Trinity Sunday - St. Joan of Arc - L'Institut Jeanne d'Arc d'Ottawa
El Greco, The Trinity
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (Year "C") May 30, 2010
GLORY TO THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
[Texts: Proverbs 8:22-31 [Psalm 8]; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15
In today's gospel, Jesus describes the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church in the following words, "He will guide you into all the truth".
The Spirit speaks the truth from Jesus in order to glorify Him. Yet all Jesus possessed had come to Him from the Father; and Jesus' sole desire was to glorify the Father. In these glimpses into the interior dynamics of God, disciples grasp the selfless life of the Trinity. Each Person of the Trinity is unique; yet each is oriented to the Others.
Still, people only know the inner life of God from God's movement towards them in creation (first reading) and in the way they have actually been saved (second reading). Here, again, Christians discover the way in which the Persons of the Trinity selflessly work together `for us men and for our salvation' (Nicene Creed).
Proverbs noted that divine Wisdom was present with God in the creation of the universe, "delighting in the human race". The sage author of Proverbs issued a plea that humans discover the way to life. Early on, Lady Wisdom preached and uttered prophetic judgments, denouncing folly and uttering scorn against ignorance. But in chapter 8, Wisdom became an evangelist, tenderly pleading her case. Choosing for or against wisdom, in Lady Wisdom's view, is a matter of life and death.
The majesty of creation which this passage depicts, reaches its climax with the assertion that God delights in being present with His children. Christians may infer that, since this is so, God delights even more in those who have been re-created as the brothers and sisters of Jesus. This came about through Christ's gift of himself on the cross, a sacrifice out of love for both the Father and for us.
In Romans, Paul told believers that the Spirit makes them fearless in the face of difficulties through the Father's saving activity (`God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us'). The first part of Romans (chapters 1-4) was devoted to showing how, in salvation history, men and women had become alienated from God by the rebellion of sin.
As long as they remained in this condition--which they could do nothing to undo--sufferings and anything that suggested the prospect of death were to be feared. For these brought with them the threats of judgment and condemnation for sin which would follow. Paul brought his history of sin to an end with the Good News that God had done what human beings could not do: reconciled sinful humanity by putting forth Jesus as the expiation of our sins (4:25).
Now Paul turns to the experience of finding peace with God. Because their status as sons and daughters of God comes by faith and through Jesus, Christians can "boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God". Far from fearing suffering, the Christian's daily tribulations lead to an inner transformation of life through sharing in God's life through faith, hope and love.
The Christian's conviction that such hope is not deceptive issues from the Holy Spirit dwelling in the heart of each believer. The dynamic of salvation history reveals the plan by which the Trinity entered into and continues to enter the lives of God's people.
In the farewell discourse Jesus offered His testament to His disciples. He revealed that the Word He spoke to them would serve as the guiding principle for the apostles' and the Church's future. The power of the Word to guide Christian lives is the fruit of the Holy Spirit's work.
The Spirit actualizes (makes real here and now) the Word spoken by Jesus in the past, so that it might be life-giving in the Church. Even the way the Spirit carries out this mission is reminiscent of Jesus. For the Spirit points beyond -- to Jesus, just as Jesus always pointed beyond Himself to the Father.
And this, paradoxically, is to Jesus's glory, revealing as it does how obedient He was to the Father's will. For the Christian, the way to his or her glory is by way of entering into the dynamic of the Trinity's life so that ultimately God might be "all in all" (1 Corinthians 15-28).
* * * * * *
St. JOAN OF ARC
This year's observance of the feast of Joan of Arc is not permitted because of Sunday's solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. But here are a few aspects of her story:
St. Joan of Arc is the patroness of soldiers and of France. On January 6, 1412, Joan of Arc was born to pious parents of the French peasant class, at the obscure village of Domremy, near the province of Lorraine. At a very early age, she heard voices: those of St. Michael, St. Catherine and St. Margaret.
At first the messages were personal and general. Then at last came the crowning order. In May, 1428, her voices "of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret" told Joan to go to the King of France and help him reconquer his kingdom. For at that time the English king was after the throne of France, and the Duke of Burgundy, the chief rival of the French king, was siding with him and gobbling up evermore French territory.
After overcoming opposition from churchmen and courtiers, the seventeen year old girl was given a small army with which she raised the seige of Orleans on May 8, 1429. She then enjoyed a series of spectacular military successes, during which the King was able to enter Rheims and be crowned with her at his side.
In May 1430, as she was attempting to relieve Compiegne, she was captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English when Charles and the French did nothing to save her. After months of imprisonment, she was tried at Rouen by a tribunal presided over by the infamous Peter Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais, who hoped that the English would help him to become archbishop.
Through her unfamiliarity with the technicalities of theology, Joan was trapped into making a few damaging statements. When she refused to retract the assertion that it was the saints of God who had commanded her to do what she had done, she was condemned to death as a heretic, sorceress, and adulteress, and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. She was nineteen years old. Some thirty years later, she was exonerated of all guilt and she was ultimately canonized in 1920, making official what the people had known for centuries. Joan was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV; her feast day is May 30.
St. Joan of Arc's story has a special significance in Ottawa for among the religious congregations present here the Institute of St. Jeanne d'Arc is of diocesan foundation. Some years ago, after a dearth of applicants, the institute decided not to accept new members.
Here are few points about its historic origins:
L'Institut JEANNE D'ARC d'Ottawa
Les Sœurs de l’Institut Jeanne-d’Arc constituent l’une des rares communautés religieuses de langue française à avoir été fondées en Ontario. Il y a eu, bien entendu, la fondation des Sœurs Grises de la Croix en 1845, par Élisabeth Bruyère, mais cette communauté s’est détachée des Sœurs Grises de la Croix de Montréal pour s’implanter à Bytown (Ottawa).
En novembre 1910, Albina Aubry et Laura Chartrand fondent un foyer pour jeunes filles à Ottawa. Au début, il s’agit d’une succursale du Foyer Notre-Dame, ouvert à Montréal en 1903, mais il s’en détache le 1er mars 1913 et prend le nom d’Institut Jeanne d’Arc.
Sœur Marie-Thomas d’Aquin (née Jeanne-Lydia Branda) fonde la congrégation des Sœurs de l’Institut Jeanne d’Arc d’Ottawa, érigé canoniquement le 7 octobre 1919 par Mgr Charles H. Gauthier, archevêque d’Ottawa.
Jeanne-Lydia Branda voit le jour le 13 août 1877 à Saint-Romain-la-Virvée (France). Elle entre chez les Sœurs de Saint-Dominique en 1899, se rend à Lewiston (Maine) en 1904, prononce ses vœux en 1906 et prend le nom de sœur Marie-Thomas d’Aquin.
Elle arrive à Ottawa en 1914, crée la revue Jeanne d’Arc, qu’elle dirige jusqu’en 1957, puis fonde la congrégation des Sœurs de l’Institut Jeanne-d’Arc en 1919. Elle en est la supérieure jusqu’en 1942.
Sous le pseudonyme de Marie Sylvia et de Jeanne-Louise Branda, Mère Marie-Thomas d’Aquin publie divers recueils de poésie, dont Vers le bien (1916), Vers le beau (1924), Vers le vrai (1928) et Reflets d’opales (1945).
Membre de la Société des auteurs canadiens et de la Société des poètes canadiens-français, elle reçoit la croix de la Légion d’honneur en 1956. Elle est décédée à Ottawa le 17 mars 1963.
L’Institut Jeanne-d’Arc n’a œuvré qu’à Ottawa. Il s’est voué principalement à la protection des jeunes filles en offrant diverses formes d’aide, dont le cours commercial dispensé de 1920 à 1957.
La communauté oeuvrait depuis un édifice de la rue Sussex. Son emplacement fait jadis partie du «mille historique» de la Commission de la capitale nationale. Aujourd'hui, les Sœurs ont leur résidence principale sur la rue Princeton dans l'ouest d'Ottawa.
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (Year "C") May 30, 2010
GLORY TO THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
[Texts: Proverbs 8:22-31 [Psalm 8]; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15
In today's gospel, Jesus describes the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church in the following words, "He will guide you into all the truth".
The Spirit speaks the truth from Jesus in order to glorify Him. Yet all Jesus possessed had come to Him from the Father; and Jesus' sole desire was to glorify the Father. In these glimpses into the interior dynamics of God, disciples grasp the selfless life of the Trinity. Each Person of the Trinity is unique; yet each is oriented to the Others.
Still, people only know the inner life of God from God's movement towards them in creation (first reading) and in the way they have actually been saved (second reading). Here, again, Christians discover the way in which the Persons of the Trinity selflessly work together `for us men and for our salvation' (Nicene Creed).
Proverbs noted that divine Wisdom was present with God in the creation of the universe, "delighting in the human race". The sage author of Proverbs issued a plea that humans discover the way to life. Early on, Lady Wisdom preached and uttered prophetic judgments, denouncing folly and uttering scorn against ignorance. But in chapter 8, Wisdom became an evangelist, tenderly pleading her case. Choosing for or against wisdom, in Lady Wisdom's view, is a matter of life and death.
The majesty of creation which this passage depicts, reaches its climax with the assertion that God delights in being present with His children. Christians may infer that, since this is so, God delights even more in those who have been re-created as the brothers and sisters of Jesus. This came about through Christ's gift of himself on the cross, a sacrifice out of love for both the Father and for us.
In Romans, Paul told believers that the Spirit makes them fearless in the face of difficulties through the Father's saving activity (`God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us'). The first part of Romans (chapters 1-4) was devoted to showing how, in salvation history, men and women had become alienated from God by the rebellion of sin.
As long as they remained in this condition--which they could do nothing to undo--sufferings and anything that suggested the prospect of death were to be feared. For these brought with them the threats of judgment and condemnation for sin which would follow. Paul brought his history of sin to an end with the Good News that God had done what human beings could not do: reconciled sinful humanity by putting forth Jesus as the expiation of our sins (4:25).
Now Paul turns to the experience of finding peace with God. Because their status as sons and daughters of God comes by faith and through Jesus, Christians can "boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God". Far from fearing suffering, the Christian's daily tribulations lead to an inner transformation of life through sharing in God's life through faith, hope and love.
The Christian's conviction that such hope is not deceptive issues from the Holy Spirit dwelling in the heart of each believer. The dynamic of salvation history reveals the plan by which the Trinity entered into and continues to enter the lives of God's people.
In the farewell discourse Jesus offered His testament to His disciples. He revealed that the Word He spoke to them would serve as the guiding principle for the apostles' and the Church's future. The power of the Word to guide Christian lives is the fruit of the Holy Spirit's work.
The Spirit actualizes (makes real here and now) the Word spoken by Jesus in the past, so that it might be life-giving in the Church. Even the way the Spirit carries out this mission is reminiscent of Jesus. For the Spirit points beyond -- to Jesus, just as Jesus always pointed beyond Himself to the Father.
And this, paradoxically, is to Jesus's glory, revealing as it does how obedient He was to the Father's will. For the Christian, the way to his or her glory is by way of entering into the dynamic of the Trinity's life so that ultimately God might be "all in all" (1 Corinthians 15-28).
* * * * * *
St. JOAN OF ARC
This year's observance of the feast of Joan of Arc is not permitted because of Sunday's solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. But here are a few aspects of her story:
St. Joan of Arc is the patroness of soldiers and of France. On January 6, 1412, Joan of Arc was born to pious parents of the French peasant class, at the obscure village of Domremy, near the province of Lorraine. At a very early age, she heard voices: those of St. Michael, St. Catherine and St. Margaret.
At first the messages were personal and general. Then at last came the crowning order. In May, 1428, her voices "of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret" told Joan to go to the King of France and help him reconquer his kingdom. For at that time the English king was after the throne of France, and the Duke of Burgundy, the chief rival of the French king, was siding with him and gobbling up evermore French territory.
After overcoming opposition from churchmen and courtiers, the seventeen year old girl was given a small army with which she raised the seige of Orleans on May 8, 1429. She then enjoyed a series of spectacular military successes, during which the King was able to enter Rheims and be crowned with her at his side.
In May 1430, as she was attempting to relieve Compiegne, she was captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English when Charles and the French did nothing to save her. After months of imprisonment, she was tried at Rouen by a tribunal presided over by the infamous Peter Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais, who hoped that the English would help him to become archbishop.
Through her unfamiliarity with the technicalities of theology, Joan was trapped into making a few damaging statements. When she refused to retract the assertion that it was the saints of God who had commanded her to do what she had done, she was condemned to death as a heretic, sorceress, and adulteress, and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. She was nineteen years old. Some thirty years later, she was exonerated of all guilt and she was ultimately canonized in 1920, making official what the people had known for centuries. Joan was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV; her feast day is May 30.
St. Joan of Arc's story has a special significance in Ottawa for among the religious congregations present here the Institute of St. Jeanne d'Arc is of diocesan foundation. Some years ago, after a dearth of applicants, the institute decided not to accept new members.
Here are few points about its historic origins:
L'Institut JEANNE D'ARC d'Ottawa
Les Sœurs de l’Institut Jeanne-d’Arc constituent l’une des rares communautés religieuses de langue française à avoir été fondées en Ontario. Il y a eu, bien entendu, la fondation des Sœurs Grises de la Croix en 1845, par Élisabeth Bruyère, mais cette communauté s’est détachée des Sœurs Grises de la Croix de Montréal pour s’implanter à Bytown (Ottawa).
En novembre 1910, Albina Aubry et Laura Chartrand fondent un foyer pour jeunes filles à Ottawa. Au début, il s’agit d’une succursale du Foyer Notre-Dame, ouvert à Montréal en 1903, mais il s’en détache le 1er mars 1913 et prend le nom d’Institut Jeanne d’Arc.
Sœur Marie-Thomas d’Aquin (née Jeanne-Lydia Branda) fonde la congrégation des Sœurs de l’Institut Jeanne d’Arc d’Ottawa, érigé canoniquement le 7 octobre 1919 par Mgr Charles H. Gauthier, archevêque d’Ottawa.
Jeanne-Lydia Branda voit le jour le 13 août 1877 à Saint-Romain-la-Virvée (France). Elle entre chez les Sœurs de Saint-Dominique en 1899, se rend à Lewiston (Maine) en 1904, prononce ses vœux en 1906 et prend le nom de sœur Marie-Thomas d’Aquin.
Elle arrive à Ottawa en 1914, crée la revue Jeanne d’Arc, qu’elle dirige jusqu’en 1957, puis fonde la congrégation des Sœurs de l’Institut Jeanne-d’Arc en 1919. Elle en est la supérieure jusqu’en 1942.
Sous le pseudonyme de Marie Sylvia et de Jeanne-Louise Branda, Mère Marie-Thomas d’Aquin publie divers recueils de poésie, dont Vers le bien (1916), Vers le beau (1924), Vers le vrai (1928) et Reflets d’opales (1945).
Membre de la Société des auteurs canadiens et de la Société des poètes canadiens-français, elle reçoit la croix de la Légion d’honneur en 1956. Elle est décédée à Ottawa le 17 mars 1963.
L’Institut Jeanne-d’Arc n’a œuvré qu’à Ottawa. Il s’est voué principalement à la protection des jeunes filles en offrant diverses formes d’aide, dont le cours commercial dispensé de 1920 à 1957.
La communauté oeuvrait depuis un édifice de la rue Sussex. Son emplacement fait jadis partie du «mille historique» de la Commission de la capitale nationale. Aujourd'hui, les Sœurs ont leur résidence principale sur la rue Princeton dans l'ouest d'Ottawa.
