Bishop's Annual Appeal - Ministries and groups reflect on importance of work funded by BAA
October 8, 2009 -
Priests' education and pension, Ecumenism, Hospital Chaplaincy, Teen Aid chastity education, Ministry Development office and Saskatoon Friendship Inn are among 28 ministries/groups funded by the BAA! THE BISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL ~ SHARING FAITH, LOVE AND SERVICEEcumenism: Working for Christian reconciliation and unityHospital chaplaincy: Reaching out to the sick and sufferingPriests’ education/pension: Support for those serving the people of God
“My hope remains staunch because the Lord of the Church andof the harvest is the one who ultimately takes care of his peopleand his Church. That is more powerful than any uncertainty.”- Fr. Bernard de Margerie, Retired diocesan priest, longtime hospital chaplain, and prophet of ecumenism (photo, below)
 Reflecting on the Bishop’s Annual Appeal’s role in all three areas -ecumenism, hospital chaplaincy and support for the ordained ministry - Fr. de Margerie says the BAA is simply a practical way to ensure that diocesan ministries are properly funded. “Do we want ministries with strong, consolidated financial enablement, or do we want ministries that are feeble?” “The gospel and the Church have taught us solemnly and repeatedly that you cannot be an enlightened Catholic without developing an ecumenical mind and heart,” he said. “Praying and working for Christian reconciliation and unity is a real and specific ministry in our diocese. It is this ministry that we help to support when we contribute to the BAA.” When it comes to hospital chaplaincy, people realize its importance once they find themselves in hospital because of illness or surgery, or find themselves in need of palliative care. “Then you will know in your own illness and healing how important it is to have a well developed and strong Catholic chaplaincy in our hospitals,”?he said. “It is necessary to have a salaried office to support and give leadership to this whole ministry of caring for the sick and dying. This important gospel item is included in the case presented each year by the BAA.” De Margerie added that in order to provide ordained ministry for the body of Christ in Saskatoon, we as a people provide concrete support for the priests we need to function as Church. “Priests are not perfect - just like all other followers of Christ - but they are servants of God’s kingdom who serve the people. And financial resources are needed to provide and support this ministry.”
THE BISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL ~ SHARING FAITH, LOVE AND SERVICETeen-Aid: Reaching out to youth with a counter-cultural message“I just want young people to really believe they are worthwaiting for: if they believe that, it’s really going to have animpact in their lives, their relationships, and their choices.”- Shawna Sparrow, Teen-Aid Provincial Coordinator/Educator (photo, below)
Teen-Aid is a program that encourages teenagers to save sex for marriage. Teen-Aid takes bookings from both Catholic separate schools and secular public schools to provide chastity education to students from Grade 6 to Grade 12, explains provincial coordinator Shawna Sparrow, who has been a Teen-Aid educator since 1996.
“Chastity and saving sex for marriage is our main message, but we also cover pre-natal development and fertility awareness,” said Sparrow, describing how in younger grades, Teen-Aid educators speak to boys and girls separately. For older students, the message expands to include the consequences of pre-marital sex, healthy relationships, character, and the meaning of love. “We challenge students to see how chastity actually shows love,” she said. “When you love someone, you want what’s best for them.”
The message is one that students are open to hearing, she stressed. “People would be surprised at how positive the response is.”
BISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL ~ SHARING FAITH, LOVE AND SERVICEMinistry Development: Equipping parishioners – urban and rural – to live out the gospel
“People who minister to the needs of our world need support. Ministry Development is all about bringing tools, information and empowerment to people in both urban and rural parishes so they can live out the gospel through their ministry”- Blake Sittler, Coordinator of Ministry Development PHOTO: A course about grief ministry was recently offered in Kerrobert. 
The diocesan office of Ministry Development responds to needs and requests from deaneries and parishes to organize workshops and training sessions.
“When a parishioner calls and asks for a workshop, I always offer it at the deanery level because if one parish is requesting the training, more than likely, others are in need of it, too,” says coordinator Blake Sittler, who has his Master of Divinity from Newman Theological College.
Ministry Development programs have included Parish Pastoral Council workshops, training in pastoral care and preaching, facilitation skills and various liturgical and catechetical workshops. Ministry Development endeavors to offer workshops to all corners of the diocese.
BISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL ~ SHARING FAITH, LOVE AND SERVICESaskatoon Friendship Inn: Feeding the hungry with a caring spirit
“There is no need for anyone to go hungry ...the Friendship Inn is a bigger family.”- Hugo Alverado, Volunteer PHOTO BELOW: Geselle Doelle, Executive Director and Chair Peter Zakreski at the recent 40th anniversary celebration for Saskatoon Friendship Inn
Saskatoon Friendship Inn, one of the community organizations supported by the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, recently marked 40 years of feeding the hungry in a spirit of friendship and welcome.
Board Chair Peter Zakreski and Bishop Albert LeGatt helped to serve cake, as friends, supporters, volunteers and clients joined together for lunch and a special anniversary program.
“We’re marking 40 years that the Friendship Inn has been meeting the needs of people in Saskatoon,” said Peter Zakreski. “It has grown over the years, and here we are, 40 years later, and we are serving in excess of 180,000 meals a year.” Friendship Inn is open 365 days a year, serving both breakfast and lunch from its 20th Street location in Saskatoon.
Friendship Inn makes a huge difference in the lives of the men, women and children who need the nourishment it offers, said executive director Geselle Doell.
“People need somewhere to go, whether it’s because they are homeless, lonely or they need a hand up. We all need somewhere to go, and I’m so glad we’re here for that reason.”
HOW YOUR GIFT HELPS:
OUR NEED $1,158,000 For more details and contact information on the 2009 BAA Case ministries and services, please see the attached Detailed Case Statement.
For more information contact the Appeal office: Charlene Nijhawan, Administrator
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