Salve Maria!
Join the Heralds of the Gospel on a Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Lewiston, NY, for a family day of prayer and devotion to Our Lady under the guidance of Fr. Michael Carlson, EP.
Bus Departure: Saturday, November 13th, 6:30 AM from Lumen Veritatis Academy, Queen St S, Mississauga, ON
Return: Same Day, 9:00 PM
Cost per person: $30. A Passport is required.
For inquiries please call 647-283-0310
Visit of the relics of St. John Bosco – Impressions of a Heralds Companion 
On the 5th October 2010 the relics of St. Don Bosco were on display at St. Benedict’s Church in Etobicoke. The relics; which included the bones and tissues of the right hand and arm were placed within a wax replica of St. John Bosco’s body; were on display from 7:30am till 11:30pm.
At 9:30pm after waiting in line for about 15 minutes I was let into the church to view the relics. Walking into the church was quite an experience. The Church was packed with barely a few seats at the back. On the left of the altar was the wax replica of St. John Bosco’s body containing the relics. Around the 3 walls of the church (excluding the altar wall) people were lined up to touch the relics. I sat down at the back of the church, while 2 youth cantors sang hymns of praise. A few moments later we were all asked to kneel down and the cantors sang ‘O Salutaris Hostia’ as youth of the Don Bosco Youth movement came in with candles to light the altar candles. The whole church, all of us, of different races, we were in one voice singing in the language of the Holy Roman church. It was as if for that moment the Tower of Babel never happened.
When all the candles on the altar were lit, a priest came in with the Monstrance containing the Most Blessed Sacrament. The Monstrance was placed on the altar and everyone silently venerated the Blessed Sacrament.
A youth dressed up as St. Don Bosco, wearing black vestments and biretta, went to the microphone and read out one of the dreams of St. Don Bosco. The dream was the vision of the two pillars, where the battle ships are attacking a stately ship. The stately ship is commanded by the Holy Father and is surrounded by the flotilla of ships that protect it from the attacks of the warship. The Holy Father eventually gets wounded and dies and the enemy is rejoicing, but a new Holy Father is elected and he guides the ship safely and moors the ship to the two pillars, on top of one pillar is the Host and atop the other is the Blessed Virgin Mary. I was awestruck because in front of my eyes on the left was the relic of St. Don Bosco and on the right was the Blessed Sacrament. The two pillars! St. Don Bosco used to have a motto ‘to Jesus through Mary’.
We had a time of silent veneration of the Blessed Sacrament again, there was a stillness in the church and yet a kind of electricity a sense of something much bigger. The adoration of the Blessed sacrament continued on with 2 youths giving testimonies of their conversion. Their stories reminded me of yet another dream of St. Don Bosco, his vision of Hell. One night a guide led St. Don Bosco down the broad road to hell, it was a sloping road with many traps. But in between the traps providence had placed knives to break the traps, the knives were the Holy Eucharist, the rosary, devotions to the saints, holy confession etc. Can you imagine, here was Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and the relics of St. Don Bosco, all ways provided by providence to avoid the snares of the evil one. While adoration of the Blessed Sacrament continued, various priests were available for the sacrament of Holy Confession.
Towards the end of the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, we sung ‘Tantum Ergo’ and the divine praises as the Blessed Sacrament was reposed. People were invited to come up to the altar and light their candles as the lights in the church were turned down. Oh how symbolic this was, ‘You are the light of the world, no one puts a light under a basket, you are a city built on a hill.’ We had received the light, from all the lives and teachings saints (St Don Bosco), and from Christ himself. It was a dark rainy night in the city and in St. Benedict’s church we were the light: a light to carry out to the dark world, a light bolstered by the two pillars of the Holy Eucharist and devotion to Our Lady.
After the final hymns of praise, I lined up to touch my rosary to the relic of St. Don Bosco. So that each time I say the holy rosary, I am reminded of the beautiful grace filled evening and that i never forget the two pillars.
His Excellency Bishop Felipe de Jesús Estévez
On august 25th, the Heralds of Miami, FL invited His Excellency Bishop Felipe de Jesús Estévez to celebrate a Mass for the Companions and friends of the Association. In is homily, Bishop Estévez encouraged the Heralds to continue their evangelizing work and concluded with a special blessing for the youth present.
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Dinner benefiting the Heralds of the Gospel in Houston, Texas. Date: September 10, 2010
A new group of Companions of the Heralds of the Gospel was received in the association during a solemn Mass celebrated by Fr. François Bandet, EP at Our Lady of Sorrows parish in Toronto.
According to the Statutes of the Heralds of the Gospel, these Companions are those who, “while they identify themselves with the spirit of the Association, due to their priestly duties, or because they belong to an institute of consecrated life or a society of apostolic life, or due to their professional or family obligations, cannot give themselves fully to the work of the Association” (Statute 9).
As married or single lay people living in the world, priests, deacons, religious, lay people of consecrated life or members of other associations or ecclesiastical movements, the Companions of the Heralds of the Gospel, besides observing the precepts and duties proper to their state in life, make an effort to live in conformity with the charism and spirituality of the Association, dedicating their free time to it and committing themselves to fulfill certain obligations.
They desire to apply to their daily life — in their family circles, during social activities and in the workplace — the spirit and teaching of the Heralds of the Gospel, being witnesses of Christ to their neighbor by both word and example.
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On May 13, Feast of Our Lady of Fatima and the date of the first apparition of the Blessed Mother to the three shepherds of Fatima, the Heralds of the Gospel commemorated the date with a solemn Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, Texas.
The celebration began with a procession of the various Ecclesial and Marian movements present in the Archdioces of Galveston-Houston; such as the Legion of Mary, Cursillos de Cristiandad and the Knights of Columbus. Each group recited a mystery of the Rosary that was said before Mass.
Following the solemn coronation of the Statue of Our Lady, a large group consecrated themselves to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word by the hands of Mary, according to the method of St. Louis Maria Grignon de Montfort.
The Mass was celebrated by Rev. Italo Dell’Oro, of the Office for Ministry of Priest of the Archdiocese. Rev. Juan Torres, OP and Rev. Jesus Martinez concelebrated. The Companions of the Heralds of the Gospel participated actively in the celebration, and greated added to the solemnity of the event.
During the first weekend of May, P. Julio Ubbelohde, EP came to preach a retreat for Companions and friends of the Heralds of the Gospel. The retreat was held at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Cape in the province of Quebec.
The group of retreatants came mostly from Toronto, Hamilton. St. Catharines, Quebec city and Chicoutimi.
During the retreat, there was a reception of the Scapular of Mount Carmel and a beautiful candlelight procession in the sanctuary gardens organized by P. Yoland Ouellet, OMI.
During the closing Mass, a new shrine was blessed to start visiting a group of 30 families.
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Each year, the Heralds of the Gospel participate in the Lift Jesus Higher Rally at the Convention Centre in Toronto held on April 24. This annual event bring together thousands of people of the diocese of Toronto and surrounding area.
As usual, the Heralds opened the day with a solemn crowning of the statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and participated in the Closing Mass celebrated this year by Bishop Vincent Nguyen.
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