ARE YOU NEW TO OUR PARISH? WELCOME!
Welcome to those who want to make our parish their faith home. You may have come from other places. You may have been “away for a while”. Be assured that we love to have you among us. We would appreciate it very much if you identified yourself at Mass. It would also help if you would take the time to fill out a registration form. The next time you are with us, you may leave it in the collection basket or give it to one of the ushers or to the priest. Thank you and welcome.

DIOCESAN LAUNCH FOR NEXT YEAR’S INTERNATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS - MONDAY, MAY 28th, 7:30 P.M. IN ST. MARK’S CHURCH IN AYLMER
As mentioned in last week’s bulletin, Quebec City will be hosting the International Eucharistic Congress next year, June 15th - 22nd. An event like that must be prepared in the local churches. That preparation is what our diocese, the Church of Gatineau, plans to begin with the launch of the Congress. The launch will take place on Pentecost weekend and it will consist of a celebration presided over by Archbishop Roger Ebacher in three different locations, one in Thurso (May 26, 8:00 p.m.), one in St. Joseph Cathedral in Hull (May 27, 7:30 p.m.), and one specifically designed for the English speaking Catholics of our Diocese in St. Mark’s in Aylmer: Monday, May 28, 7:30 p.m. Let us make sure we have a good representation from our parishes there.

INSTRUMENTS OF CO-RESPONSIBILITY IN A PARISH ARE IN PLACE, AT LEAST ON PAPER, BUT....
As you know the pastor we have shared with Our Lady of Victory in Buckingham and with St. Malachy in Mayo for the last few years is leaving us and going to St. Mark’s in Aylmer. At this point it is still not clear who will replace him or what shape the pastoral services provided by a priest will take. The shortage of priests makes itself felt here.

This lack of clarity or this uncertainty makes it all the more necessary that we all reflect on what we need and want to be as a parish and that we all take note of what as a parish we need to have in place. In this case, we are sort of forced into taking a second look at “the two bodies” that together with the pastor are supposed to take responsibility for the life of the parish:

The Parish Pastoral Council and the Fabrique Of these two the Fabrique is what most of us are familiar with. It has been a unique feature of church life in Quebec for a long time (yes, the Catholic Church in Ontario operates quite differently on this score; in fact, it does not have a Fabrique). Its responsibility, authority and procedures are governed by “the Act respecting Fabriques “.

But there is another “body” that is at least equally important for the life of a parish: the Parish Pastoral Council. Unfortunately, there is still a tendency not to give it the recognition it deserves and needs in order to be really effective in the life of the parish.

Its coming onto the scene is of a more recent date, something of the last 30-40 years; that certainly accounts for the fact that both the priest and the lay people still have a lot to learn in order to make the Parish Pastoral Council work effectively. The mandate of the Parish Pastoral Council has to do with the pastoral orientation of the parish; that is perhaps not as clear as the mandate of the Fabrique, but just as important. These two facts, its more recent appearance and its more nebulous mandate, may well be the more important reasons for the lack of recognition given to the Parish Pastoral Council.

The uncertainty we are experiencing at the present because of the imminent departure (some time in August) of the pastor makes it necessary that we seriously look at the complementary roles of “the two bodies”. The attachment to this Sunday’s bulletin is meant to facilitate that more serious look, which we hope will also make the necessary transition a little easier or, at least, it may help us to know what it is we have to support each other in.

(The piece on the other side of the attachment is of a different nature altogether, but its author, Daniel O’Leary, has as usual something worthwhile to say.)

WE ARE WORKING WITH ONE JOINT PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL AND TWO FABRIQUES
It may not be out of place to remind everyone that our two parishes, Our Lady of Victory and St. Malachy, work with one Joint Parish Pastoral Council, while each parish has its own Fabrique. Having a Joint Parish Pastoral Council is part of the attempt to integrate the pastoral life of our two parishes. Considering the size of our two parishes it is impossible to have each parish function pastorally on its own. Integration of pastoral life is called for, and that is what has been worked at for a good number of years already and with a fair amount of success:

LAST TUESDAY’S SESSION ON THE SUBJECT OF OUR LADY OF LIGHT
About 30 persons participated in last Tuesday’s session at St. Malachy church where we discussed a possible future for Our Lady of Light church. Yes, it is of historical interest for the Municipality of Mulgrave and Derry and for some it also has religious significance. In other words, we are dealing with something more than simply a piece of real estate. Nothing concrete came from the session, but it could very well be that it sparked something that will lead to interesting proposals in the future.

What was remarkable was that most of the 30 or so participants sat together and up front for the session. In other words, it can be done. Our Sunday Eucharist would greatly benefit from that type of seating arrangement.

PPC MEETING
The next PPC meeting will be held on Monday, May 21st at 7:15 p.m. in the Conference room.

BIRTHDAY WISHES TO ETHEL SELLERS WHO WILL CELEBRATE HER 100TH BIRTHDAY ON MAY 25th
Congratulations from the pastor adn parishioners of Oul Lady Of Victory, St. Malachy, your family and friends.