Spring 2008 - Martyrs' Shrine Newsletter by Trevor Howard

World Youth Day 2008 Dear friends, ordinarily, we do not promote any one of our pilgrimages in the Shrine Message. But the year 2008 is a very special one for the Martyrs’ Shrine and for the youth of Canada. From July 17 to July 20 the Martyrs’ Shrine will host a celebration sponsored by the Office of Catholic Youth for the Archdiocese of Toronto. This celebration is being held for the many young people of our nation who will not be able to attend the World Youth Day event held in Sydney, Australia during those days. Salt and Light Television will, via satellite hook-up, keep the events at the Martyrs’ Shrine in sync with the events at the World Youth Days in Sydney. We are expecting a very good turnout (possibly some 5,000 pilgrims) for this event and so you are encouraged to get your registration in as soon as possible with the Office of Catholic Youth at the Archdiocese of Toronto. Registration information can be found on their web page: www.ocytoronto.org . So if you cannot get to Australia this 2008, come to the Martyrs’ Shrine and celebrate with friends your special day - World Youth Day 2008.

In your kindness please keep us in your prayers: SHRINE DIRECTOR: ASSIST. DIRECTOR: SHRINE STAFF:

Rev. Alex Kirsten, SJ Mr. Steve Parrotte Rev. Lawrence Brennan, SJ Rev. Stephen LeBlanc, SJ Rev. Joseph Newman, SJ

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR: Mrs. Darlene Sunnerton Martyrs’ Shrine P.O. Box 7 Midland, ON L4R 4K6 Tel: (705) 526-3788 Fax: (705) 526-1546

June

SHRINE OPENS (Sat.) Blessed Trinity K of C Tri Zone Retreat Knights of Columbus Tri Zone Mass of Thanksgiving

01 14 14-15 29

Czech Vietnamese (Sat.) First Nations Italian

05 06 06 12 12 13 17-20 20

Korean (Sat.) Holy Crucifixion Community Slovak India, Pakistan (Sat.) Tamil Catholic Community (Sat.) German Archdiocese of Toronto Youth Rally Croatian

Aug.

Sept. July

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Oct.

Dear Friends of Martyrs' Shrine,

What’s Inside Director’s Message Page 1

Who are These Holy Martyrs? Page 3

Pilgrimages - 2008 17 18 24 25

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Walking Pilgrimage 2007 Page 2

http://www.martyrs-shrine.com

May

Vol. 73 No. 1 2008

Portuguese

09 09 10 24 24 28 30

Filipino (Sat.) Walking Pilgrimage (Sat.) Polish Lithuanian Mission Sunday Communal Anointing Service Irish (Sat.)

07 07 13 21 27

Slovenian International Order of Alhambra Archdiocesan Western Region Pilgrimage (Sat.) 24th Annual Living Rosary Celebration Feast Day of The Canadian Martyrs (Sat.)

SHRINE CLOSES for the season

Novena to the Canadian Martyrs Prayers Page 4 Miracles Today Page 5 ** Tear-off Flap ** Prayer Petitions MSA Membership Renewal All Souls Petitions Prayer Requests

From The Archivist Page 5 and 6 A Pilgrim’s Story Page 7 World Youth Day 2008 Page 8

