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March 21, 2010
“CALLED FROM THE BASKETBALL COURT TO THE ALTAR"
by Father Bruce-John Hamilton
I was born on November 14, 1959 in the city of Sudbury, Ontario and raised 20
miles north in a small town of about 3,000 people called Capreol. I come from a
family of five: four boys and one girl. In brief I would describe my upbringing
as normal. My mother was Catholic and my father, Protestant. I attended Catholic
school from Kindergarten through to Grade 8 and then went to the public high
school from Grades 9-12. My life began to take a marked change (although this
was unbeknownst to me at this time) when I decided to attend Sudbury High for
Grade 13 in order to play on the High School basketball team – a sport that by
this time I was totally devoted to.
The year at Sudbury High led me to consider going to University in order to play
more basketball, and school was, at that time, a secondary issue. My first
choice was to attend the University of Victoria due to the fact that Ken Shields
– the former Laurentian University (Sudbury) basketball coach – was now coaching
there. After inquiries with Mr. Shields it was decided that it would not be the
best thing for me to attend that University. Instead, I decided to attend the
University of Saskatoon where one of Mr. Shield’s star university basketball
players at Laurentian was coaching at the time. His name was Guy Vetrie. In
retrospect this move, like all the others, was providential. It was my first
move away from home and I began to do a great deal of thinking. While living in
Saskatoon, I was not going to Church on a regular basis, but I was beginning to
reflect on my life. I began to understand the many blessings that God had
bestowed upon me, in particular, my family – which had gone through its
challenging times. While this did not a first lead to a radical conversion in my
life, it did lead me to buy my first Catechism: The Teaching of Christ. I read
this book with great hunger and it began to trigger even more thoughts about God
and my Catholic faith.
After the year in Saskatoon I moved to Victoria to join the University of
Victoria Vikings. This was, in many ways a difficult transition for me, as I had
been used to playing almost 35-38 minutes a game while attending the University
of Saskatoon. When I starting playing with the Victoria Vikings, which by that
time was on the verge of being a national championship team, I played perhaps
two minutes a game. Like I said – it was a difficult period for someone to whom
basketball was almost everything! There were some who thought I wouldn’t weather
the storm (so to speak) but I persevered.
During the basketball season, one Sunday, I went to Church with a basketball
teammate of mine (Eli Pasquale). The priest who was offering the Mass and
preaching the sermon "made sense." Shortly after attending this Mass, I met Fr.
John Laszczyk (the priest who had offered the Mass) –of the Diocese of Vancouver
Island – and we began to talk about faith and develop a long friendship.
I can’t remember when "it" happened but one day it struck me that God wanted me
to be a priest. It is hard to explain how I knew – I just knew that something
was there or "something" or "someone" was calling me in that direction. Now,
while you might think – ‘that’s what you were made for’ – I can assure you that
this thought had never entered into my thinking before. My concept of the
priesthood, up till that point, was based on a memory of my parish priest when I
was growing up. The only time I saw him; he was saying Mass or tending to his
garden. The life style didn’t exactly excite me. Nevertheless, this "thing"
wouldn’t let me go. In the meantime, I was meeting many evangelical Christians
on the University Campus and they were getting me to think seriously about
Catholicism. They were all good people and good friends. In a strange kind of
way they helped me to rediscover my Catholic faith and the beauty of it.
All was not so easy though. Once I began to realize the priesthood meant
celibacy I began to question and struggle. This was not so much from a
disagreement with the Church but whether or not I could "do it." I struggled for
about a two-year period – continuing to play basketball and going to school at
UVIC. In my third year of University I began, for the first time, to really love
my studies. Up until that time studies served as a means whereby I could play
basketball. In my third year I began to take a keen interest in my studies and
really wanted to do well. At the end of my fourth year – the basketball team had
won four national championships, and by this time – I knew that I had to enter
the seminary and find out from God if he wanted me to stay or leave. I entered
the seminary and they didn’t ask me to leave – what is more important, as I
moved through the courses I became more convinced and clearer in my intellectual
and spiritual perception that God was calling me to the priesthood. The only
thing that was left for the "stamp" of approval was the acceptance from the
Archbishop of Vancouver. On June 26, 1987, that "stamp" of approval came when
his Grace, Archbishop James Carney, ordained me to the Sacred Priesthood of
Jesus Christ.
