To the Faithful of the Eparchy of New Westminster

January 19, 2012

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dearly Beloved in Christ!

I have, over the past few years, had an opportunity to speak with many of you with the intent of soliciting your feedback on how best to utilize the Episcopal Residence in New Westminster.

To that end, I am very pleased to announce that the Episcopal Residence will be renamed the Bishop Jerome Chimy Eparchial Centre, and renovated to fully meet it’s newly expanded role in the life of the Eparchy.

The Bishop Jerome Centre was originally built by our Beloved Bishop in 1976 and became the official residence of the Eparch.  During the time of Bishop Jerome, the Episcopal Residence housed not only the Bishop, but up to 3 Sisters Servants, 2 priests and any out of town guests on official visits to the Eparchy.  The Episcopal Residence during the time of Bishop Severian housed the Bishop, one or two priests, a hospodar and also allowed Bishop Severian to provide a welcome place for visitors to the Eparchy.  As the Eparchy has grown and evolved, other arrangements have been provided for housing the sisters and priests of the Eparchy in the lower mainland and now the Episcopal Residence is no longer needed as simple housing.  The interior of the building is showing its age after 36 years of chancery and residential use with minimal renovations.

Acting on your suggestions, and with the support of the Eparchial College of Consultors and Finance Council, various Parish Council Chairs, the Eparchial UCWLC and other interested parties, we have secured rezoning from the City of New Westminster to allow us to legally operate our administrative offices in this location.  We have also undertaken to reallocate over 4,300 square feet of space in the new Bishop Jerome Centre from living quarters to become an Eparchial Library, Archives, Chancery, Administrative and Pastoral Centre, Religious Education office and meeting places.  The remaining area will be separately accessed and will serve as the official residence of the Bishop and any visitors to the Eparchy.

To ensure the Bishop Jerome Centre is safe for all occupants, we are following the advice and instructions of our structural architect and thus are upgrading the structure to meet all modern code requirements.  Other changes to make the Centre more welcoming for all of our faithful and guests include upgrades to provide handicapped accessibility.

In March of 1976, just a few short months after the December 28^th, 1975 ground-breaking ceremony was celebrated and the construction of the Episcopal Residence began, Bishop Jerome wrote the following to the faithful of the Eparchy of New Westminster:

“As it now stands, construction of the Bishop’s Residence is well under way.  Completion is expected sometime in May and the official opening and blessing is anticipated for June 13, 1976

“The Diocesan Expansion Fund campaign has been launched for the construction of the Bishop’s Residence.  However, we should look beyond the physical structure of the residence.  We should look at it as a symbol – a symbol of unity of our Eparchy, a symbol of our achievements in this province, a symbol of our awareness of our identity.  No one can doubt the importance of this purpose.

“Your generous contribution towards the Diocesan Expansion Fund is a great investment, it is a contribution to our Church and to our national heritage.  Therefore let’s all join hands, young and old, rich and poor, strong and weak, to achieve this goal.”

I would like to echo the words of our Founding Bishop of blessed memory and also announce that the renovations to the interior of the building have begun and are expected to continue until the early summer of 2012.  The total cost of the renovation is estimated at around $250,000.  We have already raised funds of over $150,000 including a grant of $50,000 from Catholic Missions in Canada who were very excited when they saw the plans for this Centre.  We are seeking benefactors to help support this enhancement to the future life of the Eparchy and would ask you to consider a contribution to the Bishop Jerome Chimy Eparchial Centre in your annual gifting or perhaps in your will.

Bishop Jerome demonstrated the foresight and courage to construct the Episcopal Residence during the infancy of our Eparchy.  All who have seen the vision for this space believe that the Bishop Jerome Chimy Eparchial Centre is a fitting tribute and legacy to our Founding Bishop.  The Centre will continue to be a vibrant hub of Eparchial life that reflects the energy of this Spiritual Father and the love he had for all the faithful of the Eparchy.  This rededicated facility will continue his work of Evangelization and will be focal point from which we can follow Jesus’ command to spread the Gospel and share the Good News of Christ’s love and mercy with the people of British Columbia and Yukon.

