Celebrating our Centenary in Weyburn Deanery

The celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Archdiocese of Regina for the Weyburn Deanery took place at Mary's Grotto in McTaggart.

The Grotto is truly on the Saskatchewan Prairie as one can see here as we prepared to begin the Mass.

This is a good image of our diocesan church, the Knights of Columbus, who represent the energy and commitment of our laity in the church with the grain storage in the background recalling the lives of the pioneers who came here to plant both seeds of grain and seeds of faith.

There is lots of room for the Entrance Procession which begins the celebration of the Eucharist.

We were blessed with a wonderful participation from the deanery with between 200 - 300 people gathering for the Mass.

The Ministry of Lector was carried out by Vi Hoffman, of Weyburn

and Marilyn Geron from Radville.

Following the Mass we blessed the Grotto to set it aside as a special place of prayer and devotion to Mary, the Mother of God and patroness of the Archdiocese. I am very appreciative once again of the participation of all the parish priests of the deanery and their presence to concelebrate the Mass

And afterwards we enjoyed a very Saskatchewanian meal of beef on a bun with trimmings.

This is Thomas from Weyburn who was kind enough to sit with me for a bit and share this special day.

It was a beautiful day. The prairie wind was only strong enough to blow around some of the banners from the different parishes. An encouraging celebration of faith in the open beauty of the land in which our Archdiocese has grown for a century.

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New Pastor Installed at St. Joseph's, Moose Jaw

Logo for the Year for Priests

St. Joseph's is blessed with a great number of wonderful young people who share their time and talents as good stewards in serving as acolytes in ministry at the Altar.

Myself with Fr. Neil Osiowy before Mass begins.

One of the places which we focus on during the Rite of Installing Pastors is at the Altar:

Lector: Listen to the words of St. Paul written to the Corinthians: For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Bishop: It is the duty of the Pastor to bring the faithful together to celebrate the Eucharist. When you do this, make them as sign of the Lord's enduring presence among God's People.

Pastor: I will do so, with the help of God.

Fr. Neil gives a few words of thanks and appreciation at the end of Mass.

Fr. Neil's parents, Ted and Doreen Osiowy, are see here on the right.

And after all was done, we went to the parish hall and had a great pancake brunch put on by the Knights of Columbus'

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Installation of new Pastor at Church of Our Lady

Year for Priests

Icon of Christ the High Priest

On August 29th. I installed Fr. Carlos Jiminez as pastor of Church of Our Lady in Moose Jaw. Fr. Carlos and I are getting a few last minute details finalized.

Several priests added their presence and support by coming to concelebrate this Mass. Among whom are Fr. Danilo Rafael, Director of Priest Personnell, Fr. Brian Meredith, Rector of the Cathedral and with whom Fr. Carlos worked during his first year in the Archdiocese; and Fr. Raymon Claro of St. Augustine's Parish in Wilcox.

One of the places which underly the pastor's ministry is the Renciliation Room or Confessional:

Lector: Listen to the words of our Lord according to Saint John: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Bishop: It is the duty of the Pastor to bring to his people the healing power and mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ, reconciling them to God and one another. When you do this, remember your own weakness.

Pastor: I will do so, with the help of God.

And the Presider's Chair:

Lector: Listen to the words of St. Paul in the second letter to Timothy: “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable.”

Bishop: It is the duty of the Pastor to preside over the community of faith. When you do this, lead the People of God in the prayer of the Church with diligence and devotion.

Pastor: I will do so, with the help of God.

The Rite of Installation of the Pastor concludes with the Pastor making a profession of faith. This he does by reciting the Nicene Creed and the people join with him. Following that he swears an oath of Fidelity and both he and I sign this document.

We then gathered in the parish hall for a lunch, and of course some special cake. This is a happy occasion for the priest and for his parishioners.

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Regina Catholic Schools Opening Mass

Our Lady of the Rosary

Patron of the Archdiocese

Centenery Icon

The educational community of Regina Catholic Schools gathered last week in the Cathedral to begin the school year by celebrating the Eucharist. We gave thanks to God for the blessings of Catholic Education in our Archdiocese and we sought strength and guidance through Communion with our Risen Lord and the grace of this Sacrament of Love for all who teach our children and youth.

Holy Rosary Cathedral was filled to capacity and beyond with teachers spilling out into the foyer and onto the steps.

It was very pleasant to see an excellent turn out of the Pastors of the Regina area to concelebrate this Mass, to pray for all those involved in Catholic education and to indicate their support and encouragement.

There was a full voiced and praise filled choir who led the assembly in joyful praise of God

"Let my prayers rise before you like incense, O Lord."


The Centennial Icon of Our Lady of the Rosary was in a prominent place for the Eucharistic Celebration. On my left is one of the concelebrating priests, Msgr. Don Bolen, V.G.

Deacon Joe Lang raises the Book of Gospels after he has proclaimed the Gospel to us all. This is an important part of the ministry of Deacon.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy of the Word, I blessed copies of "100 Faith Stories" a book published on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Archdiocese taking place this year. This very interesting and at times moving book contains faith stories from people throughout the Archdiocese.

