Called to be Holy – Men’s Retreat/Conference
All Men! You are invited to attend the 8th annual “Called to be Holy,”
Oct 27 & 28, 2023
THE LITURGY OF LIFE; FROM TABLE TO MISSION
Join other men of faith to learn, laugh, and pray as you grow in faith. We are excited to welcome Fr. Matthew Hysell as our keynote speaker in the prayerful surroundings of Holy Spirit seminary!
In the Divine Liturgy we are nourished first by the Word of God and then ultimately in the Eucharist. From there we are sent out to the world. We will look closely at how our partaking in the Eucharist – being at the Table of Our Lord, prepares us to approach life with an attitude of thankfulness, evangelization, discipleship, and mission, whatever our place in the world may be.
DATES & TIMES: Oct 27, 6:30 pm – 8:15 pm., Oct 28, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.
LOCATION: Holy Spirit Seminary, 12909 – 113 Avenue NW., Edmonton.
COST:
Price includes Saturday breakfast, lunch and snacks. Optional Friday supper available for $20.00. CONTACT: Bernadette: 780-424-5496 or email: education@edmontoneparchy.com
REGISTRATION: Deadline to register is Oct 21. No late registrations will be accepted. Online: https://tinyurl.com/Calledtobeholy2023 or find the link on the Edmonton Eparchy website https://eeparchy.com/
A limited number of rooms are available for overnight stays. Register early if you want to stay at the seminary on Friday night.
Food Bank – Thank you for your generous donations towards the Food Bank. Edmonton Food Bank most needed items are beans with or without pork, canned meat, canned fish, canned fruit or vegetables, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese dinners, pasta and pasta sauce, cereal and oatmeal, school snacks such as juice boxes, fruit cups and granola bars. The parishioners of St. Nicholas Parish are encouraged to bring these items. Let’s see if we can FILL our Food Bank box again!!! Your generosity is much appreciated. Go St. Nicholas!
New Clergy Pastoral Assignments will take effect August 1, 2018 for a period of 5 years. One of the most important responsibilities of an eparchial bishop is to appoint a presbyter as a pastor to whom the care of souls in a given parish is committed as to its own shepherd. In order to assist Bishop David in this formidable task, an Ad hoc Clergy Personnel Committee has been established with the mandate to present for consideration a proposal of Clergy Pastoral Assignments. The members of the committee are: Rev. Rendy Yackimec, Chair, Right Rev. William Hupalo and Rev. Julian Bilyj.
The clergy are invited — after prayerful reflection, and having considered their own personal gifts and talents, as well as the needs of the Eparchy of Edmonton — to indicate by October 1, 2017, where they wish to be considered for appointment (including their current assignments), where they will be challenged in their ministry.
At the same time, the faithful of the Eparchy of Edmonton are invited to make a positive contribution in the process of naming pastors by sending their written comments to the Ad hoc Clergy Personnel Committee at chancery@edmontoneparchy.com by October 1, 2017.
While the right of appointing pastors belongs solely to the eparchial bishop, who freely appoints them, input from the laity is greatly valued.
Baptism and membership in the Church
When Jesus had accomplished everything he set out to do, and was about to return to the Father, he commissioned the Disciples, saying:
“All authority 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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always.” (Matthew 28: 18-20)
Through baptism, we are constituted as the people of God.
Through baptism, we participate in the priestly, prophetic, and royal function of Christ.
Through baptism, we are called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world: to tell others the Good News of the Father’s love and mercy.
How seriously do we take our baptismal call?
From baptism to Christian discipleship
All to often today, we go through the motions of being followers of Christ. We attend Divine Liturgy on occasion. We call upon the pastor for First Holy Communion, a wedding or a funeral. We bless pussy willows, our Easter baskets, and undertake similar activities.
Perhaps influenced by the secular world around us, we have become consumers of the services provided by the parish, adopting an attitude of “What’s in it for me?” or “Go ahead, entertain me.”
Rather, through baptism. our membership in Christ’s Church calls for a commitment on the part of each of us to develop a personal relationship with Jesus, to foster our prayer life, and to use our God-given gifts of time, talent and treasure in the building up of the Christian community.
In other words, the rights we inherit as members of the Church are balanced by an equal obligation in continuing the mission of Christ entrusted to our care.
Baptism means being a disciple of Christ.
And being a disciple of Christ comes with certain expectations related to my membership in a given parish.
Parish membership and expectations
What then does it mean to be a parishioner? What are the expectations?
As a result of my baptism, in practicing my Christian discipleship, I am expected as a registered member of my parish to:
* regularly attend and participate in Sunday Divine Liturgy, together with my family;
* regularly participate in liturgical and sacramental life of the Church;
* develop and practice an ongoing personal/family prayer life;
* witness to the teachings of the Church by the manner of my living life;
* practice stewardship of my time, talent and treasure in the service to the mission of the Church;
* acknowledge, as a registered member, that I am to be a participant in serving the mission of the parish rather than being only a spectator; and
* realize the necessary and ongoing importance of love, generosity, faith and family.
Christ comes into the world to tell us of the mercy and love of the Father. Through baptism, we say: “yes, Lord, I choose to follow you by becoming an active disciple and parishioner. Thank you for the opportunity to serve You and my neighbour. Bless me!”
May 1, 2016
Eparchial Pastoral Council
