# Eparchial Clergy Study Days 2024

- Link: https://nweparchy.ca/2024/10/eparchial-clergy-study-days-2024/
- Published: 2024-10-31T21:18:17-07:00
- Author: Website

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From 29 to 31 of October 2024, Study Days for the Clergy of the Eparchy of New Westminster
took place at the Bishop Jerome Eparchial Centre in New Westminster. This event 
gathered priests from around the Eparchy to discuss urgent issues of parish life,
financial resources, and the future development of the Eparchy.

**In the first session, the following key topics were discussed:**

• Parish statistics and current status: discussions on the pastoral realities and
directions for the Eparchy’s growth.

• Each priest provided a comprehensive report on the state of each of their parishes.

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**Day Two: Catechetical Ministry for Children and Adults; Financial Resources Discussion.**

The second day began with and early morning Divine Liturgy at Holy Eucharist Cathedral.
The main topics of the day included:

• Catechesis as a Vital Aspect of Pastoral Work

During the Study Days, Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski emphasized the central role of
catechesis in the life of every parish and the entire eparchy. He stressed that 
catechesis is not merely about imparting knowledge but about nurturing a deep understanding
of the faith in the faithful, leading to a more living and active spiritual life.
It was stressed that the renewal and support of catechetical programs are a priority
for the eparchy, as it is through these programs the faith becomes alive and an 
informed and active participation in the life of the Church flows from that.

Fr. Andriy Chornenkyi and Alina Novytska delivered a presentation on their surveys
and research that they conducted since being appointed as the eparchial catechetical
facilitators. Their excellent onscreen presentation  highlighted the need to adapt
educational materials to contemporary realities and parish needs.

Bishop Michael also noted that quality catechesis is key to the growth of future
generations, who must not only know their faith but also live it. He urged priests
and catechists to work actively in this direction, emphasizing the importance of
supporting these initiatives at both the parish and eparchial levels. The clergy
themselves cannot conduct such programs, but they can see to the training for Catechists
and the parishes can easily obtain quality materials online and some will begin 
creating new appropriate resources – especially videos.

**• The Financial Needs of the Eparchy and Parishes**

In addition to catechesis an in depth, and sometimes difficult to face, reality 
of the overall financial status of the eparchy and each of the parishes was thoroughly
reviewed. The Chair of the Eparchial Financial Council, Robert Lashin and Eparchial
Accountant Alla Eismont spent all the time needed to present the stats and answer
any questions. Naturally, the need  for greater financial resources became obvious
in order for the eparchy to meet all the pastoral needs. This includes everything
from providing pastors to reaching out to the new faith communities that are slowly
developing in new areas of the eparchy. It was pointed out that the financial existence
of parishes depends on the collective efforts of all the faithful.  Bishop Michael
noted that every parish is certainly a spiritual community but it also requires 
the wherewithal to also be a financially stable one, requiring more volunteer involvement
and support from its members with regard to donations, but also fundraising efforts
that also provides an opportunity for community building.

All were encouraged to be more active in fundraising and charitable initiatives,
and in developing programs that help the community grow and meet its needs. This
is especially crucial given the current economic challenges facing many parishes.

Additional discussions covered statutes and policies as well as reports on the pastoral
and administrative activities of the Eparchy.

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**Day three: A Look to the Future**

The final day of the Clergy Study, October 31, naturally began with an early Eucharistic
Liturgy – which was attended by a number of local parishioners. This was followed
by a good breakfast – prepared by Olya Hryshko, who prepared excellent meals throughout
the three-day event. The focus was on the Church’s mission, the charisms of the 
Eparchy, and reflections on the 50th anniversary of the New Westminster Eparchy.
One of the highlights of the day was a very helpful presentation on psychological
observations in dealing with stress, led by Marichka Trakalo.

The Clergy Study Days concluded with lunch, a praying of the sixth hour and a heartfelt
commissioning blessing from Bishop Michael, after which the priests returned to 
their parishes, God-willing, enriched with new knowledge and ideas for developing
their local communities together with all the members of those communities.

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