With prayerful best wishes and assurance of my Episcopal Blessings,

I remain sincerely yours in Christ,

+Ken

Eparch of New Westminster

The Catholic Health Association of BC will be awarding two bursaries valued at $250 each to two 2012 graduating students enrolled in a Catholic secondary school, or who are a member of a BC or Yukon parish and enrolled in a public secondary school, or who are home-schooled. Students are asked to submit a 500 word essay that demonstrates an awareness and understanding of the significance of Spirituality in Health Care. Submissions must be received on or before March 9th, 2012. For further details, please refer to the poster on display in the vestibule of the church, or check the CHABC website at www.chabc.bc.ca under upcoming events.

 Announcing

The Year 2012 – A YEAR ACCEPTABLE TO THE LORD!

To the Very Reverend Clergy, Monastics and Religious Sisters, Seminarians and Laity of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada:

Dearly Beloved in Christ!

Following his baptism in the River Jordan and his subsequent time of prayer and fasting in the desert, Jesus began his 3 years of public ministry. He entered the synagogue in Nazareth and read the following words from the Prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” [Lk 4:18-19]

As we, the members of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada, begin the New Year 2012 with the commemoration of Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River and the start of his public ministry, we too are called upon to begin a year acceptable to the Lord. This year will mark several important events in the life of our Church, which we wish to officially announce with this letter.

The Centenary of Blessed Bishop Nykyta Budka

In 1912 the first bishop appointed to lead the Ukrainian Catholic faithful in Canada arrived in Winnipeg to begin his public ministry. The newly ordained Bishop Nykyta Budka began the pastoral work of coordinating the clergy, religious sisters and brothers, together with the laity of the Ukrainian Catholic Church scattered across the vast country of Canada into a united Church, initially as a single Canada-wide Exarchate. This later grew into a Metropolitan Province with an Archeparchy and four Eparchies.

The task awaiting young 35 year-old Bishop Budka was immense. Not only did he strive to unify Ukrainian Catholics into an organized Church, but he needed to obtain civil recognition of our Church by the government of Canada, to establish and develop good relations with the dominant Roman Catholic Church and other denominations, and help the Ukrainian immigrants who had been settling here since 1891 to face the challenges of a new culture and a new way of life. Indeed, Bishop Budka had to carry out his ministry according to the scripture text mentioned above: bringing joy to the poor, visiting the imprisoned, helping the sick, and assisting all those oppressed with the difficult conditions of pioneer life.

Bishop Budka carried out his mission in Canada from 1912 until his final return to Europe in 1928. He suffered much during this period and his health deteriorated. In Ukraine he returned to pastoral ministry. With the rise of communism, Bishop Budka, although still a Canadian citizen was arrested together with the other bishops in Ukraine and sentenced to a concentration camp in Kazakstan, where he died in 1949. In 2001, during the historic pastoral visit of Pope John Paul II to Ukraine, Bishop Budka was beatified, together with other martyrs of the faith and now holds the title of BLESSED Bishop Nykyta Budka.

Ukrainian Catholic Synod of Bishops scheduled for Winnipeg 2012

To mark this important centenary of Blessed Bishop Nykyta Budka for our Church the Ukrainian Catholic Bishops of Canada invited the Ukrainian Catholic Synod of Bishops to hold its annual meeting in Canada in 2012. This invitation has been accepted and we are happy to announce that this gathering of Ukrainian Catholic Bishops from around the world will be held in Winnipeg from 9-16 September 2012. Of the current 51 bishops (including those in retirement) it is expected that around 35-40 bishops will take part. Although the Synod itself, according to canon law, is open only to bishops, various public functions are being planned, including the opening Divine Liturgy in Winnipeg’s Sts. Vladimir & Olga Cathedral on September 9th. Also planned are a public banquet on September 16th, and visits by bishops to various churches in Manitoba on Sunday, September 16th.

A committee has been organized to make logistical plans for this Synod and its activities in Manitoba. All plans are ultimately subject to approval by the Secretariat of the UGCC Synod of Bishops from Ukraine.

Visit of newly elected Patriarch Sviatoslav

In March of 2011, following the resignation of His Beatitude Lubomyr Husar, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, the UGCC Synod of Bishops elected Bishop Sviatoslav Shewchuk, 40 years of age, as the new Father and Head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Following the confirmation of his election by Pope Benedict XVI, His Beatitude Sviatoslav was installed in Kyiv on 27 March 2011. His Beatitude will be in Canada not only to take part in the Winnipeg UGCC Synod, but will also make pastoral visitations to the other eparchies in Canada during September 2012. Each Eparchy is responsible for planning the details of the Patriarch’s visit in its particular area. With the pastoral visit of Patriarch Sviatoslav, the ties of our Church in Canada with the Church in Ukraine will be strengthened, and the memory of Blessed Bishop Nykyta Budka will be honoured.

