The 1st church of the Heralds of the Gospel is now a Basilica
The first church of Heralds of the Gospel (in the International Seminary of the Heralds’ priestly branch, the Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right Virgo Flos Carmeli) has been made a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI. The Basilica is named Our Lady of the Rosary. If you look at the pictures, the exterior is not even completed and yet the Holy Father bestows this honor. Inside it some improvements are also in the works. Here follows an translated excerpt of the news reported by Gaudium Press:
“With the Supreme Apostolic power, perpetually, we elevate the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary to the rank and dignity of Minor Basilica”
These words read yesterday from Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Brief brought joy and hope for the institution of the Heralds of the Gospel.
The feast of Our Lady Help of Christians was doubly celebrated by the Heralds of the Gospel. In addition to the normal celebrations in praise and honor of the Holy Mother of God, Help of Christians, there was something very special to be celebrated: The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, in the Diocese of Bragança Paulista was elevated to the rank of Minor Basilica, just that day .
This church is part of a group of buildings which include the seminary of the Clerical Society Virgo Flos Carmeli and the House of Formation of the Heralds of the Gospel.
The ceremony of the presentation of the Apostolic Brief that raised the church to the status of Minor Basilica proceeded with great solemnity during the Mass celebrated by Bishop Sergio Aparecido Colombo , Bishop of Bragança Paulista, in São Paulo.
The Brief of His Holiness was presented to Msgr. João Clá Dias, founder and general president of the Heralds of the Gospel. Then the proclamation of the Holy Father’s words followed.
At the end of ceremony the unveiling of the symbols that identify a Minor Basilica, the Papal Coat of Arms, the Coat of Arms of the Bishop and the Papal Keys.
The Apostolic Brief
“Given at Rome, at St. Peter’s, under the seal of the Fisherman, on April 21st in the year 2012, the eighth of Our Pontificate.”
Thus ends the Papal decree that was made known by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State of the Holy See.
In it “His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI — Ad perpetuam rei memoriam –” affirms “among the sacred temples of the Diocese of Bragança Paulista in Brazil, stands out, deservedly, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, erected in the city of Caieiras, to which the faithful of the region tend to go to implore the powerful help of She who is Full of Grace, to guide their existence according the precepts of the Gospel.
For this reason, since the Venerable Brother Sergio Aparecido Colombo, bishop of that See, with the letter of the 1st of March of this year, in the name of the clergy and also the people, requested that we should honor this temple with the diginity of Minor Basilica, We, wishing to give proof of our special benevolence, with supreme satisfaction of those ferverent prayers, judge that it should be granted.”
Thus it is that the Holy Father says still “fully met the requirements that the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, with the powers granted by Us, established for this subject,With the Supreme Apostolic power, perpetually, we elevate the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary to the rank and dignity of Minor Basilica, conferred all the rights and liturgical concessions that properly belong to the sacred edifices honored with this title, observing what is determined by the Decree De titulo Basilicae Minoris, promulgated on the 9th of November, 1989.”
And the Supreme Pontiff continues: “We are confident that the honor given shall prompt the hearts of the faithful to venerate even more the Holy Mother of God and the Church. We desire that this letter take effect from now and for posterity, being revoked any provisions to contrary.”
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Our Lady of the Resurrection
Image of Our Lady of the Ressurection, the invocation of the original name of the House of Formation, Hermitage of Our Lady of the Resurrection
A detail of the living room lights
A community living room in the seminary of the Heralds
A Pilgrimage to Portugal, France and Spain
March 9 – March 18, 2012 – $2,850.00 plus tax
Under spiritual guidance of Priests and Brothers of the
Heralds of the Gospel
Travel arrangements by QS Travel & Tours Inc. affilate of Queen Syrena Travel Inc.
