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Four men preparing to be ordained to the permanent diaconate in the fall of 2020 were formally instituted as acolytes by Bishop Coyne at Mass at the Cathedral of St. Joseph Sunday, October 6. The Rite of Institution of Acolytes along with the Rite of Institution of Lectors (celebrated this past spring) are steps toward ordination. Lector and Acolyte are formal, life-long ministries in the Church, and allow the deacon candidates to gradually begin exercising the ministry of the word and of the altar.

Take your 8th, 9th, or 10th Confirmation students on a pilgrimage to St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Burlington! Students will learn about (and tour!) St. Joseph’s Cathedral, have an opportunity to prayerfully prepare for Confirmation, and learn more about the Sacrament. Bishop Coyne will join us to meet the students and share some words about Confirmation. The retreat will close with the 4:00pm Vigil Mass at the Cathedral. Saturday, October 26, 2019, from 11:30 AM - 5:00 PM at the Cathedral of St. Joseph Retreat Leaders: Michael Hagan (manager of religious education and catechesis) Bill Gavin (director of youth and young adult ministry) Space is limited and this day-retreat opportunity is first come-first served! To register, please fill out the form below and email/mail it to Michael Hagan (info below). The cost is $5/attendee and lunch is included. Note: candidates must attend in a parish group with adult chaperones – this is not a “drop off” program. REGISTRATION FORM Please mail/email registrations to: Michael Hagan – mhagan@vermontcatholic.org ATTN: Confirmation Retreats Diocese of Burlington 55 Joy Dr. South Burlington, VT 05403 Here are waivers you can use for students/adults for travelling, etc. These should be handled by the parish. Youth Registration, Medical Release and Permission Combined Form – Diocese of Burlington Adult Medical Waiver, Liability & Photo Release Agreement – Diocese of Burlington

The St. Nicholas Project works with people like you to help the boys and girls at the Kurn Hattin Homes in Westminster, Vermont. The back to school fundraiser collects financial donations in order to purchase shoes for the boys and first at the beginning of the school year. Kurn Hattin can accommodate 100 children ages 5-15. Last year children came from VT, NH, MA, NY, ME, RI and PA. Their reasons for admission include homelessness, physical, mental and substance abuse in the home, domestic violence and jailed parents. Kurn Hattin is a charitable organization which depends on donations from people like you. The Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Daughters in Vermont have been great friends to Kurn Hattin along with you. Please contact Fr. Lance Harlow. kurnhattin.org

17 APR Photo Credit: Diocese of Burlington Archives - Bishop Louis deGoesbriand (center) watches a parade from the front of the bishop’s residence in 1899. This is believed to have been his last public appearance. Cause for celebration: Bishop deGoesbriand to be recommended for sainthood. The first bishop of the Diocese of Burlington, Bishop Louis deGoesbriand, made God, the sacraments, education and assistance for the most vulnerable as accessible as possible to all entrusted in his care, explains Kathleen Messier, assistant archivist for the Diocese. Indeed, many consider him to have been a saintly man, and soon, the process to declare him officially a saint is to begin. Msgr. John McDermott, vicar general for the Diocese, said Burlington Bishop Christopher Coyne plans to announce the canonization cause at the conclusion of the last session of the current Diocesan Synod: “The first step, after the announcement of the process, is to develop and foster the cult/devotion of the faithful toward Bishop deGoesbriand.” The process is directed through the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Born in France, Bishop deGoesbriand devoted his priestly life to missionary service in America. When he arrived in Vermont in 1853, there were only eight churches throughout the state with five priests to minister to Catholics. “Bishop deGoesbriand, even though he was raised in a well-respected and well-to-do household, lived in austere simplicity,” Messier said. “In several biographical accounts of Burlington’s founding bishop, his Christ-like love of the poor and children has often been noted.” Though he had inherited from his parents about a quarter of a million dollars, by the time he died in 1899, he had spent his entire fortune; he had only $2.12 to his name and a few old suits, noted Father Lance Harlow, rector of St. Joseph Cathedral who wrote a biography of the bishop in 2001. Bishop deGoesbriand spent his funds on the purchase of church property, building churches, establishing and supporting an orphanage and helping the poor residents of Burlington as well as his priests who were struggling in poor parishes. “Researching his life forever changed the direction of my priesthood in that the saintly qualities of his life have become a model for me how to live: to devote myself whole-heartedly to my Diocese, to labor to promote the Catholic faith by writing and today by the internet; by teaching the history of great Catholics in the Diocese, to use my financial resources for the poor; and to have a deep trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary and in his motto that God will provide,’” Father Harlow said. There are no known miracles attributed to Bishop deGoesbriand, but his contemporaries had described him as “the saintly bishop.” In the 1930’s, there had been discussion about pursuing his cause for canonization, but in a missionary Diocese such as Vermont, “the needs of taking care of parishes precluded any serious investigation into his heroic life, so nobody ever pursued it,” Father Harlow said. Bishop Coyne was impressed with the sacrificial nature of Bishop deGoesbriand’s life and wanted to pursue the cause for canonization. Bishop deGoesbriand’s “life was lived in true service to the flock entrusted to his care,” Msgr. McDermott said. Saints with a connection to Vermont include St. Andre Bessette and St. Marianne Cope who had/have family in Vermont; Brother Joseph Dutton, a Stowe native who cared for lepers on Molokai for whom the Diocese of Honolulu has opened the cause canonization; St. John Paul II who visited Vermont while a cardinal; and St. Isaac Jogues and other North American martyrs who are believed to have done missionary work here. Steps to becoming a saint: A bishop launches an investigation of the candidate’s life. The Church will also investigate the candidate’s writings to see if they possess “purity of doctrine.” All of this information is submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. If considered worthy, the candidate is deemed a “Servant of God.” A Church official must prove — via documents and testimonies — the candidate lived heroic virtues. The congregation investigates if the candidate was motivated by a profound charity toward his or her neighbor and practiced the virtues in an exemplary manner and with heroism. Once approved, the candidate is deemed “Venerable.” Confirmation of a “miracle” is required. In verifying the miracle, the Church looks at whether God really performed a miracle and whether the miracle was in response to the intercession of the “Venerable.” If so, the person can be beatified and called “Blessed.” After beatification, another miracle is required for canonization and the formal declaration of sainthood. —Originally published in the Spring 2019 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.