By Fr. Ray Douziech, C.Ss.R.
On August 1st, the Feast of St. Alphonsus, Fr. Ronnie, the assistant novice master and I, Raymond Douziech, the novice master, formally welcomed eight new novices to the novitiate. As in the past this group of novices represent a variety of cultures and backgrounds. We have four novices from the United States, two from Ireland and two from England.
Michael Taylor is the senior of the group. Born in Liverpool, Michael wanted to be a priest since he was eleven. Michael comes with a great deal of experience in business and accounting. The youngest novice is Mark McMullan from Belfast. He, too, wanted to be a priest since he was a teenager. Before entering into formation Mark worked with homeless youth. Ryan Holovlasky is also from the Dublin (Irish) province. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, he carries an Austrian passport and is also an Irish citizen. Before entering formation, Ryan worked for several years with Etihad, the United Arab Emirate airline. Royston Price was born in Wales and is a member of the London Province. Royston comes to the novitiate with a strong academic background.
The four novices from the United States are Brian Vaccaro, Kevin McGraw, Song You, and Thien Hoang. Brian, Kevin and Song are from the Baltimore Province and Thien is from the Denver Province. Brian was born in Northern Virginia. He is a website developer and has worked in information technology both in private industry and for the US government. Kevin is from Lima, Ohio and has a degree in Sports Communication. He has worked covering local athletics both on Television and Radio. Song came to the United States from mainland China when he was 18. Song and his family belonged to the underground Catholic Church. He recalls many priests visiting their home and staying with his family. He hopes to minister to Chinese immigrants who need priests who speak Mandarin and Cantonese. Thien is of Vietnamese origin born in Houston, Texas. His parents had been residents of the United States for six years before Thien was born. Thien came to formation with a BA and an MBA. Since entering he has enjoyed studying philosophy and theology.
The novitiate class of 2015-2016 promises to be an exciting adventure with 8 men eager to enter into religious life, to become Redemptorists and work with the poor and abandoned. Your prayers for them will be appreciated.
Greetings to you from Inuvik, Northwest Territories, home of the newest mission of the Redemptorists in Canada and the most northerly mission of the Redemptorists in the world. The Land of the midnight sun, gateway to the Beaufort Delta and western Canadian Arctic, this mission territory was pioneered and nurtured by the priests and brothers of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Sisters of Charity of Montreal (Grey Nuns) and most recently tended by missionary priests, brothers and sisters from across Canada and around the world. We have stepped into big shoes, but it is good that we are here.
Fr. Jon Hansen, C.Ss.R. arrived here on August 7 after a two day diocesan orientation in Yellowknife, NT and a 3 day marathon journey from Yellowknife to Inuvik. Though long, the drive through the Yukon Territory and the 700 km final leg up the Dempster highway is one of the most beautiful trips you could imagine. The view of majestic mountain ranges and pristine rivers coursing along the side of the road for miles on end made the miles go by quickly.
Inuvik is the commercial and government center of the communities in the Beaufort Delta. It is a town of about 3500 people and is a mixed community of Inuvialuit, Gwitchin and people from the south of Canada and around the world. The parish in Inuvik is called Our Lady of Victory but the church is most often referred to as the “Igloo Church” according to its architectural similarity with the traditional winter shelter of the northern nomadic peoples.
Tsiigehtchic sits high on a prominent bluff overlooking the confluence of the Arctic Red River with the mighty Mackenzie. It is a Gwitchin community, the home of fishermen and fur trappers as well as teachers and government workers. There are very few services here; the nearest police detachment is an hour away and the nurse only comes in once a week. Connection to the highway relies on a short ferry ride or the use of the ice road across the river once winter arrives which is usually in early October. The Church here, “Holy Name of Mary”, is served by Grace and Olive Blake. Grace presides at Sunday service when the priest is not around and Olive loves to clean and prepare the church. They steadfastly maintain a presence in the community offering their prayers. In Grace’s words, “not too many attend Church anymore but it is important that we pray and lift up the community”. They are excited that in October a missionary family from northern BC will be coming to stay in the rectory for a year. “Hopefully”, says Grace, “it will bring some of the young people back to the Church”.
Tuktoyaktuk is an Inuvialuit community located on a peninsula jutting into the Beaufort Sea. A local geological curiosity is the pingos which are visible on the horizon jutting up from the otherwise flat barren lands. Pingos are formed when liquid water is trapped in permafrost and, over the course of many freeze and thaw cycles, begins to push the land up into an enormous mound of ice and soil towering in some case more than 70 meters above its surroundings. “Barren” describes the land’s lack of trees but it does not do justice to the beauty that is present here. As one flies into the community your senses are overwhelmed as the sun sparkles off the thousands of tiny lakes glistening like diamonds highlighting a mossy green and crimson canvas. Sr. Fay Trombley has been serving the church in Tuk for the past 10 years along with local elders Jean Gruben and Dorothy Lorreen. Together they foster the faith of the small Catholic community as well as serve the needs of the larger community through the St. Vincent de Paul outreach. Sr. Fay has been recognized and honored in the north as a “Wise Woman” an award she received in Yellowknife in 2010. She is a wonderful mentor, willing to share her wisdom generously with a novice missionary.
