News

In his letter to the people of the diocese, Bishop Bart speaks of Advent as a time of hope.  In part he says:

Click here to read the entire letter.

The season of Advent begins on Sunday, November 29. To help Canadian Catholics use this time of preparation as an opportunity to enrich their formation in the faith, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has created an online video series entitled Journey through Advent.

The videos serve as an introduction to the liturgical Season and present reflections on the Gospel readings for each Sunday in Advent. The Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., Bishop of Hamilton and the Most Reverend Pierre Goudreault, Bishop of Saint-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, provide spiritual and pastoral guidance on the readings that illustrate the true meaning of Christmas.

The videos will be available on the CCCB website each Monday in advance of the upcoming Sunday celebration (23 November, 30 November 7 December and 14 December).

To follow the series:

Click here to access the video series in English.

Click here to access the video series in French.

Tomorrow, October 12, the Bishop and Priests of the diocese begin their annual retreat which will end on Friday October 15.

Please join in praying for God's blessings upon them at this time.

Bishop van Roijen announced the following clergy appointments to become effective on November 1, 2020.

Reverend Edward Terry retires from parish ministry to take up Hospital Ministry.

Reverend Lee Lainey concludes his ministry as Adminstrator of St. Ann's Parish, Codroy Valley and becomes Rector of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Redeemer and of the Immaculate Conception and Administrator of All Hallows Parish, Corner Brook.

Reverend Andrew White concludes his ministry as Associate Pastor of St. Stephen's Parish, Stephenville and becomes the Pastor of St. Ann's Parish, Codroy Valley.

Reverend Vavathuraj Rayappan, H.G.N. concludes his ministry in Corner Brook and begins his temporary assignment as Associate Administrator of St. Stephen's Parish, Stephenville.

Please join Bishop Bart in praying that God will bless these priests and their parishioners during this time of transition and change.

Have a loved one going to university at MUN? Worried they may fall away from their faith? Help them find us!
CCO is a university student movement dedicated to evangelizing and building a Catholic community at MUN. Help students find us by sending them this link: cco.ca/get-connected and we will follow up with them!

This coming weekend’s second collection “for the needs of the Church in Canada” provides the financial resources for those works that either assist individual dioceses or go beyond the scope of any one diocese to provide.  The ongoing publication of new liturgical and catechetical resources, the ongoing work to promote Catholic teaching and the coordination of Canada-wide pastoral initiatives with our First Nations Peoples play a vital part in our diocese and parishes.  The bishops’ annual gathering, from Sept. 21^st to 25^th, twice-a-year regional meetings and committee work is also supported by these same funds.

Let us pray for the success of the ongoing collaboration of our Canadian Bishops and our willingness to be part of their work through our prayerful support.  We pray to the Lord:

The 2020 annual Plenary Assembly, to be held from 21 to 25 September, will move from an in-person meeting of Bishops to a videoconference in light of the existing health and safety restrictions regarding COVID-19.  This year's timetable and agenda have been streamlined to accomdate essential matters and to allow for meaningful discussion in this new format.   Due to health and safety concerns there will not be any observers at this plenary.

The daily meetings of more than 80 Bishops from dioceses and eparchies across Canada will be presided over by  the Most Reverend Richard Gagnon, Archbishop of Winnipeg and CCCB

One of the topics of particular importance for Bishops centres on COVID-19, its impacts and the present-day realities of the Church in Canada. This session will be both a sharing of lived experiences and an opportunity to exchange hopes, concerns, wisdom and challenges as Bishops, together with clergy, consecrated persons, lay people and Catholic faithful continue to live through these most extraordinary times.

Let us pray for our Canadian Bishops, gathering virtually this week to collaborate together on issues of concern, that they may strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit and be supported by the people they are called to serve.

Follow  the Plenary throughout the week using one of the options given in the media release.

Please be aware that scam e-mails are going out in the Bishop's name asking for people to go out and buy e-cards in his name and send the numbers on those cards to a return e-mail address.   It is good to remember that church personnel are not allowed to make any personal solicitations of this type and that any personal solicitation, for any reason and under any guise, should either be seen as a scam or a serious breach of professional protocol.  Whichever one it is, the activity is to be ignored or soundly rebuffed.

"Family Connections" is a weekly series developed by Bishop Bart to offer a simple way to foster the gift of faith within families.  As the Bishop says in his reflection of Thursday, September 3 "it takes advantage of the quieter moments of the day, mealtimes and bedtimes, to offer a story, a prayer, a thought, a tradition or an activity to spark a question, a conversation or a personal reflection."

“Family Connections” is based on the Sunday Gospel.  The first issue will be available just prior to the September 12^th – 13^th weekend.  Subsequent issues will follow, on a weekly basis, throughout the year.  It can be accessed on our diocesan webpage under the heading "Family Connections" or by e-mail by contacting the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis at catherinejordan@nf.aibn.com.