The Monthly Note
July 2017
Traces of the presence of the Catholic Church dating back to the year 900 have been found in Newfoundland. Jacques Cartier planted the Cross of Christ in Gaspé in 1534, foundation of the Nouvelle-France. On July 1rst, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. Some families, like my ancestors, have been here since 1638 and even before. In the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood, where live the Dominicans of Montreal, we speak more than 140 different languages and the Social Services provided by the Government of Quebec are offer in 40 different languages.
Several also lived the Universal Exhibition of 1967; 58 million visitors entered the site, in the St. Lawrence River. The discoveries and contacts in the national pavilions that welcomed us, then the presence of all these visitors on the site and in the city, helped to improve the lives of all Montrealers. I am one of those who have opened up to each other, to others, from different countries, cultures and religions, having other ways of dressing, eating and drinking, with other customs and proud to make them known.
This experience of universality, fraternity and human solidarity, I also made them at the heart of the Church, in Rome. At the age of 21, I found myself at the Vatican; we were 4,000 people inside St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Paul VI invited us to pray and we all prayed the Credo and the Pater, still recited in Latin. I discovered that I have a universal spiritual family, with brothers and sisters living everywhere on earth, even in the most repressive communist countries.
If God created the human being and gave us a spiritual family with Abraham, Sara and their descendants, Christ offers us the opportunity to freely become the beloved and adopted children of His Father and our Father, brothers and sisters in faith. Since Pentecost, we want to share what characterizes us in the whole world with the help of the Holy Spirit who guides the Church. Each of us is at the heart of a life of love with God, with our neighbor and with all people of good will.
The experiences of Expo 67, the Canadian Confederation, the mission of Christ and his Church, reminds us that our human and spiritual roots are to build our today, to be in solidarity with our human and Christian brothers and sisters. Our mission is always actual, because often attack and fought, even at home.
My brother, my sister, you can count on real solidarity and the prayer of the Dominicans and the Friends of St. Jude. Every Thursday afternoon, together at Mass, united with you, we sincerely pray for you and all the intentions received during the week. Be confident, there's hope!
Fr. Henri de Longchamp, Friar Preacher (O.P.)
Director of Saint-Jude’s Apostolic Works
