In Marty Haugen’s composition of “Canticle of the Sun”, we hear: “The heavens are telling the glory of God and all creation is shouting for joy! Come dance in the forest, come play in the field and sing…sing – to the glory of the Lord!” As spring, and in some places, summer-like weather dawns upon Canada, we can feel the impulse of Catholics to get outside and celebrate God in many ways.

Parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel celebrated the 150th anniversary of the church building in which we worship – yes indeed when you look at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Toronto, the building was opened 150 years ago – yes indeed, the same year Canada became a country. We also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Chinese Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Toronto.

We started with Mass in the church presided by Cardinal Thomas Collins. (Concelebrants from l. to r. Carl Schmidt C.Ss.R., John Feng – associate pastor, Peter Chin C.Ss.R. – pastor, Shijo Meppilly C.Ss.R., Peter Siu S.J., David Purcell C.Ss.R..) We then prayed at the doors of the church while gathered around a statue of Mary and then headed out in procession throughout the neighbouring streets.

Of course there was lots of colour! … including banners, a Knights of Columbus colour guard, a marching band, blue hats, and Canadian and Papal flags.

Do you recognize any of these Redemptorists in the procession?! It might be difficult because of the sunglasses. During the afternoon, at the parish centre, a number of parishioners gave video presentations about the history of Our Lady of Mount Carmel church and the Chinese Catholic parish. We Redemptorists were also given a chance to promote our community through testimony and through a vocation display.

Of course, another staple of these celebrations is FOOD – and lots of it! An evening dinner was punctuated by song and poetry and speeches and prayer. Here we see Frs. Carl, Shijo and Peter and others waking up the lions for a traditional lion dance and, of course, the clergy are always invited to belt out with one voice a joyful song!

On the 10th of June at the Martyrs’ Shrine near Midland, Ontario, 3000 Vietnamese Catholics gathered for a pilgrimage. Some opening devotions were held at the Shrine church at 10 am. The crowds continued to build in the fields near the church while families and friends shared fun and lots of food together. Among those gathering were l. to r. Redemptorist Frs. Antony Nguyen van Dung, Francis Nguyen, David Purcell and Jean-Baptiste Nguyen Thanh Hung.

Fr. Jean-Baptiste is on a holiday in Canada and decided to join in the festivities. There is always a special catechism for young people at this gathering and he was asked to speak to the young people gathered there.

Fr. Anthony (some will remember him as living at St. Patrick’s rectory, Toronto, during recent studies – he is now teaching in Vietnam) was the guest speaker during the afternoon. In honour of the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, he gave a very inspiring testimony to the message and the place of Mary in our lives of faith, and spoke about the witness given by the children to whom Mary appeared at Fatima.

Thanks to our Jesuit hosts at Martyrs’ Shrine, Fr. Francis and I were able to put up a vocation display for the Redemptorists and promoted the Redemptorists as we visited with families.

As you may know, Fr. Peter Chin is the chair of the Toronto Archdiocesan Pastoral Council for Chinese Catholics. As such he represents Cardinal Collins at some religious functions in the Toronto area. On the 11th of June, Fr. Peter led a prayer on behalf of the Catholic community at an interfaith prayer gathering for Peace, and for God’s blessing on the 150th Anniversary of Canada. He chose for his text, Matthew 5.5-9: Blessed are the peacemakers…Here we see l. to r.; Mr. Thomas Chung, parishioner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel; Fr. Peter; our hostess, Abbess of the Fo Guang Shan Temple in Mississauga, the Venerable Yung Ku; myself, and our liaison with the Temple, Ms. Mabel Lam.

Ministers of the federal government brought greetings from the Prime Minister and every level of civil government was represented at this gathering, along with community representatives from the university, police force, and social services. Did I mention lots of food at these summer gatherings!? A vegetarian food fair held on the Temple grounds, followed the prayer and speeches and was attended by hundreds and hundreds of people throughout the afternoon.

I appreciate very much that Frs. Santo Arrigo and Ed Eherer, with the help of the Redemptorist community at St. Patrick’s, Toronto, hosted a vocation supper at the beginning of June. Also, our community in Grande Prairie, hosted a vocation supper toward the end of June. Thank-you! I also encourage you to take advantage of any other gatherings of Redemptorists, (for example, if you have something special for the Feast of St. Alphonsus) by inviting men to come and get to know the Redemptorists through these occasions.

Also, if you have any pilgrimage type gatherings later this summer, please take the opportunity to promote the Redemptorists by putting up the display that each community has in their possession. If you need any materials to hand out to people as you meet with them personally at these gatherings this summer, then you can easily obtain them through myself or Kathy McMerty.

I was very encouraged by a homily that I heard on the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. I was encouraged in part because it was a little out of the ordinary. Sometimes we hear a song or a joke or a story told to illustrate a message from the Sunday texts. This time poetry was used as an introduction for the homily. Not only poetry, but original poetry written by Fr. Ed Eherer, who was the homilist that day. This poem was inspired by a popular folktale. It was encouragement to me that we Redemptorists have many talents and I can use a variety of talents while preaching.

The poem helped me to relate to the mystery of the Eucharist. Moreover, the last stanza gave me words to describe the blessing I had just experienced while celebrating all of these pilgrimages and gatherings with people in May and June. Fr. Ed Eherer graciously consented to my sharing this with you, as I know this poem will bless and encourage you as well.

From the 21st of May through the 27th, all the Redemptorist students in North America along with those in formation ministry and those in vocation ministry met at Notre Dame Retreat Centre, near Rochester, New York.

We gathered in the morning for a two hour workshop. Our presenter was Fr. Dennis Billy C.Ss.R.. He guided us through the life and times of St. Alphonsus. He illustrated through Alphonsus’ own writings, Alphonsus’ genius for pastoral ministry, his stature as one of the greatest spiritual writers and mentors, his guidelines for us to become great preachers, and confessors, and his inspiration for us to live a community life which reflects Jesus as Saviour and Redeemer.

Each afternoon and evening, was filled with social time to build fraternity among the students, while many of those in formation and vocation ministries held meetings.

On Saturday at the closing Mass, we were delighted to see Fr. Stephen Rehrauer and Fr. Jerry Knapp along with some who are in formation ministry, receive the renewal of vows of some of the Redemptorist students.

