October 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Many thanks for the reception you gave me in each moment and place, in Montreal and in Quebec. I found myself among a living fraternity of brothers who love and support each other, at their age, but with a real and committed spirit of Nazareth. Many thanks. Donald CLICHE took on the role of my older brother and cared for me “as he would a nuncio”. His house in Cap Rouge, Québec, surrounded by squirrels, afforded me the chance to contemplate and enjoy the natural surroundings, and to take a walk on my last day through the maple woods in full Autumn.
It was a gift from God to meet Guy BOUILLÉ, on the morning of the 3rd of October, in hospital palliative care in Montreal, and to bless and be blessed silently by him, in company with Laurent RAVENDA and Jean-Pierre LANGLOIS. A few hours later he was already with the Lord in fraternity in the House of the Father with so many brothers who have departed us; I believe that he will have received the strongest embrace from Jacques LECLERC, his great brother and friend.
I enjoyed the human affairs, hopes, encounters, with each brother, with the lay fraternity composed mainly of pastoral agents – thanks to Ciro, that fraternity’s responsible –, in the Montreal COPAM, (Communauté de Partage et d’AMitié) sharing each one’s present moment, each history, touched by the hand of the Lord, who leads us sometimes to where we do not wish to go, but who takes care of all.
A good meeting also with the fraternity of young Christians which Ciro animates, with his spirit of accompaniment and of encouragement, a group made up mainly of immigrants, open to the call of Jesus in the building up of their lives, with a future and a joy that evokes a new world. The community supper and prayer, related to the Sunday Gospel, reminded me of Jesus gathering his disciples, instructing them to build up the Kingdom, with a profundity, despite the superficialities proposed by a First World of comfort and wealth.
Another unexpected gift, which filled me with joy and emotion, was to meet with Sister Gilberte, of the Montreal Sisters of Notre Dame, who with Gianantonio ALLEGRI, of our Italian Fraternity, and Giampaolo MARTA, both missionaries of the diocese of Vicenza, was abducted last year by Boko Haram in the north of Cameroon. Yvonne, a pastoral agent, took me to the Notre Dame House of Prayer in Longueil, and for me it was moving to embrace this woman of the Gospel, to hear her testimony of the love of God throughout her 57 days of captivity with Gianantonio and Gian Paolo and to discover anew a real and not idealised Brother Charles, in the nothingness, without church candles or religious images to which we give devotion.
Spending some time with Guy and Gilberte were the most memorable moments of my time with the fraternities of Quebec – Acadia, and for this I thank the Lord from my poor heart.
Our regional Fraternity meeting of 4th and 5th October in Quebec, with brothers and lay women pastoral agents, united to the Fraternity, was an encounter of brothers and sisters with an admirable spirit of service, with testimonies and a joie de vivre which strengthened me in the hope of a Church such as desired by Pope Francis. The outgoing trio of responsibles made up of Donald CLICHE – regional responsible, Benoît HINS y Richard WALLOT, gave way to Gilles BARIL, the new responsible, who will form a team with Jean-Claude DEMEURS, a great communication specialist, a woman pastoral worker and two other brothers whom he will choose. Thanks to all for your service to the Fraternity. The previous trio gave a good account of their time and of the life of the fraternities, and the air was filled with a spirit of brothers who, as humans and men of God, are a richness for the local churches. The dialogue, adoration, Eucharist, the moments of brotherly sharing were a true faith encounter.
Among decisions and immediate proposals I would highlight the preparation for the next Month of Nazareth in January and the participation in the First Pan-american Assembly in Cuernavaca, Mexico, in February. Gilles y Donald will represent the region of Québec – Acadia.
I accompanied Donald in Quebec visiting René TESSIER, a brother of the fraternity, and diocesan responsible for communication, Gaetan PROULX, auxiliary bishop, and Marc PELCHAT, vicar general, both of the fraternity, who invited us to lunch. It was a joy also to meet up at the major seminary with the fraternity made up of Pierre GAUDETTE, Jacques GOURDE, Roger LABBÉ and Marc BOUCHARD, brothers who have an important track-record in their service to the Church, to the poorest and to the Fraternity. Thanks for your testimonies.
For all this, for all we lived and shared, for the cries of the charism of Charles de FOUCAULD, with his message of universal brotherhood so valid for our Church today, so appreciated by Pope Francis, thanks, brothers, and thanks to God for allowing me witness of your life of fraternity for these days.
I thank also Laurent for his providing a space for adoration, and in which I understood that spirituality goes beyond saying prayers, adoration, contemplation and sharing with others in liturgical celebrations. Spirituality is also a good sense of humour, joyfulness, solidarity, respect, giving attention, when we do anything, working, relating to others, travelling, listening, preparing an activity etc. For this reason it is important to give priority to the monthly Day in the Desert. God seeks us out in the desert to give us good spirit. This good spirit is what Brother Charles put on when he prayed, wrote, dreamt or felt close to the people he lived among: the spirit of Nazareth.
With best wishes.
Aurelio SANZ BAEZA, brother responsible
Perín, Cartagena, Murcia, Spain, 12 October 2015
PDF: Letter of Aurelio to the Fraternities of Québec-Acadia, October 2015