Diocese of Saskatoon celebrates Chrism Mass

By Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News

Representatives from across the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon gathered on the Tuesday of Holy Week April 4 to celebrate an annual Chrism Mass with Bishop Mark Hagemoen at the Cathedral of the Holy Family.

The Holy Week celebration features the blessing of the sacred oils by the bishop – the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of Catechumens, and the Sacred Chrism – for use in sacraments in the year ahead. The Chrism Mass is also a celebration marking the anniversary of the establishment of the ministerial priesthood, which includes a re-commitment to priestly service by priests.

Milestone Anniversaries

At a banquet preceding the Chrism Mass, a number of milestone anniversaries of priestly ordination were highlighted by Bishop Hagemoen, including:

10 years – Fr. Colin Roy and Fr. Daniel Yasinski,
15 years – Fr. Francis Appiah-Kubi
20 years – Fr. Pius Schroh
25 years – Fr. Gerard Cooper, Fr. Andrew Wychucki and Fr. Murray Kuemper
35 years – Fr. Gerard Dewan
60 years – Fr. Lawrence DeMong, OSB; Fr. Ralph Kleiter; and Bishop Emeritus Gerald Wiesner, OMI
65 years – Fr. Albert Ulrich, OMI; and Fr. Bernard de Margerie

Bishop Mark Hagemoen presented papal blessings to Fr. Gerard Cooper (left) and Fr. Andrew Wychucki, who this year mark the 25th anniversary of ordination. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)