St Joseph's Parish
Contact information on WEBSITE
Please save this E-Bulletin! It is the equivalent of your Church Bulletin, and you may need to access it this week.
3rd Sunday of Easter
April 14, 2024
"Thus it is written, that the Christ is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem."
Luke 24
Sunday Mass Schedule:
Saturday 5:00pm
Sunday 9:00am
Confessions 15 minutes before every Mass
or by appointment
Click the Picture below for Online Sunday Mass 9am
New posts
Retreat Season...check out a variety below!
Pray about a potential nominee for the Pastoral Council
FORMED Free Sign up
Daily Mass Schedule
Tuesday: 5:30pm
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 9:00am
Divine Mercy Prayer Friday at 1:00pm
Congratulations to Deborah Smyth on receiving her Sacraments of Initiation into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil! Her sponsor, Charlotte West, and the rest of our community welcomes her and we all look forward to working with her in the Vineyard of the Lord!
For Emotional and Spiritual Healing
Rachel’s Vineyard weekend retreats offer a supportive and non-judgmental environment where women and men can express, release and reconcile painful post-abortive emotions to begin the process of restoration, renewal and healing.
Registering now. Confidentiality assured.
Merrit retreat: April 30 – May 2, 2024
Contact Nancy at 250-267-5081, phone or text
Through a retreat program facilitated by mental health professionals and centered on Jesus Christ, Grief to Grace helps those who have endured neglect, physical, emotional, sexual, and/or spiritual abuse in their family of origin, their community, from spouses/partners, and/or coworkers or supervisors, find healing and journey to wholeness. The next retreat in Canada is May 14 - 18, 2024 in Kelowna. For more information please email grieftogracekelowna@gmail.com or make a confidential call to 250-808-6403.
World Wide Marriage Encounters – Virtual Experience April 19-21, 2024
Even when a marriage is going smoothly, there are always opportunities to make it work better. The Marriage Encounter experience is a heart haven that helps you listen, share, and connect more deeply. There is no group discussion. It’s just about the two of you learning to be the best, most loving and thriving couple you can be.
Virtual Experience
Edmonton based (Mtn Time)
Questions?
Doug & Candice Chappell
778-479-7900
Doug.candice.chappell@wwme.org Apply at – wwme.org
Two Dominican Sisters, one Benedictine Monk, our priests, and a group of Catholic young adults – The Diocesan Youth Conference 2024 is going to be beautiful.
Who: For all youth Gr. 7-12
Where: The Pastoral Centre, Prince George
When: May 24-26th
How: Registration Opens April 15th
Email: Lisa Findlay with all your questions: lfindlay@pgdiocese.bc.ca
The Diocese has acquired for all of us free memberships to FORMED for this year. Click the link above and explore. Family, kids, young and older have lots to explore and partake of, from bible studies, to movies, to podcasts and more.
Press the link below and Search for
"St. Joseph Smithers" to sign up free and easy.
St. Joseph Catholic School
Grandparents Day: May 1 at the school from 2-3 pm. Come and enjoy some tea and snacks and see what students at St. Joseph's are up to.
Registration has begun. Contact the school if you're interested in joining us this year! We have openings in a number of grades along with our incoming K class.
Staff needed throughout the Diocese for this coming year!
Catholic Independent Schools Diocese of Prince George (CISPG) has begun recruiting for the 2024-2025 school year.
We ask for your prayers and help to find Catholic, certified teachers for our 8 Catholic Schools. All 8 schools have vacancies including the Principal-ship at Sacred Heart School in Prince George. CISPG hires non-Catholics with the expectation they understand and are respectful to Catholic values and lifestyle.
Teaching vacancies and the application forms can be found at http://cispg.ca/careers/
Please share this with anyone you may know that could be teaching in our vibrant Catholic Schools!
Diocesan Appeal 2023/24: Called Together.
Our Parish Goal: $13,946.
Pledged: 100% so far
Healing & Reconciliation raised this year in our Diocese: $34,000
Ways to give: by cheque "RCEC Diocesan Appeal"; cash; e-transfer "appeal@pgdiocese.bc.ca
Along with all other parishes and missions throughout the diocese, we continue the Annual Diocesan Appeal: “Called Together – Giving, Sharing, Serving.” Called Together supports the mission of the local Church across our diocese. Your gift to Called Together is one way that you can practice stewardship and participate in the mission of the Church. The diocesan goal has been slightly increased to $275,000 this year, still far short of the usual $400,000. This year, we are putting a focus on funding those programs which were suspended under COVID, but are now coming back to life. We also continue to direct the biggest portion to go to help those smaller parishes and missions across the diocese who continue to face ongoing challenges and need our support.
