The world Synod of Bishops on the Bible "is meant to change Catholic culture. All Catholics should have a Bible, read the Bible and need to have regular prayer experiences where they open the book and let it become the word of God" said Archbishop Prendergast speaking to journalists in Rome on October 21st.

Fifty-three draft propositions in-cluded the need to promote closer collaboration between Scripture scholars and theologians; to improve homilies; to strengthen relations with the Jews; to promote "lectio divina”; and to support the translation and distribution of Bibles.

As a member of one of the synod's three French-speaking groups, Archbishop Prendergast noted that the group began its meetings with a half-hour of "lectio divina," listening to a pas-sage of Scripture, reflecting on it, praying about it and sharing what it meant.

“It was a very interesting experience for me. Bishops find themselves listening to the word of God and called to conversion. One bishop actually said he might have to change how he relates to some aspects of his ministry. The synod wants Catholics to realize that the word of God is God speaking to them and listening to them. The archbishop said. "If that happens, it would be a big, big step,"

- Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service. Reprinted with permission of CNS.

Synod on Bib le can c hange Cathol ic cul ture

“Be reconci led to God!”

This phrase from a letter St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians (2 Cor 5:20) expresses the theme of the Pastoral Year 2008-2009, which coincides with the celebration of the 2000th Anniversary of the Apostle’s birth. Being reconciled means finding peace in relationships that have been wounded. Like tensions between warring nations, family feuds, anger to-wards neighbours. Even dealing with feelings we have towards God—of anger or being unloved.

Paul said God wants to mend wounds, overcome hurts, forgive sins. In giving his only Son, God wants us to experience the joy of being whole. God asks that we let ourselves be recon-ciled—saying “yes” by faith to what He makes possible in us by giving us the Holy Spirit. ...Continued on page 2

CATHOLIC OTTAWA

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I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

A R C H B I S H O P 2

P A S T O R A L S E R V I C E S

4

D I A C O N A T E 6

F A M I L Y M I N I S T R I E S

7

Y O U T H M I N I S T R Y

8

A D U L T F A I T H 9

P L A N N E D G I V I N G

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S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F I N T E R E S T :

• Social Justice Update

• Environmental Stewardship

• St. Albertus celebrates 40 years

• Chinese Catholic Community growing

• St. Vincent de Paul 50 years in Orleans

Archbishop Prendergast meets Pope Benedict during the Synod of Bishops—St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City

...Be reconciled to God (continued from page 1) So, take the chance to come back to God in whatever way you need to. Such as by

drawing close to God’s heart through reading Scripture—by yourself or with family or parishioners—and getting to know God better. Or by making a good confession, cele-brating reconciliation on a birthday, wedding anniversary or other special day. Or by returning to regular Sunday Mass, celebrating God’s nearness in word and sacrament.

This year, be reconciled in God’s love, joy and peace! -Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J.

Page 2 C A T H O L I C O T T A W A

Year of St . Paul — Logo

Explaining the logo of the Pauline Year (see right margin) ... The book represents the Word of God—primarily the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Scriptures that Paul interpreted in a radical way, creating enemies in Judaism and opponents in the fledg-ling Christian community. But setting the hearts and souls of so many on fire from an encounter with God, represented by the flame (the burning bush, the Holy Spirit, or both?). Yet, as Paul confided to Timothy, “there is no chaining of the Word of God” (2 Timothy 2:9). This is represented by the chains which Paul often wore in his imprison-ments; at the bottom of the emblem they are open, representing the release that comes from hearing and heeding God’s Word.

Paul saw the Word of God as a liberating power, represented by the sword indicating the Spirit powerfully at work in Paul’s preaching and writing. As he preached and wrote—epistles that make up one-third of the New Testament—Paul proclaimed the death and resurrection of Jesus: see the cross at the top left corner of the open book.

The power in the cross, which formerly had been a scandal Paul could not accept, and which he fought against until the Risen Lord met him on the Damascus Road as he set out to destroy the Church of God.

Year of St . Paul — Indulgences

After the publication of the decree from the Apostolic Penitentiary, Terrence Prender-gast, S.J., Archbishop of Ottawa, reminded everyone of the possibility of obtaining a Special Indulgence for the Year of St. Paul and decreed the following:

One may obtain the Special Indulgence: 1- by visiting the Papal Basilica of St. Paul on the Ostian Way in Rome; 2- by taking part at any celebration or a pious public exercise in honour of the Apostle to the Gentiles on the days of the solemn opening and closure of the Pauline Year; 3- on other days specified by the local Ordinary.

For the Archdiocese of Ottawa, on the following days, Archbishop Prendergast has determined the possibility of obtaining indulgences:

1- Tuesday, November 18, 2008, Commemoration of the Dedication of the Roman basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul; 2- Sunday, January 25, 2009, Feast of the Conver-sion of St. Paul; 3- Thursday, June 25, 2009, the Archdiocesan Feast Day; 4- in holy places dedicated to St. Paul.

For the faithful prevented by illness or other legitimate and important reason, they may obtain indulgences by being united to a celebration in honour of St. Paul.

To obtain the Special Indulgence, the faithful must: obtain individual absolution of one’s sins, receive Holy Communion, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father re-citing the Our Father and the Creed.

