Monday of the Second Week of Lent - Photos from Saturday's Visit to St. Joseph's Oratory

Prayer for Monday

of the Second Week of Lent

O God, who have taught us to chasten our bodies for the healing of our souls, enable us, we pray, to abstain from all sins and strengthen our hearts to carry out your loving commands. Through our Lord.

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Celebrating St. Joseph at the Oratory

 

 

 

On Friday afternoon, abbé Daniel Berniquez and I drove to Montreal, staying over at the Jesuit Community at Centre Vimont, not far from the Oratory.  We received a warm and gracious welcome.

 

Early Saturday morning, I drove to my sister-in-law Renée Prendergast's apartment for breakfast and conversation.

 

 

On the way to the Oratory, we paused briefly at Cote-des-Neiges cemetery to visit the grave of my parents (the white IHS marker in front of the artificial flowers) covered with snow (they've gotten more in Montreal this winter than we did in Ottawa).

 

 

Once at the Oratory, we saw that the basilica (the upper church was quickly filling up--in fact the escalators were turned off and people were redirected to the Crypt and an additional Mass was scheduled).  People had come from all over, including some I met from Ottawa.

On entering the basilica, where I would preside we met Brother Arthur White, S.J., who didn't want to miss the feast day in the year of Brother Andre's canonization:

The Mass began promptly at 10am, with a large number of concelebrants, the youth choir leading the procession (Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont Royal), a standing room only assembly and a powerful organ accompaniment.

After the Mass, there was a dinner for the Associates of Brother André to which I was invited, along with Mgr Martin Veillette, who would preside at the 2:30PM Mass in the Basilica (and Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte would celebrate the 7:30PM Eucharist). 

Some photos of the dinner and those attending: