Summer 2012 - Companions of the Cross

Summer 2012
Inside
Fr. Lawrence Hyginus’
Ordination
Fr. Bob’s Entombment
COVER PHOTO: photovanbeek.com
Going Into The Sunset ................................................. 3
Fire Will Test The Quality Of Each Man’s Work ........... 6
“You Are Needed By Souls...” ...................................... 10
Father Terry’s Picks ...................................................... 16
Thanks For The Memories ........................................... 17
Lay Associates Corner ................................................. 18
Why We Need The Companions .................................. 19
Community News & Notes ........................................... 20
News Flashes .............................................................. 23
Credits
......................................................
WHAT’S INSIDE
Publisher
The Companions of the Cross
Editors-in-Chief
Fr. Scott McCaig, Moderator
Fr. Rick Jaworski, Vice-Moderator
Managing Editor
Christine Labrosse
Graphic Design
Dyann Bernard
Pigs Can Fly Design
dyannbernard@gmail.com
The Companions of the Cross is a quarterly publication
designed to encourage spiritual growth and to share
about God’s movement within a new community of
Catholic priests, and candidates for the priesthood.
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most grateful.
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Feature
by Christine Labrosse
Going into the
Sunset
PHOTOS: Ben Lobo
Mass celebrated by Most Rev. Terrence
Prendergast, SJ at Fr. Bob Bedard’s
tomb in Hope Cemetery. Below:
Archbishop Terrence Prendergast.
I
t was a beautiful early spring evening May 4th as we bid a final
goodbye to our beloved Fr. Bob. Archbishop Terrence Prendergast,
SJ celebrated Mass on Fr. Bob’s final resting place as 350 of us
gathered for a final closing to Fr. Bob’s journey with us. The sun set
as Mass finished and entombment prayers were said followed by the
placing of Fr. Bob’s casket into the black granite mausoleum.
This night there was a different feeling than back in October at Fr.
Bob’s funeral Mass. This night there was a sense of joy and celebration. For me it was the closing of a particular chapter, closing a time
of grieving if you will. Since last fall we have had opportunities to
reflect on Fr. Bob’s life and what he has meant to each one of us.
We have heard his words repeated in homilies, in teaching by many
Companions’ priests and certainly in our own minds and hearts. We
have had a chance to reflect more deeply on the impact the words
and the man have had on us – and it has been profound.
Many of us have experienced an amazing impact on our lives through
the words and ministry of Fr. Bob. I myself was led to a personal
relationship with Jesus through his never-ending call to “Give God
permission”. Archbishop Prendergast said in his homily, “Fr. Bob let
the Holy Spirit energize his faith, and he was then able to proclaim the
joy of our Risen Lord Jesus . . . A breath of renewal became present
in his life and ministry. Many of you came to know this through his
personal influence on you by his preaching, prayer ministry, teaching,
personal counselling, television shows, and in the inner life of the
community he founded, the Companions of the Cross.”
Fr. Bob inspired us to become holy and minister to God’s people by
proclaiming the Good News wherever we find ourselves. The Archbishop went on to share about the legacy and call that Fr. Bob’s life
has had. “Today, we come to a final commendation of his mortal remains to a beautiful mausoleum. In a small way, this structure will
keep his life present to our memory to help us cling to the ways of discipleship he shared with us. Certainly, the inspiring writings and the
vibrant community of priests he has left us will do that. We become
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Summer 2012
PHOTO: Ben Lobo
Mass being celebrated before entombment.
aware of this legacy: a fellowship devoted to Christ and his Church
that is rooted in the Magisterium, is centred on the Eucharist, rejoices
in the charisms bestowed on us by the Holy Spirit, and lives under the
sheltering protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, inspired by her ‘yes’
to God. This urges us on in the task of the new evangelization.”
our beloved Fr. Bob is with the Lord enjoying a wonderful reward
and we will be with him again one day.
The reading from 2 Timothy 4:1-8 chosen for the Mass was very
fitting, “As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and
the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight. I
have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is
reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but
also to all who have longed for his appearing.” This certainly gives
us hope and longing for our eternal reward. Fr. Bob always gave
me hope because he was so encouraging and I am blessed to have
known him, beyond even what I can comprehend. So, I pray Fr. Bob
please intercede for us, your spiritual sons and daughters, that we
may join you one day in heaven, worshipping the Lord and Saviour
that you so faithfully proclaimed to us while you were with us.
This legacy that he has left resonates deep within my heart. Who
I am and am becoming has very much been formed by Fr. Bob’s
teaching and the ongoing deposit of faith he has left with the Companions’ community. When I reflect on my life and contemplate
where I might be without Fr. Bob’s faithfulness to the Word of God
and the call to holiness, I almost shudder. The way he constantly
pointed to Jesus inspired me to follow that call. My life is profoundly changed because of that. I know without hearing Fr. Bob’s call
to give the Lord permission to work in my life I would be in a very
different place today. Fr. Bob kept the faith and pointed the way.
Archbishop Prendergast said, “We lay Fr. Bob’s body to rest until
Christ’s return, confident that, having been nourished by the Eucha- The final words of the Archbishop expressed very well what we
rist, it will be restored in glory on the last day. St. Paul’s summary were feeling as the sun set over the final resting place of Fr. Bob,
of his career as an apostle and evangelist applies also to Fr. Bob, ‘I “Father Bob had a powerful encounter with Christ, our Risen Lord.
have kept the faith’.
He was hopeful enough about the future to plant seeds in our hearts
that would flourish decades later, as they do today. Although we say
our farewell to Fr. Bob’s physical presence at this solemn ceremony,
“Like St. Paul, he had been loyal in keeping trust with the Lord who
called him to his service. God will offer him the victor’s prize. Not I am confident that he continues to pursue his ministry as an interthe race-winner’s wreath of leaves given at the Olympics of Isth- cessor. Let us resolve to commit, as he did, to the new evangelizamian Games that wither. Rather, on the last day, God will confer the tion, so needed in our day, wherever God would send us.”
infinitely more precious ‘crown of righteousness’.”
As Fr. Bob’s coffin was being pushed into the mausoleum I couldn’t
help but think that we have a powerful intercessor now in heaven
appealing to Jesus and our heavenly Father on our behalf. I was
comforted by the Holy Spirit as I experienced peace in knowing that
................................................................
Christine Labrosse is the Managing Editor of the Companions of the
Cross newsletter. She and her husband Charles are active members of
St. Mary’ parish in Ottawa. Christine began attending St. Mary’s parish
the first week that Fr. Bob was pastor.
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Companions
of the
Cross
Summer 2012
Fr. Michael Scherrey, CC
Mission Presenter
Fr. Scherrey leads the charge to bring
change and life to people through
the Sacraments of the Church. A
Companions of the Cross priest
assigned to the Archdiocese of
Galveston/Houston, he was ordained
in 1995. Fr. Scherrey has presented
at numerous conferences and is
committed to leading people to an understanding of the
greatness of the Church and what she offers to the world.
