2026
The Chapel
Our apartment is called a Manse, like the song “Dem Bones” by Sharon, Lois & Bram, or “L’arbre est dans ses feuilles by Zachary Richard ‧ 1980.
The Chalice is in the Tabernacle
The Tabernacle is on the Altar
The Altar in the Chapel
The Chapel is in the Manse
The Altar painted pictures
The Manse Chapel was first created as a prayer corner for the Revd. Mary and I. As our volunteer staff grew, we expanded the chapel to occupy the entire living room. We added an Altar to what was once just a Shrine, then a prayer corner and a Chromebook for Zoom meetings. The chapel seats five comfortably but can hold up to twelve, not counting me.
As a Marian movement, the chapel is dedicated to the Holy Mary, and with our developing theology, the board of Elders decided to add two other Marys, so the name changed in 2025 to the Chapel of the Three Marys. Mary of Nazareth, Mary of Magdala and Mary Salome, to name them.
As mentioned in a previous post in 2025, chaplains do not have to purchase chasubles to celebrate the Eucharist. As guests in places we visit, such as senior residences, hospitals, and similar settings, they keep a few; we just have to borrow one for the mass time. But due to Revd. Mary, who is nailed to bed cause by her illness. It is mandatory for me to celebrate in our chapel since the end of January, when we are going through more modifications and furniture is added. We have a Vestry and a Sacristy that will be appearing soon. Because it is a small apartment, really, it is a wardrobe called a vestry and a dresser called a sacristy. The idea came from the real sacristy of the ex-St. Joseph church in Carillon, where, under a counter, there are drawers containing all the Holy Dishes and altar linens.
Can you come and pray with us at the Manse Chapel? The answer is yes and no; the reason is that Marie’s bedroom is set up like a hospital room, and medical staff and caregivers work here 7 days a week. We have to control access, so no, you cannot, but if you are a volunteer or someone who has already come to us for help and developed a chaplaincy relationship as a parishioner, well, the answer is yes, no problem.
WE ARE CONCENTRATING ON DEVOTION TO THE TWO HEARTS OF JESUS CHRIST, THE DIVINE MERCY AND HIS IMMACULATE MOTHER, AS OUR LADY OF ALL GRACE AND AS OUR LADY OF FATIMA.
The Manse
A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant’s ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as Manse, parsonage, presbytery, rectory, or vicarage. (In French: Le presbytère est l’habitation du curé catholique ou du pasteur protestant.) Ce bâtiment est également appelé « maison curiale ».
A manse is a clergy house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and other Christian traditions. Ultimately derived from the Latin mansus, “dwelling”, from manere, “to remain”, by the 16th century, the term meant both a dwelling and, in ecclesiastical contexts, the amount of land needed to support a single family.
Our Manse of the Right Revd. Marie and I are in an apartment with three bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room and a living room. Usually, the Chapel is in the living room, the main bedroom is our living room, and we use the other rooms for sleeping and an office. Due to Marie’s illness (Multiple Sclerosis (MS)), we had to adapt so that our living room is a mix of a living room and a Chapel. We needed space for a wheelchair, and now we also accommodate ambulance-paramedics who visit frequently throughout the year.
The Chapel consists of three parts: 1) the Altar, 2) the Shrine.3) Prayer Wall
The Shrine or Sactuary is an all-glass shelving with mainly Holy Statues, pictures, rosaries, and souvenirs of our pilgrimages.
Until this year, I never elaborated on many of the artifacts at the Altar because, as a chaplain, I celebrate the Eucharist and other sacraments on location. Usually, I set up a table with tablecloths, candles, a Bible, and a communion set. As a caregiver to Marie, my external duties are limited to 26 hours per week, including household errands, medical visits, and car maintenance. So I needed to upgrade the Chapel’s Altar.
On Sunday, we have 6 people attending the service, but at other times, there are no parishioners. People think that I am still roaming from one place to another. Also, from time to time, you will see me worshiping in other churches, Catholic, of course, but also Anglican, Baptist, United Church or Wesleyan. That is part of the Chaplain’s role to be inter-denominational.
The Chapel walls contain icons, pictures, paintings and certifications. Lots of crucifixes, crosses, and the Last Suppers in metal, wood, plastic, and paper. Also, we have many icons of Our Lady of Grace, our dedicated patron saint.
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