This post is easily readable on Facebook, but here it is so small…
Originally posted on July 9, 2026
Comment on All Catholics are One
This might be true for all non-Roman, but as the Roman Catholic themself by experiences we are nobody.
I was rejected by almost all RC organizations. The one that hurt me the most was the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception (MIC). After spending lots of money, they ignored me when I requested help
Where I am accepted the most is in any chaplaincy or chaplain, that is part of their DNA.
The second is the Marian Movement of Priests, open to anyone who prays to the Holy Mary
You can find all about us in our pages and posts, but here is a brief description:
All Catholic churches, and indeed most Christian churches, profess faith in the “one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.”
We celebrate the seven sacraments:
Baptism
Eucharist
Confirmation
Marriage
Ordination (We preserve apostolic succession through the laying on of hands).
Reconciliation
Anointing of the Sick
The Bible is the inspired Word of God
Prayer is a central part of the daily lives of our clergy, religious, and laity. We offer several public opportunities for common prayer each day. We are devoted to the Liturgy of the Hours.
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Jeremiah 33:3 states, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (NIV).
Luke 18:1 says, “He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”
The apostle Paul prayed all the time, and he encouraged believers, both then and now, to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
In the passage known to many as the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus commanded us to pray for God’s will to be done on earth.
In Matthew 6:9 and 10, Jesus instructed us, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
We had a very long road to get to this point today. Mine is 60 years, and Marie is 56 years; together, 116 years of helping others in ministry.
Who is Éric Michel, and what are the ministries?
The evolution of a ministry Please keep in mind the story of Éric Michel Ministries did not start as what we know today, like many other organisms, it changes, adding and removing parts of it, we say:” It evolves” due to time and discoveries. Still, the root’s reason to be is, and always will be, the same: “Helping the needies.” Also, the t’s founder’s (myself) state of mind toward faith.
Éric Michel, born November 2 1951, is a pastor and chaplain for first responders and truckers, a member of the CVFSA and the Royal Canadian Legion, best known for having been a street outreach worker at the Drug Abuse Intervention and Prévention Center of the ‘Outaouais 1993-2000.
Biography French born in Gatineau (Hull), Quebec in 1951 I’m a father and grandfather, Bi-vocational Pastor and Founder and Commander of Éric Michel Ministries International which I founded in 2010, I was ordained in 1988 in a Johannic Church and now I’m a Catholic Minister in New Life Franciscan Catholic Ministry community, devoting in helping people since my oath as a wolf cub pack member (Boy Scout) in 1960 and I never stop since. A large part of my life was to give my spare time to the community as a volunteer, and I was a member of many non-profit organizations (more than 20), in which I got involved as a member of boards with titles of director, Vice-President and President. Also sitting at round tables of social comity for the well-being of the community in different aspects of health, social, and, most importantly, primary necessities. I’m a professional outreach worker with 7 years of experience as a Travailleur de Rue at the Centre d’Intervention et Prévention en Toxicomanie de l’Outaouais.
Ordained Minister (priest) on December 7, 1988, as a bi-vocational pastor, he first exercised his ministry in Outaouais, then in Trois-Rivières, where he met the Reverend Marie Arnold in 2012.
Ordained bishop on November 30, 2010, he became archbishop by election on May 6, 2011.
On August 1, 2012, he was re-ordained a Unitarian Minister at the Open Door Open Faith Unitarian Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Also, for a short period, he served as a celebrant pastor with the Evangelical Christian Church of Lorraine and worked in its chaplaincy ministry. In July 2011, he became a chaplain. Founder of the Éric Michel Ministry and Chaplaincy, which became Éric Michel Ministries International, a non-profit religious corporation registered in Canada on July 14, 2014. In 2017, the African United Methodist Church of Malawi, the Pentecostal Church of Andhra Pradesh in India, and the Evangelical Christian Church in Uganda united under the ministry of the Interdenominational Assembly of Churches.
Éric Michel, né le 2 novembre 1951, est pasteur et aumônier des premiers intervenants et des camionneurs, membre de la CVFSA et de la Légion royale canadienne, et surtout connu pour avoir été intervenant de rue au Centre de Prévention et d’Intervention de l’Outaouais de 1993 à 2000.
