January 29, 2021 Vol. 121 No. 05 · 2021. 1. 1. · your regional coordinator, Mary Alice Glasgow,...

January 29, 2021 Vol. 121 No. 05

OTTAWA — Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. TheresaTam speaks with over 1,300 faith leaders on a January 20 ina nationwide Zoom call. Story page 10. (The Catholic Registerphoto)

(Photo right) Climate change is a globalproblem that requires the commitmentand collective response of all humanity.In Canada, faith communities that havecome together to demand action toaddress climate change are happy thatthe federal government has put forwarda plan that appears to address many oftheir concerns, but they saygovernments in Canada can still do alot more. Stories page 7. (CNS photo/Kacper Pempel, Reuters)

QUISPAMSIS (Photo left) — St. Mark’sParish offers Thursday evening‘parking lot’ Adoration despite thereturn to the red level in the Saint Johnand Fredericton regions of the Dioceseof Saint John. While the first lockdownleft parishes feeling bewildered andunsure of how to navigate a globalpandemic, this time many were in aposition to continue their ministrieswithin the allowable limits ofprovincial regulations. Story page 3.(Patty Cameron photo)

SAINT JOHN — The pandemic has affected everyone, butnowhere are the effects more visible than among the poor.Evelyn McNulty, executive director of Romero House SoupKitchen in Saint John said, “Pre-Covid we were a dine-inservice, but of course we had to go to a take-out service,which really changed how we serve our food. Meals alsohad to be prepared in advance and boxed up, in order toserve people quickly and efficiently. Story page 6. (CNS photo)

Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900. January 29, 2021

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Raising a glass to St. JosephBy QUINTON AMUNDSONThe Catholic Register

CALGARY — Pope Francis announced theYear of St. Joseph on December 8 to inspirebelievers of Christ across the globe to vener-ate the man who “accepted Mary uncondi-tionally,” taught the value of “participating inthe work of salvation” and was a tender earthlyfather to Jesus.

The God Squad Canada, a Catholic men’ssociety headquartered in Calgary, answeredthe call to honour the man who Pope Pius IXdecreed in 1870 as patron of the CatholicChurch by hosting a virtual fundraiser calledA Dram for St. Joseph January 16.

This online gathering, streamed onYouTube, featured musical performancesfrom the St. Francis Xavier Chaplaincy choirand traditional Celtic music from Ireland whileparticipants indulged in various brands ofwhiskey from the comfort of their ownhomes.

God Squad Canada is hoping to raise$35,000 so that the Litany of St. Joseph canbe set to music like other celebrated hymnsand prayers have in the past. The goal of thisproject is for people “to recognize the beautyand full richness of the prayer.”

Sean Lynn, an Irish-Canadian who foundedGod Squad Canada in 1998, said choosingwhiskey as the signature beverage — led byJames Buchanan of Buchanan’s Chop Houseand Whiskey Bar — has a symbolic meaning.“The origin of whiskey comes out of Irelandout of the phrase ‘uisce beatha,’ which means‘water of life,’ ” said Lynn, a police officer inCalgary for three decades. “There seems tobe a whiskey craze in the world right now,particularly in urban areas. We decided to latchon to whiskey as an avenue to reach particu-larly younger men.”

Father Nathan Siray, pastor for The Shrine

Church of Our Lady of the Rockies, alsofactored into the night’s proceedings.

He was interviewed by event host ConnorCurran about the power of praying to St. Joseph— who is also the patron saint of Canada — andhow this heavenly intercession was instrumen-tal in his parish successfully opening its doors inCanmore this past June.

“We have a really strong connection to theman because he interceded for us in manyways,” said Fr. Siray during the livestream.“Whenever you are beginning a buildingproject, what’s better than to seek supportfrom a man who was a carpenter on Earth?”

Mr. Lynn said the God Squad Canada hasalways considered St. Joseph an exemplar ofits mission statement of “challenging men toshow the same servant leadership to theirfamilies that Christ has for his bride, theChurch.”

The goal of the fundraiser is to have pianistand vocal coach Carlos Foggin, a 2020 re-cipient of the Lieutenant Governor of AlbertaEmerging Artist Award, to transpose the Litanyof St. Joseph prayer into a musical creation.As many seminarians will be gathered as pos-sible to perform the piece alongside the RockyMountain Symphony [RMS] in a recordedvideo and in a 70-minute concert led by theRMS.

Mr. Lynn said that while admiring St. Josephat all times is worthwhile, we should turn tohim now more than ever.

“Our world really needs positive role mod-els. I really believe we can stem the tide ofchaos and disorder in society by enabling mento be good fathers and husbands who are re-flections of God the Father to their families,”he said.

Nearly $11,000 has been raised thus far.The organization is hoping to secure the re-mainder of the funding by its 2021 CatholicMen’s Conference in March.§

CALGARY — Steve Morrissey (left) provided the music and Lenny Dalton the vocalson traditional Celtic music at the Dram for St. Joseph in Calgary January 16. (Photocourtesy Sean Lynn)

Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900.January 29, 2021

Annual catechist retreat explores the meaning of encounters in the virtual worldBy NATASHA MAZEROLLECorrespondent

SAINT JOHN — The annual catechist retreat is always well at-tended by youth faith leaders around the diocese. Normally hosted atthe Villa Madonna Retreat House in Rothesay, last year’s retreat drewupwards of 70 participants. With religious programs in flux and manyparishes still getting their bearings about them, diocesan leaders areforging ahead with this year’s retreat in the hope of providing encour-agement and renewal during these unusual times for faith formation.

Despite the challenges Patricia Lee, Youth Faith Formation leaderfor the Miramachi region, is optimistic about this year’s retreat. “Weneed to re-energize, and we need to come together as catechists,” shesaid. “Even though we can’t be together at the villa, at least we canstill see each other on Zoom. [Catechists] can still meet up with peo-ple they look forward to seeing from around the diocese.”

Noting that things are never perfect, Ms. Lee is hopeful partici-pants will be open to the new format and the opportunity to connectand grow deeper in faith as catechists. “We’re encouraging people totake this time for themselves, to set up their own special space in theirhomes or wherever they are join us from,” she said. “It’s just really tosay, I can do this for my own spiritual growth. It’s an opportunity tostop thinking about Covid and just interact with people I haven’t seen,and maybe meet new people.”

Ms. Lee said that this year’s speakers, Trevor Droesbeck of theArchdiocese of Moncton and Charlene Peters, of the Diocese ofCharlottetown, are “just so devoted to catechist training and renewal,”and “will be really great facilitators for our weekend.”

Speaking on the topic of Encounters, Mr. Droesbeck said, “anyonewho has listened to or read the writings of Pope Francis notice hespeaks often of the importance of encounter and how we are calledto a renewed encounter with God’s love and to be attentive on a dailybasis to the ways in which we encounter Jesus Christ. Charlene andI wanted to give people an avenue to think a little more about these

encounters, where they occur and how they can be a two-way street.We will use familiar stories from scripture to draw out some of thediverse ways which these encounters can occur in our lives in 2021.”

Ms. Lee is hopeful that many will take the opportunity to participateand be renewed as we step into a new religious formation year. “Withall the stopping and starting of religious education [due to the pan-demic] and all the bumps in the road, it’s time to say I’ll try this,” shesaid. “We put ourselves last a lot of times, but this is an opportunity totake a few minutes for yourself, to grow and connect with otherleaders and grow as catechists.”

Encounters: A Viritual Catechist Retreat takes place on Friday, Janu-ary 29-Saturday, January 30. For more information, please contactyour regional coordinator, Mary Alice Glasgow,[email protected] in Saint John, Margot McAloon-Parker, [email protected] in Fredericton, or PatriciaLee 622-5730 or [email protected] in the Miramichi.

Natasha Mazerolle is a correspondent for The New Freeman. Shecan be reached at [email protected].§

The mission continues— ministry in the red levelBy NATASHA MAZEROLLECorrespondent

QUISPAMSIS — On January 20, the Saint John and Frederictonregions of the Diocese of Saint John were put into the red level ofpandemic recovery by the Province of New Brunswick, prohibitingindoor faith gatherings for the first time since May of 2020. Andwhile the first lockdown left parishes feeling bewildered and unsureof how to navigate a global pandemic, this time many were in a posi-tion to continue their ministries, sometimes at extraordinary lengths,within the allowable limits of provincial regulations.

Two days after the two regions went into red level, St. Mark’sChurch in Quispamsis announced their usual Thursday night adora-tion would proceed as a parking lot adoration. During the first lockdownin the spring when the weather was more amenable, St. Mark’s Par-ish was among the first to co-ordinate outdoor events — includingadoration and mass.

Not allowing cold weather challenge to deter them, parish staffcame up with a solution — to create a platform in back entry way ofthe church, where the Blessed Sacrament could be exposed visiblyfor anyone in the parking lot. Father Owen Burns, pastor, St. Mark’sand episcopal vicar of Evangelization and Parish Renewal, ascended aladder to expose the Blessed Sacrament, before he and Father AntonioReyes, associate pastor at St. Mark’s, each took up a place outside inthe cold to hear drive-up confessions for the duration of the HolyHour for the more than 20 cars in attendance.

As weekend masses approached parishes once again had to deter-mine the best way to bring the Eucharist to the faithful. As a sacra-mental people Catholics know that Jesus meets them powerfully inthe Eucharist, and while livestreamed masses offer a sense of com-fort and community for those unable to physically attend mass, it isso important, even during a lockdown for the faithful to be able toreceive Jesus truly present in Eucharist.

Our Lady of Peace Parish in Fredericton like many parishes across(continued on page 6)


The reign of God: Jesus’ messageof God’s loving touch

(Father) Ron Rolheiser begins his book Against an Infinite Hori-zon: The Finger of God in Our Everyday Lives (Rolheiser, 1995)with the words of theologian Karl Rahner: “In the torment of theinsufficiency of everything attainable we come to understand thathere, in this life, all symphonies remain unfinished.” Fr. Rolheisergoes on to point out that there is a horizon before us that we cannever reach in our earthly journey. But there is an attraction or a tasteof it that reveals the “finger of God” touching us, accompanying usalong the way.

Spiritual writers, poets, creative artists and others have often helpedus to recognize that no dream or goal we might set will totally andfinally satisfy us. There will always be something beyond or “more”that we seek. We are by nature “seekers”. To be human is to beincomplete in this life. But, at same time, we live in hope and journeyin faith that God touches us and will ultimately bring this life tofulfillment.

One of the great themes of western literature (as well as others) isthe “Quest”. Some 800 years ago this appeared in literature as theQuest for the Grail. Based on the legends of King Arthur and hisKnights, it told the story of the search for the cup used by Christ atthe Last Supper. In more recent times the theme has reappeared andcan be seen again in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings as well as inthe Star Wars story, among others.

As the stories unfold we see all the elements of our human searchfor meaning in our lives, our fulfillment. It begins with a dream, agoal. We hear the call to embark on a journey or a quest. In acceptingthe call there was a commitment to seek. In seeking there will bechallenges, but there is also accompaniment. The seeker encountersothers, a community that assist in the quest. Ultimately, there is at-tainment, fulfillment.

In its Christian origins the ‘Quest’ is directed toward our seekingfor spiritual union with God, God’s touch and our fulfillment. It is aconversion story of gradual becoming aware of God’s loving pres-ence in all life, all creation and not least in those around us.

In Mark’s Gospel (1:14-20) Jesus,after his baptism in the Jordan, is ledby the Spirit to the wilderness. Com-ing out, he begins to call disciples to follow and share his mission. AsMark tell us: “Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news ofGod and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God hascome near; repent and believe in the good news.” This repenting orturning around was/is the disciple’s call to conversion. Its furtherstory is setting out on the ‘Quest’ to discover the touch of God in allthey encounter and to share this good news.

Jesus’ proclamation that the reign of God is close at hand growsout of the way of seeing God as present in our life story and in all ofcreation. As Jesus begins his ministry he announces that God’s reignis near. He will reveal it in his actions of healing, reconciling andbringing people together in peace. It will be this completed, fulfilledreign of God that will bring peace and harmony to humanity andhealing and wholeness to creation. It is the ultimate goal of thehuman quest for fulfillment.

The Irish theologian Dermot Lane expresses it this way: Thereign of God is ultimately about re-establishing right relation-ships between God and humanity, between humanity and the indi-vidual, between humanity and the whole of creation. (Lane. Christat the Centre 21)

Father John Jennings, retired priest of the Diocese of Saint Johnand St. Thomas University, reflects on the previous Sunday readingswith the intent to be a form of on-going adult faith formation. Hecan be reached at: [email protected]. §

Our sacred stories:God and us

Father JOHN JENNINGS

MAiD numbers keep going upBy BRIAN DRYDENCanadian Catholic News

OTTAWA — The number of people who have legally been put todeath in Canada’s largest province continues to go up year after year,new statistics from the Office of Ontario’s Chief Corner indicates.

And a vocal critic of euthanasia in Canada says there is no doubtthat thousands more will die in the coming years unless Canada’spoliticians reconsider an effort to make it even easier for Canadians tokill themselves with the help of a doctor.

“The numbers keep going up, and they will continue going up un-less more people speak out about this and demand our politicians stepback and reconsider what we are doing as a country,” said AlexSchadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.

While a number of civil and religious organizations such as the Catho-lic Church have been vehement opponents of allowing Canadians tokill themselves with the help of a doctor, court rulings continue todrive policy in Canada surrounding euthanasia.

