Moderator of the Curia

Father John G. Schuster is the appointed Vicar General and Moderator of the Diocesan Curia with special responsibilities in curial matters since June 1989. As the Moderator of the Diocesan Curia, Fr. John represents the bishop in an overseeing capacity with respect to the various diocesan pastoral offices and organizations. He mobilizes resources and coordinates the exercise of administrative responsibilities of pastoral action and to see to it that the other members of the Curia are enabled to fulfil the office entrusted to them.

Vicar General

"In each diocese the diocesan bishop must appoint a vicar general who is provided with ordinary power according to the norm of the following canons and who is to assist him in the governance of the whole diocese. As a general rule, one vicar general is to be appointed unless the size of the diocese, the number of inhabitants, or other pastoral reasons suggest otherwise." (Code of Canon Law #475)

As vicar of the bishop, the Vicar General exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and is the highest official in a diocese after the diocesan bishop or his equivalent in canon law.

Specific responsibilities for Fr. John as the appointed Vicar General & Moderator of the Curia Office in our diocese include serving as Chairperson for: Council of Priests, Diocesan Planning Commission, Priests Residence (Dorchester Square); Member of: Priests' Personnel Committee, Diocesan Finance Council, Diocesan Consultor; Diocesan Vocation Director in Financial Matters regarding Seminarians.

Chancellor

"In every curia a chancellor is to be appointed whose principal function, unless particular law establishes otherwise, is to take care that acts of the curia are gathered, arranged and safeguarded in the archive of the curia." (Code of Canon Law #482)

Sr. Maria Nakagawa, FMM is the appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of Calgary since July 19, 1999, with primary responsibilities of granting marriage dispensations, nullity and sanations. Other responsibilities of the Chancellor include the management function of gathering, arranging and safeguarding curial records and to provide administrational service concerning vital statistics, clergy, sacraments and parish pastoral reports.