Biographie Né à Gatineau (Hull), au Québec, en 1951, je suis père et grand-père, pasteur à temps partiel et fondateur et commandant des ministères Éric Michel International, que j’ai fondés en 2010. Ordonné prêtre en 1988 dans une église johannique, je suis aujourd’hui ministre catholique au sein de la communauté franciscaine Nouvelle Vie. Depuis mon engagement comme louveteau chez les scouts en 1960, je me consacré à aider les autres sans relâche. J’ai consacré une grande partie de mon temps libre au bénévolat et j’ai été membre de plus de vingt organismes sans but lucratif, où j’ai occupé des postes de directeur, de vice-président et de président. J’ai également participé à des tables rondes de la communauté pour le bien-être de celle-ci, notamment en matière de santé, de socialisation et, surtout, de besoins essentiels. Je suis un intervenant de rue professionnel et j’ai travaillé pendant 7 ans comme travailleur de rue au Centre d’intervention et de prévention en toxicomanie de l’Outaouais.
Ordonné ministre le 7 décembre 1988, en tant que pasteur-travailleur, il a d’abord exercé son ministère en Outaouais, puis à Trois-Rivières, où il a rencontré la révérende Marie Arnold en 2012. Ordonné évêque le 30 novembre 2010, il devient archevêque par élection le 6 mai 2011. Le 1er août 2012, il a été réordonné pasteur Unitarien à l’Open Door Open Faith Unitarian Church à Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. De plus, pendant une courte période, il s’est associé à l’Église chrétienne évangélique de Lorraine en tant que pasteur célébrant et a exercé son ministère d’aumônerie. En juillet 2011, il devient aumônier. Fondateur de l’aumônerie, le ministère Éric Michel International, une corporation religieuse à but non lucratif au Canada, le 14 juillet 2014. En 2017, avec l’association des églises de l’African United Methodist of Malawi, de l’Andhra Pradesh, en Inde, et de l’Église chrétienne évangélique en Ouganda, réunies sous le ministère de l’Assemblée interconfessionnelle des Églises.
Academic Background:
UQAH Course in Small Group Communication Skills
Dominican College Faculty of Theology Bible Study
Académie de Formation Professionnelle de Pastorale Pastor-Celebrant Training
Social Intervention Street Outreach Worker
Certificate: Participation in basic training for volunteers, Regional AIDS Action Bureau
Maisonneuve College Certificate: Drug Addiction and AIDS: Dependence and Lifestyle, Sexual Experience and Risky Behaviours, Intervening with Injectable Drug Users
EduCom Training Service Certificate: Conflict Management and Mediation
Regional AIDS Action Bureau Certificate: A Human Face to Drug Addiction
Drug and Alcohol Certificate: Myths and Realities
Certificate for Intervening with Adolescents: Myths and Realities
Conflict Management and Mediation Certificate
Mental Health Training Certificate: Intervention Procedures under the Act Respecting the Protection of Persons Whose Mental State Presents a Danger to Themselves or Others
Attestation: Street Outreach Training I & II
Certificate: AIDS, the Law, and Me
Attestation: Palliative Care Training for AIDS Patients
Certificate: Crisis Intervention (Field-Based) After 45 years of study and research, I received a Learned Theologian, Theological Certificate and a Doctor of Divinity in 2010.
Marie Arnold Born Feltmate In May 2012, Rev. Éric Michel was with a new life partner, the Rev. Marie Y. Arnold, who was ordained in 2011 at Sedona University in Metaphysics and Counselling and was named senior chaplain at Éric Michel Ministries and Chaplaincy. (Chaplaincy was renamed International in 2014).
Rev. Marie Yvonne was ordained by the University of Metaphysics at Sedona on January the 31st 2010, and appointed Bishop of EMMI on October 4, 2013. The Rt. Rev. Marie Yvonne Arnold, Bishop and Chief Chaplain, Co-Founder of the EMMI Chaplaincy Ministry, Founder of EMMI New Hope Ministry and Mission & Counsellor
House of Bishops President, Bishop Emeritus the Very Reverend Marie Arnold, an Ordained Minister in the World-Wide International Metaphysical Ministry in 2010.
