Diocesan coordinator of Justice and Peace is Myron Rogal; e-mail: mrogal@rcdos.ca or call (306) 659-5941 for more information, for resources or assistance in pursuing justice and peace!

Dec. 15, 2021 – Letter from Bishop Mark Hagemoen – Hearing the “cry of the poor” in our diocese (LINK)

The mission:

The diocesan Office of Justice and Peace strives to build networks and connections with parishes and community groups in order to raise awareness, take action, and advocate for justice, based on living out the principles of Catholic Social Teaching:

Why Justice & Peace?

A great reflection from CCCB Commission for Justice and Peace: A Church Seeking Justice – Click HERE for PDF

Letter from Pope Francis: Fratelli Tutti – On Fraternity And Social Friendship

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, signed his new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti Oct. 3, 2020, during a visit to Assisi. “Fratelli tutti,” the encyclical’s opening words, means “All brothers” in Italian. The phrase is taken from the writings of St. Francis, one of the major inspirations for Pope Francis’ third encyclical, on fraternity and social friendship. The full text of the encyclical was released Oct. 4, 2020 on the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. Below are links to the full text of the encyclical letter and some useful links and resources:

 

 

Outdoor Way of the Cross held annually on Good Friday:

Organized by the diocesan Office for Justice and Peace, the outdoor Stations of the Cross prayer walk sees pilgrims follow the cross through the streets of Saskatoon on Good Friday morning each year, to pray and reflect on the suffering of Jesus Christ and suffering in our world today: Justice and Peace Way of the Cross 2024 – LINK to News Article

Explore Areas of Concern/ Resources:

Challenging and supporting political action

Challenging and Supporting Political Action

  1. Christians have a call to make the world better and a call to build relationships of love, respect and community with all people.
  2. Matthew 18:15-18 – Reproving Another Who Sins
    “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.  Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
  3. Political, but not Partisan (see section, below)
  4. Action Items
    1. Here are some current issues and/or political actions that you might consider responding to:
      Tell the government what you DON’T like
      Tell the government what you DO like
  5. Steps to take when challenging or supporting political action:
    1.  Discern how this issue connects to your faith
      To help in this process, check out this summary of the Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
    2. Pray about the issue in question and for elected leaders
    3. Determine which level of government is involved.
    4. Take action:
      1. Visit your elected representative at a local constituency office
      2. Mail a letter to your elected representative
      3. E-mail your elected representative
      4. Phone your elected representative
  6. Contact lists: 
    1. Federal government (Government of Canada)
      1. Members of Parliament (MPs): http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members
      2. Prime Minister and Federal Cabinet: http://www.parl.gc.ca/parliamentarians/en/ministries
      3. Opposition leaders: http://www.lop.parl.gc.ca/ParlInfo/Compilations/FederalGovernment/LeadersOfficialOpposition.aspx
    2. Provincial government (Saskatchewan legislative assembly)
      1. Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs): http://www.legassembly.sk.ca/mlas/
      2. Premier and Provincial Cabinet: http://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/government-structure/cabinet

Political, not Partisan

Catholic Social Teaching: Political, but not Partisan

We all know that factors such as the availability of health care, access to land and food, safe and affordable housing, quality education, peace and freedom from violence and oppression can deeply influence the length and quality of people’s lives. The call to social justice is to address these issues where needed, especially with a concern towards those struggling most in our midst, in order to change lives for the better. Political decisions made at local, national and global levels determine to a large extent what a society offers to its people. Thus, to act for social justice is fundamentally a political act.

This political nature of social justice makes many people of faith uncomfortable, as they don’t wish to link too closely the Church or the mission of social justice with the agenda of any particular party or political ideology. This is a wise caution, as party politics at times invite compromise, and faith is not about compromise; rather, faith brings to our public life a set of values and a concern with the dignity of all people, and seeks to address particular issues out of that larger vision.

It is prudent to make a distinction between political and being partisan. This distinction is not always clear to those around us. Brazilian Archbishop Dom Helder Camara famously said “when I feed the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why they’re poor the call me a communist.” A call for justice is a call for political action, but not a call for support of one party or ideology. It is not ultimately important which party or parties makes good decisions, it is important that good decisions are made. The best way to test whether an action is political or partisan is to ask whether the action is about issues and outcomes or about who will get elected. Advocating, for example, for adequate available healthcare may require conversations with various political leaders. Aligning oneself with the position of one or the other does not mean identifying with that party, it simply means supporting their stance on a particular issue.

