A Pilgrimage Close to Home

Posted by Sean on March 23, 2008

This year marks the 125th anniversary of my home Parish of St. Margaret’s. Today on Easter Sunday we are hosting the Pilgrimage of The Ark of the New Covenant which is on a walking pilgrimage from the Canadian Martyr’s Shrine to The International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City in June. There will be an Easter mass concelebrated by Auxilliary Bishops from Toronto and Quebec City, followed by a walking pilgrimage about 7 miles to the Canadian Martyr’s shrine. It will be a very special celebration for our parish. The Eucharistic Congress has a wonderful website and there is ongoing coverage of the pilgrimage and the congress at ECDQ.tv, the new media portal fro the diocese of Quebec. This diocese is doing exciting things with blogs, audio and video on the net to spread the good news. Unfortunately for me, most of the media is in French but it is still an amazing example of what a local diocese can do with new media tools.

I hope to post pictures, and maybe interviews of the event over the next few days.

From http://www.cei2008.ca/en/32

1000 km on foot to Quebec City for the International Eucharistic Congress

The 2008 International Eucharistic Congress invites all media, as well as the public, to join in launching the final pilgrimage of the Ark of the New Covenant. A dozen “portageurs” will begin the 1000 km pilgrimage on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008 in Midland, Ontario. The pilgrimage will take them to Quebec City in preparation for the most important religious celebration during the city’s 400th anniversary, the 49^th International Eucharistic Congress.

All those interested are cordially invited to join the “portageurs” (those following the Ark) on Easter day. A Eucharistic celebration will take place at St. Margaret Church in Midland, ON, where the Ark’s pilgrimage will start towards the Canadian Martyrs’ Shrine. Once this 5.5 km distance will be covered, there will be a blessing with the relics of the Martyrs in memory of the first Jesuits.

Following is the detailed schedule of activities for Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008 in Midland, Ontario:

• 10:30 a.m. – Arrival of the portageurs and the Ark of the New Covenant at St. Margaret Church, Midland, ON.
• 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon – Easter Eucharistic celebration with Bishop Peter Hundt, Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Toronto & Bishop Pierre-André Fournier, Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Quebec at St. Margaret Church.
• 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Lunch. All are invited to join the portageurs for their meal; however, lunch is not provided.
• 1:00 p.m. – Departure on foot from St. Margaret Church.
• 3:00 p.m. – Arrival at the Martyrs’ Shrine, Blessing and Departure Ceremony.

This historic pilgrimage enhances the liturgical Easter season and the foundation of the Church in Canada. The International Eucharistic Congress website at www.cei2008.ca will allow for people to follow the pilgrimage step by step. After a 64-day journey, the Ark will arrive in Quebec City May 25, 2008 for the Feast of Corpus Christi.

Follow the portageurs online

Blog; Final pilgrimage; ECDQ.tv videos; Salt and Light Television videos.

Easter is Here! The 40 Days are Over.

Posted by Sean on March 23, 2008

Many years ago, I was able to spend Easter at Madonna House. Several of us stayed up all night after the Easter Vigil, then made a pre-dawn hike up a mountainous hill to get to Ascension Rock– a large outcropping overlooking the Madawaska River Valley for sunrise. We made a slight miscalculation. The cliff faces west, so we saw the sun rise over the trees we had just hiked through. Nonetheless, at dawn one of our group proclaimed, “Christ has Risen”, and we responded boisterously with the ancient response, “Truly He has risen!”

Sunrise. Such an ordinary event. It happens every day. But any time I’ve taken time to notice and take in a sunrise I’ve always been overcome with awe at the peace and beauty of the moment. It is commonplace and ordinary but always miraculous.

So too is this miracle we celebrate today. Jesus Christ has died and he is risen. He has died for us all, and overcome death to give us the same gift. Miraculous indeed. The Greatest of Miracles. But we commemorate this miracle every Easter, every Sunday. We must be every mindful that we never take this miracle for granted, and treat it as commonplace.