International Priests Retreat in Ars, France - 5

The topic of Cardinal Schonborn's talk on the last morning of our retreat was "Mary at the Heart of the Church." The beautiful statue of Mary shown here was in front of us all throughout the week. A constant reminder of the gift of Christ's mother to all of us. He began with reference to St. Theresa of Lisieux for whom Mary was the example of a soul seeking God in the darknes of faith. Mary at times has been so exalted in popular devotion that people feel that they cannot follow her in the journey of faith. However St. Theresa seeks to know mary through what is said in the Gospels. Thus Mary becomes the example of St. Theresa's "Little Way" of following Christ.

Mary translates the Gospel's by her actions and gestures, indeed by her whole person. Wherever the Gospel is planted, Mary makes the real cultural adaptation. Mary comes near to the poor and the little ones. In the presence of the good mother we need have no fear.

Following the morning conference, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the Archbishop of Lyon, presided at the celebration of the Eucharist and we all gathered for lunch in the dining tent to end our time together in the parish of the holy Curé of Ars.

Following lunch I had the afternoon to walk around the town of Ars. Here is the Curé's church with the larger basilica added on in the back. When the saint arrived in Ars, he found an 11th century church with only a nave and no sanctuary. He added a new doorway,seen above. Also seen is the tower of the old church in brick

He also added a sanctuary which after his death in 1859 was enlarged by the construction of a large Basilica seen here.

Here is the nave of the old church and on the left is the pulpit from which he preached and touched the souls of thousands of people.

The incorrupt body of St. John Vianney lies in a side chapel in the Basilica.

In this reliquary his body lies intact and is the object of devotion for thousands of pilgrims who make their way to Ars each year.

The interior of the Basilica with the Altar of the Blessed Sacrament seen here.

And the main altar of the church where the Eucharist is celebrated sevral times each day.

The court yard and stable in the rectory in which Curé of Ars lived.

For the first seven years after his arrival in Ars, he prepared his meals for himself in this kitchen. It consisted of pancakes fried in the frying pan on the left and potatoes boiled in the pot hanging from the hook. He took this meal at noon and it was his one meal of the day.

The bedroom remains as it was on the day of his death in 1859.

He would leave his bed-room a little before midnight and go to the church. He would come back to the house at noon and have his meal. He heard confessions, taught catechism and counselled people until 9:00 pm when he would come back to his room and read until he fell asleep.

By 1855, 20,000 people a year were coming to Ars to see him. He heard confessions for sixteen to eighteen hours each day, giving consolation to thousands of people. And still they come to be in the place where this holy man worked and to pray near his body and sense some closeness to this remarkable parish priest.

St. John-Marie Vianney, Curé of Ars, pray for us.

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International Priests Retreat in Ars, France - 4

Cardinal Schonborn's talk on Friday was about "Preaching and Mission." His focus was found in chapter 3 of Mark's Gospel: the choice of the Twelve. I liked his point that the Greek says "He made of them twelve" recalling the act of God at Creation. Jesus makes the church a whole new people, a whole new Israel. He calls the church so that we may be permanently with Him. And that is our vocation as Catholic Christians, to always be with Jesus in our lives, inseparably joined to Him in his love. This is why we, the church, participate in Jesus' mission. As the Father sent the Son, so Jesus sends the Twelve to proclaim the Good News of Jesus and to forcefully drive out demons, to drive out evil from the world.

As an illustration of one particular aspect of this mission: that of evangelization of youth, he invited one of the Community of the Beatitudes who spole of their ministry with young people on the beaches of France where young people gather and party near the night clubs. The story of their minsitry was facinating. They begin by putting on a performance about the Gospel in the street then move to the beach around one or two in the morning. There they are present in their religious habit. Amazingly the young people are drawn to them, they come to them talk about their lives which are often very disrupted and filled with abuse. There are obviously many challenges but also wonderful success stories of lives turned around.

Here is the Sister who gave us the talk and shared her experiences in bringing the Good News of Jesus' love to these young people.

After Mass at which Cardinal Christian Tumi of Douala, Cameroun presided, we managed to get a picture with all the priests from Canada. When they all started to come together there was surprisingly a very good number of us there. It was so encouraging to see these priests from many parts of Canad who came to deepen their spirituality and commitment as priests.

I was graciously helped out in this by Fr. Hermann Geisler who works in the Congregation for Doctrine and Faith in the Vatican as Bureau Chief.

And we got one more picture of the four of us from Regina following the Mass as well.

After lunch I walked down the road in the opposite direction to see what was around us. Ars is very much like Saskatchewan in that one you get a few steps out of town you are in the middle of agriculture.

Around here, corn seems to be a major crop. In France it never gets to the table, I understand, and is only grown for animal feed. The French don't know what they're missing here!

There is a story in the life of the St. John Vianney that on his journey to Ars to take up his position as pastor, he got lost in the fog and came to a cross roads where there was a young boy in the field working. Fr. Vianney asked the young fellow where Ars was and the boy told him that he was just on the outskirts. The curé thanked him and said: "You have shown me the way to Ars, now I am going to show you the way to heaven." The monument here marks that spot.

And indeed a few yards down the road is the entrance to the small town of Ars.

In the evening, Bishop Joseph Grech of Australia and Bishop Alberto Taveira of Brazil led us all in a moving evening of prayer, songs of praise and worship and renewal of spirit in the Spirit. Another excellent day for us all.

More to come.

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International Priests Retreat in Ars, France - 3

High on the wall of the lower Basilica in Ars, the banner proclaiming the Year for Priests overlooks the week long International Retreat for priests. It is a moving and encouraging sight to see 1200 priests gathered from all over the world to come together to pray, deepen their spirituality and intensify their vocations.

As I was walking over to the celebration of The Liturgy of the Hours, Morning Prayer, I walked along with a priest from India. He said he had a class mate from the Seminary "somewhere in Canada." I mentioned I had some priests from India in my Archdiocese and asked him his friend's name. He said Fr. Sathiadas Antony. I told him that Fr. Antony is parish priest in Swift Current. He was quite amazed, and so was I. Out of all the priests in the world and out of the huge number gathered here in Ars we find friends of friends. So Fr. Sathi, Fr. Xavier Raj says "Hello!"

One central point of devotion in the church is this Relic of St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars. The relic is the uncorrupt heart of the saint. It was a heart that beat with dedication and compassion, devotion and mercy throughout the priesthood of the Saint.

Throughout this week it has continually drawn the priests to prayer and devotion to this admirable and saintly priest. They kneel in prayer, put their hands on the relic's case and sense a closeness to the Patron Saint of Parish Priests.

Yesterday was also the feast of St. Theresa of Lisieux, the Little Flower. At Morning Prayer her relics were brought into the church and placed in the Sanctuary near those of St. John Vianney.

Now for the remainder of the week, we have the special presence in a physical way of these two saints who give much spiritual guidance to all Parish Priests in their writings and in their lives.

The talk for the day by Cardinal Schonborn was entitled "The Eucharist and Pastoral Charity." His conference was based on chapter 22 of Luke's Gospel which narrates the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. This telling of this founding moment of the Church also clearly presents the weakness and failings of the Apostles. Judas will betray him, and on the evening of his death, the Apostles jostle for the positions of favour and power. Jesus shows his love for these followers of his. He does not berate them for their shallowness and refusal to understand Him, he simply thess them that the "greatest must be the least: if they are to be his disciples. Jesus is the example of the One who Serves. He then not only feeds them but he feeds them with himself and the Eucharistic Bread of Heaven. The washing of the disciples feet is the primary example of how we are to understand the "eucharistic life" of the Church. This is our school of life.

The conference was followed by an hour of Adoration of Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament.

Again, the music was provided by the Community of the Beatitudes. The music during this retreat has been wonderful. It has been reflective at times, and joyful and exuberant at others. And always sung in many languages. This retreat has been an amazing manifestation of our universal church family: many languages, many cultures, from all over the world - but one in prayer, song and fraternity.

In the afternoon we were blessed with the presence of Jean Vanier whose father was Governor General of Canada and who is the founder of L'Arche Houses for people suffering from disabilities around the world. I had the great pleasure of being able to greet him on behalf of his fellow Canadians.

In the afternoon he spoke to the group on St. John's Gospel and the Washing of the Feet at the Last Supper. He said that while societies in the world are organized like a triangle with the most powerful at the top and the poorest and weakest at the botton, in the community formed by Jesus, it is the opposite, it is the poor and the powerless who are at the top and they are served and cared for with compassion and mercy by those who follow Jesus. The symbol of Jesus Church is not the triangle of power but the washing of feet.

So following Jean Vanier's talk, all the priests processed outside to the lawn behind the basilica, formed small circles and washed each others feet.

It was an experience of prayer and a moving moment of reminder of our lives of service as priests.

We all returned to the Basilica where the Eucharist was celebrated, presided by Cardinal Schonborn and concelebrated by all the priests. During the Mass, all the priests solemnly renewed their priestly promises. At the conclusion of the Mass a procession was formed with the Blessed Sacrament and all the priests processed through the streets of Ars to the main Basilica with the Blessed Sacrament with the procession concluding with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. I have never been part of a procession with 1200 priests. To say that it was moving is not really conveying the true emotion and witness of prayer that was being given.

Following the Procession we had supper together in the large tent which formed the dining room. Here is the Regina contingent to the Retreat.

While it is indeed a tent, as you can see, it is a very nice tent with a hardwood laminate floor and very nice windows. Not at all like the tent I used to eat in when I was a boy in Scouts! Because of the special focus on the Eucharist and the Priesthood, rather than going through the cafeteria line, we were served by the volunteers. And, seeing that we are in the Beaujolais region of France, we had some very nice Beaujolais wine on the tables as well. Another very special day with a warm and celebratory ending.

More to come.

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International Priests Retreat in Ars, France - 2

St. Jean Vianney, the Curé d'Ars (the Pastor of Ars) became pastor of this town with a parish of 200 souls at the age of 32. At that time it was a little, unknown village about 40 km from the city of Lyon in France. I am sure that most priests would hope for more. He spent forty one years there as pastor to these people. Over this time he was to touch the hearts his people by showing to them God's mercy and the joy of being children of God. He awakened their faith by his preaching and expeccially by his prayer and his way of life.

His reputation soon grew as a confessor, and he drew to his side numerous pilgrims in search of the forgiveness of God and peace of heart. More than 90,000 people visited him during the last year of his life. When one reads his catechisms and sermons, you would hear over and over again of the goodness and mercy of God. He died in August, 1859 after giving his life up to the very end to Love. He was proclaimed a Saint by Pope Pius IX, and proclaimed "patron of all the pastors of the universe."

The mornings begin with a talk by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, O.P., Archbishop of Vienna. His talk on Tuesday was "Towards the Sources of Mercy." He used two episodes from the Gospels as the basis of his talk: Mark's account of the feeding of the 5000 and Matthew's telling of the healing of the Canaanite woman. The quote of the day for me was taken from the diaries of St. Faustina. Having given all of herself to Christ in love of him, Jesus says to her that she had however not given everything. She asks what else she could possibly give him. Jesus replies: "Give me your suffering and your miseries. They are the only things that you have that do not come from me."

Cardinal Schönborn also spent time on the account in the Gospels of the calling of the very first disciples, Andrew and John, in John's Gospel. When they ask him "where do you live" he simply replies "come and see." Jesus had no home, rather he lived "in the heart of his Father." He invites us to come and find our true home there as well.

Each morning concludeds with the Celebration of the Eucharist. Immediately behind me in the procession is Bishop Guy-Marie Bagnar of theDiocese of Belley-Ars. And behind him dimly is Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the Archbishop of Boston, USA.

The Mass was celebrated this day by Cardinal André Vingt-trois, the Archbishop of Paris. Cardinal Vingt-trois an I share one thing in common: we were both named Archbishop in 2005 and received the Pallium from Pope Benidict at the same Mass in St. Peter's Basilica in June of that year.

I ended up as one of the principal concelebrants at this Mass. On my right is Cardinal Schönborn and on my left, hidden by the candle, Bishop Sabio of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. On Cardinal Vingt-trois' right is Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, Bishop Guy-Marie Bagnard of Ars and a bishop from Benin, Africa.

The Deacon proclaims the Gospel. The server standing in front of the Ambo where the Gospel is read, is swinging the censer, going well above his head on either side.

Cardinal Vingt-trois spoke on John's Gospel, 1: 47-51, in particular on the references to the angels going up and down between heaven and earth. They are God's messengers. The priests are also God's messengers bringing heaven to their people and their people to heaven - a sacred, special and wonderful calling.

The Eucharist was celebrated with great solemnity. Here there are six servers kneeling before the altar at the Consecration of the Mass, four with incense, which is why the altar is somewhat blurred by the smoke from the incense. Surprisingly there was no coughing in the congregation!

One of the newer religious communities in France: the Community of the Beatitudes supplied the music ministry with some very talented musicians such as this Sister on the concert harp.

The 1200 priests present vested in the Basilica where the conferences were held, as there was no sacristy big enough for this amazin number of priests from all over the world.

Here's Fr. Tubale from our Archdiocese getting in place for the Mass.

The day resumed at 3:00 pm with a talk "The Holy Priest of Ars, witness of mercy," then an hour of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament followed by the singing of Vespers, or Evening Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. Following supper, there was an evening focusing on the Mercy of Christ in the lives of priests.

And that ended the day. More tomorrow.

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