The Good News - John Paul II Bible School

The Good NewsMESSENGERA publication of the John Paul II Catholic Bible SchoolVol. 24 No.1 Fall 2007www.jpii.netWelcome Class of 2007­081

It has been my great blessing tohave directed ten of the classesthat attended John Paul II BibleSchool. One thing seems obviousto all: God hand­picks the membersof every class. You could almostsay there is a group personality, a way the Holy Spirithas of uniting them in a bond of love and friendship. There isanother way that the Spirit unites all those who come here, theRoyal Road of the Cross. Today I was sharing with studentswhat joy they receive from the Lord when they first meet Him.It is like a honeymoon, a heaven on earth, a Mount Tabor experience.As St. Peter said, "Lord, it is wonderful to be here!Let us build three tents and stay here!"What was Jesus' response? He immediately beganto talk about His Passion, Suffering andDeath. Even as I see our students rejoicingin the Lord, my joy is always temperedby the sure knowledge that they too willhave to come down the mountain. They willsoon discover that they have brought all theirbags and baggage with them. Their sin andweakness has followed them to Bible School,and this is what the Holy Spirit wants to dealwith. The Holy Spirit wants them to recognizeand admit their sinfulness, and consequently,their awesome need for the lovingmercy of Jesus Christ. How is this accomplished?The disciple is not above hismaster, and everything that happened to Jesusis meant in some way to happen to us. Itis in this life that we find the pattern for ourown spiritual walk. By turning to Scripture and keepingour eyes on Jesus, we discover the wisdom and plan of Godfor a Spirit­filled life. Consider what took place when it wastime for Jesus to begin His public ministry. A huge crowd witnessedHis baptism in the Holy Spirit. There was much supernaturalpower in evidence, including a wonderful blessing fromGod the Father, "You are my Son, the Beloved, my favourrests on You." (Mt. 3:16­17) Heaven was torn open and theHoly Spirit was visible to all in the form of a dove. There wasacclamation and prophetic words were given by an approvedprophet in the community, John the Baptist. John foretold wonderfulevents that would surround the life of Jesus. He wouldusher in the Kingdom of God on earth; He would set men'shearts aflame with the love of God. (Lk. 3:15­18) Were therenot some similar supernatural occurrences surrounding our ownbaptism in the Holy Spirit? Were there not prophecies spokenover us that gladdened our hearts, causing us to shed tears ofDirector’s MessageKilian O’Donovan, Director of JP II Bible SchoolIt is the Spiritof God who isdeliberatelychoosing forus a desertplace.There is noother way.joy? Maybe a word of knowledge touched our innermost beingand revealed that God knew our name, was personally awareof a present problem, or indicated a future plan for our lives.The seeming opaqueness of heaven was torn aside and we suddenlyunderstood that we were the beloved son or daughterof God. The Holy Spirit had descended upon us. Truly, aday of joy had dawned for us. Prayer was a delight and Scripturefull of meaning. Then, as suddenly as it began, that glorioustime of face to face meeting with God seems to end. Thejoy and desire for prayer are gone. Consolations are now onlya dim memory. No longer do we experience the sweet presenceof the Lord. Instead, we are faced with our own wildbeasts of anger, jealousy, pride and rebellion. "What is thematter, what is going on?" we ask ourselves,"Doesn't God love me any more, have I offendedHim?" We seem to be lost in a verita­ble wilderness, a dark desert where there is nolight. St. Mark tells us that after the marvellousevents of Jesus' baptism, the Spirit droveHim out into the desert to be tempted by satan.He was surrounded by wild beasts and Hefasted and prayed for forty days. (Mk. 1:12)Here in Jesus' life we see the answer for ourown bewildering experience. It is the Spirit ofGod who is deliberately choosing for us adesert place. There is no other way. Again andagain throughout Scripture we see God leadinghis people into the desert to fast and pray,to be tempted, strengthened and purified. Thebook of Deuteronomy clearly articulates thewisdom of the Spirit in allowing us to be sotempted. "Remember how Yahweh your Godled you for forty years in the wilderness to humble you, to testyou and know your innermost heart, whether you would keepHis commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feelhunger. He fed you with manna, which neither you nor yourfathers had known, to make you understand that man does notlive on bread alone, but that man lives on every word that comesfrom the mouth of God. The clothes on your back did not wearout and your feet were not swollen all those forty years. Learnfrom this that Yahweh your God was training you as a mantrains his child, to keep the commandments of Yahweh yourGod, and so follow his ways and reverence Him." (Dt.8:2­6)The Holy Spirit wants to dispossess our students of all theirfalse gods. In the wilderness of their own hearts He impelsthem to identify these falsities and make a clear decision thatthey must go. At this point, many falter and cling desperatelyto their idols: a relationship, love of money, worldly entertainmentsand so on. The desert is the place where we see these2Continued on page 7

