CCCB   2013 Plenary Assembly - September 23-27


Salt + Light Television, in partnership with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), was honoured to bring you the CCCB's annual Plenary Assembly from September 23-27. The meeting was held at the Hotel Mont-Gabriel in Sainte-Adèle, Quebec and was chaired by Most Rev. Richard Smith, who is the Archbishop of Edmonton and President of the CCCB. Nearly 80 bishops from across Canada attended.

As well as reviewing pastoral initiatives and receiving annual reports, the bishops had the opportunity to share their experiences and insights on the life of the Church and society. Annual reports were presented by the Conference's national and sectoral commissions and its standing committees, as well as by a number of organizations.

This year's plenary featured a "thorough conversation on charity" that included presentations by the Holy See's charitable federation Caritas Internationalis president Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga from Honduras. Cardinal Maradiaga is one of the members of the board appointed by Pope Francis to advise him on the governance of the Church.

This year again, the annual report by the CCCB President and daily Mass were broadcasted via our live stream and on television. Salt + Light broadcasted a daily press briefing. The broadcast review schedule for the Plenary Assembly was as follows:

 Monday, September 23
9:00am ET / 6:00am PT
Opening Mass
10:15am ET / 7:15pm PT
Opening Prayer & CCCB President's Report by Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton
6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT
Press briefing in French for the first day with Archbishop Paul-André Durocher, CCCB’s Vice President
6:15pm ET / 3:15pm PT
Press briefing in English for the first day with Bishop Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., CCCB’s Co-Treasurer

 Tuesday, September 24
7:30 am ET / 4:30 am PT
Daily Mass from Sainte-Adèle
6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT
Press briefing in French for the second day with Archbishop Paul-André Durocher, CCCB’s Vice President
6:15pm ET / 3:15pm PT
Press briefing in English for the second day with Bishop Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., CCCB’s Co-Treasurer

 Wednesday, September 25
7:00 am ET / 4:00 am PT
Morning Prayer and Celebration of the Divine Liturgy (Byzantine rite according to Ukrainian Catholic usage)
6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT
Press briefing in French for the second day with Archbishop Paul-André Durocher, CCCB’s Vice President
6:15pm ET / 3:15pm PT
Press briefing in English for the second day with Bishop Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., CCCB’s Co-Treasurer

 Thursday, September 26
7:30 am ET / 4:30 am PT
Morning Prayer and Mass
6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT
Press briefing in French for the second day with Archbishop Paul-André Durocher, CCCB’s Vice President
6:15pm ET / 3:15pm PT
Press briefing in English for the second day with Bishop Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., CCCB’s Co-Treasurer

 Friday, September 27
7:30 am ET / 4:30 am PT
Morning Prayer and Mass
12:00 pm ET / 9:00 am PT: The election of the president of the CCCB
2:00 pm ET / 11:00 am PT:
Press briefing for the fifth and final day of the Plenary with Archbishop Richard Smith and Archbishop Paul-André Durocher