November 27, 2020 Vol. 120 No. 47Dear faithful,

A new liturgical year is upon us, which begins with the seasonof Advent. Advent, which means “coming”, is a season of prepa-ration for Christmas. We sense the urgency of the prophet Isaiah,“A voice cries out: ‘In the wilder-ness prepare the way of the Lord,make straight in the desert a high-way for our God’.” (Isaiah 40:3) Weremember Christ’s first coming over2000 years ago, but we also lookforward with joyful expectation toJesus’ second coming at the end oftime.

We may find it difficult to be joy-fully expectant amidst such great un-certainty. The realities of the pan-demic have added stress and oftenemotional anguish to many amongus, particularly those on the frontlines, and those who may feel iso-lated. Jesus does not turn a blind eyeto our suffering; he calls us to drawnear to him so that we can experience his peace in our trials. Wemust be ready and willing to tend to the needs of others as we areable as apostles of mercy, and accompany each other during thistime of pandemic, never forgetting those most in need.

Christ’s promise of joyful hope is for us. When we makeroom in our hearts for Jesus, especially through prayer and thesacraments — privileged encounters with Christ - he fills usnot just with a happy demeanour, but a true joy that wells fromwithin. Christian joy is an enduring presence of the heart thatincreases as we move closer to God and remains with us, evenin the midst of intense sufferings. As we prioritize our spirituallife and make a renewed commitment to personal and familyprayer, our joy will increase and we will be able to share it withothers. In this time of great darkness, there is no greater con-tribution we can make to society than to bear the light of Christas his missionary disciples.

“Advent, therefore, is the time to prepare ourselves for thisPrince of Peace by being at peace with ourselves, our soul,that is often in anxiety, anguish and without hope. For this, oneneeds to start with oneself.” (Pope Francis Homily, December4, 2018) Let us draw near to Jesus with longing hearts know-ing he is the saviour we have been waiting for, and eagerlyawaiting his second coming in glory. Let us give God permis-sion to use us powerfully to reflect the light of Christ to others,as we echo the words of St. Paul, “Rejoice in the Lord always;again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil 4:4)

With the assurance of my prayers for you and your families, Iremain

Sincerely yours in Jesus with Mary,

Christian Riesbeck, CCBishop of Saint John

Chers fidèles,Voici qu’une nouvelle année liturgique s’annonce, et avec elle le temps

de l’Avent. L’Avent, qui signifie “ venir “, est la saison de préparationpour Noël. L’urgence du prophète Isaïe est claire : “Une voix proclame:

Dans le désert, préparez le chemin du Seigneur; tracez droit,dans les terres arides, une route pour notre Dieu.” (Isaïe40, 3.) Nous nous souvenons de la première venue duChrist il y a plus de deux mille ans, mais nous attendonsaussi avec joie la seconde venue de Jésus à la fin des temps.

Il peut être difficile d’espérer dans la joie alors que nousvivons une période de si grande incertitude. Les réalités dela pandémie ont ajouté du stress et causé de l’angoisseémotionnelle pour beaucoup d’entre nous, en particulier lesintervenants de première ligne et les gens qui peuvent sesentir isolés. Jésus ne ferme pas les yeux sur nos souffrances; il nous appelle à nous rapprocher de lui, pour que nouspuissions vivre sa paix dans nos épreuves. Nous devonsêtre prêts et disposés à répondre aux besoins des autresdans la mesure du possible, en tant qu’apôtres de lamiséricorde, et à nous accompagner les uns les autres pen-dant cette période de pandémie, n’oubliant jamais ceux quisont dans le plus grand besoin.

La promesse de la joyeuse espérance est celle du Christ pour nous.Lorsque nous faisons place à Jésus dans nos cœurs, surtout par laprière et les sacrements qui sont des rencontres privilégiées avec leChrist, il nous remplit non seulement d’un comportement heureux,mais d’une vraie joie qui jaillit de l’intérieur. La joie chrétienne est uneprésence immuable dans le cœur, qui augmente à mesure que nousnous rapprochons de Dieu et qui demeure en nous, même au milieudes périodes de souffrance intense. Durant ce temps où nous accordonsla priorité à notre vie spirituelle et nous engageons à nouveau dans laprière personnelle et familiale, notre joie augmentera et nous pourronsla partager avec d’autres. En cette période de ténèbres profondes, iln’y a pas de plus grande contribution que nous puissions apporter ànos collectivités que de porter la lumière du Christ en notre rôle dedisciples missionnaires.

“ Le temps de l’Avent est donc un temps pour se préparer à cettevenue du Prince de la Paix, un temps pour se pacifier soi-même avanttout. Tant de fois, nous ne sommes pas en paix, nous sommes anxieux,angoissés, sans espérance. Et le Seigneur nous pose cette question:“Comment est ton âme, aujourd’hui ? Est-elle en paix ?” (Homélie duPape François, le 4 décembre 2018). Approchons-nous de Jésus avecun cœur ardent, sachant qu’il est le sauveur que nous attendions et quenous attendons toujours avec impatience sa seconde venue dans lagloire. Donnons la permission à Dieu de se servir de nous puissammentpour refléter la lumière du Christ aux autres, en faisant écho aux pa-roles de Saint Paul: “ Soyez toujours dans la joie du Seigneur ; je le redis: soyez dans la joie! “ (Phil 4: 4)

Je vous prie d’agréer l’assurance de mes prières pour vous et vosfamilles.

Sincèrement vôtre en Jésus avec Marie,

Christian Riesbeck, CCÉvêque de Saint John

Bishop Christian Riesbeck, CC

Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900. November 27, 2020Page 2

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New FreemanThe'Make space at the table': Pope urgesvaluing, welcoming all human lifeBy CINDY WOODENCatholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis admitshe is not an economist, but he is a pastor.

And as a pastor, he has seen how the glo-bal economy has cast aside many membersof his flock, and he knows that the Gospeland Catholic social teaching call for a differ-ent response.

"Solidarity is not the sharing of crumbs fromthe table, but to make space at the table foreveryone," Pope Francis said in a new bookwritten with Austen Ivereigh.

The book, Let Us Dream: The Path to ABetter Future, was to be published Decem-ber 1 by Simon & Schuster. Journalists weregiven copies in advance.

The pope's concerns about the current situ-ation of the world, especially given thecoronavirus pandemic, will not be new toanyone who followed his homilies as the pan-

demic developed in the spring, watched hisweekly general audience series on Catholic so-cial teaching or read his new encyclical, FratelliTutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.

But the new book sets out systematicallyhow he takes the "see-judge-act" method ofsocial action — what he calls "contemplate-discern-propose" — and uses it to describethe current state of affairs, to look at atti-tudes behind many issues and to call for anew way of doing things.

Part of the new book, Mr. Ivereigh said, isbased on Pope Francis' recorded responsesto his written questions and part on sugges-tions outlined by the pope, elaborated by Mr.Ivereigh and then redacted by the pope.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a glo-bal trauma or trial, Pope Francis said, and it isprecisely how one acts in a trial that revealsthe state of his or her heart: "How solid it is,how merciful, how big or small."

"God asks us to dare to create somethingnew," he said. "We cannot return to the falsesecurities of the political and economic sys-tems we had before the crisis. We need econo-mies that give to all access to the fruits ofcreation, to the basic needs of life: to land,lodging, and labour."

