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UPCOMING MASS CELEBRATIONS
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EASTER MESSAGE FROM THE ARCHBISHOP PAUL-ANDRÉ DUROCHER
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Our world is a strange mixture of beauty and ugliness, brotherhood and brutality, generosity and indifference. These days, the balance seems to be tipping towards the negative, with its violence and wars, the rise of dictatorships and oppressive regimes, and the growing gulf between the vast majority of the poor and a small circle of billionaires. Still, stars shine the brightest when the night is deep and dark.
One light transcends all others: the one that shines forth from the empty tomb, announcing the resurrection of Christ and heralding the resurrection of our world. Yes, Easter proclaims that a renewed world is being born. This is not the time to let the light of the fragile stars that we are waver. Together, let us sow his light despite the darkness that assails us. May this festive season be a time of hope and renewed commitment to following Christ.
Happy Easter!
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The Paschal Mystery (The Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ) |
| During his earthly life Jesus announced his Paschal Mystery by his teaching and anticipated it by his actions. When his Hour comes, he lives out the unique event of history which does not pass away: Jesus dies, is buried, rises from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of the Father "once for all."8 His Paschal mystery is a real event that occurred in our history, but it is unique: all other historical events happen once, and then they pass away, swallowed up in the past. the Paschal mystery of Christ, by contrast, cannot remain only in the past, because by his death he destroyed death, and all that Christ is - all that he did and suffered for all men - participates in the divine eternity, and so transcends all times while being made present in them all. The event of the Cross and Resurrection abides and draws everything toward life.
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Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1085 |
My dear brothers and sisters, how privileged we are to participate in the whole Paschal Mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ! By the Paschal Mystery I mean, the Death Burial and Resurrection of Jesus. One Mystery! There is nothing really to compare with this privilege. Nothing! My hope and prayer is that you will all make every effort to keep the whole Triduum (or a good part of it) as a priority for your whole life. To say, “it’s worth it!”, is a gross understatement! It is worth eternity! And that is not an overstatement but a simple fact of our baptism!
I have asked that a good part of the Sunday bulletin be dedicated to the Triduum with the hope that at least some part of it may reach you if you cannot celebrate the whole. Here is something for each day. Just one paragraph a day if you cannot attend any of the celebrations. Happy reading and praying!
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Consider Holy Thursday |
| The Lord gives us the gift of his own priesthood. He gives it to the whole Church through the Sunday Eucharist and the priesthood of the bishop and priest. But he also gives that same priesthood to the whole world, through you, through the exercise of your priesthood, wherever you find yourself offering your family, friends, coworkers, and events local or universal to Jesus, through Jesus and with Jesus, to God. It is like bringing up the gifts at Mass except that here, the aisle and altar is your own priestly heart. Take time to offer to Jesus all that you feel inspired to offer him who intercedes for you personally and for the whole Church and human family.
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Consider Good Friday |
| It is possible to really accompany the Lord Jesus in his Passion even if you are living two thousand years after him! We know well what it is to accompany an elder parent or close friend to the end, washing their soiled laundry, sitting by their bedside or buying them their groceries. They are physically close to us and occupy our thoughts and affect our emotions. By our baptism we are joined to Jesus own Body. It is he who has drawn near to us. Our closeness to him is more his work than ours. He was looking out for us when he made it possible for us to accompany Him through his public ministry right up to his Cross. He is consoled when we pause and think of him in his silence when he is accused unjustly, his forgiveness on the Cross, his love as he looks down on each of us and gives us his Mother. We are astonished at his recollection and calm despite the humiliation and cruelty directed against him. In all this he is showing us how our old way of doing things is healed and is passing away! Take time to walk with him, to understand the heart that is beating under those wounds so that you can understand your own heart! Think about him, he is thinking a lot about you today.
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Consider Holy Saturday |
| Close yourself in your room today and turn off the lights for an hour. Bury yourself in your “tomb” for an hour. Consider how in the vast embrace of his love Jesus joins all others in the realm of the dead. Death seemed like an eternal prison in the hell of the just. It would be so for us too, if he did not die! But there was a difference. He went into the realm of the dead as Saviour. By doing that he touched the souls of men and women and children of every time and place who had died and were longing to be freed from the chains of death. He wanted to share his victory with them over the mystery of death so that even the dead could hear his voice and live as when he preached to the living on earth. The demons and Satan fled their posts because all their prisoners were freed by one more powerful than they. Consider how Jesus has taken away the sting and fear of that last hour for you! How he has pardoned you all your sins. Awake O Sleeper!
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Consider the Easter Vigil |
| It was a long forty-year march across the desert of Sinai before the Israelites reached the Promised Land. Many of our lifespans as Christians exceed that of the Israelites. But suppose you walked a Compostella Camino with God? That is what the Easter Vigil is like! God’s Compostela with us! The Risen Christ is with us because death could not conquer him. He is journeying with us! He is there to feed us with hope (his Word) with a food reserve that has a long shelf life (the Eucharist) with pure water that also purifies (Holy Spirit in baptism), real endurance for the journey (the Oil of Chrism at Confirmation), real Friendship (the parish worshiping community), a real break in the journey (Confession from our tiring sinful labours!), consolation in the face of the final Enemy (the Sacrament of Anointing) and his leadership and guidance (the ordained ministers and lay faithful who share his responsibility or that of the bishop). The Easter Vigil is actually God’s longest journey which fits into our short lifespan! And it is not finished. All the readings are pointing to these saving acts of God on our behalf. We listen to them for two hours but their effects are encountered every Sunday.
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Consider Easter Day |
| Mary Magdalene probably did not get much sleep from Good Friday to Easter Morning. She was so eager to see the Lord again, even if it was his dead body! How many times we visit the grave of a spouse or of someone we deeply loved? Only this grave site was empty! It was emptied by God himself. The message is that one day our tombs will also be empty forever! We are in the tomb only for a short sleep! Read often the Resurrection passages and marvel at the empty tomb, the folded linen cloths, the appearances of the angels who testify that he is risen. But above all marvel at the fact that he is alive and very near you, both within your heart and in all the events of your life. Nothing of concern to you is hidden from his care for you. Nothing! But that realization also comes by letting go of his feet and clinging to him in faith that he is risen. Alleluia!
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March 24, 2026
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UPCOMING ACTIVITIES FOR SENIORS IN BUCKINGHAM |
Connexions is an important support organization for the English-speaking community of the Outaouais. Their mission is to promote the health, social wellbeing, and vitality of the English-speaking community through empowerment, participation and collaboration within the Outaouais.
Connexions has partnered with the local seniors’ centre, Centre Action Générations des Aînés, or CAGA as it is better known. Every other Monday morning at 10 am, Connexions will host one-hour activities offered in English at CAGA’s location, 390 avenue de Buckingham.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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To register, go to centreconnexions.org or call at 819-557-0615.
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| QUEBEC ASSEMBLY OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS |
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CURRENT FOOD CRISIS |
On the occasion of May 1st, International Workers’ Day and the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, the Quebec Assembly of Catholic Bishops invites Christian communities to pay attention to the current food crisis, to analyze the situation in the light of the Gospel, and to consider various courses of action to ensure that everyone has enough to eat. |
IN THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL |
Faced with the current food crisis, our Christian communities, which are often already committed to helping the vulnerable, must respond to the call of the hungry. Why should we do so? Because, in doing so, we will be acting for justice, as Jesus Christ taught us, in continuity with the great biblical tradition of commitment to justice.