My prayer is that each of you will have a blessed Easter. We all have so much to be thankful for. I give thanks daily for our pilgrims, benefactors, the Board of Trustees and all our friends for their goodness to us. It had been my fear once again that the high prices for gasoline would keep many of our regular pilgrims at home. In fact my fears were not born out. Even the weather cooperated with us this year. We had fine sunny weather throughout our season. All of our major pilgrimages happen on the weekends and they had warm sunny weather for their special event. The one exception in this respect was the Polish pilgrimage. With some 10,000 pilgrims at the Martyrs’ Shrine God decided that their faith was so strong they could handle a bit of rain during the middle of their mass. Speaking of pilgrimages I would be remiss if I did not also offer up my thanks to the various pilgrimage organizers for their dedicated work in putting their pilgrimages together. I also offer up my thanks to our Jesuit staff and many lay staff for the success of this past summer. Fathers Carruthers, and Kedowide and our regular Jesuit staff Fathers Brennan, Newman and LeBlanc gave of themselves frequently over and above the call of duty. Our very successful Walk Where They Walked program once again brought us some 2,000 students at the Shrine in the spring and fall of our season. Of course, the church, the grounds, the Gift Shop and the whole Shrine complex are under the care of our lay staff. The beauty and smooth operation of the Shrine is a testament to their dedication and hard work. In the background are the lay office staff Mr. Steve Parrotte and Mrs. Darlene Sunnerton. Without their diligence and care most pilgrimages would not have run as smoothly as they did. Many thanks to the Knights of Columbus. Their project this year of restoring the stairways and ramps of the Church is once again the gift of the three zones of the Knights in our Archdiocese with some donations coming from the Knights of the Hamilton and Peterborough Archdioceses. This project has now been completed. The Ontario Knights have committed to restoring the doors of the Shrine Church for their 2008 gift to the Shrine. The local area Knights also faithfully provided the honour guard for our Sunday Masses once again this year. We appreciated the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Women's Leagues from the area who helped to organize our very successful Living Rosary Sunday. For that event we hosted well over 3,000 pilgrims. My thanks must go out again to our Board of Trustees for their assistance with their time and energy this past season. With every passing year their contribution will become more and more valuable to us as we move forward with the work of the Shrine. My final word of thanks is to God our Lord for His many blessings given to us and all our pilgrims this past season. The thousands of prayers answered and even a few miracles are a sure sign of the power of our eight holy martyrs and their intercession on our behalf. May the good Lord bless and keep you over the winter. We hope to see all of you next season. A friend in the Lord,

Rev. Alex Kirsten, S.J., Director

WALKING PILGRIMAGE 2007 “I am looking for a place to pray, a place of peace” By John Zurakowski

These are the words spoken by a young adult who was starting a Walking Pilgrimage to the Martyrs’ Shrine. Little did she know that the vision of the Martyrs to have “A House of Prayer, A Home of Peace,” started hundreds of years ago, was where she was heading. Over the years thousands of people have embarked on pilgrimage to the Shrine. Some by bus, or car and others walking. All may have been motivated by different events in their lives, and different reasons to make this pilgrimage, yet all had one thing in common; they arrived at a House of Prayer, a Home of Peace! For the past 25 years in early August, groups of pilgrims have been walking to the Shrine. First from Toronto, then from other cities, like M i l t o n , Burlington, Kitchener and Cambridge. What started 25 years ago in the hearts of a group of 18, has grown to a pilgrimage of over 1500. Some walking for 6 days, others for 10 and still others joining during the week. Each day begins with Mass, followed by breakfast and packing up camp gear and getting ready for the day. Throughout the day pilgrims, pray, sing, listen to talks, meditate, and step by step make their way to the next night’s spot. They soon realize that the business and noise of everyday life are being taken over by the peace and quiet of the beautiful landscape of the route leading to the Shrine. Soon the IPOD filled ears, the feelings of worry and anxiousness that come from waiting for the next email, are filled with sounds that bring joy and peace. People walk for different reasons, some to find meaning, answers to questions, deep discernment for life decisions, healing, or to find a place to pray, a place of peace. The faith and conviction that something will take place at the end of the journey is humbling to see and be part of. The anticipation of walking up the stairs into the Shrine Church can be seen and heard the day of our scheduled arrival. Tears are seen in all eyes as the pilgrims enter the Shrine gates. It is on the steps to the Church that it all happens. We sense that we are now on holy ground; yet we realize that we have been transformed by the pilgrimage, the journey. How fitting it is to now be welcomed with open arms by the Jesuits of today and their staff to a House of Prayer and Home of Peace; as transformed pilgrims, to stay and reflect on what God has done for us on our pilgrimage. The young person mentioned at the beginning of the article is asked to reflect on her pilgrimage. She shares that she has found what she was searching for. She leaves this place “with the martyrs by my side, together on a mission to bring prayer and peace to all”. If you would like more information about this Walking Pilgrimage please visit our website www.walkingpilgrimage.com or contact John Zurakowski at jzurakowski@cogeco.ca 905-510-2034. Page -2- Martyrs’ Shrine MESSAGE

Pilgrimage Reflection November 2007

By Daniel T. Spotswood, S.J.

