Easter D. Contents include: I. From the Desk of the Archbishop

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1 Easter April 2018 Vol.25 Contents include: I. From the Desk of the Archbishop II. Our Journey of Transformation III. Our Church IV. Our People, Our Parishes V. Our Faith: Quo Vadis and The Word VI. Youth, Young Adult and Family Life I. From the Desk of the Archbishop Easter D ear Friends, I take this opportunity to share with you a few personal reflections on what Easter and the Resurrection of Christ means this year to me. The journey of Lent has brought you and me once again to stand before the profound reality of the paschal mystery and to ponder the significance of the amazing and unexpected triumph of Christ s Resurrection. I am always struck by the experience that Christ s Resurrection explodes the ordinary and proposes the extraordinary by opening the door beyond death to eternal life with God. This, of course, is the heart of the good news, that there is more to life than death.

2 Now that we have come to the moment of celebrating this joyful news liturgically, my prayer and hope is that each of us has also undergone a renewed personal experience of discipleship through our Lenten spiritual exercises, which entail a transformation of mind and heart. Having followed the Lord closely on His mission and witnessed His public ministry, I hope the process has led us to a more intimate relationship with Christ and raised in us a deeper desire to share our faith with others. I know that by re-living the events and experiences of Christ s journey to Jerusalem, I have been challenged by the cost of discipleship and the necessity to say yes or no the cross in my life. I suspect that this is also true for you. In fact, for all of us the grace of conversion, which Christ s passion and death demands, inevitably calls us to a confrontation of our humanity, with all its vulnerabilities and the invitation to let go all that is the source of non-life in our daily experience. Following Christ all the way to the cross can leave us standing there paralyzed by fear or doubt, or it can be a moment of newfound spiritual freedom that allows us to say with Christ: Into your hands I commend my spirit. By sharing the grace of compassion with Christ as we hear and pray at Mass, through Him, with Him and in Him we can also rise again with Him. The celebration of Easter with all its customs and traditions is not only the celebration of Christ s Resurrection. I believe it is also the experience of our own resurrection and hope for new life possibilities. Easter reminds us that Christ came that we might have abundant life. The mission of sharing the love of God with humanity is the gift offered to us by the Resurrection of Christ. When this gift is accepted, it is experienced as a real personal spiritual transformation that impacts our daily struggles and triumphs to attain the love of God. Page 2

3 May this Easter be for all of us an experience of new life lived fully. Christ is Risen! Alleluia, Alleluia! May we all respond He is Risen indeed, Alleluia, Alleluia! because you and I have seen and experienced Christ risen in each other. De Pâques Happy Easter! Anthony Mancini Archbishop of Halifax-Yarmouth C hers amis/chères amies, Je veux saisir l occasion de partager avec vous quelques réflexions personnelles sur ce que Pâques et la résurrection du Christ signifie pour moi cette année. Le parcours du carême m a apporté comme à vous, encore une fois, de nous tenir debout et fiers devant la réalité profonde du mystère pascal et de méditer sur la signification du triomphe exceptionnel et inattendu de la résurrection du Christ. Je suis toujours frappé que l expérience de la résurrection du Christ fasse éclater l ordinaire et propose l extraordinaire en ouvrant une porte au-delà de la mort vers la vie éternelle en compagnie de Dieu. Ceci, bien sûr, est le cœur de la Bonne Nouvelle : le fait qu il y ait plus à la vie que l apparence d une mort soudaine. Au moment où, liturgiquement, nous sommes arrivés à la célébration de cette très joyeuse nouvelle, ma prière et mon espérance est que chacun de nous ait entrepris également une expérience personnelle renouvelée d être des disciples par les exercices spirituels du carême, ce qui devrait donner suite à une transformation de l esprit et du cœur. Après avoir suivi de près le Seigneur dans sa mission et après avoir été témoins de son ministère public, j espère que ce processus nous a conduits vers une relation plus intime avec le Christ et a fait naître un plus profond désir de partager notre foi avec les autres. Je sais qu en revivant les événements et les expériences de la montée du Christ à Jérusalem j ai réalisé le coût associé au fait d être un disciple et la nécessité de dire oui ou non à la croix dans ma vie. Je suis convaincu que cela a dû être également vrai pour vous. En fait, pour chacun de nous, la grâce de la conversion, que la passion et la résurrection du Christ réclame, nous appelle inévitablement à une confrontation avec notre humanité et avec toutes ses vulnérabilités, ainsi que l invitation de lâcher prise de tout ce qui est source de Page 3