Paulatuk, also an Inuvialuit community, lies at the head of Darnley Bay on the Arctic coast 300km to the east of Inuvik. Marlene Wolki is the chaplain of the parish community of Our Lady of Lourdes and Sadie Lester president of the local conference of St. Vincent de Paul serving this primarily Catholic community of 1000 people. Services take place in a little Quonset Hut that was built next to the old Oblate mission house which still stands strong, even if a little weather beaten after many Arctic winters. While you can drive to Tsiigethchic all year round and Tuktoyaktuk in the winter on the ice road, Paultuk is accessible only by air or sea. The sense of isolation is palpable. To imagine the conditions the early missionaries must have endured, not to mention the people who have thrived on this land for 5000 years, is both daunting and inspiring.
Thursday, September 17th from 5PM until 8PM a celebration was held to commemorate the event. The mayor was there along with the Town Crier. A proclamation was read showing appreciation for the Sisters’ vigil. Inside City Hall speakers congratulated the efforts of the vigil and promised to continue the cry of the poor in other ways.
of Citizens for Public Justice was a key noter. Aboriginal music and songs from the sisters’ choir filled the evening along with coffee and eats.
“… my heart’s one desire is to be holy, set apart for you Lord. I choose to be Holy….ready to do your will.” These words come from a song, “Refiner’s Fire” by Brian Doerksen. I am meeting so many Catholic youth across the country who radiate these words through their actions. 
Thank-you to Fr. Francis Ching and our group leaders who helped us learn about the vows of Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience. These vows, professed out loud by religious brothers and sisters, reflect various faces of the life of Christ. We learned that the values they reflect, are lived out by people in vocations such as marriage, the single life, and other vocations different from religious communities. 
Here in the picture at the left you see myself, Sister Jessica, and Fr. Armand Galay of the Missionaries of Africa. We are so grateful that we were given an opportunity to promote our various communities and to hear an original song written for the weekend called “We are made for Glory”. Music is by Michael Wu and lyrics by Fr. Francis Ching and the 
Thanks to our community and our parish staff like Virginia and Corinna, who supported Fr. Babu Matthew in his work at this fair. Thanks to their efforts they have added another person to our list of those seeking discernment with our Redemptorist community! Thank-you! 
This is a special year for our Redemptorist family in Canada. We celebrate several milestones of new members in our midst. Brother Eumir Bautista joined the Redemptorists on the 14th of August 2015. He professed his first vows to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in Winnipeg at St. Joseph Church. 
Then on the 20th of September, Br. Joseph Manh Thuong Nguyen C.Ss.R. was ordained to the diaconate. His ordination took place at St. Tite des Capes just 15 minutes east of St. Anne de Beaupré, Québec. 
On Thursday, October 22, 2015, Fr. Mark Miller, Provincial Superior of the Edmonton – Toronto Province received the vows of Brother Graham Hill. Fr. Peter Chin and Fr. Bill Comerford were the witnesses. Fr. Tom O’Rourke who has been formation director for Graham presented him for these final vows. 
Graham was very appreciative that friends of his in the Toronto area were able to witness his vows and were also treated to a grand banquet by the staff of the Queen of Apostles Retreat Centre.
On October the 4th, St. Edward’s parish and the Serra club, invited the Toronto and Area Vocation Directors to set up displays for various religious orders in their parish hall. One religious priest, brother, and sister in turn, was invited to speak at each of the Sunday Masses. Refreshments were made available after Mass so parishioners could come and speak personally with each of the religious who were present. This was another example of co-operation among various groups to make people aware of the vocation to religious life. At right you see some of the organizers and some of the people from various religious communities.
During the Children’s Liturgy, which is usually held in the parish hall, the children got to speak personally with religious sisters, brothers, and priests. You might consider hosting such an event in your parish during the coming pastoral year.
The Grande Prairie community hosted a celebration for Graham Hill’s ordination to the diaconate on the 9th of November. The Sunday evening before the ordination, under the leadership of Fr. Ed Eherer, they hosted a men’s vocation supper (pictured above). Six men, came to share supper and conversation about how to discern if God is calling someone to life and ministry within the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. In addition to sharing by the Grande Prairie community members, Fr. Denis Sweeney C.Ss.R., who was visiting from Boston, was able to add his own words of wisdom and to tell his vocation story.
Archbishop Gerry Pettipas asked, Fr. Bill Bernard C.Ss..R., and Sister Mary Jean Davidson, School Sister of Notre Dame, and Fr. George Okoye from the Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy, to co-ordinate an event in order to celebrate and to thank the religious priests, sisters, and brothers who serve now and have served in the Archdiocese. On the 14th of November, we gathered for a Mass and reception in McLennan, Alberta at the cathedral parish of St. John the Baptist. 
Some children from a nearby school created place mats (pictured at left) which adorned the tables, and they also gave out thank-you cards at the reception after the Mass. 