This interpellation is found in “the multiplication of the loaves”. It would be more accurate to speak of “the breaking and distribution of the loaves”, i.e. their sharing (partage) in both senses of the word. This sharing is fundamental. It prefigures the Eucharist, since the evangelists use the same words as in the Last Supper to describe Jesus’ action of taking the loaves, giving thanks, breaking them, and distributing them to his disciples. Above all, the sharing of the loaves shows us that the ability to adequately feed the hungry, even today, is within our grasp. Indeed, Jesus shows us how to respond with Him to His call, “You give them something to eat”, when we can be tempted to leave each individual to his or her own means of feeding themselves. Jesus reminds us that every time we give food and drink to those who are hungry and thirsty, we are doing so to Him, bearing witness to our love and faith. Our Christian ideal is that everyone should have enough to eat. How can we achieve this, or at least come close? The first step is to take a close look at the resources available. This is the kind of counting Jesus encourages: “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” Then we need to organize a fair redistribution of resources, that is, a sharing inspired and guided by the God of love and mercy, who has given goods a universal destination and to whom we bring the little we have. This sharing involves the formation of small groups, thanksgiving, the involvement of the disciples, the actual redistribution, and, finally, the gathering of the surplus, which will once again fulfill the Lord’s word quoted by the prophet Elisha: “They shall eat and have some left.”
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POLICY FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE PERSONS
IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GATINEAU
For the sake of the little ones (Pr 31:9) …protect minors and vulnerable adults
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| Message from the Diocesan Coordinator for Establishing Safe Environments
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Hello everyone, I have just about completed two visits of each French and English parish, presenting the Diocesan Guide for the implementation of measures to make our parishes safe for minors and vulnerable persons, and to protect them from other types of harm (theft, fraud, breach of confidentiality, harassment, etc.). These meetings also allowed for the presentation of concrete tools for putting these safety measures in place.
Just a reminder that this project is a diocesan priority and is compulsory, affecting both volunteers and paid staff, including priests.
As a Christian community we can be proud, to finally make this significant change, assuring all parishioners served by their parish, whether young, old, or vulnerable, that they can feel (fully) secure.
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Code of Ethics and Conduct
The diocese and parishes have adopted a code of ethics and conduct. Why? Remember what Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”. (John 13:34-35). Are our attitudes and actions toward others always in keeping with the values of the Gospel? Working and being of service in a parish means being attentive and concerned for others, especially when relating to those who are most vulnerable. Adopting a code of ethics and conduct means adopting values that help us remember and live Jesus’ message to, “Love one another”.
Our First Value - Human dignity
To behave towards others with courtesy, and kindness. It means helping each other and listening. When we disrespect, belittle, harass, or humiliate another person with words and gestures, we deeply wound them in their dignity. Be attentive so that our relationships are healthy and respectful.
Our Second Value - Autonomy and Self determination
No matter where we come from, how we were brought up, or what we are capable of, each one of us has the right to express themselves, to make their own choices, to act and think for themselves. This is what the value of autonomy and self-determination in our Code of ethics means. Encourage your peers to express themselves and discuss their opinions. It is not always easy to accept having our ideas questioned by people whose opinions or experiences are different from our own. Of course, this needs to be done respectfully, that is, in consideration of others’ existence, ideas, and opinions. Maintaining prejudices, violating the right to speak, seeking to control others are just some examples of not living up to this value. “Love one another with mutual affection” (Romans 12:10). With the people we serve and in our relationships with volunteers and employees, let’s encourage one another to express ourselves and share our points of view.
Our Third Value - Personal safety
The 3rd value in our Code of Ethics and Conduct, mentions the importance of adopting physical contact that respects people's comfort level, especially if they are minors or vulnerable. How do we approach others? Are we still in the era of hugs? We have to have personal limits. These are influenced in particular by our culture and upbringing, and also, for priests, by an awareness of their authority in the Church. Jesus himself exercised authority: "Jesus spoke with authority", as the Scriptures say. The healthy authority that priests must exercise in their ministry is that of Jesus: an authority that empowers others, that listens, that inspires trust and action, that makes people want to follow, that gives them responsibility and makes them aware of their own resources. Jesus did not condemn or judge; his authority was to serve, to lift up, to liberate. Let us be mindful of the distances we need to take from people who are living in a vulnerable situation. Let's behave safely with them. I'll come back to this in a future article.
