MARTYRS SHRINE. Shrine Message Summer In this edition

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1 MARTYRS SHRINE Shrine Message Summer 2016 In this edition Director s Message...2 Holy Door... 3 First Light Tiawenk... 5 Novena Prayers... 5 Journey of a young Jesuit Novice... 6 Jesuit Community at the Shrine... 6 Interview with Fr. Jacques Monet, SJ.6 Message from the Board Chair... 7 Martyrs in French Canada... 8

2 2 MARTYRS SHRINE MESSAGE Outdoor Mass at the Polish Altar Our Holy Door at Martyrs Shrine Vietnamese Pilgrimage Korean Pilgrimage Group of young pilgrims ascend the Church steps on their knees Message from the Director of Martyrs Shrine Dear Members of the Martyrs Shrine Association and valued friends, It is indeed a pleasure to greet you as the new director of the Martyrs Shrine. On the 16th of February, Fr. Bernie Carroll, SJ left us to begin his new ministry as a spiritual director at Loyola Retreat Centre in Guelph, Ontario, just as I arrived from Oxford University, where I completed my doctorate in early-modern history, to take on the directorship. His dedicated years of service to the Shrine contributed so much to our mission, and I am sure that we are all very grateful for his labours! As you will see throughout this message, our 2016 season at the Martyrs Shrine has been filled with extraordinary events. In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, tens of thousands of pilgrims have joined us in walking with Jean de Brébeuf and his companions through our Holy Door into a new life with Christ our Lord. The Jesuit fathers who labour at the Shrine have taken up permanent residence on the property, and we have begun preparing new winter-retreats that will be offered to Catholic school children coming from across southern Ontario. We welcomed Mr. Brian Beal as our new Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and are hosting over 125,000 pilgrims from thirty-six different cultural communities. Looking ahead, there is much for which we must give thanks to God. The Martyrs Shrine is joining with Sainte- Marie among the Hurons this winter in welcoming over twelve thousand people to First Light; an extraordinary event where visitors, surrounded by thousands of candles, beautifully placed on the historic site, will prepare for the Christmas season. For our part, pilgrims will have the opportunity to hear a First Nation s account of the birth of Christ, take a hay ride, meet with St. Nicholas, share in a cup of hot apple cider by our eighty-foot high Christmas tree, and take in the beauty of our live nativity scene. We are also starting a restoration project in the Shrine itself, which will both bring the Blessed Sacrament back to the centre of the Church and provide more space for our pilgrims to pray with the relics of St. Jean de Brébeuf and his companions. Meanwhile, underneath the Church, we will be renovating the Filion Centre so as to make it ready to host our youth retreats. Finally, this coming September, we are hosting our third annual Tiawenk Dinner, and are so very excited that the organizing committee s hopes to raise over $25, to help in this Filion Centre project. All of these initiatives, and indeed all of our daily operations, are made possible through the generous support of our benefactors. We give thanks for your support and are, as always, honoured to be praying with you and the Jesuit Martyrs of Canada, as we walk together as pilgrims towards a deeper union with Jesus Christ.

3 Summer Our Jubilee Holy Door at Martyrs Shrine Andrew Taylor, Sacristan In my work at the Shrine this summer, one of my tasks if it may be called a task has been to assist people in prayerfully traversing the holy door; which has been erected for the Jubilee Year of Mercy. I am regularly asked by pilgrims why we have chosen a door as the Sacramental sign that we present for this year of mercy. Though the holy door (in general) is a symbol which far predates Martyrs Shrine, my typical answer makes reference to the act of stepping from one space to another in this case entering a space wherein we are in communion with our Merciful Father. Those who come to the Shrine come for many reasons, but ultimately that they might turn with renewed vigour to the divine life which is our Christian vocation. The holy door has been a focal point for this conversion, and it has been truly humbling to witness the grace of God at work in so many souls. To those who have not already made a pilgrimage to the Shrine, I would encourage you to do so, and to commit yourself to our merciful Father, as you pass through the holy door into new life. Martyrs Shrine joins sainte-marie among the hurons for first light Martyrs Shrine is honoured to join our neighbours, Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, to expand programming of their First Light event onto our holy grounds. This new collaboration, and expansion to the 2016 First Light programming will add to the visitor experience whilst increasing overall capacity to accommodate the growing crowds generated by this unique cultural festival. Alongside the extensive activities offered annually at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, Martyrs Shrine will host an aboriginal story telling, an encounter with St. Nicholas, a hay-ride, carolers, and a live nativity scene. We would like to take this time to invite our pilgrims, and supporters to join us during First Light on the eve of either November December 1-3, or December 8-10 at the steps of the church for a Christmas event like no other. Tickets will only be sold at the door but be sure to follow Martyrs Shrine and Sainte-Marie among the Hurons s Facebook Pages for updates! Visit for updates on First Light 2016!