4 mollesse et d apathie dans notre expérience quotidienne. Suivre le Christ tout le long du chemin jusqu à la croix peut nous laisser là, debout et paralysé par la crainte ou le doute, ou encore ce peut être un moment de liberté spirituelle nouvellement retrouvée qui nous permet de dire avec le Christ : en tes mains, je remets mon esprit. En partageant la grâce de la compassion, au moment où nous entendons ou prions à la messe Par lui, avec lui et en lui, nous pouvons également ressusciter avec Lui. La célébration de Pâques, avec toutes ses coutumes et traditions, n est pas seulement la célébration de la résurrection du Christ. Je crois que c est également l expérience de notre propre résurrection et de notre espoir pour obtenir de nouvelles possibilités de vie. Pâques nous rappelle que le Christ est venu pour que nous ayons la vie en abondance. La mission de partager la vie de Dieu avec l humanité est le don qui nous est offert par la résurrection du Christ. Quand ce don est reçu ou accueilli, il est expérimenté comme une réelle transformation personnelle et spirituelle qui produit un effet marquant dans nos batailles et nos triomphes quotidiens pour obtenir l amour de Dieu. Que la fête de Pâques soit pour chacun de nous une expérience de nouvelle vie vécue au maximum. Christ est ressuscité! alléluia, alléluia! Répondons tous ensemble : Il est en effet ressuscité, alléluia, alléluia! parce que vous et moi avons vu et fait l expérience du Christ ressuscité en chacun de nous. Joyeuses Pâques! Anthony Mancini Archevêque d Halifax-Yarmouth Page 4

5 II. Our Journey of Transformation Discernment in Depth A Clear Process for Discipleship A s we journey through the 2018 Lenten Series on becoming communities of missionary disciples, it is important to focus not only on structure but also on the key changes in pastoral activity required to bring about renewal of our parishes. In Joy of the Gospel Pope Francis warns that new structures will prove ineffective without new life and an authentic evangelical spirit. 1 Our 2017 Discernment Surveys (collected from nearly 6,000 Catholics across the diocese) were designed to uncover what we can do to foster this new life and evangelical spirit in our parishes. To this end, we looked at the drivers of positive results across all questions in our survey the key activities or factors that influence all other responses. These key areas are: 1. Our parish has a clear process for helping new people to grow in discipleship 2. Our parish provides an active, dynamic experience of the liturgy 3. Our parish welcomes and supports married couples and families 4. Our parish is open to new people and ideas 5. Our key parish leaders, both lay and clergy, are held to high standards of transparency and accountability Seeing a clear process for discipleship as the number one result is encouraging. After all, making disciples is the main thrust of the Great Commission to the first Apostles: Go, make disciples (Mat. 28). Only after this directive of making disciples is accomplished can we carry out the other parts of this mandate: to baptize, and to teach. Sometimes in our parishes we do this backward: we baptize and teach, but forget to make disciples. Yet it seems the vitality of our parishes, and our very existence as a Church, is dependent on making disciples. Disciples are those who sit at the feet of the Master; in short, they are followers of Jesus. What does making disciples look like? Page 5

6 THE GREAT COMMISSION The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. Mat 28:16-20 The Great Commission passage itself gives a basis for a process of discipleship : go, baptize, and teach. Going implies leaving our churches and going into our homes, workplaces, and communities to bring the message of Jesus and encourage others to follow Him. This is what it means to be missionary. This mission is accomplished through living a life that reflects the Gospel, sharing our faith, and inviting others to join us in following Christ. Baptizing, at its heart, is about conversion entering into the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and becoming members of His church and sharers in her mission 2. Finally, to teach is to increase understanding of the truths of faith and growth in the Christian life so we can have the tools we need to share faith with others. The goal of teaching is to share the Good News! In fact, St. John Paul II said that evangelization sharing the message of Jesus with others is the surest sign of a mature Christian faith. Thus, the process of discipleship is the path we follow in order to come to know Christ, grow in our appreciation for His message, and become sharers in that message ourselves. From Menu to Map In many places this sense of movement along a path is not present. Instead, we tend to look at parish life as a menu of programs and services that sometimes appear to be disconnected from one another. In other dioceses (not ours of course) various parish ministries and activities can even appear to be in competition with each other! Thus, we can be busy doing many things but not actually making disciples. Having a clear process of discipleship requires knowing Page 6