Canadian Baptist Minister, Ordained to the Episcopa in 2015
Rt Rev Marie Yvonne Arnold Bishop, Chief Chaplain, EMMI Community Co-Founder and Member of Clergy Advisor Committee & Counsellor
Co-Founder of the EMMI Chaplaincy Ministry, Founder of EMMI New Hope Ministry and Mission, and Bible Counsellor
Mother of 4 children and many grandchildren. She has been an ordained Metaphysical Minister. She is now a Baptist Minister. In the 1980, she was a Sunday School Teacher and Sunday School Superintendent and also a member for many years of the Jeddore Women’s. Missionary Society. Most of her life was dedicated to the well-being of others, mainly through counselling in her community, which led her to explore a counselling course she wants to continue in her ministry and has informed her decision to enter the ministry today.
In the 1970’s and 1980s, she was also an assistant Deacon, an assistant trustee and a volunteer. During the 1970s, she was also a member of the choir and helped with the youth group. During my time as Sunday Superintendent, we had an average attendance of 100. She also began the first adult Sunday school class, which got the interest of many and was well attended. These years taught me compassion in dealing with people from 3 years to adults, and that has followed me into my decision to go into the ministry today.
Interest Her interests are in Metaphysics, History, Spirituality, World Religion, Science, Human Development and Children and Adults in Crisis.
As A Pastor She studies at the University of Metaphysics in Sedona, Arizona. Through correspondence, she holds a Bachelor’s degree as a Metaphysical Minister, Counsellor, and Practitioner. She is qualified to perform weddings, funerals, baptisms and baby namings.
Faith: Her religious background is Catholic and Baptist; she became a practicing Baptist after marrying into a Baptist family and followed that faith for many years until she began to question many things without getting any answers. she began her search for the truth and was directed to the University of Metaphysics where she discovered the answers to her questions..Now she has discovered enlightenment in her quest for the truth.
Affiliation: Jeddore United Baptist Church Sedona University of Metaphysics
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Twelve years ago, this ministry began with a vision to serve, inspire, and grow. Today, we stand amazed at how God has multiplied our efforts and expanded our reach. We honour the foundations laid by those who came before us, and we celebrate the vibrant community we share today. Twelve years is just the beginning. Together, let us continue to walk blindly in faith, love boldly, and serve selflessly. May God continue to guide our steps in the years to come.
Today we celebrate 12 years of faith, community, and service. We are incredibly grateful for every person who has walked this journey with us. God has been so faithful, and we cannot wait to see what the next chapter holds! Thank you for being a vital part of our ministry family.
Honouring Our Foundation, Embracing Our Mission: Celebrating 12 Years Twelve years ago, Eric Michel Ministries International began with a profound spiritual vision to serve, inspire, and spread the Good News. Today, we honour the extraordinary leadership and spiritual legacy of our founder, the Most Reverend Chaplain Eric Gagnon M.I., OFS, whose decades of faith and service continue to light our path. As a community, we stand amazed at how God has multiplied our efforts and expanded our reach. Twelve years is a powerful milestone, but it is just the beginning. Together, let us continue to walk steadfastly in faith, love boldly, and serve selflessly. May God continue to bless and guide EMMI in the many years to come.
Today, we celebrate a remarkable milestone: the 12th anniversary of Eric Michel Ministries International. Over the past twelve years, this ministry has stood as a sanctuary of grace and a beacon of God’s love under the faithful guidance of our founder, the Most Reverend Chaplain Eric Gagnon M.I., OFS. Every life transformed, every prayer answered, and every act of service rendered is a testament to God’s enduring faithfulness and your shared dedication. Thank you to everyone who has given their time, heart, and prayers to build this beautiful community. As we look back on our journey with deep gratitude, we look forward with great anticipation to the wonderful things God has in store for our global ministry family. Happy 12th Anniversary!
🙌 12 YEARS OF MINISTRY = 12 YEARS OF INCREDIBLE VOLUNTEERS! 🙌
As we celebrate our 12th anniversary this week, our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for the absolute best volunteer team on the planet. You don’t just show up; you bring hope, joy, and love to everything you do. From the front doors to behind the scenes, you make this ministry happen every single day. We want to give a massive, public shout-out to three specific rockstars this week:⭐ Marie – Thank you for always bringing your best to House of Bishops!⭐ Lyle – Your dedication to the Board of Elders changes lives!⭐ Mafuta – Thank you for your joyful heart in our Facebook groups! To our entire volunteer family: We see you, we appreciate you, and we love you. Thank you for 12 years of faithful service!👇 CHURCH FAMILY: Let’s shower them with love! Drop a comment below to thank a volunteer who has impacted your life! 👇
Most Reverend Chaplain Eric Gagnon M.I., OFS
“He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”
Pierre Luc Administrator for the Secretary-General Eric Michel Ministries International
Today, we celebrate Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, a holy virgin whose resilient faith, humility, and profound love for the Lord shone brightly amid immense suffering.