In McLennan I met a Redemptorist from Nigeria, Fr. Lawrence (picture at right with Deacon Graham Hill). He is on sabbatical in Canada and is getting some parish experience by serving in Manning, Alberta for the winter and spring months. Here he is seen with Deacon Graham Hill in the picture at right.
I met Fr. Bill Bernard at the celebration in McLennan and then went to stay with him for the rest of the weekend in Grouard. Here, Fr. Bill is seen with Mr. Billy Thomas, who came down to McLennan from a small northern community at Cadotte Lake.
Grouard is situated just off the northwest corner of Lesser Slave Lake. Fr. Bill travels to three other communities which extend north and east from Grouard. He celebrates Mass in two communities each Sunday so that people are able to attend a Sunday Eucharist every other Sunday. In Grouard, a Liturgy of the Word with Communion is celebrated when he cannot be there. Our first stop on Sunday the 15th of November was at St. Agnes Church in Peavine. A mix of country and western Gospel songs and Cree songs lifted our hearts in praise to the Lord. 
Although we started on dirt roads in the morning, as you can see in the picture below, the snow started to fall in the morning and continued to fall all day until we returned to Grouard for supper. This snow made for interesting driving, as we tried to make our way on roads that had not yet been plowed, to three homes in the area where people were shut in. We took Communion and prayer, accompanied with Fr. Bill’s ever present smile, to these people, in the midst of a very overcast day. As you may imagine, we did not make it on time to the next stop, St. John Bosco parish in Gift Lake. I was humbled and impressed by the patience of the parishioners in Gift Lake. Wow! We were over half an hour late and some people were sitting in their vehicles patiently waiting for us while others were in the church visiting until we could start the celebration of Mass. After Mass, we went visiting people to whom we brought again our prayers, presence, and Communion. We made it all the way to the community at Atikameg, so I was able to see all four of the communities that Fr. Bill is serving. 
On the 24th of November, the Redemptorists in Edmonton invited the Grey Nun sisters to join them for a morning meeting in the Redemptorist common room. There I was able to give a presentation about our vocation ministry across Canada. We were encouraged by our discussions about how to invite people to come and join religious life in the context of our present culture. We also shared with one another some stories about our religious communities in other countries around the world. I was also blessed by a visit with Fr. Joe Murphy. Here he is seen with Fred Prather. Fred is well known by Redemptorists who lived and worked in Edmonton.
We received our first snowfall at the end of September and it never left. Presently there is about a 6 inch accumulation of nice fluffy powder on the ground. The days have been a mixture of sunshine and grey sky. When the sun is out it usually means a colder day but so far the temperatures have not been extreme. I think our coldest day so far has only been about -15 degrees. I expect however that it will be getting colder soon. The darkness is also creeping up as we are losing about 12 minutes of daylight every day. At that rate a week makes a big difference and by the time you are reading this we will have lost the sun altogether for a month.
The month of October was full of travel to the various communities and beyond. One of the highlights was a few days spent in Tuktoyaktuk over the Thanksgiving weekend. It was my first opportunity to spend a Sunday in the community and having Eucharist together was a good chance to meet a large number of the faith community. The little church that we meet in was recently renovated by Sr. Fay and many volunteers and it is cozy and welcoming. 
Fr. Des was born in Montreal on June 8, 1932, the first of five children, to Michael and Margaret (Scullion) Scanlan and baptized at St. Gabriel’s Parish. There were four subsequent children: Ellen, Margaret (who became a Holy Cross Sister), Johanna, and Larry; Des remained close to his siblings and their families all his life.
He began his priestly life as a teacher at St. Mary’s College. In 1966 he was appointed the Prefect of Students and then rector at Holy Redeemer College just after the end of the Second Vatican Council and the turmoil at the seminary in 1965. Staff, brothers and students all found him a gentle, if at times firm, leader and guide during challenging times. From 1971 to 1983 he also took on the task of religion consultant for Windsor Catholic Schools, a job/ministry for which Catholic educators in the Windsor area continue today to praise and thank him.
In 1982 he moved to Toronto to take charge of Redemptorist students at Gerard House and for the next 11 years he guided what is now the backbone of the Edmonton-Toronto Province. In memoriam, Fr. Leo English noted that “…Scan in his own loving way fashioned and formed any number of us as Redemptorists over the years. He was interested in influencing us to be gentlemen – he often spoke of manners, good behaviour, speech and attitude.” “He was a gracious, hospitable man with a warm laugh.” (Email to Ellen, Johanna, Larry & Elizabeth). Ray Earle had this to say: “During my time at Gerard House, I will always remember his prayerfulness, wonderful uplifting homilies, spirituality, balanced sense of life, and of course his contagious laugh. Scan, as we knew him, could brighten up a gathering just by his presence.”
During the funerals in Amherstburg and then at St. Patrick’s in Toronto, I was simply awe-struck by the number of people who took the time to tell me how much Fr. Des had meant to them in their lives. From spiritual guidance, to healing for married couples, to support for families in sorrow, to encouragement and support for young people—he was a priest of the people and for the people. He is, and will be, greatly missed.
We were grateful that the rain only sprinkled after we finished the prayers of commendation at the burial site for Fr. Des. 