And, he said, "we need a politics that canintegrate and dialogue with the poor, the ex-cluded and the vulnerable, that gives people asay in the decisions that impact their lives."

In other words, the pope said, "we need toslow down, take stock and design better waysof living together on this earth."

The only way to get a proper perspective,he said, is to go to the margins of society, tothe places where people suffer most and al-low that suffering to touch one's heart.

"I think often of persecuted peoples: theRohingya, the poor Uighurs, the Yazidi — whatISIS did to them was truly cruel — or Chris-tians in Egypt and Pakistan killed by bombsthat went off while they prayed in church,"he said.

The pope's prescription is centred on dia-logue, a recognition of the God-given dignityof every human being and an understandingthat the Earth and all the good it contains weremeant by God to be a gift for everyone, notjust those strong enough to grab the most thequickest.

"I cannot stay silent over 30- to 40-millionunborn lives cast aside every year throughabortion," he said. "It is painful to behold howin many regions that see themselves as devel-oped, the practice is often urged because thechildren to come are disabled, or unplanned."

"Human life is never a burden. It demandswe make space for it, not cast it off," PopeFrancis insisted.

"Of course," he said, "the arrival of a newhuman life in need -- whether the unborn childin the womb or the migrant at our border --challenges and changes our priorities. Withabortion and closed borders we refuse thatreadjustment of our priorities, sacrificing hu-man life to defend our economic security orto assuage our fear that parenthood will up-end our lives."

To welcome the strangers in need, nor af-firm their humanity as children of God, is to

(continued on page 9)

Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900.November 27, 2020 Page 3

NB Right to Life continues valuable work amidst pandemicBy NATASHA MAZEROLLECorrespondent

Like many other non-profit groups, the New Brunswick Right toLife has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet despite thechallenges the group faces, work continues in the province to upholdthe right of the most vulnerable in society — namely the unborn,and those nearing the end of life.

In his November 16 letter to the faithful, Bishop ChristianRiesbeck, CC of the Diocese of Saint John, wrote that, “All othersocial goods will flow from a culture that rightly has as its sourcethe respect for the sanctity of human life.” With chapters inFredericton, Saint John, Moncton, Miramichi and Perth Andover,the New Brunswick Right to Life is “committed to advocating forthe right to life for all human beings, born and pre-born.”(www.nbrighttolife.ca).

The Diocese of Saint John takes up one collection annually onthe second Sunday of Advent — this year December 5 — to sup-port the efforts of groups like NB Right to Life, and Bishop Riesbeckhas encouraged the faithful to give as generously as they are able.

“We’re trying to educate people about the issues that are impor-tant for life,” Helen LeBlanc, Saint John Chapter, NB Right toLife. Ms. LeBlanc shared that there are many ways that the chap-ters all work together to accomplish this. One such initiative is the

Women’s Care Centre in Fredericton, whose purpose is to reachout to women who are pregnant or need counselling. The centre,which is operated by New Brunswick Right to Life and has anurse on staff, was temporarily closed when the pandemic hit butre-opened a couple of months ago and continues to help pregnantmothers.

NB Right to Life has also been circulating a petition to the gov-ernment to pass Bill C-233: The Sex Selection Act. Introduced byConservative Member of Parliament Cathay Wagantall of Yorkton-Melville, this bill — which received first reading on February 26of this year — seeks to “amend the Criminal Code to prohibit amedical practitioner from knowingly performing a sex-selectiveabortion.” Given the fact that Canada currently has no limits onabortion this legislation would be historic. This is an importantway that the NB Right to Life plays a role in effecting a positivechange in the laws of our country. (Information on Bill C-233 canbe found at Ms. Wagantall’s website http://www.cathaywagantall.ca/c233.)

An event that ties in the organizations two main activities offundraising and education is the annual fundraising dinner, whichwas replaced this year with a virtual Pro-Life Summit. This event,which can be streamed from the comfort of one’s own homefeatures prominent pro-life speakers Deina Warren, associate di-rector of Legal Affairs at the Canadian Centre for Christian Chari-ties who will be speaking on how pro-lifers can respond to Bill C-7 and the proposed expansion of medical assistance in dying; andJonathon Van Maren, communications director for the CanadianCenter for Bio-ethical Reform, who will be speaking on how hu-man rights can be used to prove the humanity of the pre-born andthe tragedy of abortion. The summit is available for a suggesteddonation of $20, and can be streamed for a 24-hour period fromthe date of the participant’s choosing between November 22-29.This is an excellent way to support the efforts of NB Right to Lifeand to be educated in the most urgent issues that threaten thedignity of life today. To participate, please register atwww.nbrighttolife.ca/summit.

Ms. LeBlanc also shared that there are also several ongoingfundraisers for NB Right to Life that contribute to its importantwork. These include a memorial card fundraiser — cards can bepicked up from the Right to Life office in packages of ten; andBottles for Life, which she said has raised over $1,400 since June.“We’re trying to get ongoing fundraisers so that we don’t have tokeep having campaign after campaign,” she shared. This is im-portant, as it allows resources to be directed to the important workof education.

The need has never been greater, Ms. LeBlanc said, due to thedecreased amount of funding coming in during the pandemicthey’ve had to reduce staff.

St. John Paul II said, “never tire of firmly speaking out in de-fence of life from its conception and [we must] not be deterredfrom the commitment to defend the dignity of every human per-son with courageous determination.” All are encouraged to prayerfullyconsider how to support the efforts of organizations like NB Right toLife, who work tirelessly to effect a real change in promoting therights of every person, from conception to natural death.

Natasha Mazerolle is a correspondent for The New Freeman. Shecan be reached at natasha@maz-family.com. §

Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900. November 27, 2020Page 4

The kingdom near us, with usand among us

Beginnings and endings are important. The first looks to the future,our goals, our aims our hopes and dreams. The second is about ourarrivals, our fulfillment, our completions and results. In between, thereis all the effort, the work, the challenges and struggles, the attemptsand the failures, the twists and turns of the journey. Life is just sucha journey, in fact, a host of journeys. What we may sometimes not beaware of in the picture is the way in which the Spirit journeys withus, from beginning to end.

Ten months ago, in January we entered into a pandemic with Covid-19. Since then, our world has found itself facing uncertainty andthreat. Our lives have been changed by the virus and by the measurestaken in response to it. As we pass through this experience, we knowwe are not alone. We journey with the Spirit of God among us, and incompany with the whole human community. We are in this together.There has been hope and promise. A virus vaccine is on the horizon,but still months away and so we wait in expectation that there is lightat the end of the tunnel. Meanwhile, together we work to keep eachother safe, and use our talents, gifts and abilities to help our worldcome to that light. We are in this together.

Our sacred stories in the Scriptures present us with the good newsof the Kingdom of God, hopeful news, signs of God’s love and con-stant presence among us. Matthew’s Gospel begins with telling thestory of the beginning — God has come among us, taking on ourhumanity in Jesus, an expression of God’s love (Matt 1:18-23). Thisis the Incarnation.

Jesus begins his mission with the great challenge to all humanity:He announced: “I call you to a change of heart, for the Kingdom ofheaven has come near.” (Matt 4:17). This was the message we heardten months ago, in January. We were called to recognize we are notalone in our life journey. “Emmanuel”, God is with us. This is themessage.

