News

Scroll down for the Pastoral Updates of November 1st, September 27, 2009, January 24, 2010 and March 19, 2010

I find it hard to believe that the last Pastoral Update was published on the 19^th March 2010. As we conclude the school year and our regular pastoral meetings for the summer months, I want to share some information with you, the members of the Diocese, on some important events in the life of our local Church in Bermuda.

We welcome the following visiting priests who will be replacing our Pastors whilst they are off Island for their vacations. It turns out that all the visiting priests are from New York!

On the 23^rdof May the Sacrament of Confirmation was conferred on fifty-five young people of our Diocese. All the parishes were represented at the Solemn Mass of Confirmation at St. Theresa’s Cathedral. The newly confirmed received their certificates at Mass in their parishes on the following Sunday, the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Our congratulations to all those confirmed, their parents, sponsors and family members.

On the 6^th of June, the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, seventy-three children received Holy Communion in their parishes. May they continue to receive the Body of the Lord regularly as they worship God with their parents and parish families.

A special word of thanks is due to our Catechists and Aides who help our children grow in the Faith, at all levels of the CCD Programme. Sincere thanks as well, to Mrs. Essie Hans, the Diocesan Director of Religious Education, who coordinates this pastoral outreach to children and parents for our local church in Bermuda.

I want to thank, once again, all the generous members of the Diocese, who supported the Bishop’s Appeal with their stewardship offerings. This year we raised the goal slightly to $130,000 and I am pleased to report that the Diocese received $146,000 in the Bishop’s Appeal. Mt. St. Agnes Academy and St. Vincent de Paul Society have already received the promised tithes of $13,000 each.

The Special Collection for the earthquake victims in Haiti came to $87,000 and for Chile came to $12,600. Both these collections were sent to Caritas International Antilles, the Catholic Relief Organization of the Holy See, for distribution in Haiti and Chile. Finally, the gathering of the Diocese for the Chrism Mass during Holy Week allowed us to contribute $1,530 to the Bermuda Society of the Blind from the Chrism Mass collection. I am proud and grateful for the generous response of the Catholics of Bermuda in reaching out to help others financially.

On Friday evening, the 11^thof June, a joyous celebration of the Mass in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus took place in the Cathedral to mark the closing of the Year of the Priest. The Mass was well attended by representatives of all the Parishes, the Diocesan Choir and all the priests, including Fr. Jerry Kroestch, who was visiting Bermuda. A reception organized by members of the Cathedral Parish followed the Mass. Each of the priests was acknowledged and given a gift.

I am sure that I reflect the sentiments of all the priests in expressing appreciation for the love and support demonstrated at this celebration ending the Year of the Priest.

Our three candidates for the Permanent Diaconate (Matthew Arnold, Andrew Moulder and David Swain) have completed their first courses in the formation programme. Classes will resume in September under the direction of Fr. Paul Voisin and the other priests who will be invited to teach the courses assigned. The entire programme is proceeding very positively. We can thank God for this gift of a Diaconate Programme in our Diocese and support the above mentioned candidates with our prayers and encouragement.

The 7^th Annual Catholic Business Persons’ Luncheon was held at the Gazebo Room in the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel on the 24^th June. A capacity audience of nearly 200 people heard the message of Mrs. Pamela Ferreira, businesswoman, lawyer and Alderman for the Corporation of Hamilton. After sharing a short history of the challenges she and her husband faced in establishing the Market Place supermarkets in Bermuda, she concluded with a reflection on the fundamental Christian principles that can be found in all successful businesses. In the name of the Catholic Business Persons’ Luncheon, the Diocese will donate $1,000 to the Bermuda Autism Support and Education Group. Sincere thanks to all who supported and attended the luncheon.

As a result of meetings with the Diocesan Pastoral Council, the Priests Council and the Diocesan Staff, it was decided that a revised Pastoral Plan is needed to guide the pastoral work of our Diocese for the next five years. A procedural plan has been approved to lead to our second Diocesan Synod that will be held at the end of 2011. The Synod will give formal approval to the new Pastoral Plan. Mrs. Patricia Rodrigues of St. Anthony’s Parish, the Chairperson of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, will also serve as the Chairperson of the Synod Steering Committee. The Committee’s work will begin in earnest in September 2010.

Fr. Harry has received permission from his Provincial Superior to retire from full time pastoral ministry at the end of this year. The search has begun to find a replacement at Stella Maris Parish where he has served for nearly eight years. The Polish Province of the Congregation of the Resurrection has offered to assign a young priest to work in Bermuda. His name is Jan Kolodziejczyk (pronounced “ko-wo-jay’-chick”). He was born on the 18^th April 1980 and ordained a priest on the 6^th May 2006. Fr. Jan will begin intensive English language instruction at Rennison College in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada on the 1^st August and will continue studies until mid-December 2010. During this time, the Diocese will pursue all the formalities to arrange for his work permit.

