Summer 2011 - Companions of the Cross

Inside 

Fr. Jim Lowe’s 

Ordination 

Spiritual Fatherhood 

of the Priest 

Big Changes 

Summer 2011

Front cover photo: Anne Marie Gruden 

WHAT’S INSIDE 

ORDINATION 

TO THE DIACONATE 

With joy and thanksgiving 

Joseph and Margaret Hyginus 

together with the Companions of the Cross 

invite you to celebrate 

the Ordination of their son and brother 

Lawrence Hyginus 

to the Transitional Diaconate 

on Saturday September 17, 2011 

St. Timothy’s Parish 

21 Leith Hill Road, 

North York, Ontario 

Please see our website or contact the parish 

for more details. Celebrate with us! 

The Spiritual Fatherhood of the Priest .......................... 3 

Time with Fr. Bob .......................................................... 5 

Blessed John Paul II and the Gift of Enduring Hope .... 6 

In the Shoes of St. Barnabas ....................................... 8 

Messianic and Catholic ................................................ 10 

Gift and Mystery – 25 Years as a Priest ........................... 12 

Spiritual Motherhood of Priests .................................... 16 

Big Changes in 2011! ................................................... 18 

Father Terry’s Picks – Priesthood ................................. 19 

A Prayer For Now ......................................................... 21 

Community News & Notes ........................................... 22 

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Credits 

Publisher 

The Companions of the Cross 

Editors-in-Chief 

Fr. Scott McCaig, Moderator 

Fr. Rick Jaworski, Vice-Moderator 

Managing Editor 

Christine Labrosse 

Graphic Design 

Dyann Bernard 

Pigs Can Fly Design 

dyannbernard@gmail.com 

The Companions of the Cross is a quarterly publication 

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about God’s movement within a new community of 

Catholic priests, and candidates for the priesthood. 

The Companions’ ministries are made possible by the 

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most grateful. 

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f e a t u r e 

by Fr. Bob Bedard, CC 

The Spiritual 

Fatherhood of 

the Priest 

This article is a talk that Fr. Bob gave at a Conference in 2005 at 

Creighton University. It is used with permission from the Institute 

of Priestly Formation. 

A 

priest acts in the very person of Jesus Christ. Like the 

Apostles, he is ordained to be Christ to the world. He is ordained 

to do the things that Jesus did. He is, in fact, an alter 

Christus, another Christ (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] 

#1548). Like Jesus at the Last Supper, he confects the Eucharist. 

He stands at the altar and says the very words that Jesus himself 

said, making them his own: “This is my Body . . . This is my 

Blood” (Mt 26: 26-28). Jesus’ presence in the bread and the wine 

becomes “real”, “true”, and “substantial”. These are the words the 

Church itself uses to describe how Christ is present in this exalted 

Sacrament. We call it “the Blessed Sacrament” (CCC #1374, 

1379, 1381). 

Although the appearances of bread and wine do not change, the 

reality does. This most dignified of the Sacraments becomes, at the 

words of Jesus himself, the actual Body and Blood of the Lord. A 

man who is ordained to the priesthood receives a configurement to 

Christ himself (CCC #1548). He becomes what Christ is. And he 

does the things that Christ does. He must do the Father’s will in 

all things. Like Jesus, he must make it his food. He proclaims the 

Good News of the Kingdom. He announces the Father’s incredible 

plan for mankind, a fullness of life both here and hereafter. What 

we receive here as we give our lives to him – a life of peace that 

the world cannot give, nor even understand, a love that casts out 

all fear, an abundance of life, a fullness of joy, and the freedom of 

the sons and daughters of God (Jn 14:27) – we enjoy forever in 

Heaven. Like Jesus, the priest teaches the truths of the Kingdom 

of God. He leads people into a transforming relationship with the 

Holy Spirit. He blesses. He forgives sin. 

Our specific topic for this third of the annual symposia is “spiritual 

fatherhood” as it is to be lived out in the life of a priest. Since a 

priest acts in the very person of Jesus, we should expect to find 

the Son of God acting out a father-like role. The role that Jesus 

ascribes to himself that speaks most clearly to that of a father is 

his reference to himself as a shepherd: “I am the Good Shepherd. 

I know my sheep and they know me . . . for these, I will give up my 

life” (Jn 10:15). The sheep are, of course, his people. I am one of 

his sheep. It is clear that he wants a close bond with each of us. 

Much of what is implied in this relationship goes over our heads 

completely because we do not really understand the full reality of 

the shepherd-sheep relationship the way his hearers did. 

I was totally in the dark about this relationship until I heard it explained 

a few years ago. In my own experience as a sometime observer, 

there did not seem to be much interaction between today’s 

sheep and the farmers who owned them. We do not even call them 

shepherds. But this was not the reality Jesus was speaking from. 

The way sheep were attended to in his day was very different from 

our modern customs. We are told that there is only one people on 

earth today who care for sheep the way it was done in New Testament 

times. These are the Basques, who live mainly in the foothills 

of the Pyrenees mountains in northern Spain. 

A group of owners (shepherds) of good numbers of sheep would 

construct or buy a large fenced-in sheepfold. Each man would put 

his herd in it for the night. The men would take turns standing 

guard at night lest wolves or other predators attack and kill