Since euthanasia was legalized in Canada in 2016 following a Su-preme Court of Canada decision, there have been just under 7,000residents in Ontario who have used Canada’s MAiD system (medical

assistance in dying) to take their lives with the help of a doctor andmore than 14,000 Canadians have done so across the country.

Statistics show that there have been a total of 6,696 MAiD relateddeaths in Ontario, with 2,378 cases recorded in 2020.

“The number of assisted deaths continues to increase,” Schadenbergsaid. “In Ontario there were 2,378 reported assisted deaths in 2020,1,789 in 2019, 1,499 in 2018, 841 in 2017, and 189 in 2016.”

It is a similar story across the country, where the numbers havebeen going up in a steady increase as well.

According to the first ever national report released in 2020 by HealthCanada that examined the MAiD system, the number of medically-assisted deaths in Canada rose by more than 25 per cent in 2019 ascompared to the year before. That Health Canada report said that in2019, 5,631 Canadians chose to have an assisted death, 26.1-per-cent more deaths than were reported the previous year. The numberof assisted deaths has risen each year since the practice was legalizedin 2016, and by Dec. 31, 2019, 13,946 people had chosen to end theirlife with a doctor’s assistance.

Overall, there were 7,336 written requests for an assisted suicide in2019, but more than a quarter (26.5 per cent) did not result in a death.

(continued on page 5)


In Exile

RON ROLHEISER, omi

God cannot tell a lieLying is the most pernicious of evils, the most dangerous of sins,

the worst of blasphemes, and the one sin that can be unforgiveable.Perhaps we need to be reminded of that today, given our presentculture where we are in danger of losing the very idea of reality andtruth. Nothing is more dangerous.

There’s a line buried deep in scripture that is too seldom quoted.The Letter to the Hebrews states simply: It is impossible for God tolie. (Hebrews 6, 18) It could not be otherwise. God is Truth, so howcould God lie? For God to lie would be a denial of God’s very nature.Consequently, for us to lie is to go directly against God. Lying is thedefinition of irreverence and blasphemy. It is an affront to the natureof God.

If we are aware of that, we haven’t taken it seriously lately. Every-where, from countless social media tweets, texts, and blogs to thehighest offices of government, business, and even the church, weare seeing an ever-deteriorating relationship with reality and truth.Lying and creating one’s own truth have become socially acceptable(to a frightening degree). What’s changed? Haven’t we always lied?Who among us can say that he or she has never told a lie or falsifiedinformation in one way or another? What’s different today?

What’s different today is that, until our generation, you could becaught in a lie, shamed for telling it, forced to accept your own dis-honesty. No longer. Today our relationship with truth is fracturing toa degree that we no longer distinguish, morally or practically, be-tween a lie and the truth. A lie, now, is simply another modality oftruth.

What’s the net effect of this? We are living it. Its effects are every-where. First, it has broken down a shared sense of reality where, asa community, we no longer have a common epistemology and a sharedsense of right and wrong. People no longer relate to reality in thesame way. One person’s truth is the other person’s lie. It is becomingimpossible to define what constitutes a lie.

This doesn’t just destroy trust amongus; worse, it plays with our sanity andwith some of the deeper moral and reli-gious chromosomes inside us. As I wrotein this column several months ago, we believe that there are fourtranscendental properties to God. We teach that God is One, True,Good, and Beautiful. Because God is One, whole and consistent,there can never be any internal contradictions within God. This mightsound abstract and academic, but this is what anchors our sanity. Weare sane and remain sane only because we can always trust that twoplus two equals four, ever and always. God’s Oneness is what an-chors that. If that should ever change, then the peg that moors oursanity would be removed. Once two plus two can equal somethingother than four, then nothing can be securely known or trusted everagain. That’s the ultimate danger in what’s happening today. We areun-mooring our psyche.

The next danger in lying is what it does to those of us who lie.Fyodor Dostoevsky sums it up succinctly: “People who lie to them-selves and listen to their own lie come to such a pass that they cannotdistinguish the truth within them, or around them, and so lose allrespect for themselves and for others. And having no respect, theycease to love.” Jordan Peterson would add this: If we lie long enough“after that comes the arrogance and sense of superiority that inevita-bly accompanies the production of successful lies (hypotheticallysuccessful lies – and that is one of the greatest dangers: apparentlyeveryone is fooled, so everyone is stupid, except me. Everyone isstupid, and fooled, by me – so I can get away with whatever I want).Finally, there is the proposition: ‘Being itself is susceptible to my ma-nipulation. Thus, it deserves no respect.’”

Jesus’ warning in John’s Gospel is the strongest of all. He tells usthat if we lie long enough we will eventually believe our own lies andconfuse falsehood for the truth and truth for falsehood, and that be-comes an unforgiveable sin (a “blaspheme against the Holy Spirit)because the person who’s lying no longer wants to be forgiven.Finally, lying breaks down trust among us. Trust is predicated on thebelief that we all accept that two plus two equals four, that we allaccept there is such a thing as reality, that we all accept that realitycan be falsified by a lie, and that we all accept that a lie is falsehoodand not just another modality of truth. Lying destroys that trust.

Living in a world that plays fast and easy with reality and truth alsoplays on our loneliness. George Eliot once asked: “What loneliness ismore lonely than distrust?” So true. The loneliest loneliness of all isthe loneliness of distrust. Welcome to our not-so-brave new world.

Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, theologian, teacher, and award-winningauthor.. He can be contacted through his website www.ronrolheiser.comFacebook www.facebook.com/ronrolheiser §

Father Ron Rolheiser’s column In Exile is sponsored byBrenan’s Funeral Home

111 Paridise Row, Saint John, NB506-634-7424 www.brenansfh.com

(continued from page 4)In more than half of those cases, the patient died before the procedure.

The federal government introduced Bill C-7 to open assisted dyingup even further in response to the Quebec Superior Court’s “Truchon”decision which removes the requirement that a person’s death bereasonably foreseeable to qualify for assisted death, opening it up topeople who are not terminally ill.

According to the Ontario-only statistics, as of Dec. 31, 2020, anequal number of men and women have used the MAiD system to killthemselves (50 per cent each), with 48 per cent of MAiD deathstaking place in a person’s home, 42 per cent in hospitals and theothers taking place in nursing and retirement homes. Of those whohave used the MAiD system in Ontario, 63 per cent were associatedwith cancer-related illnesses.

MAiD opponents such as the Catholic Church have continuallycalled on the federal government in Canada to upgrade palliative carecase options in Canada rather than make it easier to access MAiD asthe federal government wants to do in Bill C-7. Bill C-7 has passed inthe House of Commons but still needs to be approved in the Senate.

