Flourishing Congregations

Be Part of a National 

Church and Parish Survey

The Flourishing Congregations Institute is part of Ambrose University in Calgary, Alberta. Their mission is to bring together academics and practitioners to research the factors surrounding flourishing congregations/parishes in Canada, develop tools and resources to help congregations/parishes to flourish, and share our research findings with congregations/parishes that wish to flourish.

As part of our 40th Anniversary year we invite all of our Parishioners to participate in an online survey. The survey will take about 10 minutes and your answers are kept confidential, and only reported to the Ambrose University in aggregate form - so no one knows who said what!

This is a great opportunity for us to look at how we live our lives as a parish - what we are good at - what we need look at in order to thrive.

Here is a Video that describes the Process: Video Here

Here is the unique Survey Link that is for our Parish:

HOLY FAMILY PARISH, BOLTON

To Israel and Back

I have returned from a wonderful trip to Israel. To make a pilgrimage to Israel with people of faith is always a privilege. The bonds that form on Pilgrimage are really quite incredible - including the visits to the holy sites - but also the social time on the Bus and in the Hotels. Here is a quick summary of our visit this trip:
Tuesday we left in the afternoon on the direct Air Canada Flight to Tel Aviv - 5:00 pm departure - and a 10:30 am Arrival in Israel on Wednesday Morning.
After clearing customs and Immigration, meeting our Guide Jacob, and getting on our Bus we were off to the Mediterranean Coast - to see the site of Cesarea Maritima, and an ancient Roman Aqueduct that is still in great shape!
Then we had Lunch in a village on Mount Carmel - Daliat et Carmel.  Then we made our way to the Galilee area in the North of Israel. We had planned to have an outdoor mass on a cliff overlooking the Sea of Galilee (really a fresh water lake!) but we were unable to access the site because it closed earlier than we expected. 


We checked into our hotel. One of the benefits of this year's Pilgrimage is that we only stay in 2 hotels - one in the Galilee and one in Jerusalem.  In the Galilee it was the Kinar Galilee Hotel on the East side of the Sea of Galilee. 

Thursday we visited Kefar Kedem - a site which transplants us back in time to the life in Israel at the time of Jesus.  We milked a goat - made Cheese from that Milk, then ground flour, and made Pita Bread on an open fire!
Afterwards we enjoyed a Lunch before making our way to Nazareth, and the Basilica of the Annunciation, for Mass, then we went to Cana to renew Marriages.
Friday we went to the Kibbutz which found an ancient Galilee Boat over 30 years ago - and has now been preserved for display. after hearing of the discovery of this 2000 year old boat, we went on our own boat on the sea of Galilee.  Afterwards we visited the city of Caparnaum where much of Jesus's Ministry was located. we celebrated Mass in a church that is suspended over the archaeological dig at St. Peter's House. 

Saturday we Traveled North - to Cesaera Philipi and faced the question - Who do you say that I am. Then we renewed our Baptismal Promises in the Source of the Jordan River (North of the Sea of Galilee) with fresh (cold) water! We saw the tip of Mount Hermon - which is a mountain shared by Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. we also saw an ancient Crusader Fortress from the Middle Ages. Then we enjoyed a Wine Tasting and Lunch at a Winery in the Golan Heights!

Sunday we started with Mass at the Primacy of Peter on the Shores of the Galilee - then we Made our way up to the Mount of Beatitudes.
Then we went North again to Zafed - a centre of Jewish Mysticism and a bit of an artists colony. I like the Candles they make there!

Monday was a Transfer Day - Meaning we loaded up the Coach with our luggage and started south to the Mount of Transfiguration. there we transferred to mini vans for the trip up the mountain and celebrated Mass in the Church of the Transfiguration. Then we continued south to the Jordan Valley and visited the Archaeological Site of Bet Shean, the largest dig in Israel, and the location of the filming of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Continuing south we went around Jericho and started the climb up to Jerusalem. From Mount Scopus we had a beautiful view as the sun was setting. We did the traditional entry into Jerusalem, blessing God for Bread and Wine and then Eating and Drinking the bread and wine. Then we went to our Hotel - Mount Zion Hotel. This hotel on the edge of the old city is built into the hillside - so the Lobby is on the 6th floor - and the rooms are accessed by elevators going down!
Tuesday we were back on the road for a Day trip to the Dead sea area. We first visited Qumran - the site of the finding of the dead sea scrolls 70 years ago. We celebrated a mass in the desert here. Then we went to the Ein Gedi Spa and had the chance to go for a float in the dead sea! We ended the day at Masada - pictured to the Left. This site of Jewish Resistance - to Roman Occupation fell in the year 73 AD - 3 years after the fall of Jerusalem. It is still a very important site - Israeli Defense Forces - after Basic training - come here - climb up the snake path, and at dawn cry "Never Again". Never again will Israel fall to the hands of oppressors.


