St. Juan Diego - Msgr Stern's 25 Years at CNEWA - Confirmations at St. Rémi - Deacon Kelly (RIP)

As Mexico prepares to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12 (it is superceded in Canada and the USA by Gaudete the Third Sunday of Advent), the Church permits the Optional Memorial of St. Juan Diego, who was blessed with having the image of the Blessed Mother imprest upon his tilma.

Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the paths of your Only Begotten Son, that through his coming we may be found worthy to serve you with minds made pure. Through our Lord.

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Prayer of the Optional Memorial

O God, who by means of Saint Juan Diego showed the love of the most holy Virgin Mary for your people, grant, through his intercession, that, by following the counsels our Mother gave at Guadalupe, we may be ever constant in fulfiling your will. Through our Lord.

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CNEWA President Marks 25 Years of Service

On Sunday, I flew to New York's La Guardia to take part in the Board of Directors meeting of CNEWA, which for more than five years has had an affiliate in Canada under the direction of Carl Hétu, who accompanied me on the flight and on the taxi ride into CNEWA House on East 62nd Street in Manhatten. 

There we were warmly greeted by Father Guido Gockel, MHM, assistant to the President, who was kind enough to give me his copy of the Pope Benedict XVI interview book Light of the World, which he had acquired in the U.K.; it's fascinating reading!

While Carl began a week of planning and management sessions, I prepared for the meeting of the Board of Episcopal Directors, some of whom participated by conference call, under the direction of New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan (now also President of the USCCB, the conference of American Bishops) in the Cardinal Terence Cooke Archdiocesan Center where CNEWA is headquartered.

The Archbishop of New York is ex officio President and Treasurer of CNEWA. At the close of the meeting, we passed a motion to honour the service of the chief operating officer. 

For on this day, December 9th in 1985, Msgr. Robert Stern began his service with CNEWA, a body that comes to the aid of Christians in the Middle East and of the Oriental Churches not only there but in India and Eastern Europe [cf. http://www.cnewa.org/]). 

He assumed direction of the funding body which greatly assists the needs of the Church, as it also serves in some ecumenical and interfaith areas; under his guidance CNEWA has expanded greatly under his tenure.

Congratulations, Msgr. Bob, on this important personal milestone!

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Confirmations École Elisabeth Bruyère (Paroisse Saint Rémi)

Dimanche après-midi j’ai présidé la célébration du sacrement de la Confirmation pour les élèves de l’École Elisabeth Bruyère de la Paroisse Saint Rémi dans l’ouest de la ville d’Ottawa.  

Voici quelques photos prises à l’occasion :

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Deacon George Kelly (in memoriam)

This morning at St. Monica's Church, I will preside at the funeral liturgy for Deacon George Kelly, ordained for the Archdiocese of Montreal, but who served at St. Martin de Porres and St. Monica's parishes after moving with his family to Ottawa on his retirement; he had been unwell for the past several years.

R.I.P.