For the faithful prevented by illness or other legitimate and important rea-son, they may ob-tain indulgences by being united to a celebration in hon-our of St. Paul.

On Tuesday, October 28th, 2008, Archbishop Terrence Prendergast hosted the Archbishop’s First Annual Charity Din-ner at the Hampton Inn and Conference Centre, Ottawa in Ottawa. Six hundred and sixty (660) guests attended this sold out event.

The two groups chosen as beneficiaries of this year’s fundraising event were:

1. NET Ministries of Canada … recruits and trains missionaries aged 18-30 to share the gospel message to over 28,000 youth every year. NET's (National Evangelization Teams) mission is accom-plished by proclaiming the Gospel of

Christ through a personal witness of faith, inviting young people to live for Christ, equipping youth workers and young adults with the ministry skills needed for evangelization.

2. Famille Marie-Jeunesse ... is a spiri-tual family of young people and a New Community in the Catholic Church. United in a Marian and Eucharistic spirituality, young people, consecrated people, priests and families choose the Gospel as their ideal of holiness. Together in community life, and with Mary as their model, they try to instill in their daily life a flavour of eternity.

Arc hbishop Terrence Prendergast , S . J . cordia l ly inv i tes a l l the fa i thful

to h is Chr istmas Recept ion Sunday, Januar y 4 , 3 p .m. to 5 p .m.

at h is residence 1 43 Saint Patr ic k St . , Ot tawa

Chi ldren are inv i ted to come dressed

as Magi , K ings and Queens

Arc hbishop’s Char i ty Dinner benef i ts Youth

Arc hbishop’s Sc hedule — December & Januar y

Saturday December 14, 3:00 p.m., Concert, Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica

Wednesday December 24, Midnight Mass, Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica

2009 Sunday January 4, 3:00 p.m.,

Archbishop’s Christmas Reception, Archbishop’s Residence & Cathedral Hall

Wednesday January 7, 12:45 p.m., Luncheon & Talk, Club Richelieu, Ottawa

Thursday January 22, 7:00 p.m., Public Conference Year of St. Paul & Synod, St. Paul University, Ottawa.

Saturday December 6 — Return from Vox Clara Commission Meeting, Rome

Sunday December 7, 11:00 a.m., Mass Kateri Native Ministries, Ottawa

Saturday December 13, 5:00 p.m., Mass and Banquet, Paroisse Saint-Charles Borromée 100th Anniversary Celebration, Vanier

Saturday December 14, 9:00 a.m., Confirmation, Paroisse Saint-Albert, St-Albert

Saturday December 14, 10:45 a.m., Confirmation, Paroisse Sainte-Euphémie, Casselman

Page 3 F A L L 2 0 0 8

This year from November 3-6 our Di-ocesan Study Days were held at the NAV CANADA Centre in Cornwall. One of the presenters was Fr. Hamish Currie of Sault Ste Marie Diocese who guided us on a reflection of A Practical Guide to Priestly Wellness.

The booklet contains aspects of physi-cal, intellectual, emotional and spiritual wellness with a personal reflection guide on each topic.

One aspect of growth that is often over-looked in busy schedules is spiritual well-ness. Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez suggests that to have a healthy spirituality we must

feed our souls in three ways: through prayer, both private and communal; through the practice of justice; and through having those things in our lives (good friendships, wine-drinking, creativ-ity, and healthy leisure) that help keep the soul mellow and grateful.

For Gutierrez, one kind of person trans-forms the world spiritually: someone with a grateful heart.

These days of renewal called us to em-brace our vocation more fully in the light of the Paschal Mystery of Christ and in service to the community of our sisters and brothers in the Church of Ottawa.

Pastoral Ser vices — Pr iests’ Study Days

Vocat ions to the Pr iesthood in Ottawa

The faithful of the Archdiocese may be wondering what is happening on the vocations front. At a re-cent vocations conference, we were reminded that three keys for an increase in vocations are: the bishop, the priests and prayer. Archbishop Prender-gast has stated his priority to promote vocations to the priesthood (for without priests there is no Eucharist and where is the Church without Eucha-rist?). Priests need to do their part by remembering that each pastor is the vocation director in his own parish; pastors are key to inviting men in our par-ishes to seriously consider the call to priesthood.

All of us can and must pray – the bishop, the priests, and all the faithful. We are hoping that each parish will include a prayer for vocations in the General Intercessions at each Mass. In his let-ter to priests on August 22, the Archbishop invited all parishes to “continue or introduce a weekly pe-riod of adoration of at least an hour for priestly vo-cations to the diocesan clergy.”

Fr. Gary Dailey, the vocations director of Spring-field, Massachusetts, related that in his diocese of 250,000 Catholics, they had only 7 seminarians back in January 2005. They dedicated one chapel specifically for perpetual adoration for vocations, and today they have 25 seminarians! The power of prayer! Let us continue to beg the Lord of the har-vest to send labourers into his harvest.

