A friend in the Anglican Church passed along the following website as a place containing interesting resources for pastoral leadership in congregations: the Congregational Resources Guide.
Of particular interest was this sub-section of the site, on congregational redevelopment. Basically, “congregational redevelopment” is a process by which congregations (in Catholic terms, parishes) refocus on their mission and put their resources to bear on building the kingdom of God.
Just passing on the info to any priest or minister who happens along this way!
I got an email recently from the web assistant to the Communication Department of the World Youth Day 2011 Madrid, asking to add a link to their web site from mine. Done! You can find it in the links on the right, and you can also click through to their web site by clicking on the following banner:
We both began blogging many moons ago, and I’ve visited his site more than once these past few years, so it is my pleasure to (finally) add The Recovering Choir Director to my blogroll. If you have a passion for sacred music in the best of the Roman Catholic tradition, be sure to check it out.
Many of my readers are already familiar with the Solau Singers, a wonderful musical duo whom I often recommend for weddings. They (finally) have their own website, the link to which I am pleased to pass on. Do go and check it out!
I recently got a request from Anthony Outhwaite to let people know of the book he has recently published on Rediscovering the Rosary. I don’t mind doing “product placement” as long as it is in harmony with the mission of the Church, and Anthony send me a copy of his book in PDF format for review. I don’t see anything contrary to the Catholic faith in it, and if it can help people to pray the Rosary better then I’m all for it. Check it out!
One of the neat things about having a blog is that sometimes people send you free stuff, asking you to write a review. It’s pretty clever marketing, actually, as people are more willing to trust a known source (such as the writer of a personal blog) than a simple advertisement. Kind of like word of mouth, except it is word of….pixels on the screen .
My latest acquisition is On This Mountain, an album of Catholic “good-time” music, available through Company Publications. I received permission to post an mp3 of one of the songs, entitled Kyrie Eleison, on one condition: that I mention the names of all those who participated in the project. So here goes:
While cleaning out my email inbox I came across a note from someone pointing out the site for the Crossroads Initiative. Looks interesting — check it out, and let me know what you think.
As well, I was asked by the creators of this site dedicated to the consecration to the Immaculate Heart if I thought my blog readers would be interested in knowing about it. The only way to find out is to get your $0.02, so go for it and leave me comments.
It seems that the “Theology on Tap” concept has caught on in Ottawa. Check it out if you are in the Nation’s Capital: you can catch up on your spirituality while sampling the, errr, spirits!
When I was studying to be a priest I remember experiencing a call within my call: I was not only called to be a priest, but to be a priest for the Church of Montreal. This was actually quite significant, since my family does not live in this city. A few times I recall asking the Lord, “Are you sure you want me to be in Montreal?” and the answer I always received in prayer was “Your place is in Montreal.”
This got me thinking: why Montreal? So I began to do some research into the living spiritual heritage of my city, and I came to see how remarkable this place really is. This is not merely another dot on the map: Montreal has, in its history, had a special place in God’s providential plan. It was originally founded based on inner locutions of the Blessed Virgin given to Servant of God Jerome le Royer, which is why the first name of the city was “Ville-Marie” (and the official name of the diocese is still Marianopolitana). It has found itself at the centre of the great issues of modernity, and made an important contribution to the Church in the world. Today it struggles against the waves of secularism and anti-clericalism, waves which sometimes seem so much more intense here, but the Holy Spirit continues to call the people to holiness. It is actually quite exciting to be a priest here — you feel you really are on the front lines of the Church’s mission.
One of my great pleasures is to welcome visitors to Montreal, and to share with them this spiritual heritage. When Secret Agent Man came to Montreal last year I had the honour of giving him a bit of a tour, and he encouraged me to broadcast even more widely the presence of our religious riches. So I’ve been working on preparing a list of things to see and do for people who would like to come to Montreal on pilgrimmage, to take a dip in our spiritual waters.
The four basilicas
Montreal is blessed with 4 major churches that have received the honourary title of “basilica” from the Vatican. These are:
Montreal has a large number of local Saints and Blesseds buried in and around the city, as well as many centres devoted to promoting the causes of other Venerables and Servants of God. These include:
It would also be possible to visit many other stunning churches in the city, many of which are described on this website for Quebec’s religious patrimony. There are also many Eastern Catholics in Montreal, so a visitor could immerse himself in the various Eastern liturgies without having to go far at all! Heck, we even have a vibrant Congolese community — and the Zairian Rite is something to experience.
Day trips from Montreal
The above list is only for sites on the island of Montreal itself, or just across one of the bridges. But if you are willing to drive a bit, so much more opens up!
Quebec City is another treasure trove of Catholicism, and it is only 3 hours from Montreal. Generally, a visitor to Montreal would then take 2 or 3 days to visit Quebec and take in all the religious richness, which includes:
A dream of mine would be to form a group of catechesis and spirituality that used these various shrines and centres as the basis for helping people grow in their Catholic faith. Visitors to Montreal, as well as residents, could visit these places guided by people trained in more than just the history: the visit would truly be a time of prayer and meditation, as well as formation in the Christian life.
In the meantime, though, I’m always happy to show people around! So many of these riches are still little known, and I’m always glad to share the wealth. Should any locals want to get a group together for a pilgrimmage, or if any of my readers should be visiting Montreal from elsewhere, let me know and we’ll see if we can’t set something up for you!
Elia, a friend of mine who is now a student teacher, has begun a new blog to record her experiences in teaching. The name? Experiences in Teaching. Knowing Elia as I do, I am sure she will put her whole heart into both her teaching and her blog. I encourage you to check it out, and offer her a word of encouragement!
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