Schools of Evangelization:the visionspreadsThe following letter from Bishop Luc appearedrecently in the August 27, 2007 Issue of the WesternCatholic Reporter.JPII Bible School Report CardAnother school year is about to commence. This isalso the reality for the John Paul II Bible School. Iam writing to you this letter in order to inform yourreaders on the growth of the John Paul II BibleSchool in Radway and its positive influence onother schools of Evangelization. I would qualifythis influence as international.There are now five schools of evangelization, three inCanada, one in Knock, Ireland, and one in Auckland, NewZealand. The schools are autonomous and yet have asimilar spirit because they all have a connection to theJohn Paul II Bible School in Radway.Kevin Lynch, a former student, guided the establishmentof the Irish school and he is now the associate directorfor the school in Bruno, Saskatchewan.Gilbert Veilfaure, a fifth year student from Radway,founded the school in St. Malo, Manitoba. The foundersof the New Zealand school came to the John Paul IIBible School for several weeks to study the model ofRadway.Further, a member of their board of directors is a graduateof the John Paul II Bible School. In addition, RuthSchafers, the former prayer journey coordinator inRadway is in charge of a similar program there.Each of the above schools has their own variation andindependence.For example, Bruno started out with the idea of being asecond year program for the John Paul II Bible Schoolgraduates. The original intent for St. Malo was that itwould be a bilingual program. Although that has changed,the school maintains a post­secondary program. Further,its mandate now includes a Catholic summer day campas well as weekend retreats for high school studentsthrough out the summer.Radway continues to be a place of transformation of mindand heart for post­secondary level young adults, a placewhere they put on the mind of Christ while shedding thespirit of the world.These schools surely are responding to spiritual need ofyouth today. I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit is workingthrough these humble instruments in order to bringnew life in the Church of Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland.These schools of evangelisation should in no way beviewed in competition with each other. Rather, they arecomplementary and continuing the work of evangelisationto youth and by youth in the modern world as urgedby our recent Pontiffs.Consequently it is my hope that all those of good will willrecognize the good fruit produced by these schools. Aschair of the board of governors of the John Paul II BibleSchool and other board members with me, we continue tooversee the growth as well as support the John Paull IIBible School as it seeks to carry out its own special missionand develop its own special charism.+ Luc Bouchard, Bishop of St. PaulPresident of the Board of the John Paul II Bible School3

Student Reflections4CURTIS ARVAYOlds, ABThis is an awesome place tobe right now. There is somuch friendship and lovethat I can experience. I hopeto grow closer to Jesus in apersonal way.I love what I have experiencedalready. This placemakes me feel that I can bemyself and not try to be someone else. The friendsthat I make here will help me in the future and helpme grow.CATHERINE JEANSONLorette, MBI was so excited to be comingto John Paul II BibleSchool and looking forwardto meeting new people.I felt the school wouldbe very spiritual, evenstrict; a place where I couldbecome a saint.KRISTEN BOSKILLSaskatoon, SKI have enjoyed Bible Schoolso far. It's been really amazingand awesome gettingto know everyone andspending time together.The almost instant fellowshipthat our class has is sowonderful to have. Ithought it would take a long time to get to knoweveryone and to bond as a whole group, but so far Ihave not seen any cliques which brings me a lot ofjoy and peace. Since I came off a year with NET, alot of the talks I have heard or rules I have heard arepretty familliar to me. However, prayer journey isvery new and I am really excited for it. The testimonieshave been so awesome and have helped meknow the staff better. I am very excited for theupcoming year, and I know God has many wonderfuland beautiful plans.JOSHUA KRISTENSENSorrento, BCALPHONSE BRODNERDysart, SKBible School has been for mein this first week a time offellowship and openness. Ifind myself being able to beopen and honest with theguys and I barely know themand yet there is a sense thatwe've known each other foryears. I find it easy to prayand open myself to God. Theenvironment here is truly amazing.I find that there is enough to do but also enough free timefor bonding. Overall I've had a good first week.I came here hoping to find a lotof great people strong in theirfaith, and that's exactly what Ifound. Most even seem to knowmore about Catholicism than me,including the songs. It's great tosee so many people like that andto be in their company. I can'twait to see all of us grow and evolve in every aspect ofour lives.KAREN BELOINBattleford, SKBible School has been wonderfulso far. Everybody's been really,really, nice and it's awesomehow our class came together soeasily. There were fewer peoplethan I expected but I've alwaysliked smaller classes and groupsbecause it lets us get to know each other more personally.My roommates are awesome and all the staff are reallygreat. I love the fact that we get to go to Mass nearly everyday.Prayer meeting was the most beautiful, most powerful,most moving experience I've ever had the honour totake part in.

