February 2018 Vol.

24

I. Our Faith: Quo Vadis

Contents include:
I. Our Faith: Quo Following in Saint Francis’
Vadis
Footsteps: Greater Love
II. From the Desk of

O
the Archbishop
n January 7, during the visit of the Relic of Saint Francis Xavier, a
III. Our Journey of young campus missionary with Catholic Christian Outreach
Transformation
(CCO) shared how Saint Francis impacts his life of faith. Mark
IV. Our Church Saldahna is a 3rd year university student whose desire to follow Christ and
V. Our People, Our spread the Good News led him to start an outreach ministry to vulnerable
Parishes people, called Greater Love. Here is Mark’s story:

VI. The Word Good evening everyone, my name is Mark Saldanha.

VII. Youth/Young I think it’s fitting to start this testimony by saying, the reason I’m up
Adult here today is because of that arm right there. I was involved in my faith
A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
community – to an extent.
I had everything faith-related around me, but if
you asked me what the purpose of all of this
was? I’d have no clue. I didn’t know the heart
of Jesus.
One of my first encounters with God happened
at the Steubenville Atlantic Conference. For
those of you who haven’t heard of the
Steubenville Conferences, they are a series of
Catholic conferences held for high school
students all around Canada and the US. At the
time, I was reluctant to go, because I hadn’t
done much to really build my relationship with
God. But with convincing I decided to go.
Honestly, how bad could it be? It was an all
inclusive trip paid for by my parents. Free
food, good music, and most importantly, like
most teenage boys, I was absolutely sure I was
going to find at this Steubenville conference,
my spouse. I knew that this weekend was the
weekend that I’d find my Ms. Saldanha after
years of searching. So with that in mind I
decided to shower for the first time in a while,
and I was ready to go.
I got there and everyone there was just on fire
for God. I had an amazing experience at this
conference because I decided to open my heart
and put down my shield. It was the first time I
Page 2 A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
had ever made a decision, on my own, to make
a commitment to God – a commitment to living
in a relationship with Christ. I know you are all
wondering, did I find my Ms. Saldanha? Well, I
can confidently tell you that by the end of the
conference, really the only Ms. Saldanha I met
was my mother who picked me up at the end
of the conference. I did not find my spouse at
that conference but I definitely did find Jesus.
This forearm right here belongs to St. Francis
Xavier, a saint known for raising four people
from the dead, and for baptizing tens of
thousands of people, including my own
ancestors from Goa only 500 years ago. My
prayer is that the missionary spirit of St.
Francis remains in me. A friend of mine shared
with me a story he had read of a priest who
was extremely skeptical of St Francis’ work
that he decided to follow St. Francis as he
preached to a colony of lepers. This priest then
came to a realization: “The whole world was
leprous, and the worst lepers were those who
did not even know that they were ill. For many
of them the disease did not show on the
outside, but on the inside.” The priest realized
that he was “leprous inside, he was covered
with the sores of self-righteousness and
lukewarm-ness in the service of his Lord.”
It is so easy to fall into the
trap of being lukewarm –
to overlook and ignore our
charitable and missionary
identity. We can all be
lepers on the inside, and I
am most guilty of this at
times. We need to
consistently challenge
ourselves to live lives as
missionaries, to serve
others as though we are
serving Jesus directly. We
need to take after St.
Francis’ missionary model,
to surrender to the will of
God.
Just this past summer I
surrendered to the will of
God to serve the
vulnerable people in our
community here in
Halifax. With the help of
many I started an
organization called
Greater Love. Our group
seeks to reach out to the
elderly, homeless,
refugees, and poor in our
city. Every weekend since
the summer a group of university students and
parishioners meet on Spring Garden Road. In
teams of two we sit down, offer food, and listen
to the homeless who are suffering. The greatest
poverty faced by homeless people is not
financial poverty, it’s the poverty of loneliness.
They are only a few meters from our church
doors are overlooked everyday.
We live in a throw-away culture where if
someone is of no use to us, we dispose of them
and push them to the side. Together, why don’t
we throw away this “throw-away” culture, and
instead embrace a culture of encounter where
we build friendships with the homeless,
elderly, and refugees around us. Let’s share
with them the joys and sorrows, dreams and
fears, triumphs and hardships that make up
life.
Let’s bridge the growing gap between “us and
them” – after all, we are all part of one family.
Modern man in the secular world needs to see
the Church with the poor. Let modern man see
us Catholics on the streets every day serving
these poor, enough for people to come up to us
and say: “I’m impressed” What better way to
show the world how authentic the Gospel is
than by serving the poor and the vulnerable.
A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
We often think that we are there to heal the
brokenness of these vulnerable people, but
instead they heal our own brokenness.
Jesus, as we know, is most present in the weak.
Simply looking at the Eucharist reveals to us a