This past October I was graced with the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, Ontario as a Jesuit novice from Portland, Oregon. My inspiration to visit the Shrine was marked by a desire to learn more about the martyrs’ lives and the early history of the Church’s relationship with the First Nations of North America. As I read various books on this subject, my sense of the history was enhanced by actually walking the grounds where the martyrs walked with the Huron and Iroquois peoples. The significance of this sense of place connected me to the past in a powerful way and added much meaning for me in this pursuit of learning our Church’s early history in North America. Yet, during this time, I not only felt connected to the events of the past, but I felt united to the contemporary Church at large as I witnessed the faith and devotion of so many pilgrims visiting the Shrine from around the world. During my week at the Shrine, I often enjoyed sitting in the grass at the back of the “Papal field” with a spectacular view of the tree-covered hills in the distance and the wooden Papal stage and altar in the foreground. With a gorgeous, open field between me and the altar, I imagined thousands of diverse people filling that space during John Paul II’s visit to hear his words and celebrate together. With this colourful image in mind, I had a deep feeling of unity with all God’s people although I was alone on the field at that time. The sacredness of the grounds, the beauty of the Church, and the lingering presence of countless faithful pilgrims to the Shrine creates an edifying atmosphere in remembrance of the life of the martyrs. Complementing the spiritually evocative atmosphere of the Shrine is the historical site of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. I am grateful to have been given two personal tours of this 17th century Jesuit residence - one by Steve Catlin, the Shrine’s archivist, and the other tour by Fr. Alex Kirsten. They helped paint a picture for me of the life of a Jesuit living here at the time. To see examples of their living quarters, chapel, tools, and clothing, enabled me to grasp the history of this place in a unique way. As I read a biography of Jean de Brébeuf, I decided to retrace his steps one day from Sainte-Marie to St. Louis and St. Ignace, where he and Gabriel Lalemant were captured and martyred. With the assistance of Steve Catlin and Fr. Alex, I found some old trails connecting these sites. At St. Louis and St. Ignace, I spent a few moments in quiet prayer and reflection on the scene that took place here. Initially, my spirit was troubled by the tragedy of such an event. Why did this happen? Could it have been avoided? Where was God? Later, I was consoled in finding Christ in this event but my spirit remains restless as long as there is violence and bloodshed in the world especially due to cultural misunderstandings and religious differences. There’s much to be learned from the interaction of the Jesuit martyrs and the Huron and Iroquois as we seek to create a more peaceful global community in which cultural diversity is celebrated as a source of unity and a gift from God. Currently, as I write this reflection, I remain on pilgrimage in Canada visiting several different reserves on Manitoulin Island and the North Shore as part of my second year in the Jesuit novitiate. It is a time to be with aboriginal peoples in this part of the world and the Jesuits who are their companions today. It is a time to hear their stories, learn our common history, and consider the implications for the future. After visiting the Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, I feel a small part of a larger story that continues to unfold according to the mysterious workings of God’s plan for us.