Student ReflectionsJESSICA BOURKEEaglesham, ABMy first week has been reallyhard, adjusting to different peopleand a new way of life for me.The first couple days were brutal.I felt alone, depressed, andscared, angry and really, reallymiserable. I wanted nothingmore than to go home. It's beengetting easier, though. I thinkonce I just accept the fact that I am here and have nochoice but to stay, it will be easier. Thank God for theart room. It is most definitely my favourite place. I canturn up the music and just be me in there, and it's awesome!MICHAEL DEBUSSCHEREClyde , ABMy first week at Bible Schoolhas been interesting. I havebeen able to stay up late or goto bed early. I also made a lotmore friends than I thought Iwould. I've had some emotionalhealing on Thursday duringprayer night, but all in all, thisweek has been fantastic.SARAH DOWNEYHuntsville, ONLast night during the prayermeeting was the first time I reallyfelt at home here. Yesterday wasmy first day here and during theday I was struggling with all thedifferences. Every single thingabout my daily life has changedcompletely in the past two days and I think that willtake me a couple weeks to get used to. If I have friendswho share my faith, it makes missing my family andfriends back home that much easier. I'm really lookingforward to this year. I know this was God's planfor me.JOHNNA JAYKOTaloyoak, NUIt's my first time in a Catholicschool. I'm trying to adjust tothe system. Everyone is awesome.I'm trying to get used to songsof praise because we don'thave that in our mission. I needhelp opening my heart to Jesus100% and I know I will adjustto everything throughout the year. The staff is awesomeand very welcoming and very understanding. I know Iwill be okay and good in the end when I turn to God.BOB MILLERBattleford, SKTERESA BARUTASpruce Grove, ABI felt an inner peace that this iswhere I am supposed to be thisyear. Everyone was friendlyand open to receiving me. Asense of belonging but alsooverwhelmed with why I amhere. My expectation is to findwho I am and to put Jesus firstin my life.In the wee hours of the morningon the day I was to registerat John Paul II, I awakened tonervousness and apprehension.As silly as it sounds, thosefeelings hadn't been aroused inme in many years.They came because mythoughts, as the only Protestantat school, was that at my age I would be out of place.Out of place because the next oldest person was lessthan half my age, but most importantly, these youngpeople would already be far ahead of me in their ChristianFaith and their Catholicism. But I arrived and registeredand I was made to feel welcome immediately.My age and my renewal to Christendom was going tobe a lot smoother than I thought. My friends have becomereceptive to me and my questions, and the manyquestions still to come!5