“The Canadian government must reject Bill C-7 and begin the prom-ised five-year review of the euthanasia law with an open view to whatis actually happening rather than continuing to expand euthanasia,making Canada the most permissive euthanasia regime in the world,”Schadenberg said.§

MAiD numbers keep going up


Out the window– meeting the needs of the most vulnerable during the pandemic

By NATASHA MAZEROLLECorrespondent

SAINT JOHN — The pandemic has af-fected everyone, but nowhere are the effectsmore visible than among the poor. Even be-fore the pandemic Evelyn McNulty, execu-tive director of Romero House Soup Kitchenin Saint John, and her team of staff and vol-unteers worked tirelessly to meet the physi-cal and emotional needs of the mostmarginalized members of our society. Tradi-tionally operated as a soup kitchen, RomeroHouse has been a place for people to be re-ceived, welcomed, and loved into a commu-nity that values them. Now nearly a year intothe COVID-19 pandemic, this remains thefocus, though the delivery has changed sig-nificantly.

“Pre-Covid we were a dine-in service, butof course we had to go to a take-out service,which really changed how we serve ourfood,” Ms. McNulty said. They shifted gearsquickly and made adjustments to a windowin their dining room, in order to continue toserve their meals without having an interrup-tion to their service. Meals also had to be pre-pared in advance and boxed up, in order toserve people quickly and efficiently. “Wechanged our menu drastically. We have to puteverything into a container and you need toknow how many containers you have, whatkind of food will fit in the container, it reallychanged everything. We come to work ear-lier than what we used to, one of us comes inat four in the morning and starts cooking, therest of us come at seven.”

All of this is being done without relying onthe normally 120 volunteers that typically sup-port Romero House. “We made a bubble assmall as we could in order to try to protectour environment,” Ms. McNulty said. “Mygreatest worry is always that we could neverserve anybody who came for help.”

And these days, those who come for helpare greatly increased. “On any given day, preCOVID, we would serve anywhere from 150to 300 meals a day. Now we are seeing 250to almost 500 a day.” Ms. McNulty sharedthat while they typically see the same people,Covid has caused new people to reach out inneed. “There’s all kinds of people that we’venever seen before. All those people who wouldbe working part time and now have lost hoursand just can’t make ends meet. There was alady came to the window very early on, andshe just came up to the glass and said, ‘I don’t

know what I’m supposed to do, but I’m re-ally hungry’.”

Though the work is taxing, Ms. McNultyinsists that it is necessary to make human con-nections, and make sure that people knowthey are valued and cared for. “I’ve been try-ing for the last 11 months, to the best of myability, to take what we do inside and thatfeeling that you get when you enter RomeroHouse and throw it out the window so tospeak,” she said. “At the window it’s impor-tant to say, see you tomorrow, because a lotof people suffer from mental health issues.And, you know, in a lot of cases, we may bethe only person they speak to all day. We allneed that human connection, because it showsthat people actually care that you have thebest, and you have value. It’s really, really

important, and I think that as a society wereally undervalue people. When people feelthey have value and feel they’re a part ofsomething bigger than themselves, the wholeoutcome for everybody is different.”

Romero House continues to gratefully ac-cept donations of food and drink. Taking intoconsideration the fact that the service is nowtake-out, it is most helpful if these are pre-packaged in individual portions. Single-serv-ing sized drinks and baked goods that are in-dividually wrapped are also very helpful. Any-one wishing to help can contact Romero Houseat 506-642-7447.

Natasha Mazerolle is a correspondent forThe New Freeman. She can be reached [email protected].§

(continued from page 3the diocese has offered drive-up Commun-ion for those who watch livestream massessince late spring. This has been a great com-fort to parishioner Kendra Van Leeuwen.

She said, “bringing my young children tomass is a special ministry that I have em-braced, with all its rewards and challenges.When churches had to close because of Covidrestrictions, not only did I yearn for the Eucha-rist, I worried about the loss of the routine ofbringing my boys to mass. I didn’t want Sun-day to become like every other day. Whilewatching through livestreamed mass isn’t thesame as sitting in the pews among our parishfamily, we have embraced this domesticchurch practice.”

Echoing the sentiments of grateful pa-rishioners across the diocese, Ms. Leeuwenshared, “I am so thankful to be able to re-ceive the Eucharist in the parking lot, and theboys see how important it is to make the 30-minute drive to the church to receive Com-munion. The efforts of the staff and volun-teers of Our Lady of Peace have created greatlight in a dark time for our family.”

For his part, Father Maria ArokiamChinnappan, HGN, pastor of Our Lady ofPeace Parish, has been edified by the resil-ience of his parishioners. “I always won-der about the faith of people when theycome for parking lot communion and howthey hang on to hope in Christ,” Fr.Chinnappan said. “In the face of global orpersonal crises and when things are so con-fused, so uncertain, so unfair, they hang

The mission continueson to their conviction that God is true tothe promise, I am with you always even tillthe end of days. They truly believe thatCommunion gives them hope and strength.It strengthens the inner self to loving, car-ing, giving and forgiving and keeps themgoing. They are grateful that they have park-ing lot communion and I am happy to be inthe cold weather to receive them.”

Prominent Catholic leader Brett Powellwrote on his blog, Leadership Where it Mat-ters Most (www.brettpowell.org) that, “Intimes of crisis, the best leaders are focusedon being a pro-active force for positivechange and forward motion…Whereverthey can advance the mission, they do.”We remain grateful for the heroic effortsof parish pastors, staff and volunteers whocontinue to go above and beyond to bringJesus to us in unpredictable and ever-chang-ing circumstances.

Author’s note: this article features twoparishes that I have been blessed to havedealings with. In recognizing their efforts, itis important to note that many other parishesare serving the needs of the faithful, in waysthat are both visible and hidden. May the Lordcontinue to bless every good effort made tomake His name known in these difficult days,and every priest, staff member and volunteerwho is an instrument of Christ’s mercy.

Natasha Mazerolle is a correspondent for TheNew Freeman. She can be reached [email protected].§


Viewpoints differ among religious organizations on how to reach carbon ‘net-zero’By BRIAN DRYDENCanadian Catholic News

OTTAWA — Faith communities that havecome together to demand action to addressclimate change before it is too late are happythat the federal government has put forwarda plan that appears to address many of theirconcerns, but they say governments in Canadacan still do a lot more.

In an open letter to the federal minister ofClimate Change and the EnvironmentJonathan Wilkinson in mid-December themulti-faith For the Love of Creation initiativepraises the federal government for introduc-ing Bill C-12 in November and for targeting2050 for Canada to be carbon “net-zero” butcalls for the government to be even bolder inaddressing climate change.

Bill C-12 sets national targets for the re-duction of greenhouse gas emissions inCanada “with the objective of attaining net-zero emissions by 2050. The targets are to beset by the minister of the Environment for2030, 2035, 2040 and 2045,” the Bill’s offi-cial summary said.

It adds that the bill “requires that an emis-sions reduction plan, a progress report andan assessment report with respect to eachtarget be tabled in each House of Parliament”and “requires the commissioner of the Envi-ronment and Sustainable Development to, atleast once every 5 years, examine and reporton the Government of Canada’s implementa-tion of measures aimed at mitigating climatechange.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at thetime that “it can no longer be free to polluteanywhere in the country.”

