The Transfiguration of Jesus

The Archbishop's Residence in Ottawa has a lovely reproduction of The Transfiguration of Jesus. It never fails to evoke a strong and positive response from me when I view it (as this feast remains fixed in my memory because on this day in 1978 one of the heroes in my vocational discernment, Pope Paul VI entered into the glory of the Lord that we commemorate in this feast.

The painting by Raphael was begun in 1516 and completed in 1520. It was commissioned in 1515, by Cardinal Giulio de' Medici (the future pope Clement VII), as one of two paintings for the cathedral of S. Giusto of Narbonne, the city of which he had become bishop in.

After Raphael's death in 1520, the cardinal kept it for himself, subsequently donating it to the church of S. Pietro in Montorio where it was placed over the high altar. In 1797, following the Treaty of Tolentino, this work, like many others, was taken to Paris and returned in 1816, after the fall of Napoleon. It then became part of the Pinacoteca of Pius VII (pontiff from 1800 to 1823).

Tradition has it that the mount of Transfiguration was Mt. Tabor (pictured below), near Nain.



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Today is a travel day.



Here are some of the final photos taken at the K of C Supreme Convention: of the Quebec delegation with Bishop St-Gelais and of the Ontario delegation at a reception and meal:

Scenes from the KofC Supreme Council (Phoenix, AZ)

Preparing for Mass one may recognize Eparch Kenneth Nowakowski (New Westminster) and Archbishop Richard Smith (Edmonton)

Mgr Noel Simard (Auxiliary, Sault-Sainte-Marie) and CCCB President James Weisgerber (Winnipeg)

St-Boniface emeritus archbishop Emilius Goulet, p.s.s., tries on a stetson...

Bishop David Monroe often sketches to keep alert during addresses: here's a recent work!

Deputy Supreme Knight Dennis Savoie (New Brunswick) with yours truly....

Mgr Eugene Larocque, emeritus bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall, stands up for Ontario during procession at States Dinner

Winnipeg archeparch emeritus Michael Bzdel, C.Ss.R. and Mgr Raymond St-Gelais, bishop of Nicolet

To my right: Bishop David Monroe (bishop of Kamloops), Quebec Archbishop Marc Cardinal Ouellet (Primate of Canada) and Mgr Jean-Louis Plouffe (bishop of Sault-Sainte-Marie)

Final Salute to the State of Arizona, this year's hosts

Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention, Phoenix, AZ

Every year in early August, the Knights of Columbus holds its Supreme Convention to which most consitutencies send representation. Including bishops, though I have not been very regular in attendance.

Though not for lack of interest, for it seems there is regularly some other worthy but conflicting event to impede my participation: the Catholic Biblical Association of America's Annual Convention (drawing to its conclusion today at Omaha's Creighton Jesuit University), CCO activities, the launch of Steubenville Atlantic in 2007, etc.

Several years ago the Supreme Convention was in Montreal to mark the centennial of KofC presence in Canada; last year it was in Quebec City, shortly after the International Eucharistic Congress.

This is my third supreme convention; in the "hot as blazes" Scottsdale, Arizona, part of greater Phoenix.

My host, Archbishop Albert LeGatt got up at 5am to take me to Saskatoon's John Diefenbaker International Airport for a 6:30 flight to Denver, with a connecting flight to Phoenix.





There was a two-hour lay-over in Denver, so I got out my trusty camera to get shots of the airport's activities: very busy security clearance activity; lots of folks making use of the free wireless (though my laptop just wouldn't kick in!) and not much activity in the interfaith chapel, so a very quiet place to pray tierce at 9:30am.



The Knights at Phoenix's Skyharbor Inter-national Airport were well-organized in meeting me and the Archbishop of Yucatan, Mexico, everyone fairly delighting in informing us just how hot it was (107 Fahreheit) and would get (they were predicting 115 degrees).

Unfortunately, I missed this morning's Opening Mass of the Convention presided by Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmstead, but I was able to celebrate on arrival with a kindly knight who showed me where the small chapel was located in the Marriott Hotel. My Mass was offered for the priests of the world, particularly my own in Ottawa on this feast of the Cure of Ars.