On the 9th of November, Archbishop Gerry Pettipas ordained Graham Hill as a transitional deacon. 
Grande Prairie parishioners continue to be blessed with a charism for great music in their liturgies! They shared that charism and their hard work with Graham and all who attended. We were treated to a wonderful time of prayer as our hearts were lifted up by the music and the liturgy of ordination. 
I would like to introduce you to Fr. Taras Kchik C.Ss.R.. Fr. Taras was born near Lviv in the Ukraine, but from the age of 4 years old he was raised in Toronto, Ontario. Soon after he graduated from high school, he went on a journey of discovery to the Ukraine. There he met for the first time, the Redemptorists. Enamoured with the vision of St. Alphonsus and inspired by the lives of the Redemptorists there, he professed vows with the Redemptorists in the Ukraine. He was ordained as a priest in Canada on December 6, 2013, and assigned to serve in the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul in Saskatoon. Still a member of the Redemptorists in the Ukraine, he accepted a new appointment to The Welcome Home in Winnipeg. In the recent appointments of August 2015, he was also appointed as the vocation director for the Yorkton Province of Redemptorists. Fr. Taras and I talked about vocation activities in which we can work together in the new year in Winnipeg and area. No these are not new vocation director uniforms that you see in the picture here. We joined a big event in the life of St. Joseph Ukrainian Catholic parish – a pyrogy making bee!
We joined an army of volunteers (pictured at left) who spent all day making 15,300 pyrogies! Lots of demand by people celebrating Christmas dinners!
In the picture at the right we see Fr. Len Ratushniak, pastor at St. Andrew Parish and some altar servers. 
Interestingly, (or in our own humble way, dare we say – proudly) we Redemptorists are hosting a Holy Door during this Year of Mercy, in each of our units across the country! As you can read in another story on our website, a Holy Door was opened recently at St. Patrick’s Church in Toronto. On the fourth Sunday of Advent, a Holy Door was blessed at our parish of Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré (pictured at left). 
– in Winnipeg, there was an opening of the Holy Door at St. Joseph parish (pictured at left and below) on Sunday the 20th of December. Bishop Lawrence Huculak, 
During the weeks leading up to Christmas there has been lots of news about how Canada is welcoming recent newcomers. As you know, the Redemptorists in Canada have always been involved in ministry with people of various languages and cultures who are making the transition into Canada. This ministry is still evident in our missionary centres across Canada. Fr. Peter Chin C.Ss.R., for example, continues to welcome newcomers and also provides pastoral care for those who have now stayed in Canada a long time. Through the ministry of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, people are able to celebrate their Catholic faith in Cantonese, Mandarin, and in English. They are able to pass on Chinese customs and traditions to their children, grandchildren, and to the friends and neighbours who celebrate with them. 
This Christmas was especially meaningful as Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai (Society of Don Bosco) who is Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, presided at the midnight Mass. 
He enjoyed the fabulous meal, singing, dancing, birthday cake for Jesus’ birthday, Santa Claus who brought gifts for the children, and many more expressions of joy that were shared by the more than four hundred people who gathered for over six hours leading up to the celebration of the midnight mass. And what a celebration it was! (Thanks to O.L.M.C. parishioner Mr. John Lin for the pictures)
With the Year of Mercy well underway, 8 churches in the Archdiocese of Toronto have been asked to serve as pilgrimage sites by establishing a Holy Door for this year. St. Patrick’s Shrine Church was approached by Cardinal Collins in October. After discussing the proposal with a number of parishioners who are carpenters, work began to design and establish our Holy Door which was opened on Sunday, December 13th. Over the month of November and into December, our parishioners were hard at work to create the door, frame and to burn the design into the door using wood burning tools that are like permanent markers that need to pass over the wood slowly and evenly to create an even burn in the wood. Each night of the week, various families who are involved in different ministries worked around the clock to create the door.
The Blessing and Opening of the Door on December 13th was a tremendous occasion. We welcomed over 1200 people to the church for the celebration. The Redemptorist Novices served the liturgy which was presided over by Fr. Santo Arrigo C.Ss.R., Pastor of St. Patrick’s. The Liturgy began with prayer, Gospel reading, and the reading of an excerpt of the Papal Bull proclaiming this Year of Mercy. Then the parishioners joined in the procession from the front of the church, through the side door to the front, then the Liturgical Procession stopped at the Holy Door for the prayer of blessing. Over 800 people joined the procession through the door at the beginning of the liturgy. Though it made for a long moment of prayer, it was quite a sight to see so many of the faithful from all over the city join in this opportunity to begin this special year of grace.
Our Door was designed based on the figure of Jesus that is very familiar to Redemptorists as the figure of Jesus from the mural of St. Alphonsus and the Redeemer. On the back of the door, we see Our Mother of Perpetual Help, the 
refrain from the Prayers of the Faithful for the Wednesday Novena, and the Redemptorist Logo and Motto, “Copiosa Apud Eum Redemptio”, “In Him there is Plentiful Redemption”. The Year of Mercy, and the Holy Door at St. Patrick’s really speaks to the heart of our Redemptorist Mission and Charism. It is an opportunity for us, especially in this year of the 150th Anniversary of our Mission to “Make Mary Known” under the title of Perpetual Help, when we celebrate who we are as agents of Mercy in the Church, and how our charism speaks to this opportunity for the faithful to gather and be embraced by the love of the Redeemer, through Mary our Mother.