3055 Dundas St. W., #4, Mississauga, ON L5L 3R8.
Tel. 905.412.2242 or 1-800-565-3619
www.qstours.com
Lisbon – Fatima – Salamanca -Alba de Tormes – Avila – Madrid – Burgos – Lourdes
Download the complete program here: Pilgrimage to Portugal, France and Spain
For more information: pilgrimage@heralds.ca
Pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Cape 2011
Single room : $220
Double room: $190 per person
Triple room: $170 per person
This prices include bus, accomodations, dinner and breakfast at Cap-de-la-madeleine
Departure:
Saturday October 29 @ 5:00AM
Return:
Sunday October 30th @ 8:00PM
The itinerary will include old Montreal (Notre Dame Church and Notre Dame de Bonsecours Chapel), and Trois Rivières (Cathedral, shrine of Bl Frederic Jansoone, Notre Dame du Cap)
Call 905-813-9215 or
Email: pilgrimage@heralds.ca
Pilgrimage to Quebec
The very dynamics of pilgrimages clearly reveals some steps that pilgrims take. They become a paradigm of the whole life of faith; departure reveals the decision of pilgrims to go forward up to the destination and achieve the spiritual objectives of their baptismal vocation; walking leads them to solidarity with their brothers and sisters and to the necessary preparation for the meeting with the Lord; the visit to the Shrine invites them to listen to the Word of God and to sacramental celebration; the return, in the end, reminds them of their mission in the world, as witnesses of salvation and builders of peace.
(From The Pilgrimage in the Great Jubilee, Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People)
Here are some photos of the latest pilgrimage of Heralds of the Gospel in Montreal and Quebec City.The shrines visited were those of the Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, followed by a short passage to the Cathedral Mary Queen of the World, Our Lady of the Cape, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and St. Anne de Beaupre.
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A Pilgrimage to Montreal & Quebec
Salve Maria!
The Heralds of the Gospel have the pleasure to invite you to for our 2011 May Pilgrimage to Montreal and Quebec.
We will visit Marie-Reine du Monde, a small reproduction of St Peter’s Basilica in the heart of Montreal, Bl. Kateri Shrine, Old Quebec and its beautiful chapels and Cathedral, St Anne de Beaupré and more.
You will find detailed information in the attached poster.
click here: pilgrimage2011
The Pilgrimage is open to everyone. Children are welcome.
The closing date for reservations is May 12th, 2011. Please hurry up to reserve your place since this time the Bus promises to fill up quickly!
Email for reservations: pilgrimage@heralds.ca
Hoping to see you during this beautiful opportunity to pray and receive graces visiting some of the most important Canadian Shrines, and counting on your prayers,
Cost
Single: $330
Double: $480
Triple: $660
4 people: $820
Pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima
Fatima Shrine, Lewinston, NY
The origin of the word “sanctuary” comes from the Latin sancturarium derived from saunctus which in turn means “holy.” That is to say the choir’s place located around the altar, which is where the liturgical celebrations and especially the Eucharist take place.
The religious act that constitutes a pilgrimage is a concrete gesture of a Christian’s desire to meet God : “Pilgrims often come to shrines particularly well-disposed to seek the grace of forgiveness; they should be helped to open themselves to the Father “rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4),(31) in truth and in freedom, consciously and responsibly, so that their encounter with his grace will give rise to a truly new life.” (Cf. The Shrine: Memory, Presence and Prophecy of the Living God)
In this spirit of pilgrimage to meet God through the intercession of Mary, two different groups visited the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima located in Lewiston, New York, accompanied by Father Julio Ubbelhode for a day retreat on the importance of Marian devotion.
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Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima
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
Pilgrimage to Montreal and Quebec city
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A Pilgrim’s Testimony:
Our pilgrimage to the shrines in Montreal and Quebec commenced on Friday October 30th and ended on Sunday November the 1st. We were very blessed to have two priests, Fr. Francois Bandet, Fr. Ramon and three Brothers of the Heralds, Br. Gustavo Kralj, Br. Justin Bonyun and Br. Francois. Br. Gustavo, the chief organizer of the trip did a fantastic job in coordinating everything very efficiently. The driver of the coach was Carlos Montenegro, who was an excellent driver and his wife too was on the trip.
