Two priests from the Archdiocese of Caceres in the Philippines will soon be serving in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon, Bishop Mark Hagemoen announced in a clergy assignment update Jan. 29, 2024.
Fr. Arnold Bolima will serve as Associate Pastor of Saint Anne Parish in Saskatoon.
Fr. Joe-Nelo Penino will serve as Associate Pastor at both the Cathedral of the Holy Family and Holy Spirit parishes in Saskatoon.
Fr. Cosmas Epifano, OSB
Fr. Cosmas Epifano, OSB, who has been providing sacramental and spiritual care at Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in Saskatoon as well as serving as a support chaplain at St. Paul’s Hospital, will be returning to his Benedictine community of St. Peter’s Abbey in Muenster, SK, as of Jan. 31, 2024.
Fr. Kevin McGee continues to serve as the Parochial Administrator for Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish.
“We ask for God’s blessings on them as they move forward to new assignments and endeavours,” said Bishop Hagemoen.
Bishop Mark Hagemoen joined residents and guests at St. Angela Merici Residence Jan. 27 to celebrate the memorial of the saint who founded the Ursuline order of consecrated religious women.
Bishop Mark Hagemoen, Sr. Anne Lewans, OSU, and Fr. Ken Beck (l-r) at the St. Angela Merici Residence celebration Jan. 27. (Photo by Raissa Bugyi, Diocese of Saskatoon Catholic Foundation)
The feast day celebration at St. Angela Merici Residence began with Mass concelebrated by Bishop Hagemoen and Fr. Ken Beck.
Lector for the celebration of the Eucharist was Sr. Ludvina Scheck, OSU; cantor was Director of Spiritual Care and Mission Judy Gatin; with music ministry led by Sr. Teresita Kambeitz, OSU, and prayers of the faithful by Sr. Louisa Brost, OSU.
Following Mass, a mural describing the history and the ministry of the Ursulines of Prelate was dedicated.
The St. Angela Merici faith-based residence — established by the Ursulines in Saskatoon and now operated by Emmanuel Care — was named in honour of the saint who started the Company of St. Ursula in 1535, an order dedicated to education. The Ursulines of Prelate were established in St. Joseph’s Colony (now the western portion of the diocese of Saskatoon) more than 100 years ago, beginning with three sisters from Germany – Mother Clementia Graffelder, Mother Luitgardis Kratochwill, and Sister Thekla Bonus, who came to establish schools at the invitation of Fr. Joseph Riedinger, OMI.
During the dedication celebration on the Feast of St. Angela, Sr. Anne Lewans, OSU, provided an overview of St. Angela Merici Residence and the mural project.
Bishop Mark Hagemoen and Sr. Anne Lewans, OSU, of the Ursulines of Prelate at a dedication for a new “Educating For Life” mural about the history and ministry of the Ursulines of Prelate, which was held Jan. 27 on the memorial of St. Angela Merici, founder of the Ursuline order. (Photo by Raisa Bugyi, Diocese of Saskatoon Catholic Foundation)
“This personal care home was originally built in 1986 as a retirement home for the Ursuline Sisters. It was named after our foundress, St. Angela Merici,” said Lewans. “Over the years since then, there have been many changes and some significant transformations.”
She noted that in 1986, when this residence was opened, the Sisters in residence were still quite able, with some still engaged in volunteer ministry in the community. “As years passed the needs of the resident Sisters were changing…until in 2000 we hired the first care aides. Gradually, more lay staff were added in all departments – care of the Sisters, food services, maintenance and management.”
In 2017, a Personal Care Home license was granted for the facility to operate according to Saskatchewan Health Authority Policies, and receive residents other than Ursuline Sisters. “Two years later, in 2019, we acted on a decision our community had made in 2015.. …to transfer ownership and management of St. Angela Merici Residence to Emmanuel Care – the Catholic Health Corporation of Saskatchewan. This transfer was celebrated January 6, 2020 – just before the pandemic was declared.”
As part of the transfer of ownership, the Ursulines of Prelate began the process of finding homes for museum artifacts located in a Heritage Room in the building. “It was decided to dismantle the Heritage Room and donate its contents to schools, parishes and organizations that would use them to continue our mission of ‘Educating for Life.’ This was a major task, and was completed just a few months ago,” said Lewans.
“In order to preserve our story and some of the more valuable artifacts of the Ursuline Sisters, we asked and received permission from Anne Miller, Executive Director of St. Angela Merici Residence, to create the display you see before you,” explained Lewans, noting the “time, effort and love” that the leadership team put into planning the display.
