The Jesuit Congress is over. I am at the Toronto airport, awaiting a plane that will be late by at least half an hour. So much for being in bed by midnight again tonight. Sigh! The bags under my eyes may start to make me look like a dead body.
The first photo is of my small group that I grew to love, and am especially grateful for their participation which allowed my role as facilitator easier than anticipated. We worked through yesterday's questions well and even though the larger audience struggled, our spiritual conversation was a blessing. These men love God with all their hearts and wish to serve God. As the Provincial said of the whole group, there was no evidence of a dead body here.
The mass at the Martyr's Shrine was a blessing, interrupted by the collapse of one of the elderly priests. After medical aid was sought, and an ambulance called, we sang a prayer of blessing and then continued the mass where we had left off until the ambulance arrived. The man left, waving at people, so we were relieved, that he really was not a dead body!!
The mass celebrated the 50th Jubilees of three Jesuits. In this photo, Archbishop Terrence Prendergast is being smudged, as we all have been at the beginning of the masses, here in this holy land where Jesuits, donnes (laity), and Aboriginals died for their faith.
This is the end of the Congress but not of the journey in this regard for me. One of the things that I heard in small groups before I left home was that the church needs to be revitalized--that the people in the pews needed a deeper conversion. That message was stated here too. This is not a dead body and I am committed to making sure that my parish continues to be alive in Christ.
Peace,
Suzanne
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