This year, the diocese is continuing to collect funds for the BC Bishops’ appeal in support of Healing and Reconciliation. This appeal is separate from Called Together and aims to provide funds for projects that support healing and reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples. In prior years, the diocese has tried to meet this need through programs such as Returning to Spirit, the Rose Prince Pilgrimage and through the work of our priests and religious involved in indigenous ministry. After we began our first Healing and Reconciliation Appeal, the Canadian Bishops agreed to support a national campaign to raise $30 million dollars in support of healing and reconciliation efforts. The diocesan goal for our portion of that $30 million is $147,000 of which $110,000 has already been raised. The monies raised in our diocese will be used to support healing and reconciliation efforts in our diocese. The committee tasked with discerning how to best use those funds has already begun to meet. We look to the generosity of everyone to make a meaningful contribution to promote this important work. The form in the Called Together package allows you to designate how much you would like to direct to the Diocesan Annual Appeal and how much to the Healing and Reconciliation appeal. We thank you for your continued generous support.
Preparation for the Sacraments
Our Catholic Faith has Seven Sacraments that draw us in special ways more deeply into the life of God and His spiritual family, the Church. Whether it’s Baptism, Holy Communion, Reconciliation, Confirmation, the Anointing of the Sick, or Marriage, the first step for practising Catholics is to have a one-on-one meeting with the Pastor, who will provide customized preparations, according to the readiness of each individual person or family. Speak to Fr. Jack after Mass on Sundays to set up your first meeting with him.
Bishop Thomas J. Lobsinger, OMI Memorial Bursary Program
This annual British Columbia and Yukon Bursary program is underway. The 2024 program is now receiving applications. We are privileged to offer fourteen bursaries of $1,000.00 each to Catholic students across the province. These bursaries are made available on a one-time only basis to young practicing Catholic students who are in post secondary education at a recognized institute of higher learning within the Province of British Columbia. Applications are accepted from January 1, 2024 until June 30, 2024 with the bursaries being awarded in the fall. The Terms of Reference may be found on our web site (kofcbc.org).
Requests for application should be addressed to:
Christopher Chen – State Bursary Chairman
Knights of Columbus BC Charity Foundation
#333 – 1231 Pacific Boulevard
Vancouver, B.C. V6Z-0E2
Or email: chrischen.kofc@gmail.com
Deadline for requests for application is June 1, 2024
Pro-Life News
AGM Dinner and Dessert Auction - April 5th
Guest Speake from the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada: Monica Lewen. Friday April 5. Doors sopen at 6:00, dinner at 6:30. Canadian Reformed Church. Please have tickets pre-paid. Purchase at: Cheekys or Office on Wed. Cost$25.
Thank you to all who offered wonderful words of encouragement and thoughtful gifts of various kinds to Fr. Dennis and myself this past Christmas season. We truly appreciate your generous love and care.
To All Women of our Parish
Why join the CWL?
This is a wonderful organization of catholic woman who share the common bond of their catholic faith, working together and getting to know one another building lifelong friendships.
Your yearly fee is $55.00 helps support many local and catholic charities.
If you would like more information please contact:
Bina Tucker – 250-847-3095
Marie Ziegler – 250-847-2574 or 250-876-8729
Fr. Callaly Council monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of each month at 7:00 in the church meeting room.
We are catholic men, who put faith and charity first. We lead, serve, protect, and defend. We share a desire to be better husbands, fathers, sons, neighbours, and role models. Our intent is to build strong Catholic Fathers and Families, leadership within our parishes, and growth in our faith.
The founder of the Knights of Columbus Father McGivney is now being considered for sainthood.
James W. Schwab
Grand Knight/ Financial Secretary/Life Program
Fr. Callaly Council 7973
St Joseph's Parish Smithers, St Anthony's Parish Houston, St Mary's Parish New Hazelton
Thank you to all our volunteers that help make our youth nights possible!!!
All youth welcome, ages 10-15. Contact Joanna & Cassie via email at massmealmeetup@gmail.com for more information.
