On Sept. 21, Archbishop Lépine celebrated Mass prior to the fundraising dinner for the Jourdain Charismatic Centre, which was founded more than 40 years ago.

Archbishop Lépine was welcomed by an extremely meditative assembly at Sainte-Colette Church in Montréal-Nord. During this celebration, he insisted on the importance to pray on a daily basis. “He showed us he was close to our realities and encouraged us to move slowly,” a female parishioner explains, smiling. From the homily, she also remembers that each life is called to contribute and give: “Giving brings joy.”

“You will meet Christ through prayer,” Archbishop Lépine said. Echoing was Carmelle Jetté, coordinator of the Jourdain Centre wishing, in the new pastoral year, for everyone to discover and meet “Jesus Christ, the only Saviour and Lord of our lives, and to follow Him, as the Holy Spirit watches over us.”

The Jourdain Centre is the works of the charismatic renewal, in the tradition of the Second Vatican Council. Getting to know and to love Jesus Christ through the Word being preached, through retreats, through celebrating the sacraments, through the imposition of the hands, as well as through prayer evening events, days of renewal and inner healing, this is what the Jourdain Centre’s mission is all about.

Inner healing (agape therapy) is a subject Carmelle Jetté, who has been associated with the Jourdain for 27 years, could speak about for hours! In 1980, her husband had a big accident, which led her to seek the Lord for help: “This is when we were introduced to the Jourdain. We attended several retreats there and progressed in that community.”

In the early ’90s, Carmelle Jetté took a sabbatical and, afterwards, decided to quit her job as a teacher to fully work at the Jourdain.

“I found complete joy at the Jourdain,” through personally meeting the Lord and accompanying so many people on the road to inner healing,” Carmelle explains.

Carmelle Jetté talks about the deep spiritual and psychological wounds, which over time hurt people’s body. “At the Jourdain, we see personal revivals,” she adds.

The retreatants’ testimonies are numerous: “The inner healing session was a starting point for the unexpected inner transformation that followed.” “There was a hole in my heart,” a dinner guess also said.

Retreats are usually held from Friday evenings to midday on Sundays. As Carmelle Jetté explains, each retreat is a profound therapy in God’s love. Actually, the themes being covered enable participants to go back to the early stages of life where many wounds sometimes gather. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” (Jr 1:5), was the theme of the first inner healing retreat on wounds occurring between conception and birth.

Many healing retreats are offered, each of them resting on evocative segments from the Gospel: “This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD, and was saved from every trouble.” (Ps 34:6), “When Jesus saw his mother […] he said [to her], “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” (Jn 19 :26-27).

During the retreats, songs, teachings, Bible readings, the true presence revealed to all and individual meetings enable everyone to be renewed and to progress. Then Jesus’s story rests in the hearts, in order for the Lord to touch people and to manifest its liberating power.

The fundraising dinner was in the image of the Jourdain: a homecoming event filled with prayers and a gathering of the Jourdain great family members. They all returned home happy after this time of sharing and touched by the testimonies given.

On week days, a priest welcomes people and gives the imposition of hands in the afternoon or attend Mass at 4:30 p.m.
The Jourdain Charismatic Centre
12775, Allard Avenue, Montréal-Nord (QC) H1G 6E9
Phone: 514-648-5111
Website: www.lejourdain.org