“The mural is a brief history of our Ursuline Congregation, and the cabinet of artifacts contains tangible items that illustrate part of that history” she said. “It certainly is appropriate for us to dedicate it today on the feast of St. Angel Merici who is both the foundress of the Ursuline Order and also the patron saint of this residence.
Ursulines of Prelate Sr. Teresita Kambeitz, OSU, Sr. Anne Lewans, OSU, and Sr. Dianne Sehn, OSU (l-r), with consultant Deanna Miller, who created the display dedicated at St. Angela Merici Residence Jan. 27, 2024. (Photo courtesy of the Ursuliines of Prelate)
Lewans also acknowledged the work of professional designer Deanna Miller who helped the Ursulines of Prelate leadership team design the mural. “Thank you very much Deanna; we could not have done this without you! I also acknowledge the practical work of 77 Signs, the company that printed and installed the mural and did the necessary carpentry work.”
K of C Charitable Foundation Chair Harvey Granatier and Saskatoon Bishop Mark Hagemoen enter the Saskatoon Fieldhouse during the K of C Indoor Games Opening Ceremony Jan. 25. (Photo courtesy of Saskatchewan Knights of Columbus)
Bishop Mark Hagemoen brought a blessing prayer and words of appreciation and encouragement to the Saskatoon Fieldhouse Jan. 25 as another Knights of Columbus Indoor Games event began.
The Opening Ceremony was followed by two days of competition and achievement by students and athletes of every level.
State Deputy Larry Packet addresses the crowd at the Saskatoon Fieldhouse Jan. 25 during the Opening Ceremony for the 2024 K of C Indoor Games. (Photo courtesy of Saskatchewan Knights of Columbus)
By Bishop Mark Hagemoen, Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon
Dear Clergy, Religious, and Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Saskatoon:
The day of prayer for Reverence for Life will be celebrated in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon on Sunday, January 28, 2024, providing our faith communities with an opportunity for prayers, reflection and discussion about the value of the precious gift of human life.
This past year has featured terrible conflicts in many parts of the world, including the terrible wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. I continue to hear from many that our current world affairs highlight both the fragility and strength of human life. In these times of reflecting on the prayer of St. Francis, “Lord, make me a channel of your peace,” we continue to hear this prayer in terms of the care of the vulnerable, and especially with regards to the protection and care for the unborn, our elders, and critically ill in our communities.
SINS AGAINST HUMAN LIFE CONTRIBUTES TO AN UNCARING & UTILITARIAN CULTURE
Canada continues to deal with the tragic repercussions of the removal of abortion from the Criminal Code. We now mark the 36th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Morgentaler case on January 28, 1988, which removed all remaining restrictions on abortion in Canada. Incredibly applauded by many in our society, this moment in our nation’s history holds within it the tragic reality of millions of lost lives.
Victims of abortion include the unborn children who are killed, but also the mothers, fathers and families left wounded after an abortion. The community is also weakened and damaged as the weakest and most vulnerable among us are not valued and protected.
As the Canadian government continues to seek to expand access to doctor-assisted suicide, also known as Medical Aid in Dying or “MAiD” – the words of the Holy Father only a few years ago continue to ring prophetic:
“The victims of this [throwaway] culture are precisely the weakest and most fragile human beings – the unborn, the poorest, the sick and elderly, the seriously handicapped, etc. – who are in danger of being ‘thrown away’, expelled from a system that must be efficient at all costs.”
During the Papal visit to Canada on his “Penitential Pilgrimage” for healing and reconciliation in July 2022, Pope Francis called on all Canadians and people of good will to dream and work for a future that is able to see the God-given dignity of all peoples, and gain inspiration from Indigenous people’s cherishing of the relationship between elders and youth. On the feast day of Saints Joachim and Ann, he implored these grandparents of Our Lord to help us treasure the presence of our elders in order to create a better future:
“…a future in which the elderly are not cast aside because, from a ‘practical’ standpoint, they are ‘no longer useful’. A future that does not judge the value of people simply by what they can produce. A future that is not indifferent to the need of the aged to be cared for and listened to. A future in which the history of violence and marginalization suffered by our indigenous brothers and sisters is never repeated. That future is possible if, with God’s help, we do not sever the bond that joins us with those who have gone before us, and if we foster dialogue with those who will come after us. Young and old, grandparents and grandchildren, all together. Let us move forward together, and together, let us dream.”
This statement reminds me of the Holy Father’s call several years ago to continue the steady work to turn our culture from one of convenience and short-sightedness, to a cultural movement that seeks – through good-will and honest reflection – the realization of a truly human culture.