Fr. Jan’s position will be advertised as Associated Pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish and Administrator of Stella Maris Parish. He will reside at St. Patrick’s Rectory and Fr. Paul Voisin will serve as his mentoring Pastor. Fr. Jan will also have an office at Stella Maris Parish and be responsible for the Pastoral Ministry in that parish. It is my hope and conviction that both Stella Maris’ and St. Patrick’s parishes will benefit from this arrangement of closer collaboration and shared ministry.

On the 15^thof May 2010, I was privileged to ordain two Resurrectionist Seminarians in Johnsburg, Illinois outside Chicago. Eric Wagner, a close friend of Fr. Toby Collins, CR, was ordained to the priesthood and Paul Smith was ordained a Deacon. Paul will be ordained a priest on the 4^th December 2010. I will be returning to the USA and Paul’s home Parish of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Lake Arrowhead, California to do the ordination. Eric and Paul are the first seminarians to be ordained for the USA Province of the Congregation of the Resurrection in nearly six years.

On the 5^th of June I was honored to ordain ten Resurrectionist Seminarians in Krakow, Poland. Six men were ordained to the Priesthood and four to the Diaconate. This was the first time I have been able to accept the invitation to do ordinations in Poland in my 14 years as a Bishop. Needless to say it also required quite a bit of preparation and practice to be ale to read the words of the Ordination Rite in Polish. Thanks be to God, everything worked out well. It was a joyous celebration for the men ordained and their families, as well as for the Congregation in Poland. Now we hope and pray that they will be good and holy priests and deacons for the glory of God and the good of the Church.

While in Poland, I was able to celebrate Mass at the Shrine of Divine Mercy and visit the tomb of Saint Faustina. On another occasion, I was honoured to preside at the Mass celebrated before the Sacred Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Sanctuary in Czestochowa. I am happy to have been able to pray for all the people of our Catholic Church in Bermuda and I underscored that fact in an interview that was broadcast on their local Catholic Radio Station. All in all, it was a memorable visit to Poland.

I will be representing our Diocese at the celebrations in honour of the 50^th Anniversary of the founding of the Archdiocese of Nassau on the 5^th July 2010. Bermuda and Nassau form one Ecclesiastical Province. In a real sense, therefore, Archbishop Patrick Pinder of Nassau is our Archbishop. We wish the Pastors and Faithful of the Archdiocese God’s blessings and great joy on the happy occasion of their Golden Jubilee.

Best wishes for a Happy Summer holiday. The peace and blessings of the Risen Christ be with you all.

I thank you for your kind condolences and promised prayers on the occasion of the death of my Step-Father, Mr. Frank Gira. I was blessed to be with him in Chicago the week-end before he died. In fact, we watched the NFL Conference Championship games together in the Intensive Care Unit of Resurrection Hospital. I left on Tuesday morning to return to Bermuda and he died on Wednesday, January 17, 2010. My Dad’s sisters, Sr. Mary Edward, C.R. and Sr. Rosemary, C.R., were praying at his bedside when he passed away. What a blessing! May he rest in peace.

We have now passed the midway point of our Lenten journey to the great Easter Feast and the renewal of our Baptismal vows. Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum, the holiest three days of the Church year, lie before us. I appeal to you to make an effort to be present for the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral on March 30^th at 7:30pm when the Holy Oils will be blessed for use in all the parishes throughout the year. The Liturgies of the Sacred Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil of Holy Saturday) will be celebrated in each of our parishes. These liturgies help us to enter into the central mysteries of our Catholic Faith—the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. As we renew our Baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil and the Easter Sunday Masses we enter into the joy of the 50 days of Easter that lead to the Feast of Pentecost and the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. May the joy of Easter fill your heart and your home as we celebrate the great Easter Feast of 2010.

Thank you for your generous response to the collection for the people of Haiti who have suffered so much from the recent devastating earthquakes. With the cooperation of all our parishes, the students of Mt. St. Agnes Academy, and St. Vincent de Paul, the Diocese was able to send $82,000 to Caritas Antilles located in St. Lucia for immediate assistance to the people of Haiti. May the Lord reward you for your compassion and solidarity with those who suffer. I am sure that this generous response to the needs of the people of Haiti will be a source of blessing for the Church in Bermuda.

In this year of the Priest I have been invited to ordain seminarians of the Congregation of the Resurrection to the Diaconate and the Priesthood in both the USA and in Poland. On May 15^th I will preside at the Ordination of one Resurrectionist to the Priesthood and another to the Diaconate in Johnsburg, Illinois. Then, on June 5^th I will ordain a larger number of Resurrectionists to both the Diaconate and Priesthood in Krakow, Poland. Both of these Ordinations will be special moments in my life as a Bishop and I pray that these new priests and deacons will be a blessing for the Church, God’s people.