That is a sentiment supported by the ForLove of Creation initiate that includes religiousleaders from across the faith spectrum, in-cluding the Canadian Catholic Church’s De-velopment and Peace organization.

“On behalf of For the Love of Creation,we would like to commend you and the cli-mate ambition at the federal level,” the openletter to the federal minister said, adding that“Bill C-12 is a significant milestone in the de-velopment of our nation’s climate policy.”

However, the For the Love of Creation let-ter added “we are disappointed to read thatthe first target will not be set for a decade.We urge you to amend the Bill so that the firsttarget is at least moved up to the year 2025.Doing so would introduce concrete measuresin the present and thereby avoid tougher re-quirements in later years.”

“While we were glad to see the tabling ofBill C-12, it should be strengthened, and fur-ther steps undertaken without delay,” the let-ter continued. “A federal plan to reduce emis-sions is essential.”

But while many faith organizations havemade climate change and protecting the naturalenvironment key aspects of their organizingefforts and Pope Francis has made such is-sues a focal point of his papacy, others saythat the economic impact of large scalechanges to how we live in addressing climatechange need to be undertaken carefully.

According to the religious think-tankCardus, “as the federal government developsnet-zero carbon emissions plans it needs toconsider the people and places those planswould most affect: blue-collar, oil and gasworkers concentrated in Alberta and Saskatch-ewan.”

“Policy-makers must place the people andplaces affected at the centre of the policy-

making process. They must ensure that theburden of climate action is broadly distrib-uted and that the focus should be on lower-ing the emission intensity of the sector ratherthan abandoning resource development alto-gether,” according to a Cardus December 2020report called Fuelling Canada’s Middle Class.

According to the Cardus report, “reducingcarbon emissions is the right thing to do,”but “meeting emissions goals will necessarilyhave implications for the natural-resourcessector in general, and oil and gas in particular.Canada can’t afford the social and economiccosts of blithely ‘transitioning’ away from thissector.”

“When resource-sector industries lose jobs,the burden falls disproportionately on low andmid-skilled workers, affecting them at a ratenearly five times higher than workers inwhite-collar jobs. Emissions reduction poli-cies that don’t account for this are funda-mentally unjust,” according to Cardus.§

By JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVESCatholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Climate change is a glo-bal problem that requires the commitment andcollective response of all humanity, said Car-dinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

In a video message January 25 to the vir-tual Climate Adaptation Summit hosted bythe Netherlands, Cardinal Parolin said that thescientific data available shows "the urgent needfor swift action within a context of ethics,equity and social justice."

"Nothing can be accomplished by workingalone," he said. "The COVID-19 pandemicteaches it very well."

According to the U.N. Development Pro-gram website, the January 25-26 conferencewas to gather global leaders and localstakeholders to seek solutions to challengesfaced by societies and economies due to cli-mate change.

"It will see the launch of a comprehensiveAdaptation Action Agenda that sets out clearcommitments to deliver concrete new en-deavours and partnerships to make our worldmore resilient to the effects of climatechange," the website stated.

In his message, Cardinal Parolin extendedPope Francis' greetings to the participants andexpressed the pope's "closeness, support andencouragement."

"We all know that climate change is a glo-bal problem with grave implications: environ-

‘Fight against climate change can't be done alone’mental, social, economic, political, and for thedistribution of goods. It represents one of theprincipal challenges facing humanity in ourday," he said.

Acknowledging the need to reduce green-house gas emissions, Cardinal Parolin high-lighted that it was a problem "not only of thedomain of technology, but also a question ofconsumption patterns, education and life-styles."

"This is a moral and humanitarian impera-tive, especially since the greatest negative con-sequences of climate change often affect themost vulnerable: the poor and future genera-tions," he said.

Although the poor are the least responsiblefor global warming, he added, they are af-fected the most by it "since they have theleast adaptive capacity and often live in geo-graphical areas which are particularly at risk."

Cardinal Parolin encouraged world leadersat the conference to a "global and shared long-term strategy" that can effectively define anew model of development "built on thesynergistic bond between the fight againstclimate change and the struggle against pov-erty."

"We are standing before a momentous chal-lenge for the benefit of the common good.We have no alternative but to make every ef-fort to implement a responsible, unprec-edented collective response, intended to worktogether to build our common home," Cardi-nal Parolin said.§


World needs Christians to show what journey toward unity looks like, pope saysBy CAROL GLATZCatholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Unity re-quires prayer, love and fightingthe devil, who always sows divi-sion, Pope Francis said.

The devil "fosters division eve-rywhere and in every way" bytempting people "with the weak-nesses of our brothers and sis-ters. He is astute: He magnifiesothers' mistakes and defects,sows discord, provokes criticismand creates factions," the popesaid January 20 during hisweekly general audience.

God, on the other hand, "hasanother way. He takes us as weare, different, sinners and alwaysnudges us toward unity," he said.

In his audience talk,livestreamed from the library ofthe Apostolic Palace, the pope re-flected on the Week of Prayer forChristian Unity, celebrated Janu-ary 18-25. The theme for the 2021celebration, "Abide in my love ...You shall bear much fruit," istaken from the Gospel of St. John(15:1-17).

"The root of communion is thelove of Christ, who makes usovercome our prejudices to seein others a brother or sister to beloved always," the pope said.

In fact, the pope invited every-one to discover other Christiandenominations — their traditionsand their history — and see themas "gifts from God" present inone's neighbourhood or town.

"Let us begin to pray for themand, when possible, with them.We will thus learn to love andappreciate them," he said.

The pope said that at this timeof "serious hardship" in the world,the prayer for Christian unity waseven more necessary.

"It is urgent that we set asideparticular interests to promote thecommon good and so our goodexample is fundamental: It is es-sential that Christians pursue thepath toward full visible unity."

When Jesus prayed that his dis-ciples "may all be one," he wasnot ordering them to be united,but was praying "to the Fatherfor us," the pope said.

"This means that we are not

able to achieve unity by ourselves,with our own strength. Above all,unity is a gift, it is a grace to berequested through prayer," hesaid.

Unity is a difficult task, not justfor Christian communities, but foreach individual, he said.

"Even the Apostle Paul felt alacerating conflict within himself:wanting the good but inclined to-ward evil," he said.

The root of so many divisionsin the world — divisions in thefamily, society, a nation andamong believers — is found in-side the human heart, PopeFrancis said.

From these internal strugglesflow many of the conflicts andtensions in society, which is why"the solution to these divisions isnot to oppose someone, becausediscord generates more discord.The true remedy begins by ask-ing God for peace, reconciliation,unity."

Praying for unity also meansfighting "because our enemy, thedevil, is the one who divides," headded.