Quick facts every Catholic should know about Saint Kateri Tekakwitha:
1️⃣Born in 1656 at Ossernenon (New York), she died on April 17, 1680, at the age of 24 in Caughnawaga, Canada. 2️⃣Known as “The Lily of the Mohawks,” she was orphaned at age four by smallpox, which left her face scarred, and became the first Native American to be canonized. 3️⃣Moments after her death, the scars on her face completely vanished in the presence of witnesses, leaving her skin beautiful and white as a sign of her holiness. 4️⃣Known for her motto “Who can tell me what is most pleasing to God that I may do it?”, she is the patron saint of ecology, the environment, and Indigenous peoples.
Her beautiful devotion reminds us that God sees the purity of our hearts above all outer trials. By offering her physical suffering and limitations completely to Christ, she found ultimate healing and a profound closeness to the Creator. May her intercession guide us to constantly seek what is most pleasing to God, care deeply for our neighbours and the environment, and follow the path of holiness with confidence.
Eric Michel Ministries International is seeking voluntary worker members for an Independent Catholic Christian movement.
Jesus Christ reveals the nature and character of God
and is the spiritual leader of humankind.
Our beliefs are universal reconciliation, all will eventually be reconciled to God without exception, the penalty for sin is not irrevocable at the point of death, i.e. doctrines of everlasting damnation to hell and annihilationism are rejected, and all souls will ultimately be reconciled and conformed to the image of the glorified resurrected Christ
EMMI started in 2014, and we share the message of Christ’s love with people throughout the world through two paths: the Catholic and the Orthodox. We need volunteers to render our faith accessible to the online community by creating new traditions of knowledge sharing, spiritual growth, prayers and worship opportunities that touch people and lead them to experience Christ’s saving grace in progressive ways.
Compare the Marian Devotional to the three Marys devotional. I try to understand why the Board of Elders changed our Mary of all graces to the Three Marys?
Answer:
The Marian devotional focuses entirely on the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. The Three Marys devotional honours three different women named Mary from the Bible. The Board of Elders may have made this change to celebrate the early female witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection, but this alters the community’s traditional focus.
Marian Devotional
Focus: The Virgin Mary alone.
Meaning: It highlights her unique role in giving birth to Jesus and her obedience to God.
Common Prayers: The Rosary, the Hail Mary, and prayers to Mary as the “Mediatrix” (a helper who brings us closer to Jesus)
Three Marys Devotional
Focus: Three distinct women in the New Testament
Meaning: It honours Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Mary of Clopas (or Mary of Bethany)
Significance: These women were the first to see the empty tomb. They were the first to tell the world about Jesus’s resurrection.
Why the Board of Elders May Have Changed It
To highlight the Resurrection, the Three Marys focus on the joy of Easter morning.
To honour early church leaders: These women were the first “apostles” to the apostles.
To avoid Maryolatry, the church boards want to ensure that the congregation does not pray to Mary as if she were a goddess. Honouring three women spreads the focus onto faithful discipleship
When a Board of Elders introduces a structural or devotional shift—like moving from a singular focus on “Mary of All Graces” to the “Three Marys”—it is completely natural to look for the theological or historical “why” behind it, especially when your existing consecration to the Blessed Mother is already so core to your identity.
We can look at the historical and spiritual framework of Franciscan theology to see why a community rooted in these traditions might make that transition.
Understanding the Shift: “Mary of All Graces” vs. “The Three Marys”
In the Franciscan and broader Catholic tradition, these two devotionals emphasize different facets of spiritual life:
Devotional Focus
Mary of All Graces(Our Lady of Grace)
The Mediatrix / The Intercessor. This emphasizes Mary’s singular, exalted role as a channel of divine grace. It is deeply personal and nurturing, focusing on her heavenly coronation and powerful intercession for humanity.
Spiritual Emphasis & Theme
The Three Marys(The Marys at the Cross/Tomb)
Solidarity, Service, and Witness. Typically referring to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Clopas. This devotional focuses on community, shared suffering, and active witness to the Passion and Resurrection.