This evening, there will be the delightful States Dinner when there is a lot of "rah-rah" cheering for the home team and one's neighbour states (Canadian Provinces) at a full-regalia banquet. Always most enjoyable.

The view from my window:

August 4, 2009 -- St. Jean-Marie Baptiste Vianney died 150 years ago today

N.B. English version follows.

Pour marquer cette celebration jubilaire, j'ai ecrit une lettre aux pretres d'Ottawa; voici quelques extraits:

Le 4 aout, nous célèbrerons le 150e anniversaire du décès du bien-aimé Curé d’Ars. À la lumière de l’année sacerdotale, ceci est l’occasion de nous réjouir d’autant plus que le Saint-Père a déclaré qu’il avait l’intention de proclamer saint Jean-Marie Baptiste Vianney patron universel de tous les prêtres du monde, incluant les religieux.

Récemment, lors de mon voyage à l’abbaye trappiste de Sept-Fons en France où j’ai ordonné deux moines à la prêtrise, j’ai eu le privilège de faire une excursion d’une journée à Ars. J’ai prié à cette occasion pour les membres du presbyterium d’Ottawa et pour tous nos frères prêtres du monde, en particulier pour les religieux et les autres prêtres qui résident parmi nous pendant leurs études, leur retraite ou pour tout autre raison.

Lors de ma visite à Ars, j’ai été frappé par la complexité du ministère de saint Jean-Marie Vianney. Il éprouvait de la difficulté dans ses études (surtout parce qu’elles étaient en latin), pourtant il possédait une importante bibliothèque pour son époque dont il se servait. Au début, il apprenait par cœur les homélies et les leçons catéchétiques qu’il lisait tout en adaptant les idées, les paroles des autres à la réalité de ses paroissiens.

Il lui arrivait parfois de perdre le fil de ses pensées et il laissait tomber son homélie lorsqu’il avait un trou de mémoire. Plus tard, comme il avait de moins en moins de temps pour se préparer, il utilisait un système de pensée structurée qu’il avait adopté pour la prédication et l’enseignement et il parlait plus avec son cœur. Ce faisant, il était davantage guidé par l’Esprit. La spiritualité rigoureuse de ses premières années avait fait place à l’amour et la compassion de Dieu qu’il voyait imprégner chaque personne et situation dans le torrent irrésistible de la miséricorde divine.

Comme il devenait de plus en plus imprégné par l’esprit de Notre Seigneur, son oubli de soi était plus apparent chez lui, ce qui peut être choquant pour nous, lorsque nous regardons les pénitences qu’il s’infligeait jour après jour.

Le curé ressemblait davantage à son Sauveur, à mesure qu’il pensait uniquement à l’amour de Dieu et du prochain. Il était généreux lorsqu’il dépensait pour son église, mais d’une grande frugalité pour ses propres besoins; par exemple, il a tout de suite vendu la chape en hermine reçue lors de sa nomination comme chanoine de la cathédrale ainsi que la médaille de la Légion d’honneur, le tout pour venir en aide aux pauvres.

Bien que notre façon de vivre notre prêtrise doive prendre une autre tournure compte tenu de la réalité de notre époque, on peut tout de même admirer la stratégie de sa planification pastorale construite progressivement sur le principe de base que Dieu occupe la première place dans une liturgie à la fois fondée et belle, dans des leçons catéchétiques et une théologie sacramentelle vivante, qui est à l’origine de sa dévotion dans la messe et la confession, l’adoration eucharistique et la prière, la piété mariale et un attachement sincère aux voies enseignées par les saints.

Avec cette lettre mensuelle, je vous fais parvenir sa prière d’abandon à l’amour de Dieu… (« Acte d’Amour du Saint Curé d’Ars »). Je trouve que cette prière, qui m’était inconnue jusqu’à tout récemment, est l’expression inspirante et exaltante de notre désir comme prêtre. Je prie qu’elle puisse être un gage de notre union par le lien sacré de la prêtrise de Notre Seigneur, comme nous le célébrons pendant cette année spéciale.

Puissions-nous garder dans nos pensées et dans nos prières les prêtres parmi nous, ou d’ailleurs, qui sont accablés de diverses manières. Prions que le Seigneur bénisse notre Église d’Ottawa et l’Église Universelle de nombreuses vocations presbytérales, des hommes qui diront « oui » à l’appel de Dieu dans l’esprit de notre « Prière pour les vocations presbytérales ».