The core message and mission of Jesus, the Christ was to proclaimthe Kingdom of God among us. His work among the poor and the

suffering, the sick and the sinner wasto heal and reconcile. By word andby work, Jesus made God’s Kingdompresent. This is Good News, the Gospel.

What is also Good News is that Jesus shared not only his messagewith his disciples. He also shared his mission. The Reign of God hasbegun among us. We are Jesus present here and now. Like Jesus, inword and in action and gifted with his Spirit, we are to make God’sKingdom present and alive in our world. This is the mission.

What does this world with the Kingdom look like? How are we torecognize and announce this? The Kingdom is not about the power ofdominance, greed and control. It is a Kingdom that reflects the Spiritof Jesus, the face of our loving God. Such a Kingdom is marked bycare, compassion and tenderness. It seeks peace and solidarity be-tween individuals and across borders. This is the Kingdom.

Our faith is relational. It is built and expressed in how we live withone another, for we are disciples of Jesus, together called to bring theKingdom to the world, to all humanity. In that fulfilled and completedKingdom, Jesus the Christ will say: “Truly I tell you, just as you did itto one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it tome.” (Matt 25:31-40)

Feast of Christ the King

Father John Jennings, retired priest of the Diocese of Saint Johnand St. Thomas University, reflects on the previous Sunday readingswith the intent to be a form of on-going adult faith formation. Hecan be reached at: jennings@stu.ca.§

Our sacred stories:God and us

Father JOHN JENNINGS

Caring is COVID's message of hopeBy MICHAEL SWANThe Catholic Register

As Canada goes over 11,000 COVID deaths and 300,000 cases —with medical professionals calling for “circuit breaker” shut-downsand Canada’s largest archdiocese implementing even tighter restric-tions on “red zone” churches — the Church has to respond withunflinching concern for the common good, said Canadian Confer-ence of Catholic Bishops president Archbishop Richard Gagnon.

“No one says this is easy, by any stretch of the imagination. It’sfatiguing for sure,” Archbishop Gagnon, the archbishop of Winnipeg,said.

Already a week into a full shutdown that has shuttered churches inManitoba, Gagnon emphasized that Catholics have to put the interestsof others ahead of self-interest.

“It’s a practice of faith, charity and justice — prudence. It’s apractice of concern for others. It has to do with a mutual health issue.That’s important,” he said. “From our Christian perspective, that’s amatter of charity, love of neighbour and even social justice. We al-ways keep our eye on the bigger picture.”

In the Archdiocese of Toronto, Cardinal Thomas Collins has an-nounced that as of Nov. 24, churches in the “red zone” of Toronto,

Peel and York regions will be limited to 50 worhippers at any liturgicalcelebration, excluding those involved in ministry. Ontario’s “red zone”designation is just one step from a total lockdown.

“While we know that our 30-per-cent capacity restrictions as wellas our extensive health and safety protocols have been extremelyeffective, we must also seriously consider the direction of local medi-cal officers asking that places of worship further restrict attendanceat liturgical services,” Cardinal Collins said in a November 17 release.

While the situation is “extremely challenging,” Collins said “we mustalso be mindful of our primary concern — our love of neighbour andour collective need to reduce the potential transmission of COVID-19.”

Bishop Ron Fabbro, president of the Assembly of Catholic Bishopsof Ontario, said the pandemic should draw Catholics out of them-selves.

“The pandemic has just heightened the reality that we have in ourprovince of being very isolated. People are even more isolated now,”said the London, ON, bishop. “We can be examples of service to ourbrothers and sisters. How important that is.”

From meeting space for AA groups to community kitchens servingtake-away meals and parishes organizing to support local women’s

(continued on page 8)

Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900.November 27, 2020 Page 5

In Exile

RON ROLHEISER, omi

An invitation to maturity— weeping over Jerusalem

Maturity has various levels. Basic maturity is defined as havingessentially outgrown the instinctual selfishness with which we wereborn so that our motivation and actions are now shaped by the needsof others and not just by our own needs. That’s the basic minimum,the low bar for maturity. After that there are degrees and levels, con-tingent upon how much our motivation and actions are altruistic ratherthan selfish.

In the Gospels, Jesus invites us to ever deeper degrees of maturity,though sometimes we can miss the invitation because it presents it-self subtly and not as explicitly worded moral invitation. One suchsubtle, but very deep, invitation to a higher degree of maturity is givenin the incident where Jesus weeps over Jerusalem. What’s inside thisimage?

Here’s the image and its setting. Jesus has just been rejected, bothin his person and in his message and he sees clearly the pain thepeople will bring upon themselves by that rejection. What’s his reac-tion? Does he react in the way most of us would: Well the hell withyou! I hope you suffer the full consequences of your own stupidity!No. He weeps, like a loving parent dealing with a wayward child; hewishes with every fibre in his being that he could save them from theconsequences of their own bad choices. He feels their wound ratherthan gleefully contemplating their suffering.

There’s a double challenge here. First, there’s a personal one: arewe gleeful when people who reject our advice suffer for their wrong-headedness or do we weep inside us for the pain they have broughtonto themselves? When we see the consequences in people’s lives oftheir own bad choices, be it with irresponsibility, with laziness, withdrugs, with sex, with abortion, with ideology, with anti-religious atti-tudes, or with bad will, are we gleeful when those choices begin tosnake-bite them (Well, you got what you deserved!) or do we weepfor them, for their misfortune?

Admittedly, it’s hard not be gleeful when someone who rejectswhat we stand for is then snake-bitten by his own stubborn choice.It’s the natural way the heart works and so empathy can demand avery high degree of maturity. For example, during this Covid-19 pan-demic, medical experts (almost without exception) have been telling

us to wear masks to protect others andourselves. What’s our spontaneous reac-tion when someone defies that warning,thinks he is smarter than the doctors,doesn’t wear a mask, and then contractsthe virus? Do we secretly bask in the ca-thartic satisfaction that he got what hedeserved or do we, metaphorically, “weep over Jerusalem”?

Beyond the challenge to each of us to move towards a higher levelof maturity, this image also contains an important pastoral challengefor the church. How do we, as a church, see a secularized world thathas rejected many of our beliefs and values? When we see the con-sequences the world is paying for this are we gleeful or sympathetic?Do we see the secularized world with all the problems it is bringingonto itself by its rejection of some Gospel values as an adversary(someone from whom we need to protect ourselves) or as our ownsuffering child? If you’re a parent or grandparent who’s sufferingover a wayward child or grandchild you probably understand what itmeans to “weep over Jerusalem”.

Moreover the struggle to “weep over” our secularized world (orover anyone who rejects what we stand for) is compounded by yetanother dynamic which militates against sympathy. There’s a per-verse emotional and psychological propensity inside us which worksthis way. Whenever we are hurting badly we need to blame someone,need to be angry at someone, and need to lash out at someone. Andyou know who we always pick for that? Someone we feel safe enoughto hurt because we know that he or she is mature enough not to hitback!

