Archbishop Daniel's Blog

I must ask your indulgence, with the Celebrations of the Sacrament of Confirmation over the past ten weeks, I haven't been able to find sufficient time to share with you what's been going on in the Archdiocese. However some important things have been happening. Not the least of which is that we have begun the celebration of our One Hundredth Anniversary in our Archdiocese of Regina. The Centennial year was opened officially in all the parishes of the diocese with the reading of the Centennial Proclamation.

This was done in Holy Rosary Cathedral by the Rector Fr. Brian Meredith.

The following is the text of this Proclamation:

Centennial Proclamation

“ O Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things” Psalm 98:1

As the People of God in the Archdiocese of Regina, we give praise and thanks to God, our loving Father, who has blessed us with so many gifts for 100 years. Therefore it is with gratitude in our hearts that we proclaim with great joy a Centennial Year beginning on the Solemnity of Pentecost 2009 and culminating with the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ 2010.

We begin on Pentecost celebrating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit giving birth to the Church, enlivening the faithful since our establishment as a Diocese on March 4, 1910 and later as an Archdiocese.

We are grateful for the faith lived today by the people of God in our families, parishes, and communities.

We are grateful for our youth for their enthusiasm and vision, their ability to take risks to improve our society.

We are grateful for the Aboriginal peoples with their spirituality, culture and respect for the environment.

We are grateful for the pioneers who brought a strong faith and resilience in dealing with the harsh realities of the prairies. They requested priests and helped form parishes.

We are grateful for the stalwart people of strong faith who persevered during the Great Depression and the tragic wars of the 20th Century.

We are grateful for the leadership in our Church, the seven Archbishops of Regina and seven Bishops of Gravelbourg, along with dedicated priests, religious orders of men and women who share their faith and energy in building a strong church on the prairies.

We in this Centennial year receive a positive legacy – we celebrate our past but now we go forward with expectant hope for our future.

This proclamation is read today in each parish in our Archdiocese. We are to celebrate on the parish, deanery and diocesan levels. May we celebrate our theme “Faith Alive! Celebrating our Past; Hope for our Future.”

May that faith which gives meaning to our lives be shared with succeeding generations as we begin the next hundred years.

May our Patroness, Our Lady of the Rosary, grant us her protection, guide us to welcome her Son Jesus in our midst.

With joy we cry out “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His deeds among the nations, proclaim that His name is exalted” (Isaiah 12:4) and we pray “Lord send forth your spirit and renew the face of the earth.”


Given on the Solemnity of Pentecost, May 31, 2009
In the City of Regina, Saskatchewan


_________________________________________________
Most Reverend Daniel J. Bohan
Archbishop of Regina

The Proclamation was then read in French by Joan Pratchler, Chair of the Archdiocesan Centennial Committee.

The Gospel was proclaimed by Deacon Barry Wood. Barry is now the second Permanent Deacon in the Archdiocese. He has recently been hired as Archdiocesan Finance Officer and has moved with his wife Sheila from Mississauga, Ontario.

A beautiful Icon has been "written" by artist Gisele Bauche for the occasion of the Centennial. The Icon is that of Our Lady of the Rosary. Our Lady of the Rosary is the patron of the Archdiocese of Regina.

The Icon was blessed during the Mass and will travel throughout the Archdiocese to every parish over the coming year.

Also the new translation of the Sunday Lectionary came into use also on Pentecost Sunday and was blessed in all of our parishes.

Another blessing for the celebration was the participation of a choir from Holy Rosary School, who sang beautifully for the Communion Rite of the Mass.

Then the Liturgical celebration was concluded with a great barbecue on the Cathedral grounds. Similar celebrations and community activities took place throughout the Archdioces on Pentecost Sunday. A fitting beginning to our Centennial Celebrations.

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