Christian Initiation of Children - Season of Priestly Ordinations - A Bishop's Non-Magisterial Teaching (about the Stanley Cup Finals)
HOLY REDEEMER "ALLELUIA" MASS
On Wednesday evening, I travelled to Kanata for the annual "Alleluia" Mass, celebrated with the children of Holy Redeemer Parish who this spring celebrated their First Reconciliation (confession) and, during the Easter Season, received their First Holy Communion.
While it was a few days beyond the Easter Season's close (to accommodate my schedule), this Eucharist gives all the families whose members took part in the Christian Initiation of Children to come together with fellow parishioners and other families for this joyful occasion.
We had joyful music, an honour guard provided by the Knights of Columbus, photos for those who wanted such, souvenir cards of the archbishop (some of which got autographed--I felt briefly like a celebrity) and, wouldn't you know it, fruit juices, cake and other sweets (even some fresh fruits and veggies). Herewith some photos taken following Mass:
A couple of children join me in cutting the celebratory cake
Father Pierre Champoux and the C.I.C. team at Holy Redeemer
* * * * * *
ORDINATIONS TODAY AND NEXT SATURDAY
Lots of our priests are celebrating the anniversary of their priestly ordination in late May or early June (my 38th anniversary is on June 10th). So presiding at priestly ordinations is always a joyous occasion for me (or any bishop).
Today at 10 am in Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica, I will ordain David Bergeron of the Companions of the Cross a priest. A native of Granby, Quebec (in the St. Hyacinthe Diocese), he was ordained a deacon there by Mgr Francois Lapierre last September. His first Mass will be celebrated on Sunday in his home parish. The ordination ceremony today will be bilingual.
David Bergeron prepares the chalice at Mass shortly after his diaconal ordination
Left: John Meehan, SJ
Right: Teofilo [Teo] Ugaban, S.J.
Next Saturday at 10am in Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Toronto, I will ordain two Jesuit confreres to the priesthood:
John Meehan from Antigonish, Nova Scotia (a professional historian, whose book entitled, The Dominion and the Rising Sun, was awarded the Prime Minister's Award when it was published in Japanese) and Teofilo Ugaban who was born in the Philippines and immigrated with his family to Vancouver (and who possesses a striking gift as a painter).
Please pray for these men (and others being ordained these days) and for the fruitfulness of the ministry, which they will devote to God's people in the coming years.
* * * * * *
THE HOLY GOALIE
Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, when Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago kept up his pick-up hockey skill playing in nets; he has even skated with the Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators.
When named Bishop of Springfield in Illinois (he will be installed on June 22--well after the Stanley Cup is awarded), he made the following comments at his first press conference:
"My favorite sport is hockey; I still play hockey. I am a goalie. My nickname is, the 'Holy Goalie.'
"If you’re trying to figure out how my mind works, you should know that most hockey players say that goalies are different. I get enjoyment from standing in front of a hockey net and having people shoot pucks at me at 100 miles per hour. I am used to taking shots. With that in mind, I will now take your questions."
Not only that he has produced his very own GUIDE TO THE 2010 STANLEY CUP FINALS BETWEEN THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS AND THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS; naturally this presentation does not constitute magisterial teaching; take it all with a grain of salt, says another hockey fan who has been through the wringer with the series that took us to the finals. Herewith the Holy Goalie's guide:
Here are a few points to keep in mind as the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers face off against each other in the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Final Series:
● The Blackhawk Indian head logo has been called by many as the best logo in professional sports. It is a respectful and dignified depiction of a real person, Chief Black Hawk, who headed an Indian tribe that roamed the plains of the Midwest.
● The Philadelphia Flyers logo is officially described as “a black P-Wing with an orange circle in the middle.” On April 4, 1966, co-owner Bill Putnam announced there would be a name-the-team contest and that orange, black and white would be the team colors. Wanting what he referred to as "hot" colors, Putnam's choice was influenced by the orange and white of his alma mater, the University of Texas, and the orange and black of Philadelphia's previous NHL team, the Quakers. Also announced on April 4 was the hiring of a Chicago firm to design the team's arena.
● It was co-owner Ed Snider's sister Phyllis who ended up naming the team when she suggested Flyers on a return trip from a Broadway play. Ed knew immediately it would be the winning name, since it captured the speed of the game and went well phonetically with Philadelphia. On August 3, 1966, the team name was announced. Of the 11,000 ballots received, more than 100 selected Flyers as the team name and were entered into a drawing to select a winner. 9-year-old boy Alec Stockard from Narberth, Pennsylvania, who had spelled it "Fliers" on his entry, won the drawing and was declared the winner.
● The Blackhawks were called the Portland Rose Buds before a coffee baron in Chicago, named Frederick McLaughlin purchased the team in the mid 1920's. McLaughlin moved the team to Chicago and was awarded a NHL franchise on September 25, 1926. The team name came from its first owner, Major Fredrick McLaughlin. As a commander of the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the U.S. Army's World War I Expeditionary Force, the Major belonged to the 86th Blackhawk Division and felt a great affection for the name. He also was aware of the history of Chief Black Hawk. After McLaughlin named the team, his wife Irene, designed the unique Black, Red, and White striped uniforms with the head of Chief Black Hawk on the logo.
● The grit and determination of the Chicago Blackhawks is epitomized by defenseman Duncan Keith, who lost seven teeth when he was hit in the face by a puck in last Sunday’s game that clinched the semi-final series against the San Jose Sharks. He only missed four shifts and ended up playing a game-high 29 minutes, 2 seconds and assisted on the tying goal. Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said, "He's a warrior." His defense partner said, "Seeing him suck on some gauze there really gave us a lift.”
● Flyers goalie Michael Leighton came up through the Chicago Blackhawks organization. After the Hawks drafted him 165th overall in 1999, he played for them sparingly in 2002 and started 33 games for the struggling squad the next season. But a lockout and an injury in the minor leagues derailed him. After being traded, he played with several other teams before being claimed off waivers by the Flyers on January 11, 2007. On May 22nd, Leighton became the first Flyer to record three shutout wins in the Conference Finals against the Montreal Canadiens.
● Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi was born on August 29, 1983 in Vantaa, Finland. Niemi played junior hockey for Kiekko-Vantaa from 2000 until 2005, when he turned pro with the Pelicans of the Finnish hockey league. He played three seasons with the Pelicans before signing with the Chicago Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing in the minors, he made the Blackhawks roster last Fall. Niemi won the starting goaltender job for the Blackhawks near the close of the 2009-2010 NHL regular season.
● The Flyers made the playoffs by the skin of their teeth by beating the New York Rangers in a shootout in the last game of the regular season. They were on the brink of elimination against the Boston Bruins, down 3 games to 0 before coming back to tie the series, then were down 3 goals to 0 in game seven before rallying to win. This is a tough team that doesn’t give up, but the Blackhawks are loaded with talent and they haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1961, so they are hungry.
● The Holy Goalie’s pick: Blackhawks in 5.
On Wednesday evening, I travelled to Kanata for the annual "Alleluia" Mass, celebrated with the children of Holy Redeemer Parish who this spring celebrated their First Reconciliation (confession) and, during the Easter Season, received their First Holy Communion.
While it was a few days beyond the Easter Season's close (to accommodate my schedule), this Eucharist gives all the families whose members took part in the Christian Initiation of Children to come together with fellow parishioners and other families for this joyful occasion.
We had joyful music, an honour guard provided by the Knights of Columbus, photos for those who wanted such, souvenir cards of the archbishop (some of which got autographed--I felt briefly like a celebrity) and, wouldn't you know it, fruit juices, cake and other sweets (even some fresh fruits and veggies). Herewith some photos taken following Mass:
A couple of children join me in cutting the celebratory cake
Father Pierre Champoux and the C.I.C. team at Holy Redeemer
* * * * * *
ORDINATIONS TODAY AND NEXT SATURDAY
Lots of our priests are celebrating the anniversary of their priestly ordination in late May or early June (my 38th anniversary is on June 10th). So presiding at priestly ordinations is always a joyous occasion for me (or any bishop).
Today at 10 am in Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica, I will ordain David Bergeron of the Companions of the Cross a priest. A native of Granby, Quebec (in the St. Hyacinthe Diocese), he was ordained a deacon there by Mgr Francois Lapierre last September. His first Mass will be celebrated on Sunday in his home parish. The ordination ceremony today will be bilingual.
David Bergeron prepares the chalice at Mass shortly after his diaconal ordination
Left: John Meehan, SJ
Right: Teofilo [Teo] Ugaban, S.J.
Next Saturday at 10am in Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Toronto, I will ordain two Jesuit confreres to the priesthood:
John Meehan from Antigonish, Nova Scotia (a professional historian, whose book entitled, The Dominion and the Rising Sun, was awarded the Prime Minister's Award when it was published in Japanese) and Teofilo Ugaban who was born in the Philippines and immigrated with his family to Vancouver (and who possesses a striking gift as a painter).
Please pray for these men (and others being ordained these days) and for the fruitfulness of the ministry, which they will devote to God's people in the coming years.
* * * * * *
THE HOLY GOALIE
Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, when Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago kept up his pick-up hockey skill playing in nets; he has even skated with the Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators.
When named Bishop of Springfield in Illinois (he will be installed on June 22--well after the Stanley Cup is awarded), he made the following comments at his first press conference:
"My favorite sport is hockey; I still play hockey. I am a goalie. My nickname is, the 'Holy Goalie.'
"If you’re trying to figure out how my mind works, you should know that most hockey players say that goalies are different. I get enjoyment from standing in front of a hockey net and having people shoot pucks at me at 100 miles per hour. I am used to taking shots. With that in mind, I will now take your questions."
Not only that he has produced his very own GUIDE TO THE 2010 STANLEY CUP FINALS BETWEEN THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS AND THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS; naturally this presentation does not constitute magisterial teaching; take it all with a grain of salt, says another hockey fan who has been through the wringer with the series that took us to the finals. Herewith the Holy Goalie's guide:
Here are a few points to keep in mind as the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers face off against each other in the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Final Series:
● The Blackhawk Indian head logo has been called by many as the best logo in professional sports. It is a respectful and dignified depiction of a real person, Chief Black Hawk, who headed an Indian tribe that roamed the plains of the Midwest.
● The Philadelphia Flyers logo is officially described as “a black P-Wing with an orange circle in the middle.” On April 4, 1966, co-owner Bill Putnam announced there would be a name-the-team contest and that orange, black and white would be the team colors. Wanting what he referred to as "hot" colors, Putnam's choice was influenced by the orange and white of his alma mater, the University of Texas, and the orange and black of Philadelphia's previous NHL team, the Quakers. Also announced on April 4 was the hiring of a Chicago firm to design the team's arena.
● It was co-owner Ed Snider's sister Phyllis who ended up naming the team when she suggested Flyers on a return trip from a Broadway play. Ed knew immediately it would be the winning name, since it captured the speed of the game and went well phonetically with Philadelphia. On August 3, 1966, the team name was announced. Of the 11,000 ballots received, more than 100 selected Flyers as the team name and were entered into a drawing to select a winner. 9-year-old boy Alec Stockard from Narberth, Pennsylvania, who had spelled it "Fliers" on his entry, won the drawing and was declared the winner.
● The Blackhawks were called the Portland Rose Buds before a coffee baron in Chicago, named Frederick McLaughlin purchased the team in the mid 1920's. McLaughlin moved the team to Chicago and was awarded a NHL franchise on September 25, 1926. The team name came from its first owner, Major Fredrick McLaughlin. As a commander of the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the U.S. Army's World War I Expeditionary Force, the Major belonged to the 86th Blackhawk Division and felt a great affection for the name. He also was aware of the history of Chief Black Hawk. After McLaughlin named the team, his wife Irene, designed the unique Black, Red, and White striped uniforms with the head of Chief Black Hawk on the logo.
● The grit and determination of the Chicago Blackhawks is epitomized by defenseman Duncan Keith, who lost seven teeth when he was hit in the face by a puck in last Sunday’s game that clinched the semi-final series against the San Jose Sharks. He only missed four shifts and ended up playing a game-high 29 minutes, 2 seconds and assisted on the tying goal. Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said, "He's a warrior." His defense partner said, "Seeing him suck on some gauze there really gave us a lift.”
● Flyers goalie Michael Leighton came up through the Chicago Blackhawks organization. After the Hawks drafted him 165th overall in 1999, he played for them sparingly in 2002 and started 33 games for the struggling squad the next season. But a lockout and an injury in the minor leagues derailed him. After being traded, he played with several other teams before being claimed off waivers by the Flyers on January 11, 2007. On May 22nd, Leighton became the first Flyer to record three shutout wins in the Conference Finals against the Montreal Canadiens.
● Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi was born on August 29, 1983 in Vantaa, Finland. Niemi played junior hockey for Kiekko-Vantaa from 2000 until 2005, when he turned pro with the Pelicans of the Finnish hockey league. He played three seasons with the Pelicans before signing with the Chicago Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing in the minors, he made the Blackhawks roster last Fall. Niemi won the starting goaltender job for the Blackhawks near the close of the 2009-2010 NHL regular season.
● The Flyers made the playoffs by the skin of their teeth by beating the New York Rangers in a shootout in the last game of the regular season. They were on the brink of elimination against the Boston Bruins, down 3 games to 0 before coming back to tie the series, then were down 3 goals to 0 in game seven before rallying to win. This is a tough team that doesn’t give up, but the Blackhawks are loaded with talent and they haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1961, so they are hungry.
● The Holy Goalie’s pick: Blackhawks in 5.
Fr. Gerald Leclaire loved India, Bhutan - Photos of St. Joseph Sesquicentennial Celebration
Reverend Gerald LECLAIRE, SJ [R.I.P.]
On Pentecost Sunday, we lost another veteran missionary to India and Bhutan, Father Gerald Leclaire at the age of 81 and in his 63rd year of Jesuit life. His funeral will take place this morning at Ignatius Chapel, Manresa Retreat House, Pickering, with burial this afternoon at the Jesuit Cemetery in Guelph.
Born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Jean-Alphonse and Adelaide Culleton, he attended D’Arcy McGee High School before entering the Society of Jesus at Guelph on September 7, 1947. After philosophy in Toronto, he studied history at the University of Toronto for 3 years.
In 1957 he was missioned to Darjeeling, India, with ordination taking place on March 22, 1961. His priestly ministry began in Gayaganga as co-pastor, and then a year later (1965) he moved to St. Joseph’s College in Darjeeling to become Rector and Prefect of Studies. His teaching centred on history and theology.
Fr. Leclaire, in 1978, accepted a posting to the Kingdom of Bhutan. He became principal of Sherubtse School in eastern Bhutan. For 11 years he carried the burden of this school and then in 1989 he returned to St. Joseph’s College as principal and lecturer. He was appointed Rector in 1997, a post he held for only two years before suffering a massive stroke while on a visit to Canada.
Fr. Leclaire, despite his debilitating stroke which robbed him of speech, always enjoyed visitors at Pickering and he could be seen outdoors on his motorized cart whizzing around the property; he did this almost daily, weather permitting. He bore his heavy cross with equanimity and courage and was an example to many who were his companions at the infirmary.
Eternal rest grant to him, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace.
* * * * * *
Sesquicentennial of St. Joseph's Parish, Orleans
There were many photos taken at Saturday's 150 anniversary Mass at Paroisse St. Joseph, Orleans.
One CD of photos reduced a 1000+ collection to 150 chosen photos.
This selection is necessarily more limited.
Enjoy!
On Pentecost Sunday, we lost another veteran missionary to India and Bhutan, Father Gerald Leclaire at the age of 81 and in his 63rd year of Jesuit life. His funeral will take place this morning at Ignatius Chapel, Manresa Retreat House, Pickering, with burial this afternoon at the Jesuit Cemetery in Guelph.