INCOMPATIBILITY OF ‘CARE FOR CREATION’ with ABORTION & EUTHANASIA
Pope Francis continually highlights that respect for creation and for human dignity are issues that are only realized together. As he states in his 2023 Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum:
“Everything is connected …no one is saved alone” (#19)
“… our admiration at progress blinded us to the horror of its consequences. But that risk is always present, because “our immense technological development has not been accompanied by a development in human responsibility, values and conscience… We stand naked and exposed in the face of our ever-increasing power, lacking the wherewithal to control it.” (#24)
“To recognize… that human life is incomprehensible and unsustainable without other creatures. As part of the universe… all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with a sacred, affectionate and humble respect.” (#67)
The Gospel’s moral and social teaching calls on all people of good will to bring to bear intellectual, social, and political consciousness on the blatant inconsistency that is affecting the well-being and flourishing of human cultures through our world. As Pope Francis states:
“It is necessary to raise awareness and form the lay faithful, in whatever state, especially those engaged in the field of politics, so that they may think in accord with the Gospel and the social doctrine of the Church and act consistently by dialoguing and collaborating with those who, in sincerity and intellectual honesty, share – if not the faith – at least a similar vision of mankind and society and its ethical consequences.
This effort is at the service of every person on the planet! If we do not engage in calling each other to a greater and fuller humanity, we should then not be surprised at the larger deterioration of a culture of human care and respect.
THE LOSS OF HEART
Current advances in science, genetics and embryology clearly show the distinct humanity of each unborn child, which comes into existence at conception. Each new, distinct human person shares the fundamental human right to life that we as Canadians celebrate and support on so many other fronts.
Failing to recognize that right has left our country damaged – not only in the missing and lost lives of millions of unborn children – but also in removing ‘the heart’ from our society. Devaluing human life at any age or stage has inexorably led to the legalization and growing acceptance in our country of euthanasia and assisted suicide: our lives seem to cease to have meaning and value as we face the fear of not being ‘useful’, or that we are a ‘problem’ to those on whom we rely for care.
The ‘loss of heart’ is also the root cause of so many other evils in our midst, including: discrimination, injustice and racism, violence, poverty and hunger, debilitating addiction. It also contributes to the problem of indifference towards those outside my own immediate circle of concern. The recovery of heart will be a very important feature in the coming times – as we work towards the goals of healing and reconciliation with Indigenous and all peoples. The recovery of heart must also contribute to finding true and lasting pathways for a true peace – not a superficial peace that removes us from caring for and being engaged with one another.
Sisters and brothers, let us respond to loss of heart by holding steady to the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: the Sacred Heart for our world. I bring you this message on the memorial of the first woman saint of Canada, St. Marguerite Bourgeoys (Jan. 12) – who dedicated her life and religious community to care and education children and youth of all races and creeds – especially those dealing with poverty and other disadvantages. Let us join in our common prayer for Reverence for Life on January 28, and throughout this year.
Sisters and Brothers, we pray that as a people and nation we may re-discover our heart!
Yours in Christ
Most Reverend Mark A. Hagemoen
___________________________
“Nazareth” – painting by Michael O’Brien: used with permission on the Reverence for Life prayer card, Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon
Prayer:
Almighty God, giver of all that is good,
we thank you for the precious gift of human life:
For life in the womb, coming from your creative power,
For the life of children, making us glad with their freshness and promise,
For the life of young people, hoping for a better world,
For the life of people who are disabled, teaching us that every life has value,
For the life of the elderly, witnessing to the ageless values of patience and wisdom.
Like Blessed Mary, may we always say “yes” to Your gift.
Help us to realize the sacredness of human life and to respect and cherish it from conception to its natural end.
And bring us at last, O Father, to the fullness of eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
AMEN
Prière
Dieu Tout-Puissant, donateur de tout ce qui est bon, nous te remercions pour le don précieux de la vie humaine:
Pour la vie dans le sein maternel, provenant de ton pouvoir créatif,
Pour la vie des enfants, nous rendant heureux de leur fraîcheur et de leur promesse,
Pour la vie des jeunes, espérant pour un monde formidable,
Pour la vie des personnes qui sont handicapées, nous apprenant que toute vie a de la valeur,
Pour la vie des personnes âgées, témoignant des valeurs intemporelles de patience et de sagesse.
Comme la bienheureuse Marie, puissions-nous toujours dire “oui” à Ton don.
Aide-nous à réaliser le caractère sacré de la vie humaine, à la respecter et à la chérir de la conception à sa fin naturelle.
Et amène-nous enfin, ô Père, à la plénitude de la vie éternelle en Jésus-Christ notre Seigneur
Bishop Mark Hagemoen of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon was among the Catholic bishops of Western Canada attending a recent retreat held at Westminster Abbey in Mission BC.