That doesn’t mean, of course, that people of faith cannot be partisan. We are each able to make our choices about which parties are more likely to make good decisions and to support and engage in that activity as best suits our conscience. For the Church, however, the separation between political and partisan is crucial.

RESOURCE for political discernment and civic involvement – Catholic Conscience (LINK)

Responding to Physician-Assisted Suicide - Euthanasia

How can we respond to the legalization of euthanasia in Canada?

Contact your political representatives:

On March 17, 2021, Parliament expanded eligibility criteria for obtaining medically-provided euthanasia / assisted suicide (known as MAiD or “medical assistance in dying”). Plans to further expand eligibility to include mental illness and advance care directive options (being tested in Quebec) are underway.

Please continue to lobby your elected representatives to express opposition to medically-provided death and its expansion, and to call for more support for the conscience rights of medical professionals.

Contact your elected representatives to express your opposition to expanding eligibility for medically-provided euthanasia / assisted suicide: House of Commons MP contact information.

Learning more:

Horizons of Hope is a four-part resource for parishes and groups from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops addressing questions surrounding palliative care, dying, death, suffering, accompaniment, and bereavement, noting: “Our faith in Jesus Christ has much to teach us about living and dying well.”  (LINK)

Other resources:

On 9 November 2020, the CCCB submitted a Brief on C-7 to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights: Links to the CCCB submission in English (Click here)  / French (Click here).

On Oct. 20, 2020 the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement condemning the  expansion of eligibility, identifying the need for palliative care, and calling on Catholics and all people of good will to contact elected officials to express opposition to the legislation.

The CCCB statement also affirms: “Similarly, all Canadian legislators should recall that no law that permits the taking of innocent human life can ever be morally justified” and raises the question: “How can the federal government in good conscience expand the eligibility to euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada when our country and its citizens are still unable to offer basic human care to the elderly and dying?”

Find the Catholic bishops’ statement at: CCCB link English or CECC link French

Other groups also opposed the expansion of eligibility for medically-provided euthanasia. Recent statements include:

In a recent report, the Office of the Correctional Investigator has called for “an absolute moratorium on providing MAiD inside a federal penitentiary, regardless of circumstance” due to “fundamental questions around consent, choice, and dignity […] a series of errors, omissions, inaccuracies, delays and misapplications of law and policy.”

Contact your elected representatives to express your opposition to expanding eligibility for medically-provided euthanasia / assisted suicide: House of Commons MP contact information.

Call to Conscience:

With physician-assisted suicide (euthanasia) now legal in Canada, healthcare practitioners and facilities in some provinces are in a compromised position. Those who cannot support assisted suicide or euthanasia because of their conscience, faith, or commitment to the Hippocratic Oath are forced to compromise their convictions. This is wrong.

The Coalition for Healthcare and Conscience is working to protect conscience rights of health care professionals: Canadians for Conscience

How to Get Involved:

Vulnerable Persons Standard: www.vps-npv.ca/

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition: www.epcc.ca

“Finding the Gifts” series:

“Finding the Gifts” is a video project funded by the Knights of Columbus. The Communications and Education sub-committee of a Bishop’s Advisory Group produced the videos hoping to capture the gift of life and hope that can be found even in difficult circumstances.

View the videos here:

Finding the Gifts: Palliative Care

Finding the Gifts: Suicide Prevention

Finding the Gifts: L’Arche: a community of caring

 

Finding the Gifts: Care for the Elderly

Dying Healed workshops:

The Dying Healed workshop teaches important issues about human suffering, human dignity and the power of human presence, as well as other end of life issues.

The workshop includes important pastoral and practical aspects of what to say, how to listen, and how to be with people who suffer illness, disability and loneliness. It is intended to be a preparatory training for those who would like to spend time with people who are elderly, ill, disabled and dying; those people who are the most vulnerable to the negative influences to Canada’s euthanasia and assisted suicide law.

Those interested in hosting a Dying Healed workshop can contact Jacqueline Saretsky at (306) 292-5531 or Email jsaretsky@rcdos.ca for more information.