We have welcomed many people in the last few weeks who have come to spend time in prayer, including Cardinal Collins, who came to visit the parish and spend some time in prayer on Christmas Eve day. We continue to receive inquiries about visits and pilgrimage groups both to the Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help and for the Holy Door. 
The Redemptorists help sponsor the largest gathering of Catholic university and college students in Canada. All provinces and most campuses across the country were represented at this year’s conference held in Montréal between December 28th, 2015 and January 1st, 2016. This year we put into the hands of every participant, the icon of Our Mother of Our Perpetual Help along with contact information about the Redemptorists.
As sponsors for this Catholic Christian Outreach convention, we are able to meet young adults from all across the country and speak to them about St. Alphonsus and about our life as brothers and sisters in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. I was impressed by the attendance by over 75 young adult men at a pizza lunch hosted by diocesan clergy and religious orders of men! These young adults learned about the priesthood and religious life from the stories of young men already in formation.
Three Redemptorists from our Montréal and Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré communities joined me at this conference (see picture at left). Fr. Guy would ask people going by, “Would you like to become a saint?” Always receiving an enthusiastic response, he would then hand each person a booklet by St. Alphonsus entitled, Uniformity with God’s Will. 
We were greeted warmly by the archbishop of Montréal, His Grace Christian Lepine (pictured at left). Other bishops visited during the week as well.
We were brought greetings from Pope Francis through His Emminence Msgr. Luigi Bonazzi, Apostolic Nuncio for Canada (in picture at right).
We experienced splendor and beauty in the church during our Eucharistic celebrations which took place at the Cathédrale Marie-Reine du Monde and at L’Oratoire St Joseph.
Pictured here is the 
As usual, I greatly appreciated a warm welcome from the confreres in Vancouver. As you can see, Fr. Brendan Boland is staying very healthy. He and Fr. Bill Comerford and I, were able to enjoy an overnight trip to the house at Birch Bay. In fact, parishioners gave three hockey tickets to the Redemptorists which enabled them to attend a game at Rogers arena at the beginning of January (see picture below). Frs. Bill and Brendan can often be found in the common room following the Canucks on TV, so this game was a great treat for them to see the Sedins in live action. Fr. Joseph was able to see his first live hockey game!
Fr. Babu missed out on the occasion, but was quite happy to be visiting with his family in India from the end of December through the end of January.
Also in Vancouver and area are groups of Catholic teens and young adults, called Youth for Christ! I was invited to join one such group on a Saturday afternoon for some prayer and some fun. 
We asked the question, “How do I click with this Icon? – Our Mother of Perpetual Help.” Using the prayers of St. Alphonsus, we learned to gaze upon Mary and her son Jesus, and to speak to Mary like a friend. 
Somebody please make sure that Brother Dan Korn C.Ss.R., our resident expert on this Icon of Love, is sitting down when he sees this. He will be blown away to know that young people took time out of their busy lives to venerate the Icon of our Mother of Perpetual Help! 
When Fr. Jon Hansen asked if I would be interested and willing to come to Inuvik over Christmas to offer pastoral assistance there and say Mass in one of the smaller communities he serves, I gave it some thought, and then eventually agreed, not knowing what to expect except that it would be an adventure for sure. As the departure date drew near, I looked forward to the journey, but would never say that I was excited about it; winter is a season that I endure, and thoughts of experiencing an Arctic winter in such an isolated Northern community was not something on my “bucket list.” I had visions of a week spent in complete darkness, and of having to eat foods like raw Baby Beluga whale and dried beaver meat, and other local delicacies that I’d read about.
The next morning, after saying farewell to Fr. Jon, I decided to bundle up and go for a walk through the town. It had all the basics that one would need: a grocery store, drug store, Home Hardware, library, barber shop, coffee shop, souvenir shops, a few churches, and of course, the famous “Igloo Church”. I later took a drive outside of the town, and I was intrigued by the surrounding frozen barren landscape. With its frost covered stunted trees and bushes, it looked harsh and isolated like that of another distant planet.
The first Christmas Mass in Inuvik went well. Although, not every pew was filled, the Mass was well attended and the people were genuinely friendly and welcoming. The lit Christmas trees and the wood pellet fire burning stove in the church helped to create a festive atmosphere on that holy night. 
The next day on the morning of my departure, I received a text message from Sheila asking if I would be up for one more Arctic adventure. On the way to the airport, we stopped at a local business and I was given the exhilarating opportunity to operate my own dog-sled. After a quick orientation, four energetic and beautiful Huskies whisked me to the top of the lake and back on a ride that I’ll never forget. Surprisingly, they were never startled by my screams as they took off like a shot.
Today I saw a glimpse of the sun for the first time since the beginning of December. While winter is far from over this little glow brings hope that longer days and the warmth of spring will come again. With the arrival of December we said goodbye to the sun and welcomed the season of Advent and the beginning of preparations for Christmas. 