For information about how you can invite
Fr. Michael Scherrey to your parish for a mission or retreat,
please email him at frmichaelcc@gmail.com or call him
at 832-865-0173.
Looking to Bring Renewal
to Your Parish?
Contact
Fr. Allan MacDonald, CC
(613) 728-1736
vocations@companionscross.org
Available for parish missions, retreats, etc.
PHOTO: Ben Lobo
Seminarians process Fr. Bob’s
casket to his tomb.
Feature
by Fr. Bob Bedard, CC
Fire will Test
the Quality of
Each Man’s Work
Condensed from a talk by Fr. Bob Bedard, CC
at the 1985 CCSO Charismatic Conference – Ottawa, Ontario
Thanks to Rodolfo Dilulio who transribed this talk.
St. Paul says to the Church in Corinth, “Everybody
must build very carefully. Nobody can lay a foundation other than the one that has already been
laid, namely Jesus Christ. If different ones build on
this foundation with gold or silver, precious stones
or wood, hay or straw, the work of each will be
made clear. The Day will disclose it; that day will
make its appearance with fire and fire will test the
quality of each man’s work” (1 Cor 3:10-13).
The Lord is saying to us today that he wants us to build with great care
because the Day approaches. The Day of the Lord all through the Old
Testament referred to a specific and important and powerful intervention of God on behalf of his faithful people. It doesn’t necessarily refer
to the final day when Jesus will come at the end of this age of the Holy
Spirit, to take possession of that Kingdom, that Church that the Holy
Spirit has been gathering now for 2000 years and present it to the
Father. It refers to a day that God himself will move in great power
among his people, to do something very specific.
The Lord has tremendous care for his people. God is loving and
tender. His care for us is complete; it’s all embracing. The Lord is
concerned about everybody, but he is concerned particularly about
those who are faithful to him because it is through them that he will
care for the rest. For you and for me, our desire has got to be nothing
Fr. Bob’s ordination at Blessed Sacrament parish, 1955.
more than to be faithful to the Lord. I tell him that every morning:
“I want to be faithful to you. I just want to do what you are saying.”
“The Son does only what he sees the Father doing” (Jn 5:19). That’s
what we all want to do: only what the Father is doing. There’s nothing else that works, in fact, but the will of God. That’s the only thing
worth doing!
The Lord prepares his people
The Lord’s faithful people are “the apple of his eye” (Ps 17:8). The
Lord wants to prepare his faithful people for whatever lies ahead.
He’s very solicitous for them because it is through them that he will
reach out and do powerful things in this world of ours that is basically falling apart. The Lord wants to rescue that world and he wants to
do it through those who will take him seriously, who come together
and give him their lives. He will prepare us. I believe that the Lord
is ready to speak a very specific word to those who are faithful to
him, to those who are committed to his purposes. This is mirrored in
Scripture: “See the earlier things have come to pass, new ones now
I foretell. Before they spring into being, I announce them to you” (Is
42:9). Isn’t the Lord saying, “I want you to be ready. Build with care
because fire will test. I want to prepare you. I want your hearts to be
totally with me.”
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The prophet Amos says, “Indeed the Lord God does nothing without We need the Lord’s Power
first revealing it to his servants the prophets” (Am 3:7). Why? Because he wants to get his people ready. He wants them to build with Charismatic Renewal, as I see it, has been from the Lord an offer to
care, with great care. The early Church experienced the same thing. In the Church: “I am offering you my power.” Charismatic Renewal is
Acts 11:27-30, some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. about the power of God. I believe the sad reality is that the Church
One of them named Agabus was inspired by the Lord to prophesy has by and large basically said “No thanks,” in one way or another.
that a famine would come upon the land shortly and that the people “No, because it’s too emotional,” and you know, sometimes it is. Or,
should get ready to survive it and to serve others during that time. “No, because I don’t care for some of the people that I meet” or “No,
The famine did, in fact, occur. The Holy Spirit prepares his people for because some of those people don’t seem very together.” And all
what is to come. The Acts of the Apostles is not just a history of the of those things I’m sure can be true. But nonetheless, we have had
early Church. It’s a blueprint for the Church of all time.
to see through that to see what the Lord was doing. It’s an offer of
power to his Church. He is saying, “Look, your power is not going
As a Church we don’t expect God to be very specific with us, to be to make it.” Don’t we know that? I know that. I tried for most of
present and to be powerful. Somehow we’ve learned the lesson that my priesthood to do things by my own power, and it didn’t work. I
it all depends on us, and it doesn’t. The early Church experienced don’t have any power. I need the power of God. Do we think there’s
God’s word in very specific ways. We have to expect the same thing power in our programs, in our agendas, in our priorities? Do we
today. In the last 150 years, there has been an extraordinary mani- think the world is going to be saved by education, by information?
festation of the ministry of prophetic utterance in our midst, particu- It isn’t. The world can be saved only through Jesus, the power of
larly in the Catholic Church. There has been an extraordinary word God. The Charismatic Renewal has been an offer to the Church, as
from God that is consistent over all that time. Towards the end of though the Lord is saying, “My power is available to you; it always
the 19th century, Pope Leo XIII begged the Bishops of the world to
has been but now I want to give you some reminders. I want to show
consecrate their Churches to the Holy Spirit. It was received with you a few things and try to convince you that it is available. Will
a certain casual approach unfortunately. Shortly after that, the Pen- you kindly open up to my power?”
tecostal revival began, but it was Pope
Leo XIII who begged for that. Generally
what we are being told is to get ready be“The eyes of the Lord range
cause there is a trial coming, a purificaModern-Day Prophets
tion, a testing. We are being told to build
constantly across the whole
with care because that fire of judgment,
One of the most unusual manifestations
that fire of testing is coming. That’s the
of God in our Church in the last 20, 50,
earth to encourage those who
trial. Not necessarily the Final Judgment
150 years has been the sending of Mary
but a judgment, a powerful time, a Day
the mother of Jesus to prophesy to the
are wholehearted for Him.”
of the Lord.
Church. Who would have predicted that?
We know that in 1917 at Fatima, when
(2 Ch 16:9)
I will try to explain what I believe the
the world was in the throes of World War
judgment of God really means in this
I, when Russia was in throes of revolution and being brought to its knees in
sense. God is the sovereign Creator of
all that we see. All of creation is made to follow the Lord’s plan. weakness, Mary said Russia would be powerful and spread its errors
The earth and the seas and the animals, they do. But we’re free; we throughout the world. Would you say that that prophecy has been
don’t have to. And when we don’t follow the Lord’s plan, when we tested? I would think so. We ignore this at our peril. Pope John Paul II,
break away from him, when we sin, things start to break down. Our whom I believe to be the Lord’s particular prophet to lead his people
society begins to collapse. The structures we’re familiar with begin in this particular time that is difficult, is saying the same thing: “Get
to tumble. Read the Old Testament, the story of the Jewish people. ready. Be prepared.” Do we know that Pope John Paul II said:
When they were faithful to God they prospered and lived in peace.
