Bulletin
number 15
Winter 2004
When
the time came to prepare this bulletin, which aims at making the spirituality
of François de Laval better known, the search for a theme surfaced. Something
new and fresh was needed. But what? Were all subjects
and approaches exhausted? Then, in thinking about the year of the Rosary coming
to its end, it seemed fitting to take the time to see how Mary or the Marian
devotion was present in the life of François de Laval.
Therefore this bulletin, published at the closing of 2003, wants to
conclude in its own special way the year of the Rosary by calling to mind the
Marian devotion of François de Laval.
This particular year has allowed for diverse initiatives to be taken
throughout the world. One such initiative was that of John Paul II, as he added
the luminous mysteries to the Rosary. These mysteries go deeper into Jesus’
baptism, the wedding feast of Cana, the
proclamation of the Kingdom of God and
the call to conversion, the Transfiguration of the Lord and the institution of
the Eucharist. A special focus on Mary remains with the start of this new year as well. I received a calendar from Quebec’s
Historical Society which stated that the year 2004 marks the 150th
anniversary of the recognition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of
1854. When you turn to the month of June, you will be reminded of two major
events concerning the devotion built around Mary, the mother of God; these events being Quebec’s
first Marian Congress which took place June 14th, 1929, and
the festivities of 1954 that accompanied the Marian year celebrations. A
far-reaching Marian Congress held by the archdiocese of Quebec from
June 9th-13th marked these particular celebrations. Some of you reading these
lines more than likely remember this event. In the historical calendar, Father
Armand Gagné speaks of the event, and remembers how “the City of Quebec
erected a statue of about one meter in height, found at the corner of the
façade and the east wall of the City Hall, especially for the occasion. Today,
amidst the winter scene of snow and bare trees, one can still see the statue
with its arms stretched out towards la Côte
de la Fabrique.
In reading this bulletin, you will note, through the words of Jacques
Lemieux, vice-postulator, that the Marian devotion is firmly rooted in the
history of our country, as François de Laval greatly promoted the devotion.
Furthermore, Mrs. Marie-France Cossette speaks of a few major events that took
place in the past months, such as the Blessing of the crypt, and the various
animations that took place at the cathedral on the life and spirituality of
François de Laval. For my part, I propose some avenues that you may take in
order to deepen the Marian spirituality in your own life, in connection with the spirituality of François de Laval.
Similar to beacons in your life that guide your daily journey towards
Christ, you’ll also find twelve spiritual thoughts that permeated the daily
life of François de Laval. These thoughts come from his writings.
Finally, your thoughts and suggestions on this bulletin are always
welcome. They will surely enrich our own
reflections and will in turn favour yours. Enjoy.
Sister Doris Lamontagne, p.f.m.
Director of the François-de-Laval Animation Center
François
de Laval, a bishop devoted to Mary
Blessed François de Laval always demonstrated a very vibrant devotion
towards the Virgin Mary, and his numerous initiatives as well as the many
events that marked his life bear ample witness of his devotion.
It is
especially with regards to her Immaculate Conception that Mgr de Laval
venerated the Mother of Jesus. He was consecrated bishop on December 8, 1958, in
the chapel of the Blessed Virgin in the Saint
Germain-des-Près abbey in Paris.
Therefore, he became the first pastor of the New Church on
the feast day of the Immaculate Conception at a place where Mary is honored. In
1666, with great solemnity, he consecrated his cathedral of Quebec to
the Immaculate Virgin. During the previous year, he had made a vow to celebrate
a mass once a month in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to fast on the Eve
of the Immaculate Conception feast day.
The Jesuits had introduced this pious tradition in the colony. Mgr. de
Laval wanted to invite all the priests of his Seminary to follow, like him,
this example. Since that time, the community of priests of the Seminary of
Quebec has renewed this same vow each year. Like the founder of their
community, these priests ask the Blessed Virgin to protect our entire land, to
ensure that the Christian faith may always remain with those who already know
The Good News of Salvation, and to enlighten the spirit of those who have not
yet been taught the evangelical message.