4 4 MARTYRS SHRINE MESSAGE Novena Prayers to the Canadian Martyrs We invite you to join the Novena to the Canadian martyrs and St. Joseph, September 17-25, During these nine days we honour all the martyrs, and commemorate the martyrdoms of St. Jean de Brébeuf and St. Gabriel Lalemant and their companions. The Feast of St. Joseph is on March 19. St. Joseph is both the Patron Saint of Canada and one of our Canadian martyrs. A Novena of Masses and the Novena Prayers to the martyrs will be offered for the intentions of all making the Novena. During the Novena, intentions that are sent to Martyrs Shrine will be left on the private altar of the Jesuit Fathers beside the relics of Sts Jean de Brébeuf, Gabriel Lallement, and Charles Garnier. May the martyrs, co-patrons of Canada, St. Joseph and Mary, Queen of Martyrs, intercede for all of us and for our country. O God, who inflamed the hearts of your blessed Martyrs with great zeal for the salvation of all people, I pray that, through their intercession, you answer my petition (here mention it), so that the favours obtained through their intercession may witness to the whole world the power and glory of your name. Amen. St. Jean de Brébeuf, pray for us St. Isaac Jogues, pray for us St. Gabriel Lalemant, pray for us St. Antoine Daniel, pray for us St. Charles Garnier, pray for us St. Noël Chabanel, pray for us St. René Goupil, pray for us St. Jean de Lalande, pray for us Prayer to the Martyrs Holy Martyrs and patrons, watch over this land consecrated by the shedding of your blood. By your prayer, renew the Catholic faith that you helped to establish here, foster a deeper unity among Christians, and bring all our fellow citizens to a deeper knowledge and love of the truth. May we be zealous in bearing witness to Christ, so that we may continue and perfect your labours. Pray with us for our homes, our schools, our missions, for vocations, for the conversion of sinners, for a warm welcome in our communities to those who are rediscovering their faith, and for the perseverance of all the faithful. Amen. Prayer to our Lady Glorious Queen of Martyrs, the early missionaries of this country were devoted to you, and through your help they received many graces. I know that your Divine Son lovingly remembers all they did for His greater service and praise: that they preached the gospel and made His holy name known to thousands who had never heard of Him, and then for love of Him, had their apostolic labours crowned by shedding their blood. Exercise your motherly influence as you did at Cana, and pray with me now, asking Him to grant me what I ask in this Novena, if it be according to His holy will. Amen. Prayer to St. Joseph Dear Saint Joseph, chosen by God to be the husband of Mary and protector of Jesus, the martyrs saw in you a model of quiet courage and charity, and chose you as their patron. Pray with me now, and ask Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, to grant me what I ask in this Novena, if it be according to His holy will. Amen. Submit your personal prayer petitions for the Novena Prayers to the Canadian Martyrs Through Martyrs Shrine s ministry of prayer, we join you in praying for the intentions dear to your heart. To submit your prayer petitions for the Novena Prayers to the Canadian Martyrs using the enclosed Donation Card: 1. Select from one of the donation amounts by checking the appropriate box on Side A or check other and write your desired donation beside the dollar symbol 2. Select the prayer petitions you wish to submit from the options included by checking the appropriate box or checking other and writing your prayer petition 3. Fill out the payment details on Side B 4. Using the included postage-paid envelope, enclose your Donation Card, and cheque or cash if applicable, and send it to us via Canada Post Should you require additional Donation Cards, or want additional ones for friends and family, you can print a form off of our website at:

5 Summer MARTYRS SHRINE Ways to Support Us Tiawenk Dinner 2015: Your Generosity at Work! Making Holy Mass Accessible for All Last year, our generous supporters gave graciously at the second annual Tiawenk Dinner and Fundraiser. The goal of the 2015 dinner was to raise funds for a new sound system in the Church, accompanied by a wireless system for those with hearing impairments. Thanks to the generosity of those in attendance, $25,000 was raised for the project. The sound system has since been installed in the Church, and assistive devices are checked out regularly from our Information Office by those who require them. This project has allowed Mass to be more accessible as we work to better serve visitors from all walks of life, and allow them to hear the healing message of Jean de Brébeuf and his companions, bringing them closer to Christ. The third annual Tiawenk Dinner is to be held on Saturday, September 24th at the Brooklea Golf and Country Club, and its proceeds dedicated to the renovation of the Filion Centre. The Centre, located beneath the Church, is in need of a major rejouvination. With your help, we can transform this space into a multi-purpose, four-season, facility, conducive to learning and quiet reflection. For the first time, this will enable us to welcome students and community groups all year long. You can contribute to this event and its efforts by purchasing a ticket, sponsoring the event through your business, contributing a silent or live auction, item or by purchasing the ticket of a Jesuit Father so that he may attend the event. Martyrs Shrine is not a parish with committed regular financial support from parishioners. The gate fees, and other Shrine revenue, do not cover all of its operating costs nor the ongoing capital upgrades necessary to keep it operating. We need your financial support to offset our expenses so that generations to come can be with our Lord in this holy place. We rely entirely on your generosity. Donations over $25 will be issued a Charitable Donation Receipt for income tax purposes Send us your personal prayer petitions along with a donation Through Martyrs Shrine s ministry of prayer, we join you in praying for the intentions dear to your heart. Join the Martyrs Shrine Association Share in: 100 Masses each year Daily prayers of intercession Prayers during two annual novenas The Martyrs Shrine Message sent twice annually Include Martyrs Shrine in your Planned Giving Make a bequest in your will to Martyrs Shrine, Midland, Ontario to thank God for blessings received in your lifetime through the intercession of the Canadian Martyrs. For more information please contact the director of Martyrs Shrine, Fr Michael Knox, SJ. Please use the enclosed donation sheet to: 1. Submit a prayer petition for the Novena along with a donation (Side A) as described on page 4 2. Join the Martyrs Shrine Association (Side B) Place your donation sheet into the provided postage-paid return envelope included in your Shrine Message and deposit into your Canada Post mailbox for easy delivery of your donation.

6 6 MARTYRS SHRINE MESSAGE The Journey of a young Jesuit Novice on Pilgrimage In May, Martyrs Shrine welcomed the arrival of a young Jesuit novice whilst on his thirty-day pilgrimage. Andrew Cera, nsj, was given $35 and a one-way bus ticket to a destination of his choosing. After much prayer and discernment, he had decided that he was to journey from Milwakee, USA to Guelph, Ontario, Canada. With no set agenda, he shared that Pilgrimage is like a mystery, I wanted to enter into that mystery, to let it unfold. And unfold it did, so that whilst conversing with a group of friendly strangers, he met a man who overheard his pilgrimage experience and offered, if interested, a ride. It just so happened that kind stranger was heading to Midland! Although Andrew had researched the Martyrs Shrine prior to leaving on pilgrimage, he had not made any plans to visit us. Instead, opting to put his journey in God s hands, he was led to pray alongside St. Jean de Brébeuf and his companions here on our sacred grounds. During his days at Martyrs Shrine, Andrew helped around the grounds, participated in our opening day mass, and witnessed the blessing of our Holy Door. His most powerful experience here, he shared was, simply to walk these holy grounds where these saints walked, and ministered, and learning to be more like them by living an authentic life. A New Permanent Jesuit Community at Martyrs Shrine For over ninety years, Martyrs Shrine has been staffed my Jesuit priests, brothers, scholastic, and novices, who have walked alongside pilgrims from around the world. Every spring, these men would leave their religious houses to work and live at the Shrine, only to return to them in the autumn. This year, our Provincial Superior, Fr. Peter Bisson, SJ, has asked that a permanent Jesuit community be established on the property and, as of 1 April, six Jesuits have gathered to take up residence. An exciting venture, these Fathers Community at Martyrs Shrine continued... will be offering Winter Retreats to students, Lenten Retreats for parishes, and working to all the more deepen their relationships with the various pilgrim groups that visit every year. To this end, the Fathers are moving forward with plans to build a new residence, and are thrilled to be living together on these holy grounds. Their home will also provide the means for clergy and religious from around the world to come and to share in the ministry of the Martyrs Shrine, or to take sabbatical, or even to simply come for days of rest and spiritual rejuvenation alongside Jean de Brébeuf and his companions. To make this ambitious project a success, our director Fr. Michael Knox, SJ will be reaching out to supporters who may want to contribute to this new vision as the Jesuits work to make a home in their spiritual heartland where their forefathers witnessed to the power of love for God. Why should non-religious people visit Martyrs Shrine? An interview with Fr Jacques Monet, SJ There aren t very many people in history, or schools even, who don t know about Brébeuf and the Canadian Martyrs. The site of Sainte-Marie and everything that it was: a school, a hospital, an establishment; this story is part of our starting myth. It s impossible to tell the story of the beginnings of Europeans in Canada without talking about the Jesuit explorers and the Martyrs. It s like going back to the sources, especially with the reconstruction of Sainte-Marie. So of course non-religious people should come. Independently of formal religious expression, what comes out of Sainte-Marie and the Story of the Martyrs is an example of the great human virtues: love, compassion, generosity, hospitality, and culture. Those remind us of where we come from and our hopes for the future. Those are the roots, the values, of all Canadians.

7 Summer A Message from the Chair of our Board Dear Friends of the Shrine: It brings me great joy to bring you greetings on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Martyrs Shrine. I served as a trustee on the board for several years, and am honoured to currently to serve as the Chair of the Board, and have the privilege to work with incredibly talented trustees. I would like to thank you for your prayers, your support, and your presence at the Shrine. Whether you are a regular visitor to the Shrine, a member of an annual pilgrimage, a member of our local community, or someone who has just discovered this most holy place of peace and prayer, please know that you are most welcome and sincerely appreciated. Another wonderful year is underway, under the direction of our new Director of The Shrine, Father Michael Knox, S.J. While we were saddened to learn of the retirement of Father Bernie Carroll, S.J. at the beginning of 2016, we were elated to learn that Father Michael, who has such a deep abiding love of the Shrine, past experience here for several years as a young jesuit scholastic, and a scholar of the Canadian Martyrs, would be leading us as our new Director. We are pleased to have Father Michael with us, and look forward to working with him for many years to come. Pope Francis has declared this year as the Year of Mercy. Holy Doors of Mercy have been identified in key locations across the globe. Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, identified the Martyrs Shrine as one of the nine Holy Doors throughout the Archdiocese. The door that was created at The Shrine has been beautifully designed by a local First Nations artist, and thousands of visitors have passed through the door this season. It is exciting that a permanent Jesuit community has been established here at the Martyrs Shrine. The Jesuit community will be in residence twelve months of the year, and plans are underway to develop year long programming as well as the building of a permanent residence to house the community of up to six Jesuits who will live here. As stewards of our resources, we have undertaken a review of our grounds, buildings, and overall property. Under Father Filion s leadership, the church opened its doors in 1926, major site work was completed in 1984 in preparation for Pope John Paul II s historic visit, and we now need to envision what these sacred grounds should look like for the next fifty years. The board of trustees is excited to be working on a project that examines the ongoing sustainability, viability, and presence of The Martyrs Shrine for decades to come. We are excited to continue to strengthen our relationships with our community partners. We seek to grow in our understanding of and respect for Canada s First Nations. We continue to work in close collaboration with Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, and this year will be participating in their hugely popular First Light Celebrations in November and December We also thank the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Women s League, our local parishes, and other community organizations for their commitment to and support of The Shrine. We also pay tribute to the many thousands of pilgrims who joined us over the course of the season - and extend a special thank you to the organizers of those pilgrimages. In closing, I thank everyone for their ongoing support of The Martyrs Shrine. Between May and October our dedicated staff will have welcomed more than 125,000 visitors. If you were able to join us I thank you for making us a part of your faith journey. For those who have supported us financially, through your volunteerism, or through your prayers -- I say thank you and God bless. If you have not been to the Shrine this season, please consider joining us in Sincerely, Brian Beal Chair, Board of Trustees, Martyrs Shrine