Ongoing advocacy:

Catholic Bishops of Saskatchewan issue three texts related to the issue: 

The documents released Feb. 6, 2017 include:

  • A Pastoral Letter – Living Through Our Dying  – The bishops say that the Pastoral Letter is “addressed to our brothers and sisters in faith and all people who have the gift of life. Our aim with this letter was to initiate a dialogue with our culture, recognizing that many struggle to see our opposition to PAS as an expression of compassion. We wanted to articulate what we stand for (more than what we oppose), to recognize the challenge of placing our trust in God, and to extend the invitation to hope that our faith offers.”
  • A Pastoral Reflection – Jesus: the Word Who is Life  This text is directed towards parishioners, and could be used as a homily (for instance during Lent) or for catechetical purposes. It works from a paschal perspective, speaking of human dying under the headings of Jesus in our living, our dying and our hope for resurrection. The bishops say the Pastoral Reflection “situates the Paschal Mystery as the foundation of our understanding of the meaning of human dying. It is intended to be formative catechesis primarily for our own faithful, but it may well be of use to our Christian brothers and sisters as well.”
  • A set of guidelines for priests, deacons and laity providing pastoral care to the sick and dying – Care for the Dying: Pastoral Directives which the bishops say are “intended to give support and guidance to those ministering to people facing the end of their lives. It was our hope to write guidelines which would equip those in ministry to follow Jesus faithfully, while extending his invitation of faith and life to those tempted to choose the circumstances of their own death.”

The three texts were released Feb. 6, 2017 – exactly two years after the Supreme Court decision that struck down the ban on physician assisted suicide and euthanasia. The new reality came into effect across the country when Bill C-14 received royal assent in June 2016. The documents from the Catholic bishops of Saskatchewan were released to mark the World Day of the Sick, Feb. 11.

Other pastoral letters from the Saskatchewan bishops on issues raised by legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia include:

Death with Dignity

FAQ – Video 1

FAQ – Video 2

 

 

Reverence for Life

To all the members of the Church, the people of life and for life, I make this most urgent appeal, that together we may offer this world of ours new signs of hope, and work to ensure that justice and solidarity will increase and that a new culture of human life will be affirmed, for the building of an authentic civilization of truth and love.

~John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae

Come celebrate the gift of life!  From its earliest stages to its final moments, human life shows us the wondrous love of our Creator God.  We are all called to respect, cherish and nurture this gift as we work together to bring God’s peace to our world.  We hope that you will use this website to explore the gift of life and to learn more about how you can celebrate with women and men who are embracing the challenge and gift of pregnancy.  Please join the Diocese of Saskatoon in spreading the joy of the gift of life!

Using art and technology, Alexander Tsiaras visualizes the unseen human body.

 

Community Organizations Addressing Life Issues

Community organizations addressing life issues:

Saskatoon Pregnancy Options Centre

The Saskatoon Pregnancy Options Centre is committed to providing generous support, education and acceptance to women and their families who are experiencing unplanned pregnancy, by striving to meet their emotional, spiritual and physical needs. Contact Cathy LaFleche at (306) 665-7550 or email: spoc@sasktel.net or visit the website at:  www.saskatoonpregnancy.com 

Rachel’s Vineyard

Rachel’s Vineyard is a safe place to renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion. Weekend retreats offer you a supportive, confidential and non-judgmental environment where women and men can express, release and reconcile painful post-abortive emotions to begin the process of restoration, renewal and healing. Rachel’s Vineyard can help you find your inner voice. It can help you experience God’s love and compassion on a profound level. It creates a place where men and women can share, often for the first time, their deepest feelings about abortion. You are allowed to dismantle troubling secrets in an environment of emotional and spiritual safety. Rachel’s Vineyard is therapy for the soul. Participants, who have been trapped in anger toward themselves or others, experience forgiveness. Peace is found. Lives are restored. A sense of hope and meaning for the future is finally re-discovered. Find out more about this important healing ministry at: http://www.rachelsvineyard.org or for confidential information contact Elaine at (306) 480-8911 or e-mail: r.vineyardsk@sasktel.net

Pro-Life & Alliance for Life Saskatoon, Inc.

Contacts: afl@allianceforlifesaskatoon.ca,  St. Joseph’s Rectory, 535 – 8th Street East, Saskatoon, SK S7H 0P9 Ph: 642-2464, or Hugh Brennan, Ph: 306-975-0551

(If no one is available, please leave a message.) The office is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Alliance for Life Saskatoon is a local pro-life educational resource centre, focusing on abortion and euthanasia.  We provide videos, books, pamphlets and other resources free of charge to anyone in the community wishing to educate themselves or others on these issues.

Campaign Life Coalition Saskatchewan, Inc.