Born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Jean-Alphonse and Adelaide Culleton, he attended D’Arcy McGee High School before entering the Society of Jesus at Guelph on September 7, 1947. After philosophy in Toronto, he studied history at the University of Toronto for 3 years.
In 1957 he was missioned to Darjeeling, India, with ordination taking place on March 22, 1961. His priestly ministry began in Gayaganga as co-pastor, and then a year later (1965) he moved to St. Joseph’s College in Darjeeling to become Rector and Prefect of Studies. His teaching centred on history and theology.
Fr. Leclaire, in 1978, accepted a posting to the Kingdom of Bhutan. He became principal of Sherubtse School in eastern Bhutan. For 11 years he carried the burden of this school and then in 1989 he returned to St. Joseph’s College as principal and lecturer. He was appointed Rector in 1997, a post he held for only two years before suffering a massive stroke while on a visit to Canada.
Fr. Leclaire, despite his debilitating stroke which robbed him of speech, always enjoyed visitors at Pickering and he could be seen outdoors on his motorized cart whizzing around the property; he did this almost daily, weather permitting. He bore his heavy cross with equanimity and courage and was an example to many who were his companions at the infirmary.
Eternal rest grant to him, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace.
* * * * * *
Sesquicentennial of St. Joseph's Parish, Orleans
There were many photos taken at Saturday's 150 anniversary Mass at Paroisse St. Joseph, Orleans.
One CD of photos reduced a 1000+ collection to 150 chosen photos.
This selection is necessarily more limited.
Enjoy!
St. Augustine of Canterbury - Press Conference in Quebec
Today's optional memorial features St. Augustine, Archbishop of Canterbury (Died AD 604). Also known as St. Augustine the Less to distinguish him from his illustrious namesake from Hippo, Augustine was chosen by Pope Gregory the Great as leader of the mission sent from Rome for the evangelization of the English. He landed in the Isle of Thanet in the Spring of AD 597 and, within a year, Aethelbert, King of Kent, was baptized with several thousand of his subjects.
The foundation of Canterbury Cathedral was laid five years later, supposedly, on the site of an old Roman Church. Augustine was consecrated by Vergilius, Archbishop of Arles and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.
The alienation between the British Church and the Italian missionaries might have been averted had Augustine recognized the consideration that was due to the Church which had existed in Britain for three centuries, and had been more tolerant of the diversity between British and Roman usage.
Augustine laid the foundation stone of the Monastery of St. Peter & St. Paul outside Canterbury, later known as St. Augustine's, in the year of his arrival and there he was buried. He died on 26th May, traditionally in AD 604, but possibly as late as 609. (Edited from G.M. Bevan's "Portraits of the Archbishops of Canterbury" [1908])
* * * * * *
The Debate about Abortion is ON
Photo credit: Le Soleil, Patrice Laroche
Tuesday evening, I flew to Quebec City to join Cardinal Marc Ouellet at a press conference to attempt to change the climate on the matter and to reduce the number of abortions by inviting governments to offer greater assistance to women (couples) who find themselves in difficulties because of an unintended pregnancy rather than only facilitating access to abortion.
Here are the texts given by the Cardinal (in French) and by me (in English):
Le débat sur l’avortement est ouvert et il ne faut pas en avoir peur. 100 000 avortements par année au Canada, plus de 25 000 au Québec, c’est beaucoup trop. On pourrait les réduire de moitié si seulement les femmes en détresse à cause d’une grossesse inattendue étaient accueillies, informées et accompagnées avec compassion et solidarité dans leur choix.
Mes interventions pour une culture de la vie ont fait l’objet de toutes sortes d’interprétations depuis une dizaine de jours dans la presse francophone et anglophone du Canada. C’est pourquoi je tiens à clarifier le sens de mon engagement dans le débat actuel sur l’avortement. Je vous remercie d’avoir répondu à mon invitation et de me permettre de recentrer le débat sur l’essentiel. Les cas très exceptionnels ne doivent pas nous empêcher de voir la triste réalité de l’avortement devenu trop répandu.
Je remercie Mgr Terrence Prendergast, archevêque d’Ottawa, de se joindre à moi pour lancer un appel à la solidarité avec les plus démunis de notre société : l’enfant à naître et la femme qui se trouve contrainte de recourir à l’avortement.
Je précise d’entrée de jeu que mon commentaire pour la défense de l’enfant innocent, même en cas de viol, était motivé par le désir de rappeler la dignité de la femme en toutes circonstances et le respect qui est dû à toute vie humaine naissante. Je constate qu’on a retenu et interprété seulement une partie de mon message. J’attire ici l’attention sur l’autre partie, dans l’espoir que le public prenne conscience du véritable enjeu de ce débat : l’appui à la femme enceinte de la part de l’homme, de la famille, de la société.
Je n’ai dit nulle part que je condamnais la femme qui avait eu recours à l’avortement. J’ai même dit le contraire en parlant directement à l’une d’entre elles sur les ondes d’une émission de télévision. Je n’ai déclaré aucune femme criminelle parce qu’elle avait subi un avortement. Je sais très bien que la responsabilité ultime de cette décision morale relève de la conscience personnelle qui agit en fonction de divers facteurs, dont l’intention de la personne et les circonstances. Dieu seul est juge de la conscience de chacun et chacune parce que Lui seul peut mesurer tous les éléments de chaque cas.
Mon propos a toujours été de rappeler la norme morale objective avec la préoccupation de sauver la vie de l’enfant innocent et d’épargner à la mère les conséquences graves d’un avortement délibérément provoqué : c’est précisément le souci de la santé physique, psychologique et spirituelle de la femme en difficulté qui a motivé mes interventions. Je suis très désolé que mes propos, déformés ou cités hors contexte, aient pu causer des souffrances additionnelles aux femmes qui font face à des situations semblables. J’espère que ces mises au point serviront à assainir et à recentrer le débat.
Car débat il y a et il doit y avoir, même si une motion à Québec et une affirmation du premier ministre à Ottawa vont dans le sens contraire et refusent de rouvrir la législation sur l’avortement.
Je déplore cette attitude de plusieurs de nos représentants qui ne semblent pas vouloir regarder en face l’injustice que notre pays cautionne en n’accordant aucune protection juridique à l’enfant dans le sein de sa mère. Notre pays est à cet égard un cas unique dans le monde. Beaucoup l’ignorent et croient vivre dans l’un des pays les plus avancés dans le domaine des droits humains. Or, nous n’avons de leçon à faire à personne en ce domaine. Nous devrions même nous ouvrir à ce qui se fait ailleurs afin de mieux voir ce qu’il nous faudrait améliorer pour protéger les enfants encore sans voix qui espèrent voir le jour.
Avec mon collègue, archevêque d’Ottawa, qui entretient lui aussi, comme moi, des rapports plus étroits avec les gouvernants, je m’adresse à la conscience de mes compatriotes, femmes et hommes, pour que nous réclamions un jour ensemble que le vide juridique actuel en matière d’avortement, un état de chose injuste, soit modifié en notre pays.
Cependant, tenant compte de l’impasse politique et juridique dans laquelle nous vivons, je lance un appel avec mon collègue d’Ottawa pour qu’une campagne de sensibilisation et des programmes d’aide aux femmes en détresse se développent davantage en notre pays. Il manque beaucoup d’information, d’accompagnement et d’aide financière, pour que les femmes enceintes soient mises en situation de faire un choix éclairé. Il importe beaucoup qu’à tous les niveaux, gouvernemental, médical et social, des programmes d’aide plus efficace pour les femmes en situation de grossesse difficile soient mis en œuvre afin que le plus grand nombre possible parmi elles puissent éviter l’avortement.
Le débat actuel nous place d’une façon inattendue devant un choix de société qui peut dépasser les clivages habituels et rallier le plus grand nombre. La présence des jeunes dans ce débat révèle une nouvelle sensibilité qui n’est plus celle d’il y a vingt ans. L’expérience des familles a aussi beaucoup changé, mais le fait demeure que la venue d’un enfant apporte au foyer beaucoup de bonheur.
Cette valeur s’ajoute à tout un patrimoine de solidarité sociale pour les plus démunis qui fait notre fierté et qui réclame du Québec et de toutes les provinces du Canada un nouveau choix. Il appartient désormais à tous et toutes de réfléchir à ce choix. N’ayons pas peur de ce débat qui configurera l’avenir de notre peuple.
* * * * * *
Life: the inalienable right
Photo credit: Canadian Press
1) Two weeks ago, nearly twelve thousand people gathered on Parliament Hill and thousands more in several Canadian cities to stand up in defence of the unborn. These people represent many in the silent majority who are on the side of life. The significant Pro-Life caucus of our Federal Government works quietly, day after day, to keep human life at the top of the Government agenda.
2) To be actively in favour of life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good. It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. There can be no true peace unless life is defended and promoted.
3) We must never lose sight of the atrocities against the unborn, the untold and too-seldom spoken of pain and lingering anguish experienced by those who have been involved in abortions; doing otherwise has severely narrowed our national discourse about moral values in the public square.
4) Whatever is opposed to life itself, whatever violates the dignity of the human person, whatever insults human dignity … all of these things and more poison human society. Concern about abortion and the implications for the mother and her child does not excuse indifference to those who suffer from poverty, violence and injustice. We must strive to see the whole picture, not with tunnel vision. We cannot ignore the other great challenges faced by humanity today. But that is not our topic today.
5) For, the right to life is primordial. In Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, (Charity in Truth), the Holy Father addresses clearly the dignity and respect for human life: “Openness to life is at the centre of true development… When a society moves toward the denial or suppression of life, it ends up no longer finding the necessary motivation and energy to strive for man’s true good. If personal and social sensitivity toward the acceptance of a new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away.”
6) Favouring the cause of life is not an activity for a political party or a particular side of the spectrum. It is an obligation for everyone: left, right and centre! If we are in favour of life—pro-woman, pro-child, pro-family, we must engage the culture around us and offer positive solutions. It is this positive purpose that has brought me here today to join with Cardinal Ouellet to make an appeal on behalf of women who find themselves without helpful alternatives when they face an unanticipated pregnancy and on behalf of the child the woman carries in her womb.
7) All across Canada, there are public, Catholic and Christian centres that reach out to help those in distress over pregnancy and new life. The outstanding work of Birthright cuts across all religious and sectarian lines and stands for life. Many cities, from Vancouver to St. John’s, have crisis pregnancy centres which provide safe places, welcome, and options for young women and men to preserve, protect and uphold the life of the newly conceived child as well as their own human dignity. There, ordinary people reach out to those in crisis and distress to save lives.
8) What His Eminence and I are asking today is that governmental agencies take on their proper role in affording help for pregnant women in distress—and others affected by new life in the womb—to reduce the extraordinarily high number of abortions in our country.
The foundation of Canterbury Cathedral was laid five years later, supposedly, on the site of an old Roman Church. Augustine was consecrated by Vergilius, Archbishop of Arles and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.
The alienation between the British Church and the Italian missionaries might have been averted had Augustine recognized the consideration that was due to the Church which had existed in Britain for three centuries, and had been more tolerant of the diversity between British and Roman usage.
Augustine laid the foundation stone of the Monastery of St. Peter & St. Paul outside Canterbury, later known as St. Augustine's, in the year of his arrival and there he was buried. He died on 26th May, traditionally in AD 604, but possibly as late as 609. (Edited from G.M. Bevan's "Portraits of the Archbishops of Canterbury" [1908])
* * * * * *
The Debate about Abortion is ON
Photo credit: Le Soleil, Patrice Laroche
Tuesday evening, I flew to Quebec City to join Cardinal Marc Ouellet at a press conference to attempt to change the climate on the matter and to reduce the number of abortions by inviting governments to offer greater assistance to women (couples) who find themselves in difficulties because of an unintended pregnancy rather than only facilitating access to abortion.
Here are the texts given by the Cardinal (in French) and by me (in English):
Le débat sur l’avortement est ouvert et il ne faut pas en avoir peur. 100 000 avortements par année au Canada, plus de 25 000 au Québec, c’est beaucoup trop. On pourrait les réduire de moitié si seulement les femmes en détresse à cause d’une grossesse inattendue étaient accueillies, informées et accompagnées avec compassion et solidarité dans leur choix.
Mes interventions pour une culture de la vie ont fait l’objet de toutes sortes d’interprétations depuis une dizaine de jours dans la presse francophone et anglophone du Canada. C’est pourquoi je tiens à clarifier le sens de mon engagement dans le débat actuel sur l’avortement. Je vous remercie d’avoir répondu à mon invitation et de me permettre de recentrer le débat sur l’essentiel. Les cas très exceptionnels ne doivent pas nous empêcher de voir la triste réalité de l’avortement devenu trop répandu.
Je remercie Mgr Terrence Prendergast, archevêque d’Ottawa, de se joindre à moi pour lancer un appel à la solidarité avec les plus démunis de notre société : l’enfant à naître et la femme qui se trouve contrainte de recourir à l’avortement.
Je précise d’entrée de jeu que mon commentaire pour la défense de l’enfant innocent, même en cas de viol, était motivé par le désir de rappeler la dignité de la femme en toutes circonstances et le respect qui est dû à toute vie humaine naissante. Je constate qu’on a retenu et interprété seulement une partie de mon message. J’attire ici l’attention sur l’autre partie, dans l’espoir que le public prenne conscience du véritable enjeu de ce débat : l’appui à la femme enceinte de la part de l’homme, de la famille, de la société.
Je n’ai dit nulle part que je condamnais la femme qui avait eu recours à l’avortement. J’ai même dit le contraire en parlant directement à l’une d’entre elles sur les ondes d’une émission de télévision. Je n’ai déclaré aucune femme criminelle parce qu’elle avait subi un avortement. Je sais très bien que la responsabilité ultime de cette décision morale relève de la conscience personnelle qui agit en fonction de divers facteurs, dont l’intention de la personne et les circonstances. Dieu seul est juge de la conscience de chacun et chacune parce que Lui seul peut mesurer tous les éléments de chaque cas.
Mon propos a toujours été de rappeler la norme morale objective avec la préoccupation de sauver la vie de l’enfant innocent et d’épargner à la mère les conséquences graves d’un avortement délibérément provoqué : c’est précisément le souci de la santé physique, psychologique et spirituelle de la femme en difficulté qui a motivé mes interventions. Je suis très désolé que mes propos, déformés ou cités hors contexte, aient pu causer des souffrances additionnelles aux femmes qui font face à des situations semblables. J’espère que ces mises au point serviront à assainir et à recentrer le débat.
Car débat il y a et il doit y avoir, même si une motion à Québec et une affirmation du premier ministre à Ottawa vont dans le sens contraire et refusent de rouvrir la législation sur l’avortement.
Je déplore cette attitude de plusieurs de nos représentants qui ne semblent pas vouloir regarder en face l’injustice que notre pays cautionne en n’accordant aucune protection juridique à l’enfant dans le sein de sa mère. Notre pays est à cet égard un cas unique dans le monde. Beaucoup l’ignorent et croient vivre dans l’un des pays les plus avancés dans le domaine des droits humains. Or, nous n’avons de leçon à faire à personne en ce domaine. Nous devrions même nous ouvrir à ce qui se fait ailleurs afin de mieux voir ce qu’il nous faudrait améliorer pour protéger les enfants encore sans voix qui espèrent voir le jour.
Avec mon collègue, archevêque d’Ottawa, qui entretient lui aussi, comme moi, des rapports plus étroits avec les gouvernants, je m’adresse à la conscience de mes compatriotes, femmes et hommes, pour que nous réclamions un jour ensemble que le vide juridique actuel en matière d’avortement, un état de chose injuste, soit modifié en notre pays.
