By John-Henry Westen and Steve Jalsevac
QUEBEC CITY, June 25, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The ordination of 12 men to the priesthood last Thursday night, a highpoint of the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City, was called “the turning point” in the history of the Catholic Church in Quebec. In a National Post column Fr. Raymond De Souza quoted a Franco-Canadian priest telling him, “Twelve new priests – like the twelve apostles – for a new foundation for the Church in Quebec!” And that was the overwhelming sentiment – the decline of faith has finally bottomed out – the ordinations and the Eucharistic Congress are the beginning of a new religious era in the secularised province.
In a press conference attended by LifeSiteNews the day after the ordinations, Marc Cardinal Ouellet remarked emotionally, in a breaking voice, on the “reaction of the crowd”. He said: “It was unbelievable, unbelievable, so my comment was how beautiful it is to see the enthusiasm of the People of God for their priests and I think this is THE turning point in the history of our Church because we need more priests.”
Ouellet added, “We were in an extraordinary moment of joy during the celebration, after the celebration and I think those who have experienced or even followed by the media have been touched in some way”. Fr. De Souza quotes the Cardinal elsewhere having stated, “I feel as if I was raised from the dead”.
The 15,000 seat Colisee Pepsi Stadium was packed with thousands of priests and nuns, almost two hundred bishops from around the world and dozens of Cardinals, not to mention the thousands of lay participants for the historic ordination Mass. The extravaganza was presided over by Papal Legate Cardinal Tomko. With him on the altar were several other cardinals, bishops and priests from Quebec and other parts of Canada.
After the formal part of the ordination was complete and the new priests donned their priestly vestments, assisted by their parents, there was a sustained standing ovation which thundered from the stands. An applause – and even whooping – which was somehow reverent at the same time.
The thousand plus priests in attendance looked around startled at the exuberance of the massive crowd for these new priests, the new hope of the Church in Quebec.
Tears flowed from most in the stadium as one of the newly ordained priests thanked all those who contributed to their formation. He, and the crowd with him, took an emotional pause in giving special thanks to his parents.
8 of the 12 new priests belong to a new religious community in Quebec called Famille Marie-Jeunesse. (for more on the community see: Quebec Cultural – Religious Revival Launched in a McDonald’s Restaurant https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08062310.html
A full choir from Marie Jeunesse provided beautiful music at the Mass. The faces of the members of the community shone with joy and tears as their brothers were ordained.
The joy on the faces of these young men as they committed themselves to life-long service of the Church was a treasure to behold.