Eight young adults from the University of Victoria Catholic ministry team came to the diocese for a mission tour and experience of the North, thanks to Father Dean Henderson, UVIC chaplain, who is on sabbatical in Whitehorse diocese for six months.

After a three-day bus trip from Victoria, the group arrived, and after three days in the Yukon missions of Teslin and Atlin hearing the stories of our Tlingit Elders, set to work on a service project: painting the diocesan pastoral centre building.

Inspired by St. Joseph the Worker, Canada’s patron saint, this fine group of young adult Catholics and bishop were able to scrape, clean and paint the whole building in two and a half days! Wow! What a crew!

Geared and ready to paint.

Happy workers putting on first coat of paint.

And into the eaves we go...

Let's see if this paint will stick...

Brush of approval.

Oops, this here is a little harder to paint.

Green goes the window.

St. Joseph's happy workers: Carl, Nadia, Andrew, Nathan, Katherine, Tessy, Eric, Anna and Bishop Gary.

Of course, it was not all work. After dinner with the bishop, it was time for a hike along the Takhini River with Merlin in the lead.

The 978-kilometre drive is always a spring highlight for me, especially because I stop at Liard River Hot Springs for a long soak in the hot mineral waters to revive body and soul, while listening to the birds sing God’s praises.

Bishop Gary Gordon with the eight young Confirmands

Sacred Heart Church on the Ft. Nelson First Nations Reserve: a time of joyful praise at Mass.

Father Roger Lavoie serves this small community south of Ft. Nelson every Sunday.

Bishop Gary with Father Roger after Mass.

Traffic on the Alaska highway near Liard River: Traffic congestion and road rage have a whole new meaning in the North.

The Buffalo with Horns always have the right of way. Honk! honk!

The elegant simplicity of the Triduum liturgies and the devotion of the people in these communities is all the Easter blessing one needs to be graced with new life in Christ. Alleluia, Jesus is Risen!

Baptism of Pietro and Carla Gray’s child Carmelo at St. Theresa’s church in Telegraph Creek, British Columbia, during the Easter Vigil.

Easter Sunday with some of the folks at Our Lady of Lourdes mission in Iskut, British Columbia.

The little trailer church in Dease Lake, British Columbia, was alive with joyful praise of the Lord on Easter Sunday. One long-time parishioner commented that everyone in Dease Lake must have heard the singing: Alleluia, Alleluia!

The journey of Lent on frozen Teslin Lake, Yukon.

In photo, Bishop Gary Gordon checks the fish net for the day’s catch.

Carl and Joe of Tlingit First Nations doing things the old-fashioned way: working for their daily bread – fish.

A successful Lent is like a successful fishing trip, patient and faithful perseverance brings a good catch of God’s graces.

Some of God’s creatures on the roads less travelled: The fox, the eagle, and the moose.

One close encounter of the bear kind I experienced a couple of summers ago still has one big bear holding its head and me in amazement of God’s wonderful creation.

In August of 2010, I was heading South on the Alaska Highway, near the village of Teslin, Yukon. It was a sunny day, and I was looking forward to some fishing on Teslin Lake.

About a kilometre ahead, I saw a large black bear on the side of the road enjoying the fireweed flowers. I slowed slightly to get a better view of the magnificent creature. At the very last moment, the bear decided to try a dash across the highway! I hit the brakes and swerved, missing the bear, thank God! Then crunch, bang! I checked the mirror and there was the bear lying flat out on the road. I drove to place to turn around wanting to go back and check the bear’s vital signs, ax in hand.

The bear had run into the wheel and fender of the boat trailer I was towing. As I approached within 20 metres, I saw the bear now sitting up with one giant paw on its head. At 10 metres, the bear heard me driving slowly toward it. The bear turned to see what was happening, and when it saw my truck and me approaching, it leaped off the road like a shot!, and literally flew in one bound into the bush.

I thank God that I did not have to use the ax. I think a bloody nose and one whopping headache was plenty for that day’s bear antics. I was grateful the bear survived and I did not have to get out of the truck.

More of God’s creatures, no less magnificent.

Please join the Knights of Columbus in Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 7:30 PM at Mt. McIntyre, Grey Mountain Room.

Join us for a hearty serving of Irish stew and/or Soup
Live Entertainment Provided by: THE LEESIDERS.

Cash Bar with the Option of GREEN BEER!!!!

Come and Dance a Jig!!!!! To Good Irish Music

Tickets: $30.00 Single $50.00 Double

For Tickets and Information, please call Les Hickey at 393-2105 or John Robbins at 668-7049

The gathering of the Holy Family Apostolate, which comprises our missionary families, meets once a month for prayer and reflection on the mission and gift of the family in ministry. The gathering and meal was held at Mary House (Madonna House) in Whitehorse, Yukon.

The family (or Domestic Church) is truly at the heart of the New Evangelization.

The Feast of the Holy Family brings the ultimate meaning to the whole Christmas season. God is born for us in the family of Joseph of the House of David, who was engaged to Mary, who had conceived Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Christmas season is a graced time for families traveling great distances to be together and to celebrate in a special way the source and summit of their faith, Jesus, present among us in the Holy Eucharist.

With the help of two visiting priests, seven priests including myself travelled about 5,000 kilometres on Christmas Eve, so all 22 of our parishes and missions could celebrate Christmas Mass.

Onward..... Dasher and Prancer!! and Rudolph too!

Jade City, B.C.: One family is the whole Catholic congregation in this “road-maintenance” village of 14 people.

Sr. Elizabeth McCarron CND, Dease Lake B.C.

Notre Dame Sister Elizabeth McCarron, C.N.D., Dease Lake, B.C.: 18 years in a trailer that serves as home and church. This small mission community reminds me so much of “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem.”

St. Mary Magdalene mission, Dease Lake , B.C.

St. Theresa mission, Telegraph Creek, B.C.: All is ready!

Baby Joseph and Mom Jolene and Dad Willford made it all so real!  At the Midnight Mass and Baptism in Our Lady of Fatima mission, Iskut, British Columbia.

The feast of Christmas, unfolds for the world and for us who believe in Jesus, our savior, the great journey of God coming among us as man and the journey of mankind to God. The whole Christmas season is revealed in Sacred Scripture, as a pilgrimage of faith and life.

The Angel Gabriel is sent from heaven to earth to announce to Mary that she is to be the mother of the Most High. Immediately Mary goes in haste to the hill country of Judah to visit her cousin Elisabeth. As the time for Mary to give birth draws near, she and her husband Joseph must journey to Bethlehem, and finding no room at the Inn, Jesus is born away from home. With the birth of our savior the pace of the journey picks up and we see shepherds going in haste to see for themselves the news of great joy that an Angel announced to them. The Christmas season winds down with the mysterious visit of the Magi from afar, and eventually the flight into Egypt of the Holy Family to escape the persecution of King Herod.

It is so perfect that Christ’s Church is called “The Pilgrim Church” in the Constitution of the Church in Vatican II. Chapter VII. God’s eternally begotten Son has been sent among us to bring us and all of creation home to communion with our Creator.

For myself the journey to Inuvik this past June for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), was a graced moment to meet with the meaning of our Saviors birth. A beautiful reminder of the journey with Christ. With the swarms of mosquitos, rough roads and flat tires the sun did not go down, and the light did not diminish despite the dark shadow of sin and pain covering the earth. The dawn of Jesus’s birth lights the journey and accomplishes what people can only faintly attempt in the journey of truth and reconciliation.

Yes, indeed, God has set out towards us. God has traveled the longer part of the journey. Now God invites us in this Christmas season: come and see how much I love you. “To you is born this
day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Merry Christmas to you and your families.

Gary M. Gordon
Bishop

Christ The King church in Mayo

A beautiful Advent dawn breaks over Big Salmon Lake in the Yukon.

John and Irene Morin, pastoral administrators of the Mission, are ready to welcome the birth of Jesus our Saviour and all people of goodwill to the church for Christmas Eve Mass when Father John Vines arrives from the nearby mission of Faro.

The principal of our Catholic High school in Whitehorse joined me for the 825-kilometre Sunday drive, to Faro and Ross River for Mass.

Like Mary and Joseph on the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem that first Christmas, the Church’s mission is the same today: To be Christ-bearers like Mary, and bring to birth in the hearts of all the Son of God.

Ed Frisson, Vanier Catholic School principal, commented on our return journey: “John and Irene sure love the people and the mission in Ross River.”

St. Michael’s Mission Church all-lit and ready for Christmas Eve Mass.