Please remember to pray for our Redemptorist students, especially as many are going through transitions through this summer and into the fall. For example, many people may have heard, “we are moving”! Many theology students are moving from Chicago and Boston to complete their theological studies at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. This school was founded in 1903 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The main languages for their education there will be English and Spanish. Fr. Peter Hill and Fr. Mick Fleming (l. to r.) will be responsible for leadership in this community of students.

The formation programs that we have at “The Bronx” will remain the same. Although Br. Gene Patin will stay in place, Fr. Bob Wojtek and Fr. Joe Ngo (l. to r.) will be new to the leadership team at this community.

Our formation programs in Dallas, at the University of Dallas, Texas, and at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, where the formation programs take place primarily in Vietnamese and English, will continue as they have. Fr. Francis Dang (standing in centre) will remain in leadership with others on the formation teams in these places.

Interested in exploring the possibilities of living in community, giving of your time and talents while receiving the gift of a life changing experience? Get more information at www.thewelcomehome.ca or contact the Welcome Home at 204-946-5352 or whome01@mymts.net

Graham Hill was ordained a priest, by Archbishop Gerry Pettipas on the 10th of June. Archbishop Gerry spoke about three people who had greatly influenced Graham’s spiritual and personal formation. Most of the priests in the archdiocese attended the ordination; some making great sacrifices to travel from very far flung locations, and then returning to their parishes for their Sunday celebrations!

Graham was also joined by men from his novitiate class; pictured below from right to left are Kevin Zubel and Quy Duong (both of whom were ordained to the Transitional Diaconate on June 26). Fr. Dennis Sweeney, next to Quy, was the rector of Graham’s community during Graham’s theology studies.

Thanks go to many Redemptorist confreres who came from across North America. A banquet for clergy and friends was held before the ordination.

And we are very grateful to many volunteers from St. Joseph Parish who helped to host a reception in the parish hall after the ordination and after Fr. Graham Hill’s Mass of Thanksgiving on the following Sunday.

Many friends were on hand….
Good friends of the Redemptorists,
Kevin and Helen Walker (below with Fr. Mark Miller)

Younger friends, Natalie and Therese and children (below with Fr. Santo Arrigo).

And of course the jet set friends who flew in from St. Patrick parish in Toronto!

The Knights of Columbus as always, were very supportive friends of our celebration!

Here are some more moments from his ordination.

Below are some moments captured at the Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday.

Whenever I meet a confrere or someone who knows, I am the novice master the first question inevitably raised is, “How many novices do we have this year?” The answer, “Five.” The second question, “Are there any Canadians?” The answer to that question is, “Unfortunately, no.”

The group this year continues the tradition of having a novitiate that is both international and multi-cultural. I would like to introduce them briefly to you.

Joaquin Garcia-Romanillos. Age 41. Born in Granada. Joaquin is part of the Madrid province. He is fluent in English. He worked in Portugal. He speaks Portuguese and French. He comes with degrees in Law and in Business Administration. His professional life, prior to entering the Redemptorists in 2013, was centered on financial markets, banking and analysis of investments, international equity and fixed income markets.

Trung-Tin Huynh. Age 25. Born in Saigon, Vietnam. He moved to the US in 2010. He attended university in Vietnam and majored in Computer Science. In the US, he studied Computer Science at Georgia Perimeter College and graduated in 2014. In college, he was invited to join Mu Alpha Theta, the national high school and two-year college mathematics honour society and Phi Theta Kappa, an international honour society. He also got recognition for his scholastic ability in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Trung-Tin is a novice for the Vice-Province of Richmond.

Vincent Nguyen. Age 22. Vincent is a novice for the Denver province. He was born in Fountain Valley, California. After High School, he entered Golden West Community College studying philosophy. He was accepted as a postulant in 2013. Vincent finished his Arts degree from St John’s University with a major in Philosophy. He enjoys scholarly pursuits. He has done very well with his studies. His GPA was 4.0. He was deeply involved in his parish, in the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth movement, the Knights of Columbus, in teaching catechism as well as a peer mentor in various settings. He is very proud of his Vietnamese-American heritage.

Royce Thomas. Age 27. Royce is a native of Trinidad and Tobago. He was born in Parryland village Guapo Point Fortin. He attended Point Fortin Primary School and went to St Benedict’s College. He also attended Roytec school of Business and Computer studies doing an associate degree program. In January 2009, he started working at Corpus Christi College as an assistant teacher and in September of 2009, he became a full time teacher, teaching social studies, music and religion. He entered the postulancy for the Caribbean Region in September 2012. He completed his BA in philosophy in the spring of 2016.

Michael Vo, Age 39. Michael was born and raised in Bien-Hoa, Vietnam. He arrived in Boston with his family on September 14, 1990. He went to high school in Boston and was a member of the ProTech program at his school and a member of the Urban Scholar and the Upward Bound program at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. In 1997, he entered the University of Massachusetts in Boston and began his studies towards a Bachelor of Science degree. After graduating, he worked in the family business for two years then worked in city hall, Boston for eleven years as a PeopleSoft Applications Developer. Michael is a novice for the Baltimore province.

For those of us who consider ourselves sons and daughters, or dear friends of St. Alphonsus in Canada, we have had much to be happy about this spring and summer! As some of you may know, Joseph Manh Thuong Nguyen, was ordained a priest in St. Anne de Beaupré, on Sunday the 24th of April. Originally a member of the Vietnamese Province, Joseph decided to learn French, finish his studies here in Canada and dedicate his life in service of our Congregation here in Canada. He has been assigned to a team of Redemptorists who serve six parishes along the Côte de Beaupré.

We celebrated a beautiful liturgy presided by Archbishop Gérald Lacroix. The Provincial Superior from the Vietnamese Province was also present at the celebration.

There was a wonderful reception after the ordination, that was attended by a crowd of about 300 people!

The contrast in Fr. Joseph’s life by becoming a missionary priest, was evident when after his ordination in Canada, he took a trip to Vietnam. In July he celebrated the ordination of 5 Redemptorists to the priesthood, 12 to the diaconate, 14 who professed first vows and 9 who professed final vows.

Surprise! Surprise! God is a Surprise! … part of a song written by Carey Landry, this was certainly the theme of my Easter. What an adventure!! Further to my previous article on my Easter in Inuvik, this article continues the adventure I had during my time in the North.

