirit, and they truly are.My Mom, Lovely Rita, as my

Dad’s friends called her, taught me to pray the rosary: before I went to bed I would lie next to my Mom as she taught me.

Today I sit on the parish council and I am a member of the legion of Mary and I support the Child and Youth Min-istry. The

Child and Youth Ministry began as outreach work. We set up tents in a central area on one of the Cowichan Tribes’ reserves. We went to where the children were. We begin the two-hour session each Thursday by sharing a nutritious meal with the chil-dren. once the children have eaten, we begin teaching arts

and crafts or read with them. They are then given time to respond in the form of art therapy. The children, who range in age from three to ten, have made beaded rosary bracelets,

‘my mom, Lovely rita, taught me to pray the rosary’

Davina Violet Sillseemult

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bookmarks and framed pic-tures, and have completed numerous picture responses to various books.

Through our outreach work many parents and grandpar-ents have approached Sr. elisa or Sr. Vinda or Sara (Modeste) to have their children baptized on site or at St. Ann’s. Both Fr. Joe and (former) Bishop richard Gagnon have baptized children.

Today one grandfather and/or grandmother attend Sunday Mass with several of their grandchildren. These children attend Catechism and one ten-year-old does a reading for our children-sponsored Mass that is held every third Sunday.

The children are bringing the adults back to church.

Now that we are into cooler weather one mother has opened her home to our Thursday Child and Youth Ministry sessions.

What are my hopes for the Child and Youth ministry?

I hope that we will be able to continue to offer these sessions weekly.

Second, I hope more par-ents and children will become involved so that one day we will be in a position to host youth conferences that will bring many Indigenous youth together.

I believe as participants we are continuing with the work

The Children and Youth Ministry team with some of the children. In back, from left: Sarah Modeste, Susan Manchester, Father Jose Prakash, Marion Underwood, Sister Maria Elisa Lavarias, r.v.m. Also in the team are Barbara Ann Charlie and Sister Vinda Ochoa, r.v.m.


that our ancestors began. As Cowichan people, we have a responsibility to support the well-being of our people.

My grandfather, my Popa, said, “Treat your children well and they will always remember how you made them feel. This is important to me.”

I would like to share with you why I revealed some of my his-tory to you. As a people it is important to make a connec-tion. When I meet a fellow First Nations for the first time, I usu-ally tell them my name and who my parents or grandparents are. This way we connect and they know where I belong.

By being involved in the church and welcoming us to

Sunday Mass, Popa created for us a sense of belonging. With their presence, Mom and Popa ensured an air of familiarity, a connection.

We need to ensure that all children have a sense of belonging. We need to provide opportunity to children so that they’ll experience mastery. We need to encourage indepen-dence. And finally, we need to encourage generosity.

As a group we approach our work in true faith of God. As a group, we welcome, acknowl-edge and celebrate each child’s attendance at our group. We respect and honour each child. During Mass we continue to sing in Hulqumi’num. Children par-ticipate in the offertory. The

Storytelling time: from left, Barbara Ann Charlie, and Liana and Natalie Charlie-Johnny.

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children have experienced mas-tery in that they are proud to make the Sign of the Cross, Our Father and Hail Mary.

By opening her door to our group the young mother has modelled generosity. Another mother has sent bottled juice to share with the group. The community safety department demonstrated generosity when they provided a barbecue dinner.

There are many successes in our group that may seem so small but are actually life-changing. one three-year-old attended our group with his sisters; the first few sessions he sat and sat and sat through the whole sessions. When we placed food in front of him, we literally had to feed him. During art work, we would guide his hands into strokes, we would sing to him, talk to him; usu-ally, he would not respond. Today, he plays with Fr. Joe, he openly expresses himself, he smiles when we play with him, he has a hearty appetite and feeds himself.

Sue, one of our members, says the change in the children is like night and day. This three-year-old now jumps up and greets Sue

with a hug. This beautiful little boy lost his father approximately two years ago. He, along with his sisters, looks forward to our Thursday sessions. Their grand-mother says they count down the days each week.

The children are modelling independence. one ten-year-old read the first reading on site at the Baptismal Mass. She did so well, she was asked to do a reading at Sunday Mass at St. Ann’s. She walked to the front and froze. Sister guided her back

to her seat. Fr. Joe com-mended her on the courage it took to stand at the front and suggested that she per-haps try again. At the next

children-sponsored Mass, she read beautifully.

one of my aunts who passed away about two months ago used to say, “If you are not happy with how things are going—do something about it.” So that is what we are doing. We are doing something about it.”

Reprinted with permission from the Diocesan Messenger of the Diocese of Victoria, British Columbia, December 2013.