7 the steps along the path it needs a map, not a menu. The mission, making disciples, must be the reference point for all our activities. This involves asking ourselves, How does this activity help someone become a disciple? Inserting this thinking into our parish culture is part of what Pope Francis means when he says that we need to realize that that missionary outreach is paradigmatic for all the Church s activity. 3 A Way In The first point on our map is a way in: How would somebody who doesn t currently attend our church get started? For many of us, consciously or unconsciously, the answer to this question is Sunday Mass they should just come to church! This works to an extent. After all, there are a large number of baptized Catholics who do not fully participate in the life of the Church. Thus, they are eligible to attend Mass but choose not to, or they attend but are not active disciples. For many of these Catholics, who are already familiar with our liturgies, a return to Mass or renewed experience of it might be the perfect way to enter a process of discipleship. This is one of the reasons why a dynamic experience of the liturgy is number two on our list of important activities. However, in our increasingly post- Christian culture there are a growing number of people for whom the liturgy is not an ideal starting point because they did not grow up in the Church, and may not even be baptized. Without a proper introduction or welcome, attendance at Mass may prove too confusing or foreign for them, and may lack the desired effect. This cultural shift means finding other entry points that lead people to encounter Christ in our communities. These may be focused evangelizing activities designed for the curious, such as Alpha, ChristLife, Discovery, or another first step ministry. Entry points could also be service ministries, like being involved in the local food bank, taking the lead on community refugee sponsorship, supporting single mothers centres, etc. Activities like these allow disciples to interact with the community and also form a positive initial relationship with our churches. Since there are no one size-fits-all solutions, a good pathway will include multiple ways in for people. A Way Forward At some point those who have a positive experience of our community will need to take the next steps required to become a follower of Jesus. This may include preparation for formal entry into the Church, such as the RCIA, but will also include ongoing faith formation, lifegiving community, and a grace-filled sacramental life. Undoubtedly people will grow in faith slower or faster during different seasons of their lives, but the next step should always be readily apparent. Some aspects of this ongoing growth in discipleship should include an experience of small community, pastoral care, identifying and using spiritual gifts, a call to leadership, participation in the sacraments, life in the Spirit. It s also important to foster growth in the disciplines of Christian living such as daily prayer, familiarity with the word of God, the moral life, and traditions of the Church. This process must also include training in the skills needed to advance the mission of the Church to make disciples. A discipleship process that leads to a closed in group of well formed Catholics who do not share the faith with others will soon find itself with no new people coming in at all! This does not mean every parish needs to introduce a new program to Page 7

8 meet each of these needs, but they must be integrated into our thinking when making decisions. A Way Out At some point, preferably early and often, our disciples must be turned into Apostles those who are sent! Therefore, our discipleship process must include the opportunities to serve others and share faith. In fact, the intersection of our authentic activities of service with the world is an excellent opportunity to build a bridge of trust with those outside or walls. Living out the go part of the Great Commission is not always easy, and requires the support of a community of faith. This stage of the discipleship process requires encouragement, mentoring, accompaniment, discernment, and an opportunity for reflection. At this point we should always be fostering the attitudes of an evangelist, described by Pope Francis as attitudes which foster openness to the message: approachability, readiness for dialogue, patience, a warmth and welcome which is non-judgmental. 4 A Church That Goes Forth In Joy of the Gospel Pope Francis reminds us that evangelization takes place in obedience to the missionary mandate of Jesus: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing 1Joy of the Gospel 25 2 Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission Catechism of the Catholic Church 1213 Page 8 them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Mt 28:19-20). 5 He reminds us that this call is to Christ s followers in every time and place. Therefore, our process for discipleship assumes that we are a Church that goes forth to bring Christ to the world in word and deed. This command from Christ is central to the life and vitality of our communities. Not only do our surveys suggest this to be true, but Saint John Paul II, quoting Blessed Paul VI, bluntly stated that in the Church's history, missionary drive has always been a sign of vitality, just as its lessening is a sign of a crisis of faith. 6 So, the challenge of becoming communities of missionary disciples is to rediscover the vitality that comes from making disciples. Only this discovery can truly renew our local Church as we work to reorganize our diocese to be more effective in our mission. Joy of the Gospel 15 Joy of the Gospel 165 5Joy of the Gospel 19 6Mission of the Redeemer 3 4

9 III. Our Church Called to be Church By Dinah Simmons But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 I magine you're with a group of people and each one is given a wooden block from a set of building blocks. Then each of you is told to build something. What can you build with just one block? Not much of anything, of course. But if you put all of your blocks together, it's a different story. And so it is with the Church, the People of God. Each one of us has individual gifts and talents. We are asked to join together, to become something more: to build up the Body of Christ. The period of Mystagogy, the post-baptismal formation period for those who celebrated Easter sacraments, is an invitation to the newlyinitiated to join their individual building blocks with ours, to truly build up the Church. The fifty-day celebration of Easter will draw to a close with the Feast of Pentecost, which we celebrate as the birthday of the Church. Before Pentecost, Jesus disciples were a frightened, uncertain group of people. They were in hiding. When the Holy Spirit descended on them on the day of Pentecost, that changed. They were able to go out and proclaim Jesus message throughout the world. They were able to live differently. They formed a community of love, and invited others in. All they did they did in the strength of the Spirit, under the guidance of the Spirit. And so the Church was started. And so the Church has grown, as more and more of us have experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and shared that experience with others. In many ways, this is a gift the Church receives from newcomers. Those who have been baptized and/or confirmed at the Easter Vigil renew us with the freshness and newness of their anointing in the Spirit. And we grow together in the life of the Spirit. We build up the Church. Jesus tells us that He came to give us abundant life. He came to draw us into the community of love that is the Holy Trinity. He lived, died, and rose again to bring all people into one family. At the Last Supper He prayed that all would be one, as He and the Father are one. We have His promise that He is there with us when two or three are gathered in His name. When Paul was persecuting the early Church, Page 9