A group of us from St. Catharines, Hamilton, Milton, Brampton and Mississauga areas joined the coach at the Heralds school Lumen Veritatis Academy in Streetsville around 4:00 a.m. The next group of pilgrims was picked up at Cartwright Avenue near the Yorkdale Mall around 4:30 a.m.
Around 7 a.m. we stopped for breakfast in Kingston. We prayed two rosaries prior to getting into Montreal led by Fr. Francois and always seeked the invocation of St. Joseph, Our Lady of Good Success, Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Anne, Our Lady of the Cape and Blessed Frederick and many other Saints. Fr. Francois also gave us the history of Notre Dame Basilica and St. Joseph’s Oratory. We had a guided tour of the beautiful Basilica of Notre Dame in Montreal and then went to St. Joseph’s Oratory. We had lunch at the Oratory and had time to pray, light candles etc., and also Fr. Francois heard confessions. We were a little late getting into Montreal, hence mass could not be celebrated as scheduled in the Crypt church at St. Joseph’s. We were very fortunate that the weather was very good and there was no rain.
Our first stop was a visit to the Basilica dedicated to Our Lady the Blessed Virgin – “Notre Dame”.
The small original chapel was operated at first by the Jesuits followed by the Sulpician Fathers, who in 1657 undertook construction of a larger church. The Sulpician François Dollier de Casson was its architect, and the present-day Notre-Dame Street served as the original site. Its construction, in Baroque style was completed between 1672 and 1683.
Next stop, Saint Joseph’s Oratory which is the largest shrine in the world dedicated to Saint Joseph, perched atop Mount Royal.
Brother Andre who was a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross realized an impossible dream in founding Saint Joseph’s Oratory, a treasure trove for generations of believers around the world!
If canonized, Brother André would be the first Quebec man to be named a saint. Marie Marguerite d’Youville (1701-1771), founder of Montreal’s Sisters of Charity, or Grey Nuns, was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1990.
Brother André was born Alfred Bessette in 1845, the eighth of 12 children in a family in the farming village of St. Grégoire, 50 kilometres southeast of Montreal.
Around 3 pm we boarded the bus again and left for Cap-de-la-Madeleine. We also had a fairly large group from the Spanish community and it was so nice to see the young children and teenagers who came with their parents. Some of the little ones were the children that served at all the masses. Br. Gustavo led the 3rd rosary in Spanish and Br. Justin gave us the history of Our Lady of Cape. By this time most of us were tired and were nodding off, hence Br. Justin had to give us the talk again the next day.
We arrived at the Madonna House around 5:30 and the hotel had everything ready for us and the keys were handed over to us as we walked in, so there was no waiting. We had time to freshen up and went downstairs for dinner. After dinner around 7 pm, Fr. Francois heard confessions and mass was celebrated at the Basilica of Our Lady of Cape at 8 pm. This was a very special mass and again we were blessed to be in such a magnificent and holy place. The night was dreary with the rain; hence after mass everyone retired to bed early as we had had such a long day.
The next morning Saturday, we began with breakfast at 7 and mass was celebrated at the original shrine of Our Lady of the Cape. This is where the miracles of eyes took place many centuries ago. During the mass those of us who did not have the brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel were all presented with one and a special blessing conferred upon us by Fr. Francois.
Below is a picture of Notre-Dame-du-Cap or Our Lady of the Cape which is located on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.
The original stone parish church, now known as the Little Old Shrine, was opened for worship in 1720. It is the oldest church preserved in its integrity in the whole of Canada.
On June 22, 1888 the statue of the Virgin was placed on the altar and the little church was dedicated to Mary’s honour, becoming the “Shrine”. At the same time, Fr. Frederic, a Franciscan friar, became the first pilgrimage director. On this very night, kneeling in front of the altar, along with two other witnesses, he saw the miraculous statue open her eyes! An event that will be later on identified as the “Miracle of the Eyes”.
In 1955, the building of the present basilica was begun. Inaugurated in 1964, it is adorned with remarkable stained-glass windows by Fr. Jan Tillemans, a Dutch Oblate. The basilica can seat over 1660 people. Its dome rises up 125 feet high (38 meters).