thin, humble, fragile wafer. This is the last
place we would expect to see our God. But
that’s who our God is, and this is why Jesus is
most present in the weak, the homeless, the
vulnerable. After all, in His last week of life,
Jesus was imprisoned, He was homeless, He
was poor, He was hungry, and He was a
refugee. The vulnerable people are a privileged
place for us to experience Jesus Christ. I urge
all of you to emulate Jesus and St. Francis, and
embrace the missionary identity that Jesus has
trusted us all with.
There is no reason why we can’t be the next St.
Francis. We all have the capacity to be saints of
the new millennium. We need to think big. Do
not settle for
mediocrity; do not
wound Jesus’ heart by
being timid. Make great
sacrifices for the one
who made the biggest
sacrifice for you and
me. Thank you.
Page 3
II. From the Desk of the Archbishop
Becoming better
missionary disciples
L ent is a season that has multiple facets to
it, and each of us approaches it from very
different and very personal perspectives. But
overall, the season we are in is a time of
preparation and growth in the faith. In this
time we have the opportunity to experience
grace, the love of God, and the effects of
change. This is why Lent involves prayer to
deepen our relationship with God,
encountering Jesus Christ in His ministry and
message, and allowing ourselves to be
profoundly transformed by the grace of the
Holy Spirit.
During the period of Lent, therefore, we take 40
days to follow Jesus Christ as His first disciples
did, so that we too can again see Him in action,
hear His message, and learn what He is
proposing as the way, the truth and the life.
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This time is meant for the formation of new
disciples, but it is also useful to old disciples, or
even fallen away disciples, that we might all
discover, as if for the first time, the amazing
grace of renewed life in Christ.
This re-formation and renewal of our personal
faith life also demands a re-formation and
renewal of the collective life of the Church,
which we constitute here as the Archdiocese of
Halifax-Yarmouth. Such renewal is the primary
challenge of the New Evangelization, upon
which we have been so focused and to which
we have given so much time and energy. Now
we have a spiritual opportunity in the days
ahead to undergo a deeper conversion, as each
one of us works at becoming the missionary
disciples Christ wants us to be: “…If any want
to become my followers let them deny
themselves, take up the cross and follow
me” (Luke 9:23).
In this Lenten period of conversion and change,
not only our personal conversion calls for
attention but also the conversion and change
that must take place in the organization of the
Church. Pope Francis calls this “pastoral
conversion,” and it must impact everyone and
everything if our diocese, our parishes, our
clergy and our faithful are truly going to take
up the missionary cause to propose Jesus
Christ and proclaim His gospel in the
contemporary world.
We all know that we cannot keep doing the
same things we have always done, and
continue to do them like we have always done,
because everything is no longer the way it was.
You are not what you were, I’m not what I was,
and neither are the Church and the world. If
this is the case, then what does it mean to be a
Catholic in present circumstances? What does
following Christ and taking up His cross
demand of us in the present society in which
we live? And how does this affect the
Archdiocese in which we are presently
involved?
These are some of the key questions that we
need to pray about in the coming days. We
need to share our reflections together to come
to some clarity, and then make some decisions
if we are going to walk the path being opened
up by Jesus Christ and make the adjustments
that pastoral conversion demands.
During this time of Lent, I invite everyone to
participate not only in the traditional practices
of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, but also to
engage in the practice of discipleship training
and formation, which are necessary if we are
going to follow Christ and build up His Church
to be a community of missionary disciples.
To this end, we have prepared our 2018 Lenten
Video Series, where I share with you my
reflections and teaching on what this pastoral
challenge and conversion demand of us. I
invite as many of you as possible to view this
series and allow yourselves to be questioned
A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
and even shaken up a little by the demands
and imperative of becoming Christ’s followers
in our changing circumstances.
Lent, as a time of formation and conversion, is
not reducible to a few little things to give up for
Lent. The changes required of us all are far
more demanding; perhaps we have never been
so called to give up and let go of all that stands
in the way of following Christ here and now.
During the next 40 days, we must make some
serious sacrifices because of our commitment to
follow Christ; sacrifices that involve passion,
death and resurrection. What are we willing to
do to become today’s missionary disciples?
To take part in the 2018 Lenten Video Series go
to www.halifaxyarmouth.org/plan .
†Anthony Mancini
Archbishop of Halifax-Yarmouth
Devenir de meilleurs
disciples missionnaires
L e carême est une saison qui a de multiples
facettes, et chacun de nous l’aborde sous
différents angles et avec des perspectives bien
personnelles. Mais, globalement parlant, la
période dans laquelle nous entrons est un
temps de préparation et de croissance dans la