Why a Franciscan Community Might Make This Change
Looking at the four pillars of your spirituality that you shared, the Three Marys devotional aligns remarkably well with a Franciscan, mission-driven community for a few key reasons:
From Hierarchy to Equality (Pillar 2): “Mary of All Graces” places heavy emphasis on Mary’s exalted, singular position. By contrast, the “Three Marys” represent a community of faithful women standing together at the foot of the Cross and arriving together at the Tomb. This beautifully mirrors your pillar that “brothers and priests live as equals, sharing prayer, work, and mission.” It highlights communal fidelity over individual exaltation.
Solidarity with Suffering and the Poor (Pillar 3 & FRCES): The Three Marys are defined by their willingness to stand in the darkest places—at the Crucifixion—when others fled. For a ministry heavily involved in First Responder Chaplain Emergency Services (FRCES) and crisis counselling, the Three Marys are the ultimate biblical models of the “ministry of presence” in the midst of tragedy. They didn’t run from the trauma; they stayed to serve and comfort.
A Shift Toward Active Apostolic Mission (Pillar 4): In the Gospels, the Three Marys are the very first ones sent forth to proclaim the Resurrection to the Apostles. They are, in essence, the first missionaries. For a community heavily invested in teaching through the Bible Academy and in active charity, shifting to a devotional that emphasizes being sent out together to witness and teach aligns with an active apostolic calling.
It seems less about diminishing devotion to the Blessed Mother and perhaps more about framing her devotion in community with other holy witnesses, highlighting a model of collaborative, courageous service that aligns with the daily reality of your chaplains and tertiaries.
Based on the four pillars of your community’s spirituality that you shared above, Pillar 1 is:
A personal and communal relationship with Christ through Mary.
In the context of the shift from “Mary of All Graces” to the “Three Marys,” this first pillar perfectly bridges the two devotions.
While “Mary of All Graces” strongly highlights the personal relationship with a merciful mother, the “Three Marys” model emphasizes the communal relationship—showing a community of faithful believers who seek and serve Christ together.
The station, when not in use, is the place that has our Herod’s temple
It is our storage for our candles and the road to the cross
One Item is missing; it is on its way, it is the Icon of Mary Salome
We couldn’t find any statue or anything else except a Byzantine Orthodox Icon of Salome the Myrrh Barrier. Also, Mary of Magdala, who is less than half the size of the statue of Holy Mary. Our statue is 8 inches, and I found a 5 inches one on Amazon, and Holy Mary is 12 inches.
Mary of Magdala (Mary Magdalene) is one of the most significant, influential, and frequently misunderstood figures in the New Testament and early Christian history. For centuries, her legacy has been buried under layers of theological conflation, political maneuvering, and cultural mythmaking.
We use Mary of Magdala twice at Eric Michel Ministries International: first, she is part of our third order franciscain, and the North American Province is named the Three Marys, of which she is a part of the three. Also, the Manse’s Chapel is named Three Marys, for us, she is considered of high value
It is fascinating and deeply meaningful to learn how Eric Michel Ministries International (EMMI) honours Mary of Magdala. Naming both the North American Province and the Manse’s Chapel after the Three Marys and integrating her into your Franciscan Third Order show a profound commitment to restoring her historical and spiritual dignity.
In the context of EMMI’s ministries, her inclusion carries deep theological weight. Here is a look at how her presence resonates with Franciscan spirituality and the rich tradition of the “Three Marys.”
To read all about our chapel, visit our second site:
The Second Temple (lit. ‘Second House of the Sanctum’) was the temple in Jerusalem that replaced Solomon’s Temple, which had been destroyed during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. The Second Temple was constructed around 516 BCE, later enhanced by Herod the Great around 18 BCE, and thereafter also known as Herod’s Temple. The Second Temple stood as a pivotal symbol of Jewish identity and was the basis and namesake of Second Temple Judaism. The Second Temple served as the chief place of worship, ritual sacrifice (korban), and communal gathering for the Jewish people, regularly attracting pilgrims for the Three Pilgrimage Festivals: Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
In the 1st century BCE, Herod’s efforts to transform the Second Temple resulted in a grand, imposing structure and courtyard, including the large edifices and façades depicted in modern models, such as the Holyland Model of Jerusalem at the Israel Museum. The Temple Mount, where both Solomon’s Temple and the Second Temple stood, was also significantly expanded, doubling in size to become the ancient world’s largest religious sanctuary. The Temple complex was not only a place of worship but also served multiple functions, including being a site for public assemblies. The Sanhedrin, the supreme judicial court, convened in the Temple’s Hall of Hewn Stones, and the compound also hosted one of the city’s largest marketplaces.