‘One of our members says the change in the children is like night and day’


mINISTrY IN NOrThErN mANITOBA

mother Mary Magdalene Walker, our found-ress, said, “The work of God must be done at all costs, no matter the

inconvenience.”Together with Sister Glory

Umoh, h.h.c.j., I carry out pas-toral ministry with the First Nations people in Northern Manitoba. our ministry includes: catechesis, faith sharing and prayer meetings, radio outreach, counselling, and home-to-home visits. Interestingly, every parent wants to have his or her child baptized in the Catholic Church.

The most challenging part of our ministry is the home visita-tion. I found out that witnessing by actual presence has an immense impact. People are happy when they are listened to and prayed for. They are able to air out their

feelings and experiences. It is really helpful not only to the people but also to us. It calls one for medita-tion and sober reflection on God and life generally.

During the course of the visit, we meet with different people. I feel sad when we meet the ones who really need financial help and we are not able to help them, though we have never stopped praying for them.

In as much as there are posi-tive challenges, there are also some difficult ones on the reserves: from addictions to alcohol and

People are happy when they are listened to and prayed for.BY SISTEr EUChArIA mGBEADIChIE, h.h.C.J.

GOD OF ALL CrEATION

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substance abuse, some affecting even young children and youth. These youths also experience bul-lying in schools and increased risks of suicide. All these contribute to children dropping out from school or hanging out with friends.

In these challenges, God is still God. We continue to pray for good people—hoping and trusting God for a better tomorrow.

God of all creation is so loving regardless of colour or race. Praise be Jesus Christ who can do far more than we can imagine or think of!

Sister Eucharia Mgbeadichie, h.h.c.j., and Sister Glory Umoh, h.h.c.j.., belong to the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus, founded by Mother Mary Magdalene Walker, a Religious Sister of Charity, in Nigeria. They serve in the First Nations ministry team in the Archdiocese of Saint Boniface in Northern Manitoba.

Sister Eucharia Mgbeadichie, h.h.c.j., with glasses, extreme left, and Sister Glory Umoh, h.h.c.j., extreme right, flank pastoral as-sociate Father Arthur Nagraba (in back) and Archbishop Albert LeGatt of Saint Boniface as they pose with catechumens at Saint John Bosco mission in Poplar River First Nation, Northern Manitoba.

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Since arriving in the Cowichan Valley of British Columbia in December 2011, Sisters Vinda Ochoa (left) and Elisa Lavarias— both religious of the Virgin Mary Sisters—have begun a number of outreach initiatives and launched a First Nations Children and Youth program. Changes are amazing! one three-year-old boy whose father had passed away came to the pro-

gram needing to be fed by volunteers who also guided his hands in art sessions. Now he counts the days ’til next session, happily greets visitors, feeds himself and even has a hearty appetite! You can bring such joy to children and their grateful families this

Christmas! Your gift will help provide the $9,000 Sister Vinda and Sister Elisa need for the annual operation of these programs.

Before Sister Sheila Fortune, c.s.j., opened this letter (at right) and cheque from Catholic Missions In Canada, she had just $11.40 in her Natuashish account—and in a com-munity accessible only by plane and boat, that wouldn’t go far! Groceries and gas are expensive—a half tank of gas costs $50—and groceries were needed for her simple meals, light lunches for children, parents and elders after Sunday liturgy, and her baking for children visiting throughout the week. That gratitude on herface? It’s for Catholic Missions In Canada donors!

While Sister Sheila bade farewell to Natuashish in June 2014, resident priest Father Anthony Anh faces the same financial challenges as he continues the mission in the Innu community. Will you welcome Father Anthony to Natuashish with a gift this

Christmas? Your gift will help fund his annual expenses of $24,000

A missionary’s prayer

Guess who celebrated a milestone this year? Sister margaret Sadler, s.e.j.! Whilecontinuing to serve in three NorthernManitoba missions, Sister Margaretcelebrated the 50th anniversary ofher religious profession this spring.Thompson is the nearest major centre to the missions, but it’s not near; the mis-sion of Kinoosao is a six-hour drive from Thompson! While Catholic Missions In Canada supporters fund Sister Margaret’s travel and sustenance, her lynn lake resi-dence needs repairs—as do both mission churches. You can honour Sister Margaret’s dedication with a special Christmas

gift. Your donation will help cover the nearly $9,000 needed this year for heating and repair costs to her residence and the two churches.

Make this a Christmas that shows our missionaries you remember them…and the people they serve!Please designate my Christmas gift to answering a missionary’s prayers this Christmas:

Father Anthony • Sister Vinda • Sister Margaret

Name_______________________________________________________________ Fr./Sr./Br./Dr./Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms.

Address____________________________________________________________

City_____________________ Province_____________Postal Code_____________

Phone____________________________ Birthdate (D/M/Y) ___________________

Subscribe to our email list at cmic.info/home/subscribe BN# 11922 0531 RR0001 Mail to: Catholic Missions In Canada 201 – 1155 Yonge Street, Toronto ON M4T 1W2

Tel: 416-934-3424 Toll-free: 1-866-YES-CMIC (937-2642)

Fax: 416-934-3425 Website: www.cmic.info

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If and when a Christmas wish is answered, additional gifts will then be gratefully and with donor permission, directed to other Christmas petitions.