- Fr. Tim McCauley, Vocations Director 613-738-5025 ext. 218

Page 4 C A T H O L I C O T T A W A

The Liturgy Commission sponsored a workshop on the Sunday Eucharist with Fr. Bill Burke of the Na-tional Liturgy Office in Sep-tember. Attendees num-bered 114 and were treated to many delightful stories of faith by the pre-senter as he journeyed with us through the Liturgy of the Word and of the Eucharist.

Fundamental to our un-derstanding of what we do

when we gather for the liturgy is a recognition of who we are — the baptized and redeemed as we hon-our the Paschal Mystery of the Lord's presence in the Assembly, the Word, and the Eucharist and in the person of the priest.

We bring to the celebra-tion our hopes and our dreaming as well as our fears and anxieties and we are joined together as one family in faith in the

Risen Lord. The response and

evaluations indicated a desire for further reflec-tion on our Sunday wor-ship. A future session is planned, so watch for the details of the next work-shop.

Li turgy Commission of fers Euc har ist Workshop

Renewal in Socia l Just ice Of f ice

working closely with Faith and the Common Good as the representative of the Archdiocese, and I have been working as the Arch-diocesan representative with the Interfaith Network (IFN) for Isolated Seniors.

The IFN works with the City health department and Help the Aged Canada across the city with agen-cies and churches helping address issues related to

seniors at risk. The IFN has started a ‘Faith Links’ project bringing together Christian communities at the neighbourhood level.

I am slowly familiarising myself with many strug-gling local groups dealing with advocacy issues re-lated to the marginalised of our local community. I will report on that subject at a later date.

- Patricia Marsden-Dole

I accepted the invitation to be the Social Justice Coordinator for the Arch-diocese of Ottawa last spring. I come to this new challenge with an expecta-tion that many, if not most, of the social justice concerns of the Archdio-cese are shared by other Christian communities within the boundaries of the Archdiocese.

John Dorner has been

“… many, if not

most, of the

social justice

concerns of the

Archdiocese are

shared by other

Christian

communities.”

Page 5 F A L L 2 0 0 8

CATHOLIC CEMETERIES OF OTTAWA “Sacred places for sacred memories in the tradition of faith”

Notre Dame Cemetery

455 Montreal Rd. (at St. Laurent Blvd.) 613 746-4175

Hope Cemetery

4660 Bank St. (south of Leitrim Rd.) 613 822-1212

As a new year begins for the Perma-nent Diaconate Formation Community in the Archdiocese of Ottawa, there are 17 men in the program learning, praying and discerning a call to the diaconate. Accom-panied by their wives, they journey through a 4-year process. During that time they will have taken many courses on subjects such as scripture, liturgy, moral theology, pastoral ministry, homi-letics, Canon Law and the sacraments.

It truly is a wonderful group of people representing not only parish communities from our Archdiocese but also from the Diocese of Pembroke and the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall. We also have a man from Saints Peter and Paul Melkite Catholic Church, the Greek-Catholic Mel-kite Church in Ottawa.

The call to diaconate is from the very beginning of life and finds its source in the Holy Spirit. By baptism and preaching the Church awakens the souls of those, called to this manner of life, to pursue the vocational calling they are discerning within. It is Christ who calls men to the diaconate, accompanies them and moulds their hearts so that they can rec-ognize his grace and respond generously to it.

The mission of the Formation Program is to assist the Archbishop in fostering vocations to the Permanent Diaconate and to provide a period of discernment and instruction for candidates, which is consistent with Canon Law and diocesan norms.

This program is situated in English Pas-toral Services with two part-time staff members who are deacons. These are the Coordinator of Permanent Diaconate Ministries who functions as the Adminis-trator of the Formation Program and the Coordinator of Formation who directly oversees the program of instruction for the candidates.

A Selection Committee, made up of priests and deacons with their wives, plays a major role in the Formation Pro-

gram. Its responsibility includes overseeing the initial selection process and providing recom-mendations to the Archbishop concerning entry of new applicants to the Program. The committee also con-ducts annual interviews and assessments of candidates in the pro-gram. It makes recom-mendations for ministe-rial placement for those to be considered for ordination.

Each candidate is asked to engage a spiritual director to help him in his discernment process. There are, as well, individuals assigned a leadership role to guide the candidates while they go through the Supervised Ministry phase of the Formation Program.

There are 6 men in their 4th and final year of formation who will be petitioning their bishops for ordination in 2009. Three of these men are from the Archdio-cese of Ottawa.

Currently the Formation Program is not taking new applicants while it undergoes a review process. The plan is to complete the review by the end of May 2009 and, hopefully, at that time, the Archbishop will again welcome new applicants to enter formation.

Any one interested in the diaconate can contact Deacon Michael Seath at the Diocesan Centre at 613-738-5025 exten-sion 228.

Permanent Diaconate - U pdate

The mission of the

Formation

Program is to

assist the

Archbishop in

fostering vocations

to the Permanent

Diaconate and to

provide a period of

discernment and

instruction ...

Page 6 C A T H O L I C O T T A W A

The Family Ministry Of-fice is currently active in two major areas: Marriage Preparation and Support for Separated and Di-vorced Catholics.

Marriage Preparation Courses are offered four week-ends a year. The next course is scheduled for January 30 and 31. A list of courses being of-fered by parishes within the diocese can also be obtained.

