From June 5 to 7, 2026, Montreal's Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral welcomed the eleventh edition of the International Charismatic Leaders Forum, one of the foremost gatherings of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Drawing charismatic leaders from across the world, the Forum made the city the first in the Americas to host it since its founding in 1999.

An International Forum for Evangelization

Founded by the Communauté Mère du Divin Amour (Mother of Divine Love Community), the Forum unites leaders of prayer groups, new communities, and charismatic movements from around the world. After previous editions held in Africa and Europe, Montreal welcomed it in a spirit of communion, collaboration, and mission.

The Forum’s Purpose

Rooted in the experience of the Holy Spirit, the Forum exists to advance the work of evangelization, giving leaders a space to share what the Spirit has done in their communities and to kindle a renewed missionary spirit. It calls participants to live a faith that is active and tangible, sustained by the power of the Spirit, and to carry that witness into the world. At its heart, the Forum recalls the vocation of every baptized person to share in the mission of the Church as priest, prophet, and king, in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

When the Spirit Leads

At the opening Mass, Archbishop Christian Lépine invited participants to remember that they belong to the Church of Jesus Christ — not to a movement apart from it. The Lord, he reminded them, never leaves his faithful alone; he gives them his Spirit to guide, inspire, and sustain them in their mission.

Drawing on the Gospel, the Archbishop reflected on the Holy Spirit as Advocate — the Defender whom Christ promised his disciples. Jesus himself, he noted, is our first Advocate; the Spirit is given to advocate for Christ within the hearts of believers, so that his presence may grow in them and bear fruit.

The Holy Spirit, Archbishop Lépine continued, has been at work continuously since Pentecost and will remain so until the end of time. He invited the leaders before him to enter these days with openness and docility to the Spirit — to be renewed in their personal relationship with Christ and deepened in their commitment to the Gospel.

A Sign of Hope

Montreal's hosting of the Forum bore witness to the vitality of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and its commitment to the Church's evangelizing mission. Over three days, leaders gathered in prayer, formation, witness, and fraternity, united in communion with the universal Church.

It was, above all, a place of encounter and discernment: an invitation to be renewed by the Holy Spirit, and to return to their communities carrying the hope of the Gospel.

Joanne Dorcé
Content Manager and Assistant Director,
Communications Department
Archdiocese of Montreal