34 - We change at St. Jerome Church
Our ministry is a ministry of liberation, healing, consolation.
"He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
bind up the broken heart,
lead to captives and liberty to the captives. "
Homily of Bishop Pierrre Morrissette - Chrism Mass 2010
In early December 1964, I am summoned to the office of Bishop Aemilianus Frenette, Bishop of St. Jerome. He met individually with all staff working in the Bishopric.
Frenette Bishop returns to Rome. He has participated extensively in the third session of the council which issued the Dogmatic Constitution "of Ecclesia (Lumen Gentium). During this session Bishop Frenette also paid great attention to studying the patterns on the "The Ministry and Life of Priests" to "The Pastoral Office of Bishops "As well as religious life" Perfectae Caritatis "and the Lay Apostolate. These schemes will be promulgated in the form of orders at the close of the fourth session, December 7, 1965.
Bishop speaks to me of the council with much enthusiasm. It makes me see the wonderful opportunities that the Council for Christian faith and life in the church.
But according to him, especially before the declarations and decrees, Vatican II has a new look at God, an openness to the world stimulated by the forces of resurrection, a welcoming attitude in the human family and Christian. The council is a new spirit that warrants a new look at the world and oneself. There is no point in changing behavior if the mind is not there. Our task is to prepare the ground for the reception of this new gospel.
And I want to tell him about my bugs. I am in non-place. For over a year since I m'esquinte to organize meetings of teachers of catechesis at the secondary level. In this task, I figure a beggar subjected to the rigors of school organization without having any power over her. Education religious, I think he is primarily the responsibility of the bishop. He should be able to "control" study days and training courses for catechists, attach them to the diocese as are the chaplains who work in schools ... He listened attentively, but I feel it already cultivated plants very different from the ones I'd like to see grow in his garden. In his view, the argument from authority is the weakest of all.
This meeting with Monsignor Frenette made me realize that any holder of the Good News to this world was first embrace the features of this world, living his weaknesses, vibrate their expectations, learn its language and respect.
To me and to the Office of Catechetical we find in this new yeast dough the best and most suitable complicity in making this preparation for the coming the Messiah. Locked in a shell of authority, this enzyme may dry out. The privileged ground of its fertility is the land of men and not the sun gods. Jesus said: " Blessed are the poor ... The council proclaimed. It is for workers to spread the seed in any soil. The old mechanisms, the former set are difficult to process. They must die. Again we can not put new wine into old bottles. A modern Marshall McLuan, we also said in another form, " the medium is the message " We need " reborn of water and Spirit " (Jn 3, 4) Learn to proclaim the message with the appropriate medium. I knew it, but I had not lived so deeply that it becomes second nature in me.
We were a great team at the Office catechetical.
Father Jacques Fortier , (1) its director, Sister Pauline dealt with the initiation of new books in the series Come to the Father. This introduction, which included training of teachers, also involved the collaboration of parents. Throughout the diocese seemed a moment mobilized by this catechesis to toddlers.
We
Jean-Paul (2) and I had to look after high school. Later, Sister Helen took the burden of secondary I and II, feminine side. Then came Marc added Rompré OP who handled the catechesis for youth with disabilities. The agreement was perfect, the dynamic burning. To move blithely on this new mission land called modernity, it does lack a certain familiarity with its language and a good break we break with its traditions and customs.
In elementary school, the series "Come to the Father " (3)
The first two books in the series "Come to the Father " which covered every elementary were already published and implemented in small first and second years. These manuals have been prepared by the Provincial Office catechetical created by the episcopate Quebec under the responsibility of Bishop Coderre, Bishop of St John.
How dare the authors of these books! To scrap the little catechism, which since time immemorial served to learn eternal truths about an abstract God Almighty and to replace it with a tutorial to meet a God Father which seems to have changed his eternity for a walk in our gardens. Instead of teaching the 'duties of a Christian', 'Come to the Father
"introduced him to the discovery of a Father's arms full of gifts for her children. This manual transforms ancient rites of initiation (baptism, eucharist ...) celebrations in the presence of God in human festivities. We went from teaching experience, towards a
global catechesis.
