Saturday morning, October 17, the Catholic Church of Montreal celebrated our fourth annual Mass of thanksgiving in honour of our benefactors, presided by Archbishop Christian Lépine.

"Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:40).

Archbishop Lépine recognized this Mass as first and foremost a fine opportunity for him, and he expressied his gratitude to all those who benevolently support the works of the Catholic Church in so many ways, by prayer or volunteer work or financial support for the Archdiocese of Montreal, our parishes, neighbourhoods, and communities. He added, "This is also an occasion for us to come together to pray and give thanks to God, who is the source of all gifts."

In his homily, the Archbishop reminded us of three essential elements: faith, the encounter with Jesus Christ, and works of solidarity.

Faith consists in placing Jesus Christ at the centre of one's life. Faith opens us to encounter Him in the form of the sacraments, the Word of God and in our neighbours. When we reach out to the poor, when we contribute to works that support those who are most needy, the sick, those who live in solitude or isolation, as is happening now in this time of pandemic, we cultivate the encounter with Jesus Christ because He identifies with them. Therefore, in contributing to ecclesial life we encourage this encounter with Jesus Christ, an encounter that takes form in the liturgy, the sacraments and in works of solidarity.

Archbishop Lépine also expressed his gratitude for the continuing faith and generosity of the benefactors of the diocesan Church, whose generosity makes possible the mission of the People of God to be a Church that goes forth, a Church that reaches out to the world. 

Referring to this time of great trial and challenge that the Catholic Church is living through, Archbishop Lépine exhorted us to persevere, to remain loving and to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, who makes possible that which is impossible.

We offer our most sincere appreciation to all those who participated in this Mass in person or via our YouTube channel and we hope to see you next year, by the grace of God.