“We must be prepared to undergo great trials in the not-tooWhen they were unfaithful to the Lord, judgment fell upon them and
distant future; trials that will require us to be ready to give
their society fell apart. Why? Because that’s the way it’s made by
up even our lives, and a total gift of self to Christ and for
God. This world is made by God to function in peace and harmony,
Christ. Through your prayers and mine, it is possible to albut when we sin, we interfere with God. The Lord is not the author
leviate this tribulation, but it is no longer possible to avert it ...
of death or destruction, as the Book of Wisdom very clearly states.
How many times has the renewal of the Church been brought
But when we, the pinnacle of visible creation, disobey, then things
about in blood! It will not be different this time.” (Interview
begin to crumble. The judgment of God is brought on by the sin
with Catholics at Fulda, Germany, Nov. 1980, as reported in
of mankind. It has been said today that the weight of sin upon the
Stimme des Glaubens, No. 10, Oct. 1981)
world in our day is heavier than at any other time in human history
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It’s a tough word, it’s heavy, but it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s
a day of glory approaching as well. There’s a time of evangelization
that the world has never seen. There’s a day of victory and triumph
for God. There’s a great purification and restoration of the Church.
It is only through the purification that the Church can be renewed.
Build with care, we are being told, because the fire will test the
quality of our work. But the Lord has no intention of abandoning
his faithful people. He will stand by us and be our strength and see
us through.
In the Book of Exodus the Jewish people were led by day with a
cloud and by night with a pillar of fire. When that cloud or pillar
of fire got up and moved, then they moved. When it stayed, they
stayed. That’s what he wants from you and from me today: to move
when he says to move, to stay and wait when he says to wait. The
Lord wants us to be a people who are all out for him. “The eyes
of the Lord range constantly across the whole earth to encourage
those who are wholehearted for Him” (2 Ch 16:9). There was God
in the heavens peering down like a searchlight, and there I was lost
in the woods after a plane was forced down, looking for the rescue,
waving to the Lord, saying, “Lord, here I am! I want to be wholehearted. Put me down Lord on your list.”
Seven Recommendations
1) The first and best recommendation is to keep our eyes on
Jesus. St. Paul says he is the Cornerstone, the only Foundation. “No one can lay a foundation other than the one that is
already laid, namely Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 3:11).
2) We need to repent, to clean up those things in our lives that
are out of order, those things that perhaps we excuse, set
aside and would rather not think about: our relationships, our
priorities, our use of time, our use of money.
3) We need to believe and trust in the Lord because through
the difficult times not everything may be clear because of the
distractions that may happen.
4) The Lord wants us to live a much more simple life than we
are now living. Do we know that 14% of the world’s population is gobbling up over 90% of the world’s resources? Do
we know that we’re part of the 14%? Do we know that’s a
situation that cries to heaven for justice? We’re blind if we
can’t see that. We’re living an unreal kind of life.
5) The Lord wants us to find committed relationships so
that we can support one another. The Lord can’t build if he
MASS STIPENDS
doesn’t have people that are committed together. Church is
an awful lot more than just going on Sunday morning, it’s
the centre and the source of what we do. There have to be
people that I can count on now, every day, tomorrow, tomorrow night, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. That’s Church.
6) The Lord wants us to seek his wisdom. The wisdom of
God is available to his people. The Lord says, “Ask me everything. That’s wisdom.” You and I must seek it together.
When we do, he will provide it. he is faithful.
7) We have to listen to the prophets that the Lord has provided. I believe that the Lord has provided the Holy Father
for this day and in a very special way. Be loyal to the Pope.
That’s extremely important in this day. Don’t pay any attention whatsoever to people who deny or who contradict what
the Pope says. If we want to stay on track with the Lord,
listen to Pope John Paul II. The other major prophet he has
provided for us this day: Mary the mother of Jesus. Listen to
her too. Don’t forget her. Don’t water it down. Don’t apologize. Listen to her. The man in white and the Lady in blue:
the two major prophets the Lord has provided for his Catholic people today. Listen to them! Follow them! They will lead
us nowhere but to Jesus.
The Lord wants to form highly dedicated and compact companies of
faithful believers, people who are wholehearted for him every hour
of every day. He wants everything from us. He wants a total dedication. He wants to claim everything that you and I have. He wants
everything we have at his disposal and his alone. He wants a people
that are wholehearted for him, ready to give him all their time, all
their priorities, all their energies. And he’s drawing them together.
Every morning when I pray I tell the Lord, “I want to abandon myself to you. I want you to have everything that I have. I will do anything you tell me to do. If you want me to push peanuts down Bank
Street with my nose, I’ll do it.” The Lord replies, “Well, thank you
very much for the offer, and I know your nose is big enough to do
it, but that’s not quite what I had in mind.” But the Lord wants that
kind of abandonment. From St. Alphonsus Ligouri’s Stations of the
Cross: “Lord, grant that I may love Thee always and then do with
me what thou will.” It’s not new. It’s very Catholic and it’s very old.
I love what Pope John XXIII used to say every night before bed.
As he rolled his rather ample body into bed and switched out the
light, he turned to the Lord and said: “Lord, it’s your world and
your Church and I’m not going to worry any more about it.” And he
would roll over and go to sleep. Every morning I resign as saviour of
the world. There’s already a Saviour. We don’t need any more. I’m
not it. It doesn’t depend on me.
Please note that the Archdiocese of Ottawa has advised us that the Stipend for unannounced Masses will be
$10.00 beginning January 1, 2013. The total amount of the stipend will be given to the priest celebrating
the Mass.
The Catholic
Disciple Book
and DVD Series
Now Available!
Book (with personal reflection questions)
$15.00 plus shipping and handling
DVD’s – 10 talks by Fr. Bob Bedard corresponding to the 10 chapters of the book
(with group discussion questions)
$75.00 plus shipping and handling
Available through the office.
Feature
by Dale Balkovec
“You are
needed by
souls...”
I
n the city of Ottawa, the morning of Saturday May 26, 2012 was
anticipated by most as the start of “Race Weekend”. But to the
joyful crowd converging beneath the gleaming spires of Notre
Dame Cathedral, it will be forever remembered as the Ordination
day of a beloved son, brother, friend and man of God. Just before
10:00 am, the cathedral bells rang out over downtown announcing
that Archbishop Terrence Prendergast soon would preside at Mass
and ordain to Holy Priesthood Deacon Lawrence Hyginus, CC.
A wild storm had raced through the city the evening before (a metaphor perhaps for critical moments of the long journey leading to this
day?). But the morning offered sunshine, gentle breezes, and the
excited hum of a full assembly clearly buoyed by love and goodwill
towards the young man about to prostrate himself before the altar
and lay down his life to be configured to Jesus Christ.
