Pontifical Mass of Thanksgiving in the Extraordinary Form

on the 140^th Anniversary of the Construction of St. Ann’s Church

& the 45^th Anniversary of the Establishment

of the Latin Mass Community

St. Clement Parish, Ottawa,

Patronal Feast of the Church—July 26, 2013

The Legacy of Faith

[Texts: Proverbs 31.10–31 [Gradual: Psalm 44.8]; Matthew 13.44–52]

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Today, we celebrate Saint Anne. Our sacred tradition tells us that she was the mother of the Blessed Virgin. She was thus the grandmother of Jesus our Saviour.

What we know about her life comes to us from apocryphal Gospel accounts. They tell us that Anne (a variant of Anna or Hannah, which means grace) and her husband Joachim could not bear children. They pleaded with God for a miracle. Just as God heard Sarah’s plea and sent an angelic messenger (Genesis 18.10, read last Sunday) with the promise of a child and descendance, so did He do for Anne.

Saint Anne gave birth to a baby girl whom she called Mary. Anne and Joachim raised Mary in the Jewish faith. They conveyed their exceptional love of God to their precious daughter. Worship and prayer were doubtless central activities in the family’s daily life. When their grandson Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph in turn raised him in God’s love.

This story teaches us the vital importance of the family in the faith education of children. A child, whose parents remind him daily of God’s love, grows up strong in the faith.

In Jules Tremblay’s book Sainte-Anne d’Ottawa published in 1925, we read, “On December 5^th, 1872, the founding of Sainte-Anne parish was announced.” Bishop Guigues hastened work on the church to begin in April 1873. The book notes that the cooperation of French Canadians and Irish on this project was exceptional for its time. The Courrier d’Outaouais of May 5^th, 1873 covered the ceremony of the installation of the corner stone the previous day, presided by His Excellency Bishop Gigues. In the corner stone is a document that bears the names of the bishop, the vicar general and the builders. The event attracted a huge crowd of Catholic faithful and several members of the clergy. As was customary at that time, sermons in French and English followed the prayer.

Bishop Édouard Fabre, Coadjutor and future Archbishop of Montreal, officiated the dedication of the church on Sunday November 30^th, 1873. According to the Courrier d’Outaouais, His Excellency delivered a speech in French and English that was much appreciated by all. Following the consecration, Fr. Alleau, the pastor of the new parish, celebrated Mass. The Citizen reported, “The building is a very fine one constructed of stone and presents a pleasant appearance…It is richly furnished and capable of accommodating 800 persons.” 140 years later, we can see that Saint Anne parish has lived up to its auspicious beginning.

Earlier, I mentioned the importance of the family. Today’s Old Testament reading from Proverbs 31 lists the qualities and underscores the worthiness of the diligent wife. This wife not only takes care of her household but also manages a thriving business. She resembles the faithful servant of whom Jesus speaks. He sells all his possessions to buy the field in which is hidden a treasure, which symbolizes the kingdom of heaven. She is also like the scribe who has become a disciple of Heaven and can extract from his holdings old and new things of value. (Matthew 13.44–45, 52). This implies that we are blessed by the old covenants and the New Covenant, the promise of reconciliation with God through Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross.

The Book of Proverbs tells us that the sons of the diligent wife proclaim her blessed. Her husband praises her always. If her husband values her, it’s not merely for her beauty. Rather, it is because of her dedication to the Lord and her wise fostering of her family’s prosperity.

The liturgy proclaims this passage today specifically about Saint Anne and more generally about the community and the Church. She cares for the household. She acquires a vineyard—symbol of the Spirit. They prosper, for the glory of God and for the good of His children.

The work of the parishioners of Saint Anne parish has born much good fruit over 140 years. The Lord found here “a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.” (Proverbs 31.10, NAB) Your works tell your “praises at the city gates!” (Proverbs 31.31, NJB)

Tonight express our gratitude to the Lord for his abundant graces over the many decades of this church: the celebration of Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, of marriages witnessed, and souls unburdened in Confession, of anointings and Solemn Requiems; of vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life—men and women called to serve the People of God from the families of this community of faith.

The Church recognizes the value of the whole person, including their culture and education. Among St. Anne parish’s noble achievements was its leadership in successfully opposing Ontario’s Règlement 17 of 1912. This unfair law sought to restrict the use of the French language in Roman Catholic schools.

Over the decades, the parish has nurtured the education of its children and has drawn on many excellent resources. I extend a warm welcome to several guests here today. We have representatives from the religious involved in francophone education in the parish, such as the Sisters of Charity, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and les Frères des écoles chrétiennes. We also have local and national-level dignitaries from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Roman Catholic school boards, and De La Salle High School. I thank you for the invaluable investments you and your predecessors have made in our youth.

Today I also salute the community of St. Clement. You are attached to the Latin Mass and your presence has enriched our liturgical life in the Archdiocese, since its founding forty-five years ago by my predecessor, the late Archbishop Joseph-Aurèle Plourde. We have benefitted too from the leadership of my predecessor, Archbishop Marcel Gervais, who entrusted this fledgling community to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. Lastly, I must highlight the contribution of Father Philip Creurer as he completes his assignment here, especially his masterful arrangement of the transfer of the St. Clement Community from Mann Avenue to this beautiful and historic church of Saint Anne. All this he achieved—with the help of many co-workers—while completing his doctorate in Canon Law at St. PaulUniversity. Thank you, Father Creurer, and be sure of our prayers for your thesis defence and for your future ministry wherever the Lord calls you.

As we gather to celebrate the Mass in its Extraordinary Form, which was the common experience of the faithful in these parts for almost a hundred years, we realize that this is not the experience for many of us. We generally celebrate what is known as the Ordinary Form of the Roman liturgy.

Many in the Church make the mistake of thinking that the Roman Rite has two different Masses to choose from. But the beautiful, profound truth is that we have only one, holy sacrifice of the Mass in two usages: the ordinary and extraordinary forms. This is perhaps one of the best examples of that most Catholic expression of “both/and” and not “either/or.” Both forms share a fundamental basis in the sacrament of the Eucharist. We can and should appreciate the truth, goodness and beauty of each form.

I beseech the Lord, by the intercession of Saint Anne, protector of this church, to preserve us for years to come for His service. May this church continue to be a place of gathering for His faithful for the greater glory of God and the salvation of the world!

Construction on and around the church is ongoing, and includes work on the soffit of the apse as well as new bathroom facilities at the entrance.

The bookstore will be moved to the opposite side of the middle entrance hallway, and the new bathroom facilities installed in the former bookstore space.

Four parishioners will be entering formation for the priestly and religious life this year, two to the Toronto Oratory, one to the FSSP (Nebraska) and one the Benedictine sisters in Clear Creek, Oklahoma.