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OCTOBER 1, 2009

The school year began on the first Sunday with a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows, which exists in the cemetery of the little town of St. Agatha’s, about three miles from the school. There the boys, along with Father Scott, were able to pray in this beautiful little chapel, restored with beautiful stations of the Sorrowful Mother, as well as regular stations, and a large variety of holy picture and relics. There they were in the company of the innumerable souls who have flocked to this chapel over the past century and a half to pray to the Mother of Sorrows, in reparation for their sins and the sins of the world.

A view of some of the pilgrims gathering to begin the pilgrimage at the site of martyrdom of St. Jean de Brebeuf.

On Labour day, September 7, all the boarders enjoyed a day at Pinery Provincial Park near Lake Huron. The school rented canoes for the day, and a long paddle took students and Fathers to a picnic place up the river. As the boys became more proficient in the use of their paddles, the inevitable naval battles broke out, to everyone’s amusement.

September was a month of adaptation for our new students, many of whom were not used to the demands of regular homework and school discipline, such as regularity, punctuality, uniform, organization and care of school property. Final orders of books arrived so that all students could have copies of the textbooks to use for the year.

The new school year has enabled a full liturgical life to take place in the chapel. Several of the students have joined the schola, with good results. In addition, the custom of singing the Divine Office of Sunday Vespers, followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, at 5:00 p.m. on Sundays, became solidly established during this month of September. Moreover, the boarders sing Compline every night with the Fathers.

On Monday September 21, the first meeting of the fundraising committee took place. It was charged with the duty of raising $50,000 during the school year to help cover the teachers’ salaries and other expenses. The first fundraiser will be the chocolate sale. Personalized labels for the chocolates to be sold are being printed up and the sale will begin on October 15.

A view of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New Hamburg chapter from behind, as it walks along the pilgrimage trail.		The pilgrims take a much appreciate lunch break at a park in Victoria Harbour, on the shores of Lake Huron.

However, the biggest event of the month was the annual pilgrimage of the District of Canada to the shrine of the Canadian Martyrs in Midland, Ontario. Around 200 faithful from the chapels in Toronto, St. Catherines, New Hamburg, Orillia, Sudbury and Ottawa, gathered for the pilgrimage. Leaving from the site of martyrdom of St. John De Brebeuf and St. Gabriel Lallement soon after10:30 a.m. , it arrived at the shrine at 4:30 p.m. After an outdoor Mass, the pilgrims together sang the Creed in the shrine church, and made the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Marym as best it lay in their power, for this was the special intention of the pilgrimage. Afterwards the pilgrims gathered for a pot luck barbecue at a nearby rented fall, to refresh their exhausted bodies.

The sacred ministers, followed by the pilgrims, approach the papal altar for Holy Mass.

The pilgrims assist at the Solemn High Mass celebrated by the District Superior, Father Wegner.

The pilgrimage stretched out into four separate chapters as it leaves Victoria Harbour for Midland.		A pot luck dinner followed the pilgrimage.

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