Holy Eucharist Parish

His Holiness Benedict XVI today named Most Rev, David MOTIUK, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg, as Bishop of the Eparchy of Edmonton.

“I am grateful to the Holy Father and the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church for the confidence instilled in me in appointing me as the fifth Bishop of the Eparchy of Edmonton,” said His Excellency Bishop David, “and I look forward to serving the Ukrainian Catholic faithful in Alberta.”

The installation of Bishop David is tentatively scheduled to take place at 10:00 am on Saturday, March 24, 2007 at St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Catholic Church, Edmonton, Alberta, by His Grace Lawrence Huculak, osbm, Metropolitan-Archbishop of Winnipeg, in the presence of His Grace, Archbishop Luigi Ventura, Apostolic Nuncio to Canada.

“For the past five years, I have been privileged to journey spiritually with the faithful of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg as an auxiliary bishop. During this time, I have been impressed by the laity’s strong faith in God and dedication to the mission of the Church. I have delighted in the close collaboration and friendship of the clergy and religious. I am particularly grateful to His Grace, Metropolitan Michael Bzdel, cssr, and His Grace, Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak, osbm, for their mentorship and support. I love them all!”

Bishop David was born on January 13, 1962 in Vegreville, Alberta and was ordained to the priesthood on August 21, 1988 for the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton. He served in several parishes in Alberta following his ordination and was associate rector of the Cathedral of St. Josaphat in Edmonton. Bishop David completed a licentiate in canon law at Saint Paul University in Ottawa and obtained a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. He was Rector of Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Ottawa from 1996 to 2001. On June 11, 2002 in Edmonton, Bishop David was ordained as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg and Titular Bishop of Mathara in Numidia.

“As I begin a new chapter in my life, I look forward to the challenge of shepherding the Church. Yet, I do so with some trepidation. You see, as an auxiliary bishop in Winnipeg, the final decision concerning a given matter did not rest with me, but rather with the Metropolitan Michael, and more recently with Metropolitan Lawrence. Things will be different in Edmonton. Yet, I am confident that the advice of the gifted clergy, religious and laity will guide me in my new role.

“Naturally, as a native Albertan, I look forward to returning ‘home’ to reconnecting with family and friends and to revisit some of my childhood memories. At the same time, I recognize that many things have changed over the years; I plan to take the necessary time, especially where they concern my episcopal ministry, to take stock, to listen, and to re-familiarize myself with life in the Church in Edmonton and throughout the province.
“I look forward with great joy to the spiritual re-awakening that is taking place all around us. It’s an exciting time to be alive!”

Bishop David has published several journal articles and authored the book, Eastern Christians in the New World: An Historical and Canonical Study of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada, published by the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies and the Faculty of Canon Law at Saint Paul University, Ottawa in 2005. He has also been a member of the senate of Newman Theological College in Edmonton, and a consultor with the Episcopal Commission for Canon Law/Inter-Rite of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Currently, he is a consultor with the Episcopal Commission for Theology.

The Eparchy of Edmonton has a Ukrainian Catholic population of 28,750, 87 parishes and missions, 39 diocesan and religious priests, 4 deacons, and 30 women religious.

I want to share with you a great joy of my heart. My longest time friend and dear sister-in-Christ, DonnaMarie Edwards, is making her entrance into the Dominican Sisters of the Perpetual Rosary, a cloistered community of the Latin Catholic Church in Buffalo, New York. DonnaMarie has had a long and fruitful discernment for this day. She will be completing her aspirancy shortly and will enter into the Postulancy thereafter. During this time, she and and her community will continue to discern God’s calling and if it be His will, DonnaMarie will enter the Noviatiate sometime in 2008-2009.

As we have all entered into a year of prayer for vocations, I commend her to your prayers. This is a concrete example of the fruit of your prayers already. Encouraged by DonnaMarie’s entrance, let us continue to pray with zeal for the labourers of the harvest.

May the Lord continue to lead DonnaMarie down His path to a complete participation in His Holiness.

To mark the opening of the 2007 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Christian faithful are cordially invited to gather with church leaders for a city-wide ecumenical worship service to be held at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 21, 2007 in Lutheran Church of the Cross, 560 Arlington Street, Winnipeg. A reception will be held following the worship service. For more information on this and other events to be hosted by various city churches throughout the week, please see the “FESTIVAL OF PRAYER” poster at the church entrance.

As a parish family, we hold all the concerns of our community, indeed all the world, before the Lord. We intercede on their behalf for the Lord’s mercy and beneficence.

In 2007, we will pray every day for the clergy and religious within the Archeparchy of Winninpeg - by name!.

Below is the listing for January 2007. Cut is out and place it on your icon table and pray for each of those who have given up home and family in service to the Lord and His Church.

1-Jan-2007 Metropolitan Lawrence
2-Jan-2007 Bishop David
3-Jan-2007 Archbishop Michael
4-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Nestor Baraniuk
5-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Volodymyr Bashutskyy
6-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Oleg Bodnarski
7-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Bohdan Borowec
8-Jan-2007 Rt. Rev. Mitrat Michael Buyachok
9-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Terry Cherwick
10-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Peter Chorney
11-Jan-2007 Rev. Harry Chuckry
12-Jan-2007 Rev. Edward Danylo Evanko
13-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Mark Gnutel
14-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Ernest (Orest) Hafichuk
15-Jan-2007 Rt. Rev. Mitrat Jaroslaw Holowaty
16-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Emil Kardasinec
17-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Darren Kawiuk
18-Jan-2007 Rt. Rev. Canon Walter Klimchuk
19-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Mikhail Kouts
20-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Taras Kowch
21-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Michael Krochak
22-Jan-2007 Rev. Dr. Michael Kwiatkowski
23-Jan-2007 Rev. Douglas LeClair
24-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Djura Maljik
25-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Ivan Mostivsky
26-Jan-2007 Rt. Rev. Canon Vladimir Olach
27-Jan-2007 Rev. Rt. Mitrat Gregory Oucharyk
28-Jan-2007 Rt. Rev. Mitrat V. Panchyshyn
29-Jan-2007 Very Rev. Richard Soo, S.J.
30-Jan-2007 Rev. Yaroslav Strukhlyak
31-Jan-2007 Rev. Fr. Michael Tkachuk

Today is the Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord and of Saint Basil the Great. On the secular calendar, it is the New Year. We, as Byzantine Christians, celebrated the New Year on September 1.

There is a custom that is followed in the secular New Year, a custom that is not unworthy - the making of resolutions to better oneself and the world. 

Perhaps each of us can make a resolution - it is good to stop smoking, it is good to eat less and exercise more, it is good to spend morew quality time with family and less time in front of the television and in the casions and over-participation inother forms of entertainment…

What about holiness?

Now THAT is a resolution!

Only one is holy - the ONE who created and fashioned us in His image and likeness. And He wishes, desires, and made it possible for each of us and we together to participate in His Holiness. This is an awesome gift and an awesome opportunity - that we have life and to the full.

Resolve to be holy as the Lord our God is holy!