Ottawa – The recent conference, He Thirsts For You, hosted by the Episcopal Commission for Evangelization and Catechesis (English Sector) of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) was a successful initiative. A comprehensive agenda featuring a one-person play by Elisa Lollino, keynote speakers Dr. Josephine Lombardi, Father Ron Rolheiser, O.M.I. and the Most Reverend William McGrattan, as well as a variety educational workshops, attracted over 200 participants to Ottawa for the two-day event held from 4 to 6 April 2019.

Recognizing more than a decade has passed following the last national conference on catechesis, hosted by the then National Office for Religious Education (NORE, now the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis), planning and organization for the 2019 conference began in 2016. The theme, He Thirsts For You, was inspired by the Gospel passage John 4:5-42 – the Samaritan Woman at the Well. The biblical account describes the experience of a woman who encounters Jesus and, as a result of this transformative meeting, embarks on a journey of evangelization to bear witness about her experience to the people in her village.

“It is our hope that the participants’ encounter with Christ during this conference will resonate with them long after they leave the meeting room,” said the Most Reverend Héctor Vila, Bishop of Whitehorse and Chair of the conference organizing committee. “Equally important is that participants apply what they have experienced to their own pastoral work, and continue to develop activities and programs that lead people to encounter Christ and go forward as missionary disciples as did the Samaritan Woman at the Well.”

Conference attendees represented a cross-section of individuals involved in evangelization and catechesis throughout Canada including Bishops, priests, diocesan pastoral workers, parish catechists, members of movements and associations, as well as personnel in Catholic education. At the conclusion of the event, participants spoke about the quality of the keynote speakers, inspirational information presented and discussed during workshop sessions, and the hosting of the conference itself as a means to encounter others for the purposes of sharing faith and discussing commonalities in their work.

The Office for Evangelization and Catechesis will post videos and presentations from the conference on its webpage (http://www.cccb.ca/site/eng/office-for-evangelization-and-catechesis) in the coming weeks. Future conferences on evangelization and catechesis will be considered following an analysis of participant evaluations and in consultation with the CCCB’s Executive Committee and Permanent Council.

CCCB Publications can now accept pre-orders of the new Apostolic Exhortation Christus vivit by telephone (1-800-769-1147) and by
email (publi@cccb.ca).

The printed copies cost $15.95 and will be available in a few weeks, following which you will also be able to place an order online.

Ottawa – His Holiness Pope Francis today named the Most Reverend Brian Dunn, currently Bishop of Antigonish, as Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth. As Coadjutor Archbishop, he will assist the current Archbishop of Halifax-Yarmouth, the Most Reverend Anthony Mancini, and succeed Archbishop Mancini when he eventually resigns and his resignation is accepted by the Holy Father. In accordance with the Code of Canon Law, this usually happens once a Bishop reaches 75 years old.

Bishop Dunn was born on 8 January 1955 in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts from King’s College as well as a Master of Divinity from the University of Western Ontario. He was ordained to the priesthood on 28 August 1980 for the Diocese of Grand Falls where he served as pastor and in a number of other responsibilities, including Vice-Chancellor and Chancellor. In 1991, he obtained a Doctorate in Canon Law from Saint Paul University (Ottawa) and soon after became a lecturer in the Diploma Program for Theology and Ministry at the Atlantic School of Theology, Halifax, Nova Scotia (1992-1999). Beginning in 2002, he served on the faculty at St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario and became Dean of Studies at the seminary until 2008. During this same time period, Bishop Dunn also served as a Lecturer with the Faculty of Canon Law at Saint Paul University (2003-2004 & 2007). He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sault Ste-Marie on 16 July 2008 and consecrated on 9 October 2008. He was appointed Bishop of Antigonish on 21 November 2009 and installed on 25 January 2010.

As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), he served as a member of the former Episcopal Commission for Catechesis (English Sector) and the Standing Committee on Relations with Catholic Movements and Associations (2009-2010). He currently serves as a member for the Commission for Liturgy and Sacraments (English Sector), the Episcopal Ad Hoc Committee for the elaboration of the new English-language Ratio Nationalis (Program for Priestly Formation), the Liaison Bishop of the International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), and as co-Chair of the Anglican/Roman Catholic Dialogue.

According to the CCCB 2019 Directory, the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth has 88 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 182,430 served by 69 diocesan priests, 12 priests who are members of institutes of consecrated life, 43 permanent deacons, as well as 102 Sisters who are members of religious institutes, in addition to six lay pastoral workers.

Toronto – The national bilateral dialogue of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Canadian Rabbinic Caucus met for its biannual meeting 8-9 April 2019, hosted at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. The dialogue continued its work on the Jewish and Catholic approaches to praying with and understanding the Psalms, with presentations and discussions specifically on Psalm 130. The dialogue members also reflected on contemporary issues taking place in Canada and elsewhere, including challenges and questions surrounding religious symbols in Québec in relation to Bill 21 and the worrisome rise of antisemitism in the world. With the gracious hospitality of Holy Blossom Temple, the dialogue coordinated a public event on the evening of 8 April exploring the theme of Redemption in the Jewish and Catholic traditions through film, music, and sacred study. The evening included a screening of the film Babette’s Feast, a follow-up reflection to the film by both faith communities, and a wonderful musical performance by the Temple Emanu-EL Choir and Holy Blossom Temple Singers, entitled “Fierce as the Sea.” The morning of 9 April, the Catholic and Jewish members engaged in a rich theological reflection on their respective teachings and perspectives on Redemption through presentation and discussion.

