{"id":3223,"date":"2015-06-12T09:52:49","date_gmt":"2015-06-12T13:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nuntiatura.ca\/fr\/?p=3223"},"modified":"2015-06-12T09:52:49","modified_gmt":"2015-06-12T13:52:49","slug":"20e-anniversaire-ordination-episcopale-mgr-t-prendergast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/nuntiatura.ca\/fr\/20e-anniversaire-ordination-episcopale-mgr-t-prendergast\/","title":{"rendered":"20e Anniversaire Ordination Episcopale Mgr T. Prendergast"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hom\u00e9lie du Nonce Apostolique, Mgr Luigi Bonazzi<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ottawa, 11 juin 2015<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dear Archbishop Prendergast,<\/p>\n

My brothers and sisters in Christ,<\/p>\n

I am very honored and pleased to prayerfully participate with you in this twofold celebration: commemorating the creation of the Diocese, later, the Archdiocese of Ottawa; and the twentieth Anniversary of the Episcopal Ordination of your Archbishop.<\/p>\n

1. The establishment of the Church of Ottawa: It is a moment we remember. And how important it is to remember.\u00a0 A people that forget the past have no future.\u00a0 The author of the Letter to the Hebrews writes:\u00a0 \u201cI beg you, not to forget your elders, those who have handed on the faith to you\u201d (cf. Heb. 13:7).\u00a0 And, of course, the same author goes on to say: \u201cDo not forget Jesus Christ\u201d.<\/p>\n

Consid\u00e9rez que, au moment de son \u00e9tablissement, Bytown \u00e9tait une petite communaut\u00e9 fond\u00e9e sur le commerce du bois le long de la Rivi\u00e8re des Outaouais, avant d’\u00eatre d\u00e9sign\u00e9e capitale du nouveau Domaine du Canada. Il est presque impossible de donner une interpr\u00e9tation appropri\u00e9e de l’histoire de cette ville sans tenir compte de la pr\u00e9sence et des \u0153uvres de l’\u00c9glise dans cette r\u00e9gion. En fait, les grandes institutions d’\u00e9ducation et de soins de sant\u00e9 \u00e0 Ottawa surgissent de la pr\u00e9sence de l’\u00c9glise catholique.<\/p>\n

C\u2019\u00e9tait le vingt f\u00e9vrier 1845, deux ans avant la fondation du Dioc\u00e8se, quand – un jour venteux et neigeux –\u00a0 M\u00e8re \u00c9lisabeth Bruy\u00e8re, fondatrice des S\u0153urs de la Charit\u00e9 d’Ottawa arriva \u00e0 Bytown pour commencer l\u2019\u0153uvre de soigner les malades et les d\u00e9pourvus. Cette ann\u00e9e, en effet, les S\u0153urs de la Charit\u00e9 d’Ottawa c\u00e9l\u00e8brent le 170e anniversaire de leur fondation et le d\u00e9but de leur apostolat. F\u00e9licitations ch\u00e8res S\u0153urs!<\/p>\n

Indeed, the history of this city is intertwined with the history of this Archdiocese.\u00a0 And so there is much to celebrate and much for which to give thanks to the Lord.\u00a0 Memory.\u00a0 How important to remember!\u00a0 How important it is to have a grateful memory!<\/p>\n

2. The second joyful reason for our celebration this evening is to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Episcopal Ordination of your beloved Archbishop, Msgr. Prendergast and which took place on April 25, the Feast of St. Mark. It is fitting that you mark these anniversaries as a Diocesan Church, with the priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful gathered around their Archbishop at the Eucharistic Banquet, sign and source of the Church\u2019s unity and strength.<\/p>\n

Our celebration takes place on this beautiful Feast of St. Barnabas whose original name was Joseph, \u201ca Levite, a Cypriot by birth\u201d (cf. Acts 4:36).\u00a0 The apostles renamed him \u201cson of encouragement\u201d (the son of \u2013 a common biblical practice to name a person\u2019s dominant quality or characteristic).<\/p>\n

According to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Barnabas prayed a key role in the growth of the early Church. It was Barnabas who introduced Saul to the members of the Jerusalem Church who were, at first, hesitant to accept him (cf. Acts 9:27).\u00a0 It is interesting to speculate, that had Barnabas not done so, Paul could have remained an insignificant figure and the history of Christianity would have been very different!<\/p>\n