People need to ask themselveshow they live each day andwhether "we nurture conflict orfight for greater unity with thetools that God has given us: prayerand love."

Christians also need to ask, "DoI pray for unity? It is Jesus' willbut, if we inspect the intentionsfor which we pray, we wouldprobably realize that we haveprayed little, perhaps never, forChristian unity. And yet, theworld's faith depends on it."

The world will not come tobelieve in Christ and the Gospelbecause of "good arguments," hesaid, "but because we will haveborne witness to that love thatunites us and draws us near toeveryone."

With all the positive steps for-ward in ecumenism, "we still needto persevere in love and in prayer,without lacking trust or tiring. Itis the path that the Holy Spiritgave rise to in the church, inChristians, all of us, and fromwhich there is no turning back,"the pope said.§

VATICAN CITY — PopeFrancis leads his generalaudience in the library of theApostolic Palace at the VaticanJanuary 20, 2021. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)


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Supreme Court decision to deny appeal of 2020 court rulingmakes Catholic Church liable for abuse at Mount CashelBy BRIAN DRYDENCanadian Catholic News

OTTAWA — The Archdiocese of St. John’sis responsible for paying victims of child abuseat Newfoundland’s infamous Mount CashelOrphanage.

In a decision announced January 14, theSupreme Court of Canada has declined to hearone last appeal from the archdiocese, whichhas always denied it was responsible for theabuse that occurred at Mount Cashel datingback to the 1950s. The orphanage was runby the Christian Brothers of Ireland, whichdeclared bankruptcy in 2012 while settlingabuse lawsuits. The orphanage itself was de-molished in 1992.

As is often standard practice, there was noreason given for why Canada’s SupremeCourt decided not to hear the appeal filed bythe Archdiocese of St. John’s that sought toreverse a Newfoundland and Labrador Courtof Appeal ruling that found that the diocesehad “vicarious liability” for what went on atMount Cashel.

“(C)onsidering the whole of the evidence,we conclude that the brothers at Mount Cashelwere working on the account of the archdio-cese when they were caring for the appel-lants, and that the relationship between thebrothers and the archdiocese was sufficientlyclose to make the imposition of vicarious li-ability on the Archdiocese appropriate,” the135-page July 2020 ruling by the Newfound-land Court of Appeal said.

The archdiocese has argued before the courtthat it was not involved in the orphanage’sday-to-day operations and that the ChristianBrothers was a lay organization whose mem-bers were not ordained priests of the arch-diocese.

The lower court ruling in Newfoundlandthat exposed the Catholic Church to financial

liability could have implications not only inSt. John’s and across Canada, but the casewas also being closely monitored internation-ally.

Court cases related to what went on at theMount Cashel orphanage have been ongoingfor more than two decades after the HughesInquiry in 1989 exposed the abuse sufferedby children at the orphanage overseen by theChristian Brothers.

The Archdiocese of St. John’s said in astatement it will review the Supreme Court’sruling before commenting, but added: “TheArchdiocese of St. John’s has immense sym-pathy for those who suffered abuse at MountCashel Orphanage and we ask that all join withus in praying for healing for those who suf-fer as a result of abuse.”

That archdiocese’s argument that it did notoversee day-to-day operations at MountCashel was at first accepted by the SupremeCourt of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2018,which initially ruled in favour of the archdio-cese in a case involving four plaintiffs.

But in a unanimous three-judge decision inJuly of 2020, Newfoundland’s court of ap-peal ruled that the diocese was in fact liableand the Church was ordered to pay out about$2 million in damages.

Newfoundland’s Court of Appeal ruled inJuly that “the Archdiocese established MountCashel orphanage to provide care for boyswithin its religion and culture, and staffed itwith Brothers to whom it assigned the taskof caring for the resident boys, including theappellants. The evidence shows that this closerelationship continued up to and including the1950s when the appellants were resident.

"Through these years the archdiocese hadauthority over the brothers with respect totheir care of the boys in accordance with thearchdiocese’s mandate, had a significant handin the overall administration and operation of

Mount Cashel, exer-cised authority andcontrol overfundraising, set ad-missions and childwelfare policy, fa-cilitated admissions,and ensured that theRoman Catholicfaith informed theeducation and reli-gious training of theresidents”, adding

“the archdiocese was in a position to reducerisk to the appellants but did not do so. It hadthe ability, through a diocesan contract or oth-erwise to set up oversight systems to providea check on how the brothers were caring forthe appellants.”

“The brothers were engaged by the arch-diocese to perform services in an orphanageit established and continued to administer andfinancially support for the benefit of the arch-diocese’s objectives,” the July ruling stated.

“The archdiocese cannot divest itself of re-sponsibility for the brothers’ wrongdoing bysetting up a situation involving risk, perpetu-ating that risk, and then saying that Churchstructure denied them authority over how thebrothers carried out their work at the orphan-age,” the ruling continued.

The case was considered a test case for upto 60 other possible plaintiffs and now morecases are expected to go forward by otherabuse survivours or their estates.

“What this means is that in this instancethe Church can not claim it has no liability,”said Geoff Budden, who was one of the law-yers for the plaintiffs. “The issue of liabilityhas been settled.”

He expects more cases will now be filed inrelation to Mount Cashel specifically, but howthis will impact other cases involving claimsof Church liability depends on the circum-stances of each case.

“It all depends on what the Church’s rela-tionship to an organization is, and there aremany different relationships between organi-zations and the Church,” Mr. Budden told theCanadian Catholic News in a January 14 in-terview.

“This doesn’t create blanket liability; the ap-peal decision in Newfoundland was a nuanceddecision that was specific to the situation andrelationship between the Church and the or-phanage here,” Budden said. “I do, however,expect any lawyers who have clients that aretrying to prove Church liability will be look-ing very closely at what the appeal court rul-ing said and how that may affect other cases.”

Mr. Budden said his clients feel vindicatedfor having demanded that the Catholic Churchin Newfoundland and Labrador be held ac-countable for what happened at Mount Cashel.

“They are very satisfied with what has hap-pened, even though whenever this comes upof course it brings back up all the bad memo-ries of what happened,” Mr. Budden said. “Itwould be wrong to say they are happy, butthey are satisfied.” §


January 31, 2021 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary TimeFirst Reading: Deuteronomy 18.15-20

I will put my words in the mouth of the Prophet.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 95.1-2, 6-7ab, 7c-9 (R. 7c+8a)R. O that today you would listen to the voice of the Lord.

Do not harden your hearts!

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7.32-35The unmarried are concerned about the affairs of the Lord.

Gospel: Mark 1.21-28They were all amazed: A new teaching — with authority.

Sunday’s Liturgy

Canada’s chief medical officer asks for church aid in bringing end to pandemicBy MICHAEL SWANThe Catholic Register

OTTAWA — The end of our long COVID crisis may be in sight,but until we get there churches and faith leaders still have a job to do,Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam told over 1,300faith leaders on a January 20, nationwide Zoom call.