A missionary’s prayer

ThE BIShOP AND A rESCUE

Following is one of our missionary bishops’ letters that we received in the mail last Christmas BY BIShOP GArY GOrDON

ChrISTmASO N T h E

EDGE

In photo with Bishop Gordon is Mykhailo Ozorovych, a seminarian studying for the priesthood from the Eparchy of New West-minster in British Columbia who assisted during last year’s Advent preparations in the Diocese of Whitehorse, Yukon and Northern British Columbia.

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The great adventure continues with amazing sights under the Northern lights in the Christmas season. My own adventures and travels

are too many to put into one short Christmas letter.

However, I will share a dog-rescue story as the Christmas story has some four-legged creatures, too. There were cattle lowing, donkeys braying and probably a dog or two at the first Christmas in the manger of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born of Mary.

Merlin, my Golden retriever, has added another talent to his resume which is already filled with movie stardom, grizzly bear protection, and loving cats. His new talent surfaced in the summer when he alerted me and the Steiner family, from Fraser lake British Columbia, that their lab, pup Hatfield, was missing. Indeed Merlin was near-panic as he got our atten-tion and moved us toward the edge of the clay cliff, over-looking the Takhini river.

Where is Hatfield? The collective shouting for Hat-field echoed in the Takhini valley. While pausing for a few breaths, between the running and shouting for Hatfield, we

heard a lot of panicky whimper, somehow far off, but near.

From the bottom of the clay cliff, I spotted the source of the whimper. Yahoo!, it was Hatfield 150 feet up the cliff and 15 feet below the top. Hatfield had gone over the edge and was trapped on a small ledge between the river below and the blue sky above. So cheered on by the barking of Merlin, ray and I used our many years of B.C. back-country expertise to climb the clay cliff to reach Hatfield’s little perch. Then, without fanfare, we tied a rope, dropped from above by ray’s wife Theresa, around Hatfield and he was hauled to safety. The cheers of the children could be heard all the way to Whitehorse.

You may ask what does the rescue of a labrador puppy have to do with a Christmas letter? Nothing really, but it does pro-vide a marvelous little example of the rescue God gives me and you day in and day out by sending His Son to rescue us when we are stuck.

Many friends and family have needed a lot of Divine rescue this past year when stuck on some of life’s little ledges of this precarious earthly existence. The lord Jesus is truly emmanuel: “God with us.”

So humbly, I take the little example of Merlin and remain faithful in prayer and concern

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for all of you. Indeed Christmas is such a great reminder of God’s precious gift to the world, His only Son Jesus.

And so in little ways we imi-tate God’s attention and love for all the little and great ways that make us a family in God the Father.

I pray that this Christmas season brings you much

peace and renewed joy, in carrying Jesus’ saving love to the little ledges where our brothers and sisters often find themselves hanging on, waiting for rescue.

Merry Christmas!Bishop Gary* and Merlin * Former Bishop of Whitehorse

now Bishop of Victoria

After the rescue: Bishop Gary Gordon and Merlin, the Bishop’s rescue dog, with some of the children in Whitehorse.

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ADVENT GIFT

my first Christmas eve in Canada was a unique gift, a present from God, even at 30 below zero!

It was a special privilege to spend Christmas eve with Aboriginal people. It was the first time in my life that I prayed with native children and their parents.

on December 24th, at 9 a.m., Sister Mary Jeanne Davidson, s.s.n.d., parish animator, and I went to Duncan’s First Nation in the Archdiocese of Grouard-Mclennan in Alberta. We went to the church and took an image of the Baby Jesus with us.

Sister Mary Jeanne then pre-pared a Christmas prayer service. She burned sage and willow fungus and the people came around the table to smudge and light candles, to remember their loved ones who had died. We read the Scriptures about the

time when Jesus was born. Sister Mary Jeanne shared the story about the shepherds and told the children how Jesus loved the poor, and how He had olive skin and looked just like them when they were a little baby. I like this moment, because when Sister Mary Jeanne told the native chil-dren that they look like Jesus, one girl, surprised, amazed, and aston-ished, said: “Sister, thank you very much. Jesus looks like me!”

She smiled and was very happy. We went to Cadotte lake

where the Christmas Mass had just started. The church was full. Father Mark Miller from Toronto, who came to help the missions over Christmas, gave a short, simple, and deep homily. Deacon reginald Bouchard stayed behind to baptize five children after Mass. We took Father Mark with us to little Buffalo.

We came to the longhouse in

Communities in Duncan First Nation, Cadotte Lake, Little Buffalo and Peace River in Alberta share Native celebration of Jesus’ birth.BY SISTEr rUTh KOPrUChA, S.S.N.D.

mY FIrST ChrISTmAS IN ThE NOrTh

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little Buffalo and prepared for the Christmas Mass. earlier, we had moved the chairs and altar table close to the stove to stay warm. It was just like that first Christmas night being with Jesus in the stable in Bethlehem.

After the Gospel and a short homily, Father Mark baptized four children. Deacon reg had boiled the water to keep it warm so that the children wouldn’t freeze. At Commu-nion time, everybody came for a blessing and Communion.

As the last family was leaving, the door opened and a mother and her family brought in her baby for baptism! This family had come a long way and Father Mark did not want to turn them

away and so we had a special baptism just for them.

It was 8 o’clock when we started home. Sister louise Van-derploeg, C.S.C., had prepared a hot dinner and was waiting for us. After dinner, we prayed spe-cial Christmas Vespers and then had some quiet time to get ready for Midnight Mass.

That night, Jesus was truly born among us!

Sister Ruth Koprucha, s.s.n.d., is part of the School Sisters of Notre Dame International Program mission work outreach.

This article first appeared in Catholic Missions In Canada magazine’s Winter 2009 issue.

In CMIC file photo, Pearl Carifell Cardinal and her nephew Stanley Ominayak attend Mass at Sacred Heart mission in Cadotte Lake, Northern Alberta.

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hOLY FAmILY WOULD hAVE BEEN WELCOmED hErE

Tulita, in the Northwest Territories, is a small vil-lage located 200 km south of the Arctic Circle where the Great Bear river

intersects the Mackenzie on its course north to the Arctic ocean. In North Slavey, the language of the Dené who live here, Tulita means, “Where the waters meet.”

I arrived in Tulita, at the invi-tation of former Bishop Murray Chatlain, of Mackenzie-Fort Smith diocese, to be with the people for the Christmas Masses.

Tulita has a history of Cathol-icism which goes back nearly

400 years and the people still have a very strong devotion to the eucharist as was evident in the close to 200 people who filled the church for Christmas eve midnight Mass. What is notable is that this faith is sus-tained in the virtual absence of clergy. one priest serves this vast “Sahtu” region west of Great Bear lake.

The territory consists of five communities separated by hundreds of kilometres of wil-derness with no roads except in the depths of winter when the muskeg bogs get firm enough

Best Christmas presentBY FAThEr JON hANSEN, C.SS.r.

ADVENTIN TULITA

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to support traffic and the Mack-enzie river freezes over.

In Tulita, the faith com-munity is served by a Felician Sister Celeste Goulet, who has lived in the village for the past thirty years. Besides ani-mating the parish community, Sr. Celeste also manages the preschool, a school which she began shortly after she arrived. It is here, through her work with the children, that she best finds a way to connect with the families. After so many years, she is like family to many of the community residents. But

not all the communities are so lucky to have such a faithful “religious” presence.

The land around Tulita is starkly beautiful with the dis-tant peaks of the Mackenzie mountain range serving as a backdrop to the wide expanse of the frozen Mackenzie river. Towering above the Great Bear river standing as a sentinel over the village is Bear rock, the mountain bluff which plays an important role in the cre-ation myths of the local culture. The people here are closely tied to the land but at the same

Saint Theresa of Avila mission: Redemptorist Father Jon Hansen hands out crosses and rosaries to children in Tulita, in the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith, Northwest Territories.

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time fear that the youth are not picking up the traditions that have sustained this commu-nity for so many generations. It is a fear which is grounded in a harsh reality.

Tulita, like many communi-ties in the North, suffers from the great changes that have swept through the past couple of gen-erations leaving many to wonder what, in the wake of the modern world, is the best direction for the community to follow. Too often in this struggle, it is the young people who suffer most as they find themselves caught between the expectations of their elders to follow traditional ways and the lure of greater opportu-nities in the larger centres to the South, opportunities for which

they are sometimes ill prepared.Despite these big questions

the greatest impression left on me was that of a people who were warm and hospitable. They were people who loved to tell stories and to laugh. These were people who welcomed me and made me feel like I was an old friend who had returned from afar. These were a people who knew that God walked with them both in times of celebra-tion and in times of difficulty and sorrow.

on the last morning of my stay, I paused as I was loading my gear into the truck that was taking me to the airport. looking up into the pitchblack Arctic morning sky filled with stars, I strained my eyes hoping to catch a glimpse of the Northern lights. There was none to be seen but I was not disappointed. I had come to Tulita to bring Christmas, to bring Christ in the eucharist and the people had welcomed that gift in a way that the Holy Family had never expe-rienced in their journey through Bethlehem on that first night so long ago. In doing so, they gave me the best Christmas present I could have hoped for.