The next meeting of the national bilateral dialogue of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and Canadian Rabbinic Caucus is scheduled for December 2019.

On Tuesday 2 April 2019, the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus vivit (“Christ Lives”), addressed to young people and the entire People of God, was published. The Holy Father explains that the document was prepared drawing inspiration from the “wealth of reflections and conversations of the Synod” (n. 4) on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment held in October 2018. With the opening lines of the Exhortation, “Christ is alive! He is our hope, and in a wonderful way he brings youth to our world. The very first words, then, that I would like to say to every young Christian are these: Christ is alive and he wants you to be alive!” (n. 1), the Pope’s reflection calls on youth to recognize and embrace God’s love and their special role in the Church. “The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith… And when you arrive where we have not yet reached, have the patience to wait for us” (n. 299).

The Apostolic Exhortation is currently available online from the Holy See. CCCB Publications will have printed copies of the document available for sale in a few weeks with more information on how to pre-order a copy coming soon.

Ottawa – His Holiness Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Brendan O’Brien as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kingston, and today appointed his successor the Most Reverend Michael Mulhall. At the time of his appointment, Bishop Mulhall was Bishop of the Diocese of Pembroke. Archbishop O’Brien has been the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kingston for the past 12 years. He submitted his resignation to the Holy Father upon reaching the age of 75, as required by the Code of Canon Law.

Bishop Mulhall was born in Peterborough, Ontario, on 25 February 1962. He attended Trent University in Peterborough from which he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Philosophical Studies, followed by a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Peterborough on 21 July 1989. He then completed additional studies at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum, while following the formation program at the North American College, both of which were in Rome. After serving in pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Peterborough from 1991 to 1994, he served from 1994 to 2002 as an official of the Holy See in the Congregation for Oriental Churches. After returning to Canada in 2002, he again served in the Diocese of Peterborough as pastor, as well as Chancellor for Spiritual Affairs (2003-2007) and Vicar General (2004-2007). On 30 June 2007, he was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Pembroke and ordained Bishop at Pembroke on 21 September 2007. As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Bishop Mulhall currently serves as a member of the Orthodox-Catholic Bishops’ Dialogue as well as a member of the Episcopal Commission for Doctrine.

Archbishop O’Brien is originally from Ottawa, serving the Archdiocese of Ottawa as a pastor as well as Vicar General, Coordinator of Pastoral Work. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Ottawa in 1987. In 1993 he was appointed Bishop of Pembroke, and then in 2000 he was named Archbishop of St. John’s, Newfoundland. He served as Archbishop of St. John’s for six years prior to his appointment as Archbishop of Kingston on 31 May 2007.

As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop O’Brien served on the then Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs (1987-1991 and 2005-2008), the then Episcopal Commission for Theology (1991-1995), the then Programs and Priorities Committee (1991-1993 and 2000-2003), the Ad hoc Committee on Responsibility in Ministry (1993-1995), as well as the then Commission for Relations with Associations of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Laity (1999-2001) for which he was Chairman from 2001 to 2003. From 1994 to 2002, he served as Bishop ponens for the Pontifical Mission Societies (English Sector) and, in the same time period, Chairman of the then Episcopal Commission for Ecumenism from 1995-1999. In addition to serving on the CCCB’s Permanent Council from 1995 to 2005, he was Co-Treasurer, 1999 to 2001, Vice-President, 2001 to 2003, and then President of the Conference, 2003 to 2005. Following his term as CCCB President, Archbishop O’Brien continued to serve in various roles, including as the CCCB Bishop ponens with what was then the Catholic Health Association of Canada (2007-2012), Chairman for the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace (2008-2011), member of the Episcopal Commission for Christian Unity, Religious Relations with the Jews, and Interfaith Dialogue (2011-2017), and as a member of the Roman Catholic/United Church Dialogue (2015-2019).

The Archdiocese of Kingston has 70 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 116,500 served by 63 diocesan priests, 11 priests who are members of institutes of consecrated life, 27 permanent deacons, as well as one Brother and 110 Sisters who are members of institutes of religious life.

Today, the Holy Father has appointed Reverend Carl Reid as Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross (Australia), following the resignation of Reverend Monsignor Harry Entwistle in conformity with the Code of Canon Law.

At the time of his appointment, Father Reid was a priest of the Personal Ordinariate of The Chair of St. Peter (U.S.A. and Canada). Previously, he served as pastor of Blessed John Henry Newman Ordinariate Community in Victoria (British Columbia), and was Dean of the Ordinariate communities in Canada. He will be installed as Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross on Tuesday 27 August, 2019 at the Cathedral of St. Mary’s in the Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia.

