Happy birthday to me! Bonne fête à moi!

My new car is in, so I went to the dealership today to work out the final details. People are already teasing me about the "episcopal" colour. What can I say... happy birthday to me! :-)

Ma nouvelle voiture est arrivée chez le concessionnaire, donc je suis allé aujourd'hui pour finaliser les détails. Les gens me taquinent déjà au sujet de la couleur "épiscopale". Bonne fête... à moi! :-)

12 anniversary as a bishop! 12e anniversaire d'épiscopat!

 Today is my 12th anniversary of ordination as a bishop. What an adventure it has been! Please say a prayer for me, that I may have the strength to be up to the task.

Aujourd'hui je fête 12 ans d'ordination épiscopale. Quelle aventure! Priez pour moi SVP, pour que je puisse avoir la force nécessaire pour réussir.

Even the dog made a new friend!

 My sister and her family came by the office this morning to say goodbye before heading back to Ottawa. She brought the dog, who made a new friend.

Louna is the little dog, and is sort of our office mascot here at the Diocese. Summit is my sister's dog, and weighs over 10x the smaller one. We were a bit worried about how their first meeting might go, but they were immediate friends. It put a smile on everyone's face.

Family up for a visit

 My sister Miriam has come for a visit to Sudbury, bringing the three kids (Brigid, Paxton and little Temperance). They got in last night, and I took them on a tour of my office after they checked in to their hotel. Today, I met them for breakfast, and later for lunch.

The red lobster in the background is there because we ate at... well... Red Lobster. :-)

The kids are off to the Big Nickel this afternoon, and then back to the hotel pool. They all leave tomorrow. So happy to have them here!

Le ressentiment : comment s’en débarrasser

Mon entrevue avec l'émission "Église diocésaine" au sujet du ressentiment vient d'être publié. Cela suit une homélie que j'avais fait pendant le carême (en anglais). J'espère que cela peut aider.

Opening Mass for Sudbury District Catholic School Board

I had a chance to celebrate Mass this morning for the staff of the Sudbury District Catholic School Board, on the occasion of a professional development day prior to the start of the school year. 

People were clearly happy to connect with each other, so folks were quite chatty. I made sure to give us all an extended time of meditation after communion prior to the final blessing. I'm looking forward to my next chance to visit the schools and school board.

Visiting the Michaelites

 I was mainly on the road today as I headed back to Sudbury from St. Peter's Seminary in London. On the way I decided to visit the retreat centre of the Michaelite Fathers, as I wanted to learn more about their devotion to Saint Michael the Archangel. My guide was Father Mateusz Sobierajski, who met me there after their morning Mass.

It turns out there are many forms of such devotion, such as a Chaplet of Saint Michael, as well as a Scapular of Saint Michael which one obtains by being enrolled in the confraternity of the same name. They also do a big outdoor Mass around Saint Michael's feast day on September 29. 

More info: Michaelites in Canada