The prison in Edmonton

- Date of publication 08-25-2008
Saturday 12th July 2008, the canonical visit in the Province ended yesterday.
I want to share a very pleasant experience that I had today.
This morning Sister Thérèse Verrier called for me so I could go with her to Fort Saskatchewan (half an hour by road), where Sisters Cécile, Rosanne, Gloria, Anna Laforge used to live in community.

Saturday 12^th July 2008, the canonical visit in the Province ended yesterday.I want to share a very pleasant experience that I had today.

This morning Sister Thérèse Verrier called for me so I could go with her to Fort Saskatchewan (half an hour by road), where Sisters Cécile, Rosanne, Gloria, Anna Laforge used to live in community.

Mariane and Carmen (2 associates who went to Evron for AGAPE) were waiting for us. Mariane, who works at the prison, invited us to take part in the midday celebration.

The only prison I know is the one in Lakota (Côte d’Ivoire), so I found the huge yard and brick buildings very impressive. We had to go through 12 doors, guarded, before we reached the Chapel.

In preparation for the event Mariane invited us to pray to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. “Come and live in us so that we can see in the person before us a reflection of your gift of love, a gift from the unconditional love of God.”

Nineteen prisoners arrived, most of them young. Mariane greeted them warmly and asked them why they had come : to find God present, to pray for my family, because I will be judged the day after tomorrow (it was very moving to hear this remark).

While commentating on the Gospel of the sower, she said that love is like a seed that must be sown and shared with others. She had them singing several refrains for example: I am this little light, this light that must shine (in the prison).

It was very moving to see these young men deprived of their liberty, each holding a secret story, yet proclaiming their faith.

One prisoner read a reading from St Paul to the Romans.

I gave thanks for the gift God has given to Mariane and that she is so able to share. A celebration like the one we shared could not fail to move the hardest heart. Perrine must be proud to see her work being carried on by several of the associates.

Articles classified by country1- All the congregation2- in France3- in England4- in Canada5- in Africa6- in Peru

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	Pilgrimages - Date of publication 03-11-2010 The Associates and some Sisters recently made some pilgrimages. One of these was to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Walsingham which is in the east of England.
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	The Fortsaskatchewan Associates - Date of publication 06-15-2009 The Fort Saskatchewan Associates meet on a monthly basis after the 11:00 mass, usually at Our Lady of Angels Parish church hall if the meeting rooms are not being used. This has provided us the opportunity to have Fathers Francis and John join us on several occasions.
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