In honour of today's jubilee celebration of the sesquicentennial of the death of the Curé of Ars, I wrote a letter to the priests of Ottawa. These are excerpts from it:

We ... celebrate the 150th anniversary of the death of the beloved Parish Priest of Ars. In the light of this “Year of the Priest”, this is a joyful occasion, particularly as the Holy Father has indicated his intention to proclaim St. Jean-Marie Baptiste Vianney as the universal patron of priests, including religious.

On the occasion of my recent trip to the Trappist Abbey of Sept-Fons in France to ordain two monks to the priesthood, I had the privilege of taking a day-long excursion to Ars to pray for the members of our Ottawa Presbyterate as well as for our brother priests throughout the world, especially religious and other priests who reside in our midst during studies, in retirement or for other reasons.

What struck me on the occasion of my visit to Ars was the complex reality of the ministry of St. Jean Vianney. Though he had difficulties with studies (largely because they were in Latin), he had a sizeable library for his day and made use of it. At first he memorized homilies and catechetical lessons that he read, but he adapted the thoughts and words of others to the circumstances of his people.

Sometimes he got lost in his train of thought and gave up the homily when his mind went blank. Later, as he had less time to prepare, he spoke from the structured thought he had assumed as a framework for preaching and teaching and spoke more from the heart. As he did so he became more Spirit-led. The rigorist spirituality of his early years as a priest was swept away by the love and compassion of God that he saw overwhelming every person and circumstance in the unstoppable torrent of God’s mercy.

As he took on the mind of the Lord Jesus more and more, Vianney’s selflessness became more evident, in fact perhaps scandalously so for us as we contemplate the penances he took on himself day in and day out.

The cure increasingly took on the likeness of his Saviour, thinking only of his love for God and neighbour. Unstinting when spending for the church, he was frugal with regard to his personal needs; for example, he immediately sold the ermine cape conferred on him at his nomination as a cathedral canon and the medal of the French Legion of Honour—both to assist the poor.

Though the way we live out our priesthood must take a different shape today, we can still admire the strategy of his pastoral planning, building incrementally as it did on the principle foundation of putting God first in a liturgy that was both sound and beautiful, in lively catechetical sessions and in a living sacramental theology that found devotion in Mass and confession, Eucharistic adoration and prayer, Marian piety and sincere devotional attachment to the ways pointed out by the saints.

With this monthly letter, I am sending you a copy of his prayer for abiding in the love of God (“ACT OF LOVE OF THE HOLY PARISH PRIEST OF ARS”). Unknown to me earlier, I find it an inspiring and uplifting expression of our desire as priests. Let it be a token of our union in the sacred priesthood of our Lord as we celebrate this special year.

May we particularly keep in our thoughts and prayers priests among us or elsewhere who are burdened in any way. Let us also pray that the Lord will bless our Church of Ottawa and the Church Universal with many vocations to the priesthood, men who will say “yes” to God’s call in the spirit of our PRAYER FOR PRIESTLY VOCATIONS.

CCO Board Bids Farewell to Two Founding Members

At the Annual Meeting the Board of Board of Directors of Catholic Christian Outreach bade farewell to Mr. Larry Ollenberger and Sr. Lise Paquette, P.M., who between them have given twenty-five years of service to CCO.

Sister Lise has been on the board for fourteen years and Larry for eleven and so are completing their service.

Glenn Hilton began his membership on the board at this meeting.

