Thursday, October 6, 2011

Dear Friends,

On October 6th at 10:17 pm our beloved Fr. Bob passed away. We had just finished celebrating a Mass for the Dying in which he received the Sacrament of the Sick, the Apostolic blessing, and Viaticum. He died peacefully as we sang hymns and prayed. It was truly a beautiful and holy death.

It is hard to describe our feelings at this time: relief that his suffering is finally over, joy that he fought the good fight and ran the race to the finish, and sadness at our deep loss. But above all we give thanks and praise to God for the amazing life of Fr. Bob and for the privilege of knowing and loving him. May he rest with the Saints and Angels tonight - and in the loving mantle of our Lady and the eternal embrace of the great King he served so faithfully in this life...

Tomorrow afternoon we will announce the schedule for his wake and funeral. We are so deeply grateful for all the visits, prayers, concern, and love that has been poured out by all of you during this long journey since Fr. Bob entered the hospital. May God reward you with His grace and favour.

In Jesus our Saviour,

Fr Scott McCaig, CC
Moderator (General Superior)

Friday, September 30, 2011

Dear Friends,

Once again I would like to thank all of you for your prayers and support. We are more grateful than we could ever hope to express. The sheer outpouring of concern only confirms how much Fr. Bob is admired and loved by so many. He has truly touched the lives of untold numbers of people.

This morning Fr. Bob’s doctor has make another assessment of his condition, and has confirmed the previous diagnosis. Fr. Bob’s situation is continuing to deteriorate. However, he is a remarkably strong and resilient individual. For this reason, he is not expected to pass away in the next 24 hours.

We will keep you informed of any developments.

United in prayer,

Fr Scott McCaig, CC
Moderator (General Superior)

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for all of your love and concern for Fr. Bob. We were told this morning that it will not be today and likely not within the next 48 hours. Fr. Bob’s heart rate is very high and irregular, but otherwise is still relatively strong. In fact he seems better than a few days ago.

I asked the medical staff if they felt that maybe they "jumped the gun" in saying he was dying. While admitting that this was possible – they don't think so. Some rallying is to be expected and Fr. Bob has always proven very resilient.

So... we continue the vigil, surrounding him with love and prayers. He is in God's hands. Please continue to pray for Fr. Bob and for God's holy and perfect will to be done.

In Jesus our hope,

Fr Scott McCaig, CC
Moderator (General Superior)

Monday, September 26, 2011

Dear Friends of Fr. Bob,

Fr. Dennis and myself met with Fr. Bob’s doctor this morning, and he confirmed that Fr. Bob’s condition is deteriorating quickly. It is very possible that Fr. Bob may not be with us much longer. Please pray for him and know that we are doing everything that we can to make him comfortable and loved. Someone is with him at all times.

Unfortunately, no visitations are possible. Again, I thank you on behalf of all of the brothers for your persevering love and prayers for our beloved founder. We will keep you updated to the best of our ability.

United in prayer,

Fr Scott McCaig, CC
Moderator (General Superior)

Holy Canadian Martyrs, pray for Fr. Bob.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Dear Friends,

I am happy to report that Fr. Bob is doing much better. However, he is still not strong enough to receive his regular flow of visitors. For the time being we are restricting his visits to allow him to fully regain his strength. We hope you understand. We fully expect that he will be able to receive visitors again soon.

Thanks you again for your love, support, and prayers!

United in prayer,

Fr Scott McCaig, CC
Moderator (General Superior)

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Dear Friends,

Fr Bob has had a setback. We expect that he will recover but will not be able to receive any visitors in the next while. Please keep him in your prayers. Thank you for all your continued support! It is deeply appreciated.

United in prayer,

Fr Scott McCaig, CC
Moderator (General Superior)

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Dear Friends,

On June 6, Fr. Bob celebrated his 56th anniversary of ordination. I celebrated a quiet Mass together with him and afterward we had a short time of singing praise and worship songs - something he definitely seems to enjoy. The previous Friday we visited Fr. Bob with a number of seminarians. He was quiet, but he did make the effort to assure Ruben Campbell that his English was improving - always the English teacher! There is little else to report on Fr. Bob's condition. Little has changed for months. He speaks very little, but when he does it becomes clear that he carefully follows the conversations of those who are visiting. We continue to thank the Good Lord for the gift that he is to us. I have no doubt that he is "filling up in his body the sufferings of Christ for the good of the Church" as St. Paul commends us to do. Thank you for your ongoing prayers! It is still possible to visit Fr. Bob. Please follow the instructions below:

The following conditions must be observed by all who visit Fr. Bob:

1. Please keep visits to an absolute maximum of fifteen minutes.
2. Every single visit must be arranged through Mrs. Lee McCarthy. Please phone her during the day and leave a message at her home number 613-725-0233. She will get back to you that evening or the next day, and will discuss some further details with you.
3. Absolutely no food or drink is to be brought to or given to Fr. Bob. Misguided kindness could easily cause him to choke and create life-threatening situations.
4. No more than three visitors should be in his room at one time.
5. Please…please…please sign in at the front desk and sign the guestbook in his room. It is very important for us to monitor how many visitors he is receiving.
6. Please do not shake Fr. Bob to wake him if he is sleeping. At times he becomes very exhausted and simply needs to rest. If he does not rouse after you speak his name – please let him sleep.
7. Fr. Bob cannot celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with anyone. Please do not request this of him.
8. Please respect the fact that Fr. Bob cannot initiate conversations and is generally disturbed by being repeatedly asked “how he is doing”. It is best to do all the initiating and to avoid questions that would cause him to evaluate his own situation.
9. A common symptom of dementia is occasional edginess and irritability. If this happens please remember that it is the condition and not Fr. Bob.
10. Visiting times will be determined by our visits coordinator, Mrs. Lee McCarthy.

In Jesus & Mary,

Fr Scott McCaig, CC
Moderator (General Superior)