Reprinted from http://www.redemptorists.ca/ news/christmas-in-tulita

Besides animating the parish, Sr. Celeste also manages the preschool, a school which she began shortly after she arrived

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AgeMaleRate

Female Rate

Joint Rate

65 4.64% 4.38% 3.84%

75 5.81% 5.37% 4.78%

85 8.07% 7.52% 6.25%

92+ 10.0% 10.0% 8.12%

Rates as of September 26, 2014

Gift Annuityi t i s t i m e to i n V e s t i n a

c a l l i n g a l l p r i e s t s , B i s h o p s , a n d s u p p o r t e r s !

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Call or write todayfor your free annuity proposal!

‘LEArN TO TrUST AND BE ADVENTUrOUS’

As a missionary reli-gious coordinator of the Archdiocese of Keewatin-le Pas in Manitoba, I was

so fortunate to have been invited, together with oblate Father robert laroche, our vicar general, to visit the people of la ronge and Sou-thend, two towns in Northern Saskatchewan.

As a new missionary to Man-itoba, and being a Filipina and a member of our lady’s Mission-aries, I was excited but at the same time apprehensive of this

chance to serve in the farflung and new communities of the archdiocese.

After six months of working in the archdiocese, I, along with Fr. robert, was invited to visit the missions in Northern Saskatchewan. It was time to discover other places, and indeed, I was excited to do so and eager to meet new people.

Above all, when we set off, I had no idea what would happen or who I would meet. The invita-tion was for us to give workshops in marriage preparation and bap-tismal preparation to lay leaders

The goal was to be with the people—to visit and listen to them, and to hear their desires and their dreams.BY SISTEr NOrmA E. SAmAr, O.L.m.

JOYS OFmISSION

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of the community who were new to these roles. The goal was to be with the people—to visit and listen to them, and to hear their desires and their dreams. We visited the sick, joined in cele-brating the Mass with the people, and enjoyed their company.

The road going to la ronge stretched for miles and appeared endless. We left The Pas at around 10 a.m. and arrived at our destination at past 3 p.m. I doubted a bit whether the road we were on was the right one, and Fr. robert teased, “Are you like a doubting Thomas?”

Thereafter, I kept my mouth shut, being reminded once again to learn to trust the driver and be adventurous—this, despite it being a long and icy road.

We arrived at the rectory and found fruit, bottles of water, rice, and bread, and felt warmly wel-comed even if we hadn’t seen any people yet. We stayed over-night, and in the early morning, we proceeded to Southend. It was a long gravel road, but it was such an adventure to see the people of Southend. It was a joy to see adorning a table a huge band of paper with the Ph

otos

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rtesy

of S

iste

r Nor

ma

E. S

amar

, o.l.

m.

Sister Norma Samar, o.l.m., wearing glasses and black tuque on right, with the mission community in Southend, Saskatchewan, in the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas.


words, “Welcome, Fr. robert and Sister.” This was a spe-cial welcome for a missionary who is new to the area. It was very uplifting. It was more so after meeting the people of South end. The elders were happy to see us, as there were no priest or sisters assigned there at this time.

We saw a bowl of fruit, bread, peanut butter, coffee and tea bags that the people had pre-pared for us. Missionaries’ needs are simple and we are happy with whatever is offered to us.

Not long after our arrival, the phone rang and someone on the other end was asking if there was Mass and at what time. The caller said she would be coming from far away and that it would take her about 45 minutes to reach the church. At this point, Fr. robert and I realized we needed to give a definite answer about scheduled activities at the parish. As missionaries, we were elated to meet the parishioners, especially the young people, the elderly men and women, and the children.

The little ones met me with big smiles. one person offered to let me ride on a snowmobile. I gratefully accepted, although I let it roar and run for only a few metres, just to get a feel of the machine. This experience reminded me of my time long ago in Brazil, when I would

ride a motorcycle to work.

our Mass cel-ebration was a joyous one, attended by people of every age—the young, the elderly, all eager to partici-pate in the sacred mysteries.

People were asking us, “Please come back

again!” adding, “It is nice that you came here.” They also said, “If Father comes (next time), please come with him.”

It was nice to hear that from the people. God has His own way of touching our lives, making us feel God’s pres-ence with us, sharing the joys of the people.

Sister Norma E. Samar, o.l.m., is missionary religious coordinator in the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas in Manitoba.

As missionaries, we were elated to meet the young people, the elderly men and women, and the children.

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Will Planner

Yes, I’m interested in supporting Catholic Missions In Canada!

Please send me information on:

c A gift in my will c Please send me a copy of your free Will Planner

Name_____________________________________________________________________ Fr./Sr./Br./Dr./Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms.

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A GUIDe To MAKING A WIllYour will is one more way that you can provide for the neediest missions in our coun-try. Preparing your will is an expression of love for those you leave behind: your family, your friends, and the charities whose work you believe in and want to continue to support.