What is a Personal Ordinariate?
A Personal Ordinariate is a canonical jurisdiction composed of clergy and lay faithful under the direction of an Ordinary who is equivalent in authority to a Bishop. The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross and the Personal Ordinariate of The Chair of St. Peter are composed of former members of the Anglican Church, both laity and clergy, who have entered as a group into full communion with the Catholic Church. These Personal Ordinariates are part of the Latin Catholic Church but maintain distinctive elements of their Anglican theological, spiritual and liturgical patrimony.

For the month of March 2019, Pope Francis invites us all to join him in prayer with an intention that places focus on the plight of persecuted Christians worldwide: “That Christian communities, especially those who are persecuted, feel that they are close to Christ and have their rights respected.” The Holy Father also released a short video to accompany his intention. The Bishops of Canada, through the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), recognize the untenable situation of the world’s persecuted Christian people as a priority issue. In communion with Pope Francis, the CCCB will continue to draw attention to the critical need for Christian communities to be able to practice freely their faith without fear or oppression.

Link to the video message from the Pope

Ottawa – The Most Reverend Jacques Berthelet, C.S.V., Bishop Emeritus of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, died on 25 January 2019 at the age of 84. After 24 years serving the Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, first as Auxiliary Bishop (1986-1996) then as Bishop (1996-2010), he had submitted his resignation to the Holy Father upon reaching the age of 75, as required by the Code of Canon Law, and which was accepted on 28 October 2010.

Bishop Berthelet was born on 24 October 1934 in Montréal, Québec. He entered the Clerics of St. Viator in 1957 in Montréal. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Montréal in 1957, followed by a Bachelor of Theology from the Scolasticat Saint-Charles de Joliette at the University of Montréal in 1962. Bishop Berthelet was ordained to the priesthood on 16 June 1962 by the Most Reverend Léo Blais in Montréal, Québec. He subsequently completed two additional academic degrees obtaining a Bachelor of Education in Pedagogical Studies from the University of Montréal in 1963 and a Licenciate in Theology from the University of Fribourg in Fribourg, Switzerland in 1964.

Bishop Berthelet devoted the early years of his ministry to education as a professor of theology at the Scolasticat Saint-Charles de Joliette (1967-1968) and the Faculty of Theology at the University of Montréal (1968-1972). He then became the Formation Director and Novice Master for the Clerics of St. Viator (1971-1972) before he moved to Rome to assume the role of Vicar General for his religious community (1972-1978). He returned to Montréal in 1978 when he was appointed Provincial Superior of the Clerics of St. Viator, a role he held until 1984. Concurrently with his role as Provincial Superior, he also served as the Vice President of the Canadian Religious Conference-Québec Region from 1982-1984.

From 1984 to 1987, Bishop Berthelet served as Superior General of the Clerics of St. Viator. He was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil on 19 December 1986 and ordained Bishop at the Saint-Jean-L’Évangéliste Cathedral in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec on 27 March 1987 by Bishop Bernard Hubert. On 27 December 1996, he was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil and installed on 25 January 1997.

During his tenure as Auxiliary and then Bishop for the Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Bishop Berthelet was actively involved with the Assembly of Québec Bishops becoming a member of the Theology and Education Committees (1987-1993), the Ministry Committee (1993-1998), the Executive Committee (1994-1998), and the Planning Committee (2002-2008). He likewise served as a member of the Interfaith and Intercultural Relations Committee.

As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Bishop Berthelet served in many roles including President from 2001-2003. In addition to his term as President, he served as a member of the former Episcopal Commission for Theology on two occasions, the former Committee of Programs and Priorities (1991-1995), and later Chaired this same committee (1999 to 2001). He served as a member of the Permanent Council on three occasions: first, as a representative of the Committee of Programs and Priorities (1991-1993) with the second and third occasions as the representative of the French Sector (1997-1999 and 2006-2007 respectively). He served as the Chair of the former Episcopal Commission for Relations with Priests, Laity and Religious (1991-1995) and as a member of the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy (French Sector, 1995-1999). His role on the Executive Committee for the CCCB began as Co-Treasurer (1997-1999) then as Vice President (1999-2001) prior to his term as President of the Conference. Bishop Berthelet represented the CCCB as a delegate to two Synods: the Synod of Bishops on Consecrated Life (1994) and the Synod of Bishops for America (1997). For over 10 years, beginning in 2000, Bishop Berthelet served as a consultor to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life of the Holy See.

He will lie in state on Sunday, 3 February 2019, from 2:00 pm to 8:30 pm, at the residence of the Clerics of St. Viator Community (450, avenue Querbes, in Outremont/Montréal), and the next day, Monday, 4 February at 10:00 am, in the Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue Co-Cathedral (corner of rue Saint-Charles and chemin Chambly, in Longueuil). The funeral Mass, presided by the Most Rev. Lionel Gendron, P.S.S., Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, will follow at 1:00 pm. The remains will then be transferred to the Saint-Jean-L’Évangéliste Cathedral (215, rue Longueuil, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu) for Vespers celebration at 4:00 pm, followed by the burial in the Bishops’ crypt.