Pastoral Note 25
September 1, 2025 – World Day of Prayer for Creation
My Dear People,
The Bishop’s Barbecue was a tremendous success. It was good to see about fifty-four clergy at Monastery on Wednesday, August 27. On the feast of St. Augustine, August 28, we celebrated the beginning of the 200th Anniversary Year of Our Lady of Grace Monastery with a Mass, self-guided tours, and in-person and video presentations, followed by supper.
Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month
As you know, September 1 marks the solemn 86th anniversary of the invasion of Poland and the beginning of World War II in 1939. Our world today desperately needs prayers for peace.
We celebrate September as Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month. The theme for 2025 Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month is Przyroda/Nature. This theme connects Polish culture with Nova Scotia’s natural landscapes, featuring activities that highlight the beauty of the outdoors and introduce Polish words related to nature, according to the Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month website.
Season of Creation A Call to Care for Our Common Home
In his newly released message marking the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (celebrated annually on September 1st and through to October 4th, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi), Pope Leo XIV calls on the faithful to become “seeds of peace and hope” in a world marked by division and fragility.
Drawing upon the biblical image of the seed, the Pope compares Jesus to a grain of wheat “that must die in order to bear fruit” (cf. John 12:24), underscoring how life emerges unexpectedly from apparent endings—just as seeds sprout through concrete and barren soil. He urges: “In Christ, we too are ‘seeds of peace and hope,’” envisioning a renewed creation in which justice and peace flourish.
The Holy Father invites the faithful to take part in this Season, which falls within the Jubilee Year of Hope. It offers a privileged opportunity for renewal, peace, and solidarity.
Read the full text of Pope Leo XIV’s message on the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation:
Atlantic Episcopal Assembly
We have our meetings with the Atlantic Bishops this week in Halifax. Among other items, we will be discussing the 2026 Ad Limina Visit to Rome.
Canonization Celebration
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and Blessed Carlo Acutis, whose relic visited our diocese last fall, will be canonized saints by Pope Leo XIV in Rome on Sunday, September 7. The canonizations of the two young saints, one from the early twentieth century and the other from the first twenty-first century, have been greatly anticipated due to the great devotion among the faithful.
The canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, who was beatified in Assisi on October 10, 2020, had originally been scheduled for April 27, the Second Sunday of Easter, to coincide with the Jubilee of Teenagers, while Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati’s canonization had been set for August 3, the culmination of the Jubilee for Youth. The postponement of Blessed Carlo’s canonization was announced on the day of Pope Francis’ death on April 21, and it was widely assumed that Blessed Pier Giorgio’s canonization would similarly be delayed. We look forward to their canonizations on September 7.
Reopening of Holy Family Church
Holy Family Parish in Sydney Mines joyfully invites all to the reopening of their Church on Sunday, September 7, at 10:00 a.m. The Church is located at 905 Main Street, Sydney Mines. There will be a reception in the Parish Hall following Mass.
Mass of the Holy Spirit
The Mass of the Holy Spirit will be offered at the StFX University Chapel on Sunday, September 7, at 5 p.m. At the beginning of each academic year, Catholic colleges and universities across the country gather together to celebrate and offer this Mass of the Holy Spirit. It provides an opportunity to invoke God’s blessings on students, faculty and support personnel as we embark on a new academic year. We pray for the safety of everyone as we begin a new school year.
Thank You
I want to express my gratitude to Father Peter LeBlanc for his assistance at St. Pierre Church, Cheticamp, and St. Joseph Church, St. Joseph du Moine, both before and after the passing of Father Pierre Antoine St. Cyr, C.S.C., who died on Tuesday, April 1, 2005, in Cheticamp. Starting September 1, Father Daniel Tshimbalanga CFIC (Sons of the Immaculate Conception) will serve as the Administrator of both St. Pierre Church, Cheticamp, and St. Joseph Church, St. Joseph du Moine. Thank you, Father Peter.
May God bless all students and teachers as the school year and parish catechetical programs commence.
Fraternally,
+ Wayne Joseph Kirkpatrick
Bishop Wayne Joseph Kirkpatrick
Bishop of Antigonish
