Easter Letter 2024
Lenten Letter 2024
Bishop Bergie's Christmas Letter 2023
Easter Letter 2023
Lenten Letter 2023
Bishop Bergie Letter - Death of Pope Benedict XVI
Bishop Bergie's Christmas Letter 2022
Indigenous Reconciliation Fund
Program - Papal Visit to Canada July 2022
Diocese of St. Catharines Synod 2021-23 Consultation Summary Report
Bishop Bergie's Easter Letter 2022
Bishop Bergie's Lenten Letter 2022
Changes to Covid 19 Restrictions March 1 2022
Changes to Covid 19 Restrictions February 2022
Bishop Bergie's Christmas Letter 2021
Bishop Gerard Bergie's Pastoral Letter on Upcoming Synod
Amendments to Diocesan Protocols
August 13, 2021
Roadmap to Reopen
Diocesan Protocols Effective April 3, 2021
Bishop Bergie's Vaccines Letter 2021
Bishop Bergie's Easter Letter 2021
Bishop Bergie's Lenten Letter 2021
Bishop Bergie's Christmas Letter 2020
Diocesan Policy Regarding the mandatory use of face coverings
July 30, 2020
CHURCH REOPENING: INFORMATION FOR PARISHIONERS
JUNE 13, 2020
We look forward to welcoming our Catholic community home again!
Please contact your parish for information about their reopening schedule which will vary across the 44 parishes in the Diocese of St. Catharines. Church opening schedules will depend on each parish’s readiness, including having a team of cleaners and other volunteers, and availability of sanitizing and other PPE.
Since COVID-19 is still a public health threat, Catholics are dispensed from their obligation to attend Sunday Mass.
Many parishes will continue to livestream Masses and other liturgical celebrations.
Churches may be open to a maximum capacity of 30%.
Funerals and weddings in churches may be celebrated to a maximum capacity of 30%. Outdoor funeral services are limited to 50 attendees.
Please take appropriate precautions including taking your temperature before leaving home to attend Mass, ensuring proper hygiene especially hand washing. If you have any symptoms that might be COVID-19 related, or if you have been in contact with someone suffering from possible or confirmed COVID-19 symptoms, please remain at home and contact your doctor/public health.
Screening and public health protocols are in place. It is strongly recommended that parishioners over the age of three wear a mask when attending any church service. BYOM.
There will be no Children’s Liturgy of the Word at this time. Crying rooms will be closed.
We are taking precautions to protect the health and safety of everyone who comes into our churches. However, there can be no guarantee of complete protection from infection. There can be risks of contracting viral infection in large gatherings of people.
If you develop COVID-19 symptoms in the days following your attendance at Mass, please phone/email the parish office, in addition to contacting your doctor/public health.
Parish offices remain closed to the public at this time. Parish ministries, meetings and activities are still on hold.
Please address any questions or concerns to your parish, or you may direct them to the Diocesan Catholic Centre at diocese@saintcd.com.
Bishop Bergie's letter regarding the re-opening of churches on June 12, 2020
April 24, 2020
In solidarity with a number of Episcopal Conferences throughout the world, all dioceses and eparchies in Canada are asked to consecrate their dioceses to Mary, Mother of the Church, next Friday, May 1, 2020. We are asked to seek her maternal protection during the coronavirus pandemic. I will be doing this at the Cathedral, during a live streamed Mass in honour of St. Joseph the worker. The Mass will be celebrated at 12 noon.
On Sunday, May 3, there will be a Holy Hour at 3 p.m. in the Cathedral to celebrate The World Day of Prayer for Vocations. This will be live streamed, and I ask that you make this known to your parishioners. We should all be praying for an increase of vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and to the consecrated life in our diocese. Although you cannot be present physically, please join me spiritually in prayer and adoration.
I ask that you continue to remember in your prayers the victims of the mass shooting in Nova Scotia. We also pray for all of those affected by this senseless tragedy, especially the grieving family members of those who have died. May our Lord grant them comfort and peace.