Wednesday Weekly – December 23, 2014 Print Version
1. Christmas Message from Bishop Jensen
Please share the attached Christmas message from Bishop Jensen with parishioners. Merry Christmas everyone!
Bishop Jensen Christmas Message
2. January Month at a Glance
The January At a Glance newsletter for the Domano Renewal Centre is attached. Events can also be viewed on the Diocesan Calendar found on the Diocese website at: https://www.pgdiocese.bc.ca/news-events/diocesan-calendar/
The Domano Renewal Centre staff have been busy preparing the 2015 brochure and it will be available in all parishes in early January. Make spiritual growth one of your new year’s resolutions. The Domano Renewal Centre has many opportunities for reflection and instruction in 2015. Pick one that fits your schedule. If you have any questions or would like to register for a program, please contact them at drc@pgdiocese.bc.ca or by calling 250-964-4475 when they re-open January 5th, 2015.
3. Safe Parish & Community Policy Deadline
This is a reminder to all parishes that the deadline to submit the annual Screening Requirements Report (Form 5) to the Chancery is January 15, 2015. All current employees and volunteers of the parish must be listed on this report; a signed Pledge or a Criminal Record Check and a signed Pledge must be either on file in the Chancery for each person listed or attached to the form. Form 5 is found on the Developing a Safe Parish & Community Policy page of the Diocesan Website www.pgdiocese.bc.ca. Please refer to Form 4 to determine the level of risk for each ministry. If you have any questions please contact Mary-Anne Lewis Jamin at 250-964-4424 ext. 234. Thank you to those who have already submitted their reports.
4. 2014 Tax Receiptable Donations – Reminders
To be eligible for a 2014 donation receipt, donations must be received by the parish on or before December 31, 2014 but do not have to be deposited in the bank in December. Any cheques must be dated for 2014. Please separate any Appeal donations that were received in 2014 and send them as soon as possible to the Finance office labelled “2014 Donations”. Thank you!
5. Monthly Day of Adoration – January 13th, 2015
Please put the following notice in parish bulletins in the Central Region:
Emmanuel Hermitage invites you to a Personal Date with Jesus on January 13th in the Domano Chapel (at the Domano Renewal Centre, 6500 Southridge Ave). Mass will be celebrated at 7:30 a.m. and the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for a day of silent prayer and adoration. We will pray especially for the people and needs of our Diocese, the universal Church, and the world. In particular we will pray for the protection of all human life, for vocations, and for the intentions of those participating in the day. Please mark your calendar on the second Tuesday of each month for Personal Dates with Jesus days.
6. National Dementia Strategy (C-356)
Please put the following notice in parish bulletins commencing in January:
Archbishop Paul-André Durocher, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, is urging support for a national dementia strategy. Parliament will debate a private member’s bill, C-356, An Act for a National Dementia Strategy early in 2015. This is timely given January is Alzheimer’s Month in Canada. Alzheimer’s and related dementia diseases already afflict 750,000 Canadians, with each patient often having three or four active caregivers; in another generation it is estimated 1.4 million Canadians will suffer from dementia, at a cost of $293 billion for our healthcare system. C-356 calls for increasing funding for research, promoting earlier diagnosis and intervention, strengthening the integration of primary, home and community care, enhancing skills and training of the dementia workforce, and improving support for caregivers. Please contact your local Member of Parliament in the next few months to show your support. You can also contact the prime minister, writing Office of the Prime Minister, 80 Wellington St., Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A2 or email, at pm@pm.gc.ca , and the Health Minister at Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, Ottawa, ON, K1a 0A6, or by email at Rona.Ambrose@parl.gc.ca. Letters are postage free. The online petition can be found at: ndp.ca/dementia
7. Pope John Paul II Day – April 2nd
Bill C-266, recognizing Saint John Paul II as a champion of human dignity and freedom, has now become Canadian law. The new Act designates April 2 annually as “Pope John Paul II Day”. The bill was introduced by Conservative MP Wladyslaw Lizon. Lizon spoke of how John Paul II stood for religious tolerance, freedom and encouraged interreligious dialogue. “Pope John Paul II proved that nothing is impossible and stood up for populations who were oppressed by totalitarian regimes,” Lizon said. The day will allow “all Canadians the opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the man who took a strong stand on human rights and opened the dialogue between other faiths to promote freedom of religion and speech across the globe. These are values that we as Canadians share.” The complete English and French texts of the Act are provided at http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&DocId=6836563&File=244
8. Annual Diocesan Appeal Update