The gift of a bequest won’t add financial stressbut it will give you the assurance that the work of our missions will continue into the future.A will planner—with key information about your assets and your wishes—will help you get started.

Transform your faith into your legacy.

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Four-year-old Olivia carrying the crown during the Christ the King Procession.

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The proclamation “Christ is the King in this home!” rang out from many doorsteps in the Southern Hemisphere

on the Feast of Christ the King, while the faithful in Telegraph Creek, British Columbia, in the Diocese of Whitehorse, braved the late November cold and snow to affirm the sovereignty of Christ in the community.

The Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925, and seeks to proclaim,

in a dramatic way, Christ’s royalty over households, families, society, elected leaders and the people they serve.

Following the traditional for-mula for processions on the Sunday dedicated to Christ the King, the people of this Northern B.C.-community gathered for eucharist in the church with visiting priest Father Terrence Brock, and then set out to visit households along the main road in the town, stop-ping at homes along the way to Ph

otos

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Lay missionary Theresa Vogel recounts their celebration last year of the Feast of Christ the King at St. Theresa’s mission in Telegraph Creek, Northern British Columbia. BY ThErESA VOGEL

TENDING TO ThE

FAIThFUL


mISSIONArY TrAVELS AND TrAVAILSTheresa Vogel says the trip from Terrace, British Columbia, is about six hours of driving, and includes Saturday evening Mass in Iskut, and an overnight-stay in the wood-heated cabin at Iskut. Then, up at the crack of dawn for another hour’s drive to Dease Lake, and then two hours on Highway 51 over mud and gravel roads to Telegraph Creek, the most remote village in British Columbia accessible by road, for Mass at 11:30 a.m. “We usually have a com-munity lunch in Telegraph Creek, and then it’s back on the road for the last Mass of the circuit back in Dease Lake at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.”

This year, a priest comes out from Whitehorse, and that adds another two hours to the trip. As you can see, says Theresa, a walk down the road in Telegraph Creek is a walk in the park for the visiting priest!

publicly inquire if Christ is King in the household.

After the brisk walk in the cold, of course, there was an assembly to enjoy innumerable cups of tea, coffee and hot choc-olate, and a snack.

Telegraph Creek is a com-munity of about 350 people, most of whom are members of the Tahltan Nation. The roman Catholic presence was established in 1926, and flour-ished under the guidance and perseverance of members of the oblate Fathers, the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame, and, latterly, a lay pas-toral administrator.

Theresa Vogel is former lay pastoral administrator at St. Theresa’s mission in Telegraph Creek, British Colum-bia, in the Diocese of Whitehorse.

The community of faith in Telegraph Creek, British Columbia, Diocese of White-horse, brave late November cold to celebrate Feast of Christ the King.

38 WINTer 2014

Nativity Photo Contest

Simply send in your favourite Nativity Scene and identify whether you are sending it in the (1) parish, (2) school or ( 3) family crèche category.

We prefer digital images of 500 kb to 1 megabyte. But if you have print photos, you may submit them by mail to Catholic Missions In Canada, 201-1155 Yonge Street, Toronto, ontario M4T 1W2.

The deadline for submitting digital photos is December 12, 2014.

Mailed entries must be postmarked December 12, 2014. Please include your

name, address and phone number. For inquiries, please email [email protected].

Winning photos will be posted on our website at www.cmic.info on December 19, 2014.

Winners will receive a free DVD, Great Need, Great Hope, Catholic Missions In Canada’s 2015 Catholic Calendar, and a signed copy of Singular

Vision: The Founding of the Catholic Church Extension Society of Canada (1908-1913).

Hurry! And submit your entries before our deadline!

Phot

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Bis

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Gary

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o p e n t o a l l p a r i s h e s , s c h o o l s , f a m i l i e s

Do you have interesting photos of nativity scenes from your parish or school? or photos of family crèches? Join Catholic Missions In Canada’s first-ever Nativity Photo Contest!

FAIThFUL SErVICE

A beautiful Saturday, September 24, 1983, was a special day. That was the day I was ordained priest in Saint

Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto. I was ordained by the Archbishop of Toronto, and intended to be one who serves in Toronto, but the Spirit somehow guided me away from time to time, so I served and assisted at different times in varied dio-ceses. This must be why I was considered to be at least part-missionary.

But being a priest was the real call. In the weeks before my ordination, I meditated on the writings of priests. of spe-cial meaning for me were the words of Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk, who reflected

on his own ordination: “It was a transfiguration of simple and usual things, an elevation of the plainest and most natural to the level of the sublime. It showed me that the charity of God was sufficient to transform earth into

heaven.” Here is how humility became a central impulse in my own way of acting. This is also what impressed me so positively about missionary priests I got to know and follow.

I always remember the moments when Cardinal Carter lay hands on me and spoke words of gravity and vocation.