There was to be no Mass for Palm Sunday in Tuktoyaktuk, and it is prohibitive to heat the church all week. We therefore, celebrated Mass and a pot-luck supper in the home of Sr. Fay Trombley SCIC. Redemptorists who worked in Edmonton, will know Sr. Fay who taught spirituality and Church history at Newman Theological College from 1983 through 2005. She is part of a Congregation of Sisters called the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception, (http://www.sistersofcharityic.com/) who were originally based in Saint John, New Brunswick. Redemptorists worked for many years on common pastoral projects with the Sisters in Saint John. I was surprised to meet Sr. Fay as I had not seen her since the 1990’s! … even more surprised to see her joyfully “retired” here! You can read her story here: http://globalsistersreport.org/ministry/ministry-top-world-14526.

In these pictures we see Sr. Fay and others preparing supper in the kitchen and Sr. Fay, with Mardy, and Fr. Jon.

“Surprised, surprised…” to meet my nephew James, (at the back in the middle of the picture below) who lives in Edmonton. He came with five other accountants from Edmonton to conduct an audit for a construction company in Tuk.

And yes, still more surprises… Many Redemptorists know well, Fr. Don Stein, a diocesan priest from the Archdiocese of Edmonton. For the last seven years he has been travelling north to serve the people of Tuktoyaktuk by presiding at the Easter Triduum celebrations. Here, he and I are pictured in the Inuvik airport where a local resident of the north, greets people with a big … is that a smile or … what!?

I arrived on Tuesday of Holy Week, into a community of about 300 people, called Paulatuk. Grateful for a smooth landing on a cold, snow-packed runway, I was immediately impressed by the warmth of the people. I had heard about a local hockey tournament that was wrapping up at the local indoor arena and went over to see for myself. Young children were out playing on the ice until the young men took to the ice for the final game of the tournament. That evening was the start of six days of Easter activities. I was surprised to find out how big an event Easter is in this community.

More than surprised, I was edified! “Are you the priest?” was the first question after I said hello. Then the young children through to the young adults, all told me about the priest who had lived and served the people in this area for over fifty years. Yes, even the young people who had never met this priest in person, could tell me his story and how he had learned the Inuvialuit language and culture, so they could relate to him like a member of their own people. Immediately I was taken over to see his picture that is mounted on a plaque, in the arena that bears his name.

Throughout my stay, I could feel the encouragement of Fr. Leonce Dehurtevant O.M.I. You can read his obituary on the Northern News Service website at http://www.nnsl.com/frames/newspapers/2002-04/apr22_02obit.html. I also kept hearing the pleading of Fr. John Molnar C.Ss.R.. At many Redemptorist assemblies in Western Canada, thoughout the 80’s and 90’s, he lobbied for us to go and serve the people in northern Canada.

The picture shown here is of the people who attended the Easter Vigil at Our Lady of Lourdes.
As you can see, the church walls are covered in wood panelling that was popular in Canadian homes in the 1960’s. The panelling is carefully installed in artistic patterns. The furnishings are simple, with benches for seating. Statues and pictures of Mary and Joseph and Jesus adorn the sanctuary, and hanging along the side walls of the church, are pictures of the Stations of the Cross. Behind the people, in the centre you can see that an artist painted a picture of Mary dressed in a more traditional Inuvialuktun parka.

I was surprised to see the Easter Vigil was so well attended as it began at 11:00 pm! Good Friday, as is common in parishes further south, attracted so many people that the church was full. I am very grateful for two Catholic teachers Marie (far left), and Rob (underneath St. Joseph), who helped with readings and were willing to have their feet washed on Holy Thursday! Thanks to Agnes (in front of Rob) and some of the women elders, who led us in some Inuvialuktun songs at the Easter Vigil and on Easter Sunday at the noon Mass. Ray, the man in the blue shirt near the right side of the Easter Vigil picture, is the mayor of Paulatuk and I was grateful for his support at all our celebrations. Thanks to Andy who provides van transportation for the elders who cannot walk very well anymore and for any priest who needs to get to the airport. Another young man whose name I have lost brought some of the elders in his family to church on a snowmobile!

Interestingly, this year marks 20 years that the community has been without a resident priest. I am so impressed that these people are deeply committed to the celebration of their Catholic faith. Upon my arrival in Paulatuk, I was given a two page hand-out that included a full schedule of all the Easter Triduum and Easter Sunday celebrations at the church. This was circulated to people in the hamlet, posted at the local hotel and the grocery store, and also surprisingly read aloud on the radio station each afternoon. Yes, indeed, I was surprised to find out that every afternoon for a few hours there are young adults who host a local C.B.C. broadcast of announcements, stories of interest, and favourite music of the people in Paulatuk. During one broadcast I was interviewed and given a chance not only to talk about myself but to personally invite people to our celebrations at the church.

At the same time however, people in Paulatuk have not been able to celebrate the Easter Triduum with a priest on a regular basis for the past 20 years. Marlene, who is a current pastoral leader for Our Lady of Lourdes parish, remarked that she feels competent to handle the Christmas celebrations. She, however, senses a great void and sadness that they are losing the memory of how to celebrate Easter since there is no priest who regularly celebrates the Easter Triduum with them. So I ask if you know of someone with a desire to be a missionary priest, encourage them to consider becoming a son of St Alphonsus Liguori in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.

Wow! Easter Sunday arrived surprisingly, with a lot of warmth at minus 5. We celebrated Mass and renewed our baptismal vows with a church half full of people. During the previous week I had been invited by people that I met around town, to come and bless their homes and some of the young couples had asked if they could have their children baptised. So I headed out after Mass on Sunday to bless homes and on the way…surprise, surprise!…snowmobiles waiting to be blessed! I ran into some young men who were preparing their machines for the Sunday afternoon snowmobile race, and they too asked for a blessing.

And Easter Monday was quite a blessing! A great big thanks to Marlene who spent all afternoon preparing two sets of parents and godparents for the celebration of baptism.

After the baptisms of Aria and Charlotte, it was time for the closing celebrations of Easter in Paulatuk. Many people headed over to the school gymnasium for a supper and dance.

After we ate a bountiful banquet, the tables disappeared, as people were then seated around the outside of the gym. In the picture you see the drummers warming up. Sometimes the men will sit and drum while the women come out in front to dance, and then they reverse roles. You can see that the children are encouraged to stand next to the adults and to copy their actions and participate in learning their drum dancing. This is a real resurrection for Paulatuk. For many years the drums lay mostly silent among those in the community. The middle drummer, Nolan Green is a very talented musician. He took it upon himself to learn from elders and from others, the skills of drumming. As you can see, he has been very effective in nurturing a group of drummers and dancers that is growing. They have also taken their drum dancing on tours through Canada and the United States. Later, the square dancing started up with western music in the background. Nolan with his fiddle, along with a few musicians on various instruments, lead that music.

Of course, recently in the news, we have heard about many difficulties and deaths in isolated communities in Canada. I was surprised and profoundly inspired by the people of Paulatuk who are courageously finding ways to bring light and hope into situations that can seem very dark. I was caught off guard by such a powerful experience of Easter resurrection working great works! Silly me, for being surprised! Isn’t that what Jesus promised? … when he said, (John 14.12) “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Surprise! Surprise! God is a Surprise! … part of a song written by Carey Landry, this was certainly the theme of my Easter. What an adventure!!

I arrived in Yellowknife, NWT on Tuesday before Holy Week. I met a very courageous young man from Vietnam who came to Canada with the inspiration to become a missionary priest. Peter Van Dai Nguyen has now learned enough English to begin studies toward priesthood.

Here are Peter and I, visiting with Sister Mary Lee Przybylski, at the Retreat and Resource Centre for the diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith. Sr. Mary Lee joins a long line of Felician Sisters who have served as missionaries in northern Canada. www.feliciansisters.org/nwterritory
If you have any yearnings or promptings to be a missionary for the sake of the Gospel, then come and join us.

The next day I landed in Inuvik. More than surprised …what a shocking experience!!

As you may know, Fr. Jon Hansen C.Ss.R. was recently installed as pastor at Our Lady of Victory Parish. The plan was for him to orient me and ease me into the northern culture. However, “surprise, surprise, God is a surprise” he had to drive two hours south to Tsiigehtchic. He presided at a funeral and then stayed over till the next day for the Palm Sunday Mass as well. So I was pressed into service to serve the parish in Inuvik for the weekend. These are some of the parishioners who attended Palm Sunday celebrations at Our Lady of Victory. I was quite surprised to see how many people who come from the Phillipines have settled in Inuvik. As you may guess, the weather is one of the things that brings about a culture shock for newcomers – even for me. The weather is so cold, for so long, that the air is extremely dry. When Fr. Jon or I would touch anything metal, especially light switches, a long bolt of lightening (sometimes up to two inches long) would leap out and attack us?! Just in case you don’t believe me, maybe seeing is believing….

Thanks to Kevin McGraw and Brian Vaccaro, two of our novices! The first Saturday of March, they helped invite Catholic youth get to know St. Alphonsus and our Congregation. As you may know the Lift Jesus Higher Rally at the Toronto Convention Centre is one of the largest gatherings of Catholics in Canada. You see also in the picture below a Sister who came out to promote her Congregation, the Sisters of Our Lady Immaculate; and one of the youth attending this rally. In one place, we met people from Oshawa, Barrie, London, St. Catharines, Hamilton and many other places in and around Toronto. As you try to plan vocation activities in your area, take time to consider if there are any large workshops, rallies or celebrations. For example, we have also attended One Rock in Alberta, gatherings of Catholics at the Canadian Martyrs Shrine in Ontario and the Catholic Christian Outreach Conventions that are held across the country.

Pictured here is the CCO group who meet at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby Campus.

We asked the question, “How do I click with this Icon? – Our Mother of Perpetual Help.” Using the prayers of St. Alphonsus, we learned to gaze upon Mary and her son Jesus, and to speak to Mary like a friend.

Somebody please make sure that Brother Dan Korn C.Ss.R., our resident expert on this Icon of Love, is sitting down when he sees this. He will be blown away to know that young people took time out of their busy lives to venerate the Icon of our Mother of Perpetual Help!

Through St. Mary’s parish in Vancouver, you can find out more information at: http://stmarysvancouver.ca/couples-for-christ-cfc/.

As sponsors for this Catholic Christian Outreach convention, we are able to meet young adults from all across the country and speak to them about St. Alphonsus and about our life as brothers and sisters in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. I was impressed by the attendance by over 75 young adult men at a pizza lunch hosted by diocesan clergy and religious orders of men! These young adults learned about the priesthood and religious life from the stories of young men already in formation.

Three Redemptorists from our Montréal and Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré communities joined me at this conference. Fr. Guy would ask people going by, “Would you like to become a saint?” Always receiving an enthusiastic response, he would then hand each person a booklet by St. Alphonsus entitled, Uniformity with God’s Will.

We were greeted warmly by the archbishop of Montréal, His Grace Christian Lepine. Other bishops visited during the week as well.

We were brought greetings from Pope Francis through His Emminence Msgr. Luigi Bonazzi, Apostolic Nuncio for Canada.

We experienced splendor and beauty in the church during our Eucharistic celebrations which took place at the Cathédrale Marie-Reine du Monde and at L’Oratoire St Joseph.

On the 9th of November, Archbishop Gerry Pettipas ordained Graham Hill as a transitional deacon.

Grande Prairie parishioners continue to be blessed with a charism for great music in their liturgies! They shared that charism and their hard work with Graham and all who attended. We were treated to a wonderful time of prayer as our hearts were lifted up by the music and the liturgy of ordination.

A few seminarians for the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan served at the Mass.

This is such blessing for the local Church to have a few men studying together for the priesthood, for the first time in recent memory! We were delighted that they had made the trip from Edmonton to visit their families in Grande Prairie and were able to stay for the ordination. Graham will continue serving the people in Grande Prairie and area, as he awaits news about the date of his ordination to the priesthood.

The staff and parishioners of Grande Prairie were instrumental in hosting a reception in the parish hall after the ordination.

Then on the 20th of September, Br. Joseph Manh Thuong Nguyen C.Ss.R. was ordained to the diaconate. His ordination took place at St. Tite des Capes just 15 minutes east of St. Anne de Beaupré, Québec.

Born in Viet Nam, Deacon Joseph is the oldest of four children. He completed his high school and university studies in Viet Nam and joined the Redemptorists formation in 1997 in Ha Noi.

Deacon Joseph described his experience in this way. “I always feel happy and content to follow my vocational pathway in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Through experiences that I have lived in the Congregation, I have made enormous progress in my spiritual, community and pastoral life. The spirit of prayer, of charity, and of Gospel Friendship that live in the hearts of each of my confrères, and in the parishioners; strengthens my determination to continue on my pathway through the diaconate to ordination as a priest in Christ, and by following the ways of Saint Alphonsus Marie de Liguori.” He will work as pastoral assistant in the six parishes served by the Redemptorists on the Côte de Beaupré for his internship, and then be ordained as a priest next year.

This is a special year for our Redemptorist family in Canada. We celebrate several milestones of new members in our midst. Brother Eumir Bautista joined the Redemptorists on the 14th of August 2015. He professed his first vows to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in Winnipeg at St. Joseph Church.

(l.to r. in picture above) Fr. Mike Smolinsky, Fr. Larry Kondra & Fr. John Sianchuck, witnessed Brother Eumir’s vows.

Born in Libon, Albay, the Phillipines, Brother Eumir graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Manila. In 2006 he began to formally study the traditions of the Christian East in Ottawa.

Eumir stated, “I am inspired by the service of Redemptorists to the poor and to those who are most abandoned.” He, therefore, really enjoyed living at The Welcome Home in Winnipeg for two years, before recently completing his novitiate in Toronto. “We Redemptorists are deeply drawn to devotion to the Mother of God,” Eumir added about his reasons for joining the Congregation.

“… my heart’s one desire is to be holy, set apart for you Lord. I choose to be Holy….ready to do your will.” These words come from a song, “Refiner’s Fire” by Brian Doerksen. I am meeting so many Catholic youth across the country who radiate these words through their actions.

For example, in an unbroken string of almost 40 years, another 加東 (Ga Tung) camp was hosted by a group of young adults at Camp Opemikon, about one hour north of Kingston, Ontario. Consecrated Life and the Laity was the topic.

Thank-you to Fr. Francis Ching and our group leaders who helped us learn about the vows of Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience. These vows, professed out loud by religious brothers and sisters, reflect various faces of the life of Christ. We learned that the values they reflect, are lived out by people in vocations such as marriage, the single life, and other vocations different from religious communities.

Interesting to myself, and maybe to you…in recent years, from this group, have come, Fr. Francis Ching who is a member of the Companions of the Cross; Fr. Bui was here with his parish youth group and he is a diocesan priest in the Archdiocese of Toronto, Sister Cora Bebosa is a Salesian Sister of St. John Bosco, Brother Edmund Lo is a Jesuit, and Sister Jessica is a Servant of the Plan of God!

Here in the picture above you see myself, Sister Jessica, and Fr. Armand Galay of the Missionaries of Africa. We are so grateful that we were given an opportunity to promote our various communities and to hear an original song written for the weekend called “We are made for Glory”. Music is by Michael Wu and lyrics by Fr. Francis Ching and the ECCCLC 2015 Committee: “We are set apart. We are made for glory. We are consecrated, baptized, in Christ. We are set apart. We will live for You. We are made for glory. Let Your poverty, chastity, obedience be our path. Amen.”

The violent religious persecution unleashed in Spain attacked Catholicism and led to the destruction and desecration of churches and convents which began prior to the civil war and became severe from 1936 to 1939. During these years, religious persecution became increasingly bloody, reaching its peak with the assassination of bishops, priests, religious and laity who were viciously massacred.

It was in this dramatic period that many people of Cuenca (including six Redemptorists from the religious community of San Felipe) were martyred:

Father José Javier Gorosterratzu Jaunarena (1877-1936), who was arrested on August 10, 1936, was shot in the city cemetery while forgiving his murderers;

Father Ciriaco Olarte Pérez (1893-1936), who was a missionary to Mexico and escaped the persecution there, was arrested in Spain on July 31, 1936 and was shot next to the chapel of “Our Lady of Sorrows” where he was left to bleed to death;

Father Julian Pozo Ruiz de Samaniego (1920-1936), who ministered the sacrament of reconciliation and cared for the sick, was arrested on August 9, 1936 and was executed while saying his rosary;

Father Miguel Goñi Ariz (1902-1936), who was a tireless preacher of parish missions, was arrested and shot with Father Olarte Pérez. They were left to die after long hours of agony;

Brother Victor (Victoriano) Calvo Lozano (1896-1936), a lay brother with a heroic spirit of service, was arrested and shot with Father Gorosterratzu at the city cemetery;

Father Pedro Romero Espejo (1871-1938) did not want to endanger the family with whom he had taken refuge under the persecution, so he left the house and lived on the streets while being dedicated to others and exercising his priestly ministry until June 1938 when he was imprisoned and died of dysentery on July 4, 1938.

They were beatified in Tarragona on October 13, 2013 among the 522 martyrs of the twentieth century in Spain.

PRAYER

God our Father, with the help of the Mother of God
you gave Blessed José Javier and companions
the strength to give their lives in the imitation of Christ
by shedding their blood.
Help us by their example and intercession
to profess the same faith by word and deed.
Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Happy Easter! I pray for you that your Easter celebrations bring all the spiritual blessings of the heavens, into your life.

St. Alphonsus inspired by the Spirit one day wrote to his confreres in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer… “Do not doubt that the Congregation will continue until the Day of Judgement……after my death it will spread its wings and develop especially toward the north countries.” (St. Alphonsus Liguori by Théodule Rey-Mermet, p. 680) We know that his prophetic vision has been fulfilled. Our Congregation spread north of Italy and then out to many cultures throughout the world!

This year, I was in Toronto for the Easter Triduum. There I had in a “dim sum” kind of way, an awesome experience of this gift of our Congregation!

On Holy Thursday I was inspired by a German and English celebration at St. Patrick Church. Then again on Easter Sunday as you can see in the pictures, several Redemptorists celebrated in German.

I celebrated Good Friday with people in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English at Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish. The pictures show what things looked like on Easter Sunday with Fr. Peter Chin C.Ss.R. presiding.

Easter Vigil was an amazing celebration in Spanish at La Parroquia San Juan Bautista.

As I celebrated with all these different cultural groups and in different languages, I was also taken up in prayer with confreres across the country who were also celebrating Easter in Cree, French, Ukrainian, Polish, Vietnamese, and other languages. I was reminded that not only in the Roman Rite, but also in the Ukrainian Rite, Syro-Malabar, and with Catholic Slovaks of the Byzantine Rite, Redemptorists were celebrating Easter in Canada.

