National Day of Truth and Reconciliation Each year, September 30th marks the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. It is a day dedicated to the recognition of the tragic events and consequences of the Residential School system, of its victims and survivors. We continue to walk with our First Nation brothers and sisters. On 8 February 2023, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued four pastoral letters on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. The series of letters is located here: "That We May Walk Together" Intended as a framework for local engagement with Indigenous Peoples, the letters are the fruit of many months of listening, encounter, and dialogue with them, including through Listening Circles, the Indigenous Delegation to the Vatican in April 2022, and Pope Francis’ Apostolic Voyage to Canada in July of the same year.
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Diocese
September 24, 2023
Season of Creation
Each year, Pope Francis declares September 1st to October 4th to be the Season of Creation….a time for our Christian family to unite in a worldwide celebration of prayer and action to protect Mother Earth, our common home. This year, the theme for the season is ‘Let Justice and Peace Flow’. Just like when the Prophet Amos shouted, ‘Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-ending stream!” (Amos 5:24), it is our time to act. Parts of our world (our own country) are burning, others are Jlooding, hurricanes are coming stronger and faster….what will it take for us to recognize the sacredness of nature? What will happen to us if we continue to try to squeeze out every last drop of oil, gas and coal from our earth? Are you ready to say, ‘enough!’ There is a global movement underway, asking all governments at all levels to stop any further oil, gas and/or coal investments. Entire countries have signed on….Vancouver was the Jirst city in the entire world to sign on! Are you ready to act? To see what you can do, please go to this website https://fossilfueltreaty.org to learn about the worldwide ‘Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty’ The river of life brings hope! During this Season of Creation our prayers, sermons and liturgies must call for justice, not only for humans but for all of creation. Justice, together with peace, calls us to change our attitudes and actions towards our environment. Righteousness calls for us to live in peace, not conflict, with our human neighbors, and to build good relationships with all of creation. Those Indigenous communities that recognize the sacredness of natural elements, have much to teach us. May we live as they do and strive to be an embodiment of an interconnected way of life, expressing a partnership between God’s people (us) and the life of God’s creation, Mother Earth. As the people of God, we must work together on behalf of all Creation, as part of that mighty river of peace and justice.
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Diocese
September 18, 2023
Introduction of the Most Reverend Guy Desrochers, Archbishop of Moncton
His Excellency the Most Reverend Guy Desrochers, C.Ss.R. Biography Bishop Desrochers was born in 1956 in the Hull sector of Gatineau, Québec. Upon completion of secondary school, he entered Algonquin College, Ottawa, to pursue studies in Fine Arts and Commercial Art which, in turn, led him to work as a graphic artist for seven years with the Ottawa French-language newspaper Le Droit. He later entered the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) to pursue his vocation and was ordained to the priesthood in 1989. Following his ordination, he worked on a special evangelization project in the Gaspé region of Québec. He went on to serve for several years as Rector of the former Redemptorist monastery in Aylmer-Gatineau, before being appointed to the Shrine of Saint Anne-de-Beaupré. After a brief period as superior of a retirement home for Redemptorists near Québec City, he returned to Saint Anne-de-Beaupré as director of the Annals of Saint Anne magazine, serving in that capacity for three years and, in July 2011, became Rector of the Basilica Shrine of Saint Anne-de-Beaupré. He devoted part of his time to preaching retreats all over North America and, in June 2015, returned to this ministry in a full-time capacity as well as serving as Director of Vocations for the Redemptorists. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall of Ottawa on 12 December 2018 and ordained Bishop at Alexandria on 22 February 2019. Bishop Desrochers has subsequently worked closely with the Most Reverend Terrence Prendergast, S.J., the then Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall and Archbishop of Ottawa, both of which were then united in persona episcopi. On May 6, 2020, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Bishop Desrochers, Bishop of the Diocese of Pembroke. He was installed as the ninth Bishop of Pembroke in St. Columbkille’s Cathedral, Pembroke, Ontario, on July 3, 2020. On July 8, 2023 he was appointed Archbishop-Designate of Moncton. He was installed as our Archbishop on October 18th, 2023 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption.
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Diocese
July 18, 2023
Message From the Most Reverend Guy Desrochers, Archbishop-Designate of Moncton
MESSAGE TO MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES, AND TO ALL CATHOLIC FAITHFUL OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF MONCTON July 17, 2023 Dear brother priests and deacons, Dear members of religious communities or secular institutes, Dear faithful Catholics, This past June 26, the first day of a short vacation planned for months, I received a call from the Apostolic Nuncio to Canada, His Excellency Archbishop Ivan Jurković, who told me that Pope Francis had appointed me the new archbishop of Moncton. This was a big surprise for me, since I had been in charge of the Diocese of Pembroke for only three years. That day, in his divine providence, the Lord was mysteriously preparing me for this turning point in my life. Here is an excerpt taken from the beginning of the first reading of the day, on June 26: “The Lord said to Abram: 'Leave your country, your kindred and your father's house, and go to the land which I will show you. ‘" I welcomed this news in faith, with gratitude, and I confess to you, with a little sadness in my heart, because I suddenly imagined all the consequences of this new, unforeseen move: leaving my fellow priests and deacons whom I have come to know and appreciate better over the years, as well as the faithful and friends whom I have met during diocesan activities or during social events and with whom I have forged new bonds of friendship, moving far away from my elderly mother (who lost her autonomy six months ago and who lives less than two hours from my residence) and from my brothers and parents who live very close to her, to leave the diocese in the middle of our efforts and initiatives with a view to solidly implanting the new Evangelization Project that we have undertaken together since my arrival, etc. And the icing on the cake is that in the past five years, by the time I settle in among you in New Brunswick, I will be on my sixth move in such a short time. All of this may seem like a long complaint to you or like a difficulty for me to accept this new change and challenge that is entering my life. It is anything but that, I assure you. I just want to present myself to you as I am, with my strengths and poverty, with my all-too-human frailties and the gifts that the Lord has granted me and that I want to share with those whom the Lord places on my path. Evangelization is close to my heart, as you will have the opportunity to realize over the years. It is not only because Pope Francis, in all his exhortations, constantly speaks of the need for every pastor and for every Christian to collaborate in this task of evangelization that Christ entrusts to his entire Church. It is largely because of my own conversion, experienced at the age of 24, that I have since been inhabited by the urgency of evangelizing those who are outside the Church, those who have lost their faith as I had lost it during my adolescence, and those who have strayed from religious practice for all kinds of reasons. I gave my "yes" without hesitation to Archbishop Jurković when he informed me of the decision taken by the Holy Father. Having lived thirty-five years in the Redemptorist community, I have learned to trust the decisions of my superiors when asked to relocate or take on new challenges. I had the chance to travel the highways of your beautiful region several times when I exercised my ministry as a preacher or when I celebrated “Evenings of Saint Anne” in several churches to make Jesus’ grandmother known and loved. And these trips have already allowed me to get to know some priests, men and women religious and lay people living in your archdiocese, with which I have just been entrusted. I look forward to meeting you and having the opportunity to get to know you over the years. But above all, I look forward to working with you, hand in hand, heart to heart, in the great work of evangelization that the Lord entrusts to us, each according to his or her own vocation and according to the talents and riches that God has bestowed on each of us for the building-up of his Church. The next few months will serve to prepare me for my installation in the Archdiocese. I will soon give you more details about the day and time of my official installation in Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral in Moncton. Until then, let us pray for one another. I look forward to meeting you soon and celebrating this ecclesial event together with you. Receive my blessing† Sincerely yours in Christ the Redeemer, +Guy Desrochers, C.Ss.R. Archbishop-designate of Moncton, Administrator of the Diocese of Pembroke
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Diocese
July 11, 2023
Vidéo: Les défis pastoraux de l'euthanasie ou soi-disant aide médicale à mourir
You can watch the conference given by Bishop Noël Simard, D.Th., Bishop of Valleyfield, to the clergy of the Dioceses of Moncton and Bathurst on June 28, 2023, by clicking on https://youtu.be/go37HwPvoD4 The question and answer period following the conference can be found at https://youtu.be/1bh7VfV5bfA
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Diocese
July 8, 2023
Episcopal Resignation and Appointment of a new Archbishop of Moncton