BY FAThEr PhILIP J. KENNEDY, PrESIDENT

ThOUGhTS ABOUT OrDINATION

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Thirty-one years ago, young deacon Philip Kennedy was ordained priest by the late Cardinal G. Emmett Carter at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto. Today, Father Kennedy is president of Catholic Missions In Canada, and looks forward to stewarding CMIC to greater service for the missions.

The celebration of Holy orders impressed me so profoundly, and the Cardinal’s stress on the meaning of a priest’s celebration for God’s people stayed with me. later, I would con-nect those thoughts with words of Father Henri Nouwen: “If a man wants to truly celebrate with the people, he must be a special kind of man. He has to become an obe-dient man, that is, a man who

allows himself to be guided by the voices he hears. He has to be obedient to the voices of nature, to the voices of the people, and to the voice of God.” (Cre-ative Ministry, 1971)

It was good for-tune for me to have these words in my mind over the years. They have marked

the style of my service as a priest, and gave me a true appre-ciation of my ordination day, and the days that followed. Ph

oto

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GIFT PLANNING

Father Pali Pitso of Holy Angels parish, Fort Albany, Northern ontario, in the

Diocese of Moosonee, wrote in our magazine sometime ago: “I invite all people to support us with prayers so that the mission of Jesus may not cease due to the high costs of keeping churches open and the lack of priests not only in our dio-cese but in other areas as well.”

As you know, our missionaries work very hard, and they follow a meagre life-style, happy to live simply in ser-vice to our lord. Take a look at their photos in our magazine: they are smiling, always! And they are grateful for the funds they receive from Catholic Missions In Canada—support they receive because of your donations.

But they are in real need, and for the most basic supplies. We appeal on their behalf for real, tangible things like food for their tables, repairs to their churches and the most all-con-suming expense—fuel for their vehicles and sometimes for air

travel so that they can minister to the people living in farflung com-munities. And you give because you know their needs are real and, like them, you want to keep our Catholic faith alive and available to everyone.

We give thanks for your many

gifts through your donations: gifts of shares, bequests, endow-ments, and other ways you have found best suited to your needs.

Some of your giving stops when you stop. But life in our mission communities goes on;

hELP BUILD FAITh, hOPE FOr GENErATIONSConsider funding an endowment that will keep giving an income to the missions long into the future BY WINNIE QUINN, ChArITABLE GIFTS mANAGEr

Some of your giving stops when you stop. But life in our mission communities goes on.

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young lives mature and give birth to other lives. And so the needs of our missions go on. Work is not always avail-able in those far-away areas, and so people are often unable to thrive and support their own church. They need your help. And your giving doesn’t have to stop when your life stops.

Consider funding an endow-ment whereby your funds are invested and the interest earned will keep giving an income to the missions long into the

future, year after year after year. And if that is not possible for you now, a gift in your Will can be dedicated to establishing an endowment in your name.

Can you think of any other investment that would keep your life working in the world for our lord—so long a time after you are gone?

So this appeal is different from other appeals. It is an appeal to sustain your Catholic faith for the future so others can experience it as you do. It is an Ph

oto

by R

ob W

aym

en

Your endowment will keep our faith alive in remote mission communities such as Pelican Narrows in Northern Saskatchewan. Above, lay ministers Elias and Suzette Sewap assist at Communion in St. Gertrude mission.


appeal that might hurt, giving more than you feel you can, but you know the reward is worth-while because you are doing your part in something greater, something holy. You are sharing and connecting with others in the world God gave us.

Father Pali and all of our missionaries give thanks for you in their daily prayers and Masses and you are remem-bered in thanksgiving by all

of us here when we gather for morning prayer. And when you go on to your eternal life, Catholic Missions In Canada assures you are remembered at a special Mass that is offered each November here at the Pastoral Centre in Toronto.

May you be blessed with peace this Advent as you consider how you might best support our missions and missionaries.

Mail to: Catholic Missions In Canada201 – 1155 Yonge Street, Toronto ON M4T 1W2

c Write to me for information on Endowments c I plan to set up an Endowment with Catholic Missions In Canada

Or you may prefer information on one of the following:

c Wills c Gift Loans c Shares c TFSAs

c RRSP/RRIFs c Gift Annuities c Other Gifts

For annuitants: Minimum age: 65 Minimum amount: $10,000

individual: c Male c Female Birthdate: ______ /______ /______ Day Month Year

Joint: c Male c Female Birthdate: ______/______ /______ Day Month Year

Name ________________________________________________________Fr./Br./Sr./Dr./Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms.

Address ______________________________________________________

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City _________________________ Province _________________________

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tel: 416-934-3424 toll-free: 1-866-YES-CMIC (937-2642) Email: [email protected]

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Establish an Endowment

c Please send me information on establishing an endowment

Name_____________________________________________________________________ Fr./Sr./Br./Dr./Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms.