In Bermuda we will conclude the Year of the priest with a Concelebrated Mass at St. Theresa’s Cathedral on Friday, June 11^th at 7:30pm, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Diocesan Choir has been invited to enhance the celebration with music and singing for the Liturgy. Due to the initiative of the Cathedral Parish Council and the assistance of all the Parish Pastoral Councils, a reception will follow the Mass and feature “Just Desserts.” All are invited to conclude this year of prayer for Priests with all the priests of the Diocese.

Our Diocese has been blessed with vocations to the Permanent Diaconate. Three men have accepted the Lord’s call and have been admitted to the Permanent Diaconate Formation Program: Dr. Matthew Arnold and Mr. Andrew Moulder of St. Patrick’s Parish and Mr. David Swain of St. Anthony’s Parish. They will now begin their initial year of formation under the direction of Fr. Paul Voisin, C.R. who serves as the Diocesan Director of the Diaconate Program. I look upon this historic event as a blessing and a confirmation of the efficacy of the prayers of our people for new vocations to Holy Orders (Priesthood and Diaconate) in our Diocese during this Year of the Priest. Our congratulations and thanks go out to the Diaconate Candidates, their wives and families as well as to their parish communities that support them in Faith and friendship.

The Diocesan Pastoral Council (DPC) and the Assembly Planning Committee are to be commended for their hard work in producing a first class experience of formation in the Faith for our Diocese in the Theology of the Body Assembly and Seminar on January 29-30, 2010.

Over 100 teenagers attended the afternoon session led by Mr. Damon Owens in the Cathedral Hall on January 29^th. A total of 280 Adults attended the presentations by Mr. Owens on Friday evening and the all day Seminar on Saturday, January 30^th.

I am very pleased with the response of the people of our Diocese to this valuable opportunity to learn more about the timeless truths of our Faith regarding the human person, human sexuality and God’s plan for our happiness in marriage, the single life or the consecrated life of virginity and celibacy—all summarized under the heading of “Theology of the Body.”

The Assembly was only an introduction to this vast and important topic in the life of Faith. The Pastors of our Parishes and our Diocesan Director of Youth Ministry have follow-up materials (DVD’s and printed materials) for use in the parishes for all who are interested and desire to continue to learn more about the “Theology of the Body.” May the Lord bless our efforts to grow in the Faith.

1) Thank you for your support of the Bishop’s Appeal. The Pastoral Letter and Envelopes are available in all the Parishes. The collection will be taken up on week-ends of March 14 and 21, 2010. Your contributions to the Appeal allow the Diocese to promote the mission and ministries of the Catholic Church in Bermuda.

2) Sincere thanks to Fr. James Wahl, C.R. for the interesting and informative conferences he provided on the History of the Catholic Church at St. Michael’s Parish on March 4, 11 and 16, 2010. Fr. Wahl was able to provide the background for many of the issues that the Church continues to face in our own day.

3) Our thanks to Mrs. LaVerne Lau and the Stewardship Committee members of our Parishes for organizing the Diocesan Stewardship Day. The guest speaker, Mrs. Mary Kelly, from the Archdiocese of Toronto, guided the study day in her usual charming and effective manner. The Church continues to promote Stewardship as a contemporary Spirituality for the world of today, even and especially as we face hard economic times.

4) On Mercy Sunday, April 11^th, a special collection will be taken up in all our Churches to assist the earthquake victims of Chile. The financial fruit of our solidarity and support will also be channeled to Chile through Caritas Antilles.

5) Our Catholic Gift Shop and Bookstore needs volunteer help. Volunteering to assist in the Gift Shop can truly be a ministry to the many people who come to the shop seeking information about the Church. Please call St. Theresa’s Cathedral for further information: 292-0607.

6) The Peace and Social Justice Committee of the Diocesan Pastoral Council is sponsoring a “Rich Person, Poor Person” Dinner at the Cathedral Hall on Friday evening, April 16, at 7:30pm. The event is planned as a consciousness raising experience regarding hunger in the world and a fund raising event for the people of Haiti, St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Eliza Doolittle Society. Tickets are available for the dinner at $100. Call Joanne Wohlmuth at 295-3355 for further information.

Most Rev. Larry Burke, S.J., the Archbishop Emeritus of Nassau, Bahamas and Kingston, Jamaica died on 14^th January 2010, after a long struggle with cancer. He visited Bermuda on several occasions, the last visit taking place in April of 2007 with all the Bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference. I always considered Archbishop Larry a personal friend and a mentor in the Episcopal ministry. It pained me not to be able to attend his funeral in Kingston, a pain compounded by the Funeral of my Father taking place at the same time. Providentially, our Diocese was represented at the Funeral of Archbishop Burke by Mrs. Joanne Judd, the Business Manager of our Diocese, who was nearby in St. Lucia to prepare for a meeting of the Antilles Episcopal Conference Fiscal Officers.

I want to share with you a selection from the reflections of Rev. William Russell, S.J. that were offered at the Vigil Service for Archbishop Burke on February 3, 2010. His words touched me deeply and I believe that they will do the same for you

At this point in the service, the program calls for a few words. Do not be too surprised if my remarks are more of a remembrance than a homily….