Our Fourth Value - Confidentiality
We don’t always realize how much damage is done when there is a breach of confidentiality. In this time of social media when financial institutions lose personal information, the protection of an individual’s private information is paramount. Discretion goes beyond being a good quality, it is now an obligation. A person who speaks with the secretary, with the priest, who confides in a volunteer, expects that what she/he has shared will be respected and remain confidential. What if the secretary discovers in the baptismal records that a child’s parents are not the ones, she/he thought they were, and he/she reveals that information! What if a person confides in a volunteer that they were abused as a child and that information gets out to the group of volunteers! Even the simplest type of personal data is confidential. If the person hasn’t given permission to share it, it should not be communicated to others. During committee meetings when an individual parishioner or volunteer is being discussed, always ask yourself, is it necessary to name the person? To share their personal information? To reveal all the information we have? If it is absolutely necessary, share as little as possible. A breach of confidentiality is potentially very damaging. Think about it!
Our Fifth Value - Loyalty and Integrity
“You shall not steal”, God’s 7th commandment. In a way, you might say that this commandment summarizes the 5th and last value in our Code of Ethics and Conduct: Loyalty and Integrity! Being honest and loyal. Do what is right. This last value seems to touch on all the expected behaviours included in our Code of ethics: act with respect, honesty, justice, fairness, confidentiality, etc. The parish must be able to place its trust in its employees and volunteers.
To have integrity is to rigorously observe, in all one's actions, the principles of justice and morality. Big words to say what exactly? They can trust me, I am a responsible person and I own the choices and decisions I make, I show gratitude towards others, I admit my mistakes, I don't take parish donations for myself, I don't use social networks to post malicious criticisms or insinuations about my parish or its employees and volunteers. A person of integrity is also someone who willingly offers to help, who is sincere in both words and actions. Finally, it also means that I will denounce any inappropriate behaviour, abusive language or gestures, especially when made towards minors or vulnerable persons.
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Chantale Duguay, Diocesan Coordinator for Establishing Safe Environments
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NEW FROM THE DIOCESE
A FACEBOOK PAGE AND BLOG ADDRESSED TO OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE PARISHIONERS
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The archdiocese has launched a new Facebook page specifically addressed to our English-language parishioners. You don't need to have an account to see posts, only if you want to comment, share and like them.
See the internet link: https://www.facebook.com/archgat
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We also launched a new English-language blog entitled "Together on the Way". We'll be posting longer articles here, reflections and testimonies. If you want to share a story about something going on in your parish, please feel free to contact our communications team at the diocese.
See the internet link: https://archgatblog.blogspot.com/
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SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER – April 12th, 2026
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First Reading:
Responsorial Psalm:
Second Reading:
Gospel:
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Acts 2.42-47
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever.
1 Peter 1.3-9
John 20.19-31
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FATHER JOHN’S MESSAGE
2nd Sunday in Easter
This Sunday used to be called the Second Sunday of Easter or Quasi Modo Sunday. Today it is more commonly called Mercy Sunday because the novena to the Divine Mercy begun on Good Friday ends today. The title Quasi Modo ("Just like...") comes from the Latin Entrance antiphon which in translation reads: “[Just] Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that in him you may grow into salvation, alleluia! New converts are added to the Church in the First Reading. St. Peter sings the praises of God’s mercy to us in the gift of our baptism in the Second. The Gospel recounts the gift of the Holy Spirit of mercy and St. Thomas’ incredulity. The whole Paschal Mystery or the Triduum is a gift of God’s superabundant mercy towards us, our pure spiritual milk. Alleluia!
Peace. Fr. John
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