The annual retreat for the Association of Western Canadian Bishops (AWCB) Jan. 8 to 12 was led by Cardinal Thomas Collins.
Bishop Mark Hagemoen celebrated Mass in the chapel at “Mary’s House” on Jan. 3, 2024. (Photos courtesy of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary)
By Sr. April Mireau, Sisters of the Presentation of Mary
This new year marks a new beginning for the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary in the opening of Mary’s House in Saskatoon. This house is a place of hospitality where the Sisters hope to welcome youth and invite women for a live-in experience of religious life.
On Jan. 3, 2024, the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, Bishop Mark Hagemoen of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon celebrated Mass in the new chapel and blessed the house. The evening concluded with a festive meal.
At Mary’s House, women will be invited to come live community life with the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, while working and studying, in order to discern how God is calling them.
Bishop Mark Hagemoen celebrated Mass in the chapel at “Mary’s House” on Jan. 3, 2024, and blessed the house, which the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary will be opening up to young women discerning their vocation. (Photos courtesy of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary)
The Sisters will also be offering a weekend “Come and See” live-in retreat for women Feb 16-19, 2024. For more information and registration, contact: aprilmireau@gmail.com or (306) 531-9937.
Please keep the Sisters in your prayers, as well as the young women who are discerning their vocation.
Bishop Mark Hagemoen brings greetings and reflections in this message to the diocese for Christmas 2023, focused on the great love of God and the profound hope that Jesus Christ brings to our world, a Light in our darkness.
By Bishop Mark Hagemoen, Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1: 1-5)
(Photo by Bishop Mark Hagemoen)
This New Testament passage from St. John continues to inspire and encourage me. It is the introduction of the Gospel of St. John, which is proclaimed on Christmas Day.
(Photo by Bishop Mark Hagemoen)
During theses darker of colder days, in the midst of a world wracked with violence and strife, our hearts are again stirred by the meaning and metaphors of darkness and light. It is so good to appreciate that the light infuses all darkness, and that darkness can never overcome light. A similar message comes to us from the prophet Isaiah, who proclaims: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of great darkness – on them, light has shined.” (Isaiah 9:2)
In this time of war and conflict in so many places in our world – and in the face of the great daily challenges facing so many vulnerable people affected by confusion and hopelessness, and also poverty, homelessness, illness, and other ‘losses’ – we long more than ever for great light. Our hearts yearn for the fulfillment of the angel’s proclamation at the birth of our Saviour, the Light of the World, Jesus Christ: “Peace on earth, goodwill to those upon whom His favour rests.” (Luke 2:14)
Jesus is the great light and hope that has come into the world. This is the reality that we celebrate joyfully at Christmas. It is the great good news that GOD IS WITH US. Emmanuel has indeed come! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is loving us, suffering with us, caring for us, holding us.
(Photo by Bishop Mark Hagemoen)
I invite you all to take time during this season of preparation and of celebration to renew your awareness that nothing can come between us and the great love of God in Jesus Christ. He brings a new way of peace and healing that fills us with the great rejoicing, that bursts forth in our songs and carols, that is reflected in our lights, decorations and gifts to others: Joy to the World! This awareness also means that we can live and act with a renewed and bold hope.
As Pope Benedict XVI states: “The Christian message is not only ‘informative’ but ‘performative.’ That means: the Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known—it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing. The dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life.” (See Spe Salve, #2)
Participants from Our Lady of Lourdes and several other parishes reflected on their charisms during a 2023 Called and Gifted parish workshop in the diocese of Saskatoon. (Photo by Lina Buendia)
These reflections about hope are a reminder that you and I are called to the hope that finds its source in the Saviour who comes to us at Christmas. The Incarnation – Jesus who is the Word of God made flesh among us – is the inspiration and source of all hope. This awareness has been the inspiration for many who have gone before us.
For example, I cite Saint John Henry Newman, who reminds us that, “The truth has been upheld in the world not as a system, not by books, not by argument, nor by temporal power, but by the personal influence of such men & women as have already been described, who are at once teachers and patterns of it.”
The diocese of Saskatoon delegation to World Youth Day in Portugal in the summer of 2023. (Submitted photo)
May we be teachers and patterns of hope as we are renewed by the celebration of the Christmas season. Let us ask ourselves:
How is God calling me to be more fully human, fully alive in my life right now?
Pope Francis greets visitors from the popemobile before his weekly general audience Nov. 15, 2023. (Photo by Pablo Esparza, CNS)
Do I give the Christ permission to take my heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh – one that receives and expresses HOPE?
