Welcome to our News Page! Here you will find news stories from the Archdiocese of Winnipeg, the Church in Canada, and beyond! We also invite you to submit your own articles to our Communication Services Office. Selected articles may be included here, as well as our Weekly News Bulletin sent to all parishes in the Archdiocese. Questions and submissions may be sent to:
communications@archwinnipeg.ca
Note: Click on the small arrow beside each news heading to expand to the entire article.
Prayers for our agricultural communityArchdiocese of Winnipeg - Archbishop Gagnon recently asked the Faithful of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg to pray for our agricultural community which has been severely affected by the summer drought. "In the last several weeks the drought situation in rural Manitoba has worsened and the agricultural industry, as well as the livestock producers, have been hit very hard. The Province of Manitoba has declared a state of agricultural emergency." Let us pray for all our brothers and sisters. Click here for the full memo of July 22, 2021, from Archbishop Gagnon.
Changes at the Catholic Centre
Mrs. Jane Coyne
Archdiocese of Winnipeg - Mrs. Jane Coyne will be retiring as Director of the Tribunal effective August 14, 2021. We are grateful to Jane for her service to the Archdiocese from 1995-1999 and from 2001-2021. Prior to serving as Director of the Tribunal, Jane served as Administrative Assistant to the Archbishop and before that as Assistant to the Financial Administrator. We wish Jane well in her retirement.
Effective August 3, 2021, Mrs. Janet Brunger will become the Administrative Coordinator of the Marriage Tribunal. Janet has been serving as the Senior Finance Assistant.
The Marriage Tribunal will be closed from July 1, 2021 – August 17, 2021.
Personnel Appointments
Archdiocese of Winnipeg - Please note the following personnel appointments in the Archdiocese of Winnipeg: Reverend Kaleab Eman Abdella becomes Parochial Vicar of S.t Edward the Confessor Parish in Winnipeg. Abdella will continue his ministry as Priest-Chaplain of Holy Saviour Ge’ez Rite Catholic Community. Reverend Alate Komi Seho (Abel) becomes Parochial Administrator of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Elie, St. François Xavier Parish in St. François Xavier and St. Eustache Parish in St. Eustache. The appointments are effective August 2, 2021. Read Archbishop Gagnon's memo of June 22, 2021, here.
Anniversaries of Ordination to the Ministerial Priesthood within the YearArchdiocese of Winnipeg - Let us give praise and thanks to God for the gift of the ministerial priesthood! May these men continue to be blessed with good health and faithfulness to the Lord and the mission of His Church.
Diamond Jubilees (1961-2021)
Reverend Mariano Batucan
Reverend Sean Cahill
Golden Jubilee (1971-2021)
Reverend Terance McGrath
Ruby Jubilee (1981-2021)
Reverend Yolando Gamallo
Silver Jubilees (1996-2021)
Reverend Jose Cabral
Reverend Gerald Langevin
Reverend Michael Wollbaum
Reverend Darius Biliran
Reverend Norberto Monton
Notice of a temporary pausing of our Friday ReportsArchdiocese of Winnipeg - Friends in Christ, I am very grateful for your faithful participation in our Friday Reports and for the many guests who have joined us as well. I wish also to express my appreciation to Christian Martinez and his little team at our Office of Communication Services for the regular delivery of these weekly encounters between your Archbishop and the People of God in the Archdiocese of Winnipeg.
The time has now come to take a little break for the summer as we did last year. I’m hoping to resume these Friday Reports in September, the Friday following Labour Day.
Communications from the Archdiocese will continue through our website and the other means available through our Office of Communication Services. Please continue to stay connected for the latest news on COVID-19 and other important news affecting the Archdiocese of Winnipeg.
I pray that you will all have a safe and enjoyable summer!
Archbishop Richard Gagnon
July 23, 2021: The Archbishop's Friday ReportArchdiocese of Winnipeg -
Through this week’s edition of the Friday Report, Archbishop Gagnon speaks about updates to the COVID-19 restrictions.
He also answers questions regarding: the Pope’s motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes (1:47), and updates on the Archdiocese’s efforts on reconciliation (5:35).
Resources:
St. Benedict's Monastery looking for new home for booksSt. Benedict's Monastery - St. Benedict's Monastery is "downsizing" its library and is looking for a new home for its books. Some titles include Joan Chittister's, Thomas Merton's, and many other classics. If your parish is interested in receiving some of the books, please contact Sr. Mary Coswin, OSB, at (204) 338-4601 or send an email through the website: stbens.ca/contact.
Beautiful website remembering St. Benedict's Monastery and Centre now online
"Pope serious about reconciliation, will listen to Indigenous peoples: archbishop"Winnipeg Free Press - "'The Pope is a world leader (and) most heads of state get 15 minutes with him,' he said. The amount of time he will spend with the delegations is a sign of 'how important this is to him,' said the archbishop, who countered reports the Pope isn’t interested in reconciliation with Indigenous groups. They've been calling for a papal apology after unmarked burial sites were found near former residential schools, including two in B.C., and one in southeastern Saskatchewan. The Catholic church was involved in running many of the schools, which were put in place by the federal government." Click here for the full Winnipeg Free Press article by John Longhurst.
Winnipeg Free Press faith coverage project In the Community - Since 2019, the Archdiocese of Winnipeg has been part of a project to increase local religion coverage by the Winnipeg Free Press. We supported it because we believed it was important to balance the paper’s coverage of faith, to see more positive stories about religion published, to promote interfaith understanding, and to help reduce hate by putting a human face on people from various religions in Winnipeg.