Teacher contact: Cara Polanin 250-847-9414
Sunday School is now offered during 9 AM Sunday Mass for children 2yrs old til 1st Communion age. Children are sent out after the opening prayer with their catechists and come back in time for the Offertory. Feel free to join them until they get comfortable on their own.
Congratulations to Ryan, Kayleigh, Matthew on the occasion of their 1st Communion on Sunday Nov. 5th.
Please keep their families in your prayers as they seek to build good habits of Sunday Mass attendance and growing participation in the life of our Parish Family.
The Search is an innovative video series that tackles the key questions of every human heart. In seven beautifully filmed episodes, Chris Stefanick and experts from multiple fields of science, medicine, psychology, art, and religion examine our place in the larger story of existence.
Whether you’re a practiced inquirer or a jaded skeptic, The Search will speak to you. You may be reassured by some parts, and challenged by others. Either way, you’ll find a lot here to think about. And when all is said and done, life’s questions demand to be answered.
Are you ready for The Search?
What is a Catholic understanding of 'tithing' as part of our return to the Lord for all the good He has done?
Check out the following articles to learn more.
Consider using the above chart
to evaluate
your personal level of generosity last year
and ask for the grace to move up to the
next level of sacrificial giving.
E-Transfers
are now possible for our Parish!
Complete the following instructions:
First time using transfer option add and save a recipient: "St Joseph's Parish" in your banking APP
Email address - smitherscatholic@pgdiocese.bc.ca
Message needs to be added for each transaction - "St Joseph's, SMITHERS" (there is more than one St. Joseph parish in our Diocese)
You do not need a security question (donation is automatically deposited into the designated parish account)
The confirmation will say that you made a donation to "The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Prince Rupert" and includes the message you put in and the reference number assigned to the e-transfer.
Monthly meetings are held on 2nd Tuesday of each month. 1:30pm in the meeting room at church.
The Catechism in a Year Podcast has Begun!
Its not too late to start. Go at your own pace...don't miss out!
If you want to skip ahead to catch up, begin with Day 145...otherwise start with Day 4.
Click the image above to watch, for a short time, the faith study 'The Mass' by Bishop Barron for free! It's six sessions to better understand The Mass for ourselves, that we might participate fully and be able to tell others about it with confidence.
From the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
The CCCB
Releases Open Letter to the Government and Message to the Catholic Faithful on Permitting Persons with Mental Illness access to Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has published two letters, an Open Letter to the Government and a Message to the Catholic Faithful on permitting persons with mental illness access to euthanasia/assisted suicide.
In these letters, they urge the government and the faithful to support initiatives to provide better palliative and mental health care, exhort them to remember the inviolable dignity of human life, and warn of the increasing number of cases of MAiD being used as a solution to problems of loneliness, poverty, and lack of access to care and support.
Both letters can be found on the CCCB website here: https://www.cccb.ca/faith-moral-issues/suffering-and-end-of-life/euthanasia-and-assisted-suicide/
Please also find attached PDF copies of the letters.
Click above for a short trailer.
There are some Catechisms available through Mary in the Office. Some large print soft cover and a smaller hard cover version. They are also available for order online in many places.
Click the picture above to read an article summarizing the first talk by Fr. Robert Spitzer PhD. at the Wonder Conference on Science and Faith: on our "finely tuned" universe and how scientists are more and more returning to belief as they engage in their scientific discoveries...especially young scientists!
Traveling? Check out the link below for Mass times all over North America
Flocknote: If you would like to tell someone how to sign up .... text the word 'smithers' to the # 514-900-0130
Click on the images below to check out the Free Prayer App AMEN or the paid subscription App HALLOW below. Both can also be found in your APP store of choice as well.
AMEN
HALLOW
Local Help for Ukrainian Refugees
Share Hope: Ukraine
Donation Directions
The Share Hope Refugee Sponsorship Committee (Share Hope) has been active since 2014 within the Diocese of Prince George. Within this time, we’ve helped settle and sponsor refugee families from both Iraq and Syria. In the past year we were turning our attention to the situation unfolding in Afghanistan. We are currently focusing our efforts now to help people fleeing war torn Ukraine.
To that effort we are collecting donations to support both the temporary and permanent resettlement of people from the Ukraine to the Diocese of Prince George. For more info email PG.ShareHope@gmail.com. While our founding members are from the local Roman Catholic parishes in Prince George and expanded to Smithers, we welcome everyone to join in our efforts. Ukrainian Refugees fill out an application to qualify and receive funds raised.
Share Hope has had an active participation with members of other faith-based organizations as well, such as Grace Anglican and St Michael and All Angels Anglican church. Currently the strength of Share Hope is over 30+ active volunteers with many others who are standing by to help if called upon.
We are collecting funds throughout Prince George and neighbouring communities. Donations to Share Hope can receive a charitable tax receipt. The funds are directed by the Share Hope Refugee Sponsorship Committee and administered through the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince George. We also accept online donations through Canada-Helps and e-Transfers, or by cheque. When donating, please note the community you are from. The funds raised will be used locally to support multiple families and/or individuals. If there are unused funds the monies will be directed to a Canadian Charitable organization working in support of efforts overseas in Ukraine.
Ways to Give
All donations will receive a tax-deductible receipt
Write a cheque to: RCEC- Share Hope
(in the note section write ‘UKRAINE:SMITHERS’)
You can send the Cheque to: Diocesan Pastoral Centre
Share Hope
6500 Southridge Avenue,
Prince George, BC V2N 5P9
Donate online by Credit Card via Canada Helps:
Apply your donation to the fund ‘Ukraine Support’, among the four options and leave an optional message: ‘UKRAINE SMITHERS” if you want the donation to be used in the Smithers area only. Leave your mailing address also for tax receipt.
E-transfer to sharehope@pgdio.ca and in the note field write: ‘UKRAINE SMITHERS’ and your mailing address also for tax receipt.
Alpha is a short course exploring the questions of life, meaning and faith. It's offered Online at this time. Come Holy Spirit!
Pope Francis' visit to Canada to help in the process of healing and reconciliation as a follow up to his recent apology to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada was very moving. Much thanks for all the prayers and support given for this necessary outreach. Click the above picture for a recap. Please keep the need for reconciliation and healing in your prayers as we go forward.
Progress on the Path of Reconciliation
Bishop Stephen Jensen welcomed the news of Pope Francis’ message of apology to residential school survivors at the end of his week of meetings with Indigenous, Inuit, and Metis delegates in Rome. This is another step on the journey of healing and reconciliation with those who welcomed missionaries and immigrants to this land long ago.
Last year, the Diocese of Prince George embarked on a fundraising appeal to support residential school survivors, their families and communities and to promote reconciliation among the indigenous and non-indigenous peoples in our part of the country. Over $70,000.00 was raised by this special appeal, which represents about half of the amount the diocese has pledged as its share of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ collective pledge to raise $30 million across the country over the next five years.
The bishops’ conference established a new registered charity to manage funds raised across the country with transparency and good governance, including oversight from Indigenous Board Directors. The fund will publish annual reports and will be subject to an audit by an independent accounting firm each year.
All the funds pledged and raised from the diocese will be returned and used to support projects recommended by a local committee of Indigenous persons, which is in the process of being formed. The diocese will provide updates as this work proceeds.
We hope this initiative will be one more contribution to the work of fostering mutual respect and commitment to a shared future for all who call this land home.
For further reading:
It is with great sorrow, shame, and deepest apologies on behalf of those that have gone before us, that we acknowledge the national tragedy of residential schools that is so heavy upon us presently. There are so many unanswered questions, so much missing information, and unheard stories, with so much left to do towards Reconciliation, that it can feel overwhelming. In solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and all who are suffering so deeply in this heart-breaking moment, let us continue to inform ourselves and prayerfully discern each person's part in the path forward. Below are a number of links that you can explore to help in this process of education that you might not be aware of. Fr. Jack
Click above for a link to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to explore the many reports written from the findings of the multi year process, including so many of the stories of survivors.
Above is a link from Archbishop Miller for the wider Archdiocese of Vancouver (which Kamloops was part of before becoming its own diocese) with his Letter of Apology in 2015 reaffirming the earlier apologies by B.C. Bishops, which he re-issued this past week in light of the recent revelations.
O.M.I. Apologies with Question and Answer. Click on the above image from the Website of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.) of Lacombe Province (Canada) who were the Catholic Religious Community (like Jesuits or Franciscans) who contracted with the Canadian Government to run some of the Residential Schools, including Kamloops and Lejac. They also have re-stated their previous apologies in recent days.
Please click on logo above to access the CCCB website and explore the many tabs that document much of the Catholic response to date, along with a number of apologies and history of Aboriginal outreach.
For more detailed information visit our Parish Website.