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SUCCESS IN EXAMINATIONS

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Thank You Page -6- Martyrs’ Shrine MESSAGE

My tour began in the room where the original reports of St. Bernadette’s apparitions are kept, along with the letters and plans relating to the construction of the basilica at Lourdes. As well, M. Franque showed me some of the earliest holy medals that were struck honouring Our Lady at Lourdes as well as the first statue made honouring the apparition Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Some of the rooms contain many interesting gifts and objects connected to cures and miracles attributed to Our Lady. After spending an entire afternoon with M. Franque, we said our good-byes and made our promises to keep in touch. The Canadian Martyrs had a special love for Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and fostered that love among the Wendat (Huron) Christians. In fact, the central residence of the Jesuit mission among the Hurons was named “Notre Dame de la Conception”, more commonly known as Sainte-Marie. As well, when Fr. Filion, S.J. constructed Martyrs’ Shrine in 1925-26, he designed a Lourdes-like grotto to veil a water tank. That grotto still stands and is now reverently honoured as the “Our Lady of Huronia Shrine”. Soon after my pilgrimage and visit to Lourdes, I was off to Paris to be welcomed by Fr. Bonfils, S.J. He has been the archivist for the Paris Province since the early 1990's, and I had an opportunity to meet him at the archives in Vanves sixteen years ago. Then, I was overwhelmed by the collection of manuscripts and books in their collection. This time I was better prepared. With digital camera in hand, I took photographs of original letters written by Jesuits in New France during the time of the Canadian Martyrs. One of the treasures that I was allowed to handle and photograph was a letter written by St. Charles Garnier, S.J. to his brother, who was a priest in another religious order. Now this letter and others are available in digital format to researchers who come to the Shrine. Next season, the Shrine’s new research library will be ready to welcome scholars, students, and pilgrims who are interested in knowing more about the Canadian Martyrs.

Who Are These Holy Martyrs? Saint Jean de Brébeuf, S.J. Martyred March 16, 1649. Jean de Brébeuf, born in Normandy, was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 33. He was the first Jesuit Missionary in Huronia (1626), a master of the Native language, worked through all the district of Huronia for thirteen years, founded Mission outposts and converted thousands to the faith. He was known as the Apostle of the Hurons. He was massive in body, strong, yet gentle in character. Before leaving Normandy, he revealed his sentiments. “I felt a strong desire to suffer something for Christ.” He made a vow signed in his blood, never to refuse the offer of Martyrdom is asked to die for Christ. He was captured March 16, 1649 and tortured for hours. He was Martyred at St. Ignace, six miles from Ste. Marie, at the age of 56. Saint Isaac Jogues, S.J. Martyred October 18, 1646. Isaac Jogues was a priest only seven months and was 29 years of age when he came to Canada in 1636. He set out at once for Huronia. For three years he served at Mission outposts, instructing and baptizing. On a return journey from Quebec, he was captured by the Iroquois, brutally tortured, and made a slave. Thirteen months later he escaped to France. By the next year he was back in Canada and was sent as an emissary to discuss a treaty with the Iroquois. He went, “his heart seized with dread,” at the prospect of again falling into the hands of his torturers. He was seized at Ossernenan (now Auriesville, N.Y.) and cruelly beaten. A blow from a tomahawk gave him the crown of Martyrdom on October 18, 1646, at the age of 39. Saint Gabriel Lalemant, S.J. Martyred March 17, 1649. Gabriel Lalemant, a Parisian, became a Jesuit at age 19. His ambition was to labour in the Missions and he asked to be sent to the Canadian Missions. He was “one of the most feeble and delicate in health.” A scholar, he was professor of Philosophy, and dean of studies in French Colleges. He arrived in Huronia in September 1648 where in words of Scriptures, he was destined to complete a long time in a short space. In Huronia seven months, just beginning to speak the Native tongue, he was sent to assist Brébeuf in February 1649. He was captured with Brébeuf and tortured for seventeen hours at the stake. Gabriel Lalemant died on March 17 in his 39th year, at St. Ignace, six miles from Ste. Marie. Saint Antoine Daniel, S.J. Martyred July 4, 1648. Antoine Daniel was born in Normandy and became a Jesuit and was ordained a priest at 29. He answered a strong call to the Missions of Canada and was a Missioner near Bras d’Or Lakes (1632). He founded the first boys’ College in North America (Quebec 1635) and laboured in Huronia for twelve years. He mastered the language and dreamed of forming future catechists among the Hurons who would instruct other members of their tribe. The Mission was attacked by the Iroquois in July 1648. Daniel encouraged the converts to meet death as Christians should; he hastily baptized all he could and went out to face the enemy. His body was pierced with arrows and bullets.

The Iroquois set fire to the Chapel and threw his body into the flames. He was Martyred at Mount St. Louis, 12 miles from Ste. Marie at the age of 48. Saint Charles Garnier, S.J. Martyred December 7, 1649. Charles Garnier, a Parisian, a Jesuit, and a priest, was attracted to the arduous Missions of Canada. He came to Huronia at the age of thirty-one and for thirteen years laboured among the Hurons and Petuns. He was a victim of the Iroquois massacre of the village of Etharita, thirty miles from Ste. Marie. He refused to escape but exercised his charity to the end. Saint Charles Garnier was always a person of innocence and purity with a strong devotion to Our Lady whom he acknowledged looked after him as a youth. Gentle, innocent, fearless, he succeeded in winning many souls to God both at St. Joseph’s Mission and among the Petuns. Saint Noël Chabanel, S.J. Martyred December 8, 1649. Noël Chabanel became a Jesuit at the age of seventeen, a priest at twenty-eight, and was a successful professor and humanist in France. Experiencing a strong desire to consecrate himself to the Canadian Missions, he arrived in Quebec in 1643 and then travelled to Huronia. The enthusiasm of the young missionary quickly lost its glamour. Unable to learn the Native language, feeling useless in the ministry, sensitive to the surroundings, his life was to be one unbroken chain of disappointments, an ordeal that he himself called a “bloodless Martyrdom.” Tempted to return to France, he bound himself by a vow to remain in New France till death. For two years he stood in the shadow of death and then was slain secretly by an apostate Huron on the banks of the Nottawasaga, twenty-five miles from Ste. Marie on December 8, 1649. Saint René Goupil, S.J. Martyred September 29, 1642. René Goupil entered the Jesuit Order but had to leave because of ill health. He studied medicine and then offered his services to the Jesuit Missions in Canada. On his way to Huron country with Isaac Jogues in 1642, they were captured by the Iroquois, tortured and taken to the Mohawk country. On the journey to Mohawk country he begged Isaac Jogues to receive his vows. A month later he was martyred for making the sign of the cross on a little Native child. He was martyred at Auriesville, N.Y. at the age of thirty-five, on September 29, 1642. Saint Jean de LaLande, S.J. Martyred October 19, 1646. Jean de LaLande was a young layman who offered his services to the Jesuits of New France. He accompanied Isaac Jogues to the Mohawk Mission in 1646, knowing what he might have to suffer, gladly offering himself as a companion to Jogues and looking to God to protect him and to be his reward if the sacrifice of his life was demanded. With Isaac Jogues, he was tortured and threatened with death. He saw the martyrdom of Jogues on October 18. He himself was martyred on the following day at Auriesville, N.Y. Martyrs’ Shrine MESSAGE Page -3-

Invitation & Novena Prayers

O God, who by the preaching and the blood of Your blessed Martyrs, Jean and Isaac and their companions, consecrated the first fruits of faith in the vast regions of North America, graciously grant that by their intercession the flourishing harvest of Christians may be everywhere and always increased. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER OF PETITION O God, who inflamed the hearts of your blessed Martyrs with an admirable zeal for the salvation of souls, grant me, I beseech you, my petitions, so that the favours obtained through their intercession may make manifest before your people the power and the 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 Holy Mary, Queen of Martyrs, pray for us Page -4- Martyrs’ Shrine MESSAGE

Thanking you, A.F.

From the Shrine Archivist By Steve Catlin There is a special bond among Church archivists, and I experienced that special bond during a recent trip to France. I was warmly received by the archivist at Lourdes, M. Therese Franque and at the Jesuit archives in Paris (Vanves) by Fr. Robert Bonfils, S.J. and his assistant. M. Franque was overjoyed to have a visit from the archivist of Martyrs’ Shrine in Canada, since the Canadian Martyrs have a special place in her heart. She was more than happy to show me around, taking precious time out of her busy day to give me a tour of the collection at Lourdes.

or as a beneficiary of a RRSP or RRIF.