10 Jesus appeared to him in a vision and asked: why are you persecuting me? Paul became so strongly aware of the identification between Jesus and the Church that he called the Church the Body of Christ. According to St. Teresa: Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which Christ looks with compassion on the world; yours are the feet through which he is to go about doing good; yours are the hands with which he is to bless people now. Christ s presence in the world continues through the Church. And the Church lives and grows as more and more people are filled with the Spirit and bring new life and richness to the Christian community. Those who have come into the Church at Easter are welcomed into the fullness of life in the Spirit. And as the Church welcomes them, both the community and the newcomers are enriched. Our wooden building blocks project can represent the Church. It has been said that Jesus died an individual and rose a community. That community is the Church. We can speak of the Trinity as a community of love, as a relationship of love between the Father, Son and Spirit. The Trinitarian image of God is of relationship, of community: the same with the Church. We are united with one another and with God. Since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s we ve tended to think of the Church in that way as the people of God. Before that, we often focused on the Church as an institution. If we wanted to use our blocks to represent that institutional model, we d say there s a certain structure, everything belongs in a certain place, and everybody has prescribed roles. There are those on the top and those on the bottom, and there are certain rules to be followed. We might say the blocks represent the shell of the Church, and we are enclosed within. But we could also look at the blocks as representing the Church as the people of God a community of people joined together and supporting one another. We bring our uniqueness, our gifts, and join them together with those of others. We re all part of the Church; we are the building blocks: living stones, as St. Peter says. St. Paul calls the Church the Body of Christ, and says that we are all members of that Body. We make up the parts of the body, and all the parts are equally important. We can t all be eyes, or all be hands, or the body won t function. But all parts are important, and all the parts are connected to make an organic whole. And so we welcome and delight in the gifts of the newcomers to our community. We know we need them to make us whole. We need the increased vitality they bring us. We enrich one another. To become a Christian is to join a movement, not a club. That's what we are Page 10

11 welcoming people into: not a cozy little club, just for us... We re a movement that's for the sake of the world. The Church is a movement for transforming the world, for bringing the kingdom of God. That s Jesus dream and goal. The Kingdom of God is about justice, peace, joy in the Holy Spirit. So our mission is increasing justice, peace, joy. We re called to be people of justice, peace, joy. The Second Vatican Council said that the Church is the universal sacrament of salvation. And a sacrament is a sign that causes what it signifies. So the Church is a sign of the living God, a sign of God's peace, justice, joy. And it is a sign that actually causes peace, justice, joy. And it is a universal sacrament not just for itself, but for the whole world. That's what we are called to as Church. According to Fr. Richard Rohr, most people would say we live in the world and we go to church, but we should say we live in the church and we go to the world. It is in the Church, from the Church that we draw our life, our strength, our mission, and from there we go out to the world. The word church ekklesia means an assembly of people called forth: so we are gathered together, but for a purpose. The most important words of the Mass come at the end, when we are told Go: bring peace to the world, bring the kingdom. It s actually from the words at the end of Mass that we get the word Mass the Latin Ite, missa est, which means literally go, it is sent, and became translated as The Mass is ended. Go in peace. We join together as the Body of Christ, sharing in and being nourished by the Body of Christ, in order to bring Christ into the world. So if we go back to our wooden building blocks: the Church is not about me and God my individual block doesn t build very much. The Church is a group of people united together for a purpose, supporting and strengthening one another, challenging and teaching one another. All the blocks are connected; all the blocks are important. The focus of the Mass is the Eucharist, but it s not an end in itself. It s the source of our strength and identity, it unites us together, and it leads us forth, with a mission. So to all our newcomers: welcome! We are glad to have you join us in being nourished and nurtured. And we are glad to have you join us in being missioned and sent forth! Dinah Simmons Dinah is the Director of Sacramental Preparation and Liturgy at Saint Benedict Parish in Halifax. Walking with individuals who take part in the RCIA journey, as well as the formation of RCIA teams, has been joyful part of her ministry for many years. Page 11

12 IV. Our People, Our Parishes I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU VISITED ME By Deacon Brian Smith I n 1998 at 1:30 am, as a volunteer, I was waiting in a nursing home in Eastern Passage, as I had called a priest to come and offer the Anointing of the Sick for a resident. Upon completion, when he was leaving, the priest remarked to me, What a wonderful ministry you have, with your patience, your listening, your passion and your presence. You know, we should talk about the Diaconate. My thought at the time: Poor Father must be very tired, and what does he mean by ministry? I m just here doing what should be done. Now, let s move ahead to September 1998 when I found myself participating in the Koinonia program, an Archdiocesan program of adult faith formation, with my journey to the Diaconate well on its way. The first deacon that I became acquainted with was Deacon Chris Coffin, then the Director of Deacons for the Archdiocese. He asked if I fully understood what I was getting myself into. He informed me that it would be a long, lonely and, at times, difficult journey. He then prayed for me and with me. Chris was the Chaplain at the Halifax Correctional Centre in Lower Sackville, NS at that time, and he later moved on to the Burnside Correctional Centre, which included teaching prison chaplaincy. At one point, every Chaplain in the Atlantic Region was trained by Chris. I was very fortunate to complete two Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) units in Prison Ministry under his tutelage. As well, in the year before I was ordained in 2004, I spent the entire time with him as my mentor in both Church and Prison Ministry. Page 12