Wow! I am glad to share this moment of pride in the Redemptorists with you.

Kristos Voskres! Voistinu voskres! Fr. David Purcell C.Ss.R.

I borrow here from the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Phillipians…
“I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you, praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership (in promoting our mission of bringing the Good News of Redemption to the world). I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

We give thanks to the Redemptorist community in Saskatoon. On the 8th of February, Fr. Steve Morrisey (second from right in picture below) and Fr. Jon Hansen joined the diocese of Saskatoon, chaplains from St. Thomas More College, and various other religious communities to celebrate Consecrated Life through an evening Mass and a vocation supper. About 50 students from the University of Saskatchewan were able to meet personally with those dedicated to religious life.

During that same week, the Grande Prairie community hosted activities to promote the Redemptorist way of life. Graham Hill and I visited most of the high school religion classes where we spoke about our life as Redemptorists. I was also invited to speak with the youth group of the parish where I extended the invitation for the young people to consider a vocation as a Redemptorist or a Redemptoristine. Homilies at all the Sunday Masses encouraged people to consider becoming a religious sister, brother or priest. The Redemptorists also extended an invitation for men to come to a vocation supper at the rectory on Monday the 9th of February. Archbishop Gerry Pettipas and Graham Hill witnessed to their call into religious life and the priesthood. The picture above includes the Redemptorists and three of the five men who attended this vocation supper.

I was also invited to share with the Redemptorist Partners in Mission (picture at left) how we are promoting the Redemptorist charism in other communities across the country. We prayed together using some prayers by St. Alphonsus, to help inspire our living out of the Redemptorist charism.

The Redemptorists of the Welcome Home regularly host a Sunday Divine Liturgy, followed by snacks and time for a friendly visit with all who come from the surrounding neighbourhood. On the 15th of February, three men who are inquiring into the Redemptorists attended this ministry of the Redemptorists in Winnipeg. I was then able to meet with each of these men individually and encourage them to consider a vocation as a Redemptorist.

At left is a picture taken in the chapel with the present Welcome Home Community, (l to r) Fr. Mike Smolinsky, Olesia, Caleb (as you may know, Caleb is a grand nephew to Fr. Albert Sterzer), Roman and Fr. John Sianchuck.

And if you thought February was high energy…well that was just the beginning. On the first Saturday in March, Tony (bottom picture below), one of our novices, accompanied me to the Lift Jesus Higher Rally in Toronto. At a gathering of 3,000 adults and nearly 1,000 teenagers and young adults – reportedly the largest regular gathering of Catholics in Canada – we spoke with many about the mission of the Redemptorists in our Church. We extended an invitation to come and join the Redemptorists and the Redemptoristines.

I trust your Christmas celebrations have been a blessing for you. As we begin the new year the Church invites us to celebrate Mary as Mother of God. As you know, St. Alphonsus developed a deep and abiding friendship with Mary. He wanted everyone to share in that with him. He painted pictures of Mary, exhorted the Redemptorists to always include something in their preaching about Mary, and did many other things to make known, her great love for us. I therefore, include here a devotion to Mary based on one of his meditations. As you know he wrote a whole book called The Glories of Mary, from which this prayer is taken. However St. Alphonsus also wrote many small pamphlets of prayers to Mary and encouraged people to use them regularly. As we celebrate this special feast of Mary, I pray that her friendship with you may grow stronger throughout this year.

The Greatness of Mary’s Love for Us (Excerpted and edited from Grimm: The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus Liguori, nos.56-70)

OPEN TO A SPIRIT OF PRAYER

O God, we believe that you are with us. We adore you with our whole being. Inflame our hearts with Your Love. You are the Source of all Light. Shine your Light way down into the secret places of our hearts.

     Hail Mary…                               St. Joseph. Pray for us.                                                              St. Teresa   Pray for us.             St. Alphonsus. Pray for us.

Opening Song: (choose a favourite Marian song or meditative song)

CONSIDERATION

Saint Alphonsus asks us to call to mind a story – a memory of when we experienced deep care and love. In meditating on this story be alive to smells…sounds…pictures…sensations…that may come to you.

Now, St. Alphonsus invites us to join these memories to words from Sacred Scripture (1 John 4.7-21)… everyone who loves is born of God and knows God…God is love, and those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them…those who love God also love their brothers and sisters.”

Now we also bring to mind some stories of saints. St. Gerard Majella walked through very steep mountains to reach remote and tiny villages over and over. He would visit and pray with people. Especially to those who were sick he brought comfort and healing in their distress. Eventually he got infected with a sickness of the people with whom he visited and he died at a very young age. Still to this day, over two hundred years later, people stream to the small town where he is buried. They come for healing and comfort and the love revealed through St. Gerard. St. Catherine of Sienna, much like people today who are caring for those who suffer from Ebola, Catherine put herself in danger to be close to the sick, and to stay close to those who were unemployed. Both Catherine and Gerard loved God and because of this love they became heroic in their love for the poor and most abandoned. How much more than this, will Mary sacrifice, how much greater is Mary’s love for God, and how much more than anyone in the world is she able to reach out to all of us who are in need.

We know how much a mother can love her child, a child of her own flesh. Yet, each of us have experienced the impatience and limits of our own mothers. Mary reaches out to us through the Spirit of Love. Mary carries a pure love for us that never fades, is never irritable, but is always patient and always kind, and endures forever.

We spend so much of our lives looking for love; from our family, from pleasing others, from doing things to gain approval or to get ahead in life. But here is love beyond all of these. Here is a love that is freely given with no strings attached. In the Book of Wisdom it says about wisdom, “She is easily found by those who seek her.” (Wisdom 6.13) We say this of Mary, how easy it is for us to find Mary, find her reaching out to us, find her full of compassion and love, find her leading us to God.

AFFECTIONS AND PRAYERS

O Mary, you ravish my heart.
I want a tender and constant love toward you.
I want to be with you and share my life, all my days,
and to share each moment of the day with you.

You O Mary, who have loved me with so much tenderness,
even when I have paid little attention to you.
How much more will your love take hold of me,
now that I speak out my love for you.

Show me how to love, as you love.
Lead me into the depths of your love and compassion.

Come and grab my heart, mould it and shape it.

ACTION

IS THERE SOME ACTION OF LOVE TO WHICH I FEEL CALLED? (LEAVE SOME QUIET TIME TO NOTICE WHAT COME TO MIND)

CLOSING

Make me an example to all,
of what you can do for those who want to love God
and to love your Son Jesus.

Come and make me into a loving child of yours,
come and clothe me with compassion,
kindness, humility, meekness and patience,
so that I may be a true child of Light.

Most Holy Mother Mary, my hope, please help me.
Ask your son, Jesus, to make me, by his grace,
all that he wants me to be. Amen.

Closing Song: (choose a favourite Marian hymn)

by Joseph Dorcey, C.Ss.R.

October 16th is the feast of our own saintly brother, Gerard Majella. Our beloved brother is a constant reminder that all Redemptorist missionaries are called to be brothers to each other and to reach out with brotherly love to all people, especially the most abandoned and poor.

The League of St. Gerard Newsletter is produced three times a year (Lent, Mother’s Day and the feast of St. Gerard) and sent electronically to more than 3,000 people. Countless others are exposed to it through St. Gerard’s website and Facebook page. Each issue features two articles relating to St. Gerard – his life, ministry, prayer, spirituality and role as the Mothers’ Saint – or some other timely topic.

The St. Gerard Majella-The Mothers’ Saint website (www.themotherssaint.org) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/saintgerardmajella) are growing ever more popular. The number of visitors to St. Gerard’s website has nearly doubled in the past year, and continues to grow at the same rate. The number of people who have “liked” St. Gerard’s Facebook page has grown from 5,000 to 20,000. This is quite significant growth, for which we can all feel justly proud and pleased.

Facebook calls them “likes” or “fans,” but we prefer to call those who have liked his page, “friends.” The Friends of St. Gerard is an informal, online prayer community that truly prays for the endless stream of petitions submitted for prayer. Prayer requests are posted every day, the majority dealing with women or couples dealing with infertility. There are also many other requests for different kinds of help, healing and a variety of other needs. The first names of some people requesting prayer are posted on a “St. Gerard Prayer Flower of Hope.” We ask all the friends of St. Gerard to touch the image of a first class relic of St. Gerard on the page and pray for these people by name. The testimonials we receive on the website and Facebook page, some of which are published in the e-newsletter, give powerful witness to the miraculous effect of a community of believers who pray with faith, hope, trust and confidence to God who loves us beyond anything we can possibly imagine.

St. Gerard’s Facebook page has truly created a virtual, yet very real prayer community with a global reach. There are thousands of friends from the Philippines, the USA, the UK and Ireland, and hundreds from India, Nigeria, Canada, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Singapore and Saudi Arabia. There are also a good number of friends from Kenya, Brazil, Vietnam, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Italy, Kuwait, Qatar, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Taiwan, Ghana, Uganda, Trinidad and Tobago, New Zealand, Malta, Germany, Tanzania, France, Bahrain, Israel, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Mauritius, Fiji, Haiti, Syria and Mexico. St. Gerard is truly becoming a well-recognized and well-known international figure. Approximately 82% of St. Gerard’s friends are women and 18% are men, with the majority 25 to 44 years old.

This ministry provides various services to those seeking the intercession of St. Gerard. Every month, we answer a couple hundred emails received on the Facebook page. Most are prayer requests to be posted or names to be put on a Prayer Flower of Hope. Email correspondence provides small opportunities to teach, counsel, console, encourage and give hope and pastoral guidance. Mass is offered each Wednesday in the chapel of the Provincial Offices for the members of the League and the Friends of St. Gerard and their intentions, and for all the intentions received by mail, email, on Facebook and on the website.

The website offers biographical information about St. Gerard, a place to light a virtual candle and offer a prayer for a special intention, inspirational testimonials, helpful resources and the booklet with the novena and other prayers to St. Gerard, which can be read on the site, downloaded or requested by mail. Members of the League of St. Gerard are given a subscription to the e-newsletter and sent a certificate of membership, a novena and prayer booklet, a medal, a prayer card and a wallet-size picture of St. Gerard. Besides providing these materials, we are hoping to produce and provide posters, first for our own parishes and then perhaps for wider distribution in other parishes, schools, retreat centers, hospitals, clinics and maternity wards. A parish bulletin advertisement is also in the planning stages. We hope to spread devotion to St. Gerard Majella, the Mothers’ Saint, as far and as wide as possible.

In earlier posts, I was sharing with you the work of the Redemptorists at Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré. I share here with you something I learned through this work. Messages about the death of the Catholic religion or the death of interest in priesthood and religious life especially in the francophone culture are false messages. Please meet in the picture above, Nicolas, Bruno, Michaël, and Justin. These men are seminarians studying for the priesthood with francophone or bilingual French-English dioceses. They impressed me as people of deep faith who very generously want to dedicate their lives to serving the Catholic Church. This is just one of many examples that taught me the Catholic Church is alive and well in Québec!

share with you another positive sign that interest in religious life is alive and well in the Catholic Church. Redeemer House community, at the beginning of September invited five young men (some of whom attended a vocation retreat in June) for a BBQ.

These young men were able to meet Redemptorists from around the world. The Redemptorists came from different countries such as Ireland and Brazil. We found out that not only the Redemptorists, but these students in addition to English, spoke various other languages.

Many of you from Toronto have met Andrew who is presently living at Redeemer House. He showed us that he is a very talented musician!

Another great sign that young people are interested in the Catholic Church was the Eastern Canadian Catholic Chinese Living Camp. These people for nearly 40 years have been gathering Catholic Chinese young adults for a weekend of fun and faith. They invited me to speak about St. Alphonsus and the Redemptorist way of life and to invite their members to consider such a vocation for themselves. The group in the picture at the far bottom includes young adults who attend Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish of which Fr. Peter Chin C.Ss.R. is the pastor.