Of the many gifts God gives us, few are as precious as the companions He gives us along the way to help us on our journey.

“If you speak in a kindly manner, you cannot help but attract new friends. If others realize that you respect them, they will respect you, and while you have many acquaintances, real friendships are few and far between, so choose them with great care. A real friend will stand by you no matter what, for that is what friends do for one another. If you have a friend like that, consider yourself richly blessed, for friends like that are a treasure—they make life worth living. If you measure your wealth in friendship you will never be poor, for such friends are given to us by a loving God.”

The great Erasmus, speaking of his good friend, St. Thomas More, said of him: “He was a man born for friendship.” I can think of no better description for the man I was privileged to know for 58 years.

As I grow older, I find myself looking back on my life: re-reading old letters, looking at photographs set aside years ago, thinking of the places I’ve visited, the people I have known, the things that have happened to me. How many of my conversation begin with: “Do you remember So-and-So? Familiar names surface, events recalled, stories retold…but it is not so much the times and places that are important, it’s the people. They are the ones who capture our attention and flood our memories. We call them friends—the people we loved and who loved us—people who understood us and helped us to better understand ourselves. Where would you and I be today were it not for those who stood by us, listened to us, supported us, loved us and challenged us over the years.

St. Aloysius, one of our boy saints whose name +Larry added to his own, was on his death bed and barely out of his teens when he wrote this brief letter to his family:

Don’t ever forget God’s great goodness and loving kindness. You would, you know, if you mourned me as dead, when I am actually living face to face with my God. My prayers will help you more now than they ever could when I was with you. And we won’t be apart all that long, you know. Before you know it we will be together again in that life which will never end. Don’t forget that when God takes away what He once lent us, it is only to store our treasures elsewhere. Try to understand that my leaving you is actually a blessing, and that I am counting on your prayers to speed me on my way.

From the time +Larry was first diagnosed with cancer, he often prayed the prayer of Father Pedro Arrupe, S.J., our Father General in Rome, who wrote these words after having suffered a severe and debilitating stroke:

As we return you to our God, we would do well to pray that we might do as much.

We have all been shocked by the devastation and loss of life caused by the massive earthquake in Haiti on Monday, 11^thJanuary. We have received news that the Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Joseph Miot, and his Vicar General died in the earthquake along with thousands of others. May they rest in peace. A special collection to aid the earthquake victims in Haiti will be taken up in our Diocese on the 30^th & 31^st of January 2010. In solidarity with the people of Haiti, our financial assistance will be sent to Caritas Antilles, the International Aid Organization of the Catholic Church based in St. Lucia. They will be in direct contact with Haiti.

Despite the tragedy of the Haiti earthquake, I wish you God’s peace and blessings in this New Year of the Lord 2010. One of my New Year’s resolutions will have me make every effort to produce a “Pastoral Update” on the life and activities of the Diocese every month. I look upon it as a privileged form of communication with all the faithful of the Diocese. I hope you will find it helpful and of interest.

In this New Year, the Church continues to observe the Year of the Priest which will conclude with the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on 11^th June 2010. We will be organizing a special Diocesan prayer service for the event. I am pleased that we pray for our priests and all priests at our parish Masses each weekend and that we continue to ask God’s blessing of new vocations to the Priesthood and to the Permanent Diaconate in Bermuda and throughout the world.

I want to thank you for your generous response to the special collection that was taken up in November of last year in support of the Regional Seminary of the Antilles Episcopal Conference. The collection totaled $23,934! This generous gift from the Church in Bermuda will go a long way to provide for the education of the seven seminarians presently studying at the seminary. I will carry this gift with me as I travel to Trinidad on the 18^thJanuary for a series of meetings with the Regional Seminary Board and the Executive Committee of the Episcopal Conference. We are faced with the difficult challenge of providing the best possible education for a dwindling number of seminarians. However, we trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit in making decisions that will be in the best interests of the people of the Catholic Church in the Caribbean.

Our organizational committee has been working very hard to provide information and motivation for all the people of our Diocese and invited guests to participate in the Diocesan Assembly on the Theology of the Body that will take place on 29^th and 30^th of January. Mr. Damon Clarke Owens of the Theology of the Body Institute in Philadelphia is a talented and dynamic speaker. I believe he will present the traditional teaching of the Church on love, sexuality, and human development in a new and contemporary fashion. It will be a form of “New Evangelization” that the Church has called us to develop in recent times.

Mr. Owens will deliver a special message to our high school youth at the Cathedral Hall on Friday afternoon at 4:15pm on 29th January. He will also address the Diocesan Assembly on Friday evening at 7:30pm in Mt. St. Agnes Auditorium. On Saturday he will direct a Seminar on the same topic from 9:30am to 3:30pm, also in the MSA Auditorium. The Sunday Vigil Mass will follow immediately in the auditorium after the end of the Seminar. Further information and registration forms are available in the parishes or at the Office of Religious Education (292-1981).