In what way is this Christmas different for me, in terms of what God wants me to change, to heal and forgive, to live and do differently?
(Photo by Bishop Mark Hagemoen)
(Photo by Bishop Mark Hagemoen)
I take this opportunity to thank you all for your love and faithfulness to God and His people, and his salvific desire for all the world. I also thank you for all that you each do every day to respond to the needs of those you care for, with compassion and care.
I wish you, your families, and communities, a blessed and joy-filled Christmas season!
Bishop Mark Hagemoen brings greetings and reflections in this message to the diocese for Christmas 2023, focused on the great love of God and the profound hope that Jesus Christ brings to our world, a Light in our darkness.
By Bishop Mark Hagemoen, Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1: 1-5)
(Photo by Bishop Mark Hagemoen)
This New Testament passage from St. John continues to inspire and encourage me. It is the introduction of the Gospel of St. John, which is proclaimed on Christmas Day.
(Photo by Bishop Mark Hagemoen)
During theses darker of colder days, in the midst of a world wracked with violence and strife, our hearts are again stirred by the meaning and metaphors of darkness and light. It is so good to appreciate that the light infuses all darkness, and that darkness can never overcome light. A similar message comes to us from the prophet Isaiah, who proclaims: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of great darkness – on them, light has shined.” (Isaiah 9:2)
In this time of war and conflict in so many places in our world – and in the face of the great daily challenges facing so many vulnerable people affected by confusion and hopelessness, and also poverty, homelessness, illness, and other ‘losses’ – we long more than ever for great light. Our hearts yearn for the fulfillment of the angel’s proclamation at the birth of our Saviour, the Light of the World, Jesus Christ: “Peace on earth, goodwill to those upon whom His favour rests.” (Luke 2:14)
Jesus is the great light and hope that has come into the world. This is the reality that we celebrate joyfully at Christmas. It is the great good news that GOD IS WITH US. Emmanuel has indeed come! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is loving us, suffering with us, caring for us, holding us.
(Photo by Bishop Mark Hagemoen)
I invite you all to take time during this season of preparation and of celebration to renew your awareness that nothing can come between us and the great love of God in Jesus Christ. He brings a new way of peace and healing that fills us with the great rejoicing, that bursts forth in our songs and carols, that is reflected in our lights, decorations and gifts to others: Joy to the World! This awareness also means that we can live and act with a renewed and bold hope.
As Pope Benedict XVI states: “The Christian message is not only ‘informative’ but ‘performative.’ That means: the Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known—it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing. The dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life.” (See Spe Salve, #2)
Participants from Our Lady of Lourdes and several other parishes reflected on their charisms during a 2023 Called and Gifted parish workshop in the diocese of Saskatoon. (Photo by Lina Buendia)
These reflections about hope are a reminder that you and I are called to the hope that finds its source in the Saviour who comes to us at Christmas. The Incarnation – Jesus who is the Word of God made flesh among us – is the inspiration and source of all hope. This awareness has been the inspiration for many who have gone before us.
For example, I cite Saint John Henry Newman, who reminds us that, “The truth has been upheld in the world not as a system, not by books, not by argument, nor by temporal power, but by the personal influence of such men & women as have already been described, who are at once teachers and patterns of it.”
The diocese of Saskatoon delegation to World Youth Day in Portugal in the summer of 2023. (Submitted photo)
May we be teachers and patterns of hope as we are renewed by the celebration of the Christmas season. Let us ask ourselves:
How is God calling me to be more fully human, fully alive in my life right now?
Pope Francis greets visitors from the popemobile before his weekly general audience Nov. 15, 2023. (Photo by Pablo Esparza, CNS)
Do I give the Christ permission to take my heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh – one that receives and expresses HOPE?
In what way is this Christmas different for me, in terms of what God wants me to change, to heal and forgive, to live and do differently?
(Photo by Bishop Mark Hagemoen)
(Photo by Bishop Mark Hagemoen)
I take this opportunity to thank you all for your love and faithfulness to God and His people, and his salvific desire for all the world. I also thank you for all that you each do every day to respond to the needs of those you care for, with compassion and care.
I wish you, your families, and communities, a blessed and joy-filled Christmas season!
On Dec. 7, 2023, Bishop Mark Hagemoen and diocesan Chancellor Rev. Darryl Millette provided an update regarding the celebration of Mass and other liturgical updates:
Liturgical Directives UPDATE – Letter from Bishop Mark Hagemoen
“Celebration of the Sacred Liturgy” REVISED(Dec. 7, 2023)
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