Campaign Life is a political action pro-life organization working at all levels of government to secure full legal protection for all innocent human life, including the handicapped, the aged, and the unborn child. Contact: Phone (306) 249-2764; E-Mail louis.roth@shaw.ca

Carlton Trail Pro-Life

Contact: David Millette – mr.millette19@gmail.com

Saskatchewan Pro-Life Association

The aim of the Saskatchewan Pro-Life Association is to promote respect for all human life from the moment of conception to natural death, through education and political lobbying.  Alliance for Life Saskatoon, Inc. and Saskatchewan Youth for Life are the local affiliates of the Saskatchewan Pro-Life Association. https://www.saskprolife.com

Saskatoon Pro-Life, Inc.

Contact: Marcel D’Eon (President), 2517 York  Avenue South, Saskatoon, SK  S7J 1J6 343-9252.

Serena Living in Harmony with Your Fertility

Contact: Annette Bentler, c/o Box 7375 Saskatoon, SK S7K 4J3
Ph: 934-8223 or 1-800-667-1637 website: www.serena.ca  e-mail: sask@serena.ca

Serena provides accurate information and complete instruction in Fertility Awareness and Natural Family Planning. They Sympto-thermal test as taught by Serena is extremely effective as a method of pregnancy prevention, yet free of side-effects commonly associated with contraceptive methods. Fertility Awareness is equally effective when used by couples wishing to onceive or by those experiencing difficulty conceiving, as a means to pinpoint the optimal fertile time for conception.

For more information, contact the Serena office at 934-8223 or if out of the Saskatooon telephone area, phone 1-800-667-1637.

NFP Saskatchewan – Natural Family Planning

The Natural Family Planning Association (Saskatchewan) is an non-profit organization whose purpose is to teach the Billings Ovulation Method of natural family planning.

The Billings Ovulation Method was developed by Drs. John and Evelyn Billings, and is used by millions of women around the world. It is based on awareness of the woman`s natural signs of fertility and infertility, unmodified by any chemical, mechanical, or other artificial means.The Billings Ovulation Method has been validated by eminent international scientists and verified as extremely effective by the World Health Organization.

The Method takes advantage of the biological fact that women are infertile more often than fertile throughout their reproductive years.  When a woman learns the Billings Ovulation Method, she learns to recognize the fertile and infertile phases within her menstrual cycle.  This knowledge can be used to become pregnant, avoid pregnancy, and to safeguard reproductive health.Scientific studies indicate that with proper instruction and motivation, the Billings Ovulation Method in actual practice is 99.64% effective.

For more information contact: NFP Saskatchewan, Box 3807, Humboldt, SK. S0K 2A0, (306) 682-7771, nfpsask@sasktel.net or see: www.nfpsask.ca

Truth and Reconciliation

The national Truth and Reconciliation Commission goals were to:

  • Prepare a complete historical record on the policies and operations of Indian Residential Schools in Canada.
  • Complete a public report including recommendations to the parties of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement – here is a link to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action – PDF
  • Establish a national research centre that will be a lasting resource about the Indian Residential Schools legacy – here is a link to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation https://nctr.ca

The work of the TRC was highlighted by national gatherings held across the country, including the June 2012 gathering in Saskatoon.

Residential Schools

Residential schools for Indigenous people in Canada date back to the 1870s. Over 130 residential schools were located across the country, and the last school closed in 1996. These government-funded, church-run schools were set up to eliminate parental involvement in the intellectual, cultural, and spiritual development of Aboriginal children.

During this era, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were placed in these schools often against their parents’ wishes. Many were forbidden to speak their language and practice their own culture. Separated from their families, students suffered from emotional, physical and sexual abuse in the schools. While there are an estimated 80,000 former students living today, the ongoing impact of residential schools has been felt throughout generations and has contributed to social problems that continue to haunt families, communities, and our country.

On June 11, 2008, the Prime Minister, on behalf of the Government of Canada, delivered a formal apology in the House of Commons to former students, their families, and communities for Canada’s role in the operation of the residential schools: Government of Canada apology 2008

Catholic dioceses and religious orders operated many of the Residential Schools, and Catholics were among those who learned more about the impact of that involvement on children and their families and communities during the TRC process. Catholic leaders have acknowledged and apologized on several occasions: TRC – Apologies from Catholic leaders

Calls to Action

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada documented what happened by relying on records held by those who operated and funded the schools, testimony from officials of the institutions that operated the schools, and experiences reported by survivors, their families, communities and anyone personally affected by the residential school experience and its subsequent impacts.

