CCEPIRSS Board Meeting February 13, 2010

The acronym CCEPIRSS stands for the Corporation of Catholic Entities Party to the Indian Residential School Settlement agreement. This agreement was signed Sept. 20, 2007 between the federal government, the Assembly of First Nations and the four churches involved with the residential schools in Canada. Through this agreement the federal government accepted to pay compensation to former students especially for forcibly removing them at a young age from their families and also for the flawed colonial policy of assimilation. The Catholic Entities (the now 54 dioceses and religious congregations who ran the schools) agreed to raise and provide funds for healing and reconciliation ( $29 million in cash; $25 million through In-Kind community work and programs, and $25 million best-efforts nation wide campaign).

To oversee these commitments, a CCEPIRSS board was created. Pictured are from left to right, Fr. Al Hubenig OMI of St. Albert (member of the Oblate Mission Team); Rod Donlevy, legal counsel from Saskatoon, + Sylvain Lavoie OMI; archbishop of Keewatin-The Pas, + Gerard Pettipas C.Ss. R., archbishop of Grouard_McLennan and chair of the board; Sr. Shirley Walsh SSA of Ottawa, Pierre Barribeau, legal counsel from Montreal, and Sr. Lea Boutin MO from Winnipeg. Missing are treasurer Fr. Jacques L'Heureux OMI of Ottawa and Sr. Claudette Robert SJSH of Montreal.

We meet on a regular basis to discuss the business of the board, including such items as overseeing the Canada Wide Campaign which is just beginning to unroll across the country; our involvement with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; managing the cash contributions and overseeing the In-Kind commitments.

At the moment it is our concern and our hope that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which has finally been re-established and is now beginning its work, will be true to its commitment to hear the stories of all those involved or impacted by the residential school legacy so that the historical record may be accurate, including both the positive as well as the negative realities.

Diocesan staff and team meetings Feb 11, 2010

Once a month for the most part, we have a staff meeting around topics of a more general nature, followed by a diocesan leadership team meeting to discuss more specific topics of a pastoral nature as well as financial matters. The picture here is of our staff meeting on Thursday, February 11, 2010. Pictured here are Audrey Maksymchuk, our financial administrator; Rochelle Rydberg, our executive secretary/receptionist; Fr. Bill Stang OMI, vicar and chancellor, Diane Kelly, our archivist and museum curator and Sr. Mary Kastens OP, our director of religious education.

Missing from the picture is Joyce McLennan, our financial assistant, Don Maksymchuk our maintenance man and the archbishop who is taking the picture. Also missing is Sr. Ethel Detz OP, our director of pastoral development, who is located in Pine House, Sask., and who joins us for the meetings on speaker phone. The diocesan leadership team consists of the archbishop, Fr. Bill, Audrey and Sr. Ethel Detz.

Cumberland House weekend ministry February 31, 2010

After the retreat in Lumsden, I made my way to Cumberland House for a Eucharistic celebration there on Sunday. This community has no priest assigned to serve it on a regular basis so we are trying to cover it from The Pas as best we can. Still, they are very well organized and active and have put a new roof on the church as well as built a new deck, ramp and stairs at the entrance of the church. This Sunday we included a welcoming rite for two children who will be baptized at Easter. Here Doris McCauley makes the sign of the cross on one of the infants as part of the rite in which the whole congregation participated.



A great feature of ministry in Cumberland House is the pot luck lunches held after mass once a month of whenever a priest is available to come to the community. These are held in the hall attached to the rectory and feature great food and friendship. Here parishioners are waiting patiently for me to finish taking the picture so that I can bless the food and we can all start eating.



The winter road from Cumberland House to The Pas is less than 100 kilometers, but takes about an hour and a half to travel. This is the eastern part of the road; the western part slices its way through thick forest on the banks of the Saskatchewan River and crosses numerous creeks and the Carrot River. This was the road that I took to return home after the celebration, to save about 200 kilometers involved in driving the long way around.

Flin Flon Parish Council Workshop January 26, 2010

Fr. Bill Stang OMI, the vicar and chancellor for the archdiocese, and Audrey Maksymchuk, our financial administrator, travelled with me to Flin Flon to put on a workshop for the newly formed parish council. It has been years since there was a parish pastoral council in Flin Flon so this is really a new start for the parish community. About 14 parish council members and parish staff attended. We went through a process that included prayer, sharing our experience of being on the council through an imagery exercise, some input on parish councils, and a discussion of possible initiatives for the future. This is a workshop that we hope to put on in other communities in the archdiocese to help promote the formation of more parish pastoral councils where there are none, and to strengthen those councils where they exist.



Fr. Calixtus Fernando, pastor of St. Ann Parish, shares the lunch break with members of the parish council. Fr. Cally is from Sri Lanka and is in his second year of ministry in our archdiocese. He also serves the parish of Our Lady of the Snows in Snow Lake.

12 Step Retreat Providence Center Feb 5-7, 2010

An enthusiastic group of 26 participants attended this retreat that went from Friday evening to Sunday nooon. The theme was Stepping Into The Kingdom. Four of the 12 Steps of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous are on faith and prayer. Five presentations provided an overview of the program then focused on Steps 2, 3, 7 and 11. A prayer experience such as Lectio Divina, Centering Prayer, Taize prayer and the Liturgy of the Hours followed each presentation. Pictured with me are a participant Glenn B., who wants to share his experience with a group that he belongs to; Debbie Doornbos, the program director for the Providence Renewal Center, whose idea it was to put on this retreat.

Saskatchewan District Oblate Community Days Feb 9, 2010

Fr. Bill Stang OMI and I were able to attend part of the gathering in Saskatoon at Queen's House Feb 8-9, 2010. After the district superior Fr. Albert Ulrich OMI provided an update, the Lacombe execuive lead us all in discussing a portion of the latest animation document that invites us to move beyond having more, to being more. Here Bro. Don Claerhout OMI, who has ministered in our archdiocese before and after his time in Rome and Kenya and I join Fr. Joe Jacek OMI who is back from Kenya; Corinne Pambrun the financial assistant and Fr. Aloysius Kedl OMI of Battleford for a small group discussion.


Here Fr. Gil Mason OMI presents some information to the gathering of Oblates and Lay Associates who make up the Saskatchewan District Community.


Pictured are Albert Ulrich OMI, the Sask district superior, with the Lacombe Canada executive Robert Laroche OMI Vicar; Johm Malezdrewich OMI provincial and Gil Mason OMI vicar.

Westminster Abbey BC

This is where the Assembly of Western Catholic bishops gather each year for their retreat. It is home to a Benedictine community of monks who also run a high school and seminary. Some of the bishops of our group did their studies for priesthood here.

Western Bishops Retreat Mission BC January 7-10

This group of bishops and archbishops gathered at Westminster Benedictine Abbey for a retreat given to us by Cardinal Emeritus Cormac Murphy-O'Conner from England. He spoke on the topic of "How Can We Sing The Lord's Song on Alien Soil." His faith, joy, long experience and love for the church kept us awake and entertained, as well as inspired and enlightened. He is at the center of the picture. To his right is Archbishop Daniel Bohan, president of the AWCB.

Ida Colombe Family House Blessing January 17

To remember and honor the passing of her husband a year earlier, Ida Colombe invited me to her home for a house blessing and sharing circle to celebrate the life of her husband. We gathered around a candle and the bible, sang hymns, shared memories, prayed and blessed the home.

On Sunday night we held a candle light vigil for the people of Haiti who had been devastated by the earth quake. About 20 people came for this event. The night consisted of Cree hymns, Taize chants, a Lectio Divina praying with scripture, petitions and a decade of the rosary.