Bishop Colli's Pastoral Letter for the "Year of Faith"

My Dear People,

     Pope Benedict XVI has announced a "Year of Faith" to begin on October 11, 2012, and to conclude on November 24, 2013.  This special year of prayer is an opportunity for the entire Catholic Church throughout the world to reflect on our commitment to Jesus Christ and His Church.  This year also commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th Anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

     A "Year of Faith" is a time for prayer and for study.  The Pope is encouraging us to deepen the knowledge of our Church and its teachings in this special year.  He is recommending a study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or the Compendium to the Catechism, and also a re-study of the Documents of the Second Vatican Council, which gave us the direction of our Church practice today. 

     There will be special events and lectures during this year in our diocese.  I recommend you take advantage of whatever services, study groups or presentations that are made to help you share in this "Year of Faith" in a meaningful way.  The Pope speaks of a 'need to rediscover the journey of faith we share, so as to shed a clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of our encounter with Jesus Christ.'

     Of course, the best way to participate in a "Year of Faith" is to deepen our prayer life and our link to Jesus through our regular participation at Sunday Mass, through prayer and devotions like the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Sacrament of Penance, daily prayer in our homes and with our families, and most importantly the reception of the Sacrament of Holy Communion.  Even a small initiative on our part will prove fruitful for our spiritual life.

     May this "Year of Faith" bring to each of us and to our diocese a unique grace, so that in our words and actions, we will draw closer to the Lord Jesus, closer to His Church, and closer to one another.

May Our Lady of Charity, Mother of the Lord, pray for us in our efforts.

Sincerely in Christ,
+ Fred J. Colli
Bishop of Thunder Bay

Life Chain Weekend

"I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly..."

- Jesus Christ

(John 10:10)

Welcoming a "New Year"

Within less than a month, the universal Church will begin the celebration of a "Year of Faith", marking the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Pope Benedict XVI has called for this special year as an invitation to a “an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world” (Apostolic Letter, Porta Fidei, 6). He hopes it will inspire in all believers, “the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope. 

Although there will be many public celebrations and common confessions of faith, the specific aim of this year is that every Christian may rediscover “the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ” (Apostolic Letter, Porta Fidei, 2).

The year begins on October 11, 2012, and will end on November 24, 2013, the Solemnity of Christ the King.  To learn more about the year of faith, visit the special website set up by the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.

Diocesan Anniversary of 60 Years

A solemn Eucharistic celebration commemmorating the 60th anniversary of the Diocese of Thunder Bay will take place on Sunday, September 16, at St. Patrick's Cathedral starting at 2 p.m. 

The main presider of the Mass will be the Most Reverend Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Apostolic Nuncio to Canada with Most Rev. Frederick Colli and concelebrants. 

Following the Mass there will be a reception in the Cathedral hall with an opportunity to meet the Apostolic Nuncio.  Everyone is welcome to attend. 

Prayers for the Pope...

Please keep our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in your prayers in a special way as he travels to Lebanon this week.  May his journey his journey be a successful one and may his message received with openness.