Dear Friends of Community Health Center,

Vanessa Nicholas-Schmidt, the Program Director of Community Health Center, has accepted a position as the Manager of Mission and Values at Providence Healthcare beginning March 20, 2017. Though we are saddened at her leaving, Vanessa goes with our blessing and our prayers for her and her family as she navigates this transition. The presence and collaboration of our volunteers is even more necessary in the days ahead.

We at Community Health Center will miss our valued colleague and dear friend as we reflect on the many gifts she has brought to this ministry: intelligence, joy, creativity, theological expertise, organizational and administrative skills. And that is just the beginning of the list!

The “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” is Jan 18-25, 2017.
We invite you to pray in solidarity with all Christians:

Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
we thank you for this week of prayer for Christian Unity,
for being together as Christians
and for the different ways
we have experienced your presence.
Let us always praise your holy name together
so that we may continue to grow in unity and reconciliation.

In our work for unity may we be people of reconciliation and peace:
“Where there is hatred, may we sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.”

We pray this in the name of Christ, whose love compels us.

Amen

At the November 15 launch of Community Health Center’ Portraits of Faith: Young Adult Catholics Share their Stories, eighty-five friends and supporters celebrated with the 18 young adult authors (six men, six women and three couples) who hail from across Canada and beyond. The project had its genesis with Joe Sinasac, Publishing Director of Novalis, who noted that Pope Paul VI had described evangelization as most effective when it is done through the sharing of real-life stories. “We wanted,” he said, “to counter-act all the negativity swirling in the world around us about the Church and religious faith in general....Their stories are compelling, inspiring and full of hope and faith...accounts of real people who lived through various ups and downs, some facing very difficult challenges in their lives. A common thread through them all is the faith they share in Jesus Christ and his message of mercy and redemption.”

The Catholic Register writes,

"Combine a little walk, a little prayer, three churches and group of young people from a variety of faiths, and you have the makings of a pretty interesting Sunday afternoon in downtown Paris.

"It’s called a Hike and Prayer event, and on Nov. 6 it lived up to its promise for the group of young adults (age 18-35), with the added bonus of good weather and nice Paris downtown scenery."