8 MARTYRS SHRINE MESSAGE Summer The Jesuit Martyrs of Canada Steve Catlin, Museum Curator The Jesuits first came to New France as missionaries in Fathers Pierre Biard and Enemond Massé arrived at Port-Royal, Nova Scotia on 22 May Both were then driven out of Acadia by the English, but Massé was among the first group of Jesuits who arrived at Québec in June With him were Fr Charles Lalemant, Fr. Jean de Brébeuf, and two Jesuit brothers. The following year, Brébeuf travelled to the Land of the Huron with Recollet-Franciscan missionaries, but had to return to France, with the entire French population of New France, when Quebec was captured by the French Huguenots flying under the flag of the English Crown. Fortunately, the capitulation of Quebec violated a peace treaty between the French and English, thus New France was reborn. French Jesuits then returned to Quebec in Martyrs Shrine Hwy 12 West, PO Box 7, Midland, ON, Canada L4R 4K6 Phone: Toll-free: Fax: Over the next one hundred and seventy years, their work would include numerous missions to the First Nation Peoples of North America; the most notable being the Mission to the Wendat (Hurons). The missionaries learned various First Nation languages and customs, and explored the continent. They recorded these experiences in the Jesuit Relations; without which much of what we know about the first Inhabitants of this land and their languages would have been lost. The Relations also educated the Europeans who read them, so that they would have a great appreciation and respect for the First Nation people. The Jesuit missionaries were also important statesmen, seeking peace agreements between these many peoples and the French. Moreover, the Jesuits established many parishes, schools, and post- secondary institutions throughout Canada, including the College des Jesuites, known now as the University of Laval. On 21 July 1773, under pressure from various Catholic Kings in Europe, Pope Clement XVI ordered the suppression Dates & Rates Open to October 10, 2016 Gates open 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM $5.00 per person $40.00 season pass NEW! First Light 2016 Nov , Dec. 1-3, & Dec Tickets at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons the Society of Jesus throughout the world. The Bishop of Québec, however, refused to put the order into effect, thus allowing the Jesuits to keep their name and their properties. Since, however, Britain forbade the Jesuits to recruit new members or import Jesuits from Europe, the last Jesuit of the old regime, Fr. Jean- Joseph Cadot sj died in In 1814, the Jesuits were reconstituted by Pope Pius VII. This allowed the Jesuits to return to Canada and, by 1842, French Jesuits returned to their works of evangelization and education, picking up where they had left off. On November 11th, 1844, Fr. Pierre Chazelle, the Superior of the Jesuits in Canada, writes to a Jesuit in France about his own pilgrimage to the ancient land of the Wendat. He wanted to see for himself the ruins of Sainte-Marie, and to seek out the location of St. Ignace I, where Sts. Jean de Brébeuf and Gabriel Lalemant were martyred. It had been almost two hundred years since a Blackrobe had set foot on the land of our Martyrs and their dearest family, the Wendat, and within forty-five years the construction begins on a church honouring the Canadian Martyrs (Ste. Anne s) in Penetanguishene. In 1926, ninety years ago, our own Martyrs Shrine was opened on 25 June. Despite all the obstacles, the French Jesuits had to face in their labours in Canada, over several centuries, the Cross of Christ is once again lifted high in these lands, adoring the Martyrs Shrine. Mass Times 7 May - 10 October Sat & Sun 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 7:30 PM May, June, September, and October Mon-Fri 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, & 7:30 PM July & August Mon-Fri 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, & 7:30 PM