“All pandemics come to an end and this one will as well,” Dr. Tamsaid.

With delays in vaccine delivery and the enormous logistical effortrequired to distribute vaccines to every corner of a country so vast itcould fit almost all of Europe within its borders, just when COVIDwill end is still unknown. Between now and then Tam is askingchurches to promote the basics of safety under the pandemic —mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing. She also wantsfaith leaders’ help in reassuring Canadians that the vaccines are safe,effective and our best hope for a return to normal.

While the majority of Canadians want and trust the vaccines, and90 per cent of long-term care residents who have been offered it haverolled up their sleeves for the needle, there are still pockets of resist-ance and waves of misinformation washing over social media, saidTam. She pleaded with faith leaders to use their influence to promoteaccurate information about the vaccines.

Calling the faith leaders “influencers,” Dr. Tam praised their abilityto reach out directly to their congregations and the high level of trustpeople place in them.

“You know what is in the hearts and in the minds of your mem-bers,” she said.

There’s no question that Canada’s Catholic bishops want to con-tribute to a smooth rollout of the vaccines, including the effort toensure accurate information, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bish-ops president Archbishop Richard Gagnon told The Catholic Registerafter the Zoom call.

“Like many bishops, I would say our communications office, ourweb site and that sort of thing will be used to assist in the rollout ofthe vaccine and providing proper information and encouraging peopleto take the vaccine, for sure,” he said.

Whether it’s reinforcing COVID safety protocols or broadcastinginformation about the vaccines, the Archdiocese of Toronto is al-ready on board, said communications director Neil MacCarthy.

“We want to reiterate the credible advice that is out there,” Mr.MacCarthy said.

Mr. MacCarthy frequently fields calls from parishioners frustratedwith restrictions on mass-going.

“What I often say to people is, ‘We share your frustration,’ but thesooner we can get the numbers down, get people vaccinated, thenthe sooner we can get people back to full and active participation inour places of worship — which is the end-goal we all share,” Mr.MacCarthy said.

The archdiocese also stands ready to make church halls and otherspaces available as vaccination sites if they are needed. That’s a re-quest that would come from local health authorities charged withinoculating the public. At current levels of vaccination, the need hasnot yet arisen. Toronto’s Archbishop Cardinal Thomas Collins hasencouraged pastors to respond positively should the request come,“just as we would for election polling or a blood donor clinic, thingslike that,” Mr. MacCarthy said.

Among people whose primary source of news and information is

social media there is a higher tendency to doubt the vaccines or be-lieve inaccurate information about them, Dr. Tam said. The Catholictradition of seeking truth and building trust should be a bulwark againstmisinformation, according to Mr. MacCarthy.

“We’ve got to trust the people who have that expertise, have thebackground, are in positions of leadership,” he said. “We want toreiterate the credible advice that is out there.”

While rumours of serious side-effects from the vaccine continue tocirculate on the Internet, the facts thus far are far from alarming, saidDr. Tam. Out of 338,223 vaccine doses administered prior to January8, 24 recorded an adverse reaction and only 10 of those were serious.In total, adverse reactions came in at 0.007 per cent of all the dosesadministered so far, mostly to a highly vulnerable population living innursing homes.

While the government projects four million Canadians will havereceived a vaccine by the end of March and the bulk of the populationby September, in the meantime Dr. Tam would like faith leaders’ helpin persuading Canadians to observe safety protocols and thus drivedown the numbers that need hospitalization. If Canada can get thosenumbers down it will “give the vaccines a bit of a runway to getgoing,” she said.

The government’s direct outreach to faith leaders is a positive step,said Archbishop Gagnon.

“I think it’s good to ask the faith communities to co-operate. It’sappropriate. It’s logical,” he said.

“Maintaining social, community and spiritual closeness at this timeis more important than ever,” said Dr. Tam.§

A health care worker comforts an eldery patient during theCOVID-19 pandemic. (CNS photo/Hannah McKay, pool via Reuters)


OBITUARIES

O’LEARY, ALBAN GERARD — It is with great sadness that the familyof Alban Gerard O’Leary announces his passing on Wednesday, Decem-ber 23, 2020 at the Saint John Regional Hospital. Born in Saint John onAugust 11, 1932, he was the son of the late William and Anna (Breen)O’Leary. Alban will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 63 years,Doreen; his son, Edward of Nova Scotia; his sisters, Carol Allen (Bill) ofSaint John and Eleanor Mahoney (the late Clem) of Ontario. In addition tohis parents, Alban was predeceased by his brothers, Victor, Harold, Martinand Patrick and his sisters, Maureen and Mary.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Brenan’s FuneralHome, Saint John. Mass of Christian Burial took place at St. Joseph'sCatholic Church, Saint John.

FOLKINS, KATHLEEN ‘KAY’ — It is with heavy hearts and apprecia-tion for a life well-lived that the family of Kathleen “Kay” Folkins an-nounces her passing which occurred on Thursday, January 7, 2021 atBobby’s Hospice. Born at Head of Millstream on May 24, 1929, she wasa daughter of the late Charles and Elsie (Miller) Hayes. Kay will be missedby her nine children: Valerie Beck (Harvey) of Barnesville, Lynn Holt (Rick)of Moncton, Kathy Livingstone (Byron) and Paul Folkins (Anne) both ofSaint John, Jack Folkins (Rosemary) of Alma, Randy Folkins (Donna) ofGolden Grove, Theresa MacMillan (Curtis) of Cornwall, PE, Krista Bietz(Rick LeBlanc) of Saint John, Kirby Folkins (Dave Walker) of Oromocto;twenty-three grandchildren; twenty-six great-grandchildren; a sister SylviaHayes of Saint John; as well as several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Kay was predeceased by her beloved hus-band Murray Folkins; her daughter Debra Saunders; her infant childrenDiane Kathleen and Susan Veronica; and her grandson Cody Folkins.

Arrangements are under the care of Brenan’s Funeral Home, Saint John.A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated from St. Joseph’s Church,Saint John.

O’DELL, JACK ALLEN — It is with great sadness the family of JackAllen O’Dell, husband of Dianne (Beatty) O’Dell, announces his passingwhich occurred on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at Tucker Hall Shannex.Born on December 30, 1941 in Moncton, he was a son of the late Charlesand Etta O’Dell. He is survived by one son, Sean O’Dell of Toronto; onedaughter, Susan O’Dell-Ring (Geodie) of Saint John; five grandchildren:Jessica, Brittney, Danielle, Becca and Josh; one sister-in-law, Barbara Beatty(David).

Arrangements were under the care and direction of Brenan’s FuneralHome, Saint JohnRespecting the guidelines regarding Covid-19, a private

funeral liturgy was held for family only.

