This Month in the Diocese An E-Publication of the Diocese of Antigonish

Vol. 2 Issue 1 September 2016

MassforHealing,Sept.14OntheFeastDayoftheHolyCross,parishesthroughoutourdioceseareinvitedtoholdaMassforHealing,rememberingthosehereandaroundtheworldwhohavesufferedfromthehorrificexperiencesofsexualabuse,civilwar,oppression,andloss.“IinviteallparishionerstoprayonthisFeastdaysothatwecanexperiencetrueconversioninthisYearofMercy,”saidBishopBrianDunn.“Ihopethatasadiocese,wemaymanifestourunityofheartandmindasweprayforhealingandpeaceintheworld.”

www.antigonishdiocese.com

FiveQuestions… SubscribeNow! Twentykmaday…WithNewBeginningscoordinatorRonCurry."WhenIseethefacesofparticipantsafterourweekends,Iknowwe’redoingagoodthinghere."SeePage2.

HaveourE-Newsdeliveredstraighttoyourinbox!Signupforourmailinglistthroughthenewsletterpageonourwebsite.SeeothernewsanddatesofnoteonPage4

St.FXChaplainFr.AndrewGilliesandYouthDirectorNolanConradspent10daysinJulywalkingtheCamino.Thereweremanysightstobehold,butthetruewonderwaswithin.SeePage3.

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Fivequestions:aconversationwithNewBeginningsCoordinatorRonCurry1.WhatisNewBeginnings?NewBeginningsisaweekendprogramforbereaved,separatedanddivorcedpeople.ItisdesignedbyandforCatholicsbutisopentopersonsofallfaiths,tohelpthemrediscoverthemselvesandadeepermeaningtotheirchangedcircumstances.Fromoneparticipant:“Ihavebeenseparatedforthreeyearsandhavebeenstrugglingtomoveonfromtheguiltandfeelingsoffailure.ThisweekendhasgrantedmethepeaceoffinallyfeelingGod’sloveforme.”2.Whotakespart?Theweekendsareopentobothmenandwomenwhohavelostaspousethroughdeath,separationordivorce.Thereisnotimeframe,butparticipantsgetthemostoutoftheweekendwhentheyarepasttheinitialstagesofgrief:angeranddenial.Theweekendisdesignedtohelpclosethedooronthepast,soparticipantsneedtobereadytomoveforward.WegetparticipantsfromalloverNovaScotia.3.Whatcanpeopleexpectfromaweekend?Apriestandatrainedteamofmenandwomenwillleadathree-stepprogramthatincludespresentationandpersonalwitnessoftheirownjourneys,privatepersonalreflectionandsmallgroupsharing.Itisaweekendthatisquietandreflective,butalsointenseduetothediscernmentwithin.Attheendoftheweekend,participantsleavewithnewgoalsandaffirmedvalues.4.Whyisthisimportant?Beinginthepresenceofpeoplewhohavebeenwhereyouareisapowerfulwaytohealandbehealed.EveryonearrivesonFridayastrangerbutleavesonSundayaspartofasupportivecommunity.Asoneparticipantsaid:“Therealizationthatalthoughlifemaynotgoaccordingtoplan,helpingothersandrecognizingandappreciatingthejoysalongwiththechallengescanbringcourageandpeace.”5.Howdidyougetinvolved?I’vebeenworkingwiththisprogramfor23years.I’velostmywifeandachild,andIwantnothingmorethantohelppeoplealongwiththeirownjourneys.Thereislifeafterloss,andwhenIseethefacesofparticipantsafterourweekends,Iknowwe’redoingagoodthinghere.ThenextNewBeginningsweekendisOctober14-16,2016atSt.Joseph’sRenewalCentre,Mabou.Fordetailsandtoregister,contactRonCurry,ph(902)564-0788.

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WalkingtheCamino:

YouthDirectorNolanConradwith,fromleft,SarahPolowski,

Fr.AndrewGillies,andLorianneMacDonnellatFatimapriortosettingoutontheirwalk.

In2012Fr.AndrewGilliesandfriendswatchedTheWay,starringMartinSheenasafathercompletinghisdeceasedson’sCaminojourneyinanactofgriefandlove.“Weidentifiedwiththepeopleinthemovie,”Fr.Gilliessaid,andsetoutlaterthatyeartoexperiencetheCaminoforthemselves.Fouryearslater,Fr.Gillies,chaplainofSt.FrancisXavierUniversity,setoutagainwithtwotravelersfromtheoriginalgroupanddiocesanYouthDirectorNolanConrad,visitingFatimabeforecompletinga10-dayhikethroughPortugal.Howwasit?Gruelling.Beautiful.Peaceful.Hot.“Thereisphysicalsuffering,”Fr.Gilliessays,“butwecouldchoosetoquitanytime.Itwasawaytouniteourselvesspiritually.”Nolanasafirst-timerhadafewpainfullessonsalongtheway,includingsunburn,blistersandabrushwithdehydrationthatlefthimhallucinatingandcollapsedinafamily’slivingroom.“Butitwassuchanawakeningforme,“hesays.“Oneday,walkingthroughanindustrialarea,concreteandgarbageeverywhere,itbecamecleartomethegarbageIcarryinmyownlifethatcanweighmedown.Itwastough,butitwasbeautiful.”Bookingaheadgavehikersadistanceforthenextday’swalk,andaguaranteedbedatnight.Foodwasfreshandlocal:seafood,ethnicfare,andevenpilgrim’smenus(atadiscount)foreasychoices.Familieswereeverywhere:runningthebusinesses,openingtheirhomes,takingpartinthejourney,butitwasanexplorationinsolitudeaswell,evenwhenbychancethegrouparrivedinSantiagoonthefeastofSt.James,astateholidaywithfireworksandcelebrationscrammingthestreetswithrevelersuntiltheweehours.AlengthylineupkeptthepilgrimsfrompassingthroughtheHolyDoorsatthecathedral,“butwepassedthroughseveralonourjourney.ItwasnicetoseehowotherscelebratedtheYearofMercy,”Fr.Gilliessaid.Thejourneyalsoincreasedtheappreciationforhome.“Therewasmuchbeautyonthewalk,”Fr.Gilliessaid,“butwehavemuchbeautyinourowndioceseaswell.”