foi. Ce temps est conçu pour nous donner
l’opportunité d’expérimenter la grâce, l’amour
de Dieu et les effets du changement. C’est la
raison pour laquelle le carême nous invite à la
prière pour approfondir notre relation avec
Dieu : afin de rencontrer Jésus Christ dans son
ministère et son message, tout en nous
permettant d’être transformés profondément
Page 5
par la grâce de l’Esprit Saint. tellement insisté et à laquelle nous avons
accordé autant de temps et d’énergie. En ce
Par conséquent, pendant cette période de
temps précis du carême qui approche, nous
carême, nous nous donnons du temps de
tenons une opportunité spirituelle pour
qualité – en fait, nous prenons quarante jours –
entreprendre une conversion encore plus
pour nous mettre à la suite de Jésus Christ, tout
profonde alors que chacun de nous travaille à
comme ses premiers disciples ont fait, afin que
devenir le disciple missionnaire que le Christ
nous aussi puissions le voir en action, entendre
veut que nous soyons : « ... si quelqu’un veut
son message et apprendre ce qu’il nous
venir avec moi, qu’il cesse de penser à lui-même,
propose comme étant la voie, la vérité et la vie.
qu’il porte sa croix chaque jour et me suive. » (Luc
Le but de ce temps est de former de nouveaux
9, 23)
disciples ; mais cette période de temps est aussi
utile pour les ‘vieux disciples’, ou même pour Durant cette période de conversion et de
ceux qui nous ont quittés, afin que nous changement, la conversion personnelle n’est
découvrions tous, comme si c’était la première pas la seule qui doive retenir notre attention ; il
fois, la grâce exceptionnelle d’une vie nous faut également voir à la conversion et au
renouvelée dans le Christ. changement qui devront se produire dans
l’organisation de l’Église. Le pape François
Cette nouvelle formation ou ce renouveau de
appelle cette transformation ‘une conversion
notre vie personnelle de foi demande
pastorale’, et elle doit avoir un impact sur
nécessairement une nouvelle formation ou un
chacun de nous et sur toutes choses, si nous
renouveau de la vie communautaire de l’Église
voulons que notre diocèse, nos paroisses, notre
telle que nous la constituons ici dans
clergé et nos fidèles prennent vraiment à cœur
l’archidiocèse d’Halifax-Yarmouth. Un tel
le défi et la cause missionnaire de proposer
renouveau est le défi primordial de la Nouvelle
Jésus Christ et de proclamer son Évangile à
Évangélisation, sur laquelle nous avons
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notre monde contemporain.
Nous savons tous que nous ne pouvons pas
continuer à faire les mêmes choses que nous
avons toujours faites parce que rien n’est plus
comme c’était avant. Vous n’êtes plus celui que
vous étiez. Je ne suis plus qui j’ai déjà été. Le
monde et l’Église ne sont plus ce qu’ils étaient
auparavant. Si tel est vraiment le cas, que peut
signifier être catholique dans les circonstances
présentes ? Qu’est-ce que suivre le Christ et
prendre sa croix requièrent de notre part dans
la société actuelle où nous vivons ? Et comment
cette situation ébranle-t-elle et secoue-t-elle
l’archidiocèse dans lequel nous sommes
actuellement impliqués ?
Ce sont quelques-unes des questions-clés sur
lesquelles il faut se pencher et prier pour la
suite des choses dans notre archidiocèse. Nous
avons besoin de partager ensemble nos
réflexions afin d’en arriver à un constat aussi
clair que possible, et prendre ensuite des
décisions adéquates. De cette façon, nous
prendrons le chemin que nous indique et nous
ouvre Jésus Christ lui-même, et nous ferons les
ajustements indispensables tels que la
conversion pastorale le requiert.
Pendant cette période de carême, j’invite
chacun d’entre vous à participer – non
A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
seulement selon les pratiques traditionnelles de
prière, de jeûne et de partage – mais aussi de
s’aventurer et de s’impliquer dans des sessions
pour devenir meilleurs disciples et recevoir
une formation plus poussée, si nous voulons
finalement et vraiment suivre le Christ et
construire son Église, afin que celle-ci devienne
une vraie communauté de disciples
missionnaires.
À cette fin, une série vidéo a été élaborée où je
partage avec vous mes réflexions et mon
enseignement sur ce que signifient vraiment ce
défi et cette conversion pastorale, et ce qu’ils
requièrent de nous. Je vous invite fortement à
visionner cette série vidéo ; et je vous
encourage d’avoir l’audace de vous laisser
questionner, ou même de vous laisser secouer
un peu par les interpellations et les impératifs
pertinents pour devenir vraiment des disciples
du Christ dans notre monde changeant.
Le carême – vu comme un temps de formation
et de conversion – ne se réduit pas à quelques
petites choses qu’il faille abandonner. Les
changements requis de nous tous sont
beaucoup plus rigoureux et sévères ; peut-être
n’avons-nous pas encore été appelés à quitter
telles habitudes ou renoncer à certains attraits
qui se présentent sur le chemin de notre appel
à suivre Jésus Christ, ici et maintenant.
Pendant les quarante prochains jours, nous
nous devons de faire de sérieux sacrifices en
raison de notre engagement à suivre le Christ ;
des sacrifices qui impliquent une passion, mort
et résurrection. Qu’avons-nous vraiment envie
de faire pour devenir de meilleurs disciples
missionnaires aujourd’hui ?
Pour participer a la serie video du Careme 2018,
consultez le site www.halifaxyarmouth.org/plan
†Anthony Mancini
Archevêque d’Halifax-Yarmouth
Page 7
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III. Our Journey of Transformation

pastoral ministry, which is needs to be re-

Discernment in Depth invigorated in order to “enflame the hearts of
More Results From Our 2017 the faithful who regularly take part in
community worship and gather on the Lord’s
Discernment Surveys day to be nourished by his word and by the

I n 2017 we conducted nearly 6,000 pew

surveys of Catholics across the diocese,
representing about 35% of regular Mass
bread of eternal life” (Evangelii Gaudium #15).
On average, 76% of regular attendees were
over the age of 55. This reflects what many of
attendees. These Discernment Surveys were us observe in our parishes each week – our
designed to help us better understand who is communities are aging and there are fewer
going to church; what their experience is like; youth and young families in church on a
and what activities most impact mission, regular basis. (The good news is there are
community, and formation. The survey committed young people and families in our
contained 25 questions that were selected from parishes; we take a special look at their needs
a much longer survey conducted as part of our below.) Most people report high personal faith:
Lenten Series in 2016. Each parish that praying everyday, experiencing the sacraments
participated received a summary of their as profound moments of encounter, and
results late last year. This
article presents some of those
summary findings along with
some observations from our
overall results.
Who Goes to Church?
This survey captured a lot of
information from our
“regulars.” The vast majority
of respondents (84%)
reported frequent Mass
attendance. This is very
important as one of the
principal settings of the New
Evangelization is ordinary
A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth Page 9
speaking about their relationship with Christ.
They also feel their parishes are open to new
people and ideas and are hospitable to young
families. Overall, our regular attendees appear
to be somewhat comfortable.
However, only 30% of people agreed or
strongly agreed that they are part of a
discipleship small group. In an analysis of all
answers across the board, the presence of a
clear process for discipleship (a process that
should include small groups of some sort)
drives agreement with many other statements
on the survey. That is to say, if your parish has
a process for discipleship in place, you are
significantly more likely to agree with other
statements. We also know small groups are key
places for community life and faith formation.
This is a definite area for improvement. It
becomes even more important when we
examine other factors related to infrequent
attendees and young adults.
What About Those Who Come Less Often?
While only 2% of respondents were infrequent
attendees, we can still learn a few things from
them. First of all, the very fact that there are so
few “visitors” – people who don’t come at all
or very often – to our churches may be a clue
Page 10 A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
that our outreach is less effective than we
realize. The attributes they are less likely to
agree with than those who attend weekly all
start with "I":
 I am comfortable speaking about my
relationship with Christ
 I am involved in a discipleship small
group
 I am committed to daily, personal
prayer
 I experience the sacraments as
profound moments of encounter with
Christ and not simply as rituals
 I know other parishioners by name and
have friends who attend the parish
These responses further highlight the need for
a discipleship process in our parishes – a way
for people to grow in each of these areas:
relationship with Christ, personal prayer,
sacramental worship, and having friends in the
parish. Again, much of this can be
accomplished in a small group. In the book
Simple Church, Thomas Rainer and Eric Geiger
report that people who experience a first
encounter with Christ are 52% more likely to
stay with a church if they are involved in small
groups. Small groups can become an
important place for welcoming new people, as
well as immediately giving
them the relationships and
tools they need to get
involved and grow their
faith. This supports their own
personal faith journey and
strengthens their connection
to your parish. So, while we
must answer the question of
how we can invite more
people to join us, we must
also examine the question of
how we retain them and set
them on a path of conversion
and growth as disciples.
 Overview
 Nearly 6,000 people surveyed
(out of approximately 17,000 who attend Mass each week)
 84% of those surveyed attend Mass frequently, only 2% infrequently
 76% of our weekly attendees are age 55 and older
 82% say they are comfortable speaking about their relationship with Christ
 Only 30% say they are in a small group

What About Young Adults and Young On the matter of young families: family
Families? households with children peak in the 35-54 age
range, dropping off significantly at either end
The good news, as stated above, is we do have
of the age spectrum. Without doing deep
young adults and young families in our
demographic analysis, it appears that the
churches. Unfortunately, they only represent
families we do attract are those with young
about a quarter of our overall attendees.
children. These families become less likely to
Younger parishioners (18-24) are the least likely
attend as children get older. Such a trend may
to agree they "experience the sacraments as
support the anecdotal argument that young
profound moments." Also, members who don't
people and their families disappear after the
show up weekly are almost half as likely to
sacrament of confirmation (typically occurs in
strongly agree. Parishioners under 35 are less
teenage years). If so, a renewal of our ministry
likely to agree they know other parishioners by
to children and families may be in order.
name. These two realities, again, point to the
Significant effort will need to go into
need for a clear path that helps and supports
supporting these young families as they grow,
growth in faith for young people. We need
so that faith becomes a lifelong commitment for
ways to create environments that allow young
parents and children.
adults to come into contact with other
Christians and grow and develop in their Investing in the next generation of disciples is
relationship with Christ and His Church. crucial to the ongoing mission of our local
Church. While our surveys don’t provide all
A particular area of opportunity relating to
the answers, they certainly give some clues
young people is our use of technology. Young
about ways we can be more intentional about
people, those most engaged with technology,
serving those who will carry our Church into
give their parishes the lowest ratings in this
the future.
area (the highest score comes from those 75+).
When thinking about methods of engaging and
What Can We Do?
supporting young people we will need to
incorporate new technologies into our efforts. In addition to looking at age and Mass
attendance we considered what activities drive

A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth Page 11


positive results in other areas. Meaning, if we
could zero in on a few activities that could
improve the overall experience of those
currently attending, what would they be? To
do this, we had a research firm look at our
most highly correlated questions to see which
activities appear to impact many others. The
top five results, ranked from highest to lowest
in terms of the strength of their impact, were:
1. Our parish has a clear process for
helping new people to grow in
discipleship.
2. Our parish provides an active, dynamic
experience of the liturgy
3. Our parish welcomes and supports
married couples and families.
4. Our parish is open to new people and
ideas.
5. Our key parish leaders, both lay and
clergy, are held to high standards of
transparency and accountability
Respondents who agreed or strongly agreed
with these statements were significantly more
likely to agree to other statements on the
survey. These results support some of the
findings discussed above and also appear
A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
consistent with emerging
ideas related to parish
renewal. The significance of
hospitality – openness to
new people and ideas,
especially families – is
something most would agree
on. The importance of good
worship makes sense given
the importance of the liturgy
and sacraments, particularly
the Eucharist, in our Catholic
faith. Since leadership is
essential to any great
organization, the reliability
of our lay leaders and clergy
is vital. A clear process for
discipleship, growth in our relationship with
Christ, is the mission of the Church (Jesus did
say, “Go, make disciples,” after all), so it is
good to see the Great Commission statistically
verified as an important driver of vitality in our
parishes. Our efforts at renewal may require us
to zero in on these factors – prioritizing them
above others – in order to have the maximum
impact on the overall health of our parish.
New Contours
Pope Francis reminds us that the parish is not
an outdated institution but can take on
“different contours depending on the openness
and missionary creativity of the pastor and the
community” (Evangelii Gaudium #28). As we
work toward re-orienting our parish structures
to better accomplish our mission, paying
attention to the trends uncovered in our
discernment surveys gives us some of the tools
we need to identify these different contours
and approach them with openness and
creativity. Over the coming months we will
continue our discernment in depth to consider
some of these findings in more detail.
Page 12
IV. Our Church
An Update:
Conscience Rights in Nova Scotia
On February 11 we will recognize the 26th World Day of the Sick. On this day Pope Francis invites us to pray
in a particular way for the sick and those who care for them. For Canadian Catholics the notion of caring for
the sick and dying has changed significantly in the wake of legalized medical assistance in dying (MAID).
Canadian healthcare providers of all faiths are being placed in situations where they are confronted with the
possibility of having to do something that is contrary to their faith. The following update on the situation in
Nova Scotia was provided by the Christian Medical and Dental Society, a national body that seeks to support
and advocate for healthcare providers.

M edical Assistance in Dying (MAID) is a

controversial procedure that has been
permitted by the Supreme Court of Canada
and Parliament for over a year. Some doctors,
nurses, pharmacists, and other caregivers
believe that it is morally acceptable to end the
life of a patient upon request while others do
not. Some go further and believe that all
caregivers must help willing patients to end
their lives prematurely.
For example, a leading
Nova Scotia medical
regulator recently told
doctors they must
participate in euthanasia
by making an “effective
referral” even if this
would require them to
violate their conscience. It
was made clear that the
penalty for refusing to comply could be
disciplined for “unprofessional conduct.”
In January, Archbishop Mancini and a
delegation from the Coalition for HealthCARE
and Conscience and Doctors Nova Scotia met
with the Nova Scotia Minister of Health and
his staff to discuss the current status of
conscience rights in our province. It was clear
in the meeting that the Minister heard and
understood the concerns.
The Nova Scotia government has the
opportunity to protect the conscience rights of
physicians and other medical professionals by
passing legislation to protect healthcare
professionals from being forced to participate
in or refer for medical assistance in dying.
Through creating a care coordination service
using existing public systems, patients can
access this controversial procedure without
forcing a doctor to be involved against their
conscience. Conscientious
objectors need to be able
to continue to care for
their patients.
As Catholics who believe
in the sanctity of life we
can show our support of
conscience rights. We
need to demonstrate
grassroots support for
conscience to urge the government to follow
through and put systems and legislation in
place to protect healthcare professionals. Please
visit www.canadiansforconscience.ca/
nova_scotia to write your MLA, the Premier,
and the Minister of Health to let them know
that you want conscience protection in Nova
Scotia.
To hear more about this issue watch the Make
a Call for Conscience video found on the
website above.

A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth

V. Our People, Our Parishes

Missionary Priests
in our Midst

I n December, Archbishop Mancini was pleased to welcome three international priests to the
Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth. During a three week orientation period last month, the three
priests became more familiar with the reality of our diocese, our parishes, and our people, and they
are excited to serve in our local Church. The priests are:
 Rev. Cristinel Fartadi, a Franciscan from Romania: Fr. Cristinel is appointed Assistant Priest at
Immaculate Conception Parish in Truro.
 Rev. David Bangsiibu of the Diocese of Wa, Ghana: Fr. David will assist in providing pastoral
care for the parishes of Saint Michael’s in Spryfield and Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Herring
Cove/Ketch Harbour. He will serve with Deacon Marc Simard, Parochial Administrator of the
above mentioned faith communities.
 Rev. Cyrille Assihou Wagble of the Diocese of d’Abomey, Bénin: Fr. Cyrille is appointed
Assistant Priest at the parishes of Saint-Pierre and Immaculée Conception in Pubnico.
Get to know our newly arrived priests:

Fr. Christinel

Describe yourself in three words. How do you evangelize?

Friendly, spontaneous, creative. I'm transmitting the faith very much through
what and who I am. Also through my words
What is one thing that people would be
that I know can have a strong impact.
surprised to know about you?
That I am an artist. I paint and I sculpt.
What was your faith life like growing up?
I grew up in a family with a strong traditional
faith.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an artist, either a painter, a
singer, or an actor.
When did you first hear the call towards
priesthood? And what did you think when
you heard it?
When I was around the age of 13 I felt a
stronger call from the Lord and I really felt that
this is the way to follow it.
Who are the influencers in your faith life?
My eldest brother who is a priest. Rev. Cristinel Fartadi

Page 14 A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth

What do you wish people knew about the
Catholic Church?
I wish people to know who Christ is and his
true message.
What would you tell someone who is
discerning a vocation?
As a starting point, when you first heard the
call, you must listen to your own heart.
Why did you choose to come to the
Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth?
To answer this question, first of all I would like
to mention that I lived for 9 years in Italy and
one year in England and I love to know new
cultures and new peoples. About this diocese I
heard from some priest friends of mine and I
had a good feeling to come to help this diocese. Rev. David Bangsiibu
First I came for a month in September, last
year, to know these places and I liked it very
much, so then I decided to come here.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always dreamt of becoming a priest.
Fr. David When did you first hear the call towards
priesthood? And what did you think when
Describe yourself in three words.
you heard it?
I am Fr. David Banoenuma Bangsiibu: born
As I said, right from childhood, it had always
Catholic, raised Catholic and a Catholic Priest
been my dream to become a priest. This dream
What is one thing that people would be started to see the light when I passed the
surprised to know about you? common entrance to enter the Minor Seminary
I am sure most people would be surprised to in 1970. My dream was further strengthened
know that I was a shepherd boy at the age of when I gained admission into the St Victor’s
four years until I went to school. Major Seminary in 1978. Initially, I was
wondering whether I could make it but my
What was your faith life like growing up?
Spiritual Director calmed my fears and
As I intimated above, I was born into the faith constantly reassured me.
and brought up in the faith. My father was a
Who are the influencers in your faith life?
Catechist of good standing till he died in 1960.
All my siblings were brought up in the same The influencers in my faith life are my parents
Catholic life and environment. I attended and family, my village Christian Community,
Catholic schools till ordination to the Catholic the Catholic Priests of the time and Staff and
Priesthood in 1985. In all these years I was an Students of all the schools I attended.
active Catholic Youth wherever I went.

A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth Page 15

How do you evangelize?
In my strong opinion Christianity is a
testimony of faith and not a crusade. For that
reason, it is by the way we live that will bear
witness to what we believe and so convince
non members to want to be members. This is
supported by the BELONG, BELIEVE,
BEHAVE concept adopted by the Archdiocese
of Halifax-Yarmouth. Christianity is a way of
life and not a club of shareholders. To
evangelise, all sectors of human life and
existence that affect human physical and
spiritual wellbeing must be considered,
mobilised and brought to bear on the activities
of the faith community as a whole. This will
enable them to reach out to non members by
their witnessing as disciples.
What do you wish people knew about the
Catholic Church?
The Catholic Church is a family, a community
of faith for all people, everywhere and at all
times. It is not a club of shareholders but a
community of faith and a way of life. To
belong to the Catholic Church is the best thing
to do on earth.
What would you tell someone who is
discerning a vocation?
It is God who calls people to ministry. With
prayer and discernment one should remain
open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to get
the right direction in our choices.
Why did you chose to come to the
Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth?
After my Honorable release from the Ghana
Armed Forces I requested to have a sabbatical
leave or some ministry outside Ghana as a way
of broadening my experience as a priest before
settling down in civil life. Various places were
proposed to me. Fr. Francis Vogenga, my
maternal uncle, suggested the Archdiocese of
Halifax-Yarmouth as the best place from his
experience. I never doubted my uncle and I
decided that Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
would be the best place to go. From the short
stay and with all I have experienced so far, I
think I have made the best choice to come to
Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth.
Fr. Cyrille
Describe yourself.
I am the third child of a family of four. I am 38
years old. My family is not Christian at the
origin. I am priest of the diocese of Abomey, in
Benin, a small francophone country of West
Africa. I was ordained on July 25, 2009 in
Abomey. After my ordination, I served my
diocese as secretary of my bishop, parish
priest, chaplain of the readers, vice-ceremonial
of the diocese.
I pursued my studies jointly for a master's
degree in civil law and canon law. I spent last
year in France for a pastoral mission in the
diocese of Saint-Brieuc, in Brittany. And here I
am now in the Archdiocese of Halifax-
Yarmouth, specifically in Pubnico, the most
beautiful area in the world!
What is one thing that people would be
surprised to know about you?
I am a great sinner! People will certainly be
surprised to know that I am a big sinner. Many
think, even today, that the priest is a
superman. No! Even if he is anointed and set
apart, he continues to experience the human
condition. I always struggle to pray in the
morning when I wake up and even for many
things related to my priestly being. I am a great
sinner and always tell people to pray for me.
What was your faith life like growing up?
As I said above, my parents were not originally
Christians. It is, in some way, my vocation
brought my mother on the path of the

Page 16 A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth


Rev. Cyrille Assihou Wagble
Christian faith. I can say that my faith and my
vocation were born the same day. I was a
teenager when I embraced the mystery of faith.
Was it really faith? I do not know. But the
minor seminary helped me a lot to seek Jesus
Christ. I felt that every day I grew a little more.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
My dream was to become a lawyer to defend
the poor. I often played that role when I was
having fun with others. But I am not
disappointed that I did not become a lawyer
because I personally think that the best way to
be a lawyer is to be priest of Jesus Christ. We
are priests to defend the cause of life. And
there is no greater cause than the one of life!
When did you first hear the call towards
priesthood? And what did you think when
you heard it?
Speaking of the origin of my vocation is always
for me an occasion of thanksgiving. The
founding event of my vocation is the priestly
ordination of the first priest of my village. It
was actually the first Mass I attended in my
A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
life. I was 12 years old. In Africa, at that time,
every priest was ordained in his village of
origin. And it was the occasion of a party for
the whole village, Christians or not. The bishop
asked that the children be given a place of
importance during the Mass so we were in the
front. After Mass, it was a big party. I had
eaten a lot. When I went home, I told my
mother that I wanted to become priest. She
didn’t listen to me. Not because she was not
yet Christian, but mostly because she dreaded
the cost of sending me to the seminary. The
next day, the young priest returned to the
church for his first Mass. I attended that Mass
too. At the end of this Mass, he invited the
children who wanted to become priests to get
registered. I gave my name and then went to
inform my mother. Three years later, I entered
the minor seminary. My mother finally let me
go. It was the beginning of a long adventure of
15 years of minor and major seminars. The
path was not easy. But I thank the Lord whose
help has never failed me.
Who are the influencers in your faith life?
Among those who have most influenced my
life of faith, there is first the first bishop of my
diocese. He led the diocese for 40 years and
died poor. He was a man of faith himself and
also of action.
At the seminary, I discovered Saint Therese de
l’Enfant-Jésus et de la Sainte-Face. I always
keep her in my heart. Her words, her life guide
my vocation.
Finally, Pope Benedict XVI! For me, it's the
most. I have nothing against others. For his
humility, even if many judge him on
appearance. I appreciate him very much for his
tireless love for the Church.
How do you evangelize?
I try to live as much as possible the evangelical
ideal. For me it's the best way to evangelize.
Page 17
Then I keep my smile despite the dis- someone called Fr. James Mallon who is
appointments of life. And there are today experiencing a new way of announcing the
many reasons for the priest to abandon his Gospel. And I wanted to see his face. I really
mission! I try to translate into my daily life wanted to minister in this new context of
what Jesus says in His Gospel: to be and live in Evangelization.
joy because to announce the Gospel is joy –
you have to be happy yourself.
Please join Archbishop Mancini in welcoming
What do you wish people knew about the these men as they minister in our diocese. May
Catholic Church? the Holy Spirit guide their efforts and together,
In my opinion, the Catholic Church is the with all our clergy, may we Equip the Saints!
community of brothers and sisters gathered to
seek and live together the Will of the Lord.
These men and women are not saints even if
they tend toward the ideal of holiness. This
means they can make mistakes. Leaders can be
far wrong. This is the proof that we are a
community called to go ahead. Despite her
weaknesses, she advances, certain that the
Lord can never abandon her.
What would you tell someone who is
discerning a vocation?
First all, I will ask him to cultivate a heart of
listening. We discover such a heart in the
continuous reading of the Word of God!
Vocation comes from listening. Besides, God
always puts someone on our road to help us
discern our vocation. He who feels a call must A Companion for the
be helped by a spiritual director. Like Eli who
guided the young Samuel who did not even
Journey: Christ Centred
know that it was the Lord who called him. Counselling
The Lord continues to call for His church, but
we are listening less and less. Perhaps because
we also lack real guides today – by that I mean,
C hannel of Peace Counselling Association
provides professional counselling
services with the client’s faith in mind.
people whose lives witness the Gospel.
Channel of Peace will walk gently beside you
Why did you choose to come to the on your journey of hope and healing. They
Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth? provide counselling, workshops, retreats, and
I will say that I have been sent by my bishop. various assessment services for children,
But before being sent, I heard, when in France, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. All of their
from the New Evangelization experience in the therapists are licensed and possess a minimum
Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth. My pastor, of Master's degree and are credentialed
in France, used to speak all the time of professionals who are trained in best practices.

