As I mentioned in a previous post, I am moving my website to a new content management system. My goal was to have it ready for the start of the Year of Faith, and it is now live! Year of Faith, Year of Hope Come on by! Same look, but a new name. Oh, and [...]
As I mentioned in a previous post, I am moving my website to a new content management system. My goal was to have it ready for the start of the Year of Faith, and it is now live!
Hello friends, My blog was temporarily down for maintenance, as I am trying to switch from a WordPress to a Drupal content management system. The Drupal site is not yet functional, but I didn’t want to leave the blog down for too long a time. So for now, things are back, at least until I [...]
My blog was temporarily down for maintenance, as I am trying to switch from a WordPress to a Drupal content management system. The Drupal site is not yet functional, but I didn’t want to leave the blog down for too long a time. So for now, things are back, at least until I can get a proper visual theme going on the Drupal side.
UPDATE: Julie has made it through to the finals! Way to go! My friend Julie Lafontaine was on Canada’s Got Talent this evening, and (hooray!) made it through to the semi-finals. Congrats Julie! Readers of this blog may know that she wrote and recorded a song in honour of the episcopal ordinations last year, in [...]
UPDATE: Julie has made it through to the finals! Way to go!
My friend Julie Lafontaine was on Canada’s Got Talent this evening, and (hooray!) made it through to the semi-finals. Congrats Julie!
Readers of this blog may know that she wrote and recorded a song in honour of the episcopal ordinations last year, in which I and Christian Lépine (now Montreal’s new Archbishop) joined the successors of the apostles. As a special thanks to her, and a congrats on her success, here is her song once again:
It was announced in Rome today that the Pope has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Turcotte as Archbishop of Montreal. His resignation was offered when he turned 75, as is required by canon law. Along with this announcement came the name of the next archbishop: Christian Lépine, with whom I was ordained last September! Deo [...]
It was announced in Rome today that the Pope has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Turcotte as Archbishop of Montreal. His resignation was offered when he turned 75, as is required by canon law.
Along with this announcement came the name of the next archbishop: Christian Lépine, with whom I was ordained last September! Deo gratias!
We have a meeting of the College of Consultors this morning at 8am to make things official. Check back for updates!
UPDATE: The College of Consultors met, with Archbishop Lépine taking canonical possession of the diocese as soon as the formal papers come in from the Apostolic Nuncio. This is a photo of the College, along with Archbishop Lépine and Archbishop-emeritus Turcotte.
Montreal has a new priest! Many congratulations to Father Jason Piper, ordained January 20, 2012. He has been appointed as parochial vicar at Saint Patrick parish in downtown Montreal, where he was doing his stage. A fact I just realised: he will be our first priest to be ordained since the new translation of the [...]
Montreal has a new priest! Many congratulations to Father Jason Piper, ordained January 20, 2012. He has been appointed as parochial vicar at Saint Patrick parish in downtown Montreal, where he was doing his stage. A fact I just realised: he will be our first priest to be ordained since the new translation of the liturgy was introduced last December. May he always do so with joy, conviction and reverence.
The following is the text of the homily preached by Cardinal Turcotte:
My dear brothers and sisters,
It is with great joy that we gather together this evening to give thanks to God for the gift we are about to witness this evening. This gift is, first of all, the gift our brother Jason Piper makes of himself to God and to the Church, the gift of his very life. Jason is already a deacon, a man of service, but through this next step in the sacrament of Holy Orders his life of service will receive a new and permanent dimension. In becoming a priest of God, Jason will be conformed in a special way to the triple ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus is our high priest, our prophet, and our king in heaven. Jason, through this sacrament this evening, you are accepting to let this triple ministry be the pattern for the whole of your life, a pattern we see in the three readings we heard proclaimed this evening.
In the gospel passage we heard, from the gospel of John, Jesus shares with his apostles his own power to forgive sins. He does this after wishing them peace. This is not a coincidence. Sin is the enemy of peace. As every sin is a form of selfishness, the choice of sin is always contrary to justice and friendship with God and our neighbour. As well, when we choose to go against our conscience it also harms our own inner peace. Jason, when Jesus offered his peace to his disciples, he was not just blessing them. That peace was part of the mission he gave to the apostles when he sent them forth. You, as a priest, must carry on this mission of peace. You will be entrusted with the celebration of the sacraments, which are the most powerful instruments of peace and unity that the world has ever known. That being said, the power of the sacraments extends far beyond the moment of celebration. As much as you must celebrate the sacraments with dignity, your role, as a priest, will also to be to help people take the grace of the sacraments and apply it in their daily lives. In this way, every Christian will himself become a sacrament and instrument of peace in our society and culture. You will help them live this calling.
In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks about his preaching ministry. In his day, preachers often presented their subjects using complex arguments and fancy speaking styles. Saint Paul chose instead to focus on his message, keeping it simple, to the point, and centred on Christ. As a deacon, Jason, you have already had the chance to preach regularly, and I am told that this is somewhat of your own style too. DO NOT CHANGE! At the same time, though, Saint Paul definitely tried throughout his life to deepen his understanding of the Gospel, and to discover its richness. You must do the same, for your own sake, and for the sake of the people you will serve. This journey is at the heart of the prophetic dimension of priestly ministry. It is what turns you from being a mere public speaker to being a preacher of the word. The point is not to appear clever, but to come to an understanding of the Gospel which will allow you to share it with the simple strength that comes from the Holy Spirit. Do your part to grow in the Gospel always, and the Spirit will supply the rest. You will then be preaching with the power that comes from God.
