Ahead of the Feast of St. Joseph, patron of a happy death, Archbishop Christian Lépine invites the faithful to a special Mass to pray, through St. Joseph’s intercession, for the grace of a happy, peaceful death, whenever that time may come for ourselves and our loved ones.

Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 10:30 a.m.
Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral

The Mass will be livestreamed on the diocesan YouTube channel.

A Prayer for Life, Hope, and Faithful Accompaniment

All are invited to pray together to St. Joseph, asking that the moment of our own death—and that of those we love—may be lived in hope, as an offering to God the Father. We also pray that those who are nearing the end of life may be accompanied with compassion, hope, and charity.

At a time when euthanasia is increasingly promoted in Québec under the name Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), we turn once again to the Lord who declares:

“I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).

With Christ as our guide, we choose life. We choose hope.

Resources on the Catholic view on End-of-Life Care

For those wishing to deepen their understanding of the Catholic perspective on end-of-life issues, the following resources are available:

• Witnesses to Hope : YouTube playlist, Église catholique à Montréal
• Encounters of Hope Webinars, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Horizons of Hope: A Toolkit for Catholic Parishes on Palliative Care, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Resources for end of life, Google drive folder by the Diocesan Centre of Marriage, Life and the Family
• Palliative Care at Crossroads: When Faith and Legislation Meet: Declaration of Archbishop Christian Lepine after the filing of the appeal in Superior Court, which seeks to suspend this new obligation arising from the amendment to the Act respecting end-of-life care and other legislative provisions, SQ 2023, c. 15 (the new Act), effective since December 7, 2023, which has regretfully prohibited palliative care homes from excluding "medical aid in dying" from their services.

For additional information, please contact:
514-925-4300, ext. 287
centredmvf@diocesemontreal.org