Our
cup runneth over with joy and we must share it with you, and beg
you to thank Our Heavenly Father and His Mother with us. On May
7, First Friday, Our Lady of Fatima's Parish, Welwyn, SK, was able
to have its first ever all night Exposition and Adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament, and many other wonderful activities. We would
like to share with you this special weekend.
Father Girouard arrived from Winnipeg at 5:00 p.m. to hear confessions,
and then he offered the Holy Mass at 6:00 p.m. He took the opportunity
of the upcoming Exposition to preach about the Mercy of God and
how God rewards our devotion, especially the traditional vigil of
prayer. He said that these devotions may obtain for us the greatest
of all graces: that of Final Perseverance, and he gave the example
of two people that were recently granted, in a providential way,
the grace of the last sacraments. Around 7:00 p.m., Father exposed
the Blessed Sacrament, and our night watch began with Our Lord.
There was always at least two visitors who kept adoration and sang
a hymn every one-half hour as Father Girouard instructed us to.
Many of us could not sleep at all this night. We are not sure if
this was due to our excitement of being able to partake in a blessing
like this or if it was due to apprehension (No one wanted to sleep
through their hour that they had agreed to watch). Those who live
in parishes that can attend these "Night watches with Our Lord"
on a regular basis must know what we felt. (If you have forgotten,
you should take a moment to relive or remember. Whatever you do,
do not take these opportunities for granted. There are many traditionalists
who live hours from the Mass centers or are in missions too small
to have these ceremonies.)
Returning to the events of the wonderful weekend, I will continue
my narrative. Father Girouard gave us the Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament at 09:00 on Saturday morning and then we had a beautiful
Votive Sung Mass in honor of Our Lady's Queenship. It was so fitting
as a crowning of her statue and a procession in her honor was scheduled
for after Mass. During his sermon, Father explained to us that the
reason Mary is Queen of Heaven and Earth, is that she is the Queen
of the Heart of Her Son, Who cannot refuse Her anything. After the
touching ceremony of the Crowning of Mary, we went around the block,
carrying the crowned statue of Our Lady of Fatima, singing hymns
and praying the Rosary. Back into the chapel, we said the prayers
of Reparation, and we renewed the Consecration of the Mission to
Our Lady. It was noon when everything was over, and time to eat
and rest, because more was to come!
Indeed! At 4:30 p.m. we again met at the church to pray Our Lady's
psalter, then proceeded by vehicles to the farm of Raymond and Wanda
Van Den Bussche for the Blessings of the fields, cattle, pigs, hens,
and even the stables. (Living in a mission means we will miss the
Rogation Days out here, but Father took pity on us and gave these
blessings. We are sorely in need of rain here. Last summer was very
dry and there was no run off this spring.)
A hot dog roast was scheduled after the blessing, but no sooner
were the blessings done than it began to shower lightly and we settled
on a barbecue in the garage. The children ate and then merrily played
grass hockey in the showers under the arches of two magnificent
rainbows until dark. Resignedly they had to stop... but the weekend
was not over.
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On
Sunday, May 8, we had another sung Mass at 9:00 a.m. with a special
instruction on the Holy Eucharist by Father. The reason was that
two children, Rita Fetsch and Dominic Van Den Bussche, were to make
their First Holy Communions at the end of Mass. After these beautiful
ceremonies, the morning devotions were not over, as the parish was
able to assist at the baptism of Jonathan Fetsch, our newest member!
What another blessed day! But in Welwyn we don’t like to miss
our sick people, and we make sure they have their share in the blessings
we receive when a priest visits us! So we provided Father with a
driver, and he gave holy communion to Mr. and Mrs. Clegg after Mass,
and later on in the day he was to give the Blessing for Sick Children
to some of the Mailloux kids who were feverish, and Extreme Unction
to their grandmother.
When
Father came back from the Cleggs, we all had a potluck that provided
the energy for everyone to keep going, especially for the adults
to keep up to the younger set, as grass hockey and softball were
the order of the afternoon. The youngest player was three and the
oldest was forty-nine. Truly it was a unifying family time.
But
at 5:00 p.m. it was time to be serious again, as Father organized
a chant and ceremony practice for Vespers. An hour later he was
intoning Vespers, and this office was followed by a short Exposition
and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament... yet another blessing!
Then Father asked us to pledge to say one extra decade of our daily
Rosary for the next eight days, as thanksgiving for the rain obtained
and that to come. It was then home to rest, for Mass in the morning
was at 7:15.
I invite you to join us in thank-ing God for all the blessings we
have received this weekend. And also for the snow we had two days
later, for it does not only help moisturizing the fields, but it
kills the eggs of the grasshoppers.
We also wish to ask God's blessings on the priests of the Society
of St. Pius X. They do work hard. Do not take them for granted when
you have them with you day after day... We have to wait for another
visitation for three whole weeks!
NEWS
UPDATE:
-
The Mailloux children were cured the morning after receiving the
blessing and having drank the water blessed by Father in honor of
St. Raymond!
- From May 8th to June 18th, we have received 7 inches of rain and
we don't see grasshoppers anymore!
How
powerful are the Blessings of the Church! Thank you O Sweet Jesus!