Dans le texte des Actes des Ap\u00f4tres que nous venons d’entendre, nous trouvons un d\u00e9tail qui nous aide \u00e0 bien comprendre la personnalit\u00e9 du saint que nous c\u00e9l\u00e9brons aujourd\u2019hui, et qui, je crois, d\u00e9crit bien aussi l’Archev\u00eaque dont nous f\u00eatons l’anniversaire. Comment Barnab\u00e9 a r\u00e9pondu aux \u00e9v\u00e9nements qu’il voyait se d\u00e9rouler \u00e0 Antioche? C\u2019est-\u00e0-dire, comment a-t-il r\u00e9agi quand il a vu ce que l’Esprit Saint avait accompli parmi les pa\u00efens, sans l’autorisation formelle de l’\u00c9glise de J\u00e9rusalem?<\/p>\n

Il a reconnu leur conversion comme r\u00e9sultat de l\u2019action de la gr\u00e2ce de Dieu (charis), comme un don gratuit (cf. Actes 05:31; 11:18). Et il s\u2019est r\u00e9joui: voil\u00e0 sa r\u00e9action!<\/p>\n

Et fid\u00e8le \u00e0 son surnom, \u00abhomme du r\u00e9confort \u00bb (cf. Actes 4,36), Barnab\u00e9 a encourag\u00e9 tous ces nouveaux convertis \u00e0 demeurer, d\u2019un c\u0153ur ferme, fid\u00e8les au Seigneur. Luc continue \u00e0 d\u00e9crire Barnab\u00e9 comme un \u00abhomme bon, rempli de l’Esprit Saint et de foi”. Et pendant le minist\u00e8re de Barnab\u00e9 \u00e0 Antioche, une foule consid\u00e9rable s\u2019attacha au Seigneur (Actes 11.24).<\/p>\n

To see the free work of God and to rejoice over it!\u00a0 To confirm and support and encourage such outpouring of grace and discern the potential in those coming into the Church as Barnabas did when he recognized in Paul, remarkable qualities and gifts that could be used to optimum advantage – surely this is the work of a Pastor as he cares for the church of which he has been appointed overseer.<\/p>\n

If there is a characteristic of your beloved Archbishop, it is that like St. Barnabas, he welcomes and encourages the many gifts freely given by God.\u00a0 Look how he welcomes to the Church of Ottawa the newcomers who have come to this region and call this place home.\u00a0 Consider his attentiveness to the new ecclesial movements.\u00a0 Reflect upon his pastoral visitation to the parishes throughout the Archdiocese:\u00a0 visiting the schools, the nursing homes, the places of employment and of natural and cultural interest, and then celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice with his people, giving them opportunity to know him just as he, in imitation of the Good Shepherd, endeavours to know them.<\/p>\n

Imagine if Barnabas had a Twitter Account \u2013 what wonderful images would have been posted there!\u00a0 Much like that of your Archbishop \u2013 his many encounters happily recorded and showing the diverse and rich scope of his ministry \u2013 one of encouragement, welcoming and strengthening.<\/p>\n

For the past twenty years he has endeavoured to be \u201can instrument and means of encouragement\u201d beginning as Auxiliary Bishop in Toronto, then as Archbishop of Halifax and Yarmouth, and for the past eight years, here in the nation\u2019s capital.\u00a0\u00a0 Surely, it is the task of every bishop of a diocese, every pastor of a parish, every religious superior in their community, every father and mother in their home \u2013 to discern the gifts of those entrusted to their care and to foster them:\u00a0 to recognize the Holy Spirit\u2019s activity and the copious nature of God\u2019s grace and to rejoice over them!<\/p>\n

Among those the Archbishop has supported, include the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.\u00a0 In one of their hymnals they sing of St. Barnabas with high and ready praise, and conclude with a verse that could be an exhortation for us all:<\/p>\n

All sons of consolation, how great their joys will be <\/em><\/p>\n

When Christ the King shall tell them \u2018You did it unto me\u2019:\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

The merciful and loving, the Loving Lord shall own,<\/em><\/p>\n

And set them as his jewels, around the Father\u2019s throne.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cher Mgr Prendergast, que le Seigneur vous donne d\u2019\u00eatre constamment un P\u00e8re qui encourage et qui console, afin que, par votre minist\u00e8re \u00e9piscopal, les fid\u00e8les qui vous sont confi\u00e9s dans cette v\u00e9n\u00e9rable et distingu\u00e9e \u00c9glise d’Ottawa puissent \u00eatre, en paroles et en actes, les fils et les filles de la consolation, demeurant, d\u2019un c\u0153ur ferme, fid\u00e8les au Seigneur. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hom\u00e9lie du Nonce Apostolique, Ottawa, 11 juin 2015 (EN\/FR)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homelies-et-salutations","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/nuntiatura.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/nuntiatura.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/nuntiatura.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nuntiatura.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nuntiatura.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3223"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/nuntiatura.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3223\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3224,"href":"http:\/\/nuntiatura.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3223\/revisions\/3224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/nuntiatura.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nuntiatura.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nuntiatura.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}