Helping, Encouraging, Living, and People Nights – HELP Nites are held once a month. Separated or divorced Catholics meet and support one another in a group environment. Guest speakers are occa-sionally invited to discuss

topics of special interest to the community.

Beginning Again Semi-nars offer an opportunity for growth, challenge and the restructuring of life. The Church does not fa-vour divorce. However the Church cares for and wel-comes separated and di-vorced persons, helps alleviate their pain and suffering through a heal-ing, caring, encouraging, realistic, spiritual, practi-cal and down-to-earth ap-proach, in a non-threatening environment.

Recovery and Growth Sessions are the follow up series to the Beginning Again Seminars. These small group sessions are designed for eight to ten

participants. These ses-sions are held two to three times a year and offer new insights into the psycho-logical, social and spiritual dimensions of separation and (or) divorce through discussion among peers.

Special marriage prepa-ration courses are de-signed for those who have been previously married. This course provides an opportunity for insight into the previous marriage, into family of origin issues. This will not only increase self-awareness and en-hance intimacy but also help increase chances for a successful marriage.

- Deacon Peter Lafleur 613-738-5025 ext. 222

Of f ice of Fami ly Ministr ies

Environment al Stewardship

manity and calls on us to renew our ties with God by living out our Gospel val-ues.

There is hope. Increas-ingly, parishes are finding ways of supporting the culture of life associated with ecological responsi-bility. Holy Cross, St. Jo-seph (Wilbrod) and St. Patrick (Fallowfield) have undertaken energy effi-ciency audits to find ways of reducing energy usage and harmful greenhouse gas emissions. An increas-ing number of parishes are refusing to use prod-ucts known to seriously

harm the environment, such as bottled water, styrofoam cups, plastic plates and cutlery, choos-ing reusable items in-stead.

Dr. John Dorner, Liaison for Environmental Stew-ardship in the Archdioce-san Office of Social Jus-tice, has made presenta-tions to parish councils, seniors, teachers, parents and students on the topic of our faith and steward-ship of creation.

- Dr. John Dorner 613-738-5025 ext 223

jdorner@ecclesia-ottawa.org

Our Sacred Earth is in crisis. As hard as it is to face truth, we must – we are the cause of the cli-mate crisis and the degra-dation of our environment.

We ask ourselves, “What kind of earth are we leaving for our children and grandchildren?” Now is the time to act.

The Canadian Confer-ence of Catholic Bishops this year released a pas-toral letter entitled Our Relationship with the Envi-ronment: The Need for Conversion. This docu-ment presents the biblical vision of creation and hu-

“… the Church

cares for and

welcomes

separated and

divorced

persons, helps

alleviate their

pain …”

Page 7 F A L L 2 0 0 8

We have many reasons to celebrate Youth Ministry! Wonderful things are hap-pening in our parishes and movements in Ottawa. As I reflect on the past few years, I am amazed at the strength of our lead-ers. These youth and young adults are following Pope John Paul II’s call to be living Saints. These are not the leaders of tomorrow but they are taking up roles of leadership today.

For this reason, we will celebrate! On

January 31st, we will have the 1st Annual Don Bosco Youth Ministry Celebration; a dinner dance for youth and young adults. It will feature an awards ceremony spot-lighting exceptional Youth Ministry volun-teers. If you would like to attend or would like to nominate a volunteer for an award, please contact Ted Hurley at 613-738-5025 ext. 231 or at

thurley@ecclesia-ottawa.org.

A Reason to Celebrate!

Witnessing: A Wor ld Youth Day Stor y

needed to be Christ-like in my actions and in my words with everyone we meet. It meant, as St. Francis of Assisi puts it, that we must “preach the gospel always; and when necessary use words.”

I’m overjoyed to say I was able to wit-ness His amazing power as He drew mil-lions of people from all over the world to celebrate and worship His great name together. I was amazed to see so many people who were so on fire for Christ and who were there for the sole reason of being able to share in this amazing faith that we have.

- Ana Machado

“You shall be clothed with power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8)

This was the theme of one of the great-est learning experiences about my faith and me. When I decided to participate in World Youth Day 2008, I had no idea what I was getting into. I’d heard a great deal about it from past pilgrims and from the monthly information meetings, but this was nothing compared to being there and experiencing it firsthand.

I tried not to have any expectations but the same recurring thought entered my mind: God is going to teach me some-thing amazing! He did! As with everything God teaches us, it did not come in the way I expected and I will be reminding myself of it for years to come.

At WYD, I asked God to prepare me for my next adventure: to be a light shining in the dark (I am heading to New York to study Theatre). I was thinking: “What on earth can I do there (in New York) that I can’t do here in Ottawa?” and “What if I can’t find the right church, or some sort of support group?” All that was to be an-swered.

During the WYD catechetical sessions, we learned about the Holy Spirit and His power and I realized there was plenty I could do. God was calling me to be a wit-ness and I had accepted His calling to live out my faith everyday…everywhere. I

Page 8 C A T H O L I C O T T A W A

Hello! My name is Fr. Mark Slatter, and, as some of you may have heard, I’ve been appointed by Archbishop Prender-gast to serve in the capacity of Director of Adult Faith Development (AFD) for the Archdiocese of Ottawa. For most of you, I’m a stranger. I know. I’ll offer a brief bio in a moment.