In a short time I will begin visiting each of the parishes of the Diocese to speak at all the Masses on the Bishop’s Appeal according to the following schedule:

The Appeal takes place during Lent to highlight the Church’s invitation to prayer, penance and almsgiving that is addressed to all the faithful on Ash Wednesday. The Bishop’s Appeal is a request for a planned, sacrificial gift from all the faithful of the Diocese to support the life and the ministries of the Catholic Church in Bermuda. I hope and pray that you will generously support this year’s Bishop’s Appeal despite the difficult economic times we are all facing.

I am pleased to share the good news with you that there will be a new initiative in outreach and ministry to the sick and the homebound. This new ministry will be inaugurated at the end of January and it will be a collaborative effort of the Stewardship Office of the Diocese, the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Sisters of Charity. Look for further information in the parishes on the week-end of 30^th & 31^st January.

The women of the Diocese are invited to participate in a retreat that is planned for the week-end of the 12^th – 14^th February 2010. Sr. Pat Wilson of the Sisters of Charity will direct the retreat and the sessions will take place at Grotto Bay Hotel. This is an excellent opportunity for spiritual growth and renewal guided by Sister Pat who is well known in Bermuda and returns to us to share her experience in the spiritual life and ministry in the Church. Registration forms are available in the parishes or by calling Caritas House of Prayer (236-5877).

Our Diocese will observe the World Day of Prayer for the Consecrated Life with an evening Mass at St. Patrick’s Church on 2^nd February 2010 at 7:30pm. Fr. Harry Reitzel, C.R., Pastor of Stella Maris Church, will preside and preach at the Liturgy. The Sisters of Charity and the Priests and Brother of the Congregation of the Resurrection will renew their religious vows of consecration at the Mass. Please come to the Mass to support the Religious of our Diocese and to pray for new vocations to the religious Life here in Bermuda and throughout the world.

Fr. Paul Voisin, C.R., the Director of the Permanent Diaconate Program, informs me that several men have expressed interest in the Diaconate Program and that the admission process is now in progress. We hope to have the candidates approved and announced to the Diocese in the next few weeks to begin the program in February. I consider it a great sign of God’s favor that we do have candidates for the Diaconate Program in our Diocese. I also see this grace as a sign of the spiritual fruitfulness of the prayers of our people in this Year of the Priest since Deacons participate in the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Mrs. Sue Moench, Principal of MSA, and Mrs. Margaret Di Giacomo, Assistant Principal, along with Mrs. Sheryl Hawkins, Curriculum Consultant, will be visiting our parishes to inform you about our Catholic School and the efforts that are being made to improve it. Catholic Education is an essential element in the ministry of the Church. Our one and only Catholic School in Bermuda needs and deserves our interest and support. Take advantage of the visit to your parish to meet with the principals and Mrs. Hawkins to learn more about MSA and the efforts to revise the curriculum to better meet the needs of our students.

As Lent approaches I want to encourage you to visit St. Theresa’s Cathedral on Saturdays from 9:30am to 3:30pm for silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. The Sacrament Chapel provides an oasis of peace and quiet for silent prayer for your personal needs and the needs of our Church and our world. Come and pray for an end to violence and gang warfare in Bermuda! Eucharistic Adoration has continued at our Cathedral for several years now and I am convinced that it is a source of spiritual strength and blessing for all the people of our Diocese.

Before long we will begin the season of Lent with its call to conversion and spiritual renewal through prayer, penance and almsgiving. Check your parish bulletins for the listing of services on Ash Wednesday and other programs of spiritual enrichment being offered. There will be a 12:10pm Mass on Ash Wednesday and all the weekdays of Lent at the Cathedral for the convenience of people working in Hamilton. I encourage you to participate in the Lenten “Way of the Cross” in your Parish Church as well as the Confession Services planned for the whole Diocese on Thursday, 18^th March at the Cathedral and on Wednesday, 24^th March at St. Patrick’s Church. The services will begin at 7:30pm.

Fr. James Wahl, C.R. will be visiting Bermuda during Lent and he has graciously offered to give three conferences on the History of the Catholic Church. This will be an excellent opportunity to grasp the bigger picture of Church History in a short time with the help of an experienced teacher of Church history. Details of the conferences will be announced later.

Would you like to make this Lent something special? How about participating in the Monday Night sessions of “Lectio Divina” at the Cathedral Hall at 7:30pm? The session consists in reviewing the Scripture Readings for the following Sunday in a meditative fashion with a sharing of personal reflections and prayer based on the readings. It is an excellent way to enter into the spirit of Lent and the message of the Lenten Sunday liturgies.