Cependant, tenant compte de l’impasse politique et juridique dans laquelle nous vivons, je lance un appel avec mon collègue d’Ottawa pour qu’une campagne de sensibilisation et des programmes d’aide aux femmes en détresse se développent davantage en notre pays. Il manque beaucoup d’information, d’accompagnement et d’aide financière, pour que les femmes enceintes soient mises en situation de faire un choix éclairé. Il importe beaucoup qu’à tous les niveaux, gouvernemental, médical et social, des programmes d’aide plus efficace pour les femmes en situation de grossesse difficile soient mis en œuvre afin que le plus grand nombre possible parmi elles puissent éviter l’avortement.
Le débat actuel nous place d’une façon inattendue devant un choix de société qui peut dépasser les clivages habituels et rallier le plus grand nombre. La présence des jeunes dans ce débat révèle une nouvelle sensibilité qui n’est plus celle d’il y a vingt ans. L’expérience des familles a aussi beaucoup changé, mais le fait demeure que la venue d’un enfant apporte au foyer beaucoup de bonheur.
Cette valeur s’ajoute à tout un patrimoine de solidarité sociale pour les plus démunis qui fait notre fierté et qui réclame du Québec et de toutes les provinces du Canada un nouveau choix. Il appartient désormais à tous et toutes de réfléchir à ce choix. N’ayons pas peur de ce débat qui configurera l’avenir de notre peuple.
* * * * * *
Life: the inalienable right
Photo credit: Canadian Press
1) Two weeks ago, nearly twelve thousand people gathered on Parliament Hill and thousands more in several Canadian cities to stand up in defence of the unborn. These people represent many in the silent majority who are on the side of life. The significant Pro-Life caucus of our Federal Government works quietly, day after day, to keep human life at the top of the Government agenda.
2) To be actively in favour of life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good. It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. There can be no true peace unless life is defended and promoted.
3) We must never lose sight of the atrocities against the unborn, the untold and too-seldom spoken of pain and lingering anguish experienced by those who have been involved in abortions; doing otherwise has severely narrowed our national discourse about moral values in the public square.
4) Whatever is opposed to life itself, whatever violates the dignity of the human person, whatever insults human dignity … all of these things and more poison human society. Concern about abortion and the implications for the mother and her child does not excuse indifference to those who suffer from poverty, violence and injustice. We must strive to see the whole picture, not with tunnel vision. We cannot ignore the other great challenges faced by humanity today. But that is not our topic today.
5) For, the right to life is primordial. In Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, (Charity in Truth), the Holy Father addresses clearly the dignity and respect for human life: “Openness to life is at the centre of true development… When a society moves toward the denial or suppression of life, it ends up no longer finding the necessary motivation and energy to strive for man’s true good. If personal and social sensitivity toward the acceptance of a new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away.”
6) Favouring the cause of life is not an activity for a political party or a particular side of the spectrum. It is an obligation for everyone: left, right and centre! If we are in favour of life—pro-woman, pro-child, pro-family, we must engage the culture around us and offer positive solutions. It is this positive purpose that has brought me here today to join with Cardinal Ouellet to make an appeal on behalf of women who find themselves without helpful alternatives when they face an unanticipated pregnancy and on behalf of the child the woman carries in her womb.
7) All across Canada, there are public, Catholic and Christian centres that reach out to help those in distress over pregnancy and new life. The outstanding work of Birthright cuts across all religious and sectarian lines and stands for life. Many cities, from Vancouver to St. John’s, have crisis pregnancy centres which provide safe places, welcome, and options for young women and men to preserve, protect and uphold the life of the newly conceived child as well as their own human dignity. There, ordinary people reach out to those in crisis and distress to save lives.
8) What His Eminence and I are asking today is that governmental agencies take on their proper role in affording help for pregnant women in distress—and others affected by new life in the womb—to reduce the extraordinarily high number of abortions in our country.
Memorial of St. Philip Neri - Handing the Ark of the New Covenant over to Montreal
Philip Romolo Neri (Italian: Filippo de Neri) (July 22, 1515 – May 25, 1595), also known as Apostle of Rome, was an Italian priest, noted for founding a society of secular priests called the "Congregation of the Oratory".
Saint Philip, one of the glories of Florence, was born of an illustrious Christian family in that city of Tuscany, in 1515. His parents lived in the fear of God and the observance of His commandments, and raised their son to be obedient and respectful. Already when he was five years old, he was called good little Philip. He lost his mother while still very young, and it seemed he should have died himself when he was about eight or nine years old. He fell, along with a horse, onto a pavement from a certain height. Though the horse landed on top of him, he was entirely uninjured. He attributed his preservation to a special intervention of God, destined to permit him to dedicate his life to the service of God.
He fled from a prospective inheritance to Rome, where he desired to study, and there undertook to tutor the two sons of a nobleman who offered him refuge. He led so edifying a life that word of it reached Florence, and his sister commented that she had never doubted he would become a great Saint. He studied philosophy and theology, and after a short time seemed to need to study no longer, so clear were the truths of God in his mind. He always kept the Summa Theologica of Saint Thomas Aquinas near him for consultation; this and the Holy Bible were his only books.
Saint Philip seemed surrounded by a celestial splendor, the effect of his angelic purity, which he never lost in spite of the many dangers that surrounded him; he came victorious from every combat, through prayer, tears and confidence in God. He often visited the hospitals to serve the sick and assist the poor. At night he would go to the cemetery of Saint Callixtus, where he prayed near the tombs of the martyrs.
He attracted a number of companions who desired to perform these devotions with him. He loved young boys most of all; he wanted to warn them against the world’s seductions and conserve their virtue in all its freshness. He would wait for them and talk to them after their classes; and many whom his examples impressed consecrated themselves to God. Assisted by his excellent confessor, he founded a Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity for the relief of the poor, convalescents, and pilgrims who had no place of refuge. He gave lodging to many in the great jubilee year of 1550, even receiving several complete families in the houses he had obtained.
At the age of 36 he was not yet a priest, and his confessor commanded him under obedience to receive Holy Orders, which he did in the same year of 1551. He joined a society of priests and heard many confessions. Saint Ignatius of Loyola called him Philip the Bell, saying he was like a parish church bell, calling everyone to church, but remaining in his tower — this because he determined so many souls to enter into religion, without doing so himself. He himself was about to follow Saint Francis Xavier’s renowned examples, by going to India with twenty young companions, but was advised by an interior voice to consult a saintly priest. He was then told that the will of God was that he live in the city of Rome as in a desert.
The famous Society of Saint Philip, called The Oratory, began when a group of good priests joined him in giving instructions and conferences and presiding prayers; for them he drew up some rules which were soon approved. He became renowned all over Italy for the instances of bilocation which were duly verified during his lifetime. Many holy servants of God were formed in the Oratory, a society of studious priests, made ready by ten years of preparation in the common life for a service founded on sacerdotal perfection. Saint Philip died peacefully in 1595 on the Feast of Corpus Christi at the age of 80, having been ill for only one day. He bears the noble titles of Patron of Works of Youth, and Apostle of Rome. (source: www.magnificat.ca)
* * * * * *
The on-line Wiki Source has an entry, Maxims and Sayings of Philip Neri: one for each day of the year; herewith thoughts for the last ten days of May:
22. If we find nothing in the world to please us, we ought to be pleased by this very not finding anything to please us.
23. He who wishes to attain to perfection must have no attachment to anything.
24. It is a good thing to leave the world and our possessions to serve God, but it is not enough.
25. The greatness of our love of God must be tested by the desire we have of suffering for His love.
26. Let us strive after purity of heart, for the Holy Spirit dwells in candid and simple minds.
27. The Holy Spirit is the master of prayer, and causes us to abide in continual peace and cheerfulness, which is a foretaste of Paradise.
28. If we wish the Holy Spirit to teach us how to pray, we must practise humility and obedience.
29. The fruit we ought to get from prayer, is to do what is pleasing to the Lord.
30. A virtuous life consists in mortifying vices, sins, bad thoughts, and evil affections, and in exercising ourselves in the acquisition of holy virtues.
31. Let us be humble and keep ourselves down:- Obedience! Humility! Detachment!
* * * * * *
Next MONTEE JEUNESSE/YOUTH SUMMIT: MONTREAL MAY 18-21, 2012
The Montreal Youth Ministry/Mission Jeunesse delegation prepares to re-enter Notre Dame cathedral to accept the Ark of the New Covenant from the Ottawa delegation
The bishops at the closing liturgy show off their Montreal Montee Jeunesse tee-shirts
The Ottawa bearers of the Ark of the New Covenant prepare to hand it over to the Montreal team
Saint Philip, one of the glories of Florence, was born of an illustrious Christian family in that city of Tuscany, in 1515. His parents lived in the fear of God and the observance of His commandments, and raised their son to be obedient and respectful. Already when he was five years old, he was called good little Philip. He lost his mother while still very young, and it seemed he should have died himself when he was about eight or nine years old. He fell, along with a horse, onto a pavement from a certain height. Though the horse landed on top of him, he was entirely uninjured. He attributed his preservation to a special intervention of God, destined to permit him to dedicate his life to the service of God.
He fled from a prospective inheritance to Rome, where he desired to study, and there undertook to tutor the two sons of a nobleman who offered him refuge. He led so edifying a life that word of it reached Florence, and his sister commented that she had never doubted he would become a great Saint. He studied philosophy and theology, and after a short time seemed to need to study no longer, so clear were the truths of God in his mind. He always kept the Summa Theologica of Saint Thomas Aquinas near him for consultation; this and the Holy Bible were his only books.
Saint Philip seemed surrounded by a celestial splendor, the effect of his angelic purity, which he never lost in spite of the many dangers that surrounded him; he came victorious from every combat, through prayer, tears and confidence in God. He often visited the hospitals to serve the sick and assist the poor. At night he would go to the cemetery of Saint Callixtus, where he prayed near the tombs of the martyrs.
He attracted a number of companions who desired to perform these devotions with him. He loved young boys most of all; he wanted to warn them against the world’s seductions and conserve their virtue in all its freshness. He would wait for them and talk to them after their classes; and many whom his examples impressed consecrated themselves to God. Assisted by his excellent confessor, he founded a Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity for the relief of the poor, convalescents, and pilgrims who had no place of refuge. He gave lodging to many in the great jubilee year of 1550, even receiving several complete families in the houses he had obtained.
At the age of 36 he was not yet a priest, and his confessor commanded him under obedience to receive Holy Orders, which he did in the same year of 1551. He joined a society of priests and heard many confessions. Saint Ignatius of Loyola called him Philip the Bell, saying he was like a parish church bell, calling everyone to church, but remaining in his tower — this because he determined so many souls to enter into religion, without doing so himself. He himself was about to follow Saint Francis Xavier’s renowned examples, by going to India with twenty young companions, but was advised by an interior voice to consult a saintly priest. He was then told that the will of God was that he live in the city of Rome as in a desert.
The famous Society of Saint Philip, called The Oratory, began when a group of good priests joined him in giving instructions and conferences and presiding prayers; for them he drew up some rules which were soon approved. He became renowned all over Italy for the instances of bilocation which were duly verified during his lifetime. Many holy servants of God were formed in the Oratory, a society of studious priests, made ready by ten years of preparation in the common life for a service founded on sacerdotal perfection. Saint Philip died peacefully in 1595 on the Feast of Corpus Christi at the age of 80, having been ill for only one day. He bears the noble titles of Patron of Works of Youth, and Apostle of Rome. (source: www.magnificat.ca)
* * * * * *
The on-line Wiki Source has an entry, Maxims and Sayings of Philip Neri: one for each day of the year; herewith thoughts for the last ten days of May:
22. If we find nothing in the world to please us, we ought to be pleased by this very not finding anything to please us.
23. He who wishes to attain to perfection must have no attachment to anything.
24. It is a good thing to leave the world and our possessions to serve God, but it is not enough.
25. The greatness of our love of God must be tested by the desire we have of suffering for His love.
26. Let us strive after purity of heart, for the Holy Spirit dwells in candid and simple minds.
27. The Holy Spirit is the master of prayer, and causes us to abide in continual peace and cheerfulness, which is a foretaste of Paradise.
28. If we wish the Holy Spirit to teach us how to pray, we must practise humility and obedience.
29. The fruit we ought to get from prayer, is to do what is pleasing to the Lord.
30. A virtuous life consists in mortifying vices, sins, bad thoughts, and evil affections, and in exercising ourselves in the acquisition of holy virtues.
31. Let us be humble and keep ourselves down:- Obedience! Humility! Detachment!
* * * * * *
Next MONTEE JEUNESSE/YOUTH SUMMIT: MONTREAL MAY 18-21, 2012
The Montreal Youth Ministry/Mission Jeunesse delegation prepares to re-enter Notre Dame cathedral to accept the Ark of the New Covenant from the Ottawa delegation
The bishops at the closing liturgy show off their Montreal Montee Jeunesse tee-shirts
The Ottawa bearers of the Ark of the New Covenant prepare to hand it over to the Montreal team
Pope St. Gregory VII - Images from the Youth Summit
Today the liturgy allows three optional memorials of the Venerable [Saint] Bede, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi or the saint featured St. Gregory VII:
St Gregory VII (1028-85) Cluniac monk, reforming pope
Pope from 1073 to 1085, Gregory "was probably the most energetic and determined man ever to occupy the See of Peter and was driven by an almost mystically exalted vision of the awesome responsibility and dignity of the papal office" (Eamonn Duffy, Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes, p. 121).
Patrick Duffy summarizes his life and significance [cf. www.catholicireland.net].
A disciple of Pope Gregory VI - Born at Sovana, a small town in southern Tuscany, the son of a blacksmith, and christened Hildebrand, he was educated in Rome by the archpriest John Gratian, who in 1045 became Pope Gregory VI.
However, because of a financial deal involved in getting rid of his corrupt predecessor, Gregory was deposed in 1046 by the reforming German king and Holy Roman Emperor Henry III and went into retirement in the Benedictine monastery of Cluny, France. Hildebrand went with his master into exile at Cluny and spent three years there as a monk.
Ambassador of four popes - However, Hildebrand returned to Rome in 1049 to serve the newly elected Pope St Leo IX as papal treasurer. He became a deacon and then prior of the monastery of St Paul's Outside the Walls and was a major influence on the next four popes, all of whom were reformers. He was also successful in various ambassadorial roles.
On the death of Pope Alexander II (1061-73, he was elected pope after popular acclaim by the clergy and people of Rome. He still had to be ordained priest and bishop before he could act as pope.
Conflict with King Henry IV of Germany - Gregory VII immediately set about cleaning up the abuses of simony, clerical concubinage and lay investiture. He demanded that bishops take an oath of obedience to him and threatened those who wouldn't carry out papal decrees. Over the issue of lay investiture he faced opposition from King Philip I of France, William the Conqueror of England and the young King Henry IV of Germany.
Henry, whose father had appointed bishops and popes at will, resented the brusqueness of this new pontiff and gathered "his" bishops at Worms and insisted Gregory be deposed. But Gregory then excommunicated Henry and all the bishops collaborating with him and absolved his subjects from allegiance. Ecclesiastical support for Henry cracked and in 1077 he had to travel to the house of Matilda of Canossa in Italy where Henry was staying to beg the Pope's pardon and absolution. Gregory left Henry standing in humiliation for three days in the snow before eventually pardoning him.
Pyrrhic victory and death - But Gregory's victory was short lived. Henry rallied his forces and in 1080 invaded Italy, captured Rome, declared Gregory deposed. He installed an antipope Guibert of Ravenna as Clement III. Gregory took refuge in Castel Sant'Angelo, invited in the Normans under Robert Guiscard to rescue him. However, the Normans behaved so badly in Rome that the Romans turned on Gregory and forced him to retire first to Monte Cassino and then to Salerno south of Naples where he died.