13 To be a prison chaplain, one must realize that you are not there just to conduct religious services and minister solely with your own faith group. You are there for everyone. Chaplaincy services complement and support correctional goals, as chaplains offer a unique presence within the institution. We embody religious and spiritual possibilities as part of a holistic approach to supporting offenders to become law abiding, contributing members of their community. Our work also ensures inmates are supported in observing the faith tradition they follow or in exploring religious practices of interest. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states that Freedom of Religion and Conscience is a protected right, even in prison. It is our role to ensure that religious and spiritual needs of inmates are met with integrity in the safest, most helpful way. Now, with an understanding of the basic official role of chaplaincy, let me share how I view my role as a prison chaplain. For me, prison ministry is like a bowl of salad: many different facets involved in one complete statement. It is the lofty ideal to help the helpless, to guide the misguided, to heal the wounded, to love the rejected, to embrace the despised and to be a beacon of light and kindness for those who experience life as too arduous to deal with. We are not here because we are told to be we are here to assist the persons seeking solutions in the turmoil they face. Ministry provides a lifeline; it is an anchor to steady the ship of sorrow, it provides a plus to human kind, and it contradicts the notion that people are worthless. It is not only vital, but crucial, to the spiritual health of the incarcerated who need to find softness in the harshness of the environment in which they live. If we are not there, hardness begets hardness, which is not a solution but a recipe for disaster. The gravity and relevance of ministry is in viewing the nuances of human emotion to be soft when hardness appears, to be steady when presented with chaos and to be loving when repugnance rears its ugly head. It is to be there when things are difficult, not when they are easy; it is a tough environment and it requires mental toughness and emotional and spiritual equanimity. Each day is different at the prison; you never know on any given day what it is that you will encounter. It is, however, most important that Page 13

14 encounter released men and women on the street who are now clean and working and trying to help others through AA, NA and their own experiences, I feel great! my day begins and ends with prayer, for it is Jesus who makes it all possible, and without Him there would be nothing. One of the things that occurs occasionally is that, as a chaplain, I am called upon to give a death notice to an inmate that a family member or loved one has passed. These situations must be addressed very carefully with caring and compassion. My experience is that Corrections Staff will make themselves available so that everything that can be done for the inmate is carried out in a professional and caring manner. We also experience crisis situations within the prison. As chaplains we know not to get in the way, yet to make ourselves available when called. At times we are asked to assist the Institutional Parole Officers in helping the offender develop his correctional plan, or we may be asked to meet with Health Services under certain circumstances. Chaplains in Federal institutions are not employees of Correctional Services Canada (CSC), but instead are employees of a private company that has a standing offer with Service Canada to provide chaplains across Canada. I do consider myself blessed to be a part of such a wonderful ministry and when I The high point of my prison ministry occurred on June 30, 2017, when I presided at a Roman Catholic marriage within the chapel at the Springhill Institution. The groom, a faithful practicing Catholic, and his wife-to-be, who supported him since their high school days, always kept in touch and shared love between them that remained very strong. For this event to occur, I presented the request to the Warden at Springhill and to Deacon Robert Britton, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Halifax Yarmouth. Upon receiving the authorization to proceed, the wedding service was conducted, cake and cookies were consumed and in my 14 years of being ordained, this was the most meaningful of all the weddings I have participated in. I am much obliged and grateful for the support the Springhill Institution has received from His Grace Anthony Archbishop Mancini, Archbishop of Halifax-Yarmouth. On October 23, 2017, his Grace visited with us at the Springhill Institution. The turnout for the Mass was amazing, as it was for the question and answer session afterward. This visit meant a great deal to the inmates of all traditions. A letter about the visit from the inmates to Archbishop Mancini is shared below. I ask for your continued prayers for our incarcerated brothers and sisters. Deacon Brian Smith Deacon Brian was ordained to the diaconate in August of 2004 and served in various parishes in the diocese before being becoming a prison chaplain. Page 14