The Commission hoped to guide and inspire First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples and Canadians in a process of truth and healing leading toward reconciliation and renewed relationships based on mutual understanding and respect. As part of that mandate, the Truth and Reconciliation released 94 Calls To Action to address the damage caused by Residential Schools, by colonialism and by racism: Calls to Action – PDF

Reconciliation is an ongoing individual and collective process that will require participation from all those affected by the residential school experience. This includes First Nations, Inuit, and Métis former students, their families, communities, religious groups, former Indian Residential School employees, government, and all the people of Canada.

Prayer:

O God, we praise and thank You for the blessings of life in Canada, from your natural bounty and from the work of human hands. We ask you to open our ears to the truths about our collective history shared with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission  by survivors of residential schools. We ask you to open our minds to the complex and subtle ways that past mistakes, arrogance, misuse of authority, and sinfulness have damaged our social fabric in ways we have barely begun to redress. We ask you to open our hearts that we may continue to listen even when the truth challenges us; that we may understand that we are heirs to a system that has shown itself capable of domination and cruelty, whether or not we personally contributed; that we may commit ourselves in all humility to do what we can and support the efforts of others to restore our ruptured social fabric. Amen.

Diocesan Council of Truth and Reconciliation

As a result of participation in the local TRC process in June 2012, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon has created the Diocesan Council of Truth and Reconciliation (DCTR) – a local dialogue and governing body in the diocese, providing consultation and direction.

The Diocesan Council of Truth and Reconciliation is a sharing and consultative circle of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people providing guidance to the diocese of Saskatoon. It arises out of the promise made at the Saskatchewan Truth and Reconciliation Commission event held in Saskatoon during the summer of 2012.

Mandate of the Diocesan Council of Truth and Reconciliation (DCTR):

“…to provide a forum for listening and sharing, through stories and prayer, to collaborate with the diocese toward building and strengthening relationships, and to support healing from the Indian Residential School experience. Our goal is to help the diocese of Saskatoon to be aware of the many current issues which hinder reconciliation between our cultures and to discern a way forward through education and action, into right relationship in the light of the Gospel.”

Parish Engagement

With assistance and advice from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner and the Diocesan Council of Truth and Reconciliation, several parishes in the diocese of Saskatoon are embarking on a path of Truth and Reconciliation. Some have held information evenings, others have participated in a Treaty Elder presentation or have installed a Treaty Medal.

Example: Treaty Elder Series at St. Joseph Saskatoon: Treaty Elders Speak at St. Joseph – News article

Care for Creation

Care of Creation

Link to Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ – Laudato Si – Vatican website

How are we taking care of our environment—our planet?

Are we using our God given gifts to create food, drink and goods in ways that have a positive impact on our land, water, and air? <br>

In January 2011 an ad hoc group of people from various churches got together to talk about how churches could be involved in environmental concerns. Out of this group first grew Churches for Environmental Action (CEA), which expanded in 2018 to include a multi-faith perspective. The new group is known as Communities Inspired for Environmental Action.

Inaugural multi-faith event for Communities Inspired for Environmental Action

On Nov. 29, 2018, speakers from a range of faith traditions spoke at an information and brainstorming event at the Jewish Community Centre, Congregation Agudas Israel, entitled “Spirited Environmental Action?: Why? How? By Who? – the evening continued the conversation about people of faith coming together to care for our common home..

Speakers included:

  • Sandi Harper (Indigenous Spirituality, Teacher at Saskatoon Public Schools Teacher, graduate of the diocesan Aboriginal Catholic Lay Formation program)
  • Rabbi Claudio Jodorkovsky (Congregation Agudas Israel)
  • Sean Sanford Beck (Anglican)
  • Carroll Chubb (Unitarian, Green Sanctuary)
The vision of Communities Inspired for Environmental Action is to continue holding workshops and information gatherings in the months and years ahead.

Previous “Churches for Environmental Action” events have included:

  • 2011- “What’s on Your Plate” – reflections on food security and sustainable agriculture.
  • 2012: “It Ain’t Easy Being Green:  Alternatives for Economics, Energy, & Environment”
  • 2013: “Practicing Our Faith as Caretakers of Creation”
  • 2014: “Care of Earth, Care of the Church: Why is the Environment an Ecumenical Issue” – partnering with the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism.
  • 2014:  Focus Group:  U of S students
  • 2014: “Making Your Case:  Environmental Action as Christian Action”
  • 2015: “Praying for the Environment” -Initiative from the First Day of Spring to Earth Day
  • 2015: “Changing to Care For Our Common Home” – partnering with St Thomas More College, Knights of Columbus and Queen’s House – Conference 2015 news article
  • 2016: “Recovering from our addiction to stuff”
  • 2017: “Seeking Sustainability: Practices for Mindful Living”
  • 2017: “Drowning? Ways to Live Simply.” – “Living Simply” – News article
  • 2018: “Saskatoon Shines with Solar”

Other Resources:

CCCB Justice and Peace Commission document “Living Out Laudato Si’ – A commentary and practical resource for Canadian Catholics – CCCB letter – PDF

Environment video series: “Cultivating and Caring For Creation”
This series features 12 videos and study guides prepared by the online resource Green Spirit Television at Green Spirit Television, entilted “Cultivating and Caring For Creation — How Catholics are leading and participating in a new commitment to respect and protect creation.”

Sex Addiction and Pornography

What is Sex Addiction?

 

“It is a sign, a signal, a symptom of distress.  It is a language that tells us about a plight that must be understood.”  -Alice Miller

What does it look like? Who is Impacted?

 

Sex addiction is not about sex.  It is not about the orgasm, it is about the search, the moment of dopamine release before the harmful behavior begins.  “The addict is addicted to not being addicted.” -Gabor Maté M.D.

Why?

“Sex addiction is the pursuit of controllable intimacy, an oxymoron.”
-Robert Weiss

 Breaking the cycle

  • Recognizing individually and collectively that no one chooses to become addicted.
  • Addiction is neither a disease nor a genetic disposition but an open wound that needs to be healed.
  • Stories are needed and not opinions.
  • Acknowledging that the human brain is resilient, it has, is, and can heal from any harm caused by habitual alteration.
  • 99% of sex addicts are addicted to pornography.
  • Healing in isolation is impossible.

Sex addiction is an impulsive urge that causes us to numb our humanity by degrading our own dignity and tearing down the Temple of God in others. Pornography as a chosen toxin for many burdened with this addiction attributes to what has been named the “throwaway culture” by Pope Francis.

Although sex addiction today is the most widespread and perhaps the most powerful addiction in human history, scripture – along with science and collective human experience – reminds us that death does not have the final say. Most addicts do recover! Like any other addiction – to caffeine, to work, to shopping, to alcohol/drugs – sex addiction does rewire our brain, causing us to lose control even without intending to. The good news, however, is that this damage is never permanent. Our brains have been created by God with the remarkable ability to recover, restore and recreate.

The important step is to begin the healing journey in order to once again be able to “taste and see” the goodness of ourselves, others and creation. The choice to heal and to support the healing of others makes our society healthier, safer, and more just.

Sex Addiction Resources

Online:

fightthenewdrug.org

www.xxxchurch.com

Group Support:

Sexaholics Anonymous: www.sa.org/f2f/canada/saskatchewan

Sex Addicts Anonymous: : saa-recovery.org/Meetings/Canada/meeting.php?state=SK

Human Trafficking

International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking on the Feast Day of Saint Josephine Bakhita – February 8

“How many times have we permitted a human being to be seen as an object, to be put on show in order to sell a product or to satisfy an immoral desire? The human person ought never to be sold or bought as if he or she were a commodity. Whoever uses human persons in this way and exploits them, even if indirectly, becomes an accomplice of injustice. ” – Pope Francis (2014 Message to the Lenten Fraternity Campaign in Brazil)

Why?
The main objective of this day is to bring awareness of this tragic phenomenon which impacts an estimated 21 million people worldwide. Trafficking is the third largest form of organized crime after the arms trade and illegal drugs. Additionally we are being called to take concrete individual and collective action that will provide solutions to counter trafficking.

Calls to Action for Parishes and Parishioners

Through prayer and education you will become more aware of the human trafficking that is occurring in our midst. A primary action is to stop minding your own business and bring to light situations where people may be in danger.