There’s a lot of lashing out at the Church today. Granted, there area lot of legitimate reasons for this. Given the church’s shortcomings,part of that hostility is justified; but some of that hostility often goesbeyond what’s justified. Along with the legitimate anger there’s some-times a lot of free-floating, gratuitous anger. What’s our reaction tothat unjustified anger and unfair accusation? Do we react in kind?“You are way out of line here, go take that anger elsewhere! Or, likeJesus weeping over Jerusalem, can we meet unfair anger and accu-sation with tears of empathy and a prayer that a world that’s angrywith us will be spared the pain of its own bad choices?

Soren Kierkegaard famously wrote: Jesus wants followers, not ad-mirers! Wise words. In Jesus’ reaction to his own rejection, his weepingover Jerusalem, we see the epitome of human maturity. To this weare called, personally and as an ecclesial community. We also seethere that a big heart feels the pain of others, even of those otherswho reject you.

Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, theologian, teacher, and award-winningauthor, is President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX.He can be contacted through his website www.ronrolheiser.com Facebookwww.facebook.com/ronrolheiser §

Father Ron Rolheiser’s column In Exile is sponsored byBrenan’s Funeral Home

111 Paridise Row, Saint John, NB506-634-7424 www.brenansfh.com

November 29, 2020 First Sunday of AdventFirst Reading: Isaiah 63.16b-17, 64.1, 3-8

O that you would tear open the heavensand come down.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 80.1ab+2, 14-15, 17-18 (R.3)R. Restore us, O God;

let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1.3-9We wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel: Mark 13.33-37Keep alert, for you do not know when

the master of the house will come.

Sunday’s Liturgy

Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900. November 27, 2020Page 6

Franciscans dig deep as Orange Level forces retreat to move onlineBy NATASHA MAZEROLLECorrespondent

“When he had finished speaking, he saidto Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and letdown the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered,‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night andhaven’t caught anything. But because you sayso, I will let down the nets.’ When they haddone so, they caught such a large number offish that their nets began to break.” (Luke5:4-6)

SAINT JOHN — When Into the Deep –An Evening with the Franciscans of Halifaxwas originally conceived, it was as an in-per-son event to be held in a parish hall. But onNovember 20, one day before the retreat wasset to take place, the Saint John region wasmoved back into the Orange Phase of recov-ery due to rising cases of COVID-19.

Very much like the disciples, retreat organ-izers found themselves standing fruitless infront of their efforts. Claudine Hatt, ofPennfield, was certain that if Jesus wantedthe retreat to happen, it would. And the call to“put out into the deep,” came in the form ofanother team member, Joel Mercer, whoasked simply, “couldn’t we do it online?”

When one door closes another opens, andwith the blessing of Bishop ChristianRiesbeck, CC of the Diocese of Saint John,and the enthusiastic yes of Sister TeresaMacDonald, guardian for the Convent of St.Clare in Halifax, and vicar to Franciscan Sis-ters of Halifax, and Father Pio Libby, generalsuperior, Franciscans of Halifax, the teamquickly changed gears.

With the Saint John region grappling with aquick return to the Orange Phase and process-ing all that would mean in the days ahead,Into the Deep was a welcomed reprieve.“Maybe we needed this retreat more than weneeded it yesterday, before COVID restric-tions were announced for our region,” FatherAaron Knox, pastor of Église St-François-de-Sales, Saint John and retreat emcee, said.“There’s a lot of concern, for people, theirwelfare and their families. And so for us togather tonight, to turn our minds and heartsto Christ, who is the real rock is somethingwe need.”

Attended by over 60 participants — 20 viaZoom and another 40 via Facebook Live onthe Diocese of Saint John page — the retreatbegan with praise and worship by MeghanDarling of Saint John, followed by talks fromFr. Libby and Sr. MacDonald, and closing

remarks by Father Owen Burns, episcopalvicar for Evangelization and Parish Renewaland pastor of St. Mark’s Parish in Quispamsis.

Fr. Libby began by sharing that Saint Johnis near and dear to his heart because of somedear friendships he formed during his youth.“I’ve received so much from the church ofSaint John that it’s always a joy for me to beable to give back.” Speaking on the topic ofevangelization he said, “what else does Chris-tian perfection consist of, than loving Godand loving neighbour? Evangelization is notabout convincing people, it’s about lovingthem.”

Sr. MacDonald followed by speaking onthe topic of trust. “Choosing to love God,choosing to surrender to him, I have to do itevery day — some days I have to do it amillion times a day,” she said. “And the beautyof it all is he never turns us down, he desiresit more than we do. Allow yourself to lovedby Christ, to be drawn into his love. Seekthat love and allowit to be your wholebeing.”

Closing theevening Fr. Burnsreflected that, “asChristians we arecalled to love, andquite often we are a

little bit nervous or cautious about letting peo-ple know that we love them. So in this time,in this distraction, no matter what zone we’rein, no matter what colour the government hasassigned us, we can still reach out in that loveand trust in God that if that love is from Godit will be received, it will be reciprocated, thatit will be in him.”

What an unexpected joy in the midst of suchturmoil, to share in an evening of truth andfellowship. As the days go on, may each onemay remember the words of these speakers— available on the Diocese of Saint JohnFacebook page, for any who would like towatch — encouraging all to not be afraid; totrust in Jesus, and as Christ calls each personto put out into the deep waters of his mercy,grace, and unfathomable love.

Natasha Mazerolle is a correspondent forThe New Freeman. She can be reached atnatasha@maz-family.com. §

SAINT JOHN — Father Pio Libby (left) and Sister Teresa MacDonald of the Franciscansof Halifax lead a retreat, Into the Deep —An Evening with the Franciscans of Halifax.The retreat was schedule to be an in-person event in Saint John, but became a virtualevent at the last minute due to the Saint John area returning to the Orange Phase ofthe COVID-10 pandemic recovery. (Natasha Mazerolle photo)

Bishop’s Funeral Home“serving all faiths”

Telephone 458-1885540 Woodstock Rd., Fredericton

Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900.November 27, 2020 Page 7

30 Lansdowne Ave., Saint John506-648-9911

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December Prayer for Priests Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

*Names with a star are to identify those who are retired

1 Pope Francis

2 Benedict XVI, Roman Pontiff Emeritus

(Rosary for Priests)

3 Bishop Christian Riesbeck, CC (Rosary for Seminarians)

4 Bishop Emeritus Robert Harris*

5 Bishop Emeritus J. Edward Troy*

6 Stella Maris (SJ) 1-2 pm Benediction & Confession

7 Msgr. Brian Henneberry, Vicar General

8 For all priests who have served our diocese

9 Rev. Paul Doucet (Rosary for Priests)

10 Rev. Paul Erozoah-Bebodu (Rosary for Seminarians)

11 Rev. Anthony Ekpe

12 Rev. Thomas Fowler*

13 St. Rose of Lima 1-2 pm

14 Rev. John Fraser*

15 Rev. Mr. Robert Freill*

16 Rev. David Fulton (Rosary for Priests)

17 Rev. Arnie Hachey (Rosary for Seminarians)

18 Rev. Dr. P. Brian Hansen*

19 Rev. Richard Harris

20 St. Rose of Lima 1-2 pm

21 Rev. John Jennings*

22 Rev. Godwin Kalu

23 Rev. Brian Keating* (Rosary for Priests)

24 Rev. John Keoughan (Rosary for Seminarians)

25 Rev. Aaron Knox

26 Rev. Joseph LeBlanc*

27 St. François-de-Sales 1-2 pm Benediction & Confession

28 Rev. Michael LeBlanc*

29 Rev. Paul LeBlanc

30 Rev. David Martin (Rosary for Priests)

31 Rev. Dr. Michael McGowan (Rosary for Seminarians)

Weekly exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception:Tues, 2-3pm St. Francis of Assisi, Lincoln: Wednesday, 8-9am St. Ma Thursday, 7-8pm St. Vincent de Paul, Oromocto: Friday, 8am (except first Fridays) St. François-de-Sales, Saint John: Friday, 6:30-7:30pm Stella Maris, Blacks Harbour: Saturaday, 9am with mass at 10am Our Lady of Fatima, Fredericton: Saturday, 1-2 pm

By NATASHA MAZEROLLE

SAINT JOHN —The Saint John region ofthe Diocese of Saint John was bumped backto orange level rather abruptly just before theweekend, and this carries with it the tensionof once again adjusting to government regu-lations — single family bubbles, restrictionson mass attendance, and mandatory masks,among other things. There is so much angereverywhere: anger that people aren’t followingthe rules, anger over the extremity of the restric-tions, people being encouraged to report on eachother, tickets issued without warnings. This fos-ters a general climate of people watching eachother in judgment, and there is a tangible air ofcynicism and mistrust that is dampening to thehuman spirit. Much like at the beginning of thepandemic, heading into mass this weekend wasclouded with uncertainty. Would this be our lastmass for a while? We don’t know.

And so it was fitting that it was the feast ofChrist the King. I found myself pondering,what does it mean that Christ is King? It’seasy to acknowledge him as Lord when eve-rything is normal — when we can do ourChristmas shopping and go see our friends,go to mass…what about when all of that istaken away? In a letter to the faithful in theSaint John Region following the move backinto Orange level (available atdioceseofsaintjohn.org), Bishop ChristianRiesbeck, CC, said that, “ as faithful you aredemonstrating great understanding and char-ity during this time of disruption. Your abilityto maintain and foster the faith is a true testi-mony to Christ’s presence among us.” Am Iliving these days in a way that fosters andmaintains faith? Do I still find my hope in him?

As I prayed with this, I realized that mygreatest contribution to this moment is howwell I reflect Christ to others. This comesthrough in how we treat others, especiallythe marginalized, those without hope. In hishomily on the Feast of Christ the King, BishopRiesbeck said, “Jesus is the source of all ourhope. We need hope in this world we livein.” In this time when we may be tempted togive in and worry about how the pandemicaffects us, the things we can not longer dothat we wish could, we must instead reach out

to those most in need. If we turn our thoughts,minds and hearts to others, reaching out with akind word, checking in on people who may beisolated, remembering that this situation is tem-porary, and offering our sacrifices for the sakeof those around us, he can redeem this momentfor us and bring something beautiful even now. Adear friend told me she instructed her children,“we’re not in Orange level, we’re in Christ theKing level”. How beautiful.

Do we live in a way that reflects that Christis the King of every moment? That he is incontrol, and that we can trust him with ourwhole lives? That our hope does not depend onour own efforts or how well we can follow allthe rules, but in him who gives us everythingand illuminates even our darkest moments? Ibelieve the great social experiment of this timehas nothing to do with the pandemic and every-thing with how we love each other. Do we be-lieve that Christ is the King, that he has thevictory? Because this is the greatest contribu-tion we can make to the world right now, andone that is needed more than anything else. Peopleneed hope, people need Jesus, he is theKing. Let’s continue to walk towards him.

“Let us not forget that Christ remains theKing, God is in control. We entrust to him allthose who are ill and those on the front linescaring for them,” Bishop Riesbeck, Letter toSaint John Region.§

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Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900. November 27, 2020Page 8

Mary shows how to turn fear into invitation to hear God's call, pope saysBy CAROL GLATZCatholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — There is no better way topray than like Mary, who opened her heart toGod with humility and trust, Pope Francis said.

"It is putting our life in the Lord's hands,that he be the one who guides us. We can allpray like this, almost without words," the popesaid November 18 during his weekly generalaudience, which was livestreamed from thelibrary of the Apostolic Palace.

Continuing his series of audience talks aboutprayer, Pope Francis reflected on Mary as amodel of prayer.

Mary did not autonomously orchestrate herlife, the pope said. "She waits for God to takethe reins of her path and guide her where hewants."

By being docile and willing to be God's in-strument, she prepares the way for "the greatevents in which God takes part in the world,"he said.

"There is no better way to pray than to placeoneself like Mary in an attitude of opennesswith a heart open to God, 'Lord, what youwant, when you want and how you want,'"he said.

Those whose lives are inspired by such aprayerful attitude, he said, "do not get upsetwhen their days are filled with problems," butface reality knowing that if they offer them-selves with humble love, "we become instru-ments of God's grace."

When the angel Gabriel told Mary of God'splan for her, the pope said, Mary "knew howto reject fear, even while sensing that her 'yes'would bring her tremendously difficult trials.If in prayer we understand that each day givenby God is a call, our hearts will then widen,and we will accept everything."

People also should pray that the Lord wouldbe present every step of the way, "that hedoes not leave us alone, that he does not leaveus to temptation, that he does not abandon usduring terrible moments," he said.

Mary not only accompanied Jesus's entirelife in prayer, right up to his death and resur-rection, she also accompanied the first stepsof the church, praying with "the men andwomen whom her son had called to form hiscommunity," Pope Francis said.

"Mary is not a priest among them. No. Sheis the mother of Jesus who prays with themin community, like one of the community; sheprays with them and for them," he said.

Not only did she become the mother ofGod, she also became the mother of the church

through the work of the Holy Spirit, he said.Her "natural feminine intuition is exalted by

her most singular union with God in prayer,"the pope said. "This is why, reading the Gos-pel, we note that she seems to disappear attimes, only to reappear for crucial moments:it was God's voice that guided her heart andher steps where her presence was needed."

Pope Francis concluded his catechesis re-

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis leads his general audience in the library of theApostolic Palace at the Vatican November 18, 2020. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

calling how Mary's heart has been comparedto "a pearl of incomparable splendour, formedand smoothed by patient acceptance of God'swill through the mysteries of Jesus meditatedon in prayer."

"How beautiful it would be if we, too, couldbe a bit like our Mother with a heart open tothe Word of God, with a silent, obedient heart"that lets God's word grow.§

(continued from page 4)shelters, Catholics are responding to theCOVID-19 crisis in a wide variety of ways,said Bishop Fabbro.

“Our retreat centre, which isn’t takingretreatants at this time, has made its roomsavailable to our refugee office — for refu-gees who are coming into the country andneed a place to stay (through the 14-day quar-antine),” said Fabbro.

It’s hard to look at the big picture of thepandemic and imagine Catholics fighting fortheir self-interest, Fabbro said.

“My hope is that during this pandemic webecome much more sensitive to the peoplearound us,” he said. “We need to be there forone another. Maybe we’ve learned that we’renot as independent as we thought we were.But we need to really be there for our broth-ers and sisters, as Pope Francis says, andwalk with them.”

