Up to a hundred people were in attendance Oct. 19 at a Mass of Thanksgiving for benefactors of the Catholic Church of Montreal, celebrated by Archbishop Christian Lépine.

In his homily, Archbishop Lépine first thanked the benefactors for their presence, prayers and financial contributions to the support of the diocesan Church. He then went on to talk about the three fundamental human needs:

• The need of food and shelter.
• The need to give meaning to one’s own life, to have something to live for.
• The need to experience God in our life, as we are made for Him.

Archbishop Lépine indicated that supporting the Church also means serving God. He then invited everyone to believe in the importance of supporting the Church, as St. Paul did in 2 Corinthians 9:10-15.

Following the celebration, in the church hall of Mary Queen of the Word Cathedral, the benefactors attended the presentation of three diocesan offices and services: the Office for Cultural and Ritual Communities, the Social Action Ministry Office and SASMAD Pastoral Home Care. Each office and service described their field of action, realizations so far and current challenges.

The event concluded on a light lunch in a friendly atmosphere.

Thank you for your presence, dear benefactors! May the Lord bless you and return to you a hundred times your good works for the diocesan Church.

We look forward to seeing you next year.