Nouvel évêque pour Valleyfield - Holy Family / Sainte-Famille - Le 125e de l’arrivée des Sœurs de Sainte Marie de Namur - Parents, Teach Children to Pray

NEW BISHOP IN VALLEYFIELD, QUEBEC

As the Diocese of Valleyfield borders our Archdiocese of Ottawa (and long ago a Bishop of Valleyfield, Mgr Joseph-Medard Emard, became our third archbishop after serving Valleyfield for thirty years, 1892-1922), we are naturally interested in this news from Rome:

Today, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appointed the Most Reverend Noël Simard, currently Auxiliary Bishop of Sault Sainte-Marie, as Bishop of Valleyfield.

Aujourd’hui, Sa Sainteté le Pape Benoît XVI a nommé évêque de Valleyfield, Monseigneur Noël Simard, présentement évêque auxiliaire à Sault Sainte-Marie.

Félicitations, Excellence!

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THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH

O God, who were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family, graciously grant that we may imitate them in practising the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity, and so, in the joy of your house, delight one day in eternal rewards. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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IN SIMPLICITATE CORDIS LAETUS OBTULI UNIVERSA

Les Sœurs de Sainte Marie de Namur sont venues de Buffalo, New York s’installer dans l’archidiocèse d’Ottawa à Vankleek Hill le 4 décembre 1886—il y a 125 ans!

Depuis cette arrivée leur présence a pris tant de formes en tant de places (par exemple, elles sont nos voisines avec leur centre « 101 Parent »).

Sœur Fernande Levac, l’actuelle supérieure provinciale m’a partagé cette histoire il y a dix jours pendant une visite à leur maison de retraite sise à Buckingham, archidiocèse de Gatineau.

Elles ont un beau site web avec beaucoup d’informations (www.ssmn.ca) d’où j’ai copie l’explication de leur sceau et devise.

Voici quelques photos prises à l’ occasion de ma visite.

Notre sceau est un symbole qui exprime les points fondamentaux de notre identité de Sœurs de Sainte-Marie.

Tout à fait en haut, il y a l’étoile, qui rappelle le mystère de l’Incarnation, dont nous nous inspirons. Au centre, le M de Marie, notre mère et patronne.

Dans les arches du M, on retrouve deux lys, symbolisant la pureté, et aussi notre fondateur et co-fondatrice, Dom Minsart et Mère Claire.

Les quatre extrémités représentent les quatre principes fondamentaux de la Congrégation : la simplicité, la joie, la pauvreté et l’humilité.

Le tout est en forme de croix.

Autour, notre devise : Dans la simplicité de mon cœur, avec joie, j’ai tout offert à Dieu.

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Pope encourages parents

to teach children to pray

If children do not learn to pray from their parents, it will be difficult for them to ever learn to communicate with God naturally, simply and deeply, Pope Benedict XVI said.

"In the family, children from the tenderest age can learn to perceive the sense of God thanks to the teaching and example their parents give of living in the presence of God," the pope said at his weekly general audience Dec. 28. Continuing a series of audience talks on prayer, Pope Benedict looked at the Holy Family as a model of family life marked by faith, work and regular moments of prayer together.

"The Holy Family is the icon of the domestic church called to pray together. The family is the domestic church and must be the first school of prayer," he said. While the Gospels do not give many details about Jesus' childhood, he said, the Bible is clear that Mary and Joseph were observant Jews, which means they prayed at regular times throughout the day and before meals. They went to Jerusalem to present Jesus in the temple when he was 40 days old and journeyed to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

"An authentically Christian education cannot lack the experience of prayer," the pope said. "If one does not learn to pray in the family, it will be difficult to fill this void, so I want to invite you to rediscover the beauty of praying together as a family in the school of the Holy Family of Nazareth and, in that way, to become truly one heart and one soul, a true family" (--courtesy of Catholic News Service).