Page 18 A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth

The association was brought together by
Patricia Cosgrove, a counsellor with an
extensive career in mental health. When people
ask her about how Channel of Peace came to be
her answer is simple:
As I was approaching retirement from many years
as a family therapist in the mental health field, I
entered into a discernment process of how God
wanted me to use my education, training, and
experience in this next stage of my life. As I was
praying in the chapel I had an increased awareness
of the pain and suffering in the world and, in
particular, in the people sitting in the pews. That's
when it occurred to me that I have a responsibility
as an active member to help our Church become
relevant to the people we serve.
As a therapist I know much of our suffering comes
from the relationships we find ourselves in. We get
stuck in patterns of thought and behavior that hold
us down or keep us from living in peace and
harmony with our dreams and aspirations. I also
know it's a mistake to think we are alone in our
struggles when there are professionals who can
help.
Often people will ruminate in their thoughts and
become full of blame and shame, which further
compounds their suffering. They will turn to friends
who try their best to offer suggestions and, as good
as that can be, it sometimes makes matters worse. So
we go to our priests/ministers and as helpful as they
are they are not trained in therapy and often don't
have the time it takes to work through the core
issues of the problem – so we suffer in silence.
Suffering in silence often leads to depression,
anxiety, negative thinking and harmful or
unattractive behavior. But with this “suck-it-up”
mentality encouraged by many, we are often too
embarrassed to seek help.
What I want people to know is there's no shame in
seeking help when you need it; rather, the shame is
not reaching out when help is just a phone call
away. But who do you call when there are many
A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
wonderful therapists in the community? Channel
of Peace is a group of therapists who identity
ourselves as being Christ-centred, in order to make
it easy for you to find a therapist who shares your
Christian values. So if your faith is an integral part
of your life and you want to use your faith as part of
your healing process, then give us a call and
together we will journey on the road to peace. That,
my dear friends in Christ, is the how, what and why
of Channel of Peace.
Patricia Cosgrove, MSW, RSW
Executive Director/Founder
It is often a challenge for people of faith to find
counselling services that take into account the
importance faith plays in their lives. One client
has shared:
Channel of Peace was my third attempt at
counselling. I tried two others but when I spoke
about my faith, I received one of two responses: 1. A
blank stare and a redirect or 2. The therapist
thought my expression of faith was part of a
delusional thought process and started to realign
my thinking. You can only imagine my delight
when I met up with a counsellor at Channel of
Peace. Finally, someone understands how important
my faith is to me and affirmed how much it informs
all my life decisions. I felt I had come home. I was
safe, understood, counselled beautifully by a gentle,
compassionate Christ-centred therapist! Thank you!
Channel of Peace can offer you a professional
counselling option with practitioners who are
rooted in their Christian beliefs. Their team
consists of six counsellors whose special-
izations include: trauma, depression, family
breakdown, and anxiety. Their offices are
located at 6531 North St., in Halifax and they
welcome new clients. For more information on
Channel of Peace see www.channelofpeace.ca
or contact them at:Channelofpeace@icloud.com
or Ph: (902) 802-3007.
Page 19
VI. The Word

Beginning The Season to prepare ourselves for the great mystery of

of Lent our faith: that Christ has died, Christ is Risen,

and Christ will come again. Jesus, our teacher,
By Father Matthew Keshwah explains to us today how we are to enter into
the three spiritual practices of repentance:
prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Notice how
1st Reading: Joel 2.12-18 Jesus does not suggest that these three spiritual
2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 5.20-6.2 practices are optional – rather, he speaks to us
Gospel: Matthew 6.1-6, 16-18 in the imperative voice “when you give alms,…
when you pray,… and when you fast…”