Wow, I am discovering some amazing things and wanted to share them with you! This summer I stopped to visit some friends of mine on Indian Island, Maine. In the picture at the right I introduce you to Sister Sue Lachapelle and Sister Judy Oliver. They belong to a religious community called the Sisters of Mercy. Frances Warde helped establish the Sisters of Mercy in the United States. She visited Indian Island in 1878. Sister Judy and Sister Sue are continuing this presence of the Sisters that has lasted for over 130 years! As you know, St. Alphonsus believed in the power of a religious community to reach out to those in remote places and to renew and sustain the Church’s presence there. This is another great example of how the life of poverty, chastity and obedience is a great witness of love in the Church. To read more about this ministry and especially about their witness against racism, you can go to the following link www.sistersofmercy.org/blog/2014/02/26/mercy-filled-encounter-with-the-penobscot-people/

When people from France set sail for North America, they called often upon a great friend, St. Anne. She is the patron saint of sailors and for those who need protection from storms. They were so grateful for her help in crossing the ocean to North America that they began to set up churches in honour of St. Anne.

The first nations’ peoples in North America have a tradition of honouring the elders in their community. As some of them became Christians, they were introduced to St. Anne by the Francophone people. The Native American people grew in their friendship with St. Anne and honoured her as the grandmother of Jesus. In a sense they also “adopted” St. Anne as their own grandmother. One can find many churches on First Nation’s reserves dedicated to the honour of St. Anne. In the picture at the right you will see a statue of St. Anne in the parish that is based on Indian Island which is home to the Penobscot People. Behind the statue is an icon of St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Patrick Bear is a member of that nation. He served with the U.S. army for a number of years in Vietnam.

Esther Bear is originally a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe which has its traditional lands farther north in Maine from Indian Island. Esther tells the story of her grandmother making and then selling baskets made from ash and sweet grass, to save enough money to pay for travel and also to rent a cabin in which they stayed at Ste. Anne de Beaupré. Esther was impressed by the immensity of the church and how her grandmother would stay in the church until everyone had left. They would often be the last ones to leave as the doors of the church were closed. As an adult she was able to put words to feeling that “this was holy ground…this was very holy ground.” She and her husband, Patrick have been regular pilgrims to Ste. Anne de Beaupré since they were married. Patrick related of his trips to Ste. Anne de Beaupré, “you see God everywhere…in the people…in the statues…in the prayer”. The Passamoquoddy people started finding their way to Ste. Anne de Beaupré in canoes, along the waterways that join what are now Maine and Québec. Now they come by tour bus every year. Above is a picture of some of the group who arrived this year from the Pleasant Point Reserve and other communities along the way. You will remember that St. Alphonsus had a dream of sending Redemptorists to other continents in order to serve other nations. The Redemptorist ministry at Ste. Anne de Beaupré seems to me, to be part of the fulfillment of that dream.

I am meeting people at Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré from all nations. This pilgrimage site could also adopt the name of “United Nations”. For example in the celebration of just one Mass I met people from Stephenville Crossing in Newfoundland, Hamilton, Toronto, Illinois, Texas, Brazil, Japan, Drummondville, Val Cartier, and Fabreville. Of course in other celebrations and ministry I have met people who practice Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and many Christian religions. I have met people who are seeking spiritual enlightenment and who practice no particular religion. I have found this to be only one of the many exciting facets of life and ministry here at the Shrine of St. Anne.

Many of you who follow this page will already know what I include here below. However, you may have a friend to whom you may want to pass on this invitation to a deeper life of prayer and to become “pazzo” for love of God. Below you will find some excerpts from a book published by our General Superior for the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.

Fr. David Purcell, C.Ss.R.

“Praying in the Spirit and Tradition of St. Alphonsus” by Rev. Michael Brehl C.Ss.R.

Praying in the Spirit and Tradition of St. Alphonsus is an evocative title. We are not being asked to pray exactly as he did, in slavish imitation. St. Alphonsus did not much like such a literal imitation of Jesus either. He preferred ‘following’ in the spirit and mission of Jesus to the notion of ‘imitation’, more common in his day. So, what is this spirit of Alphonsus? It might be summarized simply as an invitation: fall in love with your God who has fallen so much in love with you, your God who is ‘pazzo’, out of his head, crazy, for love of you. “Speak with God face to face as one friend speaks to another”. As Alphonsus and St. Teresa of Avila emphasize, prayer is nothing other than familiar conversation with God. This is the spirit and tradition of St. Alphonsus.

“Whoever prays is certainly saved. Whoever does not pray is certainly damned”. For Alphonsus, to petition in prayer is to begin to live the redeemed life! In the face of those who preached a ‘limited’ salvation for the ‘elect’, Alphonsus powerfully affirmed the universal salvific will of God. No one is predestined for damnation. One of the most frequently quoted passages in his writing is from Paul’s first letter to Timothy: “God our Savior … desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”. (1 Tim 2: 4) He quotes this passage in his writings on prayer, on the Passion and Redemption and in his systematic theology. This is a key text for reading him.

God gives everyone the grace to pray because God wants all to be saved. It is God’s initiative (protecting the sovereignty of the Divinity), but God chooses to act in a respectful and gracious manner towards all people without distinction, and most especially towards the poor who will never be part of the ‘cognoscenti’ or the ‘spiritual elite’. God invites them into partnership, mutuality, dialogue through their natural inclination to pray in petition. Fr. Kevin O’Shea describes the development of this relationship in his short work on Alphonsus and moral theology – “The Courtesy of God.”

Again, what generosity! The SERVE program was ending; there was a big Sunday BBQ in the courtyard for all the families involved with First Communion and Confirmation from St. Patrick’s parish; Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish is in the middle of a big archdiocesan fundraising project; and the novitiate community was serving at the Mass on Sunday.

In the midst of this, they all made space and time to advertise in their bulletins, and make personal invitations for men to come and enquire about the Redemptorists. Five men attended the weekend retreat. As you may know, two of these men, Christopher (2nd from right in picture above) and Andrew (second from left in picture above) will be Live-in Enquirers at Redeemer House in September.

Our Grande Prairie community was also very animated by the Holy Spirit. Without my direct help and presence, they planned, made personal invitations, and then hosted a Come and See evening on the 13th of June. Three men sat down with our confreres to talk about religious life over supper. This is a great act of generosity – again in the midst of busy lives – to devote all that time and energy to promoting our missionary vocation in Grande Prairie. Not only is that a big help to me as the co-ordinator of vocation ministry, but ultimately it is a great gift to our whole community of Redemptorists and to the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan. We know for example, that two young men who have been encouraged by the Redemptorists through previous vocational discernment activities will be studying this fall in the seminary for the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan.