Dear Faithful of the Archdiocese of Regina,
There are times in the life of the Church when it feels like we go from strength to strength, when the Holy Spirit seems to be blessing our every effort. And there are times of struggle, where we face many challenges, and where we humbly implore God’s help to get us through and to guide us wisely. In his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul recounts praying to God for help in getting past his weaknesses, and the answer he receives is, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” St. Paul goes on to affirm even his weakness, “so that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
2019 was not an easy year; perhaps none are. It is not as though it was all struggle. The articles in this report of Archdiocesan activities for 2019 show a lot of good things happening. I begin my report with an expression of great gratitude. It is a great blessing, too easily overlooked, that within the Archdiocese we have a fine staff, a dedicated and generous clergy, and parishes and parishioners who in abundant ways show a deep commitment to our faith and to the Gospel, and who bring our faith to life
in our communities. Others, including some who are no longer a part of the Catholic Church, courageously help us to deal with some of the wounds of the past, and to envision a future where we are able to walk with integrity as disciples of the Lord.
I would like to reflect here on three subjects not addressed in a comprehensive way in other reports. Each is an area where we are dealing with major challenges, and each involves a good deal of my time and energy as bishop: work being done to deal with the legacy of clergy sexual abuse within the archdiocese, and to prevent such abuse in the future; the establishment of the Organization Facilitation Committee to deal with challenges that our parishes are facing; and the launch of a capital campaign to restore and repair Holy Rosary Cathedral and to build a new pastoral centre.
The legacy of clergy sexual abuse and walking with victims
In 2019, efforts continued in the area of prevention of clergy sexual abuse, as well as in supporting those who have been abused. We recognized that, in every instance, our priority must be the protection, care, and healing of victims of abuse, and doing everything we can to make sure that we protect our young people and the most vulnerable in our midst. Where bonds of trust between victims and the institutional church have been broken due to past failures in transparency and accountability, and minimization of the problem, the diocese has committed itself to enter into a period of listening, attentive to the experience, suffering and wounds of victims. As we learn to walk with victims, we have also learned how much insight and wisdom they bring as we find a way forward. That experience led to my Ash Wednesday letter to victims.
A major task of those involved in this work in 2019 was the revision of our Archdiocesan Policy on Clergy Sexual Abuse of Minors and Vulnerable People, replacing the 2013 policy. It was drafted and edited by a group which included victims, and aims to provide a process which is victim-friendly and victim-driven. The third and fourth sections of the policy, “Procedure for reporting complaints of sexual abuse” and “Care for the reporting person,” are addressed directly to a person making a report. Other changes from the previous policy include the recognition of the long-term ramifications of abuse including spiritual, psychological, emotional and physical challenges; the clear assurance that victims did not cause and are not responsible for the abuse; the informing of the reporting person of their right to go to the police or the court system; the encouragement of having a support person present with a reporting person; a confidential email and phone number to report abuse; and the option of having a female layperson to handle a complaint. When the new policy was launched, it was agreed that it would be revisited often and revised as necessary. The latest version is HERE.
In addition to ongoing educational presentations which included the experience and perspectives of victims, and several parishes holding prayer services for victims, another important step was the engagement of a trauma counsellor with sexual abuse expertise. Lorie Harrison of Legacy Ridge Inc. began offering client-centered counselling to victims, with an approach that respects their wisdom and offers “responsive, compassionate support options focusing on breaking the silence, reducing shame, and fostering resiliency in the healing process.”
A committee to help parishes address challenges
In the summer of 2019, the Archdiocesan administration established the Organization Facilitation Committee (OFC), giving it the mandate of assisting parishes in working through various issues in respectful, healing and life-giving ways. When the issues in a parish are awkward, confusing or difficult, the committee: listens to the people involved; facilitates discussions and discernment; proposes possible processes for addressing the issues;, and assists the parish in doing so. Fr. Brian Meredith chairs the OFC, and the committee is composed of a mix of clergy and lay members.
In its first months, the OFC was asked in a particular way to address challenges connected to the changing face of our parishes. Some have found that parishioner numbers have waned and that they are now struggling to keep the church doors open. In such instances, the OFC has supported parishes through the discernment process of how to continue to meet the spiritual needs of their faithful and where to make changes. Amalgamating with other parishes, closing under-used parish buildings, entering into ecumenical partnership for church buildings, and creative use of technology are among the options parishes may be invited to explore.
A Cathedral in need of renovation and a pastoral centre in need of a home
In 2019, we launched the Rebuilding Our Church Campaign to raise the funds needed to repair and restore Holy Rosary Cathedral and build a permanent pastoral centre on the cathedral grounds. The current pastoral centre building is rented, and has been put up for sale by its owners.
We created an introductory video and held informational meetings in various parishes across the archdiocese. John Dipple, Michelle Sanche and Mo Bundon agreed to serve as campaign co-chairs, and convened a cabinet of volunteers for the ‘quiet phase’ of the project. We began the quiet phase by asking for the financial support of a variety of potential major donors, in addition to clergy, archdiocesan staff, Holy Rosary leadership, and archdiocesan finance council members. By the end of 2019 we had received an encouraging number of donations and pledges, taking us almost 1/3 of the way to our
$17M goal. As 2019 came to an end, we did not foresee the pandemic and the need to put the campaign on hold, but we are hopeful that we can restart the campaign by the autumn of 2020. Barring more waves of coronavirus, the full campaign launch within parishes is expected to happen sometime in 2021.
The prophet Isaiah assures us that God gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless (40:29). Our faith is a paschal faith which trusts that God can transform darkness into light and despair into hope. Hence like St. Paul, we needn’t be discouraged by our weakness nor afraid of the challenges before us, but rather, to do what we can, and to trust that God continues to walk with us, even amidst great challenges.
God bless you all!
Sincerely in Christ,
+Donald Bolen Archbishop of Regina
Read the full 2019 Annual Report HERE