After the meeting, founder Andre Regnier took the members for a tour oof important sites in the early years of CCO: the church of Our Lady of Lourdes and key locales on the University of Saskatchewan campus. At the close of the two days of meetings, baord members posed on the convent's lawn:


From left to right: Daniel Roussy (Gatineau), Msgr. Gregory Smith (Vancouver), Glenn Hilton (Saskatoon), David MacKinnon (Dartmouth), Jim Meuse (Ottawa), Jeff Lockert CCO President, Larry Ollenberger (Saskatoon), Sr. Lise Paquette (Prince Albert), yours truly; missing: Simon Kyne (San Diego)

CCO's Foundation Began in Saskatoon Twenty Years Ago; Logo for Madrid's WYD Is Released

Catholic Christian Outreach co-founders Angele and Andre Regnier with their five children; board member Msgr. Gregory Smith (Vancouver) left, and President Jeff Lockert, right

Twenty years ago, the Regniers--newly-married and with a vision of evangelizing students, whether Catholics or not, on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon began a ministry that has grown to include a presence on campuses across Canada (the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University in Vancouver; the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon; Queen's University in Kingston; the University of Ottawa and Carleton University in Ottawa; Dalhousie University in Halifax; and, beginning in late August, Laval University in Quebec).

With sixty-two full time missionaries and the prospects of future growth, the Lord has blessed this enterprise. Additionally, many other campuses, thought they are without missionaries, carry on similar activities, are associated with the Movement or take part in such programs as this summer's Impact Saskatoon in eleven parishes here or the Christmas season conference known as Rise Up (held in Toronto in 2008, scheduled for Winnipeg this year).

Today and tomorrow, the annual board of governors meeting is being held at the Sisters of the Presentation Discernment House at 851 University Drive (not far from the U of S campus), where many of the early meetings of CCO took place. We began this morning with Mass, attended by the Regniers, the Sisters and the CCO board members. A delicious brunch followed the Mass:



Following a brisk walk atop the North Saskatchewan River, the board members set to work, evaluating the structures and procedures now being put into place to sustain this mission effort and to plan for the future.



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The designer of the 2011 Madrid World Youth Day (JMJ in Spanish), José Gil-Nogués, explains that the image symbolizes "youth of the whole world united to celebrate their faith together with the Pope, at the foot of the cross, and they form the crown of Our Lady of Almudena, patron of Madrid."

The crown forms the "M" of Mary and of Madrid and the cross, symbol of Christianity, presides over the event.

The message of the logo, the designer continued, is "a catechesis, an opportunity for evangelization: The quick and sure path to reach Christ is the Virgin Mary, Mother of God and of mankind. In Mary's faith, youth have the example and model for reaching Christ and fulfilling the primary goal of World Youth Day: to bring their message to the world."

"The logo has a firm and spontaneous stroke," Gil-Nogués suggested, "like youth of the 21st century. It is close, friendly, open. Joyful, carefree and positive."

"The use of a palette of warm colors--red, orange and yellow--transmits unmistakable warmth and friendliness, symbols of the identity of a city like Madrid, a nation like Spain. These colors also reflect the 'divine warmth' of Trinitarian Love."

Saskatchewan Interlude: A Day in Regina

Today I was up and at it very early, leaving Pedro Arrupe Jesuit Community in Toronto at 6:30 with Brother John Olney. It would be a day of flying, walking/driving around Regina and finally a 3-hour bus ride on Saskatchewan Transport Company's semi-express service to Saskatoon on which there is wi-fi service which allows me to compose this text.

The Air Canada flight was smooth and we added early; on arrival I met Msgr. Don Bolan, who had been on the flight and who today becomes pastor of the parish in Balgonie and Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Regina.

Paul Harasen, who had been my student at Campion College, the Jesuit school at the University of Regina some twenty years ago (1988-89) and is now a lawyer and the single father of two lively boys (Luke and Mark), met me at the airport and drove me to the home of Velma and Lorne, his parents, who recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

Then all who were assembled enjoyed a lovely lunch before going out on an expedition to Chapters and Walmart. Later Paul and I went for an extended walk around Lake Wascana, near the Saskatchewan Parliament. It brought back fond memories of my year as the Daniel Hannin Visiting Professor, a year in which I learned (kind of) to curl and enjoy other winter activities on the Prairies.

Now, I am en route to the Annual General Meeting of the Board of Directors of Catholic Christian Outreach, a lay missionary enterprise to evangelize our university campuses across Canada.


CCO was founded at the University of Saskatchewan twenty years ago and more than fifty students from colleges and universities across Canada are engaged in missionary formation and evangelizing in the Saskatoon Diocese, its seed bed. I will be staying with Most Reverend Albert LeGatt, recently named as Archbishop-elect of St. Boniface (Manitoba).