I send you greetings and promised prayers from the quiet confines of the Trappist Abbey of Mepkin on the shores of the Cooper River in Charleston, South Carolina. The welcoming brochure that is given to the guests says that the monastic life of prayer at the Abbey is fed by a threefold stream: Lectio Divina, Opus Dei and Work. Lectio Divina is simply the prayerful reading of Sacred Scripture, a practice developed in the medieval monasteries and now becoming more appreciated throughout the Church in our own day. Opus Dei, the “work of God” is the monastic term used to describe the chanting of the psalms and the Liturgy of the Hours in the context of the communal prayer that permeates the monastic day. Finally, “Work” refers to manual labor and all the other tasks needed to provide for the good order and livelihood of the monastery. So it is, that in an atmosphere of silence, these three streams will nourish my life for the next five weeks. Be assured that you and all the members of the Church in Bermuda will be in my thoughts and prayers on a daily basis. If you would like to learn more about Mepkin Abbey you can consult the website: www.mepkinabbey.org.

The liturgical feast of All Souls occurs on November 2nd. On this day the Church reminds us and invites us to pray for all those “who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.” This year’s Diocesan Mass for all the faithful departed will take place on Saturday, November 7th, at 11:00am in St. Theresa’s Cathedral. The members of our parishes who have died in the past year will be mentioned and

commemorated in a special way at this Mass. I encourage all the members of the Diocese, but especially the family members of the recently deceased to attend the All Souls Day Mass at the Cathedral.

On the weekend of November 21st and 22nd, a special collection will be taken up throughout the Diocese for the Regional Seminary of the Antilles Episcopal Conference. All the Dioceses of the Conference are suffering from a lack of priestly vocations. In the past two years no new students have entered the seminary. This year three students have entered and the Seminary now has eight students. Three of those eight students will complete their seminary education next year. The small number of students is causing severe financial hardship for the Seminary. In this Year of the Priest when we continue to pray for all priests and for new vocations to the Priesthood, the special collection will also allow us to express our solidarity and financial support for the men studying for the Priesthood at the Regional Seminary of our Episcopal Conference. I serve as the Chairman of the Board for the Regional Seminary and I can assure you that the Please be generous in your donations to the Regional Seminary collection. I also take this opportunity to thank you for your personal contributions to the members of the Filipino Community who have been collecting funds for disaster relief in the Philippines. Many of the families of our Filipino parishioners have been affected by flooding and mudslides. The Diocese has contributed $1,000 to this private relief effort. Another $2,500 from the Diocese’s Charitable Reserve Funds will be sent to Caritas International, the Vatican’s Catholic Relief Office, to assist the people of Indonesia, Samoa and the Philippines who have suffered from the recent natural disasters. Caritas International has direct links with the Bishops and Catholic Relief Agencies throughout the world.

On Saturday, October 24th, St. Patrick’s parish community celebrated the 40^th Anniversary of the building of the parish church. On this happy occasion the new Rogers Organ was blessed and the anniversary Liturgy was embellished by the voices of a special choir assembled for the occasion. Congratulations are extended to Fr. Paul Voisin, C.R. and all the members of St. Patrick’s Parish who, by their faith and work as well as their generous financial support, have made St. Patrick’s the outstanding parish it is today.

Mrs. LaVerne Lau, the Diocesan Director of Stewardship, and I attended the International Stewardship Conference in Dallas, Texas from October 12-14, 2009. I am always enriched spiritually by attending these conferences. It was encouraging tobe in the presence of 700+ participants from the USA, Canada and at least 30 other countries, people who are so positive and enthusiastic about their Faith and the life of the Church. Two things struck me at this year’s Conference: (1) More than ever before, I see that Stewardship is a way of life, a contemporary spirituality of discipleship that takes into account all aspects of our life in the modern world. It is not a doctrine, a passing fad or merely a contemporary religious movement that, at

some point, will have seen its day. (2) Secondly, I was impressed by the progress made by so many parishes in the use of technology in serving their people through the efficient management of data and the

means of communication. For example, in the USA there are 3,700 parishes and 37 Dioceses using a total data management system called “ParishSoft.” We will be looking at a data management system for our Diocese, especially as we move toward organizing a Diocesan Census in the coming year. Mrs. LaVerne Lau will share more information about the Conference at the Diocesan Stewardship Dinner that is scheduled for November 19, 2009. More specific information about this event will be published in the parish bulletins.

A town hall meeting on the Permanent Diaconate in Bermuda was held at the Cathedral Hall on Wednesday, October 21st. About 20 people attended the meeting along with all but one of the Pastors of our parishes. Fr. Paul, the Diocesan Director for the Diaconate program, described the steps that have been taken so far to establish the Diaconate in Bermuda. He spoke of the consultation process that took place where all the people attending the weekend Masses were invited to submit names of men whom they would recommend to be deacons. The consultation produced a list of 29 recommended candidates. These men were contacted personally by Fr. Paul and invited to discern the possibility of entering the Diaconate Formation Program. The process of discernment and decision continues with a

process of formal registration, interviews and actual admission to the first stage of the formation program called the “Aspirancy.” The target date for the beginning of the formation program is January, 2010.