What:TheCaminodeSantiago,orWayofSt.James,includesseveralpilgrimageroutesleadingthroughFrance,SpainandPortugaltothecityofSantiagodeCompostellaandtheshrineofSt.James.ProminentintheMiddleAges,theCaminofadedthensurgedagaininpopularity.ItbecameaUNESCOWorldHeritageSitein1987.How:PilgrimscompletetheCaminoonfoot,byhorseordonkey,onbicycles,oracombinationWho:Pilgrimsarefromallnationsandfaiths;manyCanadiansaretakingpartWhen:Pilgrimstravelyearround.PeakseasoncoincideswiththeFeastofSt.JamesonJuly25,andduringHolyYears,thenextonebeing2021.ThisyearwasanexceptionfortheYearofMercy;thecathedral’sHolyDoorswillremainopenuntilNov.20,2016Tolearnmore:TheCanadianCompanyofPilgrims,www.santiago.caCaminoForumBlogwww.caminodesantiago.me

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InvestinginourYouth:InApril2016anewyouthministryresource,YouGiveThemSomethingtoEat,wasreleasedbytheCanadianConferenceofCatholicBishops.(SeeourJune2016e-news.)OnNov.19,2016(pleasenotethenewdate)ourdiocesanYouthOfficewillhostitsfirst

ImplementationThinkTankforYouthMinistry.FacilitatorAnneWalshwillleadaday-longdiscussionandplanningsessionthatwillenableeachparticipanttoleavewithadirectionandplanforprogrammingintheirparish,familyofchurchesordeanery.RequiredreadingisYouGiveThemSomethingtoEat,afreedownloadfromtheCCCBwebsite.Forfurtherinformation,visittheDioceseofAntigonishYouthFacebookpageorcontactYouthDirectorNolanConrad,Nolan@dioceseofantigonish.caWitnessingyouthengagement:

Opportunitiesforyouthtoexploretheirfaithinourdiocesearesoimportant.HereisanexamplefromAlexaMacInnis,16,whoattendedthe10thanniversarySteubenvilleAtlanticconferenceinHalifaxinJuly:“Oneofmyfavouritepartsaboutthisweekendwasseeingsomanyteensgettogetherandsing,prayandglorifyGod.Anotheramazingexperiencewasseeingsomanypeoplegotoreconciliation,especiallywhenyouseepeoplecomeoutwithhugesmilesontheirfaces.It’snotsimpletoconfesswhatwehavedonewrongbutwelearnedthatGod’slovesetsusfreeandthatwecanand

willbeforgiven.ThethemeofthisconferencewasbasedonThirst(Romans5:8)anditwassopowerful;welearnedthatnotonlydowethirstforJesus,buthethirstsforus…Thereweretalksoneverydaythingsweshouldknowaboutduringourjourneyinfaithsuchaslove,samesexattractionandtolerance,lifeintheholyspirit,thepathtoanauthenticlife…IthinkeveryoneshouldhaveachancetoexperiencesomethinglikethisatsomepointintheirlifeandIhopetogobacknextyearandexperienceitalloveragain!”UpcomingEventsforYouthinourDiocese:Sept.23rdto25th-Show,Know,MercyYoungAdultRetreat.Ages18–30.Nov.5thDiocesanYouthConference,(DYC),St.JosephsParish,PortHawkesbury

DatesofNote:

Keepinourprayersthecandidatesforpermanentdiaconateastheyapproachtheirmassofcandidacy:Sept.17:SanderBurke,St.Mary,LismoreSept.18:FernandBoivinStellaMaris,PictouNov.5:TomSylliboyHolyFamily,EskasoniNov.6:DavidLewisSt.Joseph,NorthSydneyNov.12:BarryMillerandDuncanMacMasterStellaMaris,InvernessNov.13:HenryvandeWeilSt.Andrew,St.Andrew’sDec.3:BryanMacDonaldSt.Leonard,NewWaterfordDec.4:ShawnBigleySt.Anne,GlaceBayOct.16,2016MassforShut-Insbeginsits54thyear,airing11amSundayonCTV.Priests,deacons,parishesandgroupsareinvitedtoassistwithweeklymasscelebrations.Tobookaweekend,contactDarleneinthepastoralcentre,ph902-539-6188ortoll-free800-656-5311ext222oremailDarlene@dioceseofantigonish.caFallEducationandActionWorkshops:DevelopmentandPeace,DiocesanCouncilOct.22:Sydney,GlaceBay,NewWaterford,Northside/VictoriaOct.29:Inverness,RichmondNov.5:Antigonish,Guysborough,Pictou