The churches in Inuvik and in the missions were decorated inside and out. Being my first Christmas in Inuvik it was daunting to dig into the attic and try to figure out what cardboard boxes full of decorations needed to be carted downstairs and which of the half dozen mix and matched manger scenes would be most appropriate in front of the altar. Luckily many parishioners came to my aid and we had it taken care of without much fuss. One contribution that I made was standing a plywood cut-out of the nativity in the yard in front of the church under the branches of a beautiful snow covered spruce tree (pictured on front page). As people came by and admired it I was told that it hadn’t been used in the last ten years and everyone was very happy to see it again. 
Another first experience in Paulatuk was the powerful winds of a winter storm. What I thought was an extreme 90km/h wind in -25C turned out to be not much of a blow from the perspective of the local people. I, on the other hand, was amazed at the ferocity as I sat inside and felt the house vibrate with each wind gust. Not feeling close enough to the action I dressed up and went out for a walk in the -50C wind-chill. The drifting snow on the bay left behind drifts with the consistency of cinder blocks. As I walked across these newly formed dunes I did not even leave a footprint in the grainy surface and one could easily see how the snow houses used by hunting parties in the not so distant past could be constructed from the blocks sawn out of these well compacted mounds. 
The last of the celebrations was New Year’s and the solemnity of Mary the Mother of God. I drove up the ice road to Tuktoyaktuk and celebrated New Year’s Eve first in the church with Eucharist followed by a roaring bonfire, fireworks and shotguns blazing into the night sky out on the ice of the harbour. The next day as the sun made its way toward the horizon it’s as if Mother Nature wanted to put on a fireworks display of her own. The rising sun reflected off of the low cloud turning the entire sky an amazing display of blazing hues of red, pink, yellow and orange. Truly a breath taking scene and a memorable way to usher in the New Year. 
On February 7, our parish decided to encourage people to come out of the cold and into the warmth for a local pilgrimage to celebrate and reflect upon the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The theme of the evening was “Know My Son as I Do”. It was a wonderful success with the Holy Spirit working in the hearts and minds of the participants and volunteers.
* The Falling Sandal
The way that the evening was designed, there was a short explanation of each presentation in the booklet provided so that the pilgrims could choose three of the seven stations set up throughout the evening. Each presentation was fifteen minutes which included the presentation itself as well as some quiet reflection time aided by silence and questions if needed in the booklet to help guide the meditation or contemplation time. A soft bell was rung throughout the church after the fifteen minutes and the choir would begin the taize style song as the people began to slowly journey to their next stop on their personal yet communal pilgrimage. The evening ended with a communal gathering in the pews for prayer as pilgrims individually placed their lit tea light around the altar surrounding the beautifully displayed icon with an act of quiet veneration to the image. Father Remi led us in prayer and 
invited us to join in a social time and gathering set up for after the pilgrimage. It was agreed that this was a worthwhile way to spend a Sunday evening with Our Mother and Her Son, Jesus, as well as the faith community. 
At the beginning of the month the town council of Inuvik called upon the help of its residents to provide feedback regarding a proposed amendment to a community by-law. The owner of the Mad Trapper Inn was seeking to overturn the rule prohibiting businesses, which sold alcohol as the mainstay of their income, from opening on Sundays and Good Friday. It was an emotional issue as the bar owner is a long-time member of the community and in his words he was only asking for, “fairness” in order to compete with other establishments which were allowed to serve drinks along with food on Sundays. Town members saw it differently and 69 people (a huge number for a town meeting in Inuvik) came out to share their voice. One by one nearly half of those present stood up to speak about the harm alcohol had done to their family and to the town and clearly stated that they did not want the town to be seen encouraging anymore drinking then was already taking place. At the end of the evening a show of hands revealed that all but two were against the motion, the two being the proprietor and his employee who was honest enough to state that he was not from Inuvik and had no investment in the town’s future. 
In keeping with a similar theme my Anglican counterpart, Rev. Stephen Martin and I met with Joey Amos, the director of the Inuvik Emergency Warming Centre (
I was happy to welcome Gerri Fletcher and Bishop Mark Hagemoen to town. The Bishop was passing through on his way back from the ordination of Bishop Hector Vila and continued on to Fort Good Hope for a pastoral visit. Gerri, the religious education coordinator for the diocese stayed around for a few days and led a liturgy workshop for lay presiders. We welcomed 12 participants from across the western Arctic and had great discussions about the formation of parents and families as they prepare to have their children baptized as well as how to lead Sunday services in the absence of a priest. Many thanks to Gerri who took the time to be with us and to share her knowledge and experience. 
One of the highlights of the month was the arrival of the Northern Traditional Games competition which took place in Inuvik in the school gymnasium. The purpose of the games is to expose school aged young people to the many traditional sports of their culture and to foster a spirit of competition and fair play. On the evening of the opening ceremonies many of the sports and games were demonstrated and the degree of athleticism and sheer tolerance for pain left spectators in awe. Most of the events have evolved from activities that were meant to prepare a young hunter for real world situations of survival in a harsh environment and demand great strength and focus. Besides athletics there were also social games in which members of the community faced off and tried to make their stony faced opponent smile or laugh by dancing in a silly way or by imitating the sound of a wild animal. While funny and entertaining for the crowd these types of games would have been an important tool for bringing different families together during the long winters and to foster a sense of community and friendship.
Thanks to Kevin McGraw and Brian Vaccaro, two of our novices! The first Saturday of March, they helped invite Catholic youth get to know St. Alphonsus and our Congregation. As you may know the Lift Jesus Higher Rally at the Toronto Convention Centre is one of the largest gatherings of Catholics in Canada. You see also in this picture a Sister who came out to promote her Congregation, the Sisters of Our Lady Immaculate; and one of the youth attending this rally. In one place, we met people from Oshawa, Barrie, London, St. Catharines, Hamilton and many other places in and around Toronto. As you try to plan vocation activities in your area, take time to consider if there are any large workshops, rallies or celebrations. For example, we have also attended One Rock in Alberta, gatherings of Catholics at the Canadian Martyrs Shrine in Ontario and the Catholic Christian Outreach Conventions that are held across the country. 
Some confreres at St. Patrick monastery kindly pointed out to me, that there is a large weekly gathering of Catholics at a high school gymnasium in the west end of Toronto. Jody Harper (far left), a parishioner at St. Patrick’s parish, introduced us to the leader of Gethsemane Ministries, Suresh Dominic (second from the right), and Fr. Tomy (far right) accompanied us to this session of prayer as well. It was especially inspiring to see families with all ages of children and young adults gather for prayer on a Friday night. 
As you may remember Fr. Don MacLellan was chaplain for many years at this high school. I was very impressed to see that, to this day, there is still a display in his honour (put together by M.C. Havey) in a prominent place in the school. David (in the picture beside me), as some of you know was discerning religious life with the Redemptorists and knows well Frs. Jon, Tony, Santo, and Tom. 
This winter was my first visit to the high school and I was impressed by the chapel that was named after Fr. Don MacLellan. Adorning the walls are some works of religious art produced by students from the school.
The next day I landed in Inuvik. More than surprised…what a shocking experience!! As you may know, Fr. Jon Hansen C.Ss.R. was recently installed as pastor at Our Lady of Victory Parish. The plan was for him to orient me and ease me into the northern culture. However, “surprise, surprise, God is a surprise” he had to drive two hours south to Tsiigehtchic. He presided at a funeral and then stayed over till the next day for the Palm Sunday Mass as well. So I was pressed into service to serve the parish in Inuvik for the weekend. Pictured at left are some of the parishioners who attended Palm Sunday celebrations at Our Lady of Victory Parish. I was quite surprised to see how many people who come from the Philippines have settled in Inuvik. As you may guess, the weather is one of the things that brings about a culture shock for newcomers – even for me. The weather is so cold, for so long, that the air is extremely dry. When Fr. Jon or I would touch anything metal, especially light switches, a long bolt of lightning (sometimes up to two inches long) would leap out and attack us! Just in case you don’t believe me, maybe seeing is believing click on the link… 
There was to be no Mass for Palm Sunday in Tuktoyaktuk, and it is prohibitive to heat the church all week. We therefore, celebrated Mass and a pot-luck supper in the home of Sr. Fay Trombley 
I was surprised to meet Sr. Fay as I had not seen her since the 1990’s! … even more surprised to see her joyfully “retired” here! You can read her story 
“Surprised, surprised…” to meet my nephew James, (at the back in the middle of the picture shown at the right) who lives in Edmonton. He came with five other accountants from Edmonton to conduct an audit for a construction company in Tuk. 
And yes, still more surprises… Many Redemptorists know well, Fr. Don Stein, a diocesan priest from the Archdiocese of Edmonton. For the last seven years he has been travelling north to serve the people of Tuktoyaktuk by presiding at the Easter Triduum celebrations. Here, he and I are pictured in the Inuvik airport where a local resident of the north, greets people with a big … is that a smile or … what!?
More than surprised, I was edified! “Are you the priest?” was the first question after I said hello. Then the young children through to the young adults, all told me about the priest who had lived and served the people in this area for over fifty years. Yes, even the young people who had never met this priest in person, could tell me his story and how he had learned the Inuvialuit language and culture, so they could relate to him like a member of their own people. Immediately I was taken over to see his picture that is mounted on a plaque, in the arena that bears his name. 
The picture shown here is of the people who attended the Easter Vigil at Our Lady of Lourdes. As you can see, the church walls are covered in wood panelling that was popular in Canadian homes in the 1960’s. The panelling is carefully installed in artistic patterns. The furnishings are simple, with benches for seating. Statues and pictures of Mary and Joseph and Jesus adorn the sanctuary, and hanging along the side walls of the church, are pictures of the Stations of the Cross. Behind the people, in the centre you can see that an artist painted a picture of Mary dressed in a more traditional Inuvialuktun parka. 