15 Editor s note: The letter is printed exactly as it was received by Archbishop Mancini, though the name of the writer has been removed to protect the writer s privacy. November 22, 2017 This letter of acknowledgement of the visit of Archbishop Anthony Mancini, also known as Tony to his friends, and Chancellor Bob Britton to Springhill Institution on October 23, What a great surprise to have men of such importance in the church make time to come visit and share mass with inmates here. This is a place where hope and compassion at times can be in short supply. Prison is a very difficult place for anyone to maintain ones faith, even at the best of times. To have communion given by the Archbishop is something most of the guys will most likely not forget soon, as for most guys will not get an oppourtunity like that again. It truly reaffirms our faith in the church, in God, and that the impoverished and the prisoners are not forgotten by the Lord. That lost sheep can still be found and find a safe and blessed place before God. After the mass the Archbishop took all questions, be it religious subjects or not. All found him to be open, honest, and sincere. Numerous inmates brought to his Grace s attention that presently at this institution we do not currently have a priest to attend on a regular bias to say mass. He seemed to be interested in attempting to help us rectify this situation. On a more personal note I d like to say that the Archbishop s visit showed me that faith in God is not what we do but who we are as God s People. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but always striving to be better people who know that in the end our life s journey our souls belong to God, who gave his only begotten son for our sins, even the ones who haven t seen what God s love can do. As a little side note, I d like to thank Deacon Brian Smith, Chaplain Peter Hoar, our church, and the Diocese of Halifax and Yarmouth for helping me on June 30, 2017 facilitate the wedding of my new wife and I. It was a very glorious day for all that wouldn t have happened without the help and support of those mentioned and many more. Thank you sincerely for your visit and continued prayers. God bless! The guys residing at Springhill Page Page 15 15

16 V. Our Faith: Quo Vadis You Did it to Me By Michelynne Gomez Oh, please, stay. Don t rush. You have no idea how good this is for her. These words came from a nurse as I knelt low to the floor, my gaggle of young children squealing and boisterously sharing their thoughts excitedly with a nursing care home resident bound to her chair. I might cry. The difference between now and 5 minutes ago is night and day. You have no idea, she repeated. A couple years ago our family became friendly visitors in a local nursing care home. We were on one of our regular bi-weekly visits where we make far too much noise and play with a lot of knick-knacks and other adornments that often decorate the walls and surfaces of nursing care homes. Usually we accidently undo a half finished puzzle on an open table, and turn down numerous offers of candy and treats from overtly generous residents. This particular resident was receiving and giving hugs with my kids, sharing stories and pictures and smiling broadly ear to ear with bright eyes. She looked well to me. Reportedly this was not the case moments and days leading up to the 15 minutes we spent with her. Admittedly, visiting a nursing care home with four children who are eight and under isn t always as fulfilling and reflective as that moment was. In fact it can be downright messy and frustrating and I m often surprised we even get out the door. But on this day, as I was reminding my oldest that he didn t have to give or receive hugs from anyone if he didn t want to, it was clear that he understood the effect of his interaction with this person. Mom, he said, I like to give them hugs because I know it makes them feel they re loved, and that makes me happy. The positive effect visitors, in particular children, have on the geriatric and elderly population is well documented. Our family is happy to do our part in a small way in our community. Beyond helping someone smile, the decision to reach out in this specific way has become intentional in light of the direction our laws have taken in legalizing physician assisted death. This was not always so. Six years ago I left my job as an occupational therapist at a local nursing care home to stay at home with our growing family. The position was very busy and an 8 hour shift was never enough time to interact with residents the way I wanted. Consistently I noticed people in these facilities simply wanted my time not just for treatment, but to talk and be heard and listened to. I found myself wanting to pause the duties of my employment and spend as long as was needed with residents to support them and walk Page 16

17 with them in some meaningful way on their final leg in life, be it long or short. Six years ago, the idea that physician assisted death would be legalized anytime soon didn t seem realistic. That any of our residents could ask for assistance to end their lives seemed improbable in the near future. If anything, euthanasia was a concept far off in the future, for another generation to worry about. That legalization has come this far, this quickly, is alarming. Leaving my job in health care hasn t removed me from working with vulnerable populations or stopped me from identifying as one of them. Now I have mouths to feed and little heads and hearts to guide. My own parents are aging, my spouse and I are getting older and I myself was diagnosed with an incurable (and manageable) disease shortly after I stopped working. None of us is immune and at some point we will all find ourselves, or our loved ones, as patients. That suffering is an inescapable part of life is something people of all beliefs can agree on. The desire to assist our loved ones in alleviating that pain is an honorable endeavor, but hastening death is counterintuitive to the reactions of vulnerable individuals when they feel loved, cared for, known, safe and understood. All these are the deepest desires of the human heart. While only God can truly satisfy these desires, He certainly gives His children the responsibility and honor of assisting the vulnerable in times of need. Having dedicated and caring staff, along with companionship, love, family and friends on the journey towards life s end, can make all the difference in how we move from one life to the next. There has been much in the media about the current trend of legally denying conscience rights of physicians who feel they cannot participate in ending a patient s life. Despite the concern of physicians retreating from practice due to conscience issues, many still feel that no one will coerce or force them to consider their own death prematurely. However, with time comes acceptance, and with repeated acceptance, our understanding and interpretation of humanity change. What we continue to reiterate, we begin to believe and become. Constantly offering the option If your suffering is too great, we accept that you are a burden, and it will be easier on yourself and everyone around you if you were no longer with us, is a surefire way to create doubt in our beliefs and Page 17

