An online meeting was held on March 25, 2025, at 6:30 PM, bringing together key representatives from the Diocese of Calgary and Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM) Canada. The participants included Rev. Adrian Martens from the Diocese of Calgary, Anthony Banka, MTh., MSc., CCC., who serves as the Pastoral Ministry Coordinator for the Diocese of Calgary, Rev. Shaji M. L., C.S.C., the National Director of HCFM Canada, and Mr. Anto Cyriac, the Office in Charge at the HCFM National Office. The meeting provided an opportunity for collaboration and discussions on pastoral initiatives, strengthening family prayer movements, and exploring potential areas of involvement in the Diocese of Calgary and HCFM Canada. Each one contributed their insights and expertise, fostering a constructive dialogue aimed at promoting spiritual growth and outreach efforts within the Diocese.
The online meeting began with a prayer led by Rev. Adrian Martens, setting a reflective and collaborative tone. Participants then introduced themselves and their roles, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose. The central focus of the discussion was on enhancing the prayer life of families, youth, and the wider community, with a particular emphasis on the Rosary. Fr. Shaji M. Lucka, National Director of Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM) Canada, shared his vision to expand HCFM’s presence in the Diocese of Calgary, following a positive and fruitful meeting with His Grace, Bishop William Terrence McGrattan on February 12th at the Chancery in Calgary. One of the key objectives is to establish a lay association in Calgary, modeled after successful initiatives already in place in Toronto and Hamilton. The discussion also included potential outreach activities such as distributing rosaries and prayer leaflets, Visiting schools to encourage family prayer and providing prayer resources to parishes and local communities. Fr. Martens provided valuable insights into the process of registering a lay association within the diocese, which includes completing the necessary documentation, obtaining official diocesan recognition, and building relationships with individual parish pastors.
Fr. Shaji noted that while the ministry is still in its early stages in Canada, there are concrete plans to expand its outreach to schools and parishes in the near future. The meeting concluded with a clear action plan: Anthony will assist Fr. Shaji in initiating the registration process for the new lay association in Calgary, marking a significant step forward in establishing Holy Cross Family Ministries’ presence within the Diocese.