Since that time over 475 faith articles have been published—about 18 a month—right across the faith spectrum and throughout the newspaper. (In every section and every day of the week.)
Today the project is supported by 19 faith groups. Now we want to broaden the support base by inviting individuals to become supporters as well. We are doing this through a Crowdfunder, and we would like to invite you to consider making a contribution of any amount.
As for the project itself, it is the only one of its kind in North America, and the Free Press is a leader in Canada in reporting about faith. At the Archdiocese we are glad to be part of this ground-breaking effort to show the positive impact of faith in our community. This includes many stories about the Catholic faith.
Will you become a contributor? To make a contribution, go to:
https://fpnewsplatform.winnipegfreepress.com/pages/support-faith.
Mass at the Conclusion of the Novena to St. Joseph
Archdiocese of Winnipeg - Thank you for joining us in praying the "summer" Novena to St. Joseph. Archbishop Richard Gagnon celebrated the Eucharist at St. Joseph's Parish in Winnipeg as a culmination of our nine-day prayer. At the conclusion of Mass, together with many bishops across Canada, Archbishop Gagnon leads us in an Act of Entrustment to Saint Joseph, commending our local church and country to his guardianship and protection.
We wish to thank the entire St. Joseph's Parish community for their hospitality, as well as all involved in preparing for the celebration.
CNEWA Canada receives over $1 million in donations for Lebanon and relaunches appeal for help and prayer
CNEWA’s partners in Beirut provide much-needed support – from food, medical services and reconstruction to helping children and persons with disabilities. (Photo: CNEWA)
Ottawa - Catholic Near East Welfare Association, a papal agency based in Ottawa, has launched its second national campaign to harness the caring hearts of Canadians in support of the Lebanese. Working within its growing network of supporters, the international charitable organization invites Canadians to continue to show their solidarity for a suffering Lebanese population through prayer and, when and where possible, donations. CNEWA hopes to raise an additional $500,000. Since the explosion that destroyed part of Beirut on August 4, 2020, CNEWA has provided more than $6 million in assistance, $1 million from Canada alone.
“I cannot thank Canadians enough for their generosity to CNEWA but especially to our common cause of bringing emergency help, and hope, to Lebanon," says Carl Hétu, national director for CNEWA Canada. "As the crisis intensifies, with its deepening suffering, fear and instability, I invite all Canadians to continue their support in whatever way they can. It's truly amazing to see the extent to which Canadians are caring and interested in extending their support. We are making an impact.”
Regional conflicts, political instability, the COVID-19 pandemic and the destruction from last year’s port explosion has worsened the country’s already high rate of inflation and caused rampant shortages in essentials including food, electricity and medications. The World Bank, in its June 1 Economic Monitor Report, stated that Lebanon is facing one of the world’s worst crises since the mid-nineteenth century.
“We are hanging by a thread,” says Michel Constantin, director for CNEWA’s Lebanon office and a resident of Beirut. “We’re at our weakest in recent memory – but it’s in our hour of greatest need that we see the help of people around the world who are united with us through prayer and sharing of resources. I cannot thank Canadians enough for their unwavering support.”
In Lebanon since 1949, CNEWA works in partnership with 14 church and church-related institutions with the priority to ensure that Christians continue their mission of witness, service and prayer in Lebanon. Part of that mission is helping all persons in the country through humanitarian outreach. Over the past year, CNEWA’s partners have contributed to food box programs to families, medical services, reconstruction and helping elderly, children and persons with disabilities.
Launched this week, the CNEWA Canada campaign harnesses most of the organization’s resources including social media, website, advertisements and personal and general appeals to its generous donor base. Funds raised will be directed to the CNEWA office in Beirut which, in turn, will distribute funds to local churches that offer essential health and emergency services and pastoral outreach.
Donations can be made online at cnewa.ca, selecting ‘Lebanon’ as the recipient region for the gift, or by phone at 1-866-322-4441. Cheques can be mailed to CNEWA Canada at 223 Main Street, Ottawa, ON K1S 1C4, marked “Lebanon”. Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $10 or more.
Learn more by reading CNEWA’s Lebanon activity report at cnewa.ca.
CNEWA has also partnered with Salt + Light Media to produce a 30-min TV special featuring interviews from people in Beirut and the work of CNEWA-supported organizations. The program will air Tuesday, August 4 at 8 pm on Salt + Light TV. See trailer here.
About CNEWA
An agency of the Holy See, CNEWA works for, through and with the Eastern churches throughout the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe. Founded by Pope Pius XI in 1926, CNEWA provides pastoral and humanitarian support to the churches and people of the East. CNEWA Canada was incorporated as a registered charity by Canada Revenue Agency in 2003.
For more information, interviews or photos:
Tia Giannone Mary Moniz
Torchia Communications Torchia Communications
(514) 999-1732 (647) 278-0152
CCCB Statement - Date of the Delegation to the Holy SeeOttawa - Following the 10 June 2021 announcement regarding the delegation of Indigenous people to meet with the Holy Father to foster meaningful encounters of dialogue and healing, the Catholic Bishops of Canada are pleased to announce that the delegation is scheduled to take place from 17‑20 December 2021 in compliance with global travel restrictions. Click here for the rest of the CCCB Statement.