Recently, President Obama declared a state of emergency regarding the Swine Flu virus in order to mobilize the people of the United States to take serious measures to control the spread of the very dangerous H1N1 flu virus. The Diocese has also seen fit to enact some measures that are intended to protect those who gather for Mass from spreading the flu virus. Basically these measures call for the sanitizing of hands, especially by the ministers of Holy Communion, and eliminating the handshake of peace and sharing the cup at the Mass. Communion will be distributed only in the hand. These are temporary measures that go into effect on November 1, 2009 and will extend until the end of the flu season on Easter Sunday, April 3, 2010. The full text describing these measures has appeared in the parish bulletins and is available in all the parishes.

The Royal Gazette for Saturday, October 24th, carried a long and well written article describing the soon to be released document from Pope Benedict welcoming Anglican clergy and laity into the Catholic Church. The so-called “Apostolic Constitution” by the Holy Father will authorize a separate Catholic Church structure called a “Personal Ordinariate” to serve the Anglo-Catholic community, complete with an appointed Bishop, a welcome to married Anglican Priests and provisions for a Liturgical Rite of the Mass based on the present Anglican Ritual and the Book of Common Prayer. These are some of the most sweeping changes in Anglican-Catholic relations since the time of the Reformation itself! As expected, the media critics of Pope Benedict’s decision describe the move as “poaching” and proselytism. However, Cardinal Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, described the Holy Father’s decision as a gesture of welcome and pastoral outreach to the hundreds of people and groups that made formal requests to him for assistance. These are people whose faith has been shaken by recent decisions and practices in the Anglican and more specifically in the American Episcopal Church promoting the ordination of women as priests and bishops, as well as the stance taken on gay marriages and active homosexuals serving in the ministry. The Catholic Church’s teaching and practice on Ecumenism does not call for the absorption of all other Christian Churches into the Catholic Church. Rather, it challenges all Christian Churches to stand before the truth as revealed in God’s Word, the Sacred Scriptures, and the long-standing tradition of the Church in interpreting the Scriptures. We need to pray that this will be a moment of grace and blessing for the Anglican Church, the Catholic Church and especially for the people whose lives will be affected by the new Apostolic Constitution to be promulgated by Pope Benedict.

The Peace and Social Justice Committee of the Diocesan Pastoral Council will be presenting its second annual award to the “Progressive Group” on Friday, November 6th, at 7:00pm in St. Theresa’s Cathedral Hall. Several members of our Catholic Community are members of the “Progressive Group” that was so instrumental in eliminating segregation from Bermuda society. All are invited to be present to honor these heroes of Bermuda history and society.

Pastoral Update

September 27, 2009

Dear Friends in Christ,

I would like to share some thoughts with you on a few of the issues and events of our Diocese as we begin a new Pastoral Year.

Our Diocesan Website is in the process of being re-designed in order to be of better service to the people of the Diocese. As a result, we will no longer be printing a Diocesan Pastoral Newsletter. All the information usually contained in the Newsletter will be available on the Website (catholicbermuda.org). However, since I am one of the “older generation”, I will continue to write a “Pastoral Update” from time to time to be included in the Parish Bulletins for the convenience of those who do not have access to the Internet.

After a great deal of prayer and discussion, we have decided to begin the process of establishing a formation program for the Permanent Diaconate in our Diocese. The official announcement and initial explanation of the Diaconate Program took place during the homilies at all the Masses in our Parishes on the weekend of September 12th and 13th. The first phase of the program is one of invitation and discernment. All those attending Masses on the weekend of September 19th & 20th were asked to nominate or suggest men whom they saw as worthy candidates for the Diaconate Program. It is my hope and prayer that men from our parishes will answer the Lord’s call to serve the Church in Bermuda as Permanent Deacons. Fr. Paul Voisin, C.R. will serve as the Director of the Diaconate

On June 19th, Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated the Year of the Priest. He called upon all the members of the Catholic Church to pray for their priests through

the intercession of Saint John Mary Vianney, the Patron of Priests. The 150th Anniversary of his death in Ars, France occurs this year. Posters and Holy Cards have been distributed to all the parishes of the Diocese. A special prayer for the Year of the Priest composed for Bermuda is printed on the back of the Holy Card. Many, if not all of our parishes, are using the prayer to conclude the Prayer of the Faithful at the weekend Masses. An icon of St. John Mary Vianney has been presented to each Parish and to Caritas House of Prayer. These Holy Cards and Icons are reminders of the need to pray for our priests and for vocations to the priesthood and the Permanent Diaconate from our own families and parishes.

Our Annual Diocesan Assembly will take place on the weekend of January 29-30, 2010. For this Assembly we will embark on a new and exciting adventure by inviting Mr. Damon Owens, a highly qualified and entertaining speaker from the “Theology of the Body Institute,” located in Philadelphia, PA. The Assembly is envisioned as a weekend event with a special session for young people on Friday afternoon, January 29th. Damon Owens will address the Diocesan Assembly on Friday evening. Then, on Saturday, January 30th, he will direct a full day Seminar at the Cathedral Hall from 9:00am to 3:00pm. A textbook to facilitate following the presentations as well as a Noonday lunch will be provided. The members of the Diocesan Pastoral Council and I believe that the time has come to offer the people of our Diocese the opportunity for high level, adult Faith formation in the form of a professional seminar. I hope that this Seminar which will deal with the important topics like the nature of the human person, love, sex and marriage will be of particular interest to our young adults, both married and single. Due to the added expenses involved in this new form of Diocesan Assembly, a registration fee will be asked of all participants. More information regarding the Assembly will be appearing soon in all the parishes.

