My dear faithful of the Archdiocese of Kingston – Greetings to you in the Lord Jesus. 

This edition of Journey is published at a very special time for the Church. With the beginning of Advent (this year, on 1 December), the Church begins again a new year in the cycle of the celebration of our salvation through Jesus Christ. The season of Advent initiates that season of preparation for the Church to celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation, the birth of Christ. The Church eagerly awaits the beginning of this season, knowing of the riches presented for our celebration. This is also a season of short days and long nights. This yearly change in the natural cycle of the year can be a real challenge for many people. As I grow older, I have come to realize how significant this change can be for some among us, and to keep this fact in my thoughts and prayers, especially for those I encounter during my daily routine.
This will be my first celebration of Advent and Christmas in the Archdiocese, and I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to live the mysteries of our faith together and to experience the mercy and goodness that God has shown towards his holy people. New to me this year will be the unique importance of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception in the Archdiocese. Since my years in the seminary, this feast day has become very dear to me. This year, as we celebrate the patronal feast day of the Archdiocese, I know that the experience will open to me another aspect of this marvelous mystery.

As we begin Advent, the Church’s liturgy gives to us four central persons – the Prophet Isaiah, St. John the Baptist, the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. Each plays a role in the Mass readings of Advent, and each remains in our prayers a powerful intercessor leading us to the mystery of Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God. This is the great mystery that we celebrate. It is a mystery which never grows old, because it is a reality so far beyond our comprehension. Each year, we are given this gift of re-celebrating Christmas, so as to enter more profoundly the wonder of Christ born as man. This is the great mystery, that the Divine comes into intimate contact with our created humanity. Christ humbles himself to be conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, taking on our humanity in all ways except sin.
On the first Sunday after Christmas, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family. The quiet hidden life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph at Nazareth is presented for our reflection, adoration and imitation. Here, the mundane and ordinary events of family life are sanctified. Here, in the Holy Family, God’s love is present in a profound manner. With the family under special attack in our days, this Feast takes on even greater importance. Bishop Laval, the saintly first bishop of Canada at Quebec, had a great devotion to the Holy Family, which grew from the grave external threats to the family in the early years of New France. The health of the family is a concern for all, but especially for the Church, because she has always recognized that married life is the preeminent place where the love of God resides. Here, in the coming together of man and woman as husband and wife in marriage, the mystery of Christmas comes alive in the common aspects of family life. Here, in a unique way, the family, as the domestic Church, is the ordinary and common path for Jesus to reside in the lives of his people. It is for this reason that the family is honoured as the focus of the Church’s present-day evangelization, catechesis, youth work, and sacramental life. No other relationship can match or replace this precious gift of God. We will reflect on this avenue at greater length in the months and years ahead.
Quite naturally, Christmas is a family celebration. Travel to be with our loved ones, common meals and amusements together, the tradition of showing our love and affection through the giving of gifts - all these characteristics are a beautiful part of this wonderful season. And, as the family celebrates this feast, it naturally goes out of itself to think of others who do not share the joys of family life. That includes those who live on the edges of our society, the sick and the lonely. We also remember those who have chosen the single state. And yet, in all our religious observances and celebrations, an aspect of discipline is always present. To celebrate Advent and Christmas in our present North American reality requires that discipline, if only to make a conscious effort to step away from the vulgar commercialism which has seeped into every dimension of contemporary life.
As our Knights of Columbus have so strongly proclaimed, let us keep Christ at the centre of our celebration of Christmas. We will then be assured of many blessings in this Holy Season.
  