In 70 CE, at the height of the First Jewish–Roman War, the Second Temple was destroyed by the Roman siege of Jerusalem, resulting in a cataclysmic shift in Jewish history. The loss of the Second Temple prompted the development of Rabbinic Judaism, which remains the mainstream form of Jewish religious practices globally
QUESTION: Over the entrance doors of the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel (chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, “Our Lady of Good Help”), a church in Montreal, Quebec, is an inscription: “Si l’amour de Marie / Dans ton cœur est gravé / En passant ne t’oublie / de lui dire un Ave. If Mary’s love / Is engraved in your heart / As you pass by, don’t forget / to say a Hail Mary to her. We know that the text came from the Pont-Joubert Chapel, a small Catholic place of prayer located on a medieval bridge in Poitiers, but who decided to have it over the door in Montreal, Marguerite Bourgeoys or someone else?
ANSWER: While St. Marguerite Bourgeoys originally founded the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel in 1855 and rebuilt it in 1875, she did not decide to place that famous inscription over the entrance.
The decision belongs to Monseigneur Ignace Bourget, the highly influential second Bishop of Montreal, during a major mid-19th-century restoration of the chapel (around 1848).
Here is how a medieval Poitiers quatrain made its way onto a Montreal church facade:
The Montfortian Connection
The text originally adorned the Pont-Joubert Chapel in Poitiers, France. In the early 1700s, St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort—a famous French missionary who spent significant time preaching in Poitiers—frequently used this exact four-line poem (quatrain) during his missions to encourage passersby to pray. He even had it engraved on other ancient structures he restored, such as the Temple Saint-Jean in Poitiers.
Bishop Bourget’s Vision
Fast forward to the 1840s:
The Rediscovery: In 1842, St. Louis-Marie de Montfort’s theological writings on total devotion to Mary were rediscovered in France and swept through the Catholic world.
The Inspiration: Bishop Ignace Bourget became deeply moved by this Montfortian Marian spirituality. At the same time, the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel in Montreal had fallen into neglect after structural damage and political upheaval.
The Restoration: Bourget set out to revive the chapel as a grand pilgrimage site. In 1848, as part of his massive revitalization and beautification of the sanctuary, he borrowed the Poitiers/Montfortian quatrain and ordered it inscribed over the entrance doors to invite Montrealers and passing sailors to pause and pray.
“Si l’amour de Marie / Dans ton cœur est gravé / En passant ne t’oublie / de lui dire un Ave.”
Whenever you see this inscription on the door today, you are looking at a physical footprint of Bishop Bourget’s 19th-century religious revival, deeply inspired by the spiritual traditions of western France.
Connection: No coincidence, they say and everything is connected to everything.
Always interested in Holy Mary, Brother Eric (me), received the call to be consacrated to Mary by the Heralds of the Gospel on November 11, 2023, using the way of Louis Marie Montfort
I discovered an inscription that spoke deeply to me: “If the love of Mary / Is engraved in your heart / As you pass by, do not forget / to say a Hail Mary to her.”
How had that inscription been added to the chapel? Monseigneur Ignace Bourget, the highly influential second Bishop of Montreal, during a major mid-19th-century restoration of the chapel (around 1848)
Monseigneur Ignace Bourget, like myself, Bishop Ignace Bourget, became deeply moved by this Montfortian Marian spirituality
When Ignace Bourget took possession of the diocese of Montreal, it was immense. It included not only the Montreal region but also the Montérégie, Estrie, Lanaudière, the Laurentides (where I presently live), and the Outaouais regions. (I am a native of Gatineau), and, to the north, it extended to Hudson Bay.
