Opening to New Possibilities

In 2015, after 31 years of ministry in Northern British Columbia and Yukon, I was asked if I was willing to accept an obedience to Ottawa, to be pastor at St. Joseph’s Parish.

Having been born and raised in Alberta, done all my post-secondary studies there and then having ministered there for so long, going “east” was never really on my horizon. Sure, I spent my novitiate year in Arnprior and was at St. Paul’s for a couple of semesters, but those were interludes of short duration and I knew I was heading west again. All of my ministry was in the west, mostly in smaller communities as well as in some fairly isolated First Nations communities. After 14 years of combining parish ministry in a small city, diocesan administration and ministry in First Nations communities as well as sacramental ministry in a couple of small (20-30 household) isolated parishes, I had also decided that I was ready to step back from pastoral ministry and prepare for service within and to my Oblate community. Besides that, after living alone for most of the 31 years in the north-west, I was also being asked to become part of a new community being formed in Ottawa.

Being part of the Provincial Council that set the Renewing Our Life and Mission process in place and then made the decisions necessary to implement the conclusions, I knew that I had only one option. I had to be open to this challenge, despite any fears or apprehension I had about moving to a totally different part of the country living in community again (mostly with people I had not met before). If we were asking others to accept new challenges and ministry and move across the nation, I could not close myself off from the same kind of invitation.

So it was that on November 1, 2015 I was installed as pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish in Ottawa. I knew next to nothing about the parish before arriving, beyond the bare facts: it is in downtown Ottawa, next door to the University, is a social-justice oriented parish community – and did I mention it is in a big city! I am not a big city person. Deep down I’m a country person and am much more comfortable in more rural settings.

Being solely in parish ministry again, I rediscovered the joy of parish ministry. Given the large staff at St. Joseph’s and the fact that they take care of all the administration for the parish, I was free to focus primarily on the pastoral ministry. What a refreshing change and what a gift to be so readily available to everyone: long time parishioners, the sick and dying,  the university students who are part of the parish community and gather for various activities, the students who are walking by and on a whim drop in for a chat, for a shoulder to cry on or a priest with whom to celebrate Reconciliation. Celebration Sunday evening Eucharist with up to 150 university students and doing chaplaincy hours at the university has given me the opportunity to connect with young adults as they set the course for their lives. It is a real privilege to be invited to journey with them and the journey is a real learning experience.

Being in Eastern Ontario has also opened up new possibilities to learn more about the history of our wonderful country. Whether it is paddling the 200 km of the Rideau Canal system or hiking some of the trails in the area or visiting the surrounding communities and their museums or attending various festivals and events, I am gaining new perspectives on our history and our present reality.

What I have learned is that when a door, or gate opens, move through it into the marvelous possibilities on the other side. I never cease to be amazed at what I discover on the other side!

By Richard Beaudette, OMI