As for me, the Archbishop primed my spiritual eyes by his opening
remarks. He drew our attention to the program cover with its photograph of the cathedral’s sculpted panel of Mary & the Apostles at
PHOTOS: photovanbeek.com
My particular delight was to witness this ordination through the “first
time” eyes of my nine-year-old son. These eyes opened wide with
awe from the moment he entered the cathedral, neck craning in all
directions to take in its soaring beauty. Eyes opened wider and neck
craned further still when the organ swelled to life and bells rang.
Excited whispers accompanied the opening procession: “Lawrence
saw me!”, “So many priests!”, “I was so close to the Archbishop!”
He gasped (as did we all) as the Archbishop welcomed by name the
ordinand’s parents and nine siblings! A big smile lit his face during the homily at Archbishop Terrence’s counsel that Fr. Lawrence
should become like his beloved Good Shepherd, loving, serving,
seeking out and saving the lost. My son participated more fully than
ever in all the prayers and songs, even singing every line of the
Litany. He stepped furtively and repeatedly into the centre aisle to
bring back whispered reports of the visible rites of ordination taking
place in the sanctuary.
Deacon Lawrence prostrate during the Litany of the Saints.
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Fr. Lawrence imparts his First Blessing on
the Archbishop.
Fr. Lawrence Hyginus with Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, SJ.
Fr. Lawrence imparts his First Priestly
Blessing on his parents.
The following day at 11:00 am, Fr. Lawrence returned to St. Maurice Parish to
celebrate his Mass of Thanksgiving among
those whom he had served and who loved
him well during his year of seminarian
internship. Vested in Pentecost red, he radiated such gentle fruits of the Spirit - humility, peace, and a light-hearted joy and
anticipation that were palpable. Fr. Allan
MacDonald was aglow with another kind of
Pentecost zeal as he delivered an energetic
homily full of insight, wit and wisdom. The
St. Maurice crowd was delighted to see Fr.
Lawrence’s famed liturgical composure
PHOTOS: photovanbeek.com
Pentecost. Thus sensitized to the enlivening
action of the Holy Spirit, what the eyes of
my heart saw everywhere was fruitfulness
– the fruitfulness of faithful family life (not
to mention a busload of relatives and friends
from Toronto!), the fruitfulness of genera- Fr. Lawrence concelebrating Mass with Archbishop Prendergast.
tions of faith lived by the Ottawa Catholic
community, the fruitfulness of the priesthood, the fruitfulness of one life lived for
the Lord and solidly formed in religious life.
Fr. Lawrence with Fr. Scott McCaig (l) and Fr. Pierre Ingram (r).
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crumble into smiles (dare I suggest even laughter?) not once, but
several times as he listened and took to heart the counsel. At the
moments of consecration and elevation, however, the depth of a different emotion was evident. Tears came to my own eyes, in response
to the gift of such a moment of encounter with the Real Presence of
Jesus in the hands of a new priest.
................................................................
Dale Balkovec attended Fr. Lawrence’s Ordination and Thanksgiving
Mass with her husband, George, and the youngest of their three sons,
Noah. They are longtime parishioners of St. Maurice Parish, Nepean,
where Dale also works as the coordinator of the Family
Formation Ministry.
PHOTO: David Chan
Fr. Lawrence with his family.
Fr. Lawrence celebrates his first Mass at St. Maurice.
The Archbishop anoints Fr. Lawrence’s hands.
PHOTO: photovanbeek.com
PHOTO: photovanbeek.com
PHOTO: photovanbeek.com
Fr. Lawrence, you will do well to heed Fr. Allan’s exhortation,
which echoed the Archbishop’s: let yourself be carried in your
priesthood – by your family, your brother Companions of the
Cross, by the faith community, and by your personal relationship
with Jesus Christ. As you exercise your priestly ministry and meet
its challenges, rely not on your own strength, and rest assured
that our prayers are among the many that will continue to carry
you. We do need you to fulfill all those ministries outlined by your
bishop on your ordination day – evangelize! teach! preach! forgive! feed! heal! pray! believe! To borrow from the words of the
Prayer for a Newly Ordained Priest in your Ordination program:
you are needed by the Church, you are needed by souls, you
are needed for the work of redemption! We will watch with joy
the fruitfulness of God’s good works begun in you.
Fr. Lawrence praying over the Servants of the Cross.
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Thirst for Knowledge
Leads to the Donation
of a Library
During our weekly packing-and-moving visits, we learned
of Father Laplante’s amazing life and his ongoing thirst
for knowledge.
Father Laplante was born in 1924 in Bonne Terre, Missouri, a small city just south of St. Louis. With four other
siblings, his father wanted him to learn a trade, but Fr.
Laplante had different dreams and saved his money to go
to college.
He attended the University of Illinois, obtaining his
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. His studies
were interrupted when he was drafted during World War
II. Father accepted the offer to become a commissioned
officer in the US Navy and he was on a ship in the South
Pacific when the war ended.
Back home, he returned to university where he obtained
his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, and then
accepted a position with General Electric in Schenectady,
NY, with the opportunity to enrol in their Advanced Engineering Program. Ever the scholar, Father was about to
write his doctorate on his involvement in the construction
of the US’s first atomic-powered submarine, when he felt
a yearning to dig deeper into his faith.
After consultation and prayer, Father decided to join
a seminary for late vocations in La Prairie, QC, on the
south shores of Montreal. Having spent his summers immersed in French at his grandmother’s house in Missouri,
he adapted well to the language. Before long, his education led him to be recruited by his superior to help found
the Holy Apostle Seminary in Connecticut. Father was
responsible for the development of the educational blueprints of the seminary. He also continued on to their Novitiate in Washington, DC, where he taught Mariology.
Upon returning to La Prairie, he was recruited by the
Bishop of St. Boniface, Manitoba, where, upon ordina-
The Companions of the Cross
recently received a very generous
donation of a theological library
from Fr. Robert Laplante, adding
thousands of books to our library at
our house of formation in Detroit,
Michigan used by our seminarians
studying for the priesthood.
tion, he taught Systematic Theology for six years before
the seminary closed. It was during this time that Father’s
book collection started to grow. He noticed that too many
other professors were reserving books in the library thus
limiting the opportunity to use them. The library was not
a lending library, but a reserve library. So he started to
buy many books.
By now, he had obtained Licentiates in both Philosophy
and General Theology, but an interest in Metaphysics led
him to Ottawa. He began teaching at the University of
St. Paul. Always wanting to research from the original
sources, his book collection continued to grow.
While teaching, he was asked to sit with advanced theologians and bishops on Pope Paul VI’s commission on
Humanae Vitae, which was published in 1968.
He was then asked to be a designated consultant for
theological questions for the Canadian Episcopacy.
