Pilgrimage photos offer colourful snippets

IT administrator captures pilgrimage in all angles

Pauline Chau, the archdiocese's web and database administrator, posted some great shots of the Rose Prince Pilgrimage in Lejac July 5-7. Here are some quick photos:

Rose Prince Pilgrimage procession in Lejac July 7. Photo credit: Pauline Chau.

 Photo credit: Pauline Chau.

Rose Prince's grave. Photo credit: Pauline Chau.

Bishop Stephen Jensen celebrated Mass during the pilgrimage July 7. Photo credit: Pauline Chau.

Photo credit: Pauline Chau.

To view all photos, visit Chau's Flickr page.

To see slideshow, click here.

World Youth Day on TV

Canada's Salt and Light Television will cover World Youth Day in Rio live

Salt and Light TV, Canada's only national Catholic network, will provide a six-day live and exclusive coverage of this year's World Youth Day in Rio July 22-27. From Pope Francis's arrival and departure, pilgrims, interviews, papal events, to other WYD activities, Salt and Light TV will have it covered.

TORONTO, July 11 – Salt + Light Television will have live and exclusive coverage of World Youth Day Rio 2013 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 22-27.

In his first trip abroad since being elected Pope, His Holiness Pope Francis will make his return to South America for World Youth Day Rio 2013. Originally conceived by Pope John Paul II in 1985, the week-long international Catholic youth festival has attracted millions from around the globe since its inception.

For full press release, visit the Salt + Light Newsroom.
For the full schedule of covered events, visit Salt and Light's World Youth Day Central.
Here is the live television feed.

WYD officials calm fears over protests in Brazil

Brazilian prelate claims: 'Protesters themselves are insisting there be no violence'

Photo credit: catholicseeking.blogspot.com

While recent protests in Brazil have gained much publicity, the World Youth Day organization and Brazil's police force are positive this year's celebration will be peaceful and calm.

Photo credit: newsinfo.inquirer.net

"There will not be any safety issues, whether for the Pope or for those in attendance, as we are studying everything down to the smallest details," Domenico Giani, Commander of the Vatican Gendarmerie Police Force, said. The protests began when prices increased for public transport, later growing into a call for better public service from the government and an end to corruption.

Operation centres, patrols, and over 1,000 agents will be distributed across several venues. Archbishop Joao Tempesta Orani of Rio de Janerio commented to the press last month, saying that he has been assured by public authorities that the protests will not affect World Youth Day.

The Secretary General of Brazil’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Leonardo Steiner, has expressed optimism that calm will reign among participants at recent protests, some of which have turned violent, in Brazil. Pope Francis is due to preside at World Youth Day Rio celebrations in the South American nation from July 23-28. 

The Brazilian prelate told Vatican Radio “the protesters themselves are insisting that there be no violence.”

Read the full article on the Vatican Radio website.

Samba with the Pope

World Youth Day in Rio: 'Go and make disciples of all nations'

BCC file photo.

Thousands of Canadian youth will be among those gathering for Pope Francis's first World Youth Day in his papacy. Pilgrims will also be given a chance to visit Brazil's dioceses prior to the highly anticipated celebration.

Also part of Canada's delegation are eight bishops, including Archbishop Richard Smith (President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and Archbishop of Edmonton), and Father Thomas Rosica, CSB, (CEO of Salt & Light Television and CCCB's World Youth Day 2013 delegation coordinator).


The Vivo Rio Welcome Centre (performing arts facility in the eastern area of Flamengo) will be the epicentre of WYD's programming, and there will be several activities around the city.  The centre will also be the venue for the Canadian delegation's national meeting. In addition to engaging with volunteers and youth, Pope Francis will preside at various celebrations such as the welcoming ceremony, celebrate Mass, visit hospitals and young prisoners, and meet with Brazil's leaders.

Join millions of young pilgrims from different continents for this year's World Youth Day in Rio July 23-28.

Young pilgrims from all over the world are expected in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 23-28, 2013, to participate in the 28th World Youth Day (WYD). This will be the first WYD in the papacy of Pope Francis who will travel to Brazil, July 22-29, on his first apostolic voyage outside Italy since his election. 

Over a thousand Canadian young pilgrims are planning to attend this international gathering. Its theme is "Go and Make Disciples of All Nations". Following the example of the 2011 WYD in Madrid, the Canadian pilgrims will again gather for a national celebration. This will be on July 25 at the Vivo Rio Welcome Centre. From July 16 to 20, Canadian youth pilgrims will have the opportunity to visit the dioceses of Brazil as part of a missionary week. 

For full article, visit the CCCB website.
To live-stream the event, visit the Salt and Light website for their special feature.

'Lumen Fidei': a summary

Pope Francis's first encyclical: 'fantastic' in summary

To encourage and motivate people to read through and learn more about the Catholic faith, Kevin Cotter has organized a concise summary of Pope Francis's first encyclical, outlining each of its four chapters, and giving us several notable quotes. It begins with a reflection on salvation history – the story of God's people – which builds into a focus on the relationship between faith and truth. The third chapter explains the community's reception of its faith, which leads us to accept the Eucharist and the other sacraments. Finally, Pope Francis's encyclical proclaims that faith is the foundation of our society, marriage, and family. As Cotter writes, "Faith should provide us with joy."

Summary of the introduction: The encyclical starts with what the ancients put their faith in and proceeds to move directly to what our culture believes about faith – that it is something for the blind, those driven by emotion. But, at the same time, our culture is discovering that reason is not enough. Confusion has set in on what is good and evil, right and wrong. Faith in Jesus and love in Him gives us a new vision to see the world. 

Summary of Chapter 1: Chapter 1 reviews Salvation History—the story of God's people—to see faith throughout history. It begins with Abraham, who St. Paul often quotes and uses as an example in the New Testament. It is noted that God speaks and acts towards Abraham as one in a relationship, not as a god who is far away. Our faith in Him calls us to make a step forward—to go on a journey with Him, just like Abraham. In this journey, our relationships with God are not just about our faith in Him, but in His faith in us! We can jeopardize this relationship with idolatry. The story of Israel points to the temptation of idolatry—to worship that which we make with our own hands. Finally, the story of faith finds its summation in Jesus. He is the fulfillment of all of God's promises and at the same time shows us why we can trust Him—He died for us! Because He came into our reality, we can now truly see reality. God is not something beyond us; He is someone who acts in the here and now.

For full summary, visit the FOCUS Blog .

For Pope Francis's full encyclical, visit bccatholic.ca.

Enjoy a weekend the aboriginal way

Conference will highlight Rose Prince Pilgrimage in Lejac

Spend a weekend embracing the aboriginal culture July 4-7 at the site of the historic Lejac Indian Residential School. Highlighting the annual Rose Prince pilgrimage, the Directions in Aboriginal Ministry Conference will give everyone the opportunity to gather with aboriginal faith leaders, elders, and ministry presenters.

The conference will begin with a supper hosted by Corpus Christi and St. Mark’s College students from Vancouver. A series of clan group gatherings, prayers, processions, and reflections will complete the memorable four-day event. Some of the special guests in attendance will be Sister Kateri Mitchell, SSA; Bishop Stephen Jensen of Prince George, Bishop Gary Gordon of Whitehorse, and Directions in Aboriginal Ministry group representatives.

The pilgrimage site is located west of Prince George, between Vanderhoof and Fraser Lake. Pilgrims are invited to camp at the site during the weekend.

For more information about the pilgrimage, click here.
To inquire about the conference, email Sister Eva Solomon, CSJ, at evasolomon@shaw.ca, or call  204-221-3539.

Archbishop Miller's letter in Chinese

Archdiocese releases a Chinese translation of its priorities and goals

The Vancouver archdiocese is reaching out to its multicultural community by releasing additional versions of Archbishop Michael Miller's Priorities and Goals letter. Setting out the main priorities for the Church in Vancouver over the next three years, the letter is now also available in Chinese and three other languages.

Here is the Chinese version.

For other translations, click here.

Church and science as co-workers

Vancouver archdiocese takes on earthquakes through modern technology


Vancouver Archbishop Michael Miller is photographed outside the John Paul II Pastoral Centre in Vancouver, March 27.
(Rafal Gerszak / The Globe and Mail)

Mark Hume's article draws attention to infrastructure upgrades necessary to increase protection against earthquake threats on the West Coast.

All structures built before 1990 will undergo examination and renovation (if needed) to fit the new earthquake codes. Also, the archdiocese, in cooperation with the University of British Columbia's civil engineering department, will install P-wave sensors in over 30 schools and 50 churches in Metro Vancouver. The upgrade program is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. In the past 20 years, the archdiocese has spent $250 million on various building projects.

With the use of the sensors, the archdiocese becomes "a leader in Canada when it comes to seismic preparedness," said Archbishop Michael Miller.