"Through Him, with Him and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, Almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen

The Mass concluded with a special blessing for the teachers and those involved in Catholic education.

Following the Mass recognition was given to those with special landmarks in Catholic education. Here are the 15 year group.

And those with twenty five years.

We all owe a great debt of gratitude for this great number of teachers who understand that their work with our children and youth is a vocation given them by God and carried out in love for Him and the children God has placed in our care.

The Mission Statement of Regina Catholic Schools clearly expresses our understanding of this great treasure which is Catholic education:

The Regina Catholic School Division is dedicated to working with the community and the local church to provide a quality Catholic education that fosters academic excellence and the development of informed, responsible citizens.

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Kaposvar, the Formation of a Distinct Hungarian-Canadian Identity

After celebrating the Assumption of Mary into Heaven at Rama, we moved on to Esterhazy for the Annual Pilgrimage at Kaposvar. Kaposvar is about 4 km from Esterhazy in a very beautiful Saskatchewan setting.



The Parks Canada program for the presentation and blessing of a plaque given by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada states that the first Hungarian settlements in Canada were, almost without exception in what would later become Saskatchewan causing many to refer to the province prior to 1914 as "Little Hungary."

"The arrival and settlement of Hungarians at Esterhazy-Kaposvar represented one of th earliest (1886) ethnic block settlements in the Canadian West, one that has left a strong and ongoing historical and cultral legacy. Small rural communities such as Esterhazy-Kaposvar largely defined the Hungarian-Canadian experience from the 1880's to the 1920's, when more than two-thirds of Hungarian-Canadians lived in Saskatchewan."

"For decades, the spiritual and communal heart of Hungarian Settlement in Canada was at Esterhazy-Kaposvar where the church, rectory, cemetery and shrine provided a focal point. The settlement continues to bge viewed as the cradle of Hungarian life in Canada and a place of pilgrimage each August." (Parks Canada)

Standing with me on my right is Stan Maga of the Kaposvar Historical Society and on my left Eugene Goncy.

The women also were displaying traditional Hungarian dress as they welcomed us to the Church.

The interior of the Church is a beautiful example of the early churches in the Archdiocese. Here we see the distinctive Hungarian Saints portrayed in picture and statue and the preserved old altar.

Above are the Lectors for the Mass and Fr. Albert Schmitz, Pastor at Esterhazy and under whose care is the Church and property of Kaposvar.

The Pilgrimage was also the occasion of the Esterhazy Deanery's celebration of the Centennial of the Archdiocese of Regina. The priests of the Deanery were present to concelebrate the Eucharist. From left to right: Fr. Yodel Cereno, Fr. Albert Schmitz, Fr. Francis Plaparampil, Fr. Callistus Ibe. Also present were Fr. Basil Chomos and Fr. Dennis Remot. It was very gratifying to have the prayerful participation of the pastors of the Deanery in this special event.

The Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus were also present to form an honour guard and lend solemnity to the occasion.

Following the Mass, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada held a ceremony in Commemoration of the Arrival and Settlement of Hungarians at Esterhazy-Kaposvar. The greetings were delivered by Mr. Allan Duddridge, Saskatchewan Member, Historic Sites and Monuments board of Canada.

It was my pleasure to also bring the greetings of the Archdiocese of Regina to this very special occasion.

Mr. Arlynn Kurtz, Reeve, Rural Municipality of Fertile Belt No. 183 also spoke,

As did Mr. Stan Maga of the Kaposvar Historical Society.

Dr. Frances Swyripa, Historian at th University of Alberta, spoke on the Historic Significance of the arrival and settlement of Hungarians at Esterhazy-Kaposvar.

An address on behalf of the Government of Canada was given by Mr. Garry Breitkreutz, Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville.

A plaque written in English, Hungarian and French was unveiled and presented by Parks Canada to Kaposvar.

The Plaque reads: Arriving in this region in 1886, Hungarian immigrants established one of the earliest ethnic block settlements in the West. From the 1880's to the 1920's, more than two-thirds of Hungarian Canadians lived in Saskatchewanl many in small rural communities such as these. For decades, the Kaposvar church, rectory, cemetery, and shrine formed the spiritual and communal heart of Hungarian Catholic settlement in Canada. With it strong historical and cultural legacy, this community is still seen by many as pivotl to the formation of a distinct Hungarian-Canadian identity.

It was very fitting that this commemoration took place during the Deanery Celebration of the Centenary of the Archdiocese of Regina. Our century old presence in Saskatchewan as a Diocese and Archdiocese is built on the pioneer communities such as Kaposvar and the people who came from different parts of Europe, Canada and the United States to settle here, farm the land, raise families and build not only houses but homes.

These three bell ringers, Laddie Helmeczi, Wilfred Sikora and Dennis Firlola send the sound of the bells out over the rolling countryside around Kaposvar for the Celebration of the Eucharist. For one hundred and twenty some years, the faith of these early Hungarian settlers also went out from their homes and families to all around them bearing witness to lives built on honest values and strength of character with their faith in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit the ground on which their lives were built. In this Centennial Year, we truly give thanks for these people and those who came after them who continued these values and strengths in our Church and in our Province.

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