While acting as a chaplain for various sisterhoods
around Ottawa, he also served as a consultant for the
Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He
was also recognized by Rome for his work done for the
Canadian Bishops on a report submitted to the Sacred
Congregation of the Liturgy.
Asked to move to Rome, Fr. Laplante’s health concerns
have kept him in Ottawa. Most recently, he decided to
downsize and move into the Diocesan retirement facility,
but first had to find a home for his impressive collection
of philosophical and theological works.
The Companions of the Cross are extremely thankful for
this valuable donation. Our seminarians and teachers look
forward to using the collection during their studies. We
pray that these men will share Fr. Laplante’s passion for
the pursuit of knowledge.
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Discover the world that formed Pope Benedict XVI: his deeply Catholic
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Testimony
by Fr. Ed Wade, CC
Thanks for the Memories
T
he late comedian Bob Hope would always conclude his television program by singing the song Thanks for the Memories.
It was his way of thanking the audience and his supporters for
their participation in his career as an entertainer.
Christine Labrosse recently contacted me and asked me to write a
few words about my celebrating 40 years as a priest. What should I
say? How should I say it? Can I call her and tell her that I changed
my mind? I really considered the latter option but I honestly believed Our Lady wanted me to do it so I will give it my best shot.
Charles Dickens, in his classic novel Tale of Two Cities, mentioned in
the first paragraph of Chapter 1 that it was the best of times and the worst
of times. My life has been like a buffet restaurant where you could experience a little bit of this and a little bit of that at the same time.
I have experienced the highs and lows of life as a priest. I have had
to walk through fear, doubt and many dark nights of the soul. It was
here that I met Mary and have learned, and am still learning, to trust
Jesus Christ with my life.
I have seen the blind see, the deaf hear and the lame walk. I saw
the power of God work recently as he healed a man that has had a
severe heart problem and also was a diabetic. A woman, blind in one
eye, was healed. Still another with severe back pain for years has
been healed with no recurring pain. Oh yeah, some were not healed.
If you can figure that one out, let me know.
I have many blessed memories in these 40 years: eight years as a
parish priest, co-founder of the Fraternity of Priests, working at the
Franciscan University of Steubenville in student life and preaching at many of their conferences, three years in Belfast, North Ireland working in ecumenical reconciliation with former terrorists,
ten years at the Catholic Charismatic Center in Houston, Texas and
travelling and preaching throughout Canada, USA, United Kingdom, Eastern Europe and Gibraltar on missions and conferences.
I experienced God’s power and also his seeming absence in some
of the above. You learn to keep moving forward and not concern
yourself with success but rather faithfulness.
A few years ago, while still at the Catholic Charismatic Center I started
to experience in my prayer life a sense of a major shift in the world that
was increasingly growing hostile to God, in politics, the entertainment
industry, education, etc. I felt Our Lady was speaking to me to help
bring the various churches together to break down the walls of division
so that we would stand together to fight our real enemy, Satan.
I asked for permission to begin this work from the CC community
leaders and Bishop Michael Burbridge of Raleigh, North Carolina.
With their approval I have been in Cape Carteret NC, since March 7,
2010 helping to break down the walls that divide us. I have visited and
spoken at their churches and I have also visited a messianic Jewish
congregation. I now have a relationship with a Muslim in the area . . .
I keep getting the word that we are to rebuild the church. Any takers?
Being away from the Companions of the Cross has not been easy
for me but the Lord and Our Lady have provided many new friends
whom I have learned to love and respect and who share the desire to
seek the unity of which Jesus speaks in John 17:21, “. . . so that they
may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also
may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.”
Living with a family these past two years in North Carolina has been
a wonderful, learning experience for me. I found out very quickly
that I couldn’t hide from problems that exist in family life; sharing
hopes, fears, doubts and then having to personally work through the
problems with them. I saw and lived with the holiness of the laity
that I consider to be a great grace from the Lord.
This type of unity work is truly a missionary apostolate for Catholics in that we are truly a minority. I have met more people and
clergy who have left the Church and have even become ministers
and bishops in other denominations. This is sad but true. I am using
various websites for spiritual Eucharistic adoration, the rosary and
Stations of the Cross with Blessed John Paul II. This helps fill my
tank with the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Last but not least, I am convinced that the beast has been released
from the pits of hell and that frontal attack against the Church is now
in the open. This is not the time to cower in fear and doubt but it is
a time to stand up and be counted.
I believe that this is the age of the priesthood and that the Holy Spirit
is calling us to a preaching and prophetic role to confront the world
with God’s word and power. People need to hear the purity of the
word of God and they want to see the manifestation of the power of
the Holy Spirit. Since we are seeing the persecution let us also see
the glory! Proclaim the Kingdom of God. It is now at hand!
Thanks for the 40 years, Lord.
..................................................................................................................................
17
Companions
of the
Cross
Summer 2012
L ay
a s s o c i at e s c o r n e r
by Kathy Ovcjak
Food through Media
T
he Gospel entrusted to us is the word
of truth. A truth which liberates and
which alone gives peace of heart is
what people are looking for when we proclaim
the Good News to them” (Pope Paul VI).
“
The founder of Food For Life, the late Fr.
Bob MacDougall, SJ, recognized how one
can be liberated and have peace of heart
through hearing the Good News and choosing to embrace it. Having been profoundly
touched by the love and mercy of God in
his own life, he had a passion to evangelize
Catholics and equip them to do the same by
proclaiming the Good News through media.
Fr. MacDougall recognized the efficacy of using media to reach the multitudes. Pope Paul
VI also understood this reality and expressed
the importance of utilizing mass media to
proclaim our faith in his encyclical, Evangelii
Nuntiandi: “Our century is characterized by
the mass media or means of social communication, and the first proclamation, catechesis
or the further deepening of faith cannot do
without these means...When they are put at
the service of the Gospel, they are capable
of increasing almost indefinitely the area in
which the Word of God is heard; they enable
the Good News to reach millions of people.
The Church would feel guilty before the Lord
if she did not utilize these powerful means...”
With his fervour for the Gospel and his understanding of the significance of media,
Fr. MacDougall founded the Food For Life
Catholic television ministry in 1984. The approach was simple: people from all walks of
life shared their personal testimonies of how
Christ transformed their lives. Sound biblical teaching was provided and viewers were
invited to embrace this Good News being
proclaimed through television media. The
response was and continues to be remarkable and Food For Life has become Canada’s
longest running Catholic television program
ministering to people across Canada and in
parts of the United States as well as globally
through the internet on YouTube.
After many years of faithful ministry, Fr.
MacDougall retired but not before meeting
with and encouraging the late Fr. Bedard to
consider hosting Food For Life. Fr. Bedard
was initially uncertain as to whether or not
he should be involved with a television ministry but after much prayer and discernment
among the Companions of the Cross, he felt
that God was opening a door to proclaim
the Good News and evangelize through the
ministry of Food For Life. Fr. Roger Vandenakker also came on board as a fellow host.