Martyrs’ Shrine In Your Will and Estate

Our Legal title is: “Martyrs’ Shrine”. There are also special perpetual memberships: For a family living or deceased . . . . . . . . . . . . .$125.00 For an individual living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 50.00 For an individual deceased . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 30.00

NOVENA PRAYER

Your enrollment contributes to the continuation of this ministry of prayer, healing and pilgrimage through the intercession of the Canadian Martyrs. Your contribution will greatly support the work of the Shrine, and you and your family will share in the spiritual community of prayers and Masses offered by the Shrine Staff. Every year members and benefactors of the Shrine Association benefit from one hundred Masses offered intentionally for them. As members of the Association you also receive the SHRINE MESSAGE. Annual family membership is $15.00

Holy Martyrs and patrons, protect this land which you have blessed by the shedding of your blood. Renew in these days our Catholic faith which you have helped to establish in this new land. Bring all our fellow citizens to a knowledge and love of the truth. Make us zealous in the profession of our faith so that we may continue and perfect the work which you have begun with so much labour and suffering. Pray for our homes, our schools, our missions, for vocations, for the conversion of sinners, the return of those who have wandered from the fold, and the perseverance of all the Faithful. And foster a deeper and increasing unity among all Christians. Amen.

Just to let you know that today 8th October 2007, the last day of the Shrine, something good happened in my life. I have been visiting the Shrine on a monthly basis for the last 6 years praying fervently to the Martyrs due to the fact that I have been suffering from dizzy spells and not being able to perform my duties as I should, walking and working and sleeping became a problem. There are times when I would faint and fall and I have been undergoing various tests and medications. This evening as I prepared to leave the Shrine for the last time something strange overcame me as though I had been filled with a very strong presence of strength and courage and instead of taking the cab back from the Shrine to the bus terminal something forced me to walk from the Shrine to the bus terminal downtown. I walked and walked and walked, 90 minutes passed walking without stopping, no dizzy spells, nor did I feel dizzy and fall by the roadside. I continued walking till I reached the bus terminal and never felt anything as 100 minutes passed. I sat down at the bus terminal and I felt strong as ever. I am back home now and still feel no more dizzy spells. I will be going to my doctors this week to undergo tests again and hope to see that all is now clear. Praise and thanks to the Martyrs at the Shrine for the miracle they worked in my life. I will now pray fervently to the Martyrs for my girlfriend to come back in my life. It was because of this illness that she walked away from me. Thanking you all for your support and prayers and also for allowing me to stay one full day and night at the Shrine as I enjoyed my stay there in prayer all night.

Please Remember

PRAYER TO THE MARTYRS

PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH

(Patron of the Martyrs and of Canada) O God, who in your special Providence deigned to choose blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your holy Mother, grant, we beseech you, that we may deserve to have him as our intercessor in heaven whom we venerate on earth as our protector. You who live and reign in the world without end. Amen.

(October 8, 2007)

Please renew or enroll a friend or family member in the Martyrs’ Shrine Association

May St. Joseph and the Martyrs, patrons of Canada, intercede for all of us and for our country.

Glorious Queen of Martyrs, to whom the early missionaries of this country were so devoted and from whom they received so many favours, graciously listen to my petition. Ask your Divine Son to remember all they did for His glory. Remind Him that they preached the gospel and made His holy name known to thousands who had never heard of Him, and then for Him had their apostolic labours crowned by shedding their blood. Exercise your motherly influence as you did at Cana, and implore Him to grant me what I ask in this Novena, if it be according to His will. Amen.

Calmness Achieved Hello,

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

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.

PRAYER TO OUR LADY

We invite you to join in the Novena to the Canadian Martyrs and St. Joseph, March 7-15, 2008. 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 15) in whom the Martyrs placed great trust.

Miracles Today

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