Pastor's Messages from 2026 (Page 2)

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! This week, as many of you know, our Diocese mourns the passing of one of our priests, Rev. Fr. James “Jim” Joseph Ratcliffe. I came to know Fr. Jim when I first arrived in the Diocese, when he was serving as the diocesan liturgist. He was deeply passionate about the liturgy and gave himself generously to the life of the Church. His death invites us to pause…

My dear Friends, Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ! Every January, I usually have the joy of joining the students of Immaculata High School in Kelowna on their mission trip. In past years, we traveled to Mexico to help build homes for families in need, allowing our young people to learn, firsthand, what it means to serve with compassion and humility. This year, their mission takes them to the Philippines. Although I am unable to accompany them, I was blessed…

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! It is good to be back home, even if winter still greets us with its cold. Traveling reminds us that every journey involves waiting, discomfort, sleepless moments, and unexpected encounters. Yet these experiences shape us and lead us to our destination, often filled with love and new friendships. In many ways, this mirrors our lessons of faith. In today’s Scriptures, we hear a powerful message of light,…

Dear brothers and sisters, 1. Today every parish must raise up disciples of Jesus for the mission of His Church. There will be no priests, deacons or catechists until we are first of all have disciples of Jesus. 2. At every Mass, Jesus wants to instruct us with the Holy Scriptures and fill us with “every grace and spiritual blessing” at Holy Communion – for our daily lives in the world. 3. Where does Jesus want to send his disciples?…

Here is the commitment of Jesus to the work entrusted to him by our heavenly Father: to save the world from the evil promises of Satan. “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Here is a new communication between heaven and earth. Jesus will break the power of Satan’s kingdom of evil: broken families, lies, terrible temptations to sin, domestic violence, gambling, the tragic and sad inadequacy of drugs to help young people, wars, displacement of…

Irish writer, James Joyce, wrote a lot about the human experience named “epiphany”. It refers to a day of enlightenment concerning where our life is and perhaps where it has been in better times. We are offered a new future in our human journey. Astonishment and joy may have departed our souls but we are offered a grace to win it back. Joyce wrote a short story called: THE DEAD. The central character, Gabriel, lives a controlled, passionless life but…