18 processes in endof-life care. That said, it in no way meets and upholds the deepest desires of the human heart. In fact, it fails them and denies the truth of who God is and why He created us. From a Catholic perspective, each person is a unique and unrepeatable reflection of God Himself, and the human body and soul are the handiwork of God. Physician assisted death is incongruent with God s great gift of life. Its message is deceptively packaged as Dying with Dignity. It promotes a false narrative that helping someone die is compassionate and that choosing the moment and method of one s death will give a person control and peace. The day I decided I would return to nursing care homes on my own terms, outside the constraints of my former job, I was assisting a new admission to the facility into her room with a wheelchair. Once she was properly seated it was apparent she wanted to talk. Listening to much of her discussion revealed that she was struggling with the process of leaving her home and her health declining. To get down to her level, I crouched a very long period of time while she spoke. My ankles and feet were beginning to ache and in hopes of relief I moved to a kneeling position where I inadvertently began to genuflect in front of her. Seconds passed until I realized a rare moment, by God s grace, where the veil between heaven and earth became very thin for me. Time stopped momentarily as I recognized, in front of a woman I d just met, I was kneeling in front of Jesus Himself. Though she looked no different, the message was both inspired and clear. You did it to Me rang in my ears. Here, I recall the memory of our recent nursing care home visit: the nurse s reaction of tears to the resident s smile; the alleviation of a small portion of her suffering; or my son s perception of what presence and time can mean for these people and how they affect us. These are natural and spontaneous reactions that reflect what is true because God wrote them into our hearts. That we wish to be cared for and to love others is innate and instinctive. What is unnatural and aberrant is the burgeoning trend to believe that prematurely ending someone s life is considered compassion on our part. The fear is that this belief will begin to permeate society and health care so deeply that it will become difficult to avoid its effects or worse, at our most vulnerable, become victim to it. There s little chance I ll work again in health care in the near future. However, bringing our family on nursing care home visits has given a whole new meaning in my present role as family member and caregiver. While I watch with concern over the future, our hope is that we can do our part in maintaining a culture of life in our society. Visit by visit, we form a world view in our children where the weakest and most vulnerable in our society are not burdens to be eliminated, but rather brothers and sisters with whom we can journey and from whom we can learn. God doesn t abandon them and neither should we. Each are persons worth being cared for to the very end and, God willing, reunited with in heaven. Michelynne Gomez - Michelynne is wife to Simon, mother of four and a native Nova Scotian. Her faith came alive after attending a Theology of the Body course in Pennsylvania. She spends an inordinate amount of time in her kitchen feeding perpetually hungry children and can often be found with her nose in a book. Page 18

19 The Word Editor s Note: In this edition we remember the life of a faithful servant of God s people in our local Church of Halifax-Yarmouth. Mgr Gèrald LeBlanc died on March 11, 2018 surrounded by his family. He was the Vicar General of the Archdiocese and served in the Yarmouth area for 54 years. The following is the homily given by Archbishop Mancini at Père Gérald s funeral, which took place March 14 at l Église St-Pierre in Pubnico. Archbishop Mancini reflects on the ministry of Père Gérald and what it means to serve with hope hope that is given to us by Jesus Christ in His Resurrection. In this Easter Season may we all consider how each us can live out that hope as we strive to be witnesses of Jesus Christ in our communities. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. (John 12:26) D ear Friends, Cher Amis, With these words of Jesus as encouragement, we come together to give thanks to God and to celebrate the life and ministry of Mgr LeBlanc. The words of Jesus are meant to instruct His disciples and prepare them for a life that parallels that of Jesus. In fact, to follow the Lord is to walk in His footsteps and experience the full impact of a journey that requires faith, a great deal of courage and a readiness to pay the cost of following Christ. Jesus had said somewhere else that the servant is not greater than the master, and that following Jesus meant taking up the cross each day. The faith and courage needed to do this by anyone, but no less so for a priest, is rooted in the trust of Jesus words and the truth of this promise Jesus states clearly that where He is going, so will the one who chooses to be in His service and company. That promise of Jesus to be with His friends and followers is thus a source of hope for all of us. It is also our faith in the Resurrection that holds us up and allows us to not let go of hope. Because of the Resurrection, we are able to receive Jesus words with conviction and relief when He says: Whoever serves me, the Father will honour. Indeed not only does the Father honour Mgr LeBlanc today, but so do all of us. Page 19

20 Ce qui nous réunis aujourd hui c est bien la foi que nous partageons mais aussi le deuil que nous vivons par la mort et la perte de notre cher confrère, Mgr LeBlanc. À tous les fidèles, les prêtres, diacres de notre Église, c est mon devoir de vous offrir mes condoléances. À tous les membres de la famille de Mgr LeBlanc, recevez les reconnaissances de notre Église et de façon particulier un grand merci à Claudine et son époux, M. Paul Renault qui ont chaleureusement accueilli chez-eux leur oncle dans ses derniers mois de vie. C est un service d amour, pour lequel vous serez amplement béni par le Seigneur. C est évident par votre présence que Mgr Gérald a occupé une grande et importante place dans vos vies. Gérald vous a servie comme prêtre et pasteur, mais encore plus il a été pour vous un ami, un compagnon d école, un voisin et un Père dans la foi. Pendent 54 ans, il a donné sa vie à la suite de Jésus, comme fidèle serviteur, pour le bien de l évangile et l Église d ici, l Église de sa bien aimé Acadie! C est toute-à-fait heureux qu il soit maintenant enseveli dans sa terre natale, près de sa famille, ses amis et parmi son peuple, qui garderont un long et bon souvenir de sa présence et de son ministère. Depuis mon arrivé comme archevêque, il y a dix ans, Mgr Gérald a été mon bras droit dans la région acadienne de notre Église. Il a su me conseiller. Il était au courant de tout; Il connaissait tout le monde; il a bien administré la région de Yarmouth et a toujours eu le souci pastoral des fidèles. Ont l appelait «Père» Gérald et il a été pour tous un père, moi inclus! Père Gérald va nous manquer, c est sûr! Mais, il va aussi être bien accueilli dans la maison du Père, par une grande foule de personne qu ils l ont précédée dans la Résurrection. Le Christ, que Gérald a suivi, l a déjà reçu dans sa demeure comme l évangile a promis et Gérald occupera la place qu il lui a été réservé et qu il mérite. It is with sadness and a great sense of loss, therefore, that the Church of Halifax-Yarmouth entrusts Mgr LeBlanc to the loving mercy of God, where he can find the rest and peace promised to those who follow Christ. For five generations, Mgr LeBlanc has served Christ s Church and the people entrusted to him in this Acadian Region, not the least of which are the parishioners in the parishes of the Pubnicos. Here he has baptized and confirmed many; he presided at numerous weddings and innumerable funerals. His dedication and priestly service of God s people was always his first priority. Right to the very end, his mind and heart were focused on the people he loved with a final telephone conversation with someone from the area, only minutes before he died. In his example of service, his untiring enthusiasm and his ability to be everywhere, I found inspiration. Like so many of you, I will miss him. There is no doubt in my heart that Mgr Gérald has expressed well the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ through his priestly care of the people entrusted to him. In his case, we can truly say: Well done, good and faithful servant! Let us pray for all who are left to mourn and may we find consolation in the promise of eternal life. Gérald, à Dieu until we all meet again in the Resurrection. Anthony Mancini Archbishop of Halifax-Yarmouth Page 20

21 Remembering Msgr. Gérald LeBlanc, longtime Yarmouth County priest By Eric Bourque Msgr. Gérald LeBlanc pictured in July 2017 laying a flower at the unveiling of an Acadian Odyssey monument in West Pubnico died Sunday, March 11, at the age of 82. His funeral was held Wednesday, March 14, in West Pubnico. - Eric Bourque Archbishop shares some thoughts on beloved local priest A mong the many people who will miss Msgr. Gérald LeBlanc is Most Rev. Anthony Mancini, archbishop of Halifax- Yarmouth, who worked quite a bit with Msgr. LeBlanc and got to know him well since becoming archbishop a decade ago. Msgr. LeBlanc died March 11 in Halifax at the age of 82. In more than a half-century as a priest, he served various parishes at this end of the province, most recently St. Peter s in West Pubnico and Immaculate Conception in East Pubnico. He spent his lifetime serving the people of this area and I think that was his great strength, that he was a native son looking after the people that had been entrusted to him, Most Rev. Mancini said. Shortly after arriving in West Pubnico the day before he was to preside at the funeral, the archbishop shared a few thoughts on Msgr. LeBlanc. Even though he had the title of monsignor a Page 21

22 result of being appointed Honorary Prelate of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 2004 Msgr. LeBlanc was called Père Gérald by most who knew him, the archbishop said. Yarmouth and later for Halifax-Yarmouth. Why they referred to him as Père Gérald was because he was truly a father for the people that he served, Most Rev. Mancini said. He served as a priest for 54 years and all of those years were spent among the people of this area, the Acadians. He loved the fact that he was with his people and he knew the history and he just loved being here doing what he truly felt God called him to do. That s why people are going to miss him and I m going to miss him as well. The archbishop said he had last seen and spoken to Msgr. LeBlanc a couple of days or so before he died. He was frail but talkative, he said. Born in Wedgeport in 1935, Gérald Joseph LeBlanc received his early education in his native village and later attended Collège Sainte -Anne. He was ordained in 1963 and went on to serve Roman Catholic parishes in a number of communities in Yarmouth County and Clare. In 1993 he became vicar general, first for Page 22 He and I worked very closely together, Most Rev. Mancini said. He was my right-hand man here in this whole area. Msgr. LeBlanc was very kind, always attentive to the concerns of other people, the archbishop said, and he will be missed. On the eve of the funeral, as the region was being hit by a late-winter snowstorm, the archbishop said, We will pray for Père Gérald and he will keep an eye on us from where he is, I m sure, in heaven. This article was originally posted on the Tricounty Vanguard website on Thursday, March 15, 2018 and is re -printed with permission.

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26 Back issues can be found on the archdiocesan website