On September 10th, 1984, during his trip to Canada, Pope John Paul II came to pray in the Old Shrine and had an outdoor celebration of the Eucharist before a crowd of more than 75,000 pilgrims.
After mass Br. Francois took some pictures of the group with the Basilica as the backdrop and then we boarded the bus and proceeded to St. Anne de Beaupre.
Again, on the way we prayed a couple of rosaries and the history of St. Anne de Beaupre and history of the area was relayed to us by Fr. Francois.
We arrived at the Comfort Hotel in St. Anne’s in time for lunch. Again, as we arrived our keys were handed over to us without any delay. There were many restaurants near the hotels, so everyone went to their choice of restaurant and had lunch. At 3 pm we were taken to the Basilica of St. Anne. Since mass was scheduled to be celebrated at 4:30 pm., we had time to pray, light candles and visit the gift shop.
The parents of Fr. Francois and the Mother of Br. Francois paid a surprise visit at St. Anne’s and it was a pleasure meeting them. Mass was celebrated at the Blessed Sacrament chapel. After mass we were taken to the main church and we venerated the relic of St. Anne.
St. Anne De Beaupre – First Church was built in 1658. The healing of Louis Guimont took place during the construction of this chapel. It was to be the first of many favours received.
The present Basilica’s construction began in 1923, after a fire destroyed the first Basilica in March of 1922. This new construction was oriented towards the future, all the while remaining faithful to the past. There was need for a large church, and the local people wanted it to be beautiful so pilgrims would be proud of it. Built in the Neo-Romanesque style, the Basilica is very harmonious to the eye, and is meticulously decorated. Cardinal Maurice Roy consecrated the Basilica on July 4, 1976.
There was a heavy downpour and high winds when we left the Basilica after mass. As such we went back to the hotel instead of going to Quebec City which was an optional visit weather permitting.
The next morning we went to the Basilica for mass at 7 a.m., which again was celebrated in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and this was the feast of All Saints. At the time the host was elevated and the consecration prayers were being recited, the sun shone brightly through the stained glass windows and the chapel lit up so brightly, which was almost a sign of hope from Our Lord.
After mass we had a quick breakfast at the hotel and departed for Toronto around 9. On the return journey also we prayed 3 rosaries and Fr. Francois gave us a talk on how Jacques Cartier and his men survived the winter through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother. Prior to getting into Toronto Bro. Gustavo asked us to sharing our experiences and testimonies. It was especially nice to see how confidently the little children came up and shared their experiences. Also we were made aware of the spouses of some of the pilgrims who are sick and in hospital and now we can lift them up in our Thursday night rosary group. We arrived in Toronto about an hour earlier than expected; hence we also had time to have a tour of the school when we got to Streetsville.
My association with the Heralds goes back to 2001 when I first got the lay apostolates to bring the statue of Our Lady of Fatima to my new house that I moved into the previous year. Subsequently I became one of their benefactors and have been getting the statue to my house every year except this year as the girls had left for Brazil on mission work and studies.
Since returning from the pilgrimage, 3 of my numerous prayers have been answered and I mean I wrote pages and pages of prayer requests for family and friends and deposited them at all the shrines and lit candles everywhere. Almost as soon as I got back home, I heard of 2 of my prayers being answered and I was waiting for the 3rd and I received it today, which is a real miracle as a relative of mine who had major surgery for breast cancer has been told that she does not need chemotherapy nor radiation treatment. So Praise the Lord, Mother Mary, Saint Joseph, St. Anne and all the saints for their intercession in hearing our prayers!
My friends Mira and Feliks Josipovic and Indi Sahni and I were blessed to be part of this pilgrimage and would like to say a sincere thanks to Br. Gustavo for keeping me informed about the pilgrimage and for the wonderful spiritual journey we all had together.
A Pilgrimage to Montreal & Quebec with the Heralds of the Gospel
At the end of the month of october, the Heralds of the Gospel from Ontario are organizing a pilgrimage to the main shrines of Montreal and Quebec city. If you live in the GTA and would like to participate, please download the PDF.
Download here: pilgrimage-to-the-shrines-of-quebec