  • Pray! Pray a Novena to Saint Josephine Bakhita for an end to human trafficking.
  • Use the newly-created “Working Toward Freedom” Study Guide which calls us to mission and helps us to work to reduce the harms of human trafficking in our local communities and uphold the dignity of every child of God. The primary and supplementary document of reflection used in this study guide is the 2021 Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Pastoral Letter on Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation in Canada. Information: LINK.
  • Plan an awareness event for your entire parish, or a specific group such as the CWL or K of C where you invite a presenter. Nashi is a local organization that opposes human trafficking by raising awareness. They can be contacted at 306-281-9877.
  • Attend NASHI’s annual Perogy Paradise fundraiser. Visit their webpage at www.nashi.ca
  • Educate yourself or create discussions in a small group, post online or gather in real life. Examples:

Sisters Against Trafficking – Prayer Resources

_______________________________________

Development and Peace - Caritas Canada

Find more information — including how to give:   devp.org.

Development and Peace – Caritas Canada (the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace) is the official international development organization of the Catholic Church in Canada and the Canadian member of Caritas Internationalis. Development and Peace is a membership led organization supported by parish collections, individual donations and government grants.

Mission Statement:

The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, a democratic movement for international solidarity, supports partners in the Global South in the pursuit of alternatives to unjust social, political and economic structures.

It educates the Canadian population about the causes of impoverishment of peoples and mobilizes actions for change.

In the struggle for human dignity, Development and Peace associates with social change groups in the North and South.

It supports women in their search for social and economic justice.

Development and Peace, the official development organization of the Canadian Catholic Church, is inspired by the values of the Gospel, particularly “the preferential option for the poor.”

Grow Hope

Grow Hope is an ecumenical project, with urban and rural people joining together to feed the hungry in our world.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon is one of the partners involved in Grow Hope Saskatchewan. Through Grow Hope Saskatchewan you can “become a virtual farmer” and feed the hungry by sponsoring an acre of farmland in rural Saskatchewan.

Generous farmers are donating the use of the land and their expertise to plant and harvest the crop, while seed and input costs are covered by your donations. Proceeds from the sale of the crop will then be donated to Canadian Foodgrains Bank to provide emergency food supplies and long-term food security to people around the world — and the impact is multiplied because the donations will be matched four to one by the Government of Canada.

Grow Hope Saskatchewan 2020!  “Building a bigger table….”  Become a Virtual Farmer with Grow Hope Saskatchewan by sponsoring acreage to help feed hungry people around the world. To learn more and to donate visit Grow Hope on Facebook at GrowHopeSK/ or visit the fresh new website at www.growhopesk.ca . You can also send a cheque to the Diocese of Saskatoon Catholic Foundation, marking it “Attention: Grow Hope 2020” and mailing it to the Catholic Pastoral Centre, 123 Nelson Road, Saskatoon, SK S7S 1H1.

Grow Hope Saskatchewan
Michelle and Brian Hergott, who farm near Bruno, SK. will be participating in Grow Hope Saskatchewan this year, donating use of their land, labour and equipment to help address hunger around the world in a partnership with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. “We decided to participate in Grow Hope because we belong to a global community,” say the couple. – Submitted photo

How it works: Generous farmers in Saskatchewan have donated land and agreed to grow a crop for Grow Hope Saskatchewan. It costs $300 per acre to provide seed, fertilizer, fuel and other inputs. You are invited to sponsor a partial acre, full acre or multiple acres to help cover these costs. After harvest, the farmers will sell the crop and donate the proceeds to Canadian Foodgrains Bank. The proceeds from the sale of the crop can be as much as $500 per acre. The government of Canada matches funds up to 4:1, creating a total contribution of up to $762,500 on 305 acres. That’s $2,500 per acre! In other words, a donation of $300 can grow in value up to $500, and then be matched up to $2,500 per acre. That’s like spinning straw into gold to create a world without hunger and full of hope! During the growing season, sponsors will receive field updates along with resources to help you learn more about farming and hunger in the developing world.

If you have questions, please contact Myron Rogal in the diocesan Office of Justice and Peace at mrogal@rcdos.ca or (306) 659-5841.

Way of the Cross prayers - reflecting on issues in light of Christ's passion

Way of the Cross

2024 – Article: news.rcdos.ca/2024/04/02/downtown-way-of-cross

2017 – Reflections and Prayers for the Way of the Cross in Saskatoon: https://ecumenism.net/good-friday-2017

2016 Way of the Cross: https://ecumenism.net/good-friday-2016

2015 Way of the Cross: https://ecumenism.net/good-friday-2015

2014 Way of the Cross: https://ecumenism.net/good-friday-2014

2012 Way of the Cross: https://ecumenism.net/good-friday-2012