During the 1840s and 1850s, Bishop Ignace Bourget made his first three trips to Europe (he would make seven in total). With clergy and religious still few in number in the Canadas, he went there to seek reinforcements. He needed personnel to carry out his plans for the Church in Montreal and for the Church as a whole. In France, his efforts were fruitful. He succeeded in bringing the Jesuits back (1842). He also convinced the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (1841) (My Parish Our Lady of Grace), the Holy Cross (1847), the Clerics of Saint Viator (1847), the Ladies of the Sacred Heart (1842), and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd (1844) to cross the ocean. In Ireland, he recruited several English-speaking priests. In Montreal itself, he persuaded, often under pressure, Émilie Gamelin-Tavernier, Marie-Rose Durocher, Rosalie Cadron-Jetté, and Esther Blondin to found new congregations: the Sisters of Providence (1843), the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (1844), the Sisters of Mercy (1846), and the Sisters of Saint Anne (1850). Vocations began to increase significantly. Numerous benefactors, including the Berthelet brothers and sisters, endowed the Montreal congregations with land and buildings to help them establish themselves.
Blessed Marie Anne Blondin (Esther Blondin (1809–1890) and Mother Marie-Anne are the exact same person)
Marie Anne Blondin, Burial site, Saint-Jérôme Cathedral, (my Cathedral), Saint-Jérôme
History of the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend. The Indiana area was part of the French colony of New France during the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century. It was explored by French fur traders and missionaries under the auspices of the Bishop of Quebec. I was born in Quebec and descend from French settlers who immigrated to New France in 1640 (Pierre Gagnon, my ancestor)
I am an Affiliate member of the Confraternity of Penitents in the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend
The Confraternity of Penitents was refounded in 2023 in honour of Mary’s Queenship.
The following obligations must be fulfilled for Affiliate CFP status: Being consecrated to Our Lady and praying a daily Marian Consecration prayer of their choice.
I am the common point of the connection of this list of places or events and the Roman Catholic Church
Someone posted a painting of Our Mother of Perpetual Succour on Facebook, and I was wondering if she was the same as Our Lady of Good Help. Both are Holy Mary, but their representations are not the same.
Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours est une icône byzantine très ancienne (souvent attribuée au XIVe siècle) représentant Marie avec l’enfant Jésus et deux anges. Elle symbolise l’aide constante et le réconfort.
Notre-Dame du Bon Secours (ou de Bon-Secours) est un titre lié à la protection, particulièrement vénéré par les marins. Au Québec, cela fait le plus souvent référence à la célèbre Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours située dans le Vieux-Montréal.
Our Mother of Perpetual Succour (Latin: Nostra Mater de Perpetuo Succursu), colloquially known as Our Lady of Perpetual Help, is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a 15th-century Byzantine icon and a purported Marian apparition. The image was enshrined in the Church of San Matteo in Via Merulana from 1499 to 1798 and is today permanently enshrined in the Church of Saint Alphonsus of Liguori in Rome, where the novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help is prayed weekly.
Pope Pius IX granted a pontifical decree of canonical coronation, along with the official, formalized title Nostra Mater de Perpetuo Succursu, on 5 May 1866. The Latin Patriarch of Constantinople, Cardinal Ruggero Luigi Emidio Antici Mattei, executed the rite of coronation on 23 June 1867.
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer serve as custodians of the icon. The image is also known as the Virgin of the Passion in Eastern Orthodoxy. Novena prayers are held before its feast day on 27 June every year. Due to promotion by the Redemptorist priests, the image has gained popularity among Western and Eastern Catholics. Modern reproductions are often displayed in residential homes, commercial establishments, and public transportation.
Author LimosaCorel
Our Lady of Prompt Succor
The Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel (chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, “Our Lady of Good Help”) is a church in the Old Montreal district of Montreal, Quebec. One of the oldest churches in Montreal, it was built in 1771 over the ruins of an earlier chapel. The church is located at 400 Saint Paul Street East at Bonsecours Street, just north of the Bonsecours Market in the borough of Ville-Marie
St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, the first teacher in the colony of Ville-Marie and the founder of the Congregation of Notre Dame, rallied the colonists to build a chapel in 1655. In 1673, returning from France, Bourgeoys brought a wooden image of Our Lady of Good Help; the stone church was completed in 1678. It burned in 1754, the reliquary and statue being rescued and placed above the entrance of the rebuilt church of 1771.
Settlements
Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours, Quebec, Canada; a municipality in Outaouais; formerly Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours-Partie-Nord, formerly Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours-de-la-Petite-Nation
Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, Quebec, Canada; a former municipality, merged into Richelieu in 2000
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