Its churches may be watched over by patron saints and guardian angels, but the Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver has decided to turn to engineers for increased protection from earthquakes that have long threatened the West Coast. 

In a statement that was released on the weekend, Archbishop Michael Miller announced that all the parishes in Metro Vancouver have been asked to “renew or rebuild their schools, churches and other buildings to meet the latest earthquake codes.”

For full story, visit the Globe and Mail website.  

Message for future priests

Cardinal Piacenza publishes a letter to seminarians to celebrate the day for the sanctification of priests



Cardinal Mauro Piacenza (Photo: caorleduomo.blogspot.ca)

"Priests are channels through which God makes the divine call resound in the heart of those He has chosen," Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, writes in his letter to seminarians published June 7.

He reminds seminarians of their role as the mediator between heaven and earth, which is fulfilled through the celebration of the liturgy and the sacraments. Their response to their priestly vocation, Cardinal Piacenza added, must be of generosity and joy, empowered by fidelity and perseverance.

Here is an excerpt:

Dearest Seminarians,

The Primacy of Grace in the Priestly Life

On the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we celebrate most significantly the day for the sanctification of priests and, as you are in the Seminary to respond in the most fitting way possible to your vocation, it is important for me to send you this letter, with great affection, so that you may feel involved and, as such, remember this important occasion.

We contemplate together today the origin of the divine vocation. The Holy Father has emphasized firmly the love in which those who are Priests of Christ and of the Church must participate. In his homily at his first Chrism Mass (28 March 2013), Pope Francis said "This I ask you: be shepherds, with the 'odour of the sheep.'" By this striking image, the Successor of Peter invites us to have a strong and solid love for the People of God, a love which – as the same Pontiff has noted – is not fed from purely human sources, nor is it reinforced by techniques of self-persuasion.

For full text, click here.

Hope after prison

Priest's Dismas House program helps ex-offenders start anew

The original Dismas House on Music Row was purchased by Father Jack Hickey and friends in 1972. (Photo by: Vanderbilt View)

 A story by Theresa Laurence talks about the Dismas House program in Nashville, Tenn., founded by late Father Jack Hickey in 1974.  The Dismas House provides released prisoners a safe place to live in and employment opportunities, in which they generally stay for half a year until they are able to secure an independent life. Whereas the national recidivism rate in the U.S. is at 60 per cent, for former Dismas residents, it has been significantly lower.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CNS) -- Last fall, Dwain Adkins was about to be released from prison after serving a six-year sentence for aggravated assault. He had no family to return to on the outside and had not been accepted into a halfway house.

"My biggest fear was being homeless," he said. "It was hard for me to fathom that. It tore me up."

Finally, one week before his release, Adkins got word from Dismas House in Nashville that he would have a place to stay.   

For full story, visit the Catholic News Service website.

Walk to save lives

Abbotsford launches 24th Annual Walk for Life


Photo: walkforlife2013.ca

Join hundreds of walkers in Abbotsford Right to Life’s Walk for Life fundraiser June 8. The Abbotsford Right to Life organization has supported the pro-life movement for over 30 years, and with Walk for Life, they hope to raise money for their new pregnancy centre opening in the fall, located on George Ferguson highway in Abbotsford. 

The walk will begin at 1:30 p.m. Participants may run the 4k fun course or the 8k challenge course. For families and friends, there will be several activities starting at noon, including: free balloons, face painting, a bouncy castle, an inexpensive barbecue, and a picnic area. Alternatively, everyone is welcome to donate or sponsor a walker online if unable to run the course. Walkers can also extend the fundraiser to their family and friends through an online pledge form, from which donations are also accepted. Walkers who recruit more than $100 in pledge money will receive a free pro-life shirt, which they can wear during the event.

Director of Education and Development Jared White tells the community that “all people and all life are precious and valuable,” and for those who may be experiencing unintended pregnancy, “it (the Walk for Life) should send a message that we stand in solidarity with you, and will help you when you need it most.” While almost everyone participating in the Walk for Life is aware of the continuing problem of abortion – about 300 happening each day – White believes the fundraiser to be a celebration of life, a step towards seeking out solutions.  He adds, “When we come together as a community, we can strengthen families, save lives, and make a difference for women and children.”

The Walk for Life will be held on June 8 at Mill Lake Park, Bevan Avenue in Abbotsford. For more details, visit www.walkforlife2013.ca or call 604-852-4623.  To register, click here. The goal is to raise $75,000 by Aug. 1.  

