Diocese News (Page 6)
Plan to Re-open Parishes
Dear Priests, Staff and Parishioners, Bishop Bittman is using the recently published guidelines of the provincial health authorities to re-open our province, to provide pastors with a safe plan to re-open our churches for Mass and prayer. As there are many things to consider to keep everyone as safe as possible, it will take time to establish this plan. We ask for your patience during the next few weeks and offer the confidence that you will have the option to…
Reopening the Churches?
Plans are ongoing for the reopening of our Churches. I have been meeting with my team as we look ahead and are slowly preparing and figuring out logistics for reopening. Stay tuned. We will inform everyone what the plans are once we hear from the Bishop. Please read the Bishop’s letter below. Fr. Obi Letter from Bishop Gregory Dear Priests, Staff and Parishioners, Greetings in the Lord! I hope this finds you well. This week I have met with the…
Letter from Bishop Bittman – Coronavirus (COVID19)
Peace and isolated greetings from Bishop’s office! I hope this finds you well. Bishop Bittman remains well informed on the COVID-19 situation in our province and follows the recommendations of Provincial Heath Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. Under their direction, Bishop Bittman issues the following updates: Parishes, parish offices and the Catholic Pastoral Centre are to remain closed to the public until May 15. We will update again as that date draws nearer. The Family…
COVID-19 Virus Information
PLEASE NOTE: The obligation to attend Sunday Mass has been suspended in the Diocese of Nelson. All churches and parish offices are closed until further notice. There will be NO public Masses or celebrations in our churches during this period, however, we are live streaming them over the Internet. May 30, 2020: With great joy we are able to announce that we are re-opening of our churches for Sunday Liturgy on June 6/7. For Our Parishes We are receiving ongoing…
International Women’s Day: Yesica
March 8 – International Women’s Day: Yesica: a voice that reverberates from the Amazon to the Synod Yesica Patiachi Tayori of the Peru’s Harakbut Indigenous community was invited to the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region in October 2019. She said, We, the Indigenous peoples, have been, are and will always be the guardians of the forest. But caring for our common home is everyone’s responsibility, not just that of Indigenous peoples. Development and Peace’s partner, the Amazonian Centre…
Diocese of Nelson Matrimonial Tribunal
Divorced and looking for closure? Remarried and yearning to return to the sacraments? The Diocese of Nelson Matrimonial Tribunal is here to help. We can be reached by phone, 250 448 2725 ext. 280, or e-mail marriage.tribunal@nelsondiocese.org and are more than willing to answer any questions about the process itself, any fees that may be involved, or simply how to begin a case.
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
The Catholic Bishops of Alberta have written a beautiful Pastoral Letter titled ‘Remaining True to Christ Now and at the Hour of our Death.’ It is a letter addressing Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. It stresses that ‘Euthanasia and assisted suicide stand in stark opposition to the Christian way of living and our belief in the sanctity of human life….. They violate the prohibition against taking innocent human life and stand as a rejection of God’s absolute sovereignty over life and…
Pilgrimage of Faith, St. John Vianney – 2020
I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink . . . Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it to me. Matthew 25: 35ff Dear Friends, There are so many in our world today without food, without shelter, without clothing. With the generosity of the men and women of good will, we pray for the day when there will be enough food for every hungry child;…
Changes to Pilgrimage of Faith Appeal
To: The Faithful of the Nelson Diocese For a number of years, the Pilgrimage of Faith Appeal has been running from October 1 to September 30th. The timing of the appeal has led to numerous challenges on many levels, especially when it comes to adhering to Revenue Canada guidelines and expectations. A review of the timing of donations to the appeal show that the majority of donations are received during October to December. We believe that this has more to…
Statement on the Legalization of Marijuana in Canada Catholic Bishops of British Columbia and Yukon
With recreational use of cannabis now legal in Canada, Catholics are understandably asking themselves some questions: Is the use of cannabis now morally permissible? How should I respond to the availability of legal marijuana? To begin, it’s important to recall that Catholics look to the teachings of Jesus, Sacred Scripture and the Church for guidance on moral matters. The mere fact that an activity is made legal by the government does not automatically mean that it is morally acceptable. It…