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St. Paul Outside the Walls

Year of St. Paul

Family Enrichment

Mission Statement


The mission of the Pastoral Care and Life Initiatives Office is to enhance and enrich family life by supporting parishes in their ministry to families within the Archdiocese.

DIRECTOR: John MacDonald
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT:
Gloria Pigat
ADDRESS: Catholic Pastoral Centre,
8421 - 101 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6A 0L1
PHONE: John (780)469-1010 ext.249;
Gloria (780)469-1010 ext. 247
FAX: (780) 465-3003
E-Mail: pastoralcareandlife@edmontoncatholic-church.com













We are here as a resource to support, nurture, encourage and serve family life in all its diversity primarily through parishes but also at an archdiocesan level. We offer programs, referrals and information that are focused on families living healthy, joy filled and meaningful lives.


UPCOMING EVENTS


Check back again.




The following is a partial list of the services we either provide or connect to through referrals:


NEW RESOURCES


The Office of Pastoral Care and Life Initiatives has a number of recent additions to our resource and lending library. Books, CDs and DVDs are available on pro-life issues such as bioethics, pornography, abortion and euthanasia and on pastoral care concerns such as bereavement, suffering and same-sex attraction. Please call the office to have look at the materials and/or arrange to borrow them. Click here for a list of new resources.

FAMILY LIFE PROGRAMS

  • Grief: A Healing Journey - healing from the loss of a loved one.
  • Courage - a confidential Christian support ministry for men and women struggling with same-sex-attraction. If you are struggling with your sexual identity and would like to talk to someone, in safety and confidentiality, to see if Courage might help you in your struggle, then give us a call. In addition to safety, the ministry also offers acceptance, understanding, support, spiritual direction, sincere friendship and a Christian alternative to the usual same-sex lifestyle. For more information please phone John in complete confidence (NO call display) at 780-469-1010 ext. 249 or email: courage@edmontoncatholic-church.com  and check the international website at  www.CourageRC.net 
  • Encourage - a confidential Christian support ministry for the friends and loved ones of men and women struggling with same-sex-attraction. This ministry, through prayer and dialogue, works at understanding the same-sex-attraction issue and at coming to peace with its impact on their lives. The Encourage ministry, in addition to confidentiality and safety, offers understanding, education, support and friendship as people find new ways to love and accept the person caught up in a same-sex lifestyle. If you think the Encourage ministry might help, please call, in confidence (NO call display), John at 780-469-1010 ext.249 and/or check the international website at  www.CourageRC.net .
  • Spiritual Direction.

HEALTH AND PASTORAL MINISTRIES

  • Pastoral Care Visitor's Certificate Program - Watch this space for details of upcoming training workshops.
  • Parish Nursing Initiative and Promotion
  • Promotion of parish chapters (by St. Vincent de Paul).
  • Grief and Bereavement Certificate Program - Watch this space for details of upcoming training workshops.

CATHOLIC LIFE ISSUES 

  • Choose Life Workshop.
  • Project Rachel and Rachel’s Vineyard ~ healing the wound of abortion (Edmonton 424-4538) (Lloydminster 871-3584) www.rachelsvineyard.com
  • Education and awareness initiatives on the sanctity of Human Life Issues
  • Human Life Matters -ecumenical advocacy for disabled and life issues

SPECIAL CELEBRATIONS

  • Annual Sanctity of Human Life Celebration Sunday (first Sunday in October).
  • Annual Celebration of Life Mass, December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
  • Annual celebration of  World Day of the Sick, celebrated on Febraury 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.