One of the great blessings of my priesthood is that I’ve never regretted one
day. In fact, I would contend that the Army, in its motto "there’s no life like
it," is not exactly 100 percent true. For those called to the priesthood –and
nobody is worthy of it! – there is no life like it. Another of the great
blessings (I could list many) is that I received my father into the Catholic
Church on the 40th Anniversary of my Mother and Father’s marriage. I still
wonder at the truth that Father Hamilton brought his father – Giles Hamilton –
into the Church. He brought me into the world and I brought him into the Church.
I am thankful to God every day of my life, and despite the fact that I am
unworthy and he could have chosen many others better qualified, He decided to
choose me. While there have been challenging days (who doesn’t have them) I can
honestly say that I’ve never looked back and I’ve always experienced deep joy
that Jesus Christ called me and in this major decision of my life … I got it
right.
In June of 1987 I was moved to Powell River and was there for 3 years as an
assistant to Fr. Dickenson. I was able to learn a great deal from my first
pastor a man with great patience & wisdom.
I was then transferred to Vancouver and spent six months at Guardian Angels as
an assistant to Fr. Hawkswell followed by 3 years at Holy Rosary Cathedral with
Msgr. Monroe which included being the chaplain for Vancouver General Hospital.
Father Dickenson, the pastor of Church of the Assumption in Powell River
suffered a deadly heart attack in 1995 and Archbishop Exner appointed me as
administrator for 3 months as I was familiar with the people and the routine of
Masses, school and programs. I was then assigned as Pastor and have spent the
last 15 years with the people there. I was not alone at Assumption as the parish
has an assistant – so there were always two priests serving the people of Powell
River.
Many of you may have no idea where Powell River is - it is located on Highway
101 on the Sunshine Coast of BC, and can be reached from Vancouver in the south
(5 hours, approx. 150 km) by catching a ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale,
driving from Langdale to Earls Cove on Highway 101, and catching another ferry
from Earls Cove to Saltery Bay and the Upper Sunshine Coast. Needless to say, it
is a small isolated community – a beautiful town of approximately 20,000 people
and one I have many fond memories of. The catholic community is busy with 3
churches one which is a native heritage church on the native reserve. The
community has a catholic school including Grades 1-9. There are many different
groups and organizations including Knights of Columbus, CWL, Youth, Senior and
prayer groups to mention just a few. The most recent and notable goal that was
accomplished in the parish was an addition of a parish hall which includes a
commercial kitchen, meeting rooms and a hall. It was an undertaking that was
embraced by the people and myself and I was able to see the completion of this
project which was a very satisfying feeling.
It has been a privilege to serve the people of PR as their Pastor these past 15
years and although it is difficult to leave familiar friends and surroundings I
am very happy to be at Corpus Christi Parish.
I am looking forward to working with you – and getting to know you and the
parish. It will take me some time to unpack my things – get acquainted with you
and the parish schedule. As the new pastor of Corpus Christi I am ready to serve
the spiritual, pastoral, and administrative needs of the parish and its people.
I count on your prayers and support that I may faithfully respond to the task
confided to me.
Your recent pastor, Fr. Conaghan has been more than helpful and kind in making
me feel welcome here and I have nothing but admiration for his continued
dedication and love of the Lord and his calling to the priesthood. I thank him
for his help and I wish him well in his retirement and pray that God will watch
over and bless him. As well, Helen (the secretary here at Corpus Christi) has
been most helpful with my questions and requests and I want to thank her for the
time and patience she has had these past few weeks.
Deacon Bryan Duggan has also been very helpful since my arrival – for which I am
grateful. I have also had the pleasure of meeting Fr. Henry Yeung and I am
looking forward to working with him here at Corpus Christi. I have no doubt that
he will serve the parish community very well.
Be assured of my prayers and I would ask for your prayers in return. The Lord
made it clear in the Gospel that “without me you can do nothing”. His great
apostle St. Paul turned this around and said “in him I can do all things who
strengthens me.” In Christ, together, we will do great things.
In union of prayer,
Father Bruce-John Hamilton
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