Christians in the Arab world: a guide

As Islamists come to power across much of the Middle East, Christians are facing growing persecution

Egyptian Christians sit on the wall of the Coptic cathedral in Cairo April 8. (AP Photo / Amr Nabil)

An article by The Week staff reports an alarming decrease of Christian population in the Middle East, dropping by more than 20 per cent in 2000. After the Iraq War in 2003, uprisings led by Islamic extremists and democrats threatened the lives of many Christians in Egypt, Syria, and Libya. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended that the State Department list Egypt and Iraq as severe religious freedom violators.

How many Christians live in the Middle East?

Between 10 million and 12 million. The Middle East is the birthplace of Christianity and home to some of its oldest communities, but the Christian population has dropped dramatically over time, especially over the last decade.

When Christianity was founded 2,000 years ago, it spread rapidly across the Roman Empire, into Egypt and westward. Mohammed began the Arab Muslim conquests in the 7th century, spreading Islam across the region, but he allowed Christians to continue practising their religion.

Christians remained a majority in parts of Iraq until the 14th century, when raids by Central Asian warlord Tamerlane decimated the community. The 20th century saw another precipitous drop, because of low birthrates and emigration among Christians. In 1900 Christians made up 25 per cent of the population of the Middle East; by 2000 they were less than 5 per cent. And then came the Iraq War.

Full story can be viewed on The Week's website.
  

French priest refuses to renounce Freemasonry

A Catholic parish priest at an elite French ski resort has been stripped of his Church functions

Father Pascal Vesin is seen outside his church in Megeve on Friday (BBC News photo)

The Vatican continues to stand against Freemasonry in an article in BBC News about a French priest who was relieved from his parish duties for being an active member of the Grand Orient de France lodge in Megeve. While the penalty is not final, Father Vesin sparked his own controversy after saying that he favours marriage for some priests and refusing to condemn same-sex marriage.

Father Pascal Vesin was ordered by his bishop to cease his work in the Alpine resort of Megeve, the parish said.

Bishop Yves Boivineau had warned Father Vesin about his "active membership" in the Grand Orient de France lodge.

Freemasonry has been condemned as anti-Christian and anti-clerical by various Popes through history.

For full story, see the BBC News website.

Late basketball star lives on through award

Students receive Tessa Beauchamp memorial scholarships

High school students Dalton Anderson (left) from St. Patrick's, Olivia Johnson from Immaculata, and Delani Buchan from Holy Cross receive $500 scholarships from the Tessa Beauchamp Foundation Jan. 19. All three exemplified Tessa's core values of hard work, community service, and dedication to extra-curricular activities. (Photo: Linda Buchan / Special to The B.C. Catholic)

In honour of Tessa Beauchamp's legacy, a story by Alistair Burns talks about students who were granted Tessa Beauchamp memorial scholarships for their hard work, passion, and involvement in sports and the community.

Dalton Anderson has been elected student prime minister of his high school, and he has been the captain of his school's basketball team, but the Grade 12 student at St. Patrick's Secondary School in Vancouver is most proud of being awarded a Tessa Beauchamp memorial scholarship Jan. 19.  

"I felt really honoured to receive this award, because so many people held Tessa in such high regard," said Anderson. He spoke to The B.C. Catholic shortly before tip-off at a basketball practice.  

"I have the same kind of values that I've read about Tessa: hard-working, passionate, not only about sports but also extra-curricular activities."

 For full story, see the B.C. Catholic website.

Rose Prince Pilgrimage to take place in Lejac

 

All are invited to honour the memory of Rose Prince July 5-7

 

Pilgrims will have the chance to sing, learn, and pray for peace and healing together at the Rose Prince Lejac Pilgrimage.  Aboriginal and non-aborginal communities are invited to join the ceremony.   
The three-day event will include meals, the Stations of the Cross, confessions, a candle procession, a healing Mass with guest speaker Sister Kateri Michell, SSA, and a Mass said by Bishop Stephen Jensen.

The pilgrimage is expected to be a spiritual and life-changing experience. First Nations Ministry Coordinator Rennie Nahanee said, “Some people take dirt from the grave, hoping a miracle will happen.”
He added that the ceremony can allow for admitting and repenting of sins, which can “bring people to a new way of life.”

The Rose Prince Pilgrimage will take place July 5-7, west of Prince George, between Fraser Lake and Vanderhoof.

For more information and volunteer opportunities, click here.