During this year, the Diocesan Pastoral Council will be developing a plan for a Diocesan Census. Accurate data on the members of our parishes will enable our Pastors and Lay Ministers to be more

effective in their service to the members of the parish. The hope is that an effective census will lead to a more effective and welcoming outreach to the inactive members of our Church. Census should lead to Evangelization and outreach.

Because of a very generous gift to the Diocese by Mr. & Mrs. Brian Duperreault, we have been able to begin a process of renovating the exterior of our Cathedral. The patio, walkways and stairs have now been covered with paving bricks that blend beautifully with the Spanish-style architecture of the Cathedral. The galvanized pipes that served as railings have been replaced with proper wrought-iron hand railings. The next phase of the renovations will provide for new and replacement lighting, especially on the Cathedral stairs and patio. Decorative covers will conceal the air conditioning units on the outside of the building. The last phase of the renovation will

consist in restoring the original wood exterior doors. The interior doors will also be restored or replaced, if necessary. The screens on the inner doors will be replaced with glass. Finally, the exterior painting of the lower portion of the Cathedral has begun and will proceed as the work is completed. I hope that the cost of this

restoration project will be covered by the generous gift we received. May the good Lord bless the benefactors of our Church in Bermuda—

In the Book of Psalms we read: “Seventy is the sum of our years, or eighty if we are strong” (Ps.90:10). On July 25th I celebrated my 70th Birthday and, as the words of the Psalmist suggest, it has provided me with reason for reflection. I don’t want my future years to reflect the sadness and pessimism of the second half of the same Psalm

verse cited above: “Most of them are sorrow and toil; they pass quickly and we are but gone.” With the approval of the Apostolic Nuncio and thekind assistance of Fr. Paul Voisin, the Vicar General, and Mrs. Joanne Judd, my Administrative Assistant, I have arranged for a six week Sabbatical beginning on October 26th. I plan to spend five weeks at Mepkin Abbey, a Trappist Monastery near Charleston, South Carolina. The sixth week will be spent visiting family and members of the Congregation of the Resurrection in the Chicago area. There is no special “Sabbatical Program” at Mepkin Abbey, just the regular order of prayer and work that characterize the life of the monastic community. I am looking forward to the peace and quiet of Mepkin Abbey to allow me to engage in a review of life, an inward journey that will prepare me spiritually for the remaining five years of my ministry as Bishop in Bermuda and beyond. I will return to Bermuda on December 9th. While at Mepkin Abbey I will certainly be praying for you and for the Church in Bermuda. Please remember me in your prayers as well.

1. The Patronal Feast of our Cathedral and our Diocese will be celebrated on October 3rd and 4th. Most Rev. Donald Reece, the Archbishop of Kingston, Jamaica and the President of the Antilles

Episcopal Conference will be the guest of honor at the St. Theresa’s Dinner on Saturday, October 3rd, at the Cathedral Hall. Tickets are available at the Cathedral Rectory. Archbishop Reece will preside

and preach at the 11:30 Mass at the Cathedral on Sunday, October 4th. A fellowship gathering will follow the Mass to allow people to meet the Archbishop.

2. Bible Study of Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans will begin on Thursday, October 1st at 7:15pm at St. Anthony’s Parish Hall. The study will be guided by Fr. Joseph Morley. The Bible Study will

3. Another group meets every Monday night at the Cathedral Hall at 7:30pm for Lectio Divina, reflection and prayer on the Scripture readings for the following Sunday. Here too, all are welcome.

The full effect of the Flu season is approaching. This year the Influenza A (H1N1) virus that causes “Swine Flu” poses a serious threat to the health of our Island Community. Based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization and in response to the concerns of the medical community in Bermuda, I have consulted with the Pastors of our parish communities and with their approval I recommend that the following measures be adopted on an interim basis in all our parishes and worshipping communities:

1) Parishioners are advised to refrain from shaking hands during the sign of peace and simply bow or say “Peace be with you” to fellow parishioners.

2) Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should use hand sanitizing liquid before distributing Holy Communion. They should receive communion only in the hand and not from the cup.

5) Parishioners experiencing fever, worsening cough, chills and fatigue should consult with their physician and refrain from attending Mass.

6) Parishes are recommended to have alcohol based hand sanitizers for use by the parishioners attending Mass.

These temporary measures will be in force from November 1, 2009 until Easter Sunday, April 3, 2010. Your cooperation is urgently requested for the good of the whole community.