It was first from his family, as we would safely assume,
that François de Laval inherited this great devotion to the Blessed
Virgin. She was also, without a doubt,
very much alive throughout the diocese of Chartres, from
where Mgr. de Laval originated. Being a
student of the Jesuits at Laflêche College, the
young François de Laval met spiritual masters who guided him in the wake of the
spiritual revival that was then taking place in France. His
filial love for the Mother of Jesus could easily grow in such a climate of
intense spirituality.
Byzantine art often portrays the Virgin as she who indicates the right path. This is certainly the
message of the Immaculate Conception as has been understood by the devout since
the very beginning. François de Laval, by the exceptional fervor that he holds
for the Immaculate Mary, invites us to rediscover this teaching for ourselves
by trying to continually deepen our understanding of it. It is hard to believe
that we shall ever truly understand, like He does, that she, who allowed for
the indescribable union of God and humanity by the Incarnation of the Word, can
also bring an ever-increasing desire of intimacy with God to life in us, a desire
that calls us to never again live but for Him.
Jacques
Lemieux, priest
Vice-postulator for the cause of François de Laval
Formula of
Vow - 1665
Sweet Jesus, Saviour of the World, though our
sins must distance us from you, we have a desire to honor you and your Holy
Mother, and are pushed by this desire to see ourselves in the faithful
relationship which you desire of your faithful servants, to make you
acknowledged and worshipped by the habitants of this land. You see us bow at
your feet, where we promise and make vows, as we do the same at the feet of the
Blessed Virgin, your Mother. (...) All in order to receive from your kindness
and mercy, O Blessed Mother, by his intercession and his merits, the
conservation of this country and the conversion of all who live here. Receive,
therefore, O Holy and Sacred Queen of Angels and men, under your holy
protection, this population that we present to you by the hands of your
glorious Spouse and of your faithful servants, Saint Ignatius and all the
Guardian Angels and protectors of this place, to offer them to your beloved
Son. May it please him to keep and protect them, give the knowledge of his Holy
Name to those who are not yet aware of it, and to all, the perseverance in His
holy grace and His holy love.
Avenues of Reflection…
In the Pope’s Apostolic letter on the year of
the Rosary, he invited us to contemplate
Christ with Mary. This invitation stayed with me. When I consulted the dictionary, I noted
that the meaning of contemplate was to look at or consider in a calm, reflective manner,
so in order to reach a true, soulful communion with God.
François de Laval said that it is the
Kingdom of God that fills his heart and his whole being. He
also invited us to have only the interests of God in mind. Don’t his words
remind us of the daily exercise of finding the presence of God in all
things? To cultivate this devotion to
God, to oneself, and to others, François de Laval remains a source of
inspiration even today. Through both the joyous times and through those that
proved to be more difficult, François de Laval drew his strength and trust from
the heart of God and, like Mary, he was attentive to
the Holy Spirit. He looked to the Gospel passage, where Jesus calls us to pay
attention, as a beacon: “Therefore take heed
how you hear”. Later
in the same Gospel, Jesus also calls us to be aware of the true brothers and
sisters of Christ: “My mother and My brothers
are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
In his writings, François de Laval often prays for Mary’s
intercession so that the Will of God may be made known to him.
When you think about it, while praying the Rosary,
doesn’t the Hail Mary itself call us to contemplate the blessed Son through his
mother: blessed is the fruit of thy womb
Jesus?
Sister Doris Lamontagne, pfm
The Blessing of the Crypt in the
Basilica
In
2003, following an agreement made with la
Fabrique Notre-Dame de Quebec, the Seminary of Quebec proceeded with the
extension of the crypt that is located under the Notre-Dame de Quebec cathedral.
