From April 22nd to 25th, 2024, a retreat was held for the priests of the New Westminster Eparchy at the amazing Seton House of Prayer in Kelowna. The purpose of these days of spiritual renewal was to provide an opportunity for the clergy to enrich their personal spiritual experience through shared prayer, reflections provided by Bishop Michael, and personal interaction with the Lord. They reflected on the example of a priest's relationship with God and his parishioners. At one point, the importance of Sacramental Confession was also stressed, because of the need for a priest to prioritize the spiritual life.
At the conclusion of the retreat, Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski thanked all the priests for their dedicated service that required sacrifice and emphasized the importance of the prayers we pray daily as they guide us as to what we should acquire and develop and what we should let go of. Prayer opens our relationship with God.
Today, April 22, 2024, we began the retreat for the priests of the New Westminster Eparchy.
โWho do we follow? Where are we going? Whom do we trust? What does our heart ask?โ - these are among the main reflections of this retreat led by Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski.
Letโs listen to the voice of God and say "yes". Place our trust in Him.
The Lord knocks, but we may not be ready to open the door to Him. Perhaps fear, hesitation about commitment or about giving up certain things, comforts, securities may hold us back. We may be lazy.
Our prayer is a conversation with God; itโs a relationship. But what kind? It depends on us, whether itโs a relationship of love, friendship, or if prayer is just a putting in of time, something we have to do.
Our goal is to speak with God every moment, to pray every time we have free time. To make time for God. To be with God, to be ready for the changes He prepares for us. Because He loves us like no other.
Please pray for your priests, especially during this time of retreat, but also every day.
Father, increase our familyโs love for one another. May we honor each other in times of happiness or hardship, bearing with one another in love, just as You love us. In a special way, help us strive for holiness in our current states of life. Should You call some of us to the priesthood or religious life, help us to respond with courage and joy. Together, we make heaven our goal, and pledge, with Your grace, to help each other on lifeโs journey to You. Through the intercession of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Amen (https://worlddayofprayerforvocations.com)
Everyone Has a Divine Vocation
โJesus has a specific task in life for each and every one of us. Each one of us is hand-picked, called by name by Jesus! There is no one among us who does not have a divine vocation! Some are called audibly by God, but the usual kind of call is internal, through the inner working of the Spirit.โ
โ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WELCOME TO ALPHA - A SERIES OF MEETINGS THAT WILL IGNITE YOUR SOUL! Join us for an extraordinary journey into the essence of life and the depths of Christian faith, surrounded by an atmosphere of pure joy and blossoming friendships.
Alpha is more than just meetings. It's a genuine explosion of emotions born among true friends! Each course comprises delectable food, intriguing topics, and lively discussions.
Don't miss the chance to be part of the Alpha course, where your soul will radiate with a newfound light!
Date: September 19-22, 2024 Location: Calgary, Alberta - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church Pastor: Father Roman Planchak Accommodation: Holiday Inn Calgary Airport โ 1250 McKinnon Drive NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7T7
Hotel blocks/deals have been negotiated and booked at $159.00/night (+tax) for up to 4 people including hot breakfasts. This also includes shuttle to/from the airport and, as available, to/from the church.
Registration cost: Fees are proposed the same as last year at $200/person with a student rate. The committee is looking at providing a potential family rate.
Program: Workshop streams offered will be pulled from the services that will be focused on during the conference. Work is being done to finalize service texts for publishing for use at SingCon conferences (and beyond).
Other: The committee is working on acquiring funding from all lay organizations within the Edmonton Eparchy and national Eparchial bodies to help subsidize some costs of registration, printing, etc, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Once this is confirmed we will be able to establish if it is possible to bring down costs of registration for participants.
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