His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Valéry Vienneau as Archbishop of Moncton and has appointed Most Reverend Guy Desrochers, currently Bishop of Pembroke, as his successor. Bishop Desrochers was born on 23 May 1956 in Hull, Gatineau, Quebec. After studying at Algonquin College in Ottawa, he obtained a Master’s degree in theology from Laval University in Quebec City. Ordained to the priesthood on 7 January 1989 in the parish of Saint-Raymond, he added other functions to his ministry. He became evangelization animator in the Gaspésie region (1989-1996) and superior at the Redemptorist Fathers’ Monastery in Aylmer (1995-1998). He then became Minister-Economist for the Redemptorist community (1998-2005). Bishop Guy Desrochers was superior of the community and retreat house in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures (2005-2008), and was also director of the Revue Sainte-Anne for three years (2008-2011). He was then appointed rector of the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica (2011-2015) and vocational director of the Redemptorist community (2015-2018). On 12 December 2018, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Desrochers as auxiliary bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall and titular bishop of Melzi. His episcopal ordination took place on 22 February 2019. A year later, on 6 May 2020, he became Bishop of the Diocese of Pembroke. Bishop Guy Desrochers served on several commissions in 2020 and 2021. He was appointed as the Ontario regional representative on the National Council of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace – Caritas Canada (CCODP), as well as a member of the CCCB Standing Committee for Relations with Movements and Associations. -------------------------------------------------- The Most Reverend Valéry Vienneau was born on 13 October 1947 in Cap-Pelé, New Brunswick. In 1968, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts majoring in philosophy, and another one in education. He continued his theological studies at the Dominican College in Ottawa, Ontario (1980). On 29 August 1982, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Moncton, New Brunswick. Later (1987), he completed his Master of Divinity at the Dominican College. During his final years of study, he became vicar in Shediac (1982), parish priest in Saint-Paul-de-Kent and Adamsville (1984-1986), and in Saint-Ignace and Kouchibougac (1986-1989). After his ordination to the priesthood, Archbishop Vienneau held a variety of other positions. He was serving at Sainte-Anne-de-Kent and chaplain at Stella Maris Hospital (1989-1990). During seven years, he served as pastor in Shédiac and Pointe-du-Chêne, and as chaplain at Villa Providence (1990-1997). He then spent a year at the Notre-Dame de l’Assomption Cathedral in Moncton (1997-1998). He became the general vicar of the Archdiocese of Moncton (1997-2002), while also serving as chaplain at Moncton University and priest at Notre-Dame d’Acadie (1998-2000). He then became in charge of pastoral restructuring in the Archdiocese of Moncton, and priest-moderator of the pastoral unit of St-Bernard’s, Holy Family, Pointe-du-Chêne and the English-speaking communities of Dieppe and Lakeburn (2000-2002). On 3 July 2002, His Holiness Pope Francis named him Bishop of Bathurst, and his episcopal ordination took place on 8 October 2002. He was appointed as Archbishop of Moncton on 12 June 2012, and officially installed on 29 August 2012. The Most Reverend Valéry Vienneau has served on several CCCB commissions and committees, including the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications, the Episcopal Commission for Canon Law and Inter-Rites, the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace and the Commission de la liturgie et des sacrements. He has served on the Permanent Council (2013-2017).
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Diocese
July 4, 2023
21st-Century Monument to Gratitude (MR21)
The MR21 (Monument of Gratitude in the 21st Century), the Moncton Cathedral Interpretive Centre, is now open for the summer season. Come (re)discover your cathedral through guided tours and immersive, interactive experiences. We are open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Information: 506-800-3194 / info@mr21.ca / www.mr21.ca
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Diocese
April 18, 2023
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Time spent with Jesus. Can anything else be so productive? The gift of the Eucharist nourishes us in the most extraordinary of ways. Saint John Paul ll beautifully expresses how the Body of Christ has been the foundation of his faith. “The Eucharist is the secret of my day. It gives strength and meaning to all my activities of service to the Church and to the whole world … Let Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament speak to your hearts. It is he who is the true answer of life that you seek. He stays here with us: He is God with us. Seek him without tiring; welcome him without reserve; love him without interruption: today, tomorrow, forever!” — Address to young people of Bologna, Italy, Sept. 27, 1997 We are looking for people with a genuine commitment to bringing Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament back to the community in a more consistent and dedicated manner. We are looking for people who are willing to commit to offering some time to keep the Adoration Chapel at St. Therese in Dieppe. We are also committed at St. Augustine’s to offering Adoration on Wednesday evenings beginning in May and continuing our Thursday evening Adoration between 7-8 at St. Lawrence O’Toole. Should you or your parish be willing to join us, please contact us at St. Augustine’s at 506-857-4223.
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