                                                                                                                         † Michael Mulhall 

          Archbishop of Kingston  

Veronica Steinburg

Archives are the storehouses of history that preserve the documentary evidence of activities, institutions, and individuals. The St. Dismas Archives at the Church of the Good Thief is being developed to preserve and make accessible the religious history of Kingston and Eastern Ontario.
The need for a dedicated religious archive facility in Kingston was becoming apparent at the same time as the Archdiocese was considering the future of the Church of the Good Thief, which is located in the Portsmouth Village area of Kingston.  The church was built between 1892 and 1894 from limestone quarried, cut, and carried to the site by convict labour from the nearby Kingston Penitentiary. The Archdiocese wanted to re-purpose the building in a manner that would honour and respect its heritage as a place of worship and as an important landmark in Kingston.
In 2015, a committee was formed to pursue the idea of converting the church into an archive facility for Archdiocesan records. Early in the process, it was determined that the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph and the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul were also looking for a permanent home for their Archives. The Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph had moved its Archives to a temporary space at Hotel Dieu Hospital in 2012, when the Regional House in Amherstview was closed. At the same time, the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul had begun to consider the development of the Heathfield Motherhouse property, where the congregation’s Archives are currently housed, into Providence Village. Both congregations hoped to move their archival records into a state-of-the-art facility to preserve the legacy of the Sisters and to make historical records accessible for research.
In order to convert the Church of the Good Thief into an archive facility, the exterior of the church would require extensive restoration work, especially the tower. It would also be important that the exterior of the building be structurally sound and weatherproof before starting on the conversion of the interior.  It was determined that the former rectory and the property surrounding the church would be sold to help fund the project. In 2018, Zalcho Construction purchased the rectory and surrounding property for residential development. Since then, Zalcho has been working with the Archdiocese to make the redevelopment of the Church of the Good Thief site an aesthetically cohesive project, with well-designed residential units and a professional archive facility together in a park-like setting. This vision respects the heritage of the site and its place within the Portsmouth community, while breathing new life into the historic church.
In October 2018, the firm +VG Architects was hired to conduct an assessment of the exterior envelope of the
 

Deacon Paul Bowman

 A notice in the bulletin of St. Joseph’s Parish caught my attention – an upcoming day of inquiry for the Permanent Diaconate.  Not only did the notice capture my attention, but it stirred something deep within me.  Despite my interest, I talked myself out of attending the day.  With everything going on in my life (a mother-in-law with Alzheimer’s, living with us, a busy job, etc.), it seemed that now was not the right time.
Several months later, Margaret-Anne Wojcik, the wife of Deacon Bob Wojcik, spoke to my wife, Nimi, and to me after Mass.  “Come and see”, she said, referring to another opportunity for inquiry and echoing the words of Jesus when he called his first disciples (John 1:39).  We were able to arrange for care for my mother-in-law so that Nimi and I could both participate.  I felt that this experience might enable me to get this niggling feeling out of my system once and for all.
Not long after the day began, I knew that this was not going to be the case.  After morning prayer, we watched a video on the diaconate that explained the threefold ministry of the deacon – word, altar, and charity.  It was the emphasis on the primacy of charity that caught my attention.  It was explained to us that the deacon’s public function at Mass is to be informed by his service to those in need in the wider community.
During the formation program, we were required to complete a practicum in the community. My practicum site was Nightlight, a multi-denominational ministry that operates drop-in centres in Kingston and Belleville.  Nightlight specifically addresses the issue of relational poverty and welcomes everyone, including those who might normally feel excluded.  Over coffee, juice, and snacks, the volunteers and guests play games, chat together, and build relationships.  Through this practicum, I met and developed friendships with people who face very significant day-to-day challenges - mental illness, physical disability, addiction, loneliness, and isolation. Despite the harsh circumstances of their lives, God’s love and presence are evident in the laughter and friendship that fills the air.

Shortly after beginning formation, my mother-in-law became a resident of Providence Manor nursing home, which quickly became our church community.  I began to assist at the Sunday Mass and got to know many of the residents and their families.  As we moved along in the formation program, residents would comment that they were praying for me.  I sincerely believe that it is their prayers that brought me through the challenging times, including the sudden death of my brother-in-law.  Following ordination, I preached my first homily at the chapel in the nursing home and celebrated afterwards with cake with the residents, families, and volunteers.  I am now assigned to St. Paul the Apostle Parish, and I am very grateful for the parishioners’ warm and gracious acceptance of me.  I also continue to serve at the nursing home and am there on Sunday mornings when I am not giving the homily at St. Paul’s.
I am indebted to so many people who have supported me through this journey: my wife, Nimi, who actively engaged in the formation program; my parents and family; my mother-in-law, who still radiates peace despite her advanced dementia; the diaconal community and formation team; and many, many others.  My mother-in-law’s favourite song is an old hymn – Count Your  Blessings - and I can honestly say that the blessings of this diaconal journey have been too many to count. 
 If you are interested in learning more about the life and ministry of the Permanent Diaconate in the Archdiocese of Kingston, please visit our Archdiocesan website, http://www.romancatholic.kingston.on.ca and follow the links posted there, or contact Deacon Bill Gervais at 613-548-4461 X 116 or deacon@romancatholic.kingston.on.ca

Mariola Gozdek, Coordinator

 The word ‘mystery’ or ‘mysteries’ shows up frequently in the new translation of the Mass, both in the Prayers over the Offering and Prayers after Communion. In normal conversation, the word ‘mystery’ means something understandable, but, in liturgy and theology, the opposite is true. Mystery refers to something we know, but that is so deep or interior that we do not understand all its implications. It is something we know only in part. It is like ‘love’. We know what love is because we have all experienced it, but it is hard to describe, especially in the way it operates within us. Instead of a definition, we usually give an example of love; that is, we speak of  actions and stories that illustrate love. In the liturgical prayers, ‘mystery’ or ‘mysteries’ refers to the different aspects of the way salvation works in our lives. It has several related meanings:
1. It is a carryover from the Greek-speaking writers of the early Church before the word ‘sacrament’ became more popular among Latin-speaking writers. Thus, it refers to the sacraments, the sacred/sacramental rites, the worship and rites of the Church. In the Prayer after Communion (15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time), we read, “... participation in this mystery”, that is, “in this sacramental or Eucharistic rite or celebration”. We also hear similar phrases in the Prayers after Communion throughout Advent, especially on the 1^st and 2^nd Sundays.

2. It often refers to the effects of our redemption or participation in the sacramental rites. We hear the phrase, ‘the mystery of salvation’. This refers to the ongoing transformation of the disciple of Jesus into the image of Christ. Thus, in the Prayer after Communion (25 OT), the Prayer is, “...that we may come to possess your redemption both in mystery and in the manner of our life”.

3. The word ‘mystery’ can also refer to the life and saving events of Christ. We are familiar with the ‘Mysteries of the Rosary’, which refer to events in the life of Christ that were for our salvation. In the Prayer over the Offerings (3rd Sunday of Advent), the phrase, “...to complete what was begun in sacred mystery...” combines all three meanings of mystery. It refers to the sacred rite we are celebrating, the inner working of Christ in our life, begun in Baptism, and the redemptive work of Christ. In the Prayer after Communion (4^th Sunday of Advent), “...the worthy celebration of the mystery of your Son’s Nativity”, refers to the feast or event of Christ’s birth. This meaning will be evident in many of the Prayers that we will hear in the Christmas Season.

Nadia Gundert

The third annual Witness Faith Days took place during the first week of October, facilitated by the Archdiocese of Kingston in partnership with the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board and the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario. Over 1500 Grade 6 students and staff participated in this faith-filled experience across the Archdiocese. The theme for the days was derived from Acts 1:8 (‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses’.) which calls students to be witnesses to our Catholic faith. Each Witness Faith Day included praise and worship music by the Josh Blakesley Band, a keynote talk by Josh Blakesley, three breakout sessions, and the celebration of the Eucharist with Archbishop Mulhall and several priests and deacons. Breakout sessions connected to the theme of witness; the Praise & Worship s
ession featured the Josh Blakesley Band leading students in song, highlighting the importance of music as prayer and our call to full, active, and conscious participation in the liturgy; the Faith in Action session featured students from secondary schools sharing their witness of participating in mission trips; the Called to Witness session had interactive activities and witnesses of faith from students and community members. Some of the students assisted with the various ministries at Mass, serving as lectors, gift bearers, and altar servers. The annual Witness Faith Days support the collaboration of home, school, and parish communities in the faith formation of students. We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate our faith with these young people, as we encourage them to seek out witnesses of faith in their own lives and to be witnesses for their friends and family. 
Duc in Altum 2019-20 began this Fall with a wonderful new group of young adults. We had the privilege of being surrounded by the natural beauty of Rock Dunder for the first weekend, as we came to know one another as a community of faith and support for our one-year journey of faith. We began to discuss discernment and the role of accompaniment. Each of the Duc participants has been paired up with a spiritual accompanier from our Archdiocese – volunteers who give of themselves to listen and walk with the young people throughout the Duc experience. As a group, we hiked up Rock Dunder, reflecting as we did on any challenges or obstacles in our lives that could prevent us from ‘going out into the deep’ this year. We were blessed to have Archbishop Mulhall join us and celebrate Mass. We are excited to have him as part of our Duc in Altum family
Our Youth Commission has been unpacking Pope Francis’s Exhortation, ‘Christus Vivit: Christ Is Alive’ at our meetings. At our Fall meeting, we looked at the following questions, which I encourage clergy and laity across the Archdiocese to ponder and discuss in the coming weeks. My hope is to continue to share some of these reflection questions with you, so that we can carry on the conversation of the Synod on Young People and the Church.  
1.  Why is connection to a larger community important for youth and young adults today?
2.  Do some young people today find it hard to fully commit to an idea or course of action?  If so, why might this be?  
I invite you to have these conversations with your families, your parish group or ministry, your friends, your co-workers. The Youth Commission would like to gather your input to help shape what is needed in our communities for young people. Please take some time to reflect on these questions and those I will include in future editions of Journey. I invite you to share your thoughts by sending me an email, at youth@romancatholic.kingston.on.ca. 
I wish you and your families a blessed Advent and a joyous Christmas season!

Mary-Jo MacKinnon-Simms

 “He has shown all you people what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  Micah 6:8
The Office of Religious Education continues to promote and support catechetical initiatives of the Archdiocese through religious education and formation programs. We always welcome new ideas and opportunities for evangelization.

• The Archdiocese recently hosted a very successful four-session retreat, led by Robert Mundle, on the topic of Salesian Spirituality. We are hoping to partner with Robert for more workshops in 2020, details of which will be made available on the Archdiocesan website and in parish bulletins.
• Friar Ed Debono facilitated several deanery sessions on the theme, ‘The Name of God is Mercy’. Pope Francis has focused on mercy and how we can live it in our daily life.
• Regrettably, our workshop with Sister Nuala Kenny had to be postponed due to illness. The good news is that we are hoping to reschedule it in the spring. 
• We have just concluded a well-attended six-week workshop for prison volunteers.
• We will be hosting a workshop with presenter David Dayler on the topic of ‘Sharing Our Story: How grandparents today pass on the Catholic faith’. Please watch our website and parish bulletins for more information.
• Beginning in the new year, we will be initiating a new Lay Faith Development opportunity with formation courses from Newman College. Details will be available on our website in January.
• Just a reminder that we are always updating our resources here. Please let us know if there is a resource you would like to see in our library.

As always, I welcome your ideas and insight.  Please contact me at any time – 613-548-4461, ext. 115, or maryjo@romancatholic.kingston.on.ca.

Sister Lucy Kearney, SP

Traditionally, whether in our secular society or in our Christian churches, is there a season more geared to family than the Christmas season?

The stage is different for each setting, but where can we find the true meaning of Christmas exemplified? Where do we find the awe and wonder of the birth of Jesus? Is it in the music resounding through the stores; in the glitz and glamour of Christmas parties; in the hearts of shoppers searching frantically for gifts? In our Christian churches, the Advent season prepares us for Christmas, not only by recalling the birth of Jesus 2000 years ago, but by reminding us of the presence of God in our daily lives. Our Advent liturgies, reconciliation services, special family traditions, and church rituals open our hearts to reflection and peace. Our Catholic schools invite and encourage students to reflect on the birth of Jesus, and to realize how they can bring about the true spirit of Christmas.  In reaching out to the lonely, to shut-ins, and to the needy, they are not only giving gifts, but welcoming Jesus into their hearts.
Yes, we may complain and lament that our world has drifted away from the peace and hope of Christmas and Advent, but are we not forgetting that God loved this human world so much that He sent Jesus to become one of us? The Christmas story reminds us that God comes to meet us where we are, in an imperfect world in need of love. You and I may be the human hands and hearts that offer this love to our present world.
 

During the third weekend of September, eighty-five women of all ages came together for the annual Women’s Fall Retreat at Glen House Resort.  Dr. Anne Jamieson, the Director of Catechesis for the Diocese of Hamilton, was the keynote speaker for the event and spoke to our theme: “Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord” Psalm 34:7.  Over the course of four talks, Anne developed the idea of finding the best recipe for our lives.  She encouraged participants to seek out and use the tried and true methods of our Catholic faith, including, prayer, scripture reading, journaling, and participation in the liturgies and Sacraments of the Church, and advised gently incorporating them into the joys and challenges of daily life. 
This was the 10^th annual Women’s Fall Retreat, ‘bringing women together for the Glory of God.’  Eight WFR 2019 team members connected and worked together throughout the year to ensure that all was in order during the Retreat weekend. This was no small feat, considering a robust program of speakers, workshops, praise and worship music ministry, a Saturday evening banquet and entertainment, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.  This year, Sandy Laneville of Winchester gave a talk on Walking the Camino, and the Gallaghers, a Christian family music group from Iroquois, provided great Saturday evening entertainment.  Father Don Cummings kindly agreed to be Spiritual Advisor for the Retreat this year, and five other Diocesan Priests heard Confessions and prayed with us. 
During the Retreat, the women were invited to write their own special intentions on prayer slips and commit them to the Lord.  At the end of the Retreat, each woman found a prayer partner for the year, to pray with,  and, in many cases, to connect with throughout the year.  In addition, participants divided up the more than 200 prayer intentions placed in the prayer boxes, and will pray for these intentions until the next Women’s Fall Retreat.
The 2020 Women’s Fall Retreat will feature Cathy McVady, a long-time Madonna House member, as keynote speaker, and Heather McPhail, from Ottawa, as the Breakout Session leader, speaking on Inner Healing.  Jan Bentham, a dynamic Catholic School Religious Education consultant from Ottawa, will provide the Saturday evening entertainment.  Registrations for WFR 2020 are open, with early bird rates in effect until April 30, 2020.  Please see www.womensfallretreat.com for further information.
 
 

To mark the 800th anniversary of the historic meeting of St. Francis and Malik al-Kamil, members of the Secular Franciscan Fraternity of St. Maximillian Kolbe visited the Islamic Centre of Kingston on September 24th.  Recalling the peaceful encounter of St. Francis and the Sultan, Imam Abu Bakr Mulla gave an overview of the Islamic faith, answered questions, and extended an invitation to evening prayer.

From left to right Walter Stock, Bob Howard, Diane Bruce, Patrick Lublink, Imam Abu Bakr Mulla, Brian Greigson, Friar Ed Debono, and John Walton.

On September 14th, Father Brent Brennan blessed and dedicated the ‘Pregnancy and Infant Loss’ memorial at St. Mark’s Cemetery in Prescott.  Pictured at right with Father Brennan are C.W.L. President Kathy Putnam, Knights of Columbus Grand Knight Klaas DeVries, Deacon Al Hogan, and Tony Zozefowicz.
 
Photo by Tom Clow, Prescott Memorials

Sister Marilyn Larocque, RHSJ

On September 25^th, Sister Marilyn Larocque, RHSJ, and Sister Sheila Boase, RHSJ, travelled to Miramichi, New Brunswick, to join in celebrating the 150^th anniversary of the foundation of the compassionate ministry of The Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph in that region.  Both Sister Larocque and Sister Boase had served there several years ago.
Mass was celebrated at Saint Michael’s Basilica, where the Pastor, Father Paul Doucet, provided a warm welcome.  Archbishop Emeritus André Richard of Moncton and Bathurst presided and preached at the Mass, and Bishop Robert Harris of Saint John sent greetings, expressing gratitude to all the Sisters.
Participants in this special celebration included Sister Anne-Marie Savoie, our Regional Coordinator from Montreal; RHSJ Sisters and Associates from Saint Basile, Bathurst, and Tracadie; representatives of other religious congregations; and lay people with whom the Sisters had worked or for whom they had provided care.  Sister Larocque and Sister Boase brought with them the prayers and best wishes of the rest of the RHSJ Sisters in Kingston, many of whom had served in the region over the years.
The Mass was followed by a tour of the Museum, which exhibits the history of the RHSJ’s and their ministries over the years, as well as Mount Saint Joseph, and the Sisters’ cemetery.  The group later made its way to the Rodd Miramichi River Inn for a memorable evening, which included a delicious dinner, speeches, and an excellent presentation on the history of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph.  This celebration touched our hearts with joy and gratitude for God’s many blessings.

Valerie Kelly, Coordinator

 
The liturgical seasons of Advent and Christmas have a way of causing a certain amnesia regarding the social issues in our community, despite the fact that they still exist.  This autumn was filled with a variety of events that helped us to reflect on these issues, as we continued to build bridges between the Archdiocese of Kingston and the Anglican Diocese of Ontario.  In October, the Youth Ministry of the Archdiocese of Kingston offered Witness Faith Days for all Grade 6 students, and Development and Peace sponsored a Fall Education Campaign in our secondary schools.  As well, a series of training sessions were held to prepare volunteers to go into prisons.  There are many challenges in the prison system, including the fact that some prisoners have been wrongfully convicted.  The City of Kingston, for the fifth year, proclaimed October 2 Wrongful Conviction Day.  Seeking to increase awareness of this, Anglican Deacon Sharon Dunlop organized an information session at St. James' Anglican Church (Kingston) with Rick Sauve as the guest speaker.  In November, the Kingston Interfaith Council held a potluck dinner at Kingston City Hall, and PeaceQuest sponsored a Remembrance Day Concert at the Isabel Bader Centre.  As 2020 approaches, we look forward to PeaceQuest’s WWI Memorial Walk, and affordable housing sessions organized by The Social Planning Council of Kingston.
The Justice and Peace Commission of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kingston and the Anglican Diocese of Ontario will celebrate its 15^th Anniversary next Fall.  As the Commission prepares to mark this anniversary, we give thanks to God for the blessings we have received over the past fifteen years.  The Justice and Peace Commission extends to all of you a Christmas blessing of gratitude and peace.
 

 

Susan Lett

You may have noticed that the Archdiocese of Kingston has had a facelift in the last few months.  We have a fresh new Coat of Arms, and our website has been completely redesigned!
Our former Coat of Arms was commissioned by Archbishop Joseph Wilhelm in the 1960s.  It was designed in Italy, and the story is told that, when the gold carving arrived in the Archdiocese, the Archbishop was disappointed that it was not larger.  Nonetheless, it was brought to St. Mary’s Cathedral and installed above the Archbishop’s chair, where it has remained ever since.  When we began the process of updating the Coat of Arms, we could find little documentation on the original design; so we enlisted the expert assistance of Father James Quirk, who clarified the significance of each element which would be incorporated into the new design.  The process continued with a careful review of dozens of designs submitted in a competition conducted by the web design firm, eCatholic.  After narrowing down the submissions to three, the final design was chosen, and it can now be seen in all our communications, including Journey.   
Once our new Coat of Arms was chosen, work began on the design of a new website.  Our former website had served its purpose well, but it needed a complete transformation to keep pace with advances in technology to make it user-friendly and mobile-responsive.  We are grateful to the eCatholic team for guiding us effectively through the long process.  We enjoyed working with them and appreciated their understanding of our faith and the message we wanted to share.  Our new home page is visually attractive, and the feedback we have received demonstrates clearly that the entire website is much more user-friendly than its predecessor.  Our goal is to keep it up-to-date and easy to use.  Of course, like anything new, it might take some time to navigate the site and find what you are looking for.  One of the great new features is a calendar of upcoming events at the Pastoral Centre, in our parishes, and in the community.  Looking for a Mass time in any of our parishes?  Search for the parish by name, town/city, or by postal code with our Parish Finder.  Looking to see what our Liturgy Office is up to and what workshops are being offered?  It is all on the website under Office and Ministries; you can even register online!  Would you like to make a donation to the Priests’ Retirement Fund in memory of a loved one?  Just click on the link on the home page.  We think you will like the new website as much as we do. 

If you have any suggestions that would help us improve our website or if you need any assistance in navigating the site, contact the Pastoral Centre at 613-548-4461.
 
 

On Sunday, November 3, Archbishop Emeritus Brendan O’Brien made a special presentation to Katherine Quinlan at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Kingston.
Katherine was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross in recognition of her 21 years of service to the Church as Executive Assistant to four Archbishops.  In presenting the prestigious award, Archbishop O’Brien explained its meaning and significance. The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross (in English, ‘For the Church and the Pope’) is awarded by the Holy Father for meritorious service to the Church, and is the highest honour awarded by the Pope to a lay person. Congratulations, Katherine!

Pictured here, from left to right, are Father John Brennan, Archbishop Brendan O’Brien, Katherine Quinlan, and Katherine’s husband, Larry Keech.