ter 40 years of service, our former Verdin Carillon Bell System has expired, and with it the melodious sounds of bells. The bells ring everyday and when we celebrate Sunday Eucharist, Baptism, Weddings and Funerals. We also play seasonal music during Lent & Easter, as well as Advent & Christmas.

In March of 2013, parishioners reported hearing the church bells ring and said, "a new Pope must have been elected!" Indeed they were correct. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected Successor of St. Peter, the first Pope of the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere. He was inaugurated on the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19, 2013 and assumed the title of Pope Francis.

Our new state of the art digital system has been installed by Verdin! We are excited about its arrival! If you are able to contribute to this very worthwhile project, donations can be sent to our parish by mail, thru the collection basket or at the Parish Office! We thank you for your consideration of this request. In Canadian dollars, this project costs over $14,000.  We appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity!

We look foward to hearing our new carillon system in our parish community for many years to come!

True Reconciliation can only begin with the Truth



Messages / Documents: Saint Pope John Paul II





Meeting of Pope Benedict XVI with Canadian leadership of Indigenous Peoples

Pastoral Initiatives of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Expressions of Apology (1991 - 2021)

National Post - June 2, 2021

National Post - June 2, 2021

Today, I have promulgated in the Diocese of Pembroke The Policy and Procedures for the Prevention and Management of Sexual Abuse of Minors and Adults who in Law are the Equivalent of Minors. This document replaces the Protocol for Sexual Abuse Cases Involving Minors that has been in force since 2007. This revision has taken place in accordance with the obligation and desire of the Bishops of Canada to embody the Catholic Church’s teachings, laws and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2018 document Protecting Minors from Sexual Abuse. This revised protocol is the fruit of this commitment. Pastors are to review with, and document that, all parish employees and volunteers have read this revised document, which may be accessed on the diocesan website www.pembrokediocese.com.

In conjunction with our revised diocesan policy, I wish to apprise you that today, the CCCB unveiled the ClearView Reporting System, which is a centralized third-party mechanism to report allegations of abuse or the cover-up of abuse by bishops in Canada. The centralized ClearView Reporting System will ensure that allegations of abuse or the potential cover-up of abuse are conveyed to the proper ecclesiastical authority, as outlined in Pope Francis’  2019     motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi. This ClearView Reporting System may be accessed via www.cccb.ca or the link from our own diocesan website.

In Vos estis lux mundi, our Holy Father states “it is good that procedures be universally adopted to prevent and combat these crimes that betray the trust of the faithful’. Let us always pray for the healing of those who have suffered abuse and for the healing of their families. Let us work for the protection and well-being of all God’s holy people.

May God bless you in these times of rejoicing and festivities as we celebrate the birth of our Savior,

+Guy Desrochers, C.Ss.R.
 Bishop of Pembroke
 

Bishop Desrocher's delegate in matters pertaining to the Prevention & Management of Sexual Abuse of Minors and Adults who in Law are the Equivalent of Minors:

Father John Burchat
(St. Lawrence O'Toole Church, Barry's Bay, Ontario)

Deputy Delegate: Father Peter Proulx

The Policy & Procedures for the Prevention and Management of Sexual Abuse of Minors and Adults who in Law are the Equivalent of Minors


New Canadian Reporting System for Sexual Abuse
or coverup by a Catholic Bishop

Diocese of Pembroke - Decree on the Code of Pastoral Conduct for all Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, Employees & Volunteers
 

Specific application of the policy at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Petawawa
 

CODE OF PASTORAL CONDUCT: this decree is applicable to priests, deacons, seminarians, employees and volunteers engaged in ministries and services in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pembroke. It’s intent is to assist all in upholding Christian values and conduct as they minister to, or work with the People of God. In order that we may be in complete compliance with the letter and spirit of the ‘Code of Pastoral Conduct’, the following is important to note:

1) All appointments with father or any parish staff member or volunteer will only take place during regular office hours in the Parish Centre. Father will meet with individuals or couples in the Parish Centre in our meeting room (formerly the chapel). The door of this meeting room has been adapted to include glass.  The parish secretary and / or the director of religious education will always be made aware of individual or group meetings taking place with Father and will have full view into the room from the hallway. No group or individual appointments will take place in the priest’s house.



2) The door of the Confessional Room (located in the main foyer of the church) has also been adapted to include a large pane of glass.  Parents / Grandparents / Guardians are encouraged to stand at the door of the confessional room and observe when their children are celebrating the sacrament. In fact, anyone feeling the need for moral support can ask that a relative or friend stand at the door during the Celebration of Sacrament. Those desiring to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation in a more traditional confessional are invited to do so at one of the four Roman Catholic Churches in Pembroke.