The Catholic Women’s League of Canada calls its members to grow in faith, and to witness the love of God through ministry and service. We welcome all women from the age of 16 on up.
We are a supportive, nurturing sisterhood which serves our parish, community, country and the world with joy and a great sense of fun. It is a place where you can share your Christian values and put your faith into action. There is a place for you in the CWL!
For more information or to join us,
brochures are available at the back of the Church
or contact Anne Helfrich at 403-502-6237.
DeanFitzpatrick Council # 1732
Chartered May 3, 1914
We are Catholic men who lead, serve, protect, and defend. We share a desire to be better husbands, fathers, sons, neighbours and role models and to put charity and community first.
Together, we’re empowering Catholic men to live their faith at home, in their parish, at work and in their community.
Interested in joining or want more information?
The Knights of Council 1732 extend a cordial invitation to you to join our council and help us maintain the quality of parish and community life we enjoy here at St Patrick’s. Since 1914, our Knights have been actively engaged in supporting our parish and the Medicine Hat community. We meet in the evening every 2nd Tuesday of the month from September thru June.
Our success lies in recruiting family and community orientated, Catholic men and like you, who are willing to devote the time and effort necessary to make a difference. Those of us who have been with the Knights have found these activities to be some of the most rewarding we have ever experienced. We are confident that you, too, will enjoy this affiliation. We hope you will join us in our efforts and enjoy our fellowship.
Vivat Jesus!
Grand Knight Kelly Mastel
Pope Francis recently unveiled and blessed a new sculpture in St. Peter’s Square dedicated to the homeless. It’s a life-size bronze statue titled "Sheltering" by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz. The new sculpture depicts a homeless person being covered by a blanket pulled over him by a flying dove.
It was conceived to shed light on the problem of homelessness in the world and to promote practical solutions in line with the mission of the 13 Houses Campaign, an initiative of the worldwide Vincentian Family, who are inspired by the life and work of St. Vincent de Paul. He “called together as many as he could, rich and poor, humble and powerful, used every means to inspire them with a sense of the poor – a privileged image of Christ – and urged them to help the poor directly and indirectly.”
At St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, we understand the significance of sacramental preparations in nurturing the faith journey of our community members. We are committed to guiding and supporting individuals and families as they prepare to receive these sacred sacraments.
What We Offer:
For more detailed information on our sacramental preparation programs, including schedules and important dates, please refer to our Bulletin or Calendar. We encourage you to stay updated on our upcoming events and sessions.
If you have any specific inquiries or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Parish Office at 403-526-2265. We are here to support you on your sacramental journey and look forward to sharing these meaningful moments of faith with you.
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process by which people become members of the Roman Catholic Church. The process is concerned with the total formation of the person into believing with the Church community (doctrinal formation), living with the Church community (practical formation), praying with the Church community (liturgical formation), and serving with the Church community (apostolic formation). This gradual development culminates in the celebration of the initiation sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist at Easter time.
The central and unifying principle of the Rite is conversion. By entering into the conversion journey through RCIA, people join the paschal journey of Jesus Christ and are introduced to Church doctrine, life, liturgy, and apostolic work. The Rite thus broadens the practice of “convert instruction” to allow for an all-inclusive and ongoing formation in the faith. The gospel message of conversion is the reason for becoming a Catholic Christian and the reason for remaining one.
The Rite is designed primarily for those seeking Baptism; that is, those not baptized previously. However, because of the nature of conversion as an ongoing reality, the RCIA can be adapted for those baptized in other Christian denominations, now seeking membership in the Roman Catholic Church. As such, the RCIA is a flexible process which respects the faith development of each individual while maintaining the ideals and vision of the Catholic community.
There are four stages of the RCIA: the Precatechumenate, or period of inquiry and evangelization; the Catechumenate, which is a time of serious and dedicated formation; the Period of Purification and Enlightenment, which coincides with Lent; and Mystagogy, which lasts from Easter to Pentacost. All of these stages are marked by distinct liturgical rites.
PRECATECHUMENATE / PERIOD OF INQUIRY
This is a time of no fixed duration for inquiry and introduction to gospel values, an opportunity for the beginnings of faith. You’re basically here checking us out to see if this is really what you want or if this is right for you.
PERIOD OF THE CATECHUMENATE
This is the time, in duration corresponding to the progress of the individual, for the nurturing and growth of the individual’s faith and conversion to God.
PERIOD OF PURIFICATION AND ENLIGHTENMENT / LENT
This is the time immediately preceding the elect’s initiation, usually the Lenten season. It’s a time of reflection and conversion in preparation for the rites of initiation.
PERIOD OF MYSTAGOGY
This time continues through Easter season, up until Pentecost. During this period, the new Catholics, or “neophytes”, are “deepening their grasp of the paschal mystery and making it a part of their lives through meditation on the Gospel, sharing in the Eucharist, and doing the works of charity.”
There is no set time period for the process of becoming a Catholic. However, the Church makes it clear that what is most important is ensuring adequate preparation takes place, and not meeting a schedule. Some may require more time, some maybe less, depending on their spiritual readiness. Whatever precedes it, though, the Sacraments of Initiation should normally be celebrated during the Easter Vigil Celebration.
People involved in the RCIA process are either catechumans or candidates. Catechumans are those who have never been baptized. Candidates are those who have been baptized in other Christian denominations, whose baptism is recognized as valid. There are special rites for unbaptized children who have reached the age of reason and are seeking to become Catholics. Also, the RCIA can be adapted for those who were baptized in the Catholic Church but have never learned or practiced their faith.
We meet every Tuesday from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM – we do break during the Christmas and Easter seasons.
As you are making a commitment to change your life, deepen your faith, and develop a closer relationship with God, it is expected that you will regularly attend weekend Mass. We have 3 Masses every weekend; you can choose to attend the Mass of your preference. Our Mass times are: Saturday at 5:00 PM, Sunday at 9:00 AM, and Sunday at 11:00 AM. If you are uncomfortable with attending Mass on your own, please attend with a family member or friend, or call one of our team members and you will be welcome to attend Mass with us. Every Tuesday evening, prior to RCIA, there is Mass held here at St. Patrick’s Church, starting at 7:00 PM – all participants are encouraged to attend.
Every Tuesday evening, prior to RCIA, there is Mass held here at St. Patrick’s Church, starting at 7:00 PM – all participants are encouraged to attend.
We strongly encourage that, if at all possible, if you have a spouse that your spouse attend RCIA with you. We believe that this is very beneficial for the couple as you journey through this process.
Each RCIA session will begin with a prayer and a time for sharing of your faith journey, how your life is changing, and other events happening in your life.
It is expected that you will do the required weekly assignment – mostly, it’s reading a handout that you will be given – which will be discussed the following week.
For more information about St. Pat’s Church RCIA, please contact the parish office (403-526-2265).
The Legion of Mary is a lay apostolic association of Catholics. It was founded in 1921 by Frank Duff in Dublin, Ireland. Venerable Frank Duff was inspired by the teachings of St. Louis Marie de Montfort. The Legion of Mary has spread to about 170 countries and has approximately 3 million Active members and 7 million Auxiliary or praying members. The Legion of Mary is the largest Catholic lay organization in the world. It is made up of both Active members, and Auxiliary, or praying members. The active members meet weekly and are required to carry out weekly apostolic work. The Legion of Mary of St. Patrick’s Church meets every Wednesday from 10:00 to 11:30 am.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Legion of Mary is welcome to attend a meeting or may contact Karen-Anne at (403) 526-0532. Active members are required to perform 2 hours of Active work each week and Auxiliary Members pray the Legion prayers that include the rosary each day. Some of the works performed by the Active members at St. Patrick's Church and Holy Family Parish include the following:
St. Patrick’s main choir sings at one or two masses every weekend accompanied by the Boston grand piano under the direction of Vicki Tellman. This group is very fortunate to have a guitarist and a cellist that join in regularly. They are also heard throughout the year at Easter, Christmas and any other special masses or services that take place. Their choir practices take place in the church on Thursday evenings at 6:30.
St. Patrick’s loft choir sings twice a month at the Saturday evening mass and is known for their more traditional style of music accompanied by the Ahlborn-Galanti organ under the direction of Susan Supeene. They are also heard during the Easter and Christmas seasons.
If you love to sing, please consider joining this wonderful ministry.
“To sing is to pray twice.”