That outward focus can’t stop at Canada’sborders, said Development and Peace parishrepresentative Michael Leblanc in a video mes-sage to promote the organization’s Novem-ber 15 Recovering Together collection.

“The virus has taught us how intercon-

nected the human family is. It has taught usthat we cannot recover alone,” said Mr.Leblanc, who heads up Development andPeace efforts at Holy Family Cathedral inSaskatoon.

Focus is shifting in Toronto to record foodbank use. Two of the largest food banks, DailyBread and North York Harvest, report thatdemand at food banks had increased by 22per cent by June and by 51 per cent in Au-gust compared to the previous year. The twoorganizations, which supply local parish andcommunity food banks, expect this year willhave the highest number of food bank visitsin Toronto history.

In Winnipeg, Archbishop Gagnon is notquestioning the need for circuit breaker shut-downs.

“Everybody, including the medical profes-sion is learning in this whole process. This isthe first time we’ve been through this. I thinkpeople recognize that. Nobody likes this situ-ation, but we’re doing the best that we can.”

“If we’ve learned some lessons from thispandemic, it’s about caring for one another. Ithink that’s a real message of hope for all ofus,” Bishop Fabbro said. §

Caring is COVID's message of hope

Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900.November 27, 2020 Page 9

(continued from page 2)claim "to promote the Gospel and not seek to encourage a culture thatis Christian in name only, emptied of all that makes it distinctive,"Pope Francis said.

Make space at the table

Young people explore connections of economy, ecology, faithBy CINDY WOODENCatholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Inspired by St. Francisof Assisi and by Pope Francis, 2,000 youngadults met online to discuss making theeconomy more responsive to human dignityand more respectful of creation.

The economists, entrepreneurs and"change-makers," all of whom were underage 35, were not calling for an end to capital-ism but for a style of doing business that fo-cused on creating jobs, wealth and humanflourishing without excluding anyone andwithout destroying the environment.

The Economy of Francesco project, spon-sored in part by the Vatican Dicastery for Pro-moting Integral Human Development, hosteda virtual global meeting November 19-21.

The young adults were joined by experts intheir fields who participated in their online dis-cussions, offered encouragement and gavefeedback for ways to improve their projectsand research.

Paraphrasing a prayer of St. Francis, Car-dinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the dicastery,thanked the young adults "for bringing lightinto our dark world, for bringing love in thesetimes of indifference, for bringing hope tomany of us who are in despair, and for bring-ing faith in a different economy that can servean inclusive and sustainable world."

"The economy must serve people, not theother way around," the cardinal said, and itshould do so "by healing what hurts people,meaning inequality, corruption, individualismand all sorts of social illnesses related to the

creation of 'not so good' wealth.""Good wealth," he said, is not measured

simply by quantity; it "promotes integral hu-man development while caring for our com-mon home."

Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of As-sisi welcomed the young people virtually tothe city of St. Francis by reading from thesaint's famous Canticle of Creation, praisingGod in the gifts of his creation.

Maria Carvalho, senior consultant for cli-mate policy and carbon pricing at South Polein London, said she joined the Economy ofFrancesco project because she wanted "atheological reorientation to what we do in thesocial sciences," as well as a structure forinterdisciplinary, holistic approaches to theproblems of poverty, climate change, inequal-ity and a lack of human flourishing.

A self-described "oil brat seeking redemption,"Ms. Carvalho was born in India but, because ofher father's work in the oil industry, grew up inSaudi Arabia and in Alberta, Canada.

Her work is technical and scientific andtends to focus on a "meta level," she toldCatholic News Service November 20. "WhatI wanted from the Economy of Francescowas to first step back and realize this is aboutGod's creation."

At the same time, she wanted to look at theinterconnectedness of the economy and cli-mate change and, particularly how they im-pact the world's poorest people, not as a cat-egory, but as actual human beings.

"St. Francis started off with the conver-sion of his heart. And then he did his work,"she said. What she hopes for, she said, is "a

reorientation for all the brokenness in ourworld," and a recognition of "the woundednessat an individual level, at a family level, at a societallevel," which make it difficult for people to im-agine a different way of living and acting.

"We have forgotten that God is a loving fa-ther who actually wants to be with us, whowants to heal, who wants to orient us to whatis truly good, truly beautiful and truly true,"Ms. Carvalho said.§

ARCTIC — Environmental activist andcampaigner Mya-Rose Craig, 18, holds acardboard sign reading "youth strike forclimate" as she sits on the ice floe in themiddle of the Arctic Ocean, hundreds ofmiles above the Arctic Circle, Sept. 20,2020. Young people from around theworld met virtually in Assisi, Italy, Nov.19-21 to talk about the economy andecology, including from the point of viewof Pope Francis' encyclical, Fratelli Tutti,on Fraternity and Social Friendship. (CNSphoto/Natalie Thomas, Reuters)

Abortion, anti-immigrant sentiments, racism, lack of care of the elderlyand the embracing of an economic system that focuses on profit at allcosts are all signs of the "erosion of the value of life," he said.

"Without a vision for society rooted in the dignity of all people," hesaid, "the logic of the unfettered market ends up turning life from agift into a product."

As he did in a letter in April to grassroots workers' cooperatives,Pope Francis said in the book that he believes "it is time to exploreconcepts like the universal basic income (UBI), also known as 'thenegative income tax': an unconditional flat payment to all citizens,which could be dispersed through the tax system."

The payment would guarantee every citizen has the minimum nec-essary to survive and, he said, could encourage people to job share withothers, increasing employment, or give more time to volunteer work.

Pope Francis urged people to pause and look around for somethingnew and different they could do to help someone else.

"When you feel the twitch, stop and pray," he said. "And then act.Call up, go visit, offer your service. Say you don't have a clue whatthey do, but maybe you can help. Say you'd like to be part of adifferent world, and you thought this might be a good place to start."§

Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900. November 27, 2020Page 10

OTTAWA — The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) announces a newonline weekly video series created to help Canadian Catholic faithful to prepare for the celebra-tion of the birth of Jesus. Entitled Journey through Advent, the series is a joint project involv-ing the CCCB’s Office national de liturgie, the National Liturgy Office, and the Office forEvangelization and Catechesis. The initiative was developed as a way, through the modernmethod of video messaging, to offer a resource that enriches faith formation during a time ofjoyful anticipation for the coming of the Lord and Saviour into the world.

The videos serve as an introduction to the liturgical Season and present reflections on theGospel readings for each Sunday in Advent. The Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, OMI,Bishop of Hamilton and the Most Reverend Pierre Goudreault, Bishop of Saint-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, provide spiritual and pastoral guidance on the readings that illustrate the true mean-ing of Christmas.

This video series is especially relevant given the COVID-19 pandemic that places limitationson in-person gatherings for faith communities. It is hoped that Journey through Advent will bea source of deep spiritual solace and insightful preparation for all.

The videos will be available on the CCCB website each Monday in advance of the upcomingSunday celebration (23 November, 30 November 7 December and 14 December). To followthe series, the CCCB offers several ways to stay informed:

Bookmark the home page of the CCCB website https://www.cccb.ca/Subscribe to the CCCB’s e-mail news service https://www.cccb.ca/news/subscribe/;Subscribe to the CCCB’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/cccbadmin/;Follow the CCCB on Twitter @CCCB_CECC. §

Journey Through Advent — A video seriesto introduce and reflect on the season

Caritas challenged to ‘breathe’ Fratelli Tutti into communityBy MICHAEL SWANThe Catholic Register

For Development and Peace and the entireglobal Caritas network, it’s time to get politi-cal, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle told a Zoommeeting of dozens of Caritas officials aroundthe world November 12.