Dearly Beloved in Christ!

Indeed the year 2012 will be for Ukrainian Catholics in Canada “a year acceptable to the Lord!” It will be a time not only to remember the past, but to celebrate it as well. It will be a time to receive guests and offer hospitality in the name of the Lord. And it will be a time to review and renew our pastoral mission in the world we live. Let us continue our pilgrim journey with Christ our Saviour, into this special year, through the prayers of Blessed Nykyta Budka, our first bishop and martyr.

6/19 January 2012, Feast of the Theophany of our Lord
Prot H/1/2012

+ Lawrence Huculak OSBM, Metropolitan Archbishop of Winnipeg
+ David Motiuk, Eparchial Bishop of Edmonton
+ Stephen Chmilar, Eparchial Bishop of Toronto
+ Ken Nowakowski, Eparchial Bishop of New Westminster
+ Bryan Bayda CSsR, Eparchial Bishop of Saskatoon

__________________________________________________________________________________

Проголошуючи 2012 рік РОКОМ ГОСПОДНІМ СПРИЯТЛИВИМ!

Всечеснішим Отцям, Монахам і Монахиням, Семінаристам та Мирянам Української Греко-Католицької Церкви в Канаді:

Улюблені в Христі!

Після Свого Хрищення в ріці Йордані та подальшого часу молитви та посту в пустелі, Ісус розпочав Своїх 3 роки громадського служіння. Увійшовши до синагоги в Назареті, Він прочитав наступні слова Пророка Ісаї: «Господній Дух на мені, бо Він мене помазав. Послав мене нести Добру Новину бідним, звіщати полоненим визволення, сліпим прозріння, випустити пригноблених на волю, оповістити рік Господній сприятливий» [Лк. 4,18-19].

Розпочинаючи 2012 рік святкуванням Христового Хрищення в ріці Йордані та початком Його громадського служіння, ми, члени Української Греко-Католицької Церкви в Канаді, також покликані розпочати рік Господній сприятливий. Цього року відзначатимуться декілька важливих подій в житті нашої Церкви, про які ми хочемо офіційно повідомити цим листом.

Сторіччя Блаженного Владики Никити Будки

В 1912 році перший єпископ, призначений провадити українських греко-католицьких вірних в Канаді, прибув до Вінніпеґу, щоб розпочати там своє громадське служіння. Щойно хіротонізований Владика Никита Будка розпочав душпастирську працю координацією духовенства та богопосвячених осіб разом з мирянами Української Греко-Католицької Церкви, розкиданих по величезній Канаді, в об’єднану Церкву, спочатку як єдиний всеканадський екзархат, який пізніше переріс в митрополичу провінцію з однією архиєпархією та чотирма єпархіями.

Завдання, яке чекало молодого 35-річного Владику Никиту, було величезним. Він не тільки намагався об’єднати українців греко-католиків в організовану Церкву, але йому необхідно було й отримати державне визнання нашої Церкви Урядом Канади, створювати та розвивати добрі відносини з домінуючою Римо-Католицькою Церквою та іншими конфесіями як також допомагати українським імігрантам, які оселювалися тут починаючи з 1891 року, зустрічати виклики нової культури і нового способу життя. Справді, Владиці Никиті довелося провадити своє служіння відповідно до біблійного тексту, згаданого вище: нести радість бідним, відвідувати ув’язнених, допомагати хворим і надавати допомогу всім тим, яких гнітили важкі умови життя першопроходців.

Владика Никита здійснював свою місію в Канаді з 1912 року до його остаточного повернення до Європи в 1928 році. Він багато страждав протягом цього періоду і його здоров’я  погіршилося. В Україні він повернувся до свого душпастирського служіння. Із зростанням комунізму, Владика Никита, незважаючи на те, що він був канадським громадянином, був заарештований разом з іншими єпископами в Україні та засуджений до концентраційного табору в Казахстані, де він помер 1949 року. У 2001 році, під час історичного пастирського візиту Папи Івана Павла II в Україну, Владика Никита був беатифікований разом з іншими мучениками віри і зараз є БЛАЖЕННИМ Владикою Никитою Будкою.