Finally, my dear Jason, there is the part you will share in the ministry of Christ our king, the pastor of God’s flock. The simple fact of celebrating the sacraments and sharing the Gospel means that people will automatically look to you for leadership. This final responsibility can sometimes seem to be the most overwhelming. It is the duty that calls us priests most frequently out of our comfort zone. But the first reading, from the book of Sirach, helps us to understand why this is so important. This reading speaks of the sending of the Word of God into the world, to become Jesus, the Word made flesh. Jesus was sent for all human beings, of course, but he was sent TO a particular people: as the reading says, his Father commanded him “among my chosen, put down your roots”. Jason, as a priest, your ministry will have a universal dimension to be sure. You must be a priest for all. Within that, however, you will also be a priest TO a particular people: this diocese, and the parish communities you will be asked to serve. It is too easy to want to serve humanity, but then forget the actual human beings before us. Pastoral charity means that we must accept to grow out of our usual comfort zone. I think, though, Jason, you will also discover that this love of a priest for his people goes both ways. In my experience, the people of God WANT to love their priests. This is a great consolation. Always serve the people with kindness, and they will return that love with great generosity.
My dear Jason, the Church of Montreal, and indeed throughout the world, now faces the challenge of the New Evangelization. Our world needs Christ, and as a priest you will be able to literally place him in the palms of people’s hands. I therefore encourage you to put this New Evangelization, which comes from the Holy Spirit, at the heart of your priestly ministry and life. Help people to see how faith makes a difference. Share the enthusiasm you have for the Gospel with others. And always remember to live your own faith in joy and in hope, staying close to Christ no matter what comes. You will truly be a shepherd after the Father’s heart.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
This coming February 9, at 7:00 pm at the Newman Centre of McGill University, I will be speaking as part of the panel on the topic “The Politics of the Eucharist” (the other panellists will be Garth Green and Douglas Farrow). When we say ‘politics’ we don’t mean this or that issue of current politics, [...]
This coming February 9, at 7:00 pm at the Newman Centre of McGill University, I will be speaking as part of the panel on the topic “The Politics of the Eucharist” (the other panellists will be Garth Green and Douglas Farrow). When we say ‘politics’ we don’t mean this or that issue of current politics, but the entire interaction between Church and State through the lens of the Eucharist. Each time we declare Jesus to be our supreme Lord, we also declare that the government necessarily has limits on what it can control and mandate. That relationship is rocky at times, and seems to be drifting to a rockier phase at the moment. Hence, this panel discussion.
As the last few days have been quite full, I’m a bit behind in blogging. Hopefully I’ll be able to find some time to catch up soon. In the meantime, if you are interested in the CCCB plenary, you can take in some highlights at Salt and Light TV, including a special page they have [...]
As the last few days have been quite full, I’m a bit behind in blogging. Hopefully I’ll be able to find some time to catch up soon. In the meantime, if you are interested in the CCCB plenary, you can take in some highlights at Salt and Light TV, including a special page they have set up to cover the plenary itself.
From the website of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops: Appointment of new Archbishop for Gatineau His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI today accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Roger Ébacher and named the Most Reverend Paul-André Durocher as Archbishop of Gatineau. At the time of his appointment, Archbishop Durocher was Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall. Archbishop [...]
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI today accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Roger Ébacher and named the Most Reverend Paul-André Durocher as Archbishop of Gatineau. At the time of his appointment, Archbishop Durocher was Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall. Archbishop Ébacher had been responsible for the Archdiocese of Gatineau for 23 years. He had offered his resignation after becoming 75 years old, as stipulated by the Code of Canon Law.
Bishop Durocher was born on May 28, 1954, in Windsor, Ontario. He was ordained to the priesthood on July 2, 1982, for the Diocese of Timmins and appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie on January 20, 1997. On April 26, 2002, he was appointed Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall.
He entered Saint Paul’s Seminary in Ottawa where he earned two degrees in theology, a Bachelor’s in 1981 and a Master’s in 1985. He also completed a Bachelor of Education at the University of Ottawa in 1980. In 1982, he completed a civil licentiate in canon law from the University of Strasbourg in France, and in 1996 earned a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Archbishop-elect Durocher serves on the Executive Committee of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) as its current Co-Treasurer. He is also a member of its French Sector Episcopal Commission for Liturgy and the Sacraments.
Archbishop Ébacher was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Amos on May 27, 1961. Holding a doctorate in philosophy, he first worked in education at the Collège d’Amos. He was Vicar General of the Diocese of Amos when in June 1979 he was named Bishop of Baie-Comeau (at that time Hauterive). On April 6, 1988, he was named Bishop of Gatineau (at that time Gatineau-Hull), and became its first Archbishop in October 1990. Over the course of his 32 years as Bishop, Archbishop Ébacher served a number of terms on the CCCB Permanent Council between 1987 and 2007, in addition to being a member of a number of CCCB Commissions and Ad Hoc Committees. He was also a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1985 to 1993.
The Archdiocese of Gatineau has 53 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 256,800, which is served by 45 diocesan priests, 25 priests who are members of religious communities, 183 Religious Sisters and Brothers, one permanent deacon and 18 lay pastoral assistants.
Those wanting to follow further developments from the Archdiocese of Gatineau (e.g. date and time of the installation service) can consult the diocesan website.
