MESSAGES FROM THE BISHOP'S OFFICE
- BISHOP CROSBY & AUXILIARY BISHOP LOBSINGER -
Pastoral letter on the solemnity of st. joseph
Re: health care
Pastoral Letters to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada
from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) released a series of Pastoral Letters to First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and the People of God in Canada, to affirm its ongoing commitment to renewing and strengthening relations with Indigenous Peoples at the national, regional, and local levels.
Each of the distinct Pastoral Letters in this series titled, That We May Walk Together, is the fruit of many months of listening, dialogue, and encounter with Indigenous Peoples, especially through Listening Circles held in dioceses across the country, the Indigenous Delegation to the Vatican in April 2022, and Pope Francis’ Apostolic Voyage to Canada in July of the same year.
You may access the PDF files on the CCCB website, in English and in French, by clicking the following links
https://www.cccb.ca/indigenous-peoples/that-we-may-walk-together-series-of-pastoral-letters-2023/
For additional context, please refer to the announcement on the CCCB website:
https://www.cccb.ca/announcement/cccb-invites-indigenous-peoples-to-continue-walking-together-on-the-journey-of-truth-justice-healing-reconciliation-and-hope/
Each of the distinct Pastoral Letters in this series titled, That We May Walk Together, is the fruit of many months of listening, dialogue, and encounter with Indigenous Peoples, especially through Listening Circles held in dioceses across the country, the Indigenous Delegation to the Vatican in April 2022, and Pope Francis’ Apostolic Voyage to Canada in July of the same year.
You may access the PDF files on the CCCB website, in English and in French, by clicking the following links
https://www.cccb.ca/indigenous-peoples/that-we-may-walk-together-series-of-pastoral-letters-2023/
For additional context, please refer to the announcement on the CCCB website:
https://www.cccb.ca/announcement/cccb-invites-indigenous-peoples-to-continue-walking-together-on-the-journey-of-truth-justice-healing-reconciliation-and-hope/
Synod, forward together in christ
christmas message
| Frequently Asked Questions - IRF |
| 2022-04-17 Bishop Crosby Easter Message |
| Pastoral Letter Re Indigenous Reconciliation Fund |
| Lift Up Your Hearts |
COVID VACCINES
The official position of the Catholic Church is that all available COVID vaccines are ethical and all Catholics who are able are encouraged to receive the vaccine. Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI, encourages every member of the Catholic Church within our Diocese of Hamilton to be fully vaccinated.
| 2021 Christmas Message from Bishop Crosby |
In response to Pope Francis’ invitation to each and every person to become involved in the synodal process, His Excellency, Bishop Crosby, OMI, and the Diocesan Committee for the 2021 – 2023 Synod of Bishops developed a few materials to encourage the participation of the Faithful of our Diocese.
A video guide featuring Bishop Crosby and the members of the Diocesan Committee for the 2021 – 2023 Synod, along with multiple resources including: a link to our diocesan survey to be answered by all the Faithful of the Diocese of Hamilton and a prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to operate within us, have been encompassed in a special section of the diocesan website.
https://hamiltondiocese.com/synod/#resources.
** Deadline has been extended to March 31, 2022
A video guide featuring Bishop Crosby and the members of the Diocesan Committee for the 2021 – 2023 Synod, along with multiple resources including: a link to our diocesan survey to be answered by all the Faithful of the Diocese of Hamilton and a prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to operate within us, have been encompassed in a special section of the diocesan website.
https://hamiltondiocese.com/synod/#resources.
** Deadline has been extended to March 31, 2022
SYNOD OF BISHOPS 2023
Pope Francis recently announced that the next Synod of Bishops will take place in October 2023. The Theme of the Synod is: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission. For the first time, the meeting will be the culmination of a “three-year path” involving all of the People of God at every level of the Church. This “path” is a process rather than an event, which Pope Francis will solemnly inaugurate this October 9-10, is meant to be a manifestation of “synodality) which is a form that realizes the participation of all the people of God in mission.
The synodal path will take place in three phases. The first phase (October 2021to April 2022) begins on October 17th under the leadership of the Bishop in each Diocese. This stage is conceived as a broad consultation with the People of God in each Diocese. The second phase (September 2022 to March 2023) is the “continental” phase. This will involve the fruit of deliberations on each Continent. For example, Canada and the United States of America will collate their responses to the questions posed by the Holy See and submit them to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops in Rome by March 2023. The final phase of the Synod will take place in October 2023 with the celebration of the Assembly of Bishops in Rome.
In the Diocese of Hamilton, a Committee has been established to guide the Diocesan Phase of the Synodal Process. Information will be sent to the Parishes in late October and the parishioners in the Diocese of Hamilton will have an opportunity to respond to the questions to be considered by the Synod. The actual consultation will take place beginning in November and conclude by mid-December, so that our Diocesan Report can be prepared and sent to the Ontario Assembly of Catholic Bishops to be included in the Canadian report. We pray for the success of this unique and historic synodal process:
We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in your name.
With you alone to guide us, make yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in you our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life
and not stray from the way of the truth and what is right.
All this we ask of you, who are at work in every place and time,
in the communion of the Father and the Son,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The synodal path will take place in three phases. The first phase (October 2021to April 2022) begins on October 17th under the leadership of the Bishop in each Diocese. This stage is conceived as a broad consultation with the People of God in each Diocese. The second phase (September 2022 to March 2023) is the “continental” phase. This will involve the fruit of deliberations on each Continent. For example, Canada and the United States of America will collate their responses to the questions posed by the Holy See and submit them to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops in Rome by March 2023. The final phase of the Synod will take place in October 2023 with the celebration of the Assembly of Bishops in Rome.
In the Diocese of Hamilton, a Committee has been established to guide the Diocesan Phase of the Synodal Process. Information will be sent to the Parishes in late October and the parishioners in the Diocese of Hamilton will have an opportunity to respond to the questions to be considered by the Synod. The actual consultation will take place beginning in November and conclude by mid-December, so that our Diocesan Report can be prepared and sent to the Ontario Assembly of Catholic Bishops to be included in the Canadian report. We pray for the success of this unique and historic synodal process:
We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in your name.
With you alone to guide us, make yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in you our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life
and not stray from the way of the truth and what is right.
All this we ask of you, who are at work in every place and time,
in the communion of the Father and the Son,
for ever and ever. Amen.
| Statement of Apology by the Catholic Bishopes of Canada to the Indigenous People |
to inform, to encourage, to heal
For further information, please visit: https://hamiltondiocese.com/residential-schools/
Updates will continue to be posted to this website.
Updates will continue to be posted to this website.
| Letter from Bishop Crosby - To Inform, To Encourage, To Heal |
For more information, visit: https://hamiltondiocese.com/residential-schools/
THE CALL FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO APOLOGIZE...
THE CALL FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO “APOLOGIZE” for our involvement in government sponsored Indigenous Residential Schools is loud and clear. The apologies actually began 30 years ago, when the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate offered an apology at the annual Lac Ste. Anne (Alberta) pilgrimage – a long-time sacred pilgrimage site for thousands of Indigenous Peoples from North America. The Oblates were marking their 150th anniversary of presence and ministry in Canada, and chose to make the apology an important part of the anniversary year. You can read the apology here.
| 2021 For the Common Good on the Pandemic Sacrifices.pdf |
A Message from the Religious Leaders in Canada in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic:
| Message to Canadians from Religious Leaders (2020) |