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Bishop Breynat Council 6166
Knights of Columbus council attached to this parish
Our order was formed by a young priest, Father Michael McGivney, in 1882, as a mutual aid society to help widows and orphans of Catholic men, It has since developed into a fraternal society so naturally our main order of service is to family, youth, community and of course the church. We are a strong voice in support of the church, the family, life issues, vocations and Catholic education. Over the years we have not hesitated to support the church and the more members we have in Alberta and Canada, the stronger our voice is for the church.
There are many important benefits available to new members on application including life insurance products, financial services and scholarships.
Our Bishop Bryant council, based here at St. John’s is one of 180 councils in Alberta; since its formation 46 years ago the council provides support to our parish, the diocese and to the less fortunate. In recent years many of our members have retired or moved on from the community and we are seeking new members to join our ranks. Our members are active in the parish ministries.
Our program activity includes sponsorship of the annual Community Christmas Day Dinner, Light Up For Christ Advent Campaign, Keep Christ in Christmas messaging, Santa Claus Parade float, school lunch program sponsorships, hospital visitation, church maintenance projects, anonymous support for those in need, men’s spiritual retreats, and fraternal activities for Catholic men to get together with other Catholic men.
We also host pancake breakfasts and BBQ’s in the parish to help enhance parish community.
We have a number of projects where you can help the less fortunate, directly or indirectly, at a time convenient to you.
Being a Knight of Columbus means an ongoing re-enforcement of our faith. We are members of the largest Catholic, Family, Fraternal men’s organization in the world with almost 2 million members. We are delivering faith formation and plan a retreat usually in late spring for faith renewal.
We invite those of you who were members or who are members in councils outside of Fort McMurray to consider rejoining the knights through transfer, reactivation or readmission.
In summary, it is not expensive to be a member, time commitment is according to your state of life, there are many benefits to members and families, and you will enjoy the fraternity and lifelong friendships.
For further information send an e-mail to the council using the following address:gk6166@kofc.ab.ca or fs6166@kofc.ab.ca
Catholic Women’s League (CWL)
The Catholic Women’s League of Canada is a national service organization rooted in
gospel values calling its members to holiness through service to the people of God. It is
an organization of women who are members of the Roman Catholic Church, and who
work together to promote Catholic values and to carry out volunteer and charitable
work. Membership is predominantly Catholic women aged 16 and older. The CWL in
Fort McMurray is for both St. John and St. Paul parishes. We meet on the first Monday
of the month (except for July and August) at St. Paul meeting room in the portables.
Things we do: funeral luncheons, meals for Marriage prep, Community mass, Soup
Kitchen, faith sharing, retreats for women in the community, coffee and snacks after 9
am mass at St Paul Parish every fourth Sunday of the month, bake sale, continuous
prayer for Palliative Care, 12 hour adoration, hospitality, etc.
Funds we raise are for: grade 12 student scholarship, breakfast program for schools,
local charities, special groups or people in dire need, etc.
Past donations made at both churches for: new fridges, chair lift, maintenance items,
etc.
For more information regarding the organization, please visit www.cwl.ca
Wanting to join Fort McMurray CWL? Kindly contact Kenda Peters (kendap@hotmail.com).
Couples for Christ (CFC) is a Catholic movement intended for the renewal and strengthening of Christian family life. CFC couples have committed themselves to the Lord and to one another so that they may grow in maturity as men and women of God and fulfill their primary vocation of raising families grounded in Christian values, in the service and love of God.
WHERE AND HOW DID CFC BEGIN? CFC began in 1981 in Manila, Philippines, when Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (Joy in the Lord), a covenanted Christian charismatic community, realized that to effectively renew society, a conversion of both spouses, and consequently families, to Christ was necessary. The method used consisted of bringing together a small group of prospective couples in a private home. There they were brought to a living relationship with Jesus Christ and to renewal in the power of the Holy Spirit through a series of weekly informal discussions of the gospel in a social environment.
Beginning from the first 16 couples who joined the weekly gathering, CFC became a Christian family life renewal which was later made available to parishes and groups of married couples who wished to live out their Christian life in an active supportive relationship with one another. The growth of CFC stemmed from its heart for mission and evangelization and its commitment to sharing God’s love with others, beginning from the basic unit – the family. It did not take long for CFC to realize that while a couple renewal was essential, it would be incomplete without family renewal.
A Movement of Married Spirituality in the Catholic Church
“Let us look and seek together.”
That was Father Henri Caffarel’s response when four young couples approached him, seeking guidance on living more fully their relationships in the light of their Catholic faith. Some months later, in February 1939, the French priest would gather with those couples and start what would become the international movement known as Teams of Our Lady, or TOOL.
TOOL is present in nearly 80 countries, and in several language groups including English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. It marks its 60th anniversary in Canada this year.
TOOL also has a presence here in Fort McMurray.
In 2015 the Fort McMurray team became the first English speaking team in western Canada. Made up of four married Catholic couples we gather monthly to pray, share, support, and help one another grow in knowledge and love of the Lord, so that we may bear witness to that love.
Between work, school, and extra-curricular family activities, we all lead busy lives. In all of this though, God still wants to be part of our lives. As a couple, we have found that our TOOL experience helps that happen. TOOL gives us a series of spiritual endeavours – like personal prayer, daily reading of Scripture, or a sit down with our spouse to have a heart to heart conversation – which help us welcome God into our lives every day. Gathering monthly as a Team, and following a guide book, we have the opportunity to reflect on spiritual readings and matters, pray for different intentions, and support each other in our challenges, joys, and journey to holiness. St. John’s Associate Pastor Father Reddy is also part of our Team as a Spiritual Director, providing important spiritual insight and guidance at our meeting, and generously giving of his time for spiritual counselling with couples throughout the month. Outside of our meeting, we stay in touch and help each other out; that could mean something spiritual like praying for each other, or something more practical like helping someone move or looking after a child while a parent goes to an appointment. In looking and seeking together, as Father Caffarel would say, the couples in our Team have also become like extended family!
TOOL lives up to its name giving us tools, or practices, to deepen our faith and develop the spiritual aspect of our marriage so that it is something more than just Mass on Sunday Mass. We have found it to be an opportunity to grow together as husband and wife and grow in a deeper understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage.
“The Teams of Our Lady have as their essential aim to help couples to strive after holiness – no more, no less,” Father Caffarel once wrote to TOOL couples. “There is a married spirituality that gives direction to the life of the couple. The Teams of Our Lady gives you the means to acquire it.”
That was Father Caffarel’s experience many decades ago. And that is ours today.
If you are interested in learning more about Teams of Our Lady, TOOL, please contact Aldora and Matthew at aldora.s@gmail.com. Learn more about the movement by visiting: equipes-notre-dame.com/en.
Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is a committee consisting of the Pastor and a representative from each of our parish organizations and members of our parish. They help the Pastor to chalk out pastoral matters of our parish and get actively involved in executing the decisions of the PPC. They also advice the Pastor and the parish in the matters of Sacraments and Pastoral affairs of the local parish. The creativity and enthusiasm of this group in the spiritual matters of the parish like celebration of the liturgy, sacraments and everything that is related to the life and sacraments help the Pastor to serve the community more efficiently and effectively. Men and women who are committed to the parish are diligently chosen and encouraged to be part of this Council.
Our parishioners who are willing to volunteer a good amount of time for the Pastoral development of our Parish, kindly contact the Pastor or Mr. Michael Sean Daley our PPC Chair, to be a member of our Parish Pastoral Council (please send an email ATTN: PPC to office@stjohnthebaptistparish.ca). Their ideas and suggestions are most welcome and will hep us, moving forward in our faith life and activities.