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SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

          The annual pilgrimage to the shrine of the Canadian Martyrs in Midland, Ontario, was the biggest event of the first month of school, taking place on Saturday September 22. All 38 boarders travelled up in the school`s bus, together with the Fathers, Sisters, three teachers and some parishioners. Many other parishioners and students met up at St. Ignace II, at the site of martyrdom of St. Jean de Brébeuf and St. Gabriel Lalemant. At 10:30 a.m., after a brief exhortation by Father Scott, the four chapters of pilgrims left in order, Our Lady of Mount Carmel leading the way, followed by Canadian Martyrs chapel in Orillia, Holy Face chapel in St. Catharines and finally Transfiguration chapel from Toronto.

Father Scott leads the Annual Holy Canadian Martyrs’ Pilgrimage.

The faithful gather to prepare for the 12 km Pilgrimage.

Many sacrifices were offered as the faithful persevered in the rain until the end.

Father Wegner hears confession in the rain.

          There was a break in the 12 kilometer pilgrimage in Victoria Harbour, where everyone stopped for a picnic lunch. After another brief talk by Father Wegner, the pilgrims headed off again, as it started raining. The pilgrimage follows a trail, a former railway line, but it was blocked in one section, and so the pilgrims had to detour along the local roads, adding to the penance. Meanwhile the showers of rain became steadily heavier. Finally the pilgrimage arrived on the shrine grounds just after 4:00 p.m., as the rain became quite heavy. The open Papal altar planned on was then out of the question, and so the pilgrims moved over to another outdoor altar, but with the sanctuary covered by a roof. The vestments, the altar and the ministers were well protected from the roof during the solemn High Mass celebrated by Father Dominic May, but not so the 200 pilgrims in attendance, all saturated and freezing by the time the Mass was over. After a quick visit to the relics, especially the cranium of St. Jean de Brébeuf, the pilgrims headed off to a local community centre to warm up, and enjoy a barbecued meal together. May God bestow many graces upon the Society`s work in Canada through this pilgrimage.

Solemn High Mass was celebrated.

          On the first day of school, August 27, Fathers Scott and May preached a day of recollection for the 23 high school boys, centered on the Passion of Our Lord, model for fortitude for young men. Classes started the next day. However, Labour Day this year fell on the feast of St. Pius X, and there was no school. Instead the boarding boys headed off for Pinery Park for a day of canoeing.

          The first fundraiser for the school year was the bottle drive, held on Saturday September 8, at which all the boarding boys participated, together with several fathers. The next fundraiser to be launched was the annual chocolate sale fundraiser. 108 boxes of chocolates were delivered on Thursday September 13, and the families leapt into action, immediately starting their selling outside local food outlets. The other good fundraiser for the school is the fitter fryer. A trailer, fryer, tents and other equipment has been purchased, and the sales on September 15 demonstrate that we have a very hot item indeed. This will prove to be a very effective fundraiser during the warmer months.

          The big event for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Chapel was the total consecration to Jesus through Mary according to the method of St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort. The consecration of the whole parish to the Blessed Mother took place on Sunday September 9, the day after the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, after a period of five weeks preparation, in the form of sermons and prayers begun on Sunday August 12. The vast majority of the parishioners were delighted with the opportunity to make the consecration, which took place at the Offertory of each of the Sunday Masses. The parishioners then came up to the altar of Our Lady after Mass and signed the certificate of consecration, framed as a perpetual reminder of their personal total belonging to Mary and of the parish`s belonging to her also.

          Meanwhile, work has continued unabated to complete the basement of the new St. Therese of the Child Jesus convent in New Hamburg, the eight bedroom residence of the two Oblate Sisters and their now ten girl boarders, from 4th to 11th grades.

Mr. Vaillancourt and Mr. Burns lay the brick pathway between the portables.

          At the same time, Mr. Jean Vaillancourt, head of school maintenance, designed and built a path of interlocking blocks connecting the three portable classes with the main school building, completing it on Wednesday September 18. This will be a great help to the school, since the previous gravel walkway became very messy when it rained and snowed and the students brought much gravel into the building. This new path gives easy access, and maintains the cleanliness of all the buildings.

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