Both Fr. Bedard and Fr. Vandenakker were
welcomed by viewers with open arms.
Fr. Bedard, like Fr. MacDougall, was passionate in his belief for the need to evangelize. Fr. Bedard and Fr. Vandenakker continued to provide excellent teaching and
catechesis which aided in the ongoing spiritual formation of viewers from coast to
coast. Fr. Bedard also wrote many articles
which were published in the Food For Life
newsletter and he wrote a number of books
to encourage the faithful. One of his most
well known works which was distributed
widely through Food For Life was: Evangelization - A Challenge for the Catholic
Church. In this book he describes evangelization as “a process whereby a person hears
the Gospel, embraces it fully and makes
Jesus Lord of his life and gets involved in
a lively, intimate and ongoing relationship
with him.” Fr. Bedard further challenges
the reader: “How can they believe unless
they have heard of Him? And how can they
hear unless someone preaches to them?”
(Rm 10:14).
After many years of fruitful ministry, Fr.
Bedard felt led to introduce some younger
priests to the Food For Life ministry and
believed that Fr. Mark Goring and Fr. Terry
Donahue were just the right young men to
carry on the great commission through the
weekly telecast. Once again, viewers welcomed these two dynamic priests and they
continue to share their faith with such joy
and conviction. Food For Life also features
hosts Chris Keyes and Kathy Ovcjak in addition to many well known regular guests including, Ralph Martin, Sister Anne Shields,
Peter Herbeck along with many others.
The Food For Life ministry has always been
based on a biblical and Catholic perspective which aims to evangelize and to bring
home the relevance of faith in today’s world.
Through the segments in each telecast, which
incorporate all kinds of issues and themes,
people are encouraged and challenged in their
faith to seek the Lord diligently and to grow
in their faith through a committed relationship with Jesus Christ coupled with Church
involvement and participation and one-to-one
evangelization. The feedback from viewers is
always very uplifting - countless people have
been influenced in a positive way in their
spiritual formation. Food For Life carries out
the greatest mission of the Church which is to
evangelize. Fr. Bedard said that “evangelization is a very elementary process. It is something that we start and God finishes”. Indeed,
if we want to see people on fire for the Lord,
we have a duty to evangelize them. Pope
Benedict XVI exhorts us: “Evangelization is
not something optional, but the very vocation
of the people of God, a duty that corresponds
to it by the command of the Lord Jesus Christ
himself” (Ad Gentes, 2006). And he further
challenges us: “We cannot keep to ourselves
the words of eternal life given to us in our encounter with Jesus Christ: they are meant for
everyone, for every man and woman ... It is
our responsibility to pass on what, by God’s
grace, we ourselves have received” (Verbum
Domini, 2010).
Food For Life seeks to be an ongoing part
of the great commission in proclaiming the
liberating truth of the Gospel which gives
us true joy, hope and peace. The program is
made possible through the generous support
of the weekly television audience. Food
For Life can be viewed each week on MidCanada Network - Ottawa, CTS - Ontario,
VISION TV across Canada, as well as The
..................................................................................................................................
18
Companions
of the
Cross
Summer 2012
Miracle Channel - Alberta and through the internet on YouTube.
We invite you to tune into Food For Life and tell a friend! Viewer
feedback is always welcomed. Please visit the ministry’s website:
foodforlifetvministry.org.
Feature
A
................................................................
Kathy Ovcjak is a co-host of Food For Life and is married to Deacon
Rudy Ovcjak; they reside in Pickering with their four children and attend
St. Isaac Jogues parish.
Why We Need the Companions
Catholic theologian at a Jesuit University has recently published a book making the astonishing claim that the differences between Catholic ethics and the ethics of Peter Singer
are “quite narrow” and that both sides “can work together on many
important issues of ethics and public policy”.
For readers who are not familiar with the work of Peter Singer, who
is the head of the bioethics department at Princeton University, a
few words are in order. Professor Singer sees himself as a leading
proponent of a “Copernican revolution” against the sanctity-of-life
ethic, while Christian thinkers commonly associate his work with
the Culture of Death. Singer’s acceptance of abortion, infanticide
until 28 days after birth, active euthanasia, and bestiality seem to
rule out completely any fruitful working relationship between himself and his Christian counterparts.
If this book produces any positive result, it will be to make it definitively clear why Catholic ethics and that of Professor Singer are
radically and definitively incompatible with each other.
In a 1995 article in the London Spectator entitled, “Killing Babies
Isn’t Always Wrong,” Singer made a thought-provoking comparison
between himself and Pope John Paul II: “I sometimes think that he
and I at least share the virtue of seeing clearly what is at stake.” But
what they see are poles apart. For Blessed John Paul, each life is inviolable, unrepeatable, and irreplaceable. What he sees is real, concrete, and alive. For Singer, “When the death of the disabled infant
will lead to the birth of another infant with better prospects of a happy
life, the total amount of happiness will be greater if the disabled infant
is killed.” What Singer sees is doubly hypothetical. He envisions the
possible conception of a replacement child who may become happier
than the one who was killed. The child, of course, might not be conceived, and if conceived, might not be sufficiently happy. He “sees,”
if one can call it that, a possibility that is a pure abstraction. It is commendable that Singer wants to promote happiness and reduce suffering, but he is willing to do so at the price of eliminating certain people
and gambling on better prospects for others. Christian ethics, by contrast, affirms the life of the living. The difference in ethical outlooks
between Catholic thinking and that of Peter Singer is irreconcilable.
In our hedonistic and materialistic age, people have great difficulty
with the notion of suffering. If only suffering could either be greatly
reduced or eliminated, life would be so much better. So they think.
The essential problem, of course, is that all of us are born into a world
of inescapable suffering. What we need, therefore, is not the illusion
that we can rid ourselves of suffering, but companions who can help
us to understand its redemptive meaning. As Mother Teresa has written, “Suffering in itself is nothing; but suffering shared with Christ’s
passion is a wonderful gift. Man’s most beautiful gift is that he can
share in the passion of Christ.” What we need is not the Companions
of the Lethal Injection, but the Companions of the Cross.
The “Companions of the Cross” are most assuredly not opposed to reducing suffering, but in helping people to understand its meaning, they
are certainly opposed to eliminating people. Malcolm Muggeridge,
in a conversation many years ago with William F. Buckley on the TV
program, Firing Line, offered an engaging parable which illustrates the
realism of the Cross. The distinguished convert to the Catholic Church
asked his listeners to imagine St. Paul consulting with an eminent public relations expert about promoting the new Christian religion. After St.
Paul explains his intention to spread the Gospel message, the PR man
informs him that he needs some sort of catchy logo or symbol, an image
that is an attractive sign of the Christian faith. “Well, I have one,” St.
