American Michael Perry Chosen as New General Minister ROME — A member of Sacred Heart Province, Fr. Michael Perry, OFM,  General Vicar of the Order of Friars Minor since 2009, was elected Wednesday as the new General Minister, the 120th successor of St. Francis of Assisi. The Indiana native fills the vacancy left by Fr. [...]

I live by the sea and I often watch the gulls hover in the wind. They know the art of working with the wind. They let the wind carry them. That is why they are able to remain in the air for so many hours and yet not grow tired. The gulls teach me how [...]

Praise to you, Lord, through Sister Water of the ‘Trois-Rivières River’. Where does the name “Trois-Rivières” come from? This name was first used in 1599 by Sieur De Pont Gravé, a geographer who worked for Samuel de Champlain, and was also used during the seventeenth century. Brother Sagard, a Recollect historian, wrote in 1623: “The [...]

Pope Francis has begun his appointments to the Roman Curia with a surprise: Franciscan leader Fr Jose Rodriguez Carballo is the new Secretary of the Congregation for institutes of consecrated life In his first significant appointment to the Roman Curia, Pope Francis has taken the highly unusual step of naming the actual head of a [...]

Pope Francis means business. He is quickly giving a clear and definite direction to the Church. The Church exists for mission and needs to get out into the world, to be with people as bearers of Christ’s presence and love in the reality of their lives. Speaking to priests at the Chrism Mass on Holy [...]

Pope Francis: A Revolution of Small Gestures The Italian media are speaking of “a revolution of small gestures,” of the “Bergoglio-style” that  is refreshing the Church. Reported anecdotes abound of Francis’ symbolic first actions. Instead of adorning himself with an ornate gold cross as Popes traditionally do, he wears a simple cross around his neck. [...]

Blessed be the Lord for Pope Francis! Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose the name Francis (the first time a pope has taken that name) in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi. He is both the first Jesuit pope and the first pope from the Americas. He is also the first pope from outside Europe since [...]

Praise to you, Lord, through Sister Water of Lac Saint-Pierre, which is located at the heart of the St. Lawrence, between Sorel and Trois-Rivières. The lake was named by Samuel de Champlain after he passed through it on June 29, 1603, the feast of St. Peter.[1] Champlain observed about this lake, “The water is almost [...]

Praise to you, Lord, through Sister Water of the islands of Montreal. In 1935, Brother Marie-Victorin named these islands the Hochelaga archipelago, using one of the oldest names for Montreal. The Hochelaga archipelago, also known as the Montreal Islands, is a group of islands at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa in the [...]

Praise to you, Lord, through Sister Water of Lac Saint-François and Lac Saint-Louis. Between the Thousand Islands and Montreal, in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, lies open water with areas large enough for them to be considered lakes, but whose flow is typical of a river. Moving downstream, we find Lac Saint-François and [...]