His last words were famously an adaptation of Psalm 44 (45) verse 7: "I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore I die in exile".
Papal claims - Gregory's pontificate represents a strong staking out of the papal claim of power over the secular world and though he achieved little, the spirit of papal reform continued and the papacy never receded from its claims to freedom from secular and political control in spiritual matters.
From then on too the pope was presented not just as the vicar of St Peter, but as "the vicar of Christ himself" (Innocent III 1198-1216).
His influence - Gregory's beatification (1585) and canonization (1605) took place at a time when the papacy was in conflict with secular powers - Queen Elizabeth I and James I in England. His feast was extended to the universal Church in 1728, causing some fury among proponents of Gallicanism in France.
He was later seen as a precursor of Vatican I with its definition of papal infallibility as a doctrine. One could perhaps be forgiven for detecting a hint of spin or ideology in his promotion, but the tyrannies of the 20th century bear out the value of his insistence on the freedom of the Church in speaking out on spiritual matters.
* * * * * *
Some scenes from Montee Jeunesse
Young and not so young Catholics express their support for Cardinal Marc Ouellet at Opening Mass at Paroisse Sainte-Famille on Saturday morning
“We come here first to meet Jesus in the Holy Mystery of the Eucharist,” he said, noting how the Youth Summits represent a Eucharistic movement.
“We want to meet Jesus and we want to bear witness that He is among us and gives us Life.”
One text concerned Paul, who was imprisoned. “Paul is a prisoner, but he is free to evangelize. You can be in prison and evangelize. You can be completely cornered. He had no fear.”
He described Jesus, nailed to the Cross, as the ultimate prisoner.
“The one nailed on the Cross, he is prisoner but he is freeing the whole of humanity; he is giving freedom and real life,” he said. “This is the way of the Gospel.”
“We look at Jesus with the eyes of the Spirit,” he said. “Only the Spirit can give us the grace to say Jesus is my Savior.”
The theme of this year’s summit is “sent,” having to do with mission or vocation. Ouellet said that everyone has a gift or vocation. That brought him to the other text which had to do with the question of what might happen to John and Jesus’ answer, what does that have to do with you.
“Nobody is left out,” Ouellet said. “We all have a personal vocation to be with Jesus.”
“Some of us are called to be more publicly exposed,” he said, describing Peter as being called to be in front of the flock and to speak out for the flock.
“Others are behind. John is behind. Peter is the symbol of ministry; John is the symbol of love, pure love, the loving response to the love of Jesus.”
(Thanks to Deborah Gyapong for the photo and this blog she posted at www.theanglocatholic.com)
* * * * * *
Except when Mass was being offered upstairs in the cathedral basilica, Eucharistic adoration took place 24/7 in the lower-level Archbishops' Chapel during the Montee Jeunesse: here a group prays silently on Sunday afternoon
* * * * * *
Matt Maher and his band pose with the Keith Doucette family (like Maher, Doucette has Newfoundland roots) [photo courtesy K. Doucette]
St Gregory VII (1028-85) Cluniac monk, reforming pope
Pope from 1073 to 1085, Gregory "was probably the most energetic and determined man ever to occupy the See of Peter and was driven by an almost mystically exalted vision of the awesome responsibility and dignity of the papal office" (Eamonn Duffy, Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes, p. 121).
Patrick Duffy summarizes his life and significance [cf. www.catholicireland.net].
A disciple of Pope Gregory VI - Born at Sovana, a small town in southern Tuscany, the son of a blacksmith, and christened Hildebrand, he was educated in Rome by the archpriest John Gratian, who in 1045 became Pope Gregory VI.
However, because of a financial deal involved in getting rid of his corrupt predecessor, Gregory was deposed in 1046 by the reforming German king and Holy Roman Emperor Henry III and went into retirement in the Benedictine monastery of Cluny, France. Hildebrand went with his master into exile at Cluny and spent three years there as a monk.
Ambassador of four popes - However, Hildebrand returned to Rome in 1049 to serve the newly elected Pope St Leo IX as papal treasurer. He became a deacon and then prior of the monastery of St Paul's Outside the Walls and was a major influence on the next four popes, all of whom were reformers. He was also successful in various ambassadorial roles.
On the death of Pope Alexander II (1061-73, he was elected pope after popular acclaim by the clergy and people of Rome. He still had to be ordained priest and bishop before he could act as pope.
Conflict with King Henry IV of Germany - Gregory VII immediately set about cleaning up the abuses of simony, clerical concubinage and lay investiture. He demanded that bishops take an oath of obedience to him and threatened those who wouldn't carry out papal decrees. Over the issue of lay investiture he faced opposition from King Philip I of France, William the Conqueror of England and the young King Henry IV of Germany.
Henry, whose father had appointed bishops and popes at will, resented the brusqueness of this new pontiff and gathered "his" bishops at Worms and insisted Gregory be deposed. But Gregory then excommunicated Henry and all the bishops collaborating with him and absolved his subjects from allegiance. Ecclesiastical support for Henry cracked and in 1077 he had to travel to the house of Matilda of Canossa in Italy where Henry was staying to beg the Pope's pardon and absolution. Gregory left Henry standing in humiliation for three days in the snow before eventually pardoning him.
Pyrrhic victory and death - But Gregory's victory was short lived. Henry rallied his forces and in 1080 invaded Italy, captured Rome, declared Gregory deposed. He installed an antipope Guibert of Ravenna as Clement III. Gregory took refuge in Castel Sant'Angelo, invited in the Normans under Robert Guiscard to rescue him. However, the Normans behaved so badly in Rome that the Romans turned on Gregory and forced him to retire first to Monte Cassino and then to Salerno south of Naples where he died.
His last words were famously an adaptation of Psalm 44 (45) verse 7: "I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore I die in exile".
Papal claims - Gregory's pontificate represents a strong staking out of the papal claim of power over the secular world and though he achieved little, the spirit of papal reform continued and the papacy never receded from its claims to freedom from secular and political control in spiritual matters.
From then on too the pope was presented not just as the vicar of St Peter, but as "the vicar of Christ himself" (Innocent III 1198-1216).
His influence - Gregory's beatification (1585) and canonization (1605) took place at a time when the papacy was in conflict with secular powers - Queen Elizabeth I and James I in England. His feast was extended to the universal Church in 1728, causing some fury among proponents of Gallicanism in France.
He was later seen as a precursor of Vatican I with its definition of papal infallibility as a doctrine. One could perhaps be forgiven for detecting a hint of spin or ideology in his promotion, but the tyrannies of the 20th century bear out the value of his insistence on the freedom of the Church in speaking out on spiritual matters.
* * * * * *
Some scenes from Montee Jeunesse
Young and not so young Catholics express their support for Cardinal Marc Ouellet at Opening Mass at Paroisse Sainte-Famille on Saturday morning
“We come here first to meet Jesus in the Holy Mystery of the Eucharist,” he said, noting how the Youth Summits represent a Eucharistic movement.
“We want to meet Jesus and we want to bear witness that He is among us and gives us Life.”
One text concerned Paul, who was imprisoned. “Paul is a prisoner, but he is free to evangelize. You can be in prison and evangelize. You can be completely cornered. He had no fear.”
He described Jesus, nailed to the Cross, as the ultimate prisoner.
“The one nailed on the Cross, he is prisoner but he is freeing the whole of humanity; he is giving freedom and real life,” he said. “This is the way of the Gospel.”
“We look at Jesus with the eyes of the Spirit,” he said. “Only the Spirit can give us the grace to say Jesus is my Savior.”
The theme of this year’s summit is “sent,” having to do with mission or vocation. Ouellet said that everyone has a gift or vocation. That brought him to the other text which had to do with the question of what might happen to John and Jesus’ answer, what does that have to do with you.
“Nobody is left out,” Ouellet said. “We all have a personal vocation to be with Jesus.”
“Some of us are called to be more publicly exposed,” he said, describing Peter as being called to be in front of the flock and to speak out for the flock.
“Others are behind. John is behind. Peter is the symbol of ministry; John is the symbol of love, pure love, the loving response to the love of Jesus.”
(Thanks to Deborah Gyapong for the photo and this blog she posted at www.theanglocatholic.com)
* * * * * *
Except when Mass was being offered upstairs in the cathedral basilica, Eucharistic adoration took place 24/7 in the lower-level Archbishops' Chapel during the Montee Jeunesse: here a group prays silently on Sunday afternoon
* * * * * *
Matt Maher and his band pose with the Keith Doucette family (like Maher, Doucette has Newfoundland roots) [photo courtesy K. Doucette]
WOW, what a weekend!! Montée Jeunesse moves to Montréal in 2012
Today's entry is a bit later than usual and will be rather shorter, as things return to normal now that the Youth Summit 2010 has wrapped up.
The torch has been thrown to the Archdiocese of Montréal for May 18-21, 2012. Indeed, the decision was taken last fall that whenever an international World Youth Day gathering takes place, our focus would be on that; thus Madrid's WYD XXVI will take our undivided attention for youth ministry in 2011.
On Saturday, besides the activities of MJ, I was part of the re-creation of Bishop Guigues' visit to Paroisse St. Joseph in Orléans in 1860: a boat trip on the Ottawa River from the Ottawa Boating Club dock to the landing near Villa St-Louis where I was met by the pastor Mgr Peter Schonenbach, les Soeurs de la Charité, local citizens and an RCMP mounted escort, then riding a landau to a marshalling yard near Place d'Orléans for a parade with marching band and floats to St. Joseph's Church (with many wearing period clothing).
This day's sesquicentennial festivities were closed with the Mass on the Vigil of Pentecost and a reception in the parish hall.
Mgr Peter Schonenbach, Abbé Daniel Berniquez, André Dufault, diacre permanent
Abbé Berniquez, who accompanied me to the parish, then drove me to the residence where we changed into alb, stole and cope for the procession from St. Joseph's cathedral in Gatineau, across the Interprovincial Bridge to Parliament Hill and then eucharistic adoration and Taizé Prayer, confessions in the basilica and on the landing outside.
Yesterday, I had two celebrations with Confirmations of adults and adolescents at noon in English and at the 5:15 francophone Mass: some 30+ at each occasion.
Then the Christian concert in one of the halls at Lansdowne Park featuring Matt Maher (ex-Newfoundlander now living in Arizona), the French-Canadian cultural band Chakidor and the Chorale Gospel de l'Outaouais.
Matt Maher and I chat after the concert as he autographs albums, etc.
This morning, Mgr Paul-André Durocher gave a moving bible study to encourage us to let ourselves carry on the mission of Jesus in reaching out to others in witness and service, followed by the closing Eucharistic litury, the blessing of all by the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana and the handing over of the Ark of the New Covenant to Mgr André Gazaille and the Montréal delegation.
Everyone I spoke to went away boosted in their faith and commitment to the gospel. I was thrilled by how everything turned out so well, grateful for the many blessings we received through Montée Jeunesse and the many graces we witnessed being given by the Lord to others.
Further photos will be posted later in the week. Meantime, these photos are a foretaste of those to come.
Chorale Gospel de l'Outaouais
The torch has been thrown to the Archdiocese of Montréal for May 18-21, 2012. Indeed, the decision was taken last fall that whenever an international World Youth Day gathering takes place, our focus would be on that; thus Madrid's WYD XXVI will take our undivided attention for youth ministry in 2011.
On Saturday, besides the activities of MJ, I was part of the re-creation of Bishop Guigues' visit to Paroisse St. Joseph in Orléans in 1860: a boat trip on the Ottawa River from the Ottawa Boating Club dock to the landing near Villa St-Louis where I was met by the pastor Mgr Peter Schonenbach, les Soeurs de la Charité, local citizens and an RCMP mounted escort, then riding a landau to a marshalling yard near Place d'Orléans for a parade with marching band and floats to St. Joseph's Church (with many wearing period clothing).
This day's sesquicentennial festivities were closed with the Mass on the Vigil of Pentecost and a reception in the parish hall.
Mgr Peter Schonenbach, Abbé Daniel Berniquez, André Dufault, diacre permanent
Abbé Berniquez, who accompanied me to the parish, then drove me to the residence where we changed into alb, stole and cope for the procession from St. Joseph's cathedral in Gatineau, across the Interprovincial Bridge to Parliament Hill and then eucharistic adoration and Taizé Prayer, confessions in the basilica and on the landing outside.
Yesterday, I had two celebrations with Confirmations of adults and adolescents at noon in English and at the 5:15 francophone Mass: some 30+ at each occasion.
Then the Christian concert in one of the halls at Lansdowne Park featuring Matt Maher (ex-Newfoundlander now living in Arizona), the French-Canadian cultural band Chakidor and the Chorale Gospel de l'Outaouais.
Matt Maher and I chat after the concert as he autographs albums, etc.
This morning, Mgr Paul-André Durocher gave a moving bible study to encourage us to let ourselves carry on the mission of Jesus in reaching out to others in witness and service, followed by the closing Eucharistic litury, the blessing of all by the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana and the handing over of the Ark of the New Covenant to Mgr André Gazaille and the Montréal delegation.
Everyone I spoke to went away boosted in their faith and commitment to the gospel. I was thrilled by how everything turned out so well, grateful for the many blessings we received through Montée Jeunesse and the many graces we witnessed being given by the Lord to others.
Further photos will be posted later in the week. Meantime, these photos are a foretaste of those to come.
Chorale Gospel de l'Outaouais
PENTECOST: birthday of the Church - Eucharistic Procession Gatineau Cathedral to Ottawa's via Parliament Hill
Solemnity of Pentecost (Year "C") - May 23, 2010 "SEND OUT YOUR SPIRIT, RENEW THE FACE OF THE EARTH" [Texts: Acts 2:1-11 [Psalm 104]; Romans 8:8-17; John 19:15-16,23b-26]
W. O. Mitchell's novel, Who Has Seen the Wind recounts several years in the life of a boy growing up on the prairies. The hero Brian O'Connal shares the limelight with the ever-present wind. The interaction between Brian and the wind begins one day as he wanders out onto the prairie and savours the life surrounding him:
'All about him was the wind now, a pervasive sighing through great emptiness, unhampered by the buildings of the town, warm and living against his face and in his hair'.
By contrast with people of the village who come and go, the wind is everlasting--like God--a fact the novel's author points out:
'People were forever born; people forever died, and never were again. Fathers died and sons were born; the prairie was forever, with its wind whispering through the long, dead grasses, through the long and endless silence.'
This parallels the theme of today's psalm that when God takes back the spirit, people die. 'When You send forth your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth'.
God's renewal of the earth, however, can appear powerful, at times frightening, like the dynamic description of Pentecost which Luke gives in today's passage from Acts.
Mitchell grasps this aspect of the wind as well: 'The wind turns in silent frenzy upon itself, whirling into a smoking funnel, breathing up topsoil and tumbleweed skeletons to carry them on its spinning way over the prairie, out and out to the far line of the sky.'
To those familiar with the Old Testament, Luke's account of Pentecost Day would evoke the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. It might also suggest a reversal of the Tower of Babel story (Genesis 11:1-9).
Later, when Peter explained what was going on, he said that the prophecy of Joel ('your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams' [2:28-32]) had been fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit the bystanders had witnessed (Acts 2:14-36).
The "Feast of Weeks" celebrated on the fiftieth day (Greek Pentekostes) of the spring harvest, marked the end of the celebration of God's blessings. Israel gave thanks not only for the agrarian bounty but also for the greater bounty of God's love in choosing a covenant people. God's election of Israel at Sinai came to be linked with Pentecost, just as the Exodus had been with Passover.