First, it goes without saying that my predecessor, Carol Kuzmochka, has pro-vided superb leadership with this portfo-lio. Carol has recently taken up a teach-ing position at Saint Paul University. Our loss is Saint Paul’s gain, but in one sense we are not “losing” Carol at all - she has graciously accepted to continue collabo-rating with the AFD community.

Now, something about myself: I’m one of the few people “born and bred” in this very city – well, Nepean, to be precise. My family also resides in the Ottawa area. I’ve been a priest for 14 years, and have served in various ministries. Eight-een months ago I completed my doctoral

dissertation with the Gregorian University in Rome (in moral theology and ethics) and now teach in a part-time capacity at Saint Paul University. I also spend some time weekly at The Mission serving Ot-tawa’s “street-people”.

My official inaugural experience with the adult formation program was with the annual “kickoff” held on October 17-18 at Saint Paul University. We were unbe-lievably fortunate to have Dr. Margaret Somerville speak to us on the subject of euthanasia. Dr. Somerville, as you know, is perhaps the most prominent bioethi-cist in Canada, to say nothing of her world-class calibre. She is a prolific writer, and I’m sure that you’ve come across her work in the Op-Ed page of The Ottawa Citizen. She is certainly no stranger to Catholic groups and Catholic Bishop’s Conferences throughout the world. It was a wonderful, informative time.

St. Paul and the Ethics of Personal Iden-tity”.

Saturday, March 14. TBA. Saturday, April 25. Professor Lorraine

St. Marie: “The Lay Vocation”. Friday-Saturday, May 22/23. Fr. Ronald

Rolheiser: “On Being Missionaries to Secularity”. Yes, you read correctly – Fr. Rolheiser is coming to Ottawa!

Be assured that as we approach these dates, pertinent information such as lo-cation and times will be announced. We are hoping that some of our sessions will be hosted by Ottawa area parishes!

On Saturday, December 13, Dr. John Dorner will be sharing his insights and passion about the environment, from the perspective of justice.

We are still in the process of settling some of the details for the winter/spring sessions, but we have managed to final-ize several dates and events. The follow-ing AFD sessions are provided so that you may mark your calendars:

Saturday, January 17. Professor Nor-mand Bonneau: “Introducing St. Paul”.

Saturday, February 14. Fr. Mark Slat-ter: “Be Reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20):

Adult Fa i th Development

… upcoming sessions

Page 9 F A L L 2 0 0 8

Dr. Margaret Somerville at the October sessions on euthanasia

On September 7, the St. Albertus (German) Parish celebrated with joy and gratitude to the Lord its 40th anniversary of the blessing of the parish. Since 1968, the parish is the spiritual home of Aus-trian, German and Swiss German-speaking Catholics of the greater Ottawa and surrounding area.

Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J., presided over the Eucharistic celebration together with our pastor Fr. Ernst Schoen-hammer, OMI and Fr. Thomas Mooren, OFMcap. The Archbishop, in his homily to a packed church audience, congratulated Fr. Schoenhammer for 40 years of ser-vice to the parish, and recognized the loyalty of the congregation to the magis-terium and the teachings of the Church.

After Mass, the attendees met at the Hellenic Community Centre for a festive banquet. In addition to our Archbishop, Fr. Thomas Dowd and Fr. Christian Ries-beck, CC, two priests ordained from our parish, as well as the pastor of the Ger-man Martin Luther Church and the Cul-tural Attaché of the German Embassy

honoured us with their presence. The address of our Archbishop high-lighted the accom-plishments of the parish in its forty years, which in-cluded 2 priests, one nun, seven medical doctors, entrepre-neurs in construc-tion, and high-tech specialists, as well as the good mothers and good fathers in service to the Church and to the community.

Presentations by 3 choirs, rounded out the festivities.

Ad multos annos, St. Albertus Parish! - Heribert Riesbeck Chairperson, Parish Council

through weekly or monthly gatherings of Basic Christian Communities, Bible stud-ies, retreats, family camps, prayer meet-ings and community out-reach such as family visits and social gatherings.

The strong desire to learn and grow is exemplified by the community-initiated programs for the Year of St. Paul, with presentations and workshops on Sun-days from early September to November this year.

Many respond positively to social and faith related programs. There is a growing interest in the vocation of Permanent Deacons. Efforts are made to support and encourage this, with the hope that the CCC will be able to nurture vocations to the priesthood.

Holy Spirit (Sheng Shen) Chinese Catholic Community (CCC) celebrates Sunday Mass at noon in the Chapel of the Diocesan Centre. The CCC offers pro-grams throughout the week, mostly in the Centre but also in other local venues. It continues to grow through involving Chi-nese families, especially new immigrants.

The Community’s youthfulness gives them the necessary ability to organize many programs and liturgical ministries such as music, altar servers, sacristans and children’s liturgy.

