The 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees will be celebrated on 29 September 2019. The theme of Pope Francis' Message is "It is not just about migrants". In his Message, the Holy Father reminds us that "it is not only the cause of migrants that is at stake; it is not just about them, but about all of us, and about the present and future of the human family. Migrants, especially those who are most vulnerable, help us to read the 'signs of the times'. Through them, the Lord is calling us to conversion, to be set free from exclusivity, indifference and the throw-away culture. Through them, the Lord invites us to embrace fully our Christian life and to contribute, each according to his or her proper vocation, to the building up of a world that is more and more in accord with God's plan."

Link to the message

The annual Collection for the Needs of the Church in Canada will be held 28 and 29 September 2019. In his message to pastors and collaborators in pastoral ministries, the Most Reverend Lionel Gendron, P.S.S., Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), reflected on his presidency and the work being accomplished by dioceses/eparchies, regional episcopal assemblies and the CCCB as a national Conference.

As part of their episcopal ministry, the Bishops are working together on important doctrinal and ethical questions; ecumenical initiatives and interreligious dialogue; international relations; evangelization, faith education and catechesis; strengthening relations with Indigenous peoples; questions of social justice, and the development of a culture of life and family.

The 2019 Federal Election Guide, prepared by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops' (CCCB) Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace and published in the name of the Permanent Council, has been formatted for online sharing and includes hyperlinks directing the reader to further resources on various issues important to Catholics. The Guide's content offers a reflection on key ethical and moral issues that voters, especially Catholics, may want to consider.

Voting as Catholics: 2019 Federal Election Guide

The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace-Caritas Canada (CCODP) and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) are providing an update on the organizational review of CCODP that has been underway since mid-May 2019.

Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace Canada and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Joint Press Release

Ottawa – The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) will hold its annual Plenary Assembly at the NAV Centre in Cornwall, Ontario, 23-27 September, 2019. The Plenary Assembly is a gathering of approximately 90 Bishops from across Canada. The Most Reverend Lionel Gendron, P.S.S., Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil and CCCB President, will preside over the meeting.

The 2019 Plenary keynote address will be delivered by Archbishop Giampietro Dal Toso, President of the Pontifical Mission Societies. Established in 1922, the Pontifical Mission Societies are the official missionary arm of the Catholic Church responsible for evangelization and charitable works throughout the world. As part of his address, Archbishop Dal Toso will speak to the Bishops of Canada on the upcoming Extraordinary Missionary Month (October 2019) and its chosen theme "Baptized and Sent: The Church of Christ on a Mission in the World".

Endorsed by Pope Francis in 2015 and supported by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the annual month-long ecumenical celebration entitled the Season of Creation will begin on 1 September (World Day of Prayer for Creation) and continue until 4 October 2019 (feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi). The celebration calls on the global Christian community to promote prayer and action to protect our common home. The theme for this year's season is "The Web of Life". In a press release published to promote the season, the Dicastery "invites pastors to prepare for the Season of Creation as part of their pastoral leadership, and invites communities to celebrate life and protect God's creation."

For more information and resources on the Season of Creation, please see its dedicated website seasonorcreation.org.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) continues to post possible homily ideas and prayers of the faithful to help link the Sunday liturgy with the national pastoral initiative for life and family. The proposed texts for the month of September 2019 include suggestions from the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 1 September to the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 29 September. As usual, the suggestions for homilies and prayers can be easily adapted for family prayer, as well as for personal prayer or for use with other groups or organizations. The texts for the month of September are available on the special Life and Family webpage, under the section "Documents and activities proposed by the CCCB".

Earlier this summer, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), an official dialogue partner of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) since 2010, published a resource entitled Our Roman Catholic Neighbours. The resource was written by the EFC for the Evangelical faithful in Canada to help build bridges of understanding with their Catholic neighbours. During the development of the document, the Catholic members on the Catholic–Evangelical Dialogue, as well as the CCCB Executive Committee, provided comments and suggestions on the text. At the request of the EFC, the CCCB President, the Most Reverend Lionel Gendron, P.S.S., wrote a letter to accompany the resource. In his letter, Bishop Gendron states: "I recognize that for many Evangelicals this resource could be a significant starting point for greater understanding and deeper appreciation of their Catholic neighbours. The resource represents another step forward on our ecumenical journey, an additional reason to celebrate the things we have in common and to continue in truth and charity to discuss matters where disagreements still persist."

On behalf of the Roman and Eastern Catholic Bishops serving on the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) co-sponsored Orthodox-Catholic Bishops' Dialogue, The Most Reverend Richard Grecco (Co-chair), The Most Reverend Michael Mulhall, The Most Reverend Lawrence Huculak, O.S.B.M., and The Most Reverend Thomas Dowd, a letter of congratulations was sent on the occasion of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto being elevated to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew. As a result, His Eminence Archbishop Sotirios' new episcopal designation is now Archbishop of Canada and Exarch of the Arctic.

Letter of congratulations to His Eminence Archbishop Sotirios

Ottawa – The Most Reverend John M. Sherlock, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of London, died on 12 August 2019.

Bishop Sherlock was born on 20 January 1926 in Regina, Saskatchewan. He entered St. Augustine's Seminary in Toronto in 1946 to begin his theological studies and was ordained to the priesthood on 3 June 1950 for the Diocese of Hamilton by the Most Reverend R.H. Dignan, Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie. Following his ordination, he continued his studies and received a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America in 1952. He later received a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from the University of Windsor (1985), a Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa) from Huron College, London, Ontario (1986), and became a Fellow (honoris causa) of the University of St. Michael's College, Toronto (1994).

Ottawa - The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation has released in English a new agreed statement entitled The Vocation and Mission of the People of God: "A Chosen Race, a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation". The document, which will later be available also in French and Greek, was finalized at the most recent meeting of the Consultation which took place in late May of this year at the Saint Methodios Faith and Heritage Center in Contoocook, New Hampshire. The Consultation is co-chaired by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, Catholic Archbishop of Newark, and Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Methodios of Boston.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) continues to post possible homily ideas and prayers of the faithful to help link the Sunday liturgy with the national pastoral initiative for life and family. The proposed texts for the month of August 2019 include suggestions from the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 4 August to the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, 25 August. As usual, the suggestions for homilies and prayers can be easily adapted for family prayer, as well as for personal prayer or for use with other groups or organizations. The texts for the month of August are available on the special Life and Family webpage, under the section "Documents and activities proposed by the CCCB".