So, at Pentecost there was praise for God's self-revelation on Sinai in 'fire' and in 'wind' and, according to first century rabbinic writings, in 'tongues.' The Pentecost day following Jesus' resurrection and ascension, then, is described by Luke as God's newest self-manifestation. Through the Holy Spirit who is to carry the power of Jesus' ministry to the ends of the world and to all peoples on the face of the earth, God becomes present in this world in a marvellously new way.
The divisions and misunderstandings that occur because people speak different languages is an aspect of the world's sinful condition that Jesus overcame through His paschal mystery. Luke shows that this reconciliation has truly come about when he tells how 'Jews and proselytes' (converts to the Jewish faith who were not yet full members of the people of God) from the whole known world grasped and expressed in their individual dialects that Jesus' disciples were telling 'God's deeds of power'.
In a catalogue of places sweeping from east to west (from Parthia to Rome), Luke proclaimed that the Spirit of God was moving over the world, unifying one and all in praise of God. Pentecost appears, then, as a new beginning for humanity's relationship with God. And, as the rest of the Acts of the Apostles shows, at Pentecost the marvels had only just begun.
Encouraged by the Spirit who, as 'Advocate', teaches disciples 'everything', reminds them of 'all that I have said to you' (gospel) and causes them to cry out 'Abba! Father!' to God (second reading), members of the Church today pray for a renewal of the event of Pentecost:
'Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful; and kindle in them the fire of your love' (Alleluia verse).
* * * * * *
MONTEE JEUNESSE IN HIGH GEAR
Yesterday, the young evangelists of Montee Jeunesse/ Youth Summit held a Eucharistic Procession from Gatineau's St. Joseph's Cathedral, across the Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge to Parliament Hill and back along Wellington and MacKenzie to the Ottawa Cathedral of Our Lady. It was a wonderful experience and drew noticeable attention from passersby.
The rain held off and spirits were high, just part of an extraordinary day that began with Mass at Eglise Sainte-Famille presided by Cardinal Ouellet during which he gave a powerful homily.
Workshops at Immaculata High School in the morning and at St. Paul University in the afternoon prepared for the Procession and last evening, an evening of prayer, listening to an exciting woman evangelist from New Jersey, Caroline Gambale Dirkes and some street evangelizing in the Byward Market rounded out a full day.
Some pix of the procession, courtesy of Deborah Gyapong CCN:
W. O. Mitchell's novel, Who Has Seen the Wind recounts several years in the life of a boy growing up on the prairies. The hero Brian O'Connal shares the limelight with the ever-present wind. The interaction between Brian and the wind begins one day as he wanders out onto the prairie and savours the life surrounding him:
'All about him was the wind now, a pervasive sighing through great emptiness, unhampered by the buildings of the town, warm and living against his face and in his hair'.
By contrast with people of the village who come and go, the wind is everlasting--like God--a fact the novel's author points out:
'People were forever born; people forever died, and never were again. Fathers died and sons were born; the prairie was forever, with its wind whispering through the long, dead grasses, through the long and endless silence.'
This parallels the theme of today's psalm that when God takes back the spirit, people die. 'When You send forth your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth'.
God's renewal of the earth, however, can appear powerful, at times frightening, like the dynamic description of Pentecost which Luke gives in today's passage from Acts.
Mitchell grasps this aspect of the wind as well: 'The wind turns in silent frenzy upon itself, whirling into a smoking funnel, breathing up topsoil and tumbleweed skeletons to carry them on its spinning way over the prairie, out and out to the far line of the sky.'
To those familiar with the Old Testament, Luke's account of Pentecost Day would evoke the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. It might also suggest a reversal of the Tower of Babel story (Genesis 11:1-9).
Later, when Peter explained what was going on, he said that the prophecy of Joel ('your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams' [2:28-32]) had been fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit the bystanders had witnessed (Acts 2:14-36).
The "Feast of Weeks" celebrated on the fiftieth day (Greek Pentekostes) of the spring harvest, marked the end of the celebration of God's blessings. Israel gave thanks not only for the agrarian bounty but also for the greater bounty of God's love in choosing a covenant people. God's election of Israel at Sinai came to be linked with Pentecost, just as the Exodus had been with Passover.
So, at Pentecost there was praise for God's self-revelation on Sinai in 'fire' and in 'wind' and, according to first century rabbinic writings, in 'tongues.' The Pentecost day following Jesus' resurrection and ascension, then, is described by Luke as God's newest self-manifestation. Through the Holy Spirit who is to carry the power of Jesus' ministry to the ends of the world and to all peoples on the face of the earth, God becomes present in this world in a marvellously new way.
The divisions and misunderstandings that occur because people speak different languages is an aspect of the world's sinful condition that Jesus overcame through His paschal mystery. Luke shows that this reconciliation has truly come about when he tells how 'Jews and proselytes' (converts to the Jewish faith who were not yet full members of the people of God) from the whole known world grasped and expressed in their individual dialects that Jesus' disciples were telling 'God's deeds of power'.
In a catalogue of places sweeping from east to west (from Parthia to Rome), Luke proclaimed that the Spirit of God was moving over the world, unifying one and all in praise of God. Pentecost appears, then, as a new beginning for humanity's relationship with God. And, as the rest of the Acts of the Apostles shows, at Pentecost the marvels had only just begun.
Encouraged by the Spirit who, as 'Advocate', teaches disciples 'everything', reminds them of 'all that I have said to you' (gospel) and causes them to cry out 'Abba! Father!' to God (second reading), members of the Church today pray for a renewal of the event of Pentecost:
'Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful; and kindle in them the fire of your love' (Alleluia verse).
* * * * * *
MONTEE JEUNESSE IN HIGH GEAR
Yesterday, the young evangelists of Montee Jeunesse/ Youth Summit held a Eucharistic Procession from Gatineau's St. Joseph's Cathedral, across the Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge to Parliament Hill and back along Wellington and MacKenzie to the Ottawa Cathedral of Our Lady. It was a wonderful experience and drew noticeable attention from passersby.
The rain held off and spirits were high, just part of an extraordinary day that began with Mass at Eglise Sainte-Famille presided by Cardinal Ouellet during which he gave a powerful homily.
Workshops at Immaculata High School in the morning and at St. Paul University in the afternoon prepared for the Procession and last evening, an evening of prayer, listening to an exciting woman evangelist from New Jersey, Caroline Gambale Dirkes and some street evangelizing in the Byward Market rounded out a full day.
Some pix of the procession, courtesy of Deborah Gyapong CCN:
St. Rita of Cascia - Photos from Visit to St. Leonard's Parish, Manotick
My home parish in Montreal was named in honour of ST. RITA OF CASCIA so her feast on May 22 has long been part of my devotional life. Rita's feast was dropped in the reform of the post-conciliar liturgical renewal, but Pope John Paul II returned him to the calendar as an optional memorial.
St. Rita of Cascia (born: 1386; died: May 22, 1457; canonized: May 24, 1900, by Pope Leo XIII; patron saint of impossible cases [along with St. Jude]).
Despite her marriage being arranged against her wishes at the tender age of 12, Rita remained loyal to her spouse for the entire 18 years of their marriage. Rita was also a devoted mother of two boys. Rita's religious and spiritual convictions so frustrated and angered her husband that he often flew off in a fit of rage, beating and abusing her.
Sixteen years into their marriage, her consistency and persistence finally had their toll - she converted her husband her her way of life; but two years later he was murdered, in what was believed to be a politically motivated assassination. Knowing this, Rita's two boys immediately began to scheme to avenge their father's murder.
Rita exhausted all efforts to convince her boys not to go forward with their plans, but she did not succeed. Fearing for her boys' souls, as a last resort, she prayed for their death before they could carry out their plans. Her prayers were answered.
After losing her entire family, Rita asked to join the local convent in Cascia but she was turned down, as widows were not allowed to enter. Unswayed by her failed attempt, her prayers were again answered, this time in grand fashion. Saints Augustine of Hippo, John the Baptist and Nicholas of Tolentino accompanied her on a journey to the Augustinian Convent Santa Maria Maddalena. When the party arrived, they found, as was the practice for the convent, that the entry way securely locked.
Proving no challenge for this saintly crew, Rita was found the next morning praying in the convent's chapel. Realizing that greater powers than just Rita were at work here, the convent waived the non-admittance of widows and allowed Rita to join the convent.
During the remaining years of her life, this future saint prayed to join with Jesus in His suffering and was given the stigmata gift of a thorn in the forehead. Although the thorn itself was not visible to anyone but Rita, the wound certainly was. This wound remained with her for the rest of her life, festering and exuding a horrible smell for some 15 years. The stench was so extreme that she became a recluse within the convent.
At the time of her nearing death, it was reported by several witnesses that the smell turned from revolting to a sweet, pleasant odor. And at the moment of her death, a bright light, the source of which was the wound in her forehead, filled the room.
"Bestow on us, we pray, O Lord, the wisdom and strength of the Cross, with which you were pleased to endow St. Rita, so that, suffering in every tribulation with Christ, we may participate ever more deeply in his Paschal Mystery. Who lives and reigns with you."
* * * * * *
Belated Report on VISIT TO ST. LEONARD'S PARISH, MANOTICK
In reviewing my reporting on visits and activities, it became clear that the visit to St. Leonard's Parish, Manotick (April 22, 24-25) had not been covered, for which my apologies to pastor Father Daniel Hawkins, MSF and his parishioners.
That period coincided with my trip to the first (francophone) Wedding Anniversary Mass and my travel to Turin and Rome.
On April 22, Father Dan Hawkins Father Muldoon and me at St. Francis Xavier High School and for the visitation activities the rest of that day: 9:00 am Visit to St. Francis Xavier High School, Principal- Peter Atkinson; 10:00 am Visit to St. Jerome’s Elementary School, Principal- Gerry Gilmore; 11:00 am Visit to St. Leonard’s Elementary School, Principal- Kimberly Giles; 12:00 pm Orchard View Seniors Home for an informal luncheon with the owner and residents, Contact - Agatha Thissen; 1:45 pm Carleton Lodge Seniors Home, Contact- Barry Gauthier.
The other main event took place on Saturday, April 24th a "Meet the Volunteer Leaders" session (members of the Pastoral and Finance Councils, as well as leaders of K of C, CWL, Outreach and Pastoral Care Teams: 6:30 pm Presentation on Parish
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm Discussion with Archbishop, feedback on the questions that I asked them to consider was presented for discussion. In particular, many parishioners would like to know what that the Diocese’s plans are for Riverside South and what impact that will have on the future of St. Leonard’s.
Here are some photos of the day and of the meeting with committee representatives at a Saturday evening supper in the parish hall.
St. Francis Xavier students explain the motivation and outcomes of the various committees, bodies in this brand new high school
Presentation of a gift to me after the exchanges
St. JEROME'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
St. LEONARD'S SCHOOL
After lunch at Orchard View
Carleton Lodge Exchange
Meeting with Parish Reps
St. Rita of Cascia (born: 1386; died: May 22, 1457; canonized: May 24, 1900, by Pope Leo XIII; patron saint of impossible cases [along with St. Jude]).
Despite her marriage being arranged against her wishes at the tender age of 12, Rita remained loyal to her spouse for the entire 18 years of their marriage. Rita was also a devoted mother of two boys. Rita's religious and spiritual convictions so frustrated and angered her husband that he often flew off in a fit of rage, beating and abusing her.
Sixteen years into their marriage, her consistency and persistence finally had their toll - she converted her husband her her way of life; but two years later he was murdered, in what was believed to be a politically motivated assassination. Knowing this, Rita's two boys immediately began to scheme to avenge their father's murder.
Rita exhausted all efforts to convince her boys not to go forward with their plans, but she did not succeed. Fearing for her boys' souls, as a last resort, she prayed for their death before they could carry out their plans. Her prayers were answered.
After losing her entire family, Rita asked to join the local convent in Cascia but she was turned down, as widows were not allowed to enter. Unswayed by her failed attempt, her prayers were again answered, this time in grand fashion. Saints Augustine of Hippo, John the Baptist and Nicholas of Tolentino accompanied her on a journey to the Augustinian Convent Santa Maria Maddalena. When the party arrived, they found, as was the practice for the convent, that the entry way securely locked.
Proving no challenge for this saintly crew, Rita was found the next morning praying in the convent's chapel. Realizing that greater powers than just Rita were at work here, the convent waived the non-admittance of widows and allowed Rita to join the convent.
During the remaining years of her life, this future saint prayed to join with Jesus in His suffering and was given the stigmata gift of a thorn in the forehead. Although the thorn itself was not visible to anyone but Rita, the wound certainly was. This wound remained with her for the rest of her life, festering and exuding a horrible smell for some 15 years. The stench was so extreme that she became a recluse within the convent.
At the time of her nearing death, it was reported by several witnesses that the smell turned from revolting to a sweet, pleasant odor. And at the moment of her death, a bright light, the source of which was the wound in her forehead, filled the room.
"Bestow on us, we pray, O Lord, the wisdom and strength of the Cross, with which you were pleased to endow St. Rita, so that, suffering in every tribulation with Christ, we may participate ever more deeply in his Paschal Mystery. Who lives and reigns with you."
* * * * * *
Belated Report on VISIT TO ST. LEONARD'S PARISH, MANOTICK
In reviewing my reporting on visits and activities, it became clear that the visit to St. Leonard's Parish, Manotick (April 22, 24-25) had not been covered, for which my apologies to pastor Father Daniel Hawkins, MSF and his parishioners.
That period coincided with my trip to the first (francophone) Wedding Anniversary Mass and my travel to Turin and Rome.
On April 22, Father Dan Hawkins Father Muldoon and me at St. Francis Xavier High School and for the visitation activities the rest of that day: 9:00 am Visit to St. Francis Xavier High School, Principal- Peter Atkinson; 10:00 am Visit to St. Jerome’s Elementary School, Principal- Gerry Gilmore; 11:00 am Visit to St. Leonard’s Elementary School, Principal- Kimberly Giles; 12:00 pm Orchard View Seniors Home for an informal luncheon with the owner and residents, Contact - Agatha Thissen; 1:45 pm Carleton Lodge Seniors Home, Contact- Barry Gauthier.
The other main event took place on Saturday, April 24th a "Meet the Volunteer Leaders" session (members of the Pastoral and Finance Councils, as well as leaders of K of C, CWL, Outreach and Pastoral Care Teams: 6:30 pm Presentation on Parish
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm Discussion with Archbishop, feedback on the questions that I asked them to consider was presented for discussion. In particular, many parishioners would like to know what that the Diocese’s plans are for Riverside South and what impact that will have on the future of St. Leonard’s.
Here are some photos of the day and of the meeting with committee representatives at a Saturday evening supper in the parish hall.
St. Francis Xavier students explain the motivation and outcomes of the various committees, bodies in this brand new high school
Presentation of a gift to me after the exchanges
St. JEROME'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
St. LEONARD'S SCHOOL
After lunch at Orchard View
Carleton Lodge Exchange
Meeting with Parish Reps
St. Eugène de Mazenod & Mgr Joseph-Eugène-Bruno Guigues - MJ's DISCIPLES - Death of a Canadian Jesuit in Darjeeling
St. Eugène de Mazenod and Bishop Guigues
In showing visitors the portraits of the bishops and archbishops of Ottawa depicted in my residence, I often point out the our first bishop was a colleague of, and sent to us by, a saint: today's memorial, the founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, great missionaries here in Canada and around the world.
St. Eugène
In 1815, St. Eugène de Mazenod founded the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate to evangelize the poorest populations of Provence that were being neglected. He then sent his missionaries to proclaim the Gospel in America, South Africa and Asia.
Later on, he was appointed Vicar General of Marseilles and, in 1836, Bishop of this same diocese. Until his death on May 21, 1861, he was at the service of his people with an extraordinary pastoral charity, nourished by an intense interior life. In his city, rapidly developing at the time, he created numerous parishes, built new churches and installed new Religious Institutes.