But the Filipino cardinal and president of CaritasInternationalis was quick to point out that thepolitics of Caritas has to be different from thepolitics that has dominated media in recent years.

“That populist approach which pretends tobe in service of the people but is in fact build-

ing walls... we are not party to that destruc-tive type of partisanship. Our politics is thatof communion,” Cardinal Tagle told the con-ference Fratelli Tutti: What does it mean forCaritas’ work?

The cardinal raised the example of basecommunities — small networks of poorCatholics who came together to read the Bi-ble under the military dictatorship in Brazil inthe 1970s — as an example of the kind ofpolitics Caritas should encourage.

“The challenge that we face is to presentourselves and our work, and our political en-gagement as Development and Peace, as be-ing in the authentic tradition of the Church,”Development and Peace deputy director LukeStocking told The Catholic Register after theconference. “There is no secular political ideol-ogy that on either side, left or right, authenticallylines up with what would be described as thepolitical position of the Catholic Church.”

Pope Francis’ most recent encyclical shouldbe a guidepost for all Catholics who are con-cerned for the common good, Stocking said.But the pope’s critique of politics providesparticular impetus to Catholic developmentagencies such as the Canadian Catholic Or-ganization for Development and Peace –Caritas Canada.

“Political life no longer has to do with healthydebates about long-term plans to improvepeople’s lives and to advance the common

good, but only with slick marketing techniquesprimarily aimed at discrediting others,” PopeFrancis wrote in Fratelli Tutti. “In this cra-ven exchange of charges and counter-charges, debate degenerates into a permanentstate of disagreement and confrontation.”

Development and Peace and its partners inLatin America, Africa and Asia have to presentan alternative, Mr. Stocking said.

“There is a call within the encyclical toCaritas organizations to raise their voices po-litically and engage with their governments— raising a voice as a kind of antidote to thekind of divisive politics that currently existsin the world and not simply retreat from that,”Mr. Stocking said.

Trying to cling to an entirely spiritualizedfaith that ignores politics would be to turnour back on the fact that God chose to beincarnate in a political world full of conflict,oppression and struggle, said Father AugustoZampini, adjunct secretary of the Dicasteryfor Promoting Integral Human Development.

“Our faith has to say something to poli-tics,” he told the Caritas representatives fromaround the world.

It’s particularly important for Caritas tospeak up now, said Fr. Zampini. The prob-lem is that the politics of free markets is “run-ning out of ideas,” he said. Caritas has to be alaboratory of new ideas.

Caritas Internationalis general secretaryAloysius John urged Caritas leaders to be bold.

“Caritas should take the lead,” he said. “If wedon’t breathe this (Fratelli Tutti) into our com-munities then it will remain at a theological level.”

When politics seems to abandon the ideaof objective truth, Caritas has to carry thebanner of the Church against cheap, conven-ient, political relativism, John said. He de-scribed the Caritas position as “Charity witha commitment to the truth.”

“Caritas is called to be active in this renewalof the social order,” he said. “The world isturning an indifferent regard to the sufferingof our brothers and sisters.” §

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle

Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900.November 27, 2020 Page 11

OBITUARIESMcLAUGHLIN, MARY MICHAELENA —After a blessedly short illness, MaryMichaelena McLaughlin, C.M., aged 96, re-cently residing at Parkland Saint John, NB,embarked on her last great journey on Octo-ber 31, 2020.

Eldest daughter of Joseph Raymond andKathleen Gertrude (nee Morrissey)McLaughlin of Saint John West, NB,Michealena was predeceased by her sisters,Florence Marie and Frances EileenMcLaughlin and Kathleen Patricia McGraw.She is survived by many cousins, niecesand nephews (including grand and great);as well as an extensive, international, net-work of friends.

Arrangements were under the care ofCastle Funeral Home, Saint John. A Massof Christian Burial wias held from Our Ladyof Assumption Catholic Church, Saint John.Interment followed in Holy Cross Cemetery,Saint John.

FITZPATRICK, HUGH EDWARD —With appreciation for a life well-lived, thefamily of Hugh Fitzpatrick of Saint John,cherished husband of Carol (Hébert)Fitzpatrick sadly announce his sudden pass-ing which occurred on Monday, Novem-ber 9, 2020 at the Saint John Regional Hos-pital. Born on January 8, 1943 in Saint John,he was the son of the late Hugh Gerard andMargaret Dorothy (Hogan) Fitzpatrick.

In addition to his beloved wife, Carol,Hugh will be lovingly remembered by hischildren, Hugh Gregory Fitzpatrick of On-tario and Mary Colleen Woodhouse (Paul) ofSaint John; step-children, Janice Crilley-Ma-son (Dino Pasqualetto) of Saint John, Eliza-beth Gorman (Jeremiah Percival) ofWhitehorse, Yukon and Harry Gorman ofSaint John; sister, Mary A. Gorman; specialnieces, Margaret McGuire (Steve) andKathleen Gorman both of Saint John; adoredgrandchildren, Kaitie, Tanner, Raven, Luna,Myles and Aengus; great-granddaughter,Jessa; along with his large extended familywho he loved dearly.

He rested at Brenan’s Funeral Home, SaintJohn. A Mass of Christian Burial was cel-ebrated from the Cathedral of the Immacu-late Conception, Saint John. Interment in St.Joseph’s Cemetery, Saint John.

DOYLE, W. RAYMOND — It is with heavyhearts that the family of Wilfred RaymondDoyle, husband of 70 years to the late Mary

Helen (Arseneau) Doyle, announces his pass-ing on November 10, 2020. Born in Saint Johnon November 14, 1928, he was the son ofthe late Nicholas Wilfred and Mary Frances(Boyce) Doyle.

Raymond is survived by his children:Theresa Arseneau of Saint John, Leonard(Kathy) of Baxters Corner, Martin of Trenton,ON, Robert (Pauline) of Port Moody, BC,Gregory of Saint John, Larry (Anita) of Mus-quash and Andrea Doyle (Tim Cobb) of SaintJohn; brother: Beverly; sisters: GeradaFrances, Sara, Audrey, Anita, and Jayne; 21grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; as wellas several nieces and nephews.

Besides his parents and his wife Mary,Raymond was predeceased by his son John,brothers: Stanley, Kenneth, and Arthur; andsisters: Eleanor and Josephine.

He rested Resting at Brenan’s FuneralHome, Saint John. A Funeral Liturgy tookplace via the Brenan’s Funeral Home website.Interment in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, SaintJohn.

GABRIEL, JOSEPH CHARLES — Joseph(Joe) Charles Gabriel passed away peacefullyon November 13, 2020, at the Saint JohnRegional Hospital.

