Annual Bishops’ Collection To Be Held September 29, 2002

Thursday, September 05 2002

The Bishops’ Collection for the Needs of the Church in Canada will be held on Sunday, September 29, 2002. All parishes across the country have received a pamphlet explaining the Collection. The Communication Service of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), which prepares the material for the the collection campaign, is making the information in the pamphlet available online so that parishes can use the material in their church bulletins.

How to use this leaflet

This leaflet has been designed to allow the easy reproduction of the texts it contains. The interior portion has been produced in black and white in an 8 ½ x 14 inch format to allow photocopying for distribution to parishioners during Masses on September 29. The items on the different activities of the CCCB are short and can be used in bulletins, either individually or in pairs during the month of September. Each item could be used with the CCCB logo and entitled Collection for the Needs of the Church in Canada – September 29. All texts in this leaflet and the CCCB logo can be found on the CCCB website in electronic version at www.cccb.ca.

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Message for the Collection for the Needs of the Church in Canada 2002

Dear friends,

The year 2002 has been one of the most remarkable in the history of the Catholic Church in Canada. The visit of the Holy Father for World Youth Day in Toronto this July and the large gathering of young people from every corner of the globe who came together provided a unique experience in our encounter with Jesus Christ. The Church in Canada has truly experienced what it means to be to in deep communion with Christ through the Word of God. For at the heart of this event was the Word of God — “You are the light of the world” (Mt. 5, 14), for which is how we are continually in touch with the eternal youthfulness of Christ’s message.

The Third Continental Congress on Vocations, held in Montreal in April 2002, was also an intense time of reflection and collaboration for various groups in the North American Church. It too provided new light on the beauty and importance of the commitment to the ordained ministry and consecrated life.

The vision and projects and dreams that resulted in World Youth Day and the Vocations Congress summon the Church and all Christian communities to commit themselves continually in new ways and always to be open to youth. These are among the challenges that invite your support for the Collection for the Needs of the Church in Canada to be held September 29, 2002, in most parishes of our country. The monies received will help to finance the activities of the, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB).

Over the last few years, the Bishops of Canada, with the support of CCCB staff, have intervened with government on many issues, including support for the protection of the human embryo, and questions about the role of Canada in the debate on the effects of globalization on our world. The Bishops of Canada have been working with Aboriginal communities to promote reconciliation and healing; encouraging and participating in ecumenical and interfaith dialogue; promoting Christian education and catechesis; and helping to develop liturgical resources for dioceses and parishes across the country.

In the name of my brother Bishops, I thank you for your generosity, which is a sign of our common mission and of your support for our ministry.

+Jacques Berthelet, C.S.V.
Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil
President, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

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What is the CCCB?

The CCCB is the assembly of the Bishops of Canada; it was founded in 1943 and officially recognized by the Holy See in 1948. Since the Second Vatican Council, it became part of a worldwide network of episcopal conferences established in 1965 as an integral part of the life of the universal Church.

The Conference is not the “head office” of the Catholic Church in Canada but provides ways for assisting the Canadian Bishops in their many pastoral responsibilities. The CCCB supports the Bishops in their work by providing resource persons and specialists in different areas such as ecumenism, theology, liturgy, social affairs, Christian education and communications. The CCCB involves itself in matters of national and international scope and provides the bishops a forum where they can share their experience and insight on the life of the Church and the major events that shape our society.

The CCCB is made up of 139 bishops from 71 dioceses, including eight from the Eastern Churches and a military ordinariate.

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The CCCB and its Activities

This past July, hundreds of thousands of young people from Canada, and from around the world, gathered in dioceses across Canada and in Toronto to celebrate World Youth Day (WYD). Canadian media were filled with reports on what is the most important pastoral project ever undertaken by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). In spite of the immense task of organizing for such an event, the Bishops of Canada are proud to have hosted this large gathering of Catholic youth from the four corners of the globe. Canada’s bishops hope that the enthusiasm and joy of the WYD participants will continue to stimulate and renew the entire Church in Canada.

The visit of the relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux to Canada was an outstanding success. More than 1.5 million people took time to pray and reflect in the presence of the relics of the “Little Flower” as they made their way across the country. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) sponsored the visit that took place in 49 dioceses.

Interest in a new look for vocations was especially high this past April when close to 1200 vocations leaders from across North America took part in the Third Continental Congress on Vocations which was held in Montreal. The Congress was jointly organized by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and its American counterpart at the request of the Holy Father. The delegates included more than 125 young people who came to share their vision and experience of consecrated life and ordained ministry and to pledge their commitment to become future workers in the harvest.

One of the international activities the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) was involved in this time last year was the Synod of Bishops held at the Vatican. A delegation of five Canadian bishops took part in the Synod which was examining the ministry of the bishop in the new millennium. The delegates from Canada in their final statement declared: “We have brought our dreams, our ideas, our views to advise the Holy Father, and thereby bring the Church to a better position for serving the People of God in the reality of their daily lives.”

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has a special relationship with episcopal conferences around the world. Last February, representatives of the episcopal conferences of Canada, the United States and Latin America met for the Third Meeting of the Bishops of the Church in America. The bishops examined the question of globalization and how to humanize the global economy. With this theme in mind, the CCCB published a pamphlet entitled Trading Away the Future that discusses how free trade can limit the power of governments to provide environmental protection by allowing private companies to sue sovereign states for perceived profit losses.

With its concern for the less fortunate in the world, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) issued a statement entitled That We All Might Have Life, in Abundance on the occasion of the G-8 Summit meeting this past June in Kananaskis, Alberta. The CCCB statement called on world leaders to keep in mind the plight of the poorer nations, especially those in Africa.

Development and Peace, created by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) 35 years ago, continues with its work of solidarity in Third World countries. It has participated in 12,600 development projects since being founded in 1967. As well, the CCCB has participated in a number of ecumenical coalitions for social justice dedicated to sharing the world’s wealth, and to promoting mutual assistance, justice and disarmament. In addition, the CCCB over the past year has granted more than $250,000 for various pastoral projects in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

In 1995, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) became the first episcopal conference to establish a presence of the World Wide Web. Since then, close to two million people worldwide have visited the internet site for information on the CCCB, the Catholic Church in Canada and various projects of the Bishops of Canada. Those interested in receiving the latest news from the CCCB may subscribe online to a free distribution service by sending an e-mail to cecc@cccb.ca.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) follows closely the changes and trends that affect society and the technological advances that impact on the lives of people. In 2002, the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) – which promotes respect for human life and dignity and the essential role of the family – invited ethicists, scientists and theologians to discuss the issues raised by biotechnology. More information on this meeting and other related issues is available on the COLF website at http://colf.cccb.ca. COLF is a joint project of the CCCB and the Knights of Columbus.

CCCB Publications, the publishing arm of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), publishes and distributes resources for Christian education and liturgy, including lectionaries, the Roman Missal and hymn books. Most of the religion text books used in Catholic schools in English-speaking Canada are produced by CCCB Publications.

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E-vangelization

In 1995, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) became the first episcopal conference in the world to link up to the Internet. Since then, close to two million visitors have clicked on www.cccb.ca to obtain the most recent information from the CCCB, to learn more about the Catholic Church in Canada, and to become better acquainted with the work of the Bishops of Canada.

An e-mail distribution service is available free of charge on the Internet for those wanting to be kept up-to-date on CCCB activities. To subscribe, send an E-mail to cecc@cccb.ca.