As the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has spread into Lebanon, thousands of families are facing displacement, and local agencies are providing shelter, food, medical care, and psychological support. Bishop William T. McGrattan urges us to join in prayers for peace and donate to trusted organizations to help those in need. To offer your support, you can donate online or by phone through the following organizations:
The Diocese is delighted to introduce the newest staff members to the Catholic Pastoral Centre team!
Jennifer Pashula, Pastoral Ministry/St. Francis Xavier Chaplaincy (SFXC) Administrative Assistant joined us on Monday, Sep 16. Jenn can be reached at 403-218-5528 or
Kevin Ponte,Discipleship & Lay Ministry Coordinator joined us on Tuesday, Oct 15. Kevin can be reached at 403-218-5507 or
There are employment opportunities currently available:
A Great Symphony of Prayer: Mary, the Saints, and Scripture The CCCB Ad hoc Committee for the Preparation for the Jubilee 2025 is hosting a two-part series titled, “A Great Symphony of Prayer” which will enable the faithful one meaningful way to participate in the Year of Prayer which was announced by Pope Francis on 21 January 2024. The Jubilee Office in Rome has prepared a series of booklets on prayer, the themes of which will be taken up during the webinar series. For each official language, there was one four-part webinar series in the spring with one more four-part webinar series in the fall.
Dr. Josephine Lombardi (St. Augustine's Seminary) presents eight English-language webinars on prayer: Spring Series: “A Great Symphony of Prayer: The Our Father as a Programme of Life”: Available at cccb.ca/ourfather
Why did Jesus address God as Father?
Seeking God’s Kingdom and Knowing God’s Will
Daily Bread and the Gift of Forgiveness
Managing Trials and Resisting Evil
Registration for the fall series ("A Great Symphony of Prayer: Mary, the Saints and Scripture" English) is now open. The French-language webinar series will take place in October 2024. These webinars will be recorded and packaged with a reflection guide and made available on cccb.ca sometime after the completion of the final session. Please register for at least one session for in order to receive a notification that the packaged recordings are available.
On the memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, we begin the second year of the Pastoral Renewal. We thank you for your commitment to the Mission of Christ in the past year, and we continue in our ministry to strengthen our parish communities on this path of renewal.
We are excited to share with you the new video that is being released as we begin Year II of the Pastoral Renewal. We ask that you view it and to share it with members of your Council, family, and friends.
“The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38). Pray with us as for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life in our Diocese.
"Getting up in the middle of the night and driving to Adoration for 3 am was an amazing experience. While meditating on the actual presence of Christ right before my eyes, I was struck by how more acute and aware my senses and attention were at this dark hour," shares one parishioner during the 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations. The response to this initiative has indeed been extraordinary. Over the last month and a half, more than a thousand parishioners have come to adore Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and pray for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.
Multiple parishes in our Diocese have held the 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations. Other parishes are scheduled to hold the Devotion in the coming weeks:
St. Albert the Great, Calgary- Fri, Oct 11 from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm; 7 pm to Sat, Oct 12 at 9 am; Sat, Oct 12 from 12 pm to 4 pm; 6 pm to Sun, Oct 13 at 9 am
The Diocese of Calgary invites ministers to join Pastoral Care Ministry Training to support the sick, elderly, homebound, and bereaved in their community. New and experienced ministers are welcome.
When: Two Saturdays from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm on Oct. 26 and Nov. 16 Where: St. Francis de Sales Church Hall, 206 9 Ave SW, High River Fee: $30 (lunch provided) - Register by: Oct 16 at catholicyyc.ca/pastoralcare
For more information, contact 403-218-5521 or email .
Purdys Chocolates make very sweet gifts for friends, family (and yourself), and they help support CWL activities, too!
Check it out by going to the Purdys website. Sign in with your email address and a password that you choose. There is NO obligation to order.
CORPUS CHRISTI Catholic Women’s League is fundraising with Purdys Chocolatier, just in time for Christmas! If you’d like to support our work by purchasing some very sweet Christmas gifts for friends, family (and yourself), just go to https://fundraising.purdys.com/1188460-118494 and join campaign 54580.
If you do decide you want one or more of these great products, order and pay by November 17th, 2024 and pick up from Corpus Christi parish on November 30, 2024. This gives you time to ship Christmas gifts to family and friends across the county!
If you prefer to pay by e-transfer, cheque or cash, just give your order form and payment to us, and we will process it for you. Download order form.
Connected is a 15-session program designed to help individuals overcome addiction to pornography, while Reconnected offers support specifically for the spouses of those affected. Both programs provide a comprehensive manual and over 150 tools to assist participants in their journey toward healing, all approached from a Catholic perspective. Session runs from Oct 21 to Dec 9, 2024 via Zoom. Register by contacting Mark at 403-701-2262 or email
Father Tim Boyle continues the series for 2024/2025. This year will focus on "The Search for Wisdom", beginning Monday, Sep 16 at 10:15 am. Join in person at St. Martha's Parish in Lethbridge, or livestream. More info here
Transitions is a 15-week peer-led, God-centred support group that is designed to foster healing in its participants. It is facilitated within a confidential, safe, and respectful environment of community and belonging for individuals working through the pain of separation and divorce.
The group meets every Tuesday, beginning October 1, 2024 (7 to 9 pm). The October 1st meeting will be a "meet & greet" session and offers the opportunity to meet the facilitators and other potential participants, and allow for the chance to ask any questions pertaining to Transitions and help in determining whether this is a program you would like to commit to.
A Pastoral Letter on the roles of social media in modern life was recently issued by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). It offers a reflection on both the good and harm which social media impacts individuals and communities. As we prepare for Lent, it may inform our decisions around fasting and of almsgiving related to our use of social media.
Using insights from the latest CCCB pastoral letter, "Let Your Speech Always be Gracious," and the Holy Father's Lenten message, Bishop McGrattan highlights the seven commitments we should make to witness to core Christian values and help build a healthy online environment that serves the common good.
Join RMEC (Religious and Moral Education Council - ATA) as they engage in critical conversations in response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, exploring our individual and collective journeys as we walk together, fostering authentic and inclusive relationships as we celebrate diversity and work towards healing and wholeness, attentive in heart, mind and soul. When: Oct 18-19, 2024 at the Banff Centre. Early bird rate ends June 30, 2024. Registration
Explore a curated selection of FORMED.org resources that will immerse you in testimonies, teachings, and stories to support and deepen your commitment to the Diocese of Calgary's Pastoral Renewal.
Witness with your Life | Evangelization with Chris Stefanick - Watch now | You must be a witness of the Good News in the way you live, interact, and serve those in your parish. As hard as it is, it is the easiest way to draw people into the love of God.
Roger Foley, a Canadian man with disabilities, says that he has been offered euthanasia "multiple times." In a new 5-minute short film from "Dying to Meet You", Roger speaks out against being devalued as he fights for the support he needs to live. Watch video
A video, Papal Visit to Canada, One Year Later, has been produced by the Archdiocese of Edmonton with reflections from Cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix, Archbishop Anthony Wieslaw Krotki, Archbishop Richard Smith, and Maskwacis Chief Victor Buffalo. The video highlights Pope Francis’ visit as a significant step on the road to healing and reconciliation, noting that the work and commitment will continue. It demonstrates that the Holy Father’s visit also made not only the idea, but the reality of reconciliation possible.
Walking Together: Into One Beat - A new documentary from Salt + Light on Pope Francis' penitential pilgrimage to Canada In July 2022, Pope Francis visited Indigenous communities, celebrated Mass in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium and at the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré and, most importantly, apologized for the Church’s role in the country’s Residential School System. Walking Together: Into One Beat features interviews with members of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit in Alberta, Quebec, and Nunavut, who share their heartfelt stories as they prepare for the Holy Father’s arrival. After the visit, they offer their reactions, impressions, and hopes for this country of many nations moving forward, as one, on the journey of reconciliation. Watch it here.
A groundbreaking report published by the Ottawa-based Cardus Institute has given voice to Indigenous Canadians who are frustrated by secular society’s unawareness of — or unwillingness to accept — the fact that almost half of them are Christian. The executive director of the Catholic Civil Rights League, Christian Elia, says society should grant Indigenous Catholics the respect and personal agency that is due all Canadians. He said his organization has heard from many Indigenous Catholics who are “growing weary of the ongoing assumption that somehow they have been coerced into the faith, that it is inconceivable that they wish to be Catholic. This condescending attitude must stop.” Read more