The energy of the CCC translates into a strong RCIA, currently with 11 neophytes, 10 catechumens and 12 inquirers. Mem-bers of the Community are encouraged to celebrate fellowship and grow in faith

St . A lber tus Par ish celebrates 40 years

Sheng Shen Chinese Cathol ic Community

Page 10 C A T H O L I C O T T A W A

Founded in 1845 Our Lady of the Visi-tation Parish (OLV) remains historically significant and culturally dynamic as a prominent centre of spirituality in Ottawa South.

Today, OLV’s parishioners face the mul-tifaceted challenge of conserving the best, while building a functional facility to meet the needs of this century.

With 10,000 new homes scheduled for construction in the parish over the next few years, the vibrancy of Visitation is itself under renewal. The needs of the future have arrived today. The construc-tion of a new centre/hall has become a fundamental necessity, as has a new cost-efficient, on-site rectory.

The new Family Centre/Parish Hall will be much more than bricks and mortar. It will serve as a gathering place where families, friends, and the community can meet. As such, the Centre will facilitate the evangelizing mission of Our Lady of Visitation Parish in Ottawa South (formerly South Gloucester).

Scheduled to open in September 2009, the Family Centre/Parish Hall will consist

of a single story 5,500 square foot build-ing, of conventional wood frame con-struction.

With the success of the church’s recent renewal of hardwood floors and pews, along with the installation of a new heat-ing system, it is entirely conceivable that the community will join together once again to make this Family Centre/Parish Hall dream come true.

… and the key to it all lies in their fo-cus: Take it to Prayer. Ask the Lord!

minded us that a true disciple not only listens to the Word of God but puts it into practice like Vincent de Paul and Frédéric Ozanam, the main founder of the Society in 1833 and beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

During this evening, our new name be-came official: “Conférence Jésus-Marie-Joseph d’Orléans”. This name is made up of the three francophone parishes: (Saint-Joseph, Sainte-Marie, and Notre-Dame-des-Champs) and of the anglo-phone parish of Divine Infant. Mr. Cler-mont Fortin, First Vice-president of the National Council, gave a copy of the new aggregation to the representatives of the four parishes.

- Ambroise Fleury, Communications

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul celebrated its 50th anniversary of in-volvement at “la paroisse Saint-Joseph d’Orléans,” on September 27, 2008.

Members, former members, neighbour-ing conferences, and members of the higher echelons of the Society attended the anniversary mass that was co-presided by Msgr. Peter Schonenbach, National Spiritual Advisor, and by Fr. Yvon Laroche, R.S.V., International Spiri-tual Advisor. During his homily, Fr. La-roche encouraged us to allow ourselves to be touched by the Holy Spirit thus be-coming enabled to better serve the poor in Christ’s image.

Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J., our guest speaker at the banquet, re-

Visi tat ion Par ish bui ld ing for today and tomorrow

Or leans St . V incent de Pa ul celebrates 50 years

Page 11 F A L L 2 0 0 8

Chantal Labrèche had been working as Secretary-Notary at the Chancery Office since November 2004. Concerned with offering a more effective service, Chantal had started studying Canon Law. After successfully completing a Certificate, I suggested that she start working on her Masters (and Licentiate) degree. Chan-tal’s interest in Canon Law deepened as she kept on studying part-time and work-ing full-time at the Chancery Office. She could not pursue this lifestyle indefinitely. Hence, she decided to leave her position at the Chancery Office in order to pursue full time studies in Canon Law. I wish to thank Chantal for her good work, profes-sionalism and dedication.

My prayers for a replacement were an-swered through Gisèle Soulodre-Keshwah, who accepted the position of Secretary-Notary at the Chancery Office. Gisèle had worked for more than fifteen

years as secretary at St. Theresa’s Par-ish. She has a university degree in mod-ern languages and in education. To date, we have completed the Diocesan Direc-tory, updated documents for the session for parish secretaries and volunteers in the parish offices and drafted reports. The Lord in his goodness has sent the Chancery Office a person of great talent and qualities.

The Tribunal also had to grieve the de-parture of an excellent person, Ginette Chaumont, who had worked as Case Co-ordinator for the Diocesan Tribunal since 1996. Ginette, with her many talents, would have had to remain hidden for us not to have her stolen away. She is now working as Communications Officer for the Archdiocese. Thanks and best of luck to you, Ginette.

- Fr. Doris Laplante, C.Ss.R. Chancellor & Judicial Vicar

Chancer y & Marr iage Tr ibunal

Page 12 C A T H O L I C O T T A W A

Gisèle Soulodre-Keshwah, our new Secretary-Notary at the Chancery

Statement of Revenue and Expenses Year ended December 31st, 2007 Revenue Diocesan Administration Tax Properties and parking Investments English Pastoral Sector French Pastoral Sector Donations and Bequests Diocesan and Regional Tribunals Episcopal Conferences Chancery Other Campaign for the Priests' Pension Plan Expenses Archbishop's Office Chancery and Archives Administration Properties Episcopal Conferences Communications English Pastoral Sector French Pastoral Sector Donations Diocesan and Regional Tribunals Education of Priests Professional Fees Interest Other Special Payment to the Priests' Pension (1) Mailout Campaign Excess of revenue over expenses before the undernoted items Amortization of deferred contributions - capital assets Amortization of capital assets EXCESS OF REVENUE OVER EXPENSES

Audited Statements by Deloitte & Touche are available at the Diocesan Centre.