Address___________________________________________________________________

City_________________ Province__________Postal Code____________

Phone_______________________ Birthdate (D/M/Y) ________________




Email request to: [email protected] Website: www.cmic.info

It is wonderfully fulfilling to do something good that lasts—something that makes a difference.

Our Endowment Fund is growing and we couldn’t be more pleased. It means we can continue to support these four mission needs:

• The education and formation of seminarians and lay leaders • The religious education of children and youth • The building and repair of places of worship • The basic needs of our missionaries

To establish an endowment, a minimum gift of $5,000 is required; this can be funded through smaller installments over a period of five years, as many of our donors have done.

Your endowment gift will remain intact forever—the interest earned on your gift will provide a perpetual stream of financial support to our missions each and every year—a great way to keep giving, generation after generation.

t o c r e a t e a l e g a c y o f f a i t h f o r f u t u r e g e n e r a t i o n s

LETTErS: YOUr DONATIONS AT WOrK

Thank you very much for your generous donation to our parish. It will go a long way

in the operation of our parish.over the next couple of

weeks we are putting the final plans in place for our upcoming confirmation ceremony. We have eight young adults being con-firmed this year. May the peace and joy of Christ be with you all and your families.The Congregation of St. John the Apostle ParishBrent’s Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador Diocese of Grand Falls

on behalf of the people and leadership of the Diocese of Grand Falls, l would like to thank Catholic Missions In Canada for the grant that we received.

I am truly grateful that the Catholic community throughout Canada has chosen to stand in solidarity with the Catholic community of this dio-cese. Without the generosity of the benefactors of CMIC, the Diocese of Grand Falls would not be able to fulfill our mission. Thank you!

Thanks to CMlC, our youth ministry and catechesis will be enhanced, buildings in need of

repair will be cared for, people of outlying areas will be ministered to and our pastoral leadership will receive the formation neces-sary for meeting the challenges of today’s parish life.

Please be assured of our prayers for God›s richest blessings upon your work. most rev. r. Anthony DanielsBishop of Grand FallsNewfoundland and Labrador

The Nakusp community at our lady of lourdes parish is one of the more isolated Church com-munities in our diocese.

Although few in number, they do manage to assist in the main-tenance of their pastor and the other normal expenses of their parish. The assistance of Cath-olic Missions In Canada for the installation of a new heating system for the pastor’s residence is a wonderful act of Christian solidarity.

In thanking you, I also express gratitude to your staff and the many benefactors of Catholic Mission In Canada.

most rev. John Corriveau, OFm Cap.Bishop of NelsonBritish Columbia

ENhANCED YOUTh mINISTrY

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FuNdRAIsER FoR CATholIC oRgANIzATIoNsTake part in our Free Calendar Program and receive up to 25 Calendars to sell as a fundraiser for your charitable works. last year, Catholic organiza-tions including parishes, the Catholic Women’s league, and the Knights of Columbus distributed calendars across Canada, with many donating back the raised funds to support the needs of our Canadian missionaries.

ThREE EAsy WAys To oRdER1 Email: [email protected] Phone: 416-934-3424 or toll-free at 1-866-937-2642 • Free Calendar Program – Patricia Gyulay, at Ext. 227 • Calendar Purchase – Christine Villamor, at Ext. 2303 Fax: 416-934-3425

our 2015 Catholic Missions In Canada calendar reflects the pas-sion that Canadian artist libby Dulac has for the awesome scen-ery she enjoys from her log home in the Yukon—from mountain and ice-field grandeur to lake, forest and wildflower splendour.

libby and her husband, Claude, are one of the lay mis-sionary couples who keep the faith alive in the remote Catholic communities of Canada. Bishop Gary Gordon, recently of the Diocese of Whitehorse, says of them: “Whether it is Claude leading the Sunday liturgy of the Word or libby cultivating the beautiful gardens around the church, they are both planting seeds of God’s Kingdom.”

catholic missions in canada 2015 calendar

paintings By canadian artist liBBy dulac

Art Reflects God’s Grandeur

AVAILABLE FOr PUrChASE FOr $12.95 A COPY

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PArIShIONErS’ ChrISTmAS WISh

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ChrISTmAS EVE mASS IN ThE GYm

p.s. this winter, please feel free to send our magazine to your friends and family.

they will thank you for it — and so will we!To send a free one-year subscription to a friend or family member,

e-mail us at [email protected], or call 416-934-3424, or toll-free, at 1-866-YES-CMIC (937-2642), or fill in the coupon below.

Your gift of $25 will help defray for the costs of this magazine and our mission work.

Mail to: CATHOLIC MISSIONS IN CANADA

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Oblate Father Noël Boulanger celebrates Mass for the parish community of Cross Lake, Manitoba, in the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas. It is one of many missions supported by Catholic Missions In Canada.

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catholic missions in canada magazine, winter 2014

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