Paul retorts, “I have this Cross.” The public relations man bursts into
uncontrollable laughter. “You can’t popularize your campaign with a
thing like that. It’s a symbol of suffering and persecution. It’s absolutely
mad. No one is going to follow a cross!”
Well, history speaks louder than PR men. The Church and her multitude of companions of the Cross have outlasted all other institutions
for these past 2,000 plus, years. The Church survives because of its
realism and its service. She is not in the business of cleverly marketing pleasing illusions. She provides meaning, nourishment and love
for the suffering. As Malcolm Muggeridge, went on to say, it is suffering, not success, that teaches us about life.
Christ commands us to love our enemies. Often overlooked in this
command is that we should be able to recognize our enemies. From
an ethical point of view, the Church and Peter Singer are enemies.
Conversion is always possible. But killing innocent people because
their suffering registers too high on the arbitrary suffering meter
does not exemplify love. And this is precisely why the world needs
the Companions of the Cross.
................................................................
Donald DeMarco, PhD is a Senior Fellow of HLI America, an Initiative
of Human Life International. He is Professor Emeritus at St. Jerome’s
University in Waterloo, Ontario and an adjunct professor at Holy Apostles
College & Seminary in Cromwell, CT. Some of his recent writings may be
found at HLI America’s Truth and Charity Forum.
..................................................................................................................................
19
Companions
of the
Cross
Summer 2012
Community
news & notes
by Fr. Rick Jaworski, CC
T
rees of the world beware, Fr. Yves Marchildon cometh with
his mighty chainsaw army! Like many of our priests and parishioners, Fr. Yves assists with his talents wherever he can,
and one of his ‘gifts’ is the felling - necessary downing only, of
course - of trees. Parish property, cottage and home, the oil has
flown and the busy buzzing been heard. Fr. Rob Arsenault, deciding
not to let Paul-Rémi have all the fun, gashed his chin falling off scaffolding, got high on epoxy, and threw in some surgery just for kicks.
Father Mark Goring, meanwhile, tried to give the two of them some
competition by means of skateboarding. In contrary mode, Fr. Galen
Bank, rather than injuring himself, drove into a deer.
Fr. Allan MacDonald, in addition to his vocation and admissions
work, had numerous speaking engagements (Halifax, Toronto,
Glen Falls, Cornwall …) and ran in several races. Fr. Scott McCaig
helped out at the youth track of Lift Jesus Higher in Toronto, led a
parish mission in Halifax, gave a retreat to the Franciscan Friars of
the Renewal in New York, and taught at St. Thérèse School of Faith
and Mission. Likewise, Fr. Terry Donahue taught at St. Thérèse, at
Maryvale Academy, and answered questions on a local radio show.
Fr. Carlos Martins continued his very successful relic missions. His
compatriot at the York University Chaplaincy, Fr. Ben St. Croix, did
some missions on the side too.
Father Rob Arsenault led a retreat for the deacons in Halifax; Fr.
Mark Goring led a retreat for the priests of the Diocese of Peterborough. (Congratulations on Fr. Mark’s brother, Michael, being ordained to the priesthood for their home Diocese of Pembroke.) Father Christian Riesbeck managed to make use of his Spanish again
by giving a retreat at a Spanish Parish in Ottawa. (Fr. Christian was
appointed Episcopal Vicar for Canonical Concerns, while maintaining his position as Chancellor.) Fr. Francis Ching gave a retreat for
Chinese youth in Montreal, and did much ministry for the Chinese
community around Toronto.
trip to the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge MA; the ‘aging’ Fr.
Michael Minifie - now sporting glasses - went to Italy on his first
pilgrimage. Fr. Francis Frankovich went to crowds of from 3,000 to
15,000 people in Honduras and Columbia preaching forgiveness,
healing, and delivering. Fathers Francis Ching, Jim Lowe, Pierre
Ingram, and Scott McCaig attended the International Eucharistic
Congress in Ireland. Catholic Christian Outreach’s Impact program
kept Fr. Daren Bryk busy this summer in Halifax, besides helping
give local priests a break by filling in for them on weekends. (Our
condolences to CCO Founder Andre Regnier on the death of his
brother.) Seminarians Ruben Campbell and Kenneth Lao danced
with seniors.
Father Terry completed his term of service at the Canadian Nunciature and now works full-time in Lay Formation. Fr. Terry, Lay
Associate Coordinator Mary Lauzon, and the Servants of the Cross
sisters started a series of open houses in our parishes to inform people about us, the upcoming lay associate program, and invite them
to become lay associates.
Fr. Sean Wenger went home to British Columbia to celebrate his
grandmother’s 100th birthday. It wasn’t the notes of “Happy Birthday”, but Fr. Jamie Utronkie, along with parishioner and secretary
Karen Smith, recorded a CD Imagining You Everywhere with 10
original songs (the fruit of prayer) and 12 classic hymns - bringing
God to people via music and song. An added benefit is that proceeds
from the sales will help support the parishes of the Holy Trinity
Pastoral Unit where Fr. Jamie serves. You might hear Fr. Pierre Ingram’s voice bilingually commenting on religious objects and art in
the self-guided tour of Ottawa’s National Gallery.
Father Mark, Fr. Terry and others can be seen on the TV show Food
For Life. (See http://foodforlifetvministry.org/tv.php for TV air
times and channels.) Some of our parishes have shown the movie
Courageous to assist and inspire the men they serve, and Fr. Robert
Barron’s Catholicism series for the general parish. Just don’t let the
latter’s fantastic pictures distract you from the great words that accompany. Some watched Euro 2012 soccer; Fr. Simon Lobo played
it—twice a week in a young adult Catholic soccer league.
As you can see from elsewhere in this newsletter, Fr. Bob was entombed on May 4; and Fr. Lawrence Hyginus ordained on May 26.
Fr. Randy Hendriks went on leave for four months - a sabbatical
“off the grid”, to use his terminology. His busy associate, Fr. Francis
Donnelly, still managed to get in some rounds of golf however, in
addition to extra duties such as helping direct seminarians at the
Institute of Priestly Formation (along with Fr. Roger Vandenakker).
Fr. Ed Wade received some treatment for prostate cancer. Seminarian Jorge Alvarado’s father Martin got sick while Jorge was home
in Mexico visiting his family, and died within the week on June 12,
2012. Please pray for the repose of his soul and the consolation of
his family and friends.
At St. Scholastica’s in Detroit, Fr. Marc Syrenne had a Life in the
Spirit Seminar on Palm Sunday weekend and they started a twicea-month prayer meeting. Fr. Francis Ching accompanied a pilgrim
In the grand shuffle, since Fr. John Vandenakker went to teach at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Fr. Michael Minifie replaced
him as pastor at Queen of Peace Parish in Houston. In addition to
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PHOTO: photovanbeek.com
Fr. Galen Bank lays hands on Deacon Lawrence Hyginus at his Ordination.
teaching, Fr. John took on the position of Director of Pastoral Formation at SHMS. Fellow professor Fr. Pierre Ingram became the
new Director of Formation for the CCs. When he moved to Detroit,
Fr. Pierre transported with him a very large quantity of books. We
wish to thank Fr. Bob LaPlante, former consultant to the Canadian
Conference of Catholic Bishops and others, for the very generous
and gracious donation of his huge scholarly library. Our seminarians
and professors will make good use of it.