Wednesday we visited Bethlehem - and even though we had seen huge crowds the entire journey - never were they so evident than they were here - as we waited almost 1.75 hours to see the grotto of the Birth of Jesus. We celebrated Mass in Bethlehem, then after som shopping - to support the Christians of the Holy Land, we went for Lunch and Visited the Shepherd's Fields. 
Then we returned to Jerusalem and walked the Palm Sunday road down from the Mount of Olives and ended in the Garden of Gethsemane. There we placed our burdens at the rock where Jesus prayed before his arrest after the Last Supper.

This is where Deacon Robert and I left the group and Returned to Canada to celebrate with Lucas Sunseri and Emily Norman as they were married on Friday.
On Thursday our Pilgrim group visited the Church of the Last Supper, Dormition Abbey - the site of the "Assumption" of Mary, then The site of the Imprisonment of Jesus and the Denial by Peter (St. Peter In Gallo Cantu), then they walked the Via Crucis - the way of the Cross.
Saturday they visited the Birth Place of John the Baptist - Ein Karem, and Yad Vashem - the holocaust memorial, and the Western Wall and concluded with Mass at the Holy Seplechre - The Tomb of Jesus and the site of the Resurrection.

As Pilgrims we journeyed and allowed the places to slowly pass through us and transform us.  
Tourists pass quickly through places, but the places pass slowly through pilgrims, leaving us forever changed.



The Biblical story is one long pilgrimage:
From the Garden of Eden, paradise lost
to the New and Eternal Jerusalem, paradise found.
Abraham – a wandering Aramean, our father in faith,
who was called to set out for a land unknown.
Moses – leading the people of God out of Egypt
and to the Promised Land.
The Exodus remains the singular most important event for the Jewish people: Release from slavery.

The Gospels often recount stories of Jesus’ journeys,especially his final journey to Jerusalem, and the Cross. Jesus’ Resurrection is our assurance that the pilgrimage we make on earth shall end beyond our death – where we shall enter into His rest.

To walk in Israel is a Holy thing to do! 

Reply Received!

I received a reply to my letter to Pope Francis in September.
The Secretariat of State replied, thanking me for the letter and the concerns which prompted my writing of the letter.

A form letter type of response to be sure - but a response none the less. Our hope is that there will be real action when the Presidents of Bishop's Conferences meet in Rome in February.

We will continue to look at this issue at Holy Family Monday Evening with a Presentation by Fr. Michael Machacek who is on the Board of Directors at Southdown Institute. 
Mass at 7:00 - the intention is for victims of Sexual Abuse
Presentation at 7:30 pm - Information, Statistics, time for Questions and for Prayer. All are welcome.

Peace

Pope Francis to meet with Bishops

Pope Francis will meet with the Presidents of Bishops' conferences from all nations in February to address the issue of protection of Minors. Perhaps this will be the beginning of a process to implement an effective structure of accountability for all clergy and religious. Such a task is enormous - simply because of the different countries - laws - and cultures all over the world. Yet the common goal is universal - the care and protection of minors, and the accountability of the Church Hierarchy. 
I know that things have changed in Canada and the United States over the past 30 years. There has been the implementation of processes to screen and prevent those convicted from ministering in the church with those who are vulnerable. 
The painful reality that we are now being reminded of is that there have been cover-ups and efforts to silence those who have been abused. I am sure that there will be many more saddening revelations that will be made public in the coming months before the bishops of the world gather in Rome in February. 
In the mean time - we continue to stay and fight - fight for the little ones who had no one to fight for them years ago!

Letter to Pope Francis

Below you will find the text of a letter that I wrote to Pope Francis.
I have never written to a Pope before! 
I encourage you to write to our local Bishop - John Boissonneau
and our Archbishop - Cardinal Thomas Collins about this issue.


