Pakistan Relief Efforts

Recent flooding in Pakistan has affected 20 million people and claimed at least 1600 lives.  More than 650 000 homeless families are still without basic shelter.  This week Pope Benedict XVI urged the international community to offer “solidarity and concrete support” to flood-ravaged Pakistan.
Development and Peace is accepting donations which will be sent directly to Caritas Pakistan. Donations can be made directly on-line or by phone (1 888 664 3387).

Seminarian Dinner 2010

Photos:  Fred Happy
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Photos:  Sharon Buffett
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A Message from Archbishop O’Brien
April 2010

Dear Friends in Christ:

I write to you about a matter that concerns us all.  

I know that many of you have been troubled by the accounts of sexual abuse of minors by clergy and the manner in which this has been handled by some ecclesiastical authorities.  For the last number of weeks, we have been inundated with reports from several countries.

In the face of such a barrage of criticism, clergy and laity can feel discouraged and ashamed, even when we know that these crimes, extensive as they are, are not representative of the commitment of the Catholic clergy to their vocation.

First, it is important for us to acknowledge any failures in the past and to offer assistance to victims of sexual abuse.  However, the most positive thing we can do today is to strengthen preventative measures and reinforce the procedures to be followed for any cases which might arise in the future.

In the Archdiocese of Kingston, preventative measures already in place include the psychological testing of candidates for the priesthood, screening and police checks for all clergy and laity who work with minors, and a Code of Conduct for Clergy.  Also, over the last two years, the Advisory Committee on the Sexual Abuse of Minors has revised the procedures which are to be followed in cases of alleged sexual misconduct.  A workshop, which has been planned for some months, will be held for all priests and deacons in the coming week to explain the revised procedures.

You, the lay faithful, can help by praying for healing for the victims of sexual abuse, by cooperating with the screening procedures that have been put in place in each parish, by contacting the Children’s Aid Society if you are concerned about the welfare of a child, and by continuing to keep the clergy of the Archdiocese and me in your prayers, so that we will be able to carry on our ministry in the image of Christ, the Good Shepherd.

Sincerely in Christ,
+ Brendan M. O’Brien
Archbishop of Kingston

A Communicator for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kingston
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Prayer for Vocations

Eternal God
… Bless your  Church with holy and faithful Priests, Deacons, Brothers and  Sisters.  
Give those you have called  to the married  state and those you have chosen to live as single persons in the world, the special graces  that their lives require.  
Form us all in the likeness of your Son so that in him, with him and through him we may love you more deeply and serve you more faithfully, always and everywhere.  
With Mary we ask this through Christ our Lord.  
Amen.

Mission Statement

We, the community of God's People in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kingston, united by the Holy Spirit with lives rooted in the Gospel, proclaim with joy the resurrection of Christ and, as followers of the Risen Lord, under the patronage of Mary, the Mother of God, dedicate our lives in Christian service to all, especially to those in most need.

History of the Archdiocese

Catholic Population - 116,845
(2001 Census)
51 parishes and 20 missions Map

The Archdiocese of Kingston, located in Eastern Ontario, serves over 100,000 Catholics. It is Canada's oldest English-speaking Roman Catholic Diocese. It was founded on 27 January 1826, by the division of the Archdiocese of Québec, and became an Archdiocese on 28 December 1889.

The Archdiocese of Kingston comprises the counties of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, Prince Edward, and the southern portions of Hastings County; the counties of Leeds, Grenville, Dundas, and the southwestern part of Lanark.

The population is primarily Anglophone, although a considerable number of Francophones live throughout the Archdiocese. There is one exclusively French parish in the City of Kingston.

Many different cultures and communities of people are also served in the diocese. There is a Portuguese parish in Kingston, and there are apostolates to Hispanic, Ukrainian and Polish communities, as well as ministries to youth, to prisoners, to the deaf and to the aged and infirm.