The official inauguration of the extension took place on the evening of
November 4th in the presence of approximately fifty invited guests,
including architect Émile Gilbert, who created the design of the extension of
the crypt, and artist Lucienne Cornet, who created the magnificent bronze doors
found at the end of the crypt. Cardinal Ouellet performed the solemn blessing.
The word blessing when translated into French is benediction, a word that comes from the
Latin benedicere, to speak well
of something or someone. The Word of God
is active and alive. When God speaks, He acts. When the Word of God says
something good about someone, this word produces fruit. When man, in his liberty, speaks and sings
praises onto God, he is transformed, answering to Him who wants only good for
man for all eternity. So
there is the Christian meaning of the word benediction.
The blessing given by the priest at the end of each mass, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
was performed in a rather significant manner by Mgr. Marc Ouellet. Before a
contemplative assembly, the new funeral recesses were sprinkled with holy water.
This symbolic action marked the sacred nature of the crypt that, with the
coming years, will welcome priests of the Seminary. After a short celebration
of the Word, those present also received a blessing from our new cardinal.
This touching event, which was celebrated this past month, reminds us of
our own mortal condition. Yet it also reminds us, we who are believers, of the
hope of Eternal Life, which is promised by Him who wants nothing but good for His people, forever and ever.
Marie-France Cossette
François de Laval in good company!
On Saturday, November 22, 18 people gathered at the François de Laval
animation center to unveil an important part of our religious history. Some people,
who were already passionate about history and religious culture, had a good bit
of knowledge on the 17th century and on the indisputably bold
character of François de Laval. These already well-informed people enriched the presentation with several developments,
pertinent questions and comments. The visit of the cathedral, which included
visits of the small St. Louis
chapel, the crypt and the tomb of Blessed François de Laval, led to much wonder
and many surprising discoveries.
This dynamic activity, which was first held last spring, seems to have
answered a longing to discover the beginnings of our history and the foundation
on which rests our cultural and religious identity.
A very pleasant atmosphere enveloped this activity, and at its end
everyone agreed that François de Laval did indeed play a pioneering role in the
Church and in Quebec
society.
All it
takes is a quick glance at the institutions and monuments that seem to
gravitate around the cathedral to understand the ever-present influence of this
great man whom we have nicknamed the “father
of the Canadian Church.”
More than a tradition ...
Once again this year, Raynald Goulet, the Secondary 1 religious
education teacher at le Petit Séminaire de
Quebec, wanted his students to get to know the founder of their
school, Mgr. François de Laval.
The reason why Mr. Goulet made this educational activity a tradition was
due to the students’ growing interest in the subject, as he mentioned at the
beginning of the presentation. They were curious to know about this renowned
individual, who was a man filled with a particular care and concern for the
education of children. They also wanted to know about his time, and most of all
about his message of perseverance, faith, values, and God’s promise to provide.
Therefore, it was a great pleasure in November to welcome 220 curious
and attentive teenagers to the cathedral. After the presentation, they left
filled with enthusiasm and a desire to return once again to visit the crypt,
which is situated under the cathedral and is where the successors of François
de Laval rest, as well as several priests from the Seminary of Quebec.
For all groups
interested in participating in an activity, feel free to contact us !
For more information, visit our
website:
www.francoisdelaval.org
Would you like to receive the
bulletin by email ? Do you have any comments or suggestions ?
Contact us at:
cfl@patrimoine-religieux.com
“ Pray diligently to the Blessed Mother, to
her Holy Spouse, to all the Holy Angels and Blessed Saints, that they may grant
me the grace to desire for nothing but the accomplishment of this divine and
amiable will.
François de Laval
Centre d’Animation François-de-Laval
20,
rue de Buade, Québec (Québec)
G1R 4A1 Canada
Tél : (418) 692-0228
Fax : (418) 692-5860
Courriel :
cfl@patrimoine-religieux.com
On
the 6th of every month, at the Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral, a
mass is celebrated for all the prayer intentions confided to the intercession
of François de Laval, the Blessed.
Please join us and
forward us your prayer intentions