A s we begin the season of Lent. Lent is a

time of preparation. The next 40 days we
enter into the desert to pray, to fast, and to
Jesus teaches us that when we give alms, when
we pray, and when we fast, we must have the
proper mindset and be doing these things for
make sacrifices that will forever change our
the right reasons. He tells us that we should be
lives, and maybe even improve where our
practicing these things for God the Father and
souls will spend eternity.
not for recognition from other people. These
Repentance practices are intended to pull us away from the
things that we have become attached to, and
The main theme of this season is repentance.
then to draw us into a closer relationship with
Repentance means to turn away from our sins.
God.
Repentance moves us to seek God’s
forgiveness. Repentance calls us, ultimately, to As we begin Lent, I have put together a few
change our lives. It is this spirit of repentance ideas for how we can fast, pray, and give alms.
that leads us to follow the spiritual practices of Hopefully this will give you some suggestions
prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that we hear of what you would like to do over the next 40
about in our First Reading and Gospel of Ash days if you are still looking for ideas.
Wednesday.
It is through our sincere repentance that we
may prepare ourselves for the
great gift that we will
celebrate of the resurrection
almost seven weeks from
now at Easter. If we are to be
ready to celebrate Easter, we
must enter fully into the
season of repentance, the
season of cleansing, the
season of Lent. To do so, we
must first listen to our teacher
on how to do this…
In the Gospel, Jesus is
teaching His disciples. And,
in fact, He is teaching us how

Page 20 A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth

Three Fasting suggestions
for this Lenten season:

1. Fast from technology.

Think of all the time you
spend on a device, or
looking at a screen in
your day. Imagine how
much free time you
would have if you gave
up watching TV, limited
internet or social media
time, texted less, put
down the iPad/iPhone,
deleted some of the
games you play in idle time, or gave up
watching movies for the next 40 days.
2. Fast from shopping. Imagine how much
money you could save and give to the poor
if you didn’t go to Costco, Wal-Mart, or the
mall for seven weeks unless absolutely
necessary. Think of all the people who
don’t have the basic essentials in life. Why
not go without some of the extras this Lent
to be in solidarity with them.
3. Fast from watching or playing sports. For
many young people and parents, evenings
and weekends are full of games,
tournaments, and practices in their sport of
choice: like hockey or soccer. Imagine how
much time you would have in your life to
grow in other areas, becoming more
balanced and spirit-filled, if you stopped
these activities during Lent? Imagine a
family dinner at the table on weeknights
that was not rushed, where you actually
had time to say grace and talk about your
day together. Imagine all the quality time
you could spend together as a family.
Five Prayer suggestions for this Lenten
season:
1. Pray for a different person each day in Lent.
It may be someone you know, or someone
you want to know better. Someone close to
you, or someone that you have never met
before. It could be a prayer of gratitude, or
a prayer for their soul to come to know God
in a deeper way. Pray for 40 different
people this Lent!
2. Attend the Stations of the Cross on Friday.
As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’
resurrection at Easter, spend 30 minutes
each Friday in Lent praying and meditating
on the Way of the Cross. Good Friday will
never be the same – guaranteed!
3. Attend Mass on a weekday, not just on
Sundays. The Mass is the highest form of
prayer, since it represents the whole family
of God entering into Jesus’ death and
resurrection, culminating in the receiving of
Jesus Himself into our bodies. Why not try
to celebrate this mystery with your
community of faith more than just once a
week.

A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth Page 21


4. Read one chapter of the New Testament
each day. Lent is a time to draw near to
God. Take a few minutes each day reading
the Word of God and allow your
relationship with Jesus to grow over these
next 40 days.
5. Read the life of a Saint. Holiness may seem
impossible some days when we look
honestly at our sins and past choices. But
reading the life of a saint will inspire you
and help you realize that if they could do it,
so can you. Consider Augustine or Thérèse
of Lisieux.
Five Almsgiving suggestions for this Lenten
season:
1. Give more time to your family. If you fast
from some of the suggestions I mentioned
earlier, you will have more time to spend
with your children, your spouse, and those
closest to you. Life is short, love deeply –
making time for the ones you care about
most.
2. Give a compliment to someone different
each day. Sometimes a kind word can make
all the difference in someone’s life at that
Page 22 A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
moment. You have nothing to
lose – it’s free!
3. Visit someone who may
be lonely, sick, or house
bound. Time spent together
warms the heart and gives
hope to those in need.
Loneliness is an epidemic
among the sick and elderly.
Your visit or phone call can
give them hope that someone
cares.
4. Give of your time by
getting more involved in your
parish community. Volunteer to help with
the next parish event or suggest something
new – share your gifts and talents with
others.
5. Make a new friend with someone at church.
Good friends are hard to find, especially
friendships based on faith. We all need
support in living our faith, why not make a
friend in the process? Who knows, you two
may just help each other get to Heaven!
The more you put in this Lent, will be the more
you get out. Don’t be afraid to be daring, bold,
and courageous, and to try something new this
Lent. It may just change your life.
Father Matthew Keshwah – Father
Matthew Keshwah is a diocesan priest
from the Archdiocese of Ottawa. He is
spending this pastoral year at Saint
Benedict Parish in Halifax to learn more
about the Divine Renovation movement.
He has been ordained for four years and
has his own website with weekly
homilies, book reviews, other articles and
much more.
www.WalkingWithTheFather.CA
VII. Youth, Young Adult and Family Life

A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth Page 23

 Back issues can be found on the
archdiocesan website

A Journal of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth