martyrs’ shrine message n ew slet ter fo r fr i en d s o f th e m a rt yr s ’ sh r i n e
MART YRS’ SHRINE
winter 2014/2015
in this issue Director’s Message Kateri Corner Renovations at the Shrine Tiawenk Dinner Novena Prayers Recent Events
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Letter from the Board
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Spiritual Exercises
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From the Director Dear Friends of the Martyrs’ Shrine, s I write this message from the Martyrs’ Shrine the weather has turned mild following a major snowfall just a few days ago. The winds blow warm and cold in surprising ways. So do our human hearts at times. Do we not need prayer and discernment to be aware of the constant outpouring of the Holy Spirit who wants to enlighten and warm our hearts with the never-ending presence of God! St. Jean de Brébeuf and his companions certainly spent much time in prayer in order to find the inspiration and vision to develop their mission in Huronia. We are following their example as we put into action our new 5-year Strategic Plan that will help focus our ongoing mission to “invigorate pilgrims through the story of the Martyrs and their companions, who lived the mission of Jesus Christ.” The Jesuits of English and French Canada are preparing to make a more comprehensive commitment to this mission by establishing a future year-round community at the Shrine. That will come into effect in 2016. In the meantime, we have had to undertake renovations to our office and residence buildings in order to be in compliance with the Fire Code and to provide the necessary space for a pastoral office to serve our pilgrims/visitors and for accommodation for the priests, seminari-
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16163 Highway 12 West, P.O. Box 7 Midland, Ontario, Canada L4R 4K6
ans and candidates that assist at the Shrine during the busy May-to-October season. As you will read in the following pages, many other programs and projects have been completed since the summer or will be completed before we open again next May. So, even though the church building remains closed in the winter because there is no heating there, many other activities go on during this period in preparation for the coming season and the long-term future. Among the signs of the new life occurring at the Shrine is our revised logo that now includes the maple leaf symbol from the Canadian flag. It emphasizes that Martyrs’ Shrine is not just a local attraction, but a national shrine of importance to our nation and its history. It is designed to catch the attention of those who may be otherwise uninterested in a ‘religious’ site. Everything that happens while the Shrine is closed during the winter takes time and energy and financial resources. We rely on the donations that you and other friends of the Martyrs’ Shrine contribute. We are very grateful for your prayers and generous support. May God bless and strengthen you in faith, hope and love through the intercession of the Canadian Martyrs. In our Lord, Jesus Christ, Rev. Bernard Carroll, S.J. Tel: (705) 526-3788 Toll-free: 1-(855) 526-3788 Fax: (705) 526-1546 Email: info@martyrs-shrine.com Web: www.martyrs-shrine.com
martyrs’ shrine message
Ways to Support Us
KATERI CORNER
Please help us to continue the Martyrs’ Shrine’s Ministry of prayer, healing and pilgrimage through the intercession of the Canadian Martyrs. St. Jean de Brébeuf along with his companions started this ministry nearly 400 years ago. He was funded by benefactors in France. We rely entirely on your generosity. Donations over $25 will be issued a Charitable Donation Receipt for Income Tax Purposes. All receipts will be issued in January of the following year beginning this season. Registration No. 107673733 RR0001
the witness of kateri in the lives of ordinary people
Martyrs’ Shrine hosts author Joseph Boyden
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he Martyrs’ Shrine had the pleasure of hosting Joseph Boyden, the award-winning Canadian author of novels and short stories, who spoke in the church about what inspired him to create the Three Voices in The Orenda, his latest novel. The story is told by three main characters: Bird, a Wendat / Huron war bearer; Christopher, a Jesuit missionary; and Snow Falls, a Haudenosaunee / Iroquois girl. It is an account of the encounter of these three very different persons and cultures when the French came to Wendake/Huronia in the 17th century.
Please! Use the donation sheet enclosed to:
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Send us your personal prayer petitions along with a donation
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Join the Martyrs’ Shrine Association
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Through the Shrine’s ministry of prayer, we join you in praying for the intentions dear to your heart. Share in: · 100 Masses each year · Daily prayers of intercession · Prayers during 2 annual novenas · The Shrine Message newsletter sent twice yearly
Boyden invited one of his mentors, Conrad Heidenreich, the renowned scholar and writer on Huronia, to share the evening presentation and to help the audience to understand and appreciate the historical/cultural background that formed the original inhabitants of this land.
Include the Shrine in your Planned Giving
Make a bequest in your will to Martyrs’ Shrine, Midland, Ontario to thank God for blessings received in your lifetime through the intercession of the Canadian Martyrs.
Boyden showed his profound love and respect for his complex characters. He said he wanted them to feel deeply their culture and traditions and to be fully human. He painted them with all their flaws and dark side and showed their vulnerability. His purpose in telling the story was to offer Canadians an alternative view of our history. “The tendency is to think that victory belongs to the conqueror; the conqueror tells the story,” he said. But he wanted to give voice to those who did not win. Most people do not realize that a complex and sophisticated culture existed before Europeans arrived. He wanted to show that “Canadian history is not boring!”
Make an extra special gift for the Water System
Our 88-year old water system must be replaced so that the Martyrs’ Shrine can continue to welcome you and other pilgrims like you. The ultimate cost is $465,000. Please be generous with your extra donation for the Water System.
Pilgrimage Cruise to the Mediterranean Join Fr. Roger Yaworski, S.J. and Fr. Bernard Carroll, S.J. for 4 nights in Rome & Vatican City plus 7 nights on the Norwegian ‘Epic’, sailing from Rome, visiting Florence/Pisa, Cannes, Palma Majorca, Barcelona, Naples & the Amalfi Coast. For more information contact karen@uniglobedonaldson.com 519-623-7570 or ryaworski@aol.com 519-546-9406. The Booking deadline is March 15, 2015.
MART YRS’ SHRINE
All who attended enjoyed listening to this prominent Canadian author - a captivating, passionate and humorous speaker. At the end of his talk audience members had the opportunity to speak with Joseph Boyden and have their copies of his books signed. Anyone who would like to hear the full audio recording of the lecture by Joseph Boyden on the Three Voices of The Orenda can find it on the Martyrs’ Shrine website: www.martyrs-shrine.com.
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Renovations Happening at the Shrine
Update on the Water Project
▷ Rectories and office buildings are being renovated to accommodate the growing needs and demands of the Shrine
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ue to an increased number of Jesuits offering to minister at the Shrine each summer, as well as more candidates in our Six-Weeks-a-Jesuit program in the past few years, there have been up to 15 people sitting down for dinner and living in the rectories. In order to be able to continue welcoming this assistance and those interested in joining the Jesuits, we need to make major changes. Rectory #1 is the building that has the kitchen, dining and living rooms, as well as a prayer chapel, where the relics of the Martyrs are kept during the winter. The renovated dining-room and a new kitchenette will serve as a lunch-room for all the Shrine staff. A place to eat, at last! Much of this work will have been completed by our own staff before the end of January. Another project is underway to bring Rectory #2 in compliance with the Fire Code. Since this is a very extensive project and one that will provide a “home” for the Jesuit staff, assisting clergy, retreatants and guests, we decided that a major renovation of the rooms was needed. This will provide appropriate accommodations for the Jesuit staff as they transition to becoming a full time community and will later serve as a place of hospitality for pilgrims and retreatants who frequently seek accommodations at the Shrine. The Office Building will also undergo renovations that will provide a Pastoral Office where a Jesuit priest will be available daily for confessions, blessings, counsel and spiritual conversation.
Pictured: Jesuits enjoying a meal in one of the Martyrs’ Shrine rectories. Renovations planned for the Shrine will help accommodate the increase of ministering Jesuits and individuals discerning the Jesuit life at Martyrs’ Shrine every year.
We are happy to announce that construction on our Water Project began in January. Avertex Utility Solutions from Orangeville is currently installing the underground pipes and connecting water from the Town of Midland to all our buildings. This project will cost an estimated $465,000. Since last year our fundraising appeal for this enormous undertaking has raised $56,705. We have a long way to go and so we appeal to your generosity to assist us in completing this essential undertaking. Donations can be made by mail, by phone (705-526-3788) or on-line (www.martyrs-shrine.com). Please specify the “Water Project” with your contribution. The Martyrs’ Shrine is a Canadian charitable organization. Registration No. 107673733 RR001
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martyrs’ shrine message
The Martyrs’ Shrine says Tiawenk! ▷ The Tiawenk Fundraising Dinner held on September 26th raised more than $19,000.
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he Martyrs’ Shrine says Tiawenk! The Community says Tiawenk! Tiawenk is the Wendat (Huron) word for thank you. On September 26, The Martyrs’ Shrine hosted the Tiawenk Fundraising Dinner, to express gratitude to the local community for their support of the Martyrs’ Shrine. The dinner was held at Restaurant SainteMarie, where those present enjoyed excellent entertainment, food and company. The dinner, silent auction and live auction raised more than $19,000 in support of the extensive renovation of the 88-year-old water system at the Shrine. The total estimated cost of the entire project is $465,000 with completion date of May 1, 2015. Live entertainment for the evening included
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the instrumental stylings of Daglind Hahn accompanied by Mary Jarman, while later in the Grace Kidd, evening, people Tiawenk Committee Chair were singing along to performances by Thomas Hirtzbruch and Holly Archer accompanied by Peter Flood and Angelo Ingriselli. Thank you to our auctioneers, Paul Hamelin and Lorraine DeCarli; Nick Boudouris and the staff at Restaurant Sainte-Marie; all our donors; all who attended; and the planning committee volunteers who made the night a success. A special thanks to all of our sponsors listed below. Tiawenk!
Novena Prayers to the Canadian Martyrs We invite you to join the Novena to the Canadian Martyrs and St. Joseph, March 11 - 19, 2015. During these nine days we honour all the Martyrs and commemorate the martyrdoms of St. Jean de Brébeuf and St. Gabriel Lalemant and the Feast of St. Joseph (March 19), in whom the Martyrs placed great trust. A Novena of Masses and the Novena Prayers to the Martyrs will be offered for the intentions of all making the Novena. Intentions that are sent to the Shrine will be left on the altar beside the relics of the Martyrs during the Novena. May the Martyrs, patrons of Canada, St. Joseph and Mary, Queen of Martyrs intercede for all of us and for our country. O God, who inflamed the hearts of your blessed Martyrs with great zeal for the salvation of all people, I pray that, through their intercession, you answer my petition (here mention it), so that the favours obtained through their intercession may witness to the whole world the power and glory of your name. Amen. St. Jean de Brébeuf, pray for us St. Charles Garnier, pray for us St. Isaac Jogues, pray for us St. Noël Chabanel, pray for us St. Gabriel Lalemant, pray for us St. René Goupil, pray for us St. Antoine Daniel, pray for us St. Jean de Lalande, pray for us
prayer to the martyrs Holy Martyrs and patrons, watch over this land consecrated by the shedding of your blood. By your prayer, renew the Catholic faith that you helped to establish here, foster a deeper unity among Christians, and bring all our fellow citizens to a deeper knowledge and love of the truth. May we be zealous in bearing witness to Christ, so that we may continue and perfect your labours. Pray with us for our homes, our schools, our missions, for vocations, for the conversion of sinners, for a warm welcome in our communities to those who are rediscovering their faith, and for the perseverance of all the faithful. Amen.
prayer to our lady Glorious Queen of Martyrs, the early missionaries of this country were devoted to you, and through your help they received many graces. I know that your Divine Son lovingly remembers all they did for His greater service and praise: that they preached the gospel and made His holy name known to thousands who had never heard of Him, and then for love of Him, had their apostolic labours crowned by shedding their blood. Exercise your motherly influence as you did at Cana, and pray with me now, asking Him to grant me what I ask in this Novena, if it be according to His holy will. Amen.
prayer to st. joseph
(Patron of the Martyrs and of Canada)
Dear Saint Joseph, chosen by God to be the husband of Mary and protector of Jesus, the martyrs saw in you a model of quiet courage and charity, and chose you as their patron. Pray with me now, and ask Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, to grant me what I ask in this Novena, if it be according to His holy will. Amen.
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martyrs’ shrine message re cent e vent s @ th e sh rine
Feast of the Canadian Martyrs Mass
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ach year, we hold the public celebration of the Feast of the Canadian Martyrs on the Saturday after September 26th. The Mass and reception were joyous celebrations, thanks especially to the many pilgrims and Jesuits who joined us to honour the Holy Martyrs, St. Jean de Brébeuf and his companions. During the Mass candles were lit in memory of Father Michael O’Donnell, S.J. and Brother Alphonse (Al) McAndrew, S.J., in gratitude for their ministry at Martyrs’ Shrine and among the People of God. A large group of Jesuits participated in the celebrations, some who have served here at the Shrine, including Brother Gainer, and others, including Jesuit Novices -- eleven from the U.S. and
four from Canada. What a great picture, seeing older and younger Jesuits joined in prayer and celebration in the ‘home’ of our Jesuit predecessors. At the end of the Feast Day we here at the Shrine were left with a sense of great joy and hope with the knowledge and full confidence that the Mission will continue. The Feast Day was also enhanced by a number of other events: Fr. Jacques Monet, S.J., gave a presentation on the Suppression and Restoration of the Society of Jesus; the Tiawenk Dinner gathered 112 participants and raised $19,000 for the Water Project; Joseph Boyden, award-winning author of The Orenda, spoke to more than 400 people in the church about the inspiration behind the three main characters in his novel.
Christmas Tree Blessing NOVEMBER 22ND, 2014
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ur annual tree blessing and lighting took place on November 22 this year. About 125 people gathered for this very special evening. The 85-foot tree was decorated by two members of our staff from a 100 foot crane earlier this fall. As people gathered, members of the Vox Huronia Choir shared their beautiful gift of song and set the tone for the evening. To stay warm, some gathered around the fire, while others enjoyed warm cider. Fr. Bernie led us in a beautiful prayer that invited us to reflect on Jesus, the “light of the World”, and on our call to bring that light to everyone and everywhere we go. Everyone was given a prayer card with a Christmas tree blessing to use at home.
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SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2014
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mission vision values
martyrs’ shrine mission The Martyrs’ Shrine invigorates pilgrims through the story of the Martyrs and their companions, who lived the mission of Jesus Christ.
martyrs’ shrine vision At the Martyrs’ Shrine pilgrims of all faiths and cultures will be renewed in faith, hope and love, and inspired to continue the mission of this sacred place where saints walked.
martyrs’ shrine values Peace Prayer Solidarity Hospitality Justice Pilgrimage Thanksgiving Leadership Healing Contemplation Reconciliation
A Letter from the Board Chair Dear Friends of the Shrine! As the Chair of the Shrine’s Board of Trustees, I welcome the opportunity to share the Board’s plans for 2015 with you, our friends. Last year, the trustees and the staff worked hard to produce a 5-Year Strategic Plan for 2015 through 2019. It was approved by the Board in November and is now in the process of being implemented. The Shrine was built in 1925 to celebrate and to share the story of The Canadian Martyrs and their First Nation companions as well as the donnés who shared their life. Eighty-nine years later, we renew our commitment to share this important story with present and future pilgrims who come to the Shrine looking for peace, reconciliation, healing and renewal. We have revised our Shrine Vision statement to read… “At the Martyrs’ Shrine pilgrims of all faiths and cultures will be renewed in faith, hope and love, and inspired to continue the mission of this sacred place where saints walked.” We believe that this vision fulfills the aspirations of the early martyrs when they came to this land. On their behalf, the Trustees are committed to ensuring that this vision is never lost. During our planning, we learned that the Jesuits of English Canada see the Martyrs’ Shrine as one of their most important Apostolates. Their commitment includes the development of a full time community of Jesuits who will live at the Shrine permanently. In time, this will mean that our Board of Trustees and the Jesuit community will work together to make the Shrine a full time year round ministry. The Jesuit Order across the world has written and given full support to a document on the ecology of the planet called “Healing a Broken World”. Our board and staff unreservedly embrace this document and our Strategic Plan will demonstrate our ‘healing’ role as we adopt a high level of ecological standards of behaviour that will be shared with our pilgrims and visitors. The manner in which we treat our Shrine properties is an important part of the healing process for the planet and we consider our witness to nature vital. Other highlights in our planning document describe the development of our property in a way that will enrich the pilgrim visitors’ pastoral experience. In time, we will consult with our partners and annual pilgrim groups to assess ongoing needs of those coming to the Shrine. Our plan, among other things, is to develop further services, upgrade and renovate our tired buildings and pathways, complete the project to bring town water to our property by Opening Day 2015 and find ways to refurbish our special church as it approaches 100 years of service in 2026. As the Chair of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to assure our friends that the Martyrs’ Shrine is continuing to preserve and enhance the quality and the uniqueness of your future visits, your renewal of faith, hope and love at this sacred place where saints walked. Sincerely,
John Barrett-Hamilton If you desire any information about our plans for the future, please feel free to contact me care of Angela Kruger, Executive Assistant to the Shrine Director at akruger@martyrs-shrine.com or 705-526-3788. 7 MART YRS’ SHRINE
The “Spiritual Exercises” of Saint Ignatius Loyola “(Hu)man(kind) is created…”
words which are at the start of a series of spiritual exercises in the writings of St. Ignatius Loyola, the Holy Founder and first Superior General of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). St. Ignatius refers to the introduction to his “exercises” (from which that quotation is taken) as their “First Principle and Foundation”. It is first in importance as well as in the order of the “Exercises”. Without a faith-awareness of one’s life in relationship with a Creator, these exercises might be seen to be “but” a series of ‘self-help’ exercises. The Ignatian “Exercises” posit the person as one who is in relationship with his/her Creator – “Alpha and Omega” – the One from Whom he/she comes, and the One toward Whom he/she is traveling through time. These “Exercises” are offered to help in a faith-based journey of those wishing to learn ways in which to make important choices in a God-centered life – “to praise, reverence and serve God our Lord”.
They are called “spiritual exercises” because they involve activities of a spiritual nature (including meditation and contemplation) which can be learned and put to use. They are often done with the accompaniment of a person who serves as a guide or ‘director’, during the making of the exercises. Though these “Spiritual Exercises” first came into play long before there was any awareness that St. Ignatius and other, later companions would establish a Religious Order known as the Society of Jesus, they are, in fact, the foundation of that Order. These very “Exercises” have continued to be the basis of JESUIT spirituality and life-works for almost 500 years, and they have been learned and applied by others (whose spirituality is “Ignatian”, in character, if not “Jesuit” in name). May those who used the “Exercises” on their life-journeys, and who are in glory with God, intercede for all who would benefit from them here and now. All Saints and Blessed of the Society of Jesus, pray for us. Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam (A.M.D.G.) FOR THE GREATER GLORY of GOD!
in memoriam
Brother Terence Gainer, S.J. “I didn’t even know that there were BROTHERS in the Jesuits!” The (above) line was in a brochure which was part of an effort to interest men in such a Vocation within Religious Life; and the person who said it is not alone in that lack of knowledge. Men who are Brothers in the Orders and Congregations of the Catholic Church are, by quite a large margin, considerably fewer in number than the Sisters and the Priests in those same groups. People who got to know BROTHER Gainer – at Martyrs’ Shrine (and elsewhere) – met a man who lived that Calling of Christ in generous (if at times somewhat “hidden”) ways for several years. Not that he was allowed to STAY “invisible”, mind you! His years of Formation as a Jesuit took him to Texas – as one of the first to make the spiritual program (Tertianship) which was specifically for BROTHERS in the Society of Jesus. He worked “widely” and “deeply” in Jesuit activities in Canada: an early member of the Newfoundland Jesuit community, he also served at our national administrative “hub” (Curia) in Toronto. Not infrequently people in and from those places relished their times with BROTHER Terry and, from near and far, made a point of meeting/eating with him years after initial encounters. On Nov. 7, 2014 he died at Pickering, ON, in his
88th year of life; 65 of them were lived as a BROTHER in the Society of Jesus. Rev. Stephan LeBlanc, S.J. Martyrs’ Shrine
Fr. Bill Lonc, S.J. n November 27th, 2014, Fr. William (Bill) Lonc S.J. passed away comfortably in Pickering, after a short battle with cancer. Fr. Bill was never stationed at the Shrine; he spent most of his Jesuit life teaching physics at St. Mary’s University in Halifax. However, when he retired in 1995, he turned his attention to the history of the Society of Jesus in Canada. His knowledge of French and Latin allowed him to read letters written by the early missionaries in their original language. It was about fifteen years ago that I first met Fr. Bill at the Oakville Go Station. Over a coffee, we decided to enter into a partnership and publish untranslated documents from Early Jesuit Missions to Canada. This would include never before translated letters from the Huron Mission (1634- 1650) of the Canadian Martyrs. Fr. Bill never tired of this work; over sixtyfive volumes were translated for the Early Jesuit Missions to Canada Series. He continued even after learning he had terminal cancer in July. The last book of the Series was printed on the sixtieth anniversary of his entering the Society of Jesus on September 8th, two
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and a half months before his death. All his work will give researchers access to the personal experiences and observations of Jesuits working with First Nations Peoples throughout Canada’s history. Steve Catlin Assistant to the Director for the Archives, Martyrs’ Shrine
Fr. Ed Merchant, S.J. ather Edwin Merchant died peacefully on December 9, 2014, at Thunder Bay Regional Hospital. He was in his 85th year and in religious life for 66 years. Ed was born in Port Arthur, Ontario on July 21, 1930, the son of William Merchant and Margaret Curley. He was proud to have been born in a Jesuit parish, St. Andrew’s, and later served there as pastor. He was young when his father died. He did attend for a few years Regiopolis High School in Kingston, Ontario. He entered the Society of Jesus at Guelph on July 30, 1948. After two years of humanities study, Ed began a three year philosophy program at the Jesuit Seminary in Toronto. In 1978, he became the director of Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, Ontario for three years. His companions found Ed to be a quiet and shy man but very engaging and intellectually acute. He had a calm demeanour and a compassionate regard for many. His teaching and linguistic skills were remarkable, as were his homilies. - Notice from Jesuit Development Office
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