ZED, SADIE MARGARET (Joseph) — The death of Sadie Margaret(Joseph) Zed, wife of the late Ronald Zed Sr., occurred on January 15,2021, at Rocmaura Nursing Home. Born May 16, 1921, in Sydney,N.S., to the late Peter and Mary (Jacobs) Joseph. Sadie is survivedby her grandchildren Peter (Stacey) Zed of Vancouver, Derek (Debbie)of Miramichi, and Joanne Zed-Murphy (Carl) of Halifax; daughter-in-law: Priscilla Zed; four great-grandchildren: Alexandra and Isaac Zedof Vancouver, and Ryan and Jillian Murphy of Halifax. Besides herparents and devoted husband, she was predeceased by her only sonRonald Zed Jr. in 1995, sisters Lillian and Victoria; and brothers: Joe,George, David, and Jacob. She was the last surviving member of herimmediate family.

She rested at Brenan’s Funeral Home, Saint John. Due to the ongoingpandemic, there was no visitation and a private Mass of Christian Burialwas celebrated.

McINTYRE, STELLA CARMEL (DALEY) — After a short period offailing health Stella Carmel (Daley) McIntyre passed away peacefully athome with her sons at her side. Stella was born in St. Margarets, NB. Shewas eldest child of the late Joseph and Kathleen (Fraser) Daley, and isthe last surviving member of her immediate family. Besides her par-ents she was predeceased by her husband Lee McIntyre, son DaleMcIntyre, siblings; William (Bill) Daley, Geraldine Flynn, Marie Carrolland Kay Flanagan, and grandson Geoffrey McIntyre. Stella is sur-vived by her sons; Ken McIntyre (Dawn) of Shediac, and BarryMcIntyre of Saint John, four grandchildren; Shelley McIntyre (Mark)and her children; Mason and Taylor Brown of Grimsby, Ont., GregoryMcIntyre (Nicole) and his children Ethan and Gavin McIntyre ofFredericton, Heather McIntyre (Rick) and her children; ParkerMcIntyre, Ava and Isabella Dixon of Moncton, and Peter McIntyreand his children Gabriel and Amelia McIntyre of Sudbury, Ont., sis-ters in law; Symone Daley of Hardwicke, Margie McIntyre of Lon-don, Ont., and Gladys McIntyre of Moncton, as well as many nieces andnephews.

Arrangements were under the care of Castle Funeral Home, Saint John.A private Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Assumption CatholicChurch, Saint John will be held at a later date, with interment in Holy CrossCemetery, Saint John.

McHUGH, LOIS EVELYN — The family of Lois Evelyn McHughwish to announce her passing which occurred at the Saint John Re-gional Hospital on January 23, 2021 at the age of 96. Our hearts areheavy but full of gratitude for a life well lived. Lois was born toMargaret (Purtill) and Thomas Ryan on October 7, 1924 inPlumweseep, NB. She was the last surviving sibling of the Ryan fam-ily. She held her siblings and their families close to her heart. She isalso pre-deceased by her loving husband, Ronald T. McHugh withwhom she shared 54 years of marriage. She leaves behind a largefamily, children; Judy Riley (Paul), Rose Leger (Roger), Thomas McHugh(Cathy), James McHugh (Gloria), Hugh McHugh, Mary Jane Foster(David), Karen Roberts (Don), and Peter McHugh (Debbie) value theinfluence their mother made on their childhood and adult lives. Each of her25 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren felt treasured.

Arrangements were under the care and direction of Brenan’s FuneralHome, Saint John. A Mass of Christian Burial, internment at St. Joseph’sCemetery and a celebration of her life will occur at a later date.§


Mary Wagner and a mother’s influenceBy QUINTON AMUNDSONThe Catholic Register

VANCOUVER — Jane Wagner remembersthe raw emotion she experienced when herdaughter Mary Wagner was first arrested inVancouver in 1999 for her crusades on be-half of the unborn.

“It was very difficult for me,” recalled Jane.“Just the idea of your daughter being in jailwith murderers was so overwhelming. Ithought, ‘how can you do this?’ But Our Ladycame to me and told me to be supportive so Ibecame supportive through an act of will.”

Jane and Mary sat side by side speakingabout their special mother-daughter bondduring a virtual meeting of the Catholic Mom’sGroup January 14. Dorothy Pilarski, a writer,communications professional and radio hostwho founded the group in Toronto, led a ZoomQ&A [question and answer] with the Wagnerswhile also sharing questions from the audi-ence of Catholic mothers.

Mary, 46, has spent essentially six years ofher life in prison in Toronto or Vancouverbecause of her continued willingness to defythe “bubble-zone” laws — anti-abortion pro-tests within a 50-metre radius of health-carecentres are illegal. She walks into abortionclinics and calmly counsels women with al-ternative options to terminating the child intheir womb, sharing red or white roses andpamphlets with each woman to whom shespeaks.

Her most recent arrest was just beforeEaster in 2019 at the Everywoman’s HealthCentre in Vancouver.

The sacrifices Mary has made, includingnumerous Christmas and Easter celebrationsimprisoned and away from family, can becredited to the example set by Jane and herfather, Frank. The seminar afforded Mary aplatform to talk about Jane’s motherhood andher upbringing.

Mary said one of the greatest gifts given toher and her siblings by her parents was a pas-sion towards the concept of adoption.

“I remember that the idea of adopting a childwas something that excited my siblings and Ilong before my parents decided to adopt,”said Mary. “From early on the seeds wereplanted about openness to others. This had areally profound impact on me along with theirlesson to put Jesus first.”

Jane and Frank have raised seven biologi-cal children, five adopted children and fourfoster children. Ms. Pilarski opened the semi-nar by asking Jane about her eye-opening ex-

perience towards adoption while she andFrank were stationed in Africa where he taughtat a polytechnic institute.

“We were eating on the beach and this two-and-a-half year old boy came up and he waswearing a rag and he showed all the symp-toms of protein deficiency. He was lookingnot at us but at our food. It was a turningmoment for me. This was a boy who had

nothing — literally nothing. Of course, wegave him everything we had,” said Jane.

“I said, ‘Frank, we have to do something.’He said, ‘what can we do?’ And I said, ‘maybewe could adopt him.’ He said we can lookinto it as we watched the boy down the beachhaving a swarm of kids descend on him andtake everything he had. They were hungrytoo.”

While Frank and Jane were unsuccessfulin adopting the kids she encountered that day,the couple returned home determined to open

VANCOUVER — Mary (left) and Jane Wagner sit side speaking about their specialmother-daughter bond during a virtual meeting of the Catholic Mom’s Group January14. (THe CAtholic REgister photo)

their home to children.Jane concluded the seminar by urging moth-

ers to carry out the sacred gift and duty givento them by God.

“What is most precious in your life, youdevote yourself to. A child, a gift from Godlike that is so irreplaceable and priceless thatyou do have a duty to be there and safeguardthat child, and lead them toward God.” §

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