BENE DICTUS. Saint Benedict Parish. November To form disciples who joyfully live out the mission of Jesus Christ. 45 Radcliffe Drive

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1 November 2015 BENE DICTUS To form disciples who joyfully live out the mission of Jesus Christ. Saint Benedict Parish SUNDAY MASS Saturday: 4pm Sunday: 9am, 11:15am, 6pm WEEKDAY MASS Monday to Friday: 9am CONFESSIONS Saturday: 3-3:45pm Thursday: 9:45am NEW MEMBERS WELCOME Please stop by the Welcome Booth and introduce yourself. PASTOR: Fr. James Mallon Associate Pastor: Fr. Simon Lobo, CC 45 Radcliffe Drive Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3M 0E

2 Eucharistic Adoration Wednesdays from 9:45am until 10:00pm Come and pray! Can be submitted via our website. Visit saintbenedict.ca to submit your request. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH 7:30PM IN THE CHURCH New Member Wine & Cheese Are you new to Saint Benedict Parish? Have you been attending for a while, but not yet registered? You are cordially invited to our New Member Wine & Cheese on Saturday, November Please RSVP to Kate Finlayson, (902) , katefin@bellaliant.net by Wednesday, November 25th. 2 Bene Dictus ~ November 2015

3 A WORD FROM FATHER JAMES Archdiocesan Gathering We are blessed to have an Archbishop who has a strong vision for a renewed and transformed Archdiocesan Church composed of renewed and transformed parishes. He has laid out this vision in two pivotal documents, the first being his Pentecost Letter of 2011 and the second, his pastoral letter of 2014, entitled Lord, Where are You Going. In the first of these documents he described for us what a renewed Church might look like. He spoke about his hopes and dreams for our local Church and invited us, pastors and laity, to respond to the invitation to become true and active disciples of Christ through an experience of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a personal encounter with Jesus Christ and to engage in the mission of the Church. To many of you who have been around Saint Benedict Parish over the last five years, I am sure that all of this sounds very familiar. It should be. The picture of the Church that the Archbishop describes is one that gets me very, very excited, it speaks deeply to my own hopes and dreams for our Church and I hope for yours too. In his second key document, the 2014 pastoral letter, the Archbishop describes a broad strategy for moving in the direction of this vision. He has called all parishes to focus on Mission, Community and Formation. Through this three-fold focus he calls us to be a Church that brings people to encounter Jesus Christ and form a relationship with him, to begin a process of maturation by beginning to live as disciples within a loving caring community of faith, and to be equipped and sent out for mission. Once again, this will all sound familiar. It should, because it is essentially our vision statement and is also reflected in our parish purpose statement: To raise up disciples who joyfully live out the mission of Jesus Christ. As we continue this new ministry season, and as we have come through the major restructuring of last year, we will continue to refine our practices and focus as a parish at every I pray and hope that, in our Church of Halifax-Yarmouth, we can shift our minds and hearts from an attitude of pastoral consumerism and functionalism to an attitude of personal commitment as missionary disciples, renewed by the fire of the Holy Spirit because of our personal encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ. - Archbishop Mancini level so that we can better live out what the Archbishop is calling us to. Once again, I encourage anyone who has not yet read this document to do so by going to the archdiocesan website (halifaxyarmouth.org). On October 30-31st members of our parish staff, pastoral council, finance committee, ministry leads, and youth leaders were invited to participate in a regional gathering to reflect with members of other parishes on how we can continue to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to facilitate this transformation of our local Church. This gathering was held here at Saint Benedict Parish. Bene Dictus As we publish this November issue of Bene Dictus, I wish to thank everyone who is involved in making each issue happen. We have received a tremendous amount of positive feedback about this publication and, universally, there is a sense that it was worth waiting for. We also wish to thank the local businesses, run by both parishioners and nonparishioners, who said yes to sponsoring the print edition of this magazine. We are very grateful to them for their support. Let us make our gratitude real. We enjoy this print edition, but we also need to show our support to these businesses for partnering with us. Let us be intentional, as members of Saint Benedict Parish, to visit and make use of these goods and services. Please make sure continued on next page Bene Dictus ~ November

4 A WORD FROM FATHER JAMES continued to thank the staff at these establishments for their support of our parish so they know that their choice to partner with us is of benefit to them. Preaching Series We have received very positive feedback after our first attempt at a preaching series not connected to stewardship initiatives. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback.we do intend to do series like these several times each year. We are currently working on an Advent series that will focus on our personal and communal preparation for Christmas and how Christmas can be a time for people to reconnect with their faith. We will look at how we, as parishioners, can maximize our impact so that people who join us for Christmas may be more likely to return. Divine Renovation Conference At some point this month, registration for the Divine Renovation Conference being hosted here June 13-14th, 2016, will open. This will coincide with the launch of a new website divinerenovation.net. To date, we have received inquiries from around the world and we have pieced together what, I believe, will be an exciting and amazing conference. Over the next few months we will be sharing information with you about how you can be a part of hosting people from many nations here at Saint Benedict Parish. During the Season of Advent (starting November 29th) join us for a new homily series... 4 Bene Dictus ~ November 2015

5 An annual pre-christmas musical spectacular. November 26th to November 28th Spatz Theatre Tickets (general admission, $24) available for purchase after Masses on Nov 7/8 or online: adventshow.com. Thursday, November 26th, 7:30pm Friday, November 27th, 7:30pm Saturday, November 28th, 2:00pm (*NEW matinee performance added this year!) Saturday, November 28th, 7:30pm Created by Judy Savoy & Geordie Brown, The Advent Show is presented annually in support of the homeless & marginalized in our midst. Over the past decade, The Advent Show has solidified itself as one of our community s premiere Christmas musical events. Judy Savoy has been producing benefit musical productions for over 12 years, and 2015 will mark the fifth year that she has collaborated with director & co-producer Geordie Brown. Every year, The Advent Show has grown, with new talent, fresh material, and sold-out performances. The show boasts a powerhouse cast of young local singers, dancers & musicians, and features a variety of music, from pop & gospel to classical & folk. The Advent Show has a three-fold mission: to raise money and awareness for the poor, homeless and marginalized, to promote young local talent, by populating the show with both emerging professional performers and established mentoring artists; to entertain audiences with a high-quality, entertaining theatrical experience, while telling the Christmas nativity story through song, dance, & more. Bene Dictus ~ November

6 ALPHA Ask anything IS ALPHA JUST A COURSE OR IS IT MORE THAN THAT?...that s a very G00D QUESTION! Lets s some facts: *27 million people have done ALPHA globally *ALPHA s run in 169 countries &112 languages Impressive, right? But the truth is, the impact that Alpha is having globally cannot be explained by facts alone. Why? Knowing information is not the same as knowing a person. It is also not possible for us to love information. We are more than cerebral beings. We were made for relationship. Alpha is about Jesus and it is about relationships. Many people, including myself, have come to know the love of God in a deeper way, through Jesus. And this happened during Alpha. Love is powerful & it changes us. And when we experience His love our hearts change. And when our hearts are changed...our lives change. Why does the Holy Spirit work so powerfully through Alpha? I don t know for sure...maybe it s because of the trusting relationships that are built. ALPHA IS MORE than a course. The Culture of Alpha Series 6 Bene Dictus ~ November 2015

7 ME 25 The ME 25 survey assesses the organizational health of the parish. The survey reports on three aspects of health: engagement, commitment, and outcomes. Engagement: how members feel about the parish, including a sense of belonging and enthusiasm. Commitment: looks inward at how a member s faith influences him or her personally. Outcomes: looks outward at how we show & share what God has given us. Together, these aspects paint a picture of how open we are, as parishioners, to becoming disciples. The ME 25 provides an overall score out of 5 for both engagement and commitment. Here are our scores over the last 4 years: Feb 2011 May 2012 Oct 2013 May 2015 Engagement Commitment Saint Benedict Parish saw rapid change in engagement between 2011 and Gallup tells us this is big change in comparison to other parishes. We see a slight dip between We believe our 2015 results are indicative of the changes in leadership structures and philosophies over the last year. With a laser focus on developing great leadership practices and making disciples, we enthusiastically await the results of our next ME 25! Changes of LESS THAN 0.1 in these scores could be from the randomness of who completed the survey to intentional change in the parish. Changes of 0.1 or MORE represent real and significant change. Bene Dictus ~ November

8 Creating a Culture of Leadership Over the last 3 years, over 100 members of Saint Benedict Parish have attended the Global Leadership Summit. The GLS is a world class leadership event that inspires & equips people who are committed to sharpening their leadership skills. Every speaker had a different perspective, and when you put it all together, you had a balanced, allencompassing understanding of what leadership can be. No matter your strengths, background or experience, there s something for everyone. I walked away having been woken up. Before, I would keep my head down, focussed on my narrow path of my particular ministry. Now, as a result of the Global Leadership Summit, I have my head up, and contemplate the leadership styles of those around me. For me, leadership has come to the forefront. Heather Taylor Ministry Leader Mass Co-Ordinators Save the Date! The next Global Leadership Summit will be October 20-21, Bene Dictus ~ November 2015

9 Ignite is a retreat for all teens in grades They take place over two weekends, one for guys and one for girls. The retreat begins at 7pm on Friday and ends with 9am Mass on Sunday. Guys: November Girls: November Our NET Ministries retreat is for all teens from grades 6-8. NET (National Evangelization Teams) are an organization dedicated to spreading the gospel to youth, and on December 5th from 9am-4pm they will be here at the parish to put on a retreat day. Registration forms will be available at The Experience. If you do not attend The Experience but would like a registration form, please contact Ronnie Lunn at ronniel@saintbenedict.ca. If you are interested in either being confirmed or knowing how we prepare young people to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at Saint Benedict Parish, please watch this video from Coordinator of Youth Ministry, Ronnie Lunn, at com/ (or by going to vimeo.com and searching for Saint Benedict Parish). Bene Dictus ~ November

10 From St. Augustine s Seminary Dear family, friends & parishioners, I am settling in quite nicely here at St. Augustine s Seminary. The grounds, the facilities, the chapels and the two pipe organs are all beautiful. There is a great community of around sixty seminarians who come from a variety of backgrounds, and a team of brilliant priests and other faculty who are such great teachers and formaters. My studies are off to a good start at the University of Toronto where I am taking four philosophy courses and a Latin course. The content is challenging at times, but manageable. Community prayer and Eucharist are central to daily life at St. Augustine s. I am blessed to be able to contribute to the musical life of the seminary as organist for lauds and vespers three days a week, in the choir two days a week, and as cantor once a month. It feels as though I just arrived in Toronto, but the time is going quickly, and before I know it, December will have arrived. I look forward to coming home for Christmas and the opportunity to visit with family, friends, and parishioners. Let us continue to pray for each other! In Christ, Patrick Salah 10 Bene Dictus ~ November 2015

11 The Saint Benedict Junior Choir had their first rehearsal for this season on October 7th, with 10 beautiful, young voices joining together in song. The choir, open to all children from grade 3 and up, meets once a week on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30 during the school year under the direction of Kathryn Servant, Saint Benedict Parishioner and music teacher at Park West School. Our goal with the Junior Choir is to share with the children the wonderful music and traditions of our faith in song, says Kathryn. This year the choir will be learning unison/twopart sacred music and songs from the Catholic Book of Worship. Rachel and Sarah Gibson are sisters who are enjoying their choir experience. We like to sing, and it s fun. We are learning lots of songs, and how to sing together and read music. Plans for the choir are still in the works, but so far they expect to sing at the Celebration of Hope scheduled for December 10 and the Christmas Day children s Mass at 11:15 a.m. It s not too late for your child(ren) to join the choir. Contact Kathryn at kathrynservant@hotmail.com or call As St. Augustine famously said: Those who sing pray twice! Rachel and Sarah Gibson Bene Dictus ~ November

12 EVENTS Listing / November 3 - Christian Tradition of a Good Death Sr. Nuala Kenny, a Sister of Charity of Halifax will be speaking on the Christian Tradition of a Good Death. She speaks passionately about the meaning of a good death in a Christian context and will offer concrete guidelines to help with decision making when our loved ones near the end. November 7 - CWL Christmas Bazaar & Coffee Social 10am - 1pm Purchase home made candies and baked goods, jewelry, hand made crafts and Christmas ornaments and more! Thanks for your support. November 7 - Evening of Praise and Worship 7:30pm Join us for a wonderful evening of praise and worship with the 9am band. November Tickets on Sale for The Advent Show Tickets on sale following all Masses. See page 5 for more information on this amazing production. November 17 - Grief Support Group Meets Contact Anne MacMillan for information. November Boys Ignite Retreat November Girls Ignite Retreat For boys and girls in grades 9-12, registration forms available at The Experience (Monday nights). 12 Bene Dictus ~ November 2015

13 A Few Facts About... Deacon David Viscount Born and grew up in River Bourgeois Cape Breton - 6 brothers and sisters - a large typically Catholic family! My mom passed away in 2006 (sadly!) from cancer. My dad, who is 85 still lives in Cape Breton. I have lived in Halifax for 30 years. Patty and I have been married for 20 years (we met at Dalplex - of all places!!!). We have one daughter (Jenna - 17); and a son (Patrick - 14). From I was in the advertising business - working for CJCH/C100FM. I ve worked in the investment business for 17 years (1998-present) and enjoy the work and the relationships I ve experienced over those many years. I am a financial planner with TD Wealth and work downtown. We were members of Saint Thomas Aquinas/Canadian Martyrs for over 20 years - until July (when we came here). Ordained to the Permanent Diaconate on June 27th of this year....and here I am!! I enjoy sailing, soccer, golf, cooking, good red wine, and of course -spreading the love of Christ. Does the rest really matter? Mission Trip to Chile Please pray for the parish team on mission in Arica, Chile for 11 days (in early November) where they will help construct the second story of the Cristo Hermano Parish Hall. They will then delivery Global Alpha Training (GAT) to local priests and community members so that these local leaders will be equipped to run Alpha in their community. Bene Dictus ~ November

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16 Monthly Financial Update - September 2015 Parish Debt Reduction # Rec d Envelopes Total Parish Staff Contact Information Average 144 $4,643 $32 62 $3,057 see note PAR (Pre-authorized Remittance) Mortgage Balance (as of September 30th): $977,121 Monthly principle/interest payment:: $11,438 (principle = $8,840 / interest = $2,598) Principal payments made September 2015: $13,996 Sunday Collections Envelopes PAR (Pre-authorized Remitaance) # Rec d Total Average 1,347 $33,620 $ $42,126 see note Principal payments include principal portion of monthly mortgage payment plus additional principal payments made from Parish Debt funds received. *Note: PAR options include weekly, bi-weekly and monthly withdrawals; therefore a weekly average is unavailable. Darlene Bonang, Office Manager (press 0) darleneb@saintbenedict.ca Kate Robinson, Director of Communications, (ex 29) kater@saintbenedict.ca Jen Ferrier, Coordinator of Evangelization, (ex 39) jenniferf@saintbenedict.ca Tanya Rodgerson, Director of Engagement, (ex 21) tanyar@saintbenedict.ca Ron Huntley, Director of Pastoral Ministries (ex 30) ronh@saintbenedict.ca Dinah Simmons, Director of Faith Formation, (ex 24) dinahs@saintbenedict.ca Paul Lang, Coordinator of Music, (ex 27) paull@saintbenedict.ca Joanne Thibeau, Manager of Finance, (ex 28) joannet@saintbenedict.ca Ronnie Lunn, Coordinator of Youth Ministry, (ex 37) ronniel@saintbenedict.ca Rob McDowell, Director of Parish Life, (ex 26) robm@saintbenedict.ca General Inquiries: office@saintbenedict.ca MINISTRY CONTACT INFORMATION Facility Booking Requests: facilities@saintbenedict.ca Communion to the Homebound: Judy MacDonald, JW-macdonald@hotmail.com Men s Leadership G.Y.M.: Mark Pilon gym@saintbenedict.ca Pastoral Council: Eileen Moore (chair) pastoralcouncil@saintbenedict.ca Pastoral Visitation Ministry: Carol Horne, svdp.horne@gmail.com Alpha: Carol Smith, alpha@saintbenedict.ca Altar Servers: Melissa Lunn, melissa_cottreau@hotmail.com St.Vincent de Paul Society, Saint Benedict Conference: Funeral Planning: Ann-Marie Tobin, marken@eastlink.ca WOW (Wee Ones Word): Chantal O Laughlin wow@saintbenedict.ca Junior Choir Kathryn Servant, kathrynservant@hotmail.com Weddings or baptisms - visit the Welcome Booth or call the parish office: Bene Dictus ~ November 2015