Wow! Easter Sunday arrived surprisingly, with a lot of warmth at minus 5. We celebrated Mass and renewed our baptismal vows with a church half full of people. During the previous week I had been invited by people that I met around town, to come and bless their homes and some of the young couples had asked if they could have their children baptised. So I headed out after Mass on Sunday to bless homes and on the way…surprise, surprise!…snowmobiles waiting to be blessed! I ran into some young men who were preparing their machines for the Sunday afternoon snowmobile race, and they too asked for a blessing. 
After we ate a bountiful banquet, the tables disappeared, as people were then seated around the outside of the gym. In the picture you see the drummers warming up. Sometimes the men will sit and drum while the women come out in front to dance, and then they reverse roles. You can see that the children are encouraged to stand next to the adults and to copy their actions and participate in learning their drum dancing. This is a real resurrection for Paulatuk. For many years the drums lay mostly silent among those in the community. The middle drummer, Nolan Green is a very talented musician. He took it upon himself to learn from elders and from others, the skills of drumming. As you can see, he has been very effective in nurturing a group of drummers and dancers that is growing. They have also taken their drum dancing on tours through Canada and the United States. Later, the square dancing started up with western music in the background. Nolan with his fiddle, along with a few musicians on various instruments, lead that music. 
The Year of Jubilee for the 150th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help to public veneration continues to be a year of celebration and inspiration for the faithful to express their confidence in Mary as she continues to lead us to Christ, her Son and be for us an intercessor in our times of need and our model of Christian discipleship. 
On April 26, 1866, the Original Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help was brought in procession from the Church of St. Mary Major in Rome to the Church of St. Alphonsus, thus restoring the Icon to public veneration for the faithful in Rome and throughout the world.
150 years later, Redemptorists and the faithful took to the streets of Toronto to process with the beloved image of our Mother from St. Michael’s Cathedral to St. Patrick’s Church, the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Setting out from the Cathedral, the procession travelled along Dundas Street, through Yonge and Dundas Square, Bay Street, University Avenue all the way to McCaul Street to the front steps of St. Patrick’s Church.
Led by the Redemptorist Novices, and the Knights of Columbus, several groups and organizations from around Toronto joined in the procession, including the Legion of Mary, Kolping Society, St. Patrick’s Senior’s Club, 
Confraternita Termitana, as well as the St. Mary’s Portuguese Bandado Senhor Santo Cristo. We welcomed about 1,500 people in our procession from around the Greater Toronto Area and as far as Windsor, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec. The Icon was carried by Fr. Mark Miller C.Ss.R, Provincial Superior, accompanied by Bishop John Pazak C.Ss.R., Bishop for the Slovak Byzantine Catholic Community in Canada, and Redemptorists and guest clergy.
Our celebration in Toronto, echoed in celebrations and processions throughout the world, was a testimony of the love shown by the people of God to Mary our Mother through this beloved Icon. Her presence in the lives of the faithful throughout the world has truly fulfilled the call of Pope Pius IX to the Redemptorists to make Her known throughout the world. 
The Redemptorist Community and Redemptorist Associates of Saskatoon hosted a Mission at St Mary’s Parish to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help being entrusted to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists). The mission was led by Bishop Bryan Bayda C.Ss.R. (pictured below). 
In celebration of the multi-cultural diversity found at our parish, each night of the mission gave various ethnic groups an opportunity to lead the decades of the Rosary, a hymn in honour of Our Holy Mother, and the well-known prayers (Our Father and Hail Mary) in their native tongue. It was very powerful to hear the decades and well-known prayers spoken in the different languages and in these to also hear the similarities in the languages.
On the first evening, Bishop Bayda invited everyone to take a personal inventory of our lives, both physical and spiritual, to determine which aspects of our life are weighing us down. He also reminded us of the importance of making time to read and reflect on God’s word daily. Bishop Bayda reflected on why our fears stop us from making this part of our daily routine. Together, we reflected on the story of the Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus at the well, who was asked to give up her possessions and in return received the gift of Living Water and mercy – mercy not only expressed for herself but the gift to be merciful to others. We reflected on the things we possess, not only material items but yes, anything that is destroying the peace that God wants for us, and then bringing those woes to Our Mother Mary through the Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, for her intercession. Day one ended with the Filipino, English and Hispanic communities leading the decades of the Rosary and singing a Marian Hymn in their native languages. 
On the Second evening, our journey of reflection continued with Bishop Bayda sharing his amazing sense of humour, including an embarrassing moment that happened to him and encouraging us to share our embarrassing moments with those sitting around us. The evening continued as the reflection once again turned to the Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help with an in-depth reflection on her compassionate gaze. To conclude his sermon, we were privileged to hear Bishop Bayda sing a song he personally composed. On this evening, the Ukrainian, Portuguese and Cree communities led the decades of the Rosary and also sang a Marian hymn in their native languages.
Help, led by Fr. Mick Fleming C.Ss.R. (pictured at right) which was then followed by the celebration of a beautiful and reflective Mass presided at by Fr. Ciro Perez C.Ss.R and with Bishop Bayda’s third and final sermon on the Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help for this special mission. The Mass was concluded with the blessing of different Marian images that people brought forth (pictured below). 