Father David Bergeron replaced Fr. Michael at the Catholic Charismatic Center (Houston). Fr. Jim Lowe replaced Fr. David at Queen
of Peace. And newly ordained Fr. Lawrence replaced Fr. Jim at St.
Mary’s (Ottawa). Fr. Francis Donnelly goes to help at the Charismatic Center, and Fr. Galen Bank replaces Fr. Francis at Blessed
Sacrament (Ottawa). Fr. Galen had been doing first-year formation.
This coming year, we have one new candidate: Marcus Schonnop
from Surrey, BC. He’s 24 years old, formerly on the National Evangelization Teams, has a B.Sc. From UBC and worked in the forestry industry. He’ll start philosophy studies at Sacred Heart Major
Seminary in Detroit. Father John Fletcher moved into our Detroit
residence and has a full-time position as Regional Priest Director
for Radio Maria.
April 15, Divine Mercy Sunday, Anglican Bishop Carl Reid and
others were received into the Catholic Church in Ottawa. This was
an act of tremendous humility and courage, and we wish to recognize that and honour them for it. It has also meant some connections with the Companions of the Cross as Fr. Francis Donnelly
has accompanied them for part of their journey, and a number of
our priests have, are, and will be celebrating the Anglican Use lit-
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Summer 2012
Entombment ceremony of Fr. Bob Bedard May 4, 2012.
urgy for them until such time as their clergy are ordained in the
Catholic Church. Coincidentally, Fr. Jim Lowe of the Companions
had their new Ordinary, Monsignor Jeffrey Steenson (a former
Episcopalian bishop and married Catholic priest), as his Canon
Law professor in Houston.
The 15th Annual March for Life’s Rose Dinner, which took place in
Ottawa, the capital of Canada, on Thursday May 10, was dedicated
to our Founder, Fr. Bob Bedard, CC. Father Bob had always supported the March and the pro-life cause in his preaching, writing,
and by marching. The Servants of the Cross sisters led the vigil at
the Human Rights Monument, at which seminarian Jorge Alvarado
preached. Our men also had some extra work on the burners due to
civic legislation that was both morally problematic as well as a concern regarding the freedom of religion: the provincial government
in Ontario’s Bill 13 (homosexuality); and the HHS mandate in the
USA (life issues).
The Archdiocese of Ottawa celebrated its feast day on Thursday
June 7. Papal honours were conferred on several individuals connected with the Companions of the Cross. Pope Benedict conferred
the title “Prelate of Honour” upon Monsignor Everett MacNeil, P.H.
who served as an advisor and liaison between the Archbishop of Ottawa and us for a number of years. Mr. Gerald Larkin, a parishioner
at St. Maurice Parish where we pastor, has freely provided professional accounting help there as well as at Blessed Sacrament and
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Parishes where we also minister.
A well-deserved congratulations and God bless you to both these
men. The Archdiocesan programme had the following text about
Mr. Larkin:
Mr. Larkin is widely respected for his dedication to his family, his work, and to the life and mission of the Church in
Ottawa. Mr. Larkin cared faithfully for his wife Donna for
many years before she died in the summer of 2011. They
have two children, Lynda and Michael. As a Chartered Accountant he has provided and continues to provide generous
professional services for many parishes and ministries in the
Archdiocese of Ottawa. Mr. Larkin has always had a special
compassion for single mothers in need and has given longstanding support to the Youville Centre. He has also been
actively involved in a number of organizations providing
support for priests, to the young, and to those in need: the
Knights of Columbus, the Cursillo Movement, the Legion
of Mary, and in his home parish of St. Maurice. Mr. Gerald
Larkin’s ever-present zeal for the Lord is both a motivation
and invitation to serve.
We have been blessed. You have blessed us. May God bless you!
................................................................
Fr. Rick Jaworski has a licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical
Biblical Institute in Rome. He was ordained in 1990.
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Summer 2012
Fr. Scott McCaig, CC General Superior prays at
Fr. Bob’s tomb.
Lay Associates Open House at Blessed Sacrament parish.
Spiritual Motherhood of Priests Mass and Induction ceremony Thursday May 31,
2012, St. Mary’s parish.
PHOTO: Shannon Kalyniak
PHOTO: Ben Lobo
Servants of the Cross and CC priests at Mass before entombment of Fr. Bob.
PHOTO: Ben Lobo
News Flashes
News Flashes
A little friendly hockey rivalry between Fr. Scott McCaig (the
Canucks fan) and Fr. Simon Lobo (the Red Wings fan) when
Vancouver and Detroit played each other in Detroit. Fr. Simon
swears he switched over to cheer for the Canadian team towards
the end of the game. By the way, Vancouver won in overtime!
Easter celebrations at Queen of Peace in Houston, Texas.
Newly ordained Fr. Lawrence Hyginus celebrates Mass in Toronto at
St. Timothy’s parish.
Fr. Scott McCaig celebrates Mass for Servants of the Cross 9th Anniversary
at the tomb of Fr. Bob Bedard.
PHOTO: Chris Lau
Queen of Peace Spring Festival April 29, 2012.
News Flashes
Fr. Lawrence Hyginus’ first Mass at St. Maurice church.
Fr. Scott McCaig speaks at Fr. Bob’s entombment ceremony. In background from
left to right: Fr. Christian Riesbeck, Deacon Marc Gauthier, Archbishop
Terrence Prendergast.
PHOTO: David Chan
Fr. David Bergeron plays Jesus in the Passion
re-enactment in Houston.
PHOTO: Ben Lobo
Open House for Lay Associates at Holy Rosary parish.
At the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, Ireland from l to r: Fr. Jonathan
Blake, Fr. Jim Lowe, CC, Fr. Pierre Ingram, CC, Fr. Daniel Berniquez,
Fr. Scott McCaig, CC.
Fr. David Bergerion in re-enactment of the Passion of our Lord at
Easter in Houston, Texas.
“The Bull Rider” Fr. John Paul Bolger at Queen of Peace Spring
Festival, April 29th in Houston.
Mass celebrated for the Spiritual Motherhood of Priests induction ceremony
on the Feast of the Visitation.
Mary Lauzon, Lay Associate Coordinator, speaking about Fr. Bob at a
Lay Associates Open House at Annunciation of the Lord parish in Ottawa.
PHOTO: courtesy of Archbishop Prendergast’s blog
News Flashes
Companions of the Cross
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“The eyes of the Lord roam over the whole earth to encourage
those who are devoted to him wholeheartedly.”
(2 Chronicles 16:9)