News from the Chancery is published each week to share information and upcoming events with the people of the Diocese of Victoria. We have 6 items to share with you this week:
1) The Bishop’s Appeal, Tapestry of Faith, has reached 75% of its goal. Congratulations to the four parishes that have already met their parish goal! Four additional parishes are also close, having each raised over 70% of their goal - well done! More donations are still needed. Funds from this Appeal support faith-based relationships, our parishes and parishioners, and church leaders. There is still time to donate to the Appeal and receive a tax receipt for 2023 - donations will be accepted until December 31st. You can donate by mail, at your parish, and online at: https://www.rcdvictoria.org/donate-tapestry-of-faith-2023
2) Please join us in welcoming Fr. Shijo Ottaplackal George, VC from the Syro–Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Mississauga to our Diocese. Fr Shijo is a religious priest in the Vincentian Order from Kerala, India. Fr Shijo will serve as Pastor to provide Sacramental and Pastoral Ministry to the Syro-Malabar Catholics living in our Diocese. He has been assigned to St. Joseph the Worker Church in Victoria as Associate Priest working closely with Fr. Alfredo Monacelli.
3) Holy Cross Parish in Victoria (4049 Gordon Head Rd) will be hosting the popular South Island Harmony A Cappella Chorus on Sunday, December 17th at 2pm. Admission is by donation and proceeds will go towards the financial support of a refugee family currently in Lebanon that's being sponsored by the parish. For more information, please contact the parish at 250-477-5321 or office@holycrossvictoria.org
4) On January 5 & 6 2024, the Diocesan liturgical conference “The Epiphany of the Liturgy: Welcoming the Closeness of God” will be held at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Victoria. This free conference is an opportunity to enter into a richer experience of the Trinity in our Eucharistic Celebrations, and will be valuable both for those who serve in liturgical ministries and those who participate in the assembly. The presenters will be Dr. Glenn Byer and Dr. David Pitt, liturgical and musical educators at Catholic colleges in the U.S. The workshop will run Friday, January 5 from 7 - 9:30 pm and Saturday, January 6 from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm. For more information and to register please visit https://EpiphanyLiturgyConference.eventbrite.com; for assistance in registering, please email mgwyn@rcdvictoria.org or call 250-479-1331 ext 227.
5) The Diocese of Victoria Health Care Committee is offering its next series of online Pastoral Care Outreach Training sessions in the new year. These free sessions will be held via Zoom on Saturday mornings from 9:30 – noon, starting on January 20 and running until March 23, 2024, and will allow participants to learn more about deep listening and visiting the lonely, sick, injured, elderly, and dying – in hospitals, seniors’ residences, extended health care facilities, and at their homes. This training is also offered for those who wish to learn how to accompany and care for their loved ones, friends, and neighbours, or as a personal undertaking. Please register through your parish by January 12, 2024.
6) From December 8, 2023 to December 8, 2024, the Catholic Church in Quebec City is celebrating the 350th anniversary of the founding of the Archdiocese of Quebec. The oldest diocese north of Mexico, the Archdiocese has lived, celebrated, and shared the faith, met social needs, founded organizations that are still vibrant, and helped give life to the culture we inherit today. The fundamental importance of this legacy will be celebrated in a program that also takes a look at the life of today's community. Numerous events are planned, and opportunities include passing through America’s only Holy Door, walking in the footsteps of the founding saints of the Church in Canada, and participating in a Camino-style pilgrimage on the new Kapoah Trail. For more information, please visit https://diocesequebec350.ca/.