Student ReflectionsRÉAL LAVOIE. Bonnyville, ABSo far at the Bible School Ihave felt a lot of peace comeover me. It is a great feelingso I have enjoyed alot ofthings at JPII. I just pray formy vocation to be knownbefore I leave JPII. Thankyou Jesus for everything andI hope you can help me this year! Amen!MARIE ROBINWinnipeg, MBI was really happy to see howwelcoming everyone was. I immediatelyfelt comfortable andvery close to calling it home. Ifound it a very easy transitionperiod. I was amazed how everyoneseemed to mesh and justhave such a great time witheach other. I am so happy I decided to come to JohnPaul II!ADELE LEBLANCDomremy, SKMy experience at Bible Schoolso far is both challenging andexciting. I say exciting becauseits a new year and I getto learn something new. I'malso living and getting toknow these amazing peoplehere with me. Although at thesame time, it's a lot of what I expected it to be. I'd saychallenging because I don't have the greatest relationshipwith God, so at the moment I don't know what todo with the clutter I found in my heart. I've been emotionalbut again, I hear that's what happens at BibleSchool.CHRIS RODERICKSt. John, NBThe experience that I havehad in the last week has beenvery interesting. The secondI showed up I realised thatthe pictures on the websitehad me fooled but in a goodway. Being here just feels soright for this stage in my life.The openness that I have withthe guys and vice versa is really great.KATIE MADDENWinnipeg, MBWhen I arrived I was verynervous. I knew no one hereand and did not expect suchloving and open arms to greetme.I loved the prayer meeting; itreminded me almost of theones back home. I have nowgone up to the friendship stage and moving on to thefamily stage. There is much to learn here and I am lookingforward to growing spiritually, physically, and mentally.Everything is close by, and Mass is every day. Yes!ROSEMARIE BRENNANDownpatrick, N.IrelandBeing at JPII Bible School is awonderful opportunity topractice being a Christian todayin a real practical way. It’san experience for me as itgives me personal and spiritualformation, to be able toknow about my faith, but toact it out as well. Not only do we need to knowour faith academically, but it’s forming me as aperson.6Contact us if you would like to receive ahand­made rosary. They’re great giftideas! We accept donations as payment.FaithBuildersComing in November ­ our ADVENTCALENDAR ­ a great way to prepare yourfamily for Christmas!

Student ReflectionsMICHELLE RONDEAUGibbons, ABLINDSAY SIERHUISKelowna, BCI like Bible School. I like myroomate Jessica.The class is very respectful andthe staff are kind. I have connectionswith Wendy, Kilian andMelinda, etc.I feel comfortable and safe here.I worry about my prayer journey.I'm not thrilled about it and it maymake me depressed, but I'm glad that the chapel is available.When I first arrived I felt lonelyand scared, insecure, like thefirst day of school. I arrived nearthe end of the BBQ. When everyonebegan to separate, togroup together, it was a hugerelief to have Karen and Teresaapproach me and make me feelcomfortable. Also my cousinRéal is here, someone I am veryfamiliar with. This common connection reminded me ofhome, very comforting.NAQUITA WILLIAMSSpruce Grove, ABWhen first arriving to theBible School, I kind of knewwhat to expect to a certain degree.But at the first class onTuesday we began with Praiseand Worship, I really felt thepower of God. I knew that Ihad come to the right place toget to know God personally.Also at our first prayer meetingI was prayed over. I was surprised at the power andfeeling that came over me.I really sensed God's presence.ADAM URKOWCamrose, ABSo far this week has beenfilled with intense fellowshipfocussed around ourLord and Saviour, JesusChrist. For one, this is a hugeblessing because I only havea handful of Christianfriends back home. I havefound that I can relate parts of my own life to the varioustestimonies throughout the week. God is so evidentin my brothers and sisters in Christ. You can sensethe love at meals and during games. There's no swearing,anger, or desire to put one another down. The charismaticaspect of the Bible School is truly a blessing.Coming from a very traditional Catholic parish andbeing (for lack of a better term) a more liberal Catholic,I thoroughly enjoyed the prayer meeting last nightand the worship times. The worship is amazing!Director’s Messagecont’d from page 2things clearly for what they are: obstacles that prevent usfrom going on with the Lord. This can be a painful experience.Our God is a jealous God and He will search everyhidden corner of our hearts until along with Jesus, we decisivelyrebuke satan in the words of the first commandment:"You must worship the Lord your God and serve Him alone."(Lk. 4:8). Luke 4:1 tells us that Jesus was filled with theSpirit when He was led out into the desert. In verse 14, however,after the successful conquest of temptation, the evangeliststates that "Jesus with the power of the Spirit in Him,returned to Galilee." He was now ready for ministry to dothe work of God in power. This too is the plan of God forour students, His Spirit­filled people. After their time oftesting in the wilderness, God wants to fill them with power,"To bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to thecaptives, and to the blind, new sight; to set the downtroddenfree, to proclaim the Lord's year of favour."HOW TO CONTACT US:John Paul II Bible SchoolBox 99, Radway, AB, T0A 2V0780­736­3833www.jpii.net7