St. Eugene De Mazenod, refused to follow the established modes expected of someone born into nobility. From an early age, Eugene was troubled by the living conditions of the poor and their degraded status in society. When he became a priest, Eugene was not satisfied to accept the traditional role of a pastor serving a large, affluent parish. Instead, he sought out the poor laborers and preached the message of God’s love — a message they had not heard before.
Born in France in 1782, Eugene lived amid turmoil in his country and in his family. Although he grew up with the privileges and luxuries of wealth, his family life was far from ideal. His parents came from very different backgrounds and they eventually divorced, a rarity for Catholics in the 18th century.
As the French Revolution grew, Eugene’s family was forced into exile, and at different times, he was separated from his mother or father for years at a time.
After years of struggling to find his place in life, Eugene experienced a conversion at the age of 25 and entered the seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1811. In 1816, Eugene invited others to join in his ministry to the poor and founded the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Since that time, thousands of Oblate priests and brothers have dedicated their lives to serving those most in need. He died on May 21, 1861.
On December 3, 1995, Pope John Paul II canonized Eugene De Mazenod a saint and recognized his example of untiring dedication to the poor. (— Excerpted from Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate Website)
Last year, in recognition of the impact of the OMIs as missionaries the world over, the Bishops of Canada recommended to the Congregation of Divine Worship the extension of the feast of St. Eugène to the church universal.
* * * * * *
Mgr Guigues
Joseph-Eugène-Bruno Guigues (1805-1874) fut le premier évêque catholique d'Ottawa.
Né à Gap (France) le 28 août 1805, fit profession d'Oblat de Marie Immaculée entre les mains de Mgr Charles-Eugène de Mazenod, le 4 octobre 1824, à Aix, en Provence. Il fut ordonné à Aix par Mgr Fortuné de Mazenod, évêque de Marseille, le 26 mai 1828. De ce jour jusqu'à l'année 1844, il donna des missions dans les diocèses d'Aix, de Marseille, de Tréguier, de Gap, de Grenoble et de Valence. Arrivé au Canada le 18 août 1844, il fut supérieur et provincial des R. P. Oblats, à Longueuil.
Nommé par Pie IX évêque de Bytown (Ottawa), il fut consacré dans sa cathédrale, le 30juillet 1848 par Mgr Gaulin. Mgr Guigues admit, dans son diocèse, les sœurs grises de la Croix, les sœurs de la congrégation de Notre-Dame de Montréal et les sœurs de la Charité du Refuge. Il se rendit à Rome en 1850 et en 1867 pour les grandes fêtes du 18ème centenaire du martyre des apôtres St-Pierre et St-Paul, et en 1869, au concile du Vatican. Décédé le 8 février 1874, il fut inhumé le 12, dans sa cathédrale.
* * * * * *
Saint Christopher Magallanes was joined in martyrdom by twenty-one diocesan priests and three devout laymen, all members of the Cristeros movement, who rose up in rebellion against the anti-Catholic Mexican government during the 1920s. Having erected a seminary at Totatiche, he secretly spread the Gospel and ministered to the people.
Captured by government authorities, he was heard to shout from his jail cell: "I am innocent and I die innocent. I forgive with all my heart those responsible for my death, and I ask God that the shedding of my blood serve the peace of our divided Mexico."
This optional memorial for May 21 will not generally be observed in Canada because of the feast of St. Eugène.
* * * * * *
LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR THE MONTEE JEUNESSE/YOUTH SUMMIT
As the Youth Summit approaches, the immediate preparations kick into high gear. But there are also spiritual dimensions to be realized by the thirty youth who came a week early to train as DISCIPLES, leaders for the big weekend coming up.
They have been living at Algonquin College and holding sessions at St. John the Apostle church on Baseline Road, hosted by the parishioners and their pastor, Father Thomas Riopelle.
Each day begins with Eucharistic adoration, followed by devotions personal and communal (recited rosary) and an opportunity for the sacrament of reconciliation.
Daily Mass is celebrated at 9AM and I had the joyful privilege of presiding yesterday morning, with Fathers Dominique Perron, FMJ and Jonathan Blake concelebrating.
* * * * * *
FATHER EDGAR BURNS, SJ [R.I.P.]
Canadian Jesuit Edgar Burns (born April 25, 1925; ordained March 19, 1958) passed away on May 17 in Darjeeling, India where he had served over fifty years. The description of his death shows the difference in culture from our own pratices. A priest who was with Father Burns gave a wonderful write-up of his last hours:
Love and Greetings from Fr. Kennedy,
On Thursday, May 17, 2010 at 7.30 pm Fr. Burns passed away. The flame that burnt with love joined the eternal flame of everlasting love. The river that sustained the lives of thousands of people in Darjeeling collected itself and joined the ocean of life. “By dying we are born to eternal life”.
As usual I was with Fr. Burns in his room during the tea time from 4 pm to 5 pm on May 17th. We had a wonderful conversation. During the conversation he asked me how old I am. I said I am 43. Then he went on to say “you are young, you have got into the work of Hayden Hall, you are doing very well, continue to do the work…”
Very little did I know that he was blessing me, as though he knew very well that his hour had come and he must depart from the world.
I have been with Fr. Burns for the past 11 months as the Director of Hayden Hall. I have come to know him … there are times I had gone to give retreats … when I came back to Hayden Hall…… he would say “ I missed you”… I recall and cherish those moments at this time as I miss him a lot.
As usual Ms. Dunne comes in the evenings to Fr. Burn's room, goes through the check list of medicines he has taken or not taken, then guides him through some simple physical exercises. It is at this time, the Time had come for him. At 7.30 pm, I was in my room which is next to Fr. Burns' room, I heard a knock on my door and Ms. Dunne was calling me out… I rushed to Fr. Burns' room, he was collapsing; Ms Dunne, the room boy Mr. Sundeep and I shifted him from his chair to his bed. By then Dr. Plaban Das had arrived. He checked Fr. Burns and pronounced “Fr. Burns had cardiac arrest and I am unable to revive him”. Then I give my blessings and prayed for him.
I first informed the sad news to Fr. Peter Pappu, the provincial of Darjeeling, the local Jesuit communities and the HH (Hayden Hall) staff members. Fr. Kinley, Rector of St. Joseph’s School and his community is the first one to arrive in HH they all prayed over Fr. Burns. Then came the Sisters of St. Joseph’s of Cluny. The bishop of Darjeeling Fr. Stephen Lepcha was there to console us and to pray for Fr. Burns. The HH staff rushed in with tears in their eyes.
Ms. Shanti, the cook for Fr. Burns and me kept on crying and weeping. She looked after Fr. Burns with love and care. That same night around 11 pm I had small meeting with couple of staff members namely with Mr. Khgan and Mr. Gopal to plan out and organize the coming days. The staff members took turns to keep vigil at Fr. Burns' body.
Ms. Dunne began to inform Fr. Burns' relatives and friends. Ms. Edith, professionally a nurse and a social worker was here much ahead of everyone. She cleaned the body with warm water, anointed the body with oil, dressed it with very new cassock which I had and we put on him the Mass vestments. The body of Fr. Burns looked very fresh as though he is just sleeping and it remained in that state till we placed the lid over the coffin. Thanks to Ms. Edith.
On May 18, 2010 at 10 am we shifted the body to the big hall in HH itself for the public to pay their last respects. Fr. Peter Pappu was here in HH in the morning. People from all walks of life came in hundreds. The HH staff members had arranged tea and biscuits for all. Ms. Dunne and I planned for the following Day.
On May 19, 2010 at 9.30 am we had a short prayer service in HH, I blessed body and placed it in a decorated pick-up van arranged by St. Joseph’s College community for the funeral procession. I never witnessed a funeral procession such as this for any priest in my life. The entire town came to a stand-still, shops were closed, roads were cleared, vehicular traffic was held up, the people were lined up on either side of the road with Khadas (a scarf traditionally used in all the religious and civil functions to put on the person around the neck to welcome and give farewell…etc). It was so wonderful to see, it is a witness to the life Fr. Burns lived and the Life he would embrace.
By the time the procession reached the school the number of people swelled up to thousands. Thanks to the old students of Fr. Burns who were very much involved in arranging the procession.
The Mass began at 11.30 am at St. Joseph’s School gymnasium hall. It accommodated more than 1000 people. The hall was overflowing with people so many outside the hall. Fr. Stephen Lepcha, the Bishop of Darjeeling diocese, Fr. Clement, the Bishop of Jailpaiguri diocese, Fr. Thomas, the Bishop of Bagdoghara diocese were presiding over the Mass. Nearly 60 priests were there for the Mass. Hundreds of religious sisters belonging to various congregations were gathered there. Above all Fr. Burns' people, whom he loved and helped were there with tears in their eyes. He was their Hero, a Home to the homeless and a Light House to so many who were confused in sea of life. Fr. Van gave the homily; it was personal therefore at times emotional. It was well received. At 3.30 pm the entire ceremony including the burial was over. The burial ceremony was conducted by Fr. Papadil.
Mid-April Fr. Burns was in the hospital when Ms Rosana Pellizzari and her Husband Mr. Sil visited us in HH. Their visit was a real healing to Fr. Burns. We brought him back to Hayden Hall and celebrated his 85th Birthday, meticulously planned and arranged by Ms. Rosana. The Jesuits too in good number joined the celebration. I recall how happy he was just a few weeks ago in the presence of Rosana and Mr. Sil. Thank you so much you have made a difference in the last days of his life. I must say he remained happy till the last moment of his life.
On this occasion, I like to thank the parents of Fr. Burns, his brothers and sisters and his relatives for giving us the gift of Fr. Burns. I continue to remember you in my prayers, most of whom I have met while you were in India. I request you to pass on the message to the friends, well wishers of Fr. Burns and all those who support his work in HH.
I love you and pray for you.
Fr. Kennedy
In showing visitors the portraits of the bishops and archbishops of Ottawa depicted in my residence, I often point out the our first bishop was a colleague of, and sent to us by, a saint: today's memorial, the founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, great missionaries here in Canada and around the world.
St. Eugène
In 1815, St. Eugène de Mazenod founded the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate to evangelize the poorest populations of Provence that were being neglected. He then sent his missionaries to proclaim the Gospel in America, South Africa and Asia.
Later on, he was appointed Vicar General of Marseilles and, in 1836, Bishop of this same diocese. Until his death on May 21, 1861, he was at the service of his people with an extraordinary pastoral charity, nourished by an intense interior life. In his city, rapidly developing at the time, he created numerous parishes, built new churches and installed new Religious Institutes.
St. Eugene De Mazenod, refused to follow the established modes expected of someone born into nobility. From an early age, Eugene was troubled by the living conditions of the poor and their degraded status in society. When he became a priest, Eugene was not satisfied to accept the traditional role of a pastor serving a large, affluent parish. Instead, he sought out the poor laborers and preached the message of God’s love — a message they had not heard before.
Born in France in 1782, Eugene lived amid turmoil in his country and in his family. Although he grew up with the privileges and luxuries of wealth, his family life was far from ideal. His parents came from very different backgrounds and they eventually divorced, a rarity for Catholics in the 18th century.
As the French Revolution grew, Eugene’s family was forced into exile, and at different times, he was separated from his mother or father for years at a time.
After years of struggling to find his place in life, Eugene experienced a conversion at the age of 25 and entered the seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1811. In 1816, Eugene invited others to join in his ministry to the poor and founded the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Since that time, thousands of Oblate priests and brothers have dedicated their lives to serving those most in need. He died on May 21, 1861.
On December 3, 1995, Pope John Paul II canonized Eugene De Mazenod a saint and recognized his example of untiring dedication to the poor. (— Excerpted from Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate Website)
Last year, in recognition of the impact of the OMIs as missionaries the world over, the Bishops of Canada recommended to the Congregation of Divine Worship the extension of the feast of St. Eugène to the church universal.
* * * * * *
Mgr Guigues
Joseph-Eugène-Bruno Guigues (1805-1874) fut le premier évêque catholique d'Ottawa.
Né à Gap (France) le 28 août 1805, fit profession d'Oblat de Marie Immaculée entre les mains de Mgr Charles-Eugène de Mazenod, le 4 octobre 1824, à Aix, en Provence. Il fut ordonné à Aix par Mgr Fortuné de Mazenod, évêque de Marseille, le 26 mai 1828. De ce jour jusqu'à l'année 1844, il donna des missions dans les diocèses d'Aix, de Marseille, de Tréguier, de Gap, de Grenoble et de Valence. Arrivé au Canada le 18 août 1844, il fut supérieur et provincial des R. P. Oblats, à Longueuil.
Nommé par Pie IX évêque de Bytown (Ottawa), il fut consacré dans sa cathédrale, le 30juillet 1848 par Mgr Gaulin. Mgr Guigues admit, dans son diocèse, les sœurs grises de la Croix, les sœurs de la congrégation de Notre-Dame de Montréal et les sœurs de la Charité du Refuge. Il se rendit à Rome en 1850 et en 1867 pour les grandes fêtes du 18ème centenaire du martyre des apôtres St-Pierre et St-Paul, et en 1869, au concile du Vatican. Décédé le 8 février 1874, il fut inhumé le 12, dans sa cathédrale.
* * * * * *
Saint Christopher Magallanes was joined in martyrdom by twenty-one diocesan priests and three devout laymen, all members of the Cristeros movement, who rose up in rebellion against the anti-Catholic Mexican government during the 1920s. Having erected a seminary at Totatiche, he secretly spread the Gospel and ministered to the people.
Captured by government authorities, he was heard to shout from his jail cell: "I am innocent and I die innocent. I forgive with all my heart those responsible for my death, and I ask God that the shedding of my blood serve the peace of our divided Mexico."
This optional memorial for May 21 will not generally be observed in Canada because of the feast of St. Eugène.
* * * * * *
LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR THE MONTEE JEUNESSE/YOUTH SUMMIT
As the Youth Summit approaches, the immediate preparations kick into high gear. But there are also spiritual dimensions to be realized by the thirty youth who came a week early to train as DISCIPLES, leaders for the big weekend coming up.
They have been living at Algonquin College and holding sessions at St. John the Apostle church on Baseline Road, hosted by the parishioners and their pastor, Father Thomas Riopelle.
Each day begins with Eucharistic adoration, followed by devotions personal and communal (recited rosary) and an opportunity for the sacrament of reconciliation.
Daily Mass is celebrated at 9AM and I had the joyful privilege of presiding yesterday morning, with Fathers Dominique Perron, FMJ and Jonathan Blake concelebrating.
* * * * * *
FATHER EDGAR BURNS, SJ [R.I.P.]
Canadian Jesuit Edgar Burns (born April 25, 1925; ordained March 19, 1958) passed away on May 17 in Darjeeling, India where he had served over fifty years. The description of his death shows the difference in culture from our own pratices. A priest who was with Father Burns gave a wonderful write-up of his last hours:
Love and Greetings from Fr. Kennedy,
On Thursday, May 17, 2010 at 7.30 pm Fr. Burns passed away. The flame that burnt with love joined the eternal flame of everlasting love. The river that sustained the lives of thousands of people in Darjeeling collected itself and joined the ocean of life. “By dying we are born to eternal life”.
As usual I was with Fr. Burns in his room during the tea time from 4 pm to 5 pm on May 17th. We had a wonderful conversation. During the conversation he asked me how old I am. I said I am 43. Then he went on to say “you are young, you have got into the work of Hayden Hall, you are doing very well, continue to do the work…”
Very little did I know that he was blessing me, as though he knew very well that his hour had come and he must depart from the world.