ROMAN CATHOLIC EPISCOPAL CORPORATION OF OTTAWA - GENERAL ADMINISTRATION FUND

Page 13 F A L L 2 0 0 8

Complementary Notes to the General Administration Fund Statement (1) Special Payment to Priests' Pension Plan - Represents the 1% incre-ment of Diocesan Administration Tax contributed by parishes in order to help reduce the unfunded liability of the Pension Plan. (2) Advances to Funds of the Corporation - Most of the amount listed represents funds advanced for the construction of Hope Cemetery with smaller amounts owed by other Funds of the Corporation. (3) Trust Funds Assets and Liabilities - Amount held in Trust as per governmental requirements of the Province of Ontario for the assurance of the perpetual care of the 48 cemeteries under our jurisdiction. We are not allowed to use the capital which is invested with our investments manager. The interest serves to provide for the maintenance and care of our cemeteries. The amount held in Trust is listed as both an asset and a liability. (4) Transfers to Funds of the Corporation - Amounts transferred in 2007 were as follows: $61,405 to Compensation Fund ($173,239 in 2006), $485,400 to Parish Real Estate Fund and $500,000 to Particular Works Fund.

2007

$2,403,793 681,191 298,050 271,253 144,788

1,643,494 47,479 60,800

4,443 32,467 61,405

$5,649,163

348,548 135,719 405,030

1,318,619 141,545

61,498 601,246 342,481

40,975 245,127 211,174 124,764

3,245 -

171,699 11,226

4,162,896

1,486,267

46,980

-111,264

$1,421,983

2006

$2,401,719 695,220 183,881 254,677 156,729 276,070

63,365 65,953

6,588 59,800

178,556

$4,342,558

280,362 141,011 353,845

1,322,946 150,561

50,040 528,480 414,728 141,100 197,959 170,773

90,662 2,531

27,576 176,567

47,142

4,096,283

246,275

39,230

-127,145

$158,360

Balance Sheet as at December 31st, 2007 ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash Short-term investments Accounts receivable Interest receivable Prepaid expenses DEFERRED COSTS INVESTMENTS CAPITAL ASSETS ADVANCES TO FUNDS OF THE CORPORATION (2) LONG-TERM RECEIVABLES TRUST FUNDS ASSETS (3) LIABILITIES CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable and accrued liabilities LONG-TERM PAYABLE DEFERRED REVENUE DEFERRED CONTRIBUTIONS - CAPITAL ASSETS TRUST FUNDS LIABILITIES (3) FUND BALANCES Invested in capital assets Accumulated unrealized losses on financial assets Internally restricted Unrestricted Statement of Changes in Fund Balances year ended December 31st, 2007 BALANCE, BEGINNING OF YEAR, as previous stated Accumulated unrealized gains & losses on available-for-sale financial assets BALANCE, BEGINNING OF YEAR, as a result of changes in accounting policy Excess of revenue over expenses Changes in unrealized gains & losses on available-for-sale financial assets Land contribution from donation of property Transfers to Funds of the Corporation (4) BALANCE, END OF YEAR

2007

$1,158,692 -

878,518 20,570 56,198

2,113,978

-

2,148,887 2,541,251 7,824,799

698,545 8,890,359

$24,217,819

$1,492,478 387,260 693,508 793,698

8,890,359

12,257,303

1,747,553 -30,541

6,222,641 4,020,863

11,960,516

$24,217,819

2007

$11,615,879

98,528

11,714,407

1,421,983

-129,069

-

-1,046,805

$11,960,516

2006

$782,196 23,140

851,412 27,209 32,576

1,716,533

50,220

2,075,907 2,547,489 7,011,376

441,871 8,368,508

$22,211,904

$747,054 -

639,785 840,678

8,368,508

10,596,025

1,706,811 -

6,222,641 3,686,427

11,615,879

$22,211,904

2006

$11,530,758

-

11,530,758

158,360

-

100,000

-173,239

$11,615,879

On November 5 & 6, during the Priests’ Study Days, Steve Foran of Giveraising Development Services (http://www.giveraising.com) presented the es-sence of stewardship to the 47 priests gathered with Archbishop Prendergast at the NavCan Centre in Cornwall.

Steve explained how stewardship is a spirituality, a way of thanking God for all His blessings by returning a portion of our time, talent and treasure. It is to recog-nize that all we have and all we are come from God. It is an attitude of gratitude to

God for His many gifts, answering a need to give.

Drawing examples from the Church’s teaching, especially the American Bish-ops’ Pastoral Letter on Stewardship, Steve explained how stewardship is a call to personal and community conversion. He spoke of the renewal that had taken place in his own life, in the life of stew-ardship parishes and in those dioceses where this disciple’s response had be-come a source of new life in the local church.

tion to discipleship. The following of Christ as a disciple entails a personal response, and this call can result in a positive impact on our faith communities.

Good stewards live with joy and grati-tude for the blessings they have re-ceived—including those that have multi-plied through diligence and hard work. Indeed, good stewards live in communion with Christ and through Christ and the Spirit strive to return all gifts to the Fa-ther “with an increase.”