Патріарший Синод Єпископів Української Греко-Католицької Церкви запланований відбутися у Вінніпеґу в 2012 році

Щоб відзначити це важливе сторіччя Блаженного Владики Никити Будка для нашої Церкви, українські греко-католицькі єпископи Канади запросили Синод Єпископів УГКЦ провести свою щорічну зустріч в Канаді в 2012 році. Це запрошення було прийнято і ми з радістю повідомляємо Вам, що це зібрання українських греко-католицьких єпископів з усього світу проходитиме з 9-го по 16-те вересня 2012 р. у Вінніпеґу. Із 51 єпископів (включно з емеритами) очікується, що в Синоді візьмуть участь близько 35-40 єпископів. Хоча сам Синод, відповідно до канонічного права, відкритий тільки для єпископів, зараз плануються різні громадські заходи, в тому числі й Божественна Літургія з нагоди початку Синоду у Вінніпезі в Катедральному Соборі святих Володимира і Ольги 9 вересня. Також на 16-те вересня запланований громадський бенкет як також відвідини єпископами різних церков в провінції Манітоба в неділю, 16 вересня.

Був створений комітет для організації матеріально-технічних планів для цього Синоду та його діяльності в провінції Манітоба. Всі плани кінцево підлягають схваленню Секретаріату Синоду Єпископів УГКЦ в Україні.

Відвідини новообраного Патріарха Святослава

В березні 2011 року, після зречення з уряду Отця і Глави Української Греко-Католицької Церкви Блаженнішого Любомира (Гузара), Синод Єпископів УГКЦ обрав 40-річного Владику Святослава (Шевчука) новим Отцем і Главою Української Греко-Католицької Церкви. Після підтвердження його обрання Венедиктом XVI Папою Римським, Блаженніший Святослав був інтронізований в Києві 27 березня 2011 року. Його Блаженство буде в Канаді не тільки, щоб взяти участь в Синоді Єпископів УГКЦ у Вінніпезі, але й відвідає з пастирським візитом інші єпархії в Канаді протягом вересня 2012 р. Кожна єпархія несе відповідальність за планування візиту Патріарха на її конкретній території. Завдяки пастирському візиту Патріарха Святослава, будуть зміцнені зв’язки нашої Церкви в Канаді з Церквою в Україні як рівно ж буде звершена пам’ять Блаженного Владики Никити Будки.

Дорогі в Христі!

Справді, 2012 рік буде для українських греко-католиків Канади «роком Господнім сприятливим»! Це буде час не тільки пам’яті про минуле, але і його відзначення. Це буде час прийняття гостей та їх гостинного прийому в ім’я Господа. І це буде час, щоб переглянути та відновити нашу пастирську місію в світі, в якому ми живемо. Продовжуймо наше паломництво з нашим Христом Спасителем в цей особливий рік за посередництвом молитов Блаженного Никити Будки, нашого першого єпископа та мученика.

6/19 січня 2012 р. Б., Празник Богоявління Господнього

Вихідний номер H/1/2012

+ Лаврентій Гуцуляк, ЧСВВ, Митрополит, Архиєпископ Вінніпезький

+ Давид Мотюк, Єпарх Едмонтонський

+ Степан Хміляр, Єпарх Торонтський

+ Кен Новаківський, Єпарх Нью-Вестмінстерський

+ Браян Байда, ЧНІ, Єпарх Саскатунський

By Francis X. Rocca
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI named 22 new cardinals, including two from the United States, and announced a consistory for their formal induction into the College of Cardinals Feb. 18.

Among those named were Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York; Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, pro-grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem who still is administering the Archdiocese of Baltimore; and Archbishop Thomas C. Collins of Toronto.

The pope announced the nominations to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square at noon Jan. 6, before praying the Angelus.

Cardinal-designate O’Brien, who was in St. Peter’s Square when his name was announced, said his priestly life has been “a surprise at every step. I thought being appointed archbishop of Baltimore would be the last surprise, but I was wrong.”

He told Catholic News Service that the ministries he had been appointed to, and now his elevation to cardinal, were not things he could “anticipate, navigate or engineer. It’s just a matter of being open and in the right place at the right time and good things happen.”

In separate statements, the North American cardinals were quick to stress the collective rather than the personal nature of the honor.

“This is not about Timothy Dolan,” the New York cardinal-designate said. “This is an honor from the Holy Father to the Archdiocese of New York. … It’s as if Pope Benedict is putting the red hat on top of the Empire State Building, or the Statue of Liberty, or on home plate at Yankee Stadium.”

Cardinal-designate O’Brien said his nomination reflected the “zealous faith” of Catholics in Baltimore, and Cardinal-designate Collins attributed his elevation to the pope’s “esteem for the role of Canada and of the Archdiocese of Toronto in the universal church.”

The latest additions will bring the United States and Canada’s share of the College of Cardinals to 22. The U.S., which is home to about 5.5 percent of the world’s Catholics, will provide almost 10 percent of the 125 cardinals under the age of 80, who are the only cardinals eligible to vote in a conclave for a future pope.

By contrast, only one of those named, Cardinal-designate Joao Braz de Aviz, comes from the country with the most Catholics, Brazil. When the cardinals are inducted in February, only seven of the 22 cardinal electors from Latin America will have been appointed by Pope Benedict.

With his latest appointments, Pope Benedict will have named more than 50 percent of the current cardinal electors, with the rest having been named by Blessed John Paul II.

The pope’s latest nominations included 16 Europeans, continuing a trend in his cardinal appointments since his election in 2005.

Seven of the new appointments are Italians, which will bring that nation’s total of cardinal electors to 30 — or 24 percent — more than any other country.

None of the new cardinals are from Africa, the region where the church is experiencing its fastest growth, or Oceania.

Ten of the new cardinals are officials of the Roman Curia, whose offices by tradition often entail membership in the college. Pope Benedict, when he was known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, spent more than 23 years in the curia as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, though he had been elevated to cardinal in his previous role as archbishop of Munich-Freising, Germany.

Four of the new cardinals are already over the age of 80 and, therefore, ineligible to vote in a conclave. The pope uses such nominations to honor churchmen for their scholarship or other service to the church. Among the new so-called honorary cardinals is Cardinal-designate Karl Becker, a Jesuit and former theology professor at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University.

The Jesuits remain the religious order with the highest representation in the college, with eight cardinals, followed by the Salesians with six, including the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. There are seven Franciscan cardinals, divided between the Order of Friars Minor and the Capuchins, with the latter represented by Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston.

Here is the list of the new cardinals:

– Italian Archbishop Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, 65.

– Portuguese Archbishop Manuel Monteiro de Castro, major penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary, 73.

– Spanish Archbishop Santos Abril Castello, archpriest of Basilica of St. Mary Major, 76.

– Italian Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio, president Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, who turns 74 Feb. 3.

– Italian Archbishop Giuseppe Bertello, president of the commission governing Vatican City State, 69.

– Italian Archbishop Francesco Coccopalmerio, president of the Pontifical Council for Interpreting Legislative Texts, 73.

– Brazilian Archbishop Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, 64.

– U.S. Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, 72.

– Italian Archbishop Domenico Calcagno, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, who turns 69 Feb. 3.

- Italian Archbishop Giuseppe Versaldi, president of Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, 68.

– Indian Archbishop George Alencherry of Ernakulam-Angamaly, major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, 66.

– Canadian Archbishop Thomas C. Collins of Toronto, who will be 65 Jan. 16.

– Czech Archbishop Dominik Duka of Prague, 68.

– Dutch Archbishop Willem J. Eijk of Utrecht, 58.

– Italian Archbishop Giuseppe Betori of Florence, 64.

– U.S. Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, who will turn 62 Feb. 6.

– German Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki of Berlin, 55.

– Chinese Bishop John Tong Hon of Hong Kong, 72.

– Romanian Archbishop Lucian Muresan of Fagaras and Alba Iulia, major archbishop of the Romanian Catholic Church, 80.

– Belgian Father Julien Ries, expert on history of religions, 91.

– Maltese Augustinian Father Prosper Grech, biblical scholar, 86.

– German Jesuit Father Karl Josef Becker, retired professor of dogmatic theology, 83.

- – -

Editors: Contributing to this story was Cindy Wooden.

Watch video:

http://www.romereports.com/palio/benedict-xvi-welcomes-22-new-cardinals-english-6095.html

http://www.romereports.com/palio/pope-names-22-new-cardinals-in-st-peter%27s-basilica-english-6093.html