JPII Welcomes Father ZbigiOne of the many lessons a student at John Paul II BibleSchool learns is that God will look after our needs, nomatter how big or how small. Staying true to His word,the Lord has once again taken care ofus here at the Bible School.The beginning of the year found us witha new parish priest, Father ZbigniewBebenek.Father Zbigi was born in Poland onJune 3 rd , 1965 to a Catholic family thatconsisted of his parents and an olderbrother. From the time he was fifteen,Father Zbigi knew that he wanted to bea priest. However, it wasn’t until heturned twenty­one that he joined theseminary to pursue his dream.On April 23, 2004, Father Zbigi movedto Canada and began to serve in theCalgary diocese until he eventually moved to the St. PaulDiocese. Once he moved to St. Paul, Father served theparishes of Elk Point, Fort Kent, and Fishing Lake.This past July, on the second, Father Zbigi was transferredto three different parishes still within the Dioceseof St. Paul. He now serves the parishes of Clyde, Thorhild,and much to our delight, Radway. As part of his weeklyschedule, Father comes to the Bible School weekdays aswell as for Sunday Mass at St. Joseph’sparish.Later in the year, Father is going to startsharing during his homilies about the lifeof Pope John Paul II. Being from JohnPaul II Bible School, Father Zbigi stressesthat it is important for the students andstaff to know more about the late pope.Pope John Paul’s life was very virtuousand holy and everyone will benefit fromlearning more about him. Father Zbigishared that his parents lived seventy kilometersfrom Pope John Paul’s birthplace,the town of Wadowice.The Lord has blessed us with Father Zbigi,our new parish priest, and proven again that He alwayslooks after our needs.Students and staff alike look forward to getting to knowFather better as the year progresses.Bev Hadland gets MARRIED!Bev needs no introduction to our former students.I think all would agree that she is one of the finest teachersever to come to the Bible School. Well, guess what?She did it! She finally married and here are her ownwords: “I’m married! I can hardly believe it myself!Keith Turner is the man I’ve been waiting for these past25 years. Pastors Ross Macdonald and Rich Chambersfrom Chartwell married us on January 12, 2007. Don’tworry­my work continues, but with new material! I’mno longer waiting! I waited until our wedding day andit was worth the wait! Keith worked for Kerr Street Ministrieswhich operates a food bank and drop­in centre inthe building where I lived. I met him there 4 years ago.Keith found me one day in the underground parking,unable to move since I had fractured 2 bones in my pelvisan hour earlier. This occured when I was bucked offa horse on May 18, 2005. From that time on, Keithmade regular visits with food and friendship during mysix weeks of bed rest.8Our first ‘date’was on August 5,2006. We foundourselves attractedto eachother as morethan friends with200 hours of conversationunderour belt. We feltgood about movingforward. Ourfirst kiss was onNovember 1, andwe were officiallyengaged December1, 2006. Justas I had wanted ­ a long friendship and a short engagement!

Announcement!RPC offers Transfer Creditsto JPII GradsFor almost ten years, we’ve been blessed withallowance for our grads to receive transfer creditsat Newman Theological College in Edmonton.Now, we are pleased and excited to announcethe arrangement made this summerwith Redeemer Pacific College (associatedwith Trinity Western University) in Langley,BC. They too will be offering transfer credits toJPII Bible School graduates. For more information,please contact our office, admin@jpii.net.Lord, may you continue to expand your Kingdomin our midst!The GoodNewsMessengeris a quarterly publicationof the John Paul II Bible SchoolPublisher: Kilian O’DonovanEditing: Kilian O’Donovan, MelindaSchenher, Joan Harter, Lenore FesterNewsletter Layout: Sandra McWilliams,Melinda SchenherArticles: Kilian O’Donovan, JPII Students,Shannon Dolen, Bev Hadland,Letter from Bishop Luc Bouchard,reprinted courtesy of the Western CatholicReporterPictures: JP II Staff and StudentsPhoto Scavenger Hunt The first weekend the students were here, we had a Photo ScavengerHunt around Radway. Each picture is based on a topic given... open to their interpretation.See the back page for some of the results!It’s not too earlyto start thinking about Outreach 2008:April 28 to May 28Why not invite aJPII team to yourschool or parish!?Book early to avoiddisappointment!Call Miss Joan at 780-736-3833or email retreats @ jpii.net9

F U N T I M E S:From a BridgePhoto Scavenger HuntHe Shoots, He Scores!ReflectionTeeny Tiny10We’re FlyingDo what the sign says