Pope Francis
Vatican City, Vatican

September 1, 2018

Your Holiness,

The words of St. Paul ring so true in these days: “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Cor 12:26).  As the Pastor of a Parish in the suburbs of the Archdiocese of Toronto, I can share that we too have been suffering in these days. With you and with all of those who have suffered abuse at the hands of the Church and her clergy. I have been disgusted by the immorality that has been revealed to be evident in the highest circles of the hierarchy, and the completely unacceptable systematic cover-up of the crimes of priests by Bishops, the shepherds charged with caring for the flock. 
The Bishops were protecting the clergy and the Institutional Church, instead of the vulnerable children. The irony is that if we had protected the vulnerable “little ones”, then our Holy Mother, the Church, would have been protected! 
I am challenged, and I am challenging my parishioners to allow this indignation, this righteous anger, to bring about a new righteousness in the Church. I choose to stay in the Church to fight for truth, to fight for those “little ones” who had no one to fight for them decades ago.
     Holy Father, I abhor the recent attacks upon your integrity, yet your silence in these days, while similar to that of Christ, will not give our Church the confidence it needs. And while the former Nuncio to the United States of America has “dialed back” on the substance of his accusations at each daily opportunity he has had, transparency necessitates timely disclosure. Yet even more important than talk, which there has been a lot of, is the need for action.
     I feel that this is an opportune time to look at a renewed structure of accountability in the church – so that there are clear mechanisms for appropriate oversight of all clergy by the Laity in these matters of morality and the protection of the vulnerable. The time for action is ripe. We may be at the precipice of a great divide: will the Church’s actions follow Her words? Or will She be relegated to being made irrelevant in society by inaction?
       Our parish prays for you always – and I for your strength to fight this scourge on our Church and society, which has been a part of my formation since I entered the Seminary in 1988.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Laurence J. Léger, 
Pastor, Holy Family Parish, Bolton

Current Issues in the Church

I know I have not been active with my Blog over the Summer. This is a new resolution of mine in the new school year - to be more regular in my Blog Posts.

This is the Homily I gave this past Sunday - answering the Question - Should I Stay - or Should I go?

There is nothing going in that makes one unclean
It is what comes out of person – Sin – that makes one unclean.

We have seen and heard,  read and listened to so much about the Scandals in the Church these past few weeks.

While most of these news stories are about actions from decades ago – it does not make it any easier to hear. The new revelation that has come forward is the entirely unacceptable systematic cover–up of these abuse situations. Let me say that again:
The Entirely Unacceptable Systematic Cover–up 
And the immoral behaviour at the highest levels in the Hierarchy.

Some say I have to Leave. How can I go to Church?
I get it – the Disgust, the Anger, the Revulsion, the Distaste.
AND I also realize that I am preaching to the Choir – You are here!
My desire is to Equip you to be Prophets – to be Evangelists. Equip you for conversations that are inevitable with family and friends, those you encounter at work, at school, or elsewhere in your life.

In the First reading today we heard how Israel was called to be an exemplary nation - and example for those around her. Yet we also know that Israel fell in its relationship with the Lord - and that God often called forth leaders - Prophets - to call Isarel back to the Lord.  The people did not say - I'm done with this nation - it is horrible and useless - NO! The people stayed - and the Prophets fought for the nation.  That's what we need to do right now in the Church! Stay and Fight!

How can I not stay – and fight for Truth – fight for those "little ones' who had no one to fight for them decades ago!
So that your Righteous Anger My Righteous anger with the failed leaders in church might be transformed into Righteousness for the Church! This is the time to address clericalism that says: 
"Yes Father," or "Yes Bishop," or "Yes Pope," without making sure it is true, right and Just. A time to advocate for a change in structures in order to hold every member of the Clergy accountable to the People of God - the Church.

We are not Catholic because of the Moral excellence of our leaders – 

YET We do want Morally Excellent Leaders!

I am a Catholic because my Parents 55 years ago last month brought me for Baptism in their parish church – Because they wanted me to share in the hope and promise that they knew as faithful Catholics, even though they had experienced an authoritarian and abusive church; 
And I have said Yes to being a Catholic time and time again since;
I am Catholic because I am a sinner – like St. Matthew –upon whom the Lord has looked with his gaze of mercy;
I am a Catholic because of the Eucharist – My opportunity to commune with the God who has made the Universe (which is ever expanding - and I don't understand that!) and who knows and loves me; 
I am a Catholic because of the Angels and the saints - Heroic witnesses over the centuries - the Communion of Saints!

I am not a Catholic because of a Priest, or a Bishop or a Pope! Although I - like you - have been powerfully & positively impacted by Priests, and Bishops, and Popes…

I am - We are - Catholic

Because of the Love of God

Made real and visible and tangible

in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord. 
AMEN

Return & Under the Weather

I returned from the trip of a lifetime on Thursday May 10, in the evening. There were many terrific experiences including visits to Bali, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Thailand, and Hong Kong.

For me the Highlight was in Hong Kong - when I celebrated Mass on Tuesday May 8 - my 25th Anniversary - in St. Joseph's Church where I used to attend 31 years ago when I lived and worked in Hong Kong for 3 months (April - July, 1987)




Some other Pictures from the Holiday:

The cathedral in Chiang Mai - Northern Thailand



Our Cooking School the Previous Day:


Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Visit on Friday May 4







Some Photos from Bangkok:







This is the resort we stayed in South of Kuala Lumpur! Neat





And this was our View from our Apartment in KL:


Orchids in Singapore:



The Beach in Bali


Our Pool in Bali