Joe leaves behind his loving wife of 67 years,Jean Theresa Gabriel (Cannon); son, NeilGabriel of Fredericton; daughter, KathyGabriel of Sussex; granddaughter, JenniferHachey (Cunningham) of Upperton; grand-son, Joey Cunningham of Saint John; fivegreat-grandchildren: Alex, Ian, EmilyHachey and Noah and MichaelCunningham. He also leaves behind his sis-ter, Murial Tobias (Gabriel); and one brother,Charles (Chuck) Gabriel and wife PatriciaGabriel (MacMackin) of Taylor Lake; aswell as many nieces and nephews.

Joe was predeceased by his parents,Charles J. Gabriel and Mary (Mannoushe)Gabriel (Tobias); sisters, Constance(Connie) Marino (Gabriel) and Lorraine(Lori) Wisted (Gabriel); three infant sisters:Fay, Ruth, and Ann. He was predeceasedby brothers-in-law: Daniel Tobias, LeoWisted, and Anthony Marino; treasuredniece, Sally Marino (Butts); and godson,Joseph (Joe) Marino.

He restedg at Brenan’s Funeral Home,Saint John. A Funeral Liturgy was held fromBrenan`s Funeral Chapel. Interment will takeplace at a later date.

BOURGOIN, JOSEPH — Joseph RobertBourgoin passed away peacefully on Sat-urday, November 14, 2020, at Bobby’s Hos-pice after a brief illness. Joe was born onSeptember 15, 1982, in Saint John, NB, toRodney and Judy (Powers) Bourgoin.

Joe is survived by his parents Rodneyand Judy, brother Patrick, paternal grand-father Enoil and maternal grandmotherAgathe. He is predeceased by his paternalgrandmother May Bourgoin and maternalgrandfather Stillman Powers.

Arrangements were under the care ofCastle Funeral Home, Saint John. A privatefamily graveside service will be held at alater date in St. Augustine’s Cemetery.

KEYES, CONNIE E. (nee LACEY) — Itis with great sadness that the family ofConnie Keyes announces her sudden pass-ing which occurred on November 16, 2020at the Turnbull Nursing Home in Saint John,NB. Born on August 25, 1940 in Saint John,NB she was the daughter of the lateGertrude (Childerhouse) (Lacey) Lawsonand Alfred Lacey. Connie was predeceasedby her husband Dr. Sean A. Keyes and herinfant daughter Margaret Anne.

She is survived by her children: Edward(Adrienne) of Saint John, NB; Dr. Elizabeth(Joseph Oliver) of Grand Bay-Westfield,NB; Dr. Sean (Jennifer) of Rothesay, NB;Dr. Kelly Manning (Robert) of Saint John,NB; Dr. Paul (Brenda) of Rothesay, NB;Connie Dunnett (Jamie) of Saint John, NB;and Sarah, of L’Arche Saint John, McKimHouse. She is also survived by her brotherAl Lacey (Norma) of Fredericton, NB, hersister Anne Darrah (Rob) of Saint John, NB,her sisters-in-law Noreen Munro ofOshawa, Ontario and Sheila Sullivan(Arthur) of Saint John, NB, together withmany nieces, nephews and cousins.

Connie, “Grammy”, will be sadly missedby all who knew her, especially her grand-children: Meghan, Devin, Emma, Rachaeland Abigael Manning; Rosalind, Stephen andCallum Keyes; Adam and Gregor Dunnett;Andrew, David, Cameron and Anna Keyes;Maggie, William and Claire Oliver andKatherine, Christopher and Sean Keyes.

She rested at Brenan’s Funeral Home, 111Paradise Row, Saint John. A Mass of Chris-tian burial took place at Our Lady Of TheAssumption Parish, Saint John. Interment inSt. Joseph’s Cemetery, Saint John.§

Voice of the Diocese of Saint John since 1900. November 27, 2020Page 12

Sixth Annual Christmas drawing Contest 2020The New Freeman is launching its sixth children’s drawing contest!The winning entry in each of three categories will receive a $50 gift certificate. Thewinning drawings will be published in The NewFreeman’s Christmas issue.Contest Rules:• The contest is open to children enrolled inGrades 1-8.• One entry per child.• One prize will be awarded to the top entry ineach of these categories:

Grades 7-8, Grades 4-6 and Grades 1-3.• Entries must be original, in colour, drawn or painted on an 8.5" x 11" page, and illustratesome aspect of the birth of Jesus at the first Christmas in Bethlehem, depicting the truemeaning of Christmas — please, no Santas or reindeers.• For electronic submissions: minimum resolution 300dpi, in jpeg or PDF format.• All entries must include the entry form (below) and signature of a parent or guardian.• Entries become the property of The New Freeman.• Electronic submissions can be sent to tnf@nb.aibn.com.• Judges’ decisions are final; entries may be published in The New Freeman at the editor’s discretion.• Submission deadline is noon December 9, 2020.

Name________________________________________________________________________________

Address______________________________________________________________________________

City_______________________________ Prov ______ Postal Code_____________

Phone number_____________________ Grade________ Age______

The undersigned is a parent or guardian of the child identified on this entry form. Iconsent to my child’s participation in this contest and I agree to abide by the ContestRules.___________________________ ________________________________Parent/Guardian Signature Parent/Guardian Name (please print)Please send entries to:Christmas Contest, The New Freeman, One Bayard Drive, Saint John, NB E2L 3L5Or email tnf@nb.aibn.com

Saint John CommunityChristmas ExchangeThis year, for safety reasons

(COVID-19) individuals or groupsmay make a monetary donation to

help purchase grocery gift cards forChristmas dinners for applicants.

Donate by contacting theChristmas Exchange 634-7868

or by emailsjchristmasexchange@nb.aibn.com

Hours Mon-Fri 9am - 3 pmIf you need assistance pleaseregister with a church in your

neighbourhood as soon as possible.Last day to register: December 2.

By SHAWN McCARTHYCorrespondent

MIRAMICHI — On November 15, at St.Patrick’s Church in Nelson-Miramichi, theKnights of Columbus Fr. Egan Council (#8381),Fr. Dixon Council (#4886), and Fr. BroderickCouncil (#1219) held an Exemplification of Char-ity, Unity and Fraternity, investing 14 new mem-bers into the order.

This new ceremony is designed to intro-duce members to the principles of Charity,Unity, and Fraternity, combining three formallyseparate ceremonies (Admissions, Formation,and Knighthood) into a single observance. The public, especially the families of thosebeing invested, were welcome to witness theexemplification, and there were several groupsof supporters present.

Following the ceremony, remarks weremade by Edward O’Donnell on behalf ofthe Fr. Egan Council, Terry F. Whalen Sr. onbehalf of the Fr. Dixon Council, and StephenRoss on behalf of the Fr. Broderick Council. All welcomed the new members with greatenthusiasm.

Shawn McCarthy is the Miramichi Regioncorrespondent for The New Freeman. He canbe reached at cletus_1773 @hotmail.com.§

New ceremony welcomes 14 new members into fraternity

MIRAMICHI — A new ceremony welcomed 14 new members into the Knights ofColumbus in the Miramichi Region of the Diocese of Saint John. Participating in theceremony (front row, l to r) Walter O’Toole, presenter on charity; Maurice Richard,warden; Edward O’Donnell, investing officer and grand knight Council #8381. Backrow (l to r) Frank McCarthy, presiding officer; David Lavoie, presenter on unity andNorman Colford, presenter on fraternity. (Mae Watt photo)

Sunday, November 29is the First Sunday of Advent