I have been with Fr. Burns for the past 11 months as the Director of Hayden Hall. I have come to know him … there are times I had gone to give retreats … when I came back to Hayden Hall…… he would say “ I missed you”… I recall and cherish those moments at this time as I miss him a lot.
As usual Ms. Dunne comes in the evenings to Fr. Burn's room, goes through the check list of medicines he has taken or not taken, then guides him through some simple physical exercises. It is at this time, the Time had come for him. At 7.30 pm, I was in my room which is next to Fr. Burns' room, I heard a knock on my door and Ms. Dunne was calling me out… I rushed to Fr. Burns' room, he was collapsing; Ms Dunne, the room boy Mr. Sundeep and I shifted him from his chair to his bed. By then Dr. Plaban Das had arrived. He checked Fr. Burns and pronounced “Fr. Burns had cardiac arrest and I am unable to revive him”. Then I give my blessings and prayed for him.
I first informed the sad news to Fr. Peter Pappu, the provincial of Darjeeling, the local Jesuit communities and the HH (Hayden Hall) staff members. Fr. Kinley, Rector of St. Joseph’s School and his community is the first one to arrive in HH they all prayed over Fr. Burns. Then came the Sisters of St. Joseph’s of Cluny. The bishop of Darjeeling Fr. Stephen Lepcha was there to console us and to pray for Fr. Burns. The HH staff rushed in with tears in their eyes.
Ms. Shanti, the cook for Fr. Burns and me kept on crying and weeping. She looked after Fr. Burns with love and care. That same night around 11 pm I had small meeting with couple of staff members namely with Mr. Khgan and Mr. Gopal to plan out and organize the coming days. The staff members took turns to keep vigil at Fr. Burns' body.
Ms. Dunne began to inform Fr. Burns' relatives and friends. Ms. Edith, professionally a nurse and a social worker was here much ahead of everyone. She cleaned the body with warm water, anointed the body with oil, dressed it with very new cassock which I had and we put on him the Mass vestments. The body of Fr. Burns looked very fresh as though he is just sleeping and it remained in that state till we placed the lid over the coffin. Thanks to Ms. Edith.
On May 18, 2010 at 10 am we shifted the body to the big hall in HH itself for the public to pay their last respects. Fr. Peter Pappu was here in HH in the morning. People from all walks of life came in hundreds. The HH staff members had arranged tea and biscuits for all. Ms. Dunne and I planned for the following Day.
On May 19, 2010 at 9.30 am we had a short prayer service in HH, I blessed body and placed it in a decorated pick-up van arranged by St. Joseph’s College community for the funeral procession. I never witnessed a funeral procession such as this for any priest in my life. The entire town came to a stand-still, shops were closed, roads were cleared, vehicular traffic was held up, the people were lined up on either side of the road with Khadas (a scarf traditionally used in all the religious and civil functions to put on the person around the neck to welcome and give farewell…etc). It was so wonderful to see, it is a witness to the life Fr. Burns lived and the Life he would embrace.
By the time the procession reached the school the number of people swelled up to thousands. Thanks to the old students of Fr. Burns who were very much involved in arranging the procession.
The Mass began at 11.30 am at St. Joseph’s School gymnasium hall. It accommodated more than 1000 people. The hall was overflowing with people so many outside the hall. Fr. Stephen Lepcha, the Bishop of Darjeeling diocese, Fr. Clement, the Bishop of Jailpaiguri diocese, Fr. Thomas, the Bishop of Bagdoghara diocese were presiding over the Mass. Nearly 60 priests were there for the Mass. Hundreds of religious sisters belonging to various congregations were gathered there. Above all Fr. Burns' people, whom he loved and helped were there with tears in their eyes. He was their Hero, a Home to the homeless and a Light House to so many who were confused in sea of life. Fr. Van gave the homily; it was personal therefore at times emotional. It was well received. At 3.30 pm the entire ceremony including the burial was over. The burial ceremony was conducted by Fr. Papadil.
Mid-April Fr. Burns was in the hospital when Ms Rosana Pellizzari and her Husband Mr. Sil visited us in HH. Their visit was a real healing to Fr. Burns. We brought him back to Hayden Hall and celebrated his 85th Birthday, meticulously planned and arranged by Ms. Rosana. The Jesuits too in good number joined the celebration. I recall how happy he was just a few weeks ago in the presence of Rosana and Mr. Sil. Thank you so much you have made a difference in the last days of his life. I must say he remained happy till the last moment of his life.
On this occasion, I like to thank the parents of Fr. Burns, his brothers and sisters and his relatives for giving us the gift of Fr. Burns. I continue to remember you in my prayers, most of whom I have met while you were in India. I request you to pass on the message to the friends, well wishers of Fr. Burns and all those who support his work in HH.
I love you and pray for you.
Fr. Kennedy
St. Bernardine of Siena - Evangelizing Movements in the Church
MAKING THE NAME OF JESUS KNOWN
The liturgy allows the optional memorial today of St. Bernardine of Siena, whose tomb I visited several years ago when I made a journey to L'Aquila, the city struck by a great earthquake last year.
The letters favoured by Bernardine's preaching, IHS (the first two and last letters of the Greek name for Jesus, though often reinterpreted as Latin [Iesus Hominum Salvator: Jesus, Savior of Men] or English [I Have Suffered; In His Service, etc] are often surmounted by a cross, sometimes with the three nails underneath.
When superimposed on a blazing sun, they reflect the Paschal Mystery: the Passion of the Cross and nails taken up into the glory of the resurrection. This is how they are often depicted on iconography of the Society of Jesus, which is why you will find them on the right hand side of my coat of arms (to the top and right of this post).
Making Jesus known has taken many forms over the centuries. New evangelizing movements, which are meeting at the Diocesan Centre these days, at the invitation of CCO in the context of Montee Jeunesse/Youth Summit. I met briefly with these new movements (Face-to-Face Ministries, Ministry of the Redeemer, Emmanuel Community, Renewal Ministries, Famille Marie-Jeunesse, etc) yesterday, then presided at a concelebrated Eucharist in the Archbishop's Chapel and shared a meal with them. What energy, what joy, what zeal! Let us hope and pray that it will flourish and spread.
* * * * * *
St. Bernardine of Siena was said to be the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming strife-torn cities, attacking the paganism he found rampant, attracting crowds of 30,000, following St. Francis’s admonition to preach about “vice and virtue, punishment and glory.”
Compared with St. Paul by the pope, Bernardine had a keen intuition of the needs of the time, along with solid holiness and boundless energy and joy. He accomplished all this despite having a very weak and hoarse voice, miraculously improved later because of his devotion to Mary.
When he was 20, the plague was at its height in his hometown, Siena. Sometimes as many as 20 people died in one day at the hospital. Bernardine offered to run the hospital and, with the help of other young men, nursed patients there for four months. He escaped the plague but was so exhausted that a fever confined him for several months. He spent another year caring for a beloved aunt (her parents had died when he was a child) and at her death began to fast and pray to know God’s will for him.
At 22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained two years later. For almost a dozen years he lived in solitude and prayer, but his gifts ultimately caused him to be sent to preach. He always traveled on foot, sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in another town.
Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek, in Gothic letters on a blazing sun. This was to displace the superstitious symbols of the day, as well as the insignia of factions (for example, Guelphs and Ghibellines).
The devotion spread, and the symbol began to appear in churches, homes and public buildings. Opposition arose from those who thought it a dangerous innovation. Three attempts were made to have the pope take action against him, but Bernardine’s holiness, orthodoxy and intelligence were evidence of his faithfulness.
General of a branch of the Franciscan Order, the Friars of the Strict Observance, he strongly emphasized scholarship and further study of theology and canon law. When he started there were 300 friars in the community; when he died there were 4,000. He returned to preaching the last two years of his life, dying while traveling.
He is the patron saint of: advertizing, compulsive gambling, public relations, Italy.
* * * * * *
Behind the Scenes of Montee Jeunesse/Youth Summit
The lead volunteers pause for a photo amid the last minute crunch
The liturgy allows the optional memorial today of St. Bernardine of Siena, whose tomb I visited several years ago when I made a journey to L'Aquila, the city struck by a great earthquake last year.
The letters favoured by Bernardine's preaching, IHS (the first two and last letters of the Greek name for Jesus, though often reinterpreted as Latin [Iesus Hominum Salvator: Jesus, Savior of Men] or English [I Have Suffered; In His Service, etc] are often surmounted by a cross, sometimes with the three nails underneath.
When superimposed on a blazing sun, they reflect the Paschal Mystery: the Passion of the Cross and nails taken up into the glory of the resurrection. This is how they are often depicted on iconography of the Society of Jesus, which is why you will find them on the right hand side of my coat of arms (to the top and right of this post).
Making Jesus known has taken many forms over the centuries. New evangelizing movements, which are meeting at the Diocesan Centre these days, at the invitation of CCO in the context of Montee Jeunesse/Youth Summit. I met briefly with these new movements (Face-to-Face Ministries, Ministry of the Redeemer, Emmanuel Community, Renewal Ministries, Famille Marie-Jeunesse, etc) yesterday, then presided at a concelebrated Eucharist in the Archbishop's Chapel and shared a meal with them. What energy, what joy, what zeal! Let us hope and pray that it will flourish and spread.
* * * * * *
St. Bernardine of Siena was said to be the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming strife-torn cities, attacking the paganism he found rampant, attracting crowds of 30,000, following St. Francis’s admonition to preach about “vice and virtue, punishment and glory.”
Compared with St. Paul by the pope, Bernardine had a keen intuition of the needs of the time, along with solid holiness and boundless energy and joy. He accomplished all this despite having a very weak and hoarse voice, miraculously improved later because of his devotion to Mary.
When he was 20, the plague was at its height in his hometown, Siena. Sometimes as many as 20 people died in one day at the hospital. Bernardine offered to run the hospital and, with the help of other young men, nursed patients there for four months. He escaped the plague but was so exhausted that a fever confined him for several months. He spent another year caring for a beloved aunt (her parents had died when he was a child) and at her death began to fast and pray to know God’s will for him.
At 22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained two years later. For almost a dozen years he lived in solitude and prayer, but his gifts ultimately caused him to be sent to preach. He always traveled on foot, sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in another town.
Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek, in Gothic letters on a blazing sun. This was to displace the superstitious symbols of the day, as well as the insignia of factions (for example, Guelphs and Ghibellines).
The devotion spread, and the symbol began to appear in churches, homes and public buildings. Opposition arose from those who thought it a dangerous innovation. Three attempts were made to have the pope take action against him, but Bernardine’s holiness, orthodoxy and intelligence were evidence of his faithfulness.
General of a branch of the Franciscan Order, the Friars of the Strict Observance, he strongly emphasized scholarship and further study of theology and canon law. When he started there were 300 friars in the community; when he died there were 4,000. He returned to preaching the last two years of his life, dying while traveling.
He is the patron saint of: advertizing, compulsive gambling, public relations, Italy.
* * * * * *
Behind the Scenes of Montee Jeunesse/Youth Summit
The lead volunteers pause for a photo amid the last minute crunch
St.Yves - Shepherds of Good Hope Hunger Meal - French Catholic School Board honours clergy
Today, I noticed in my French breviary, that the Church in France celebrates St. Yves (English St. Ives), defender of the poor. Knowing little about him, here is what I found on the web:
Saint Yves défendant les pauvres. Isaac Moillon. Collégiale Notre-Dame. Beaune. Bourgogne. XVIIe.
St. Ives, born at Kermartin, near Tréguier, Brittany, 17 October, 1253; died at Louannee, 19 May, 1303, was the son of Helori, lord of Kermartin, and Azo du Kenquis. In 1267 Ives was sent to the University of Paris, where he graduated in civil law. He went to Orléans in 1277 to study canon law.
On his return to Brittany having received minor orders he was appointed "official", or ecclesiastical judge, of the archdeanery of Rennes (1280); meanwhile he studied Scripture, and there are strong reasons for holding that he joined the Franciscan Tertiaries sometime later at Guingamp.
Soon he was invited by the Bishop of Tréguier to become his "official", and accepted the offer (1284). He displayed great zeal and rectitude in the discharge of his duty and did not hesitate to resist the unjust taxation of the king, which he considered an encroachment on the rights of the Church; by his charity he gained the title of advocate and patron of the poor.
Having been ordained he was appointed to the parish of Tredrez in 1285 and eight years later to Louannee, where he died. He was buried in Tréguier, and was canonized in 1347 by Clement VI, his feast being kept on 19 May. He is the patron of lawyers, though not, it is said, their model, for — "Sanctus Ivo erat Brito, Advocatus et non latro, Res miranda populo."
* * * * * *
Yesterday was a very busy day with the regular Tuesday staff meetings, a brief address at the Shepherds of Good Hope fundraising meal at which Rabbi Reuben Bulka and I spoke on social justice in our respective faith communities.
In the afternoon, I attended a farewell for Mr. Jamie McCracken as head of the Ottawa Catholic School Board (no photos from it, so there is one from the hunger meal.
Messrs. Gordon Butler, Chair Ottawa Catholic School Board Trustees, Jamie McCracken, Michael Allen, CEO of United Way of Ottawa
Finally, I attended a clergy recognition dinner held by the Conseil district catholique de l'Est ontarien at the Casselview Golf and Country Club in Casselman in honour of the Year of the Priest. Some photos.
Shepherds of Good Hope Hunger Meal
Shepherds of Good Hope High School Volunteer of the Year Award Winner Christine Mathew and her parents
Dîner pour célébrer l’Année du Prêtre
Saint Yves défendant les pauvres. Isaac Moillon. Collégiale Notre-Dame. Beaune. Bourgogne. XVIIe.
St. Ives, born at Kermartin, near Tréguier, Brittany, 17 October, 1253; died at Louannee, 19 May, 1303, was the son of Helori, lord of Kermartin, and Azo du Kenquis. In 1267 Ives was sent to the University of Paris, where he graduated in civil law. He went to Orléans in 1277 to study canon law.
On his return to Brittany having received minor orders he was appointed "official", or ecclesiastical judge, of the archdeanery of Rennes (1280); meanwhile he studied Scripture, and there are strong reasons for holding that he joined the Franciscan Tertiaries sometime later at Guingamp.
Soon he was invited by the Bishop of Tréguier to become his "official", and accepted the offer (1284). He displayed great zeal and rectitude in the discharge of his duty and did not hesitate to resist the unjust taxation of the king, which he considered an encroachment on the rights of the Church; by his charity he gained the title of advocate and patron of the poor.
Having been ordained he was appointed to the parish of Tredrez in 1285 and eight years later to Louannee, where he died. He was buried in Tréguier, and was canonized in 1347 by Clement VI, his feast being kept on 19 May. He is the patron of lawyers, though not, it is said, their model, for — "Sanctus Ivo erat Brito, Advocatus et non latro, Res miranda populo."
* * * * * *
Yesterday was a very busy day with the regular Tuesday staff meetings, a brief address at the Shepherds of Good Hope fundraising meal at which Rabbi Reuben Bulka and I spoke on social justice in our respective faith communities.
In the afternoon, I attended a farewell for Mr. Jamie McCracken as head of the Ottawa Catholic School Board (no photos from it, so there is one from the hunger meal.
Messrs. Gordon Butler, Chair Ottawa Catholic School Board Trustees, Jamie McCracken, Michael Allen, CEO of United Way of Ottawa
Finally, I attended a clergy recognition dinner held by the Conseil district catholique de l'Est ontarien at the Casselview Golf and Country Club in Casselman in honour of the Year of the Priest. Some photos.
Shepherds of Good Hope Hunger Meal
Shepherds of Good Hope High School Volunteer of the Year Award Winner Christine Mathew and her parents
Dîner pour célébrer l’Année du Prêtre