Under the dynamic leadership Sister Pauline (Beaudin) SS and the priest, the manuals had already been introduced in toddlers throughout the diocese. They work wonders. Accompanied by a ritual transformed, they created significant life experiences of Christian theology in light completely renewed. The effect of their passage were tangible: children celebrating, teachers and parents walked saw.
These ten years of elementary catechesis had a profound impact on the renewal of faith in the diocese and across the province.
At the secondary level
Coping with a new reality
The home ground in high school was a little different. There was no tradition. Everything had to be done: the school organization by school bus schedules, personnel management, introduction to the pedagogy and the new programs offered by the Parent Report. We were at the heart of modernity, the first stage of its implementation on the ground in Quebec.
Despite the goodwill as managers and school principals as teachers and pastoral workers, we had to deal with the constraints of that environment and find new ways to access and presence of the church school. We had perhaps above all, be captivated by this environment, understand and follow its own dynamics. We understand well enough to reveal the message but had no experience or competence to handle the new medium that was to convey.
Initiation in the use of vehicles carrying faith In addition, catechetical textbooks at the secondary were not ready. "
New eyes on a new world " was on the assembly line. "
Male and female he created them" was still in gestation. The writers of these books had on our collaboration. Catechesis for adolescents in secondary schools was focused on personal identity. Take her body, her sexuality, society and community life and place of engagement. We had a lot to learn about the prospects in the new catechism.
In the tradition dating back to the Council of Trent, human identity had been erased as per the title Son of God, unique access code and performing across the curriculum of life. This title had little impact on the lives of every day and provided little assistance to the adolescent growth. He had to sit across adolescent development on natural and human bases. The recent wave of Christian personalism attached to the goals of the ministry of the incarnation was specified. This was done under the direction of Father Jean-Guy Myre main drafters of secondary textbooks. They were competence in the various fields related to the universe of youth: psychology, sociology, openness to science and technology and language of modernity. The series included New eyes: New eyes on a new world ; fresh look at life ; Male and female he created them (sexuality) and force meetings.
I remember once, we were asked to illustrate some chapters New eyes concrete examples from the life and environment for young adolescents. I produced two or three short stories. At the critical I was pointed out that little moral lesson, " happy ending" that ended each of my stories clashed with the spirit of the program. The old serpent the tree of good and evil showed its tail. The atavism moralizing pointing his horns through the same costume fashion of Vatican II.
Another time, after the creation of " Male and female he created them " which was mainly the work of Andree Quiviger, I was asked to lecture on sexuality for parishioners St. Gertrude Church in the pension of Lent. Through the discussions I had with one of my friends of this parish, I knew I was touching a taboo subject here. The manual " Male and female he created them " dedicated to students in Secondary IV provided me an excellent framework for presentation. Everything went very well. Questions somewhat timid showed a good opening to the new spirit. I had only more expensive. After the conference, two women in their thirties, lesbians, come see me. They ask me if my beautiful open discussion of sexuality applied to their cases. " Can we live our sexuality without having suspended above our heads, the sword of Damocles of sin? "I do not know what to say. Few generalities that they were certainly not of any help. The spirit of the council was relatively easy to understand and report. But when it came to embody, was something else.
Our goals as responsible for catechesis in high school were relatively simple. This was to spread the spirit that animated the catechesis in high school, do well to understand and provide support to teachers who were to teach their students.
But here there was a major challenge. Who were the teachers responsible for religious education? Several of them, young teachers without defined specialty, it was plated in addition to task two or three hours weekly catechesis. Only a few had attended summer school catechesis. One of them had been a year or two in Religious Studies. However, the biggest challenge was to bring the catechists. We often stumbled to the complexity of scheduling, task constraints, directives come from the unions, and whatnot. Organize only a five to seven on weekdays or weekends outside of class time was a tour de force participation and far from assured, was very variable. We could not think of anything lasting.
We did, Jean-Paul and I, in small groups, several meetings of catechists. We met here and there, teachers who agreed to participate in the diocesan commission
of faith education (4) and be in their respective school educational support to teachers responsible for implementation of these new programs. It was much more difficult than primary, darker and also more fragile. It took a lot of faith not to despair of the harvest. A consultation
interdiocesan
The new catechism spread throughout the province of Quebec and even across Canada. Its implementation was the responsibility of the Office catechetical newly established in almost all the dioceses of Quebec and Canada. He also established networks of communication and consultation between the various catechetical offices. At St. Jerome, we have chemistry mainly with the Offices of the Dioceses of Mont-Laurier and Amos, and also with that of Joliette.
They met several times each year. At least twice the Office of the Diocese of Amos welcomed us for a long weekend of sharing and healing. We were invited several times to participate as lecturers or professors at study sessions of the new catechism in Edmonton, Moncton, universities of Laval in Quebec and the UQTR in Trois-Rivieres.
was also held at the Seminary of St. Therese of long sessions were designed primarily to train catechists at all levels.
short, a new vision of the faith was spreading everywhere. Living cells and active pluralistic and multi arose out of or in collaboration with the established Church structures.
What was the impact of these eight years of effort? Fortunately we did not know. There would have been enough to discourage most seasoned apostles. This wonderful renewal movement lost its steam quickly.
In 1971, the Office catechetical was attached to the Diocesan Commission of faith education. The abbe took charge of a course at St-Eustache, Sister Pauline attached to the diocesan commission for some time continued to provide support and light to elementary school teachers in the diocese. Jean-Paul Binet was hired as an academic advisor to the multi-Blainville Deux-Montagnes. I took a course load in religious studies at Collège Marie-Victorin, who operated so as Scholasticate Brothers Normal School Educators in the Montreal area. The Board had been a time for us pioneers, who creates deep commitments, collaboration without boundaries and supports strong as warm. The time had already come to take another step.
Catechesis itself in schools to undergo many changes in its manuals, in its programs and in its place will be made at a school in increasingly pluralistic and secular. In May 2005, Bill No. 95 sign was abolished in state schools. The education of the faith is then the responsibility of bishops, pastors and parents believers. This course is
Ethics and religious culture that in secular public schools and keep the memory of the long and rich tradition of Catholic religious instruction in the midst of many beliefs that have punctuated the history of mankind. The opening to the world and modernity is not without the loss of some privileges.
Brothers and sisters speak ...
scandal weak
A little story. This late afternoon in July 1966, two singlets bath hanging on the clothesline on the side of the seminary of the Provincial House of Rosemere. Nothing too unusual, except that my shirt accompanies that of sister Pauline. It was like a mini poster of the scandal that had some brothers speaking community in Rosemere and embarrassed others. Fact: It's very simple, the board of the Pastoral Care of the religious of the diocese of St. Jerome, myself included, had three brothers and three sisters of the diocese and led by Father Gagnon. The board held its meeting in Rosemere. After working all afternoon on various records, before dinner, I offered to those or those who wanted to use the new large swimming pool built by the brother Elphège and we had opened in early summer. Sister Pauline was the only answer to my invitation. I accompanied her. For me and for all members of the team, it was quite natural and nothing was there any substance to surprise or scandal.
Within the Pastoral Council, we had several meetings to our credit. We even held in Nominingue (Mont-Laurier), bordering the lake, camp (mixed) healing that lasted two or three days. This camp brought together the religious and the religious councils of the diocese pastoral Mont-Laurier, Saint-Jérôme, Amos and even, if I remember correctly, Ottawa or Hull.
The "surprise" expressed at the Provincial House Rosemere reveals the long way and made by the monks, nuns and dioceses in the path of dialogue and one of intense collaboration apostolic mission. At St. Jerome, we participated in the Great Commission and since that time. we sit regularly to the pastoral council of the Diocese as full members. (5)
I remember when One of these councils held under the chairmanship of Bishop Frenette, we sought ways to educate their parishioners to the spirit of the council, especially as regards the practice of Sunday mass. It seemed that many of the faithful went about this rite
mechanically routinely as one of their Christian duties (mandatory) without knowing the true sense. (6) In order to initiate a significant shift I suggested, to formally abolish the obligation of Sunday Mass for a Sunday designated and to invite the faithful to share their faith and ways of living in the Church. I believed in the virtue of downtime while realizing that such action was, for various reasons, impossible to engage. We listened carefully and was discussed seriously the proposal.
Church, Monsignor Frenette in mind, was open to the importance of operating a significant revival in faith and religion of the Christians of the diocese. But how to undo the centuries of insularity that had rooting? To create works of eternity, it takes time.
When writing these notes I get the last volume of Jacques Grand'Maison who was one of the key drivers of renewal of the Church in Quebec and especially that of St. Jerome. In this essay, Christianity and secular society it is a retrospective analysis of issues and the vitality of this era. A church other in gestation, a new word, the inescapable challenge of secularism are some titles which cover this point of the turn taken by the Church and the Quebec society during this period.
Jacques Grand'Maison relieve the sense of effervescence, trial and error and many attempts at renewal in the diocese have bubbled mainly in the 60 to 70. It also notes with regret the triumphant establishment in Quebec of a secularism that is cutting its roots in the Christian heritage. Can we prevent our generation to discard wonder there with Camus ?
optimist always, he adds: "Behind which discards there are new shoots that arise. Who knows if there is not another world that is beginning to emerge. Was it a new awareness of the issues widely shared and common tasks to be undertaken. ... I take this hope of God's promise never to abandon humanity. From the beginning of the Bible, this promise comes a responsibility that we entrust to each other across boundaries of all kinds, elbow to elbow with all the "human good will," without any exclusion. This is a posture of Christianity can be an invaluable resource to all. Input among others, of course . Secular society and Christian P. 176
I keep a keen memory and refreshing the memories of what was given me to live and learn in this short but important period of life and actions under the banner of Vatican II.
Spiritual Renewal
My spiritual life has also suffered during this period of profound transformations. First, I must admit that I had no time to myself the luxury of doubt that had weighed down much of my years of consciousness.
I continued to faithfully perform the exercises commissioned by my community, but they fed me not. It is in the action that drew my faith renewal and vitality.
My discourse on salvation and the fullness of life made the world and all men of good will refine my view of faith. My love, all bookish, had its strength mainly in the challenges that life offered him.
However, little by little, the illumination of lightning that made me see Jesus present faded at all. I did not need to see or feel God's presence, I knew to be there at all, her love of vibrant conqueror. Know enough to control the action. Enlisted in the militia of the Lord, I made him like parentheses, absolute confidence. The rational hello done took precedence over my living relationship with the Risen One.
I was so, imperceptibly, returned to the starting point at the leading council. I raise it is true the banner of a new theology, I label my commitments in a big way but it was a who commanded my commitments, a learned procedure, not a life or a shared love. A marriage of convenience. A robot scientist but disconnected. Faith is vision and consciousness of a presence had become a will-of-itself, a concept learned and recited.
I knew Jesus present in the heart of the cosmos or in any human gathering. I knew the vision of Teilhard de Chardin, (7) the slow rise of the consciousness towards noogenesis but often it stops there. I did not see the sacred tree that dominated the forest I was not listening to the rise of consciousness to the divine Omega. I do not nouais real relationship with Jesus was hungry and thirsty in those who presented themselves at my door. I repeated this data as a theological lesson without too much worry about its impact on quality of life of people I met. The spirit and attitude of a servant of faith.
religious life before the council overrode the apostolic action. Teaching then appeared, at least in the proposed priorities, such as cheese to the Trappists of Oka, a livelihood, a hobby between the hours of prayer. I inverted the poles, and mobilizing commitment overrode the action but an action increasingly detached from a faith that could nurture and guide her.
Maybe what happened to the Church in Quebec. She began to gallop on the ways of the Incarnation and Modernity. She has been refreshed its officers, but failed to really embody the heart of the lives of men of that time. The message had the colors of Modernity but remained rootless. alongside the men of flesh and bone whom he addressed. His faith was following a path parallel to its action but did not know the food.
Is this a failure? I see it as confirmation of the distance there is between the Church of "already" and the "not yet". It is a challenge still facing with no formula will ever do.
Vocation promotion failed to generate in the Modernity of the vocations that make living, sharing and hope. After six years of new catechism, a survey has revealed that these new catechism were still dominated by the threat of sin, fear of God and hell and a tenacious despair at his personal future and the world.
The old church adorned with the modern but it has not really reached the heart of the masses. Maybe take it that this church reborn, it returns to the bosom of his "mother earth" to be born again (John 3.1 to 12) to lift the dough of his energy to illuminate its furrows of his light. Faith without hope blurs cataracts, charity without faith or hope withers. Neither faith nor hope nor charity do not grow in the books. It is in human pulp and often in death they flower.
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(1) See
Office catechetical 1963-1969 by Rev Jacques Fortier Dir.
(2) See
Elements of catechetical history of the Office of the Diocese of St-Jerome (1964-11972) by Jean Paul Binet,
(3) The series "Come to the Father" which replaced the single catechism for all years of primary school, catechesis includes six different one for each year of two cycles: 1st Year: - Come to the Father
- 2nd: Celebrating its wonders
- 3rd:
Gathered in the love; 4th:
We have seen the Lord ; 5e:
Prepare new land ; 6e: According to your promise
quicken me .
This series has been recognized by several dioceses as the most perfect product of catechetical renewal. The
OPÉCO (Provincial Office of Education of the Catholic faith Ontario) is a good reminder of the historical evolution of religious education in Canada, the Catholic catechism to catechesis renewed under the inspiration of Vatican II.
(4) Religious education in secondary public schools was not obvious. See
The report of the diocesan commission on religious education in high school in 1968. (5) Previously, this agency was reserved only for clergy of the diocese. The monks and nuns led a diocese of their own apostolic action defined by their rules and constitutions or remotely by their respective managers.
(6) The routine we lamented about the Mass did not start yesterday. It is fun to listen to the description of
Sunday Mass made by a comedian in the manner of François Pérusse. This cartoon illustrates that the ritual of the Mass was now before the Council and perhaps in many places and times of Christianity. It also re-read with amusement the description of the three low masses Midnight
Alphonse Daudet
(7) In the '50s, the Jesuit paleontologist, was in the Phenomenon of Man and the Divine Milieu named as the theory of evolution defended by Darwin's penetrating gaze of faith. He saw in each stage of this evolution is a slow rise of consciousness towards its final fulfillment in the Omega God revealed by Jesus. Teilhard knew this climb unified in Christ because he saw through the lens of his faith. I found this exciting vision. She fed me. I recited it to me but I could not see.
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team achieving MEMORIES TO ULTRAVIOLET
is happy during Christmas and New An
present
first in his immediate staff
Bernard A. - Bernard D. - Jean-Claude E. - N. Eddy -Jacques D.
Lawrence N. - Marcel R. - John T. - Jacques F. Jean-Paul B.
Maurice N -. Monique G. - Bernard D. - Jean-Guy B.
Leonard L.
and all his regular readers
its BEST WISHES
a lasting joy
lasting peace
and happiness to the many tomorrows.
We also inform you that after having worked hard all fall
We take a break until February 2011
We then return with the final Volume II
THE ARK OF YOUNG AND
the end of my 28 years of religious life.
Lionel Clement
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DIRECTORY 1964-1965 No. 59
The decisions of the Ministry of Education held the brothers always on the lookout, as well as reforms that succeed. This year is the "Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Education" which is of concern.
Everywhere there the appearance of mixed classes that require adjustments.
In terms of the Church, the liturgical reform that particularly draws attention.
The general chapter of 1964 has made changes very concrete: the abandonment of the religious name, the familiar form, the expansion of standards-side visits to the family. Finally, more in depth, will draw a current update of the rules and constitutions.
There was closure of three houses.
Another province is building a community summer camp during the summer.
previous seven Canadian provinces:
- 1521 professed
- 80 novices
- 1273 juniors
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Next Paper No. 35: The Ark Youth - Title and date to be determined