The pastoral letter recognizes the im-portance of church support, including the sharing of time, talent, and treasure. But it situates church support in its broader context—what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

In 2002, on the tenth anniversary of the Pastoral Letter on Stewardship, the American Bishops issued an anniversary edition. The biblical text setting the tone for the letter is taken from the First Letter of Peter: “AS EACH ONE HAS RECEIVED A GIFT … USE IT TO SERVE ONE ANOTHER AS GOOD STEWARDS OF GOD’S VARIED GRACE..” (1 P 4:10)

The bishops write that “Once one chooses to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, stewardship is not an option.” The stewardship pastoral letter strongly re-flects the core of the Easter message of the earliest Christian community: “We have seen the Lord!” (Jn 20:25).

Stewardship always starts with the per-sonal experience of the Risen Christ in our midst and in our hearts. It is a voca-

Stewardship — A Discip le ’s Response

U .S . B ishops’ Pastoral Letter on Stewardship

Good stewards

live with joy and

gratitude for the

blessings they

have received ...

Page 14 C A T H O L I C O T T A W A

We gratefully remember in prayer the following people who have left a gift in their will for the benefit of the Catholic Church in Ot-tawa … Msgr. Roger Morin, Msgr. D. D. MacDonald, Msgr. Robert Hun-eault, Fr. Robert Guilmin, Deacon Richard Allen, Mme Marie Louise Campagna, Mme Jeanne Clavel, and Mme Aline Pilon May their souls and the souls of the faithfully departed rest in peace, by the mercy of God. AMEN.

While there are various ways to make a charitable donation to the Church, one method that can provide a large donation to the Church and create considerable income tax advantages to the donor is life insurance.

This can either be a gift of an existing policy or a new insurance policy. In both cases the Church becomes the owner and beneficiary of the policy and it re-ceives the insurance proceeds on the death of the insured.

The insured pays the insurance premi-ums with respect to the policy and re-ceives a donation receipt as premiums are paid. Thus, the donor will be entitled to reduce his/her personal income tax via the applicable income tax credit.

Where an existing policy is donated, the donor may also be entitled to receive an immediate receipt equal to the fair market value of the policy. Capital gain possibilities must be reviewed in the case

of an existing policy. With the gift of a life insurance policy

the insurance paid on the death of the insured will not result in a charitable do-nation receipt.

A second possible scenario occurs when the Church is the beneficiary of the policy but the donor retains ownership.

The individual would retain ownership of the policy and name the Church as the beneficiary. While there would not be any donation receipts for the premiums as they are paid, there would be a donation receipt for the insurance proceeds re-ceived by the Church on the death of the individual insured. The donation receipt could be used to reduce income tax of the deceased’s final income tax return and his/her previous taxation year.

Thus, an individual can choose which method is best suited to reduce their income tax obligations while benefiting his/her Church.

One may be able to combine a life in-surance policy with the annuity and the insurance premium would be paid out of part of the annuity payments being re-ceived. A further income tax advantage could be obtained by having the Church the beneficiary of the life insurance be-cause donation receipts would be issued to the individual for the premiums paid.

The gift annuity or the insured gift an-nuity can give immediate funds to the Church while providing a monthly income to the individual with low tax on the pay-ments received. Life insurance may, in many cases, be part of the plan to re-place the capital used to purchase the annuity or provide a considerable dona-tion to the Church.

Much has been published on the ad-vantages of a life annuity to provide an income to an individual during their life-time. Guaranteed payment periods can be incorporated into the annuity which will provide continued payments when the individual dies before the guaranteed period expires.

Under the charitable annuity, an amount would be paid to the Church who would, in turn, use most of the funds, approximately 80%, to purchase an annu-ity for the individual. The annuity would be purchased from a life insurance com-pany. A donation receipt would be issued for the difference between the amount given to the Church and the cost of the annuity.

Using insurance for p lanning a g i f t . . .

Can I benef i t my Church and receive an income?

“The gift annuity

… can give

immediate

funds to the

Church while

providing a

monthly income

…”

Page 15 F A L L 2 0 0 8

The Archdiocese of Ottawa gratefully acknowledges the professional advice and assistance of Ted Prowse in the ongoing development of its “Planned Giving Program for Catholics”.

Archdiocese of Ottawa 1247 Kilborn Place Ottawa ON K1H 6K9

Scenes f rom Diocesan L i fe . . .

Top: Archbishop Prendergast in Rome for the Synod of Bishops, Oc-tober 5-26, 2008; Middle: Pictures from the Archbishop’s Charity Din-ner, October 28, 2008; Bottom: Hope Cemetery Celebration, Pastoral Visit to St. Brigid’s Parish Manotick Station, Pastoral Visit to St. Leo-nard’s Parish Manotick

This newsletter is published by the Communications Office of the Archdiocese of Ottawa, 1247 Kilborn Place, Ottawa K1H 6K9, Tel: 613-738-5025; Fax: 613-738-0130 Photo Credits: Fotografia Felici, Heri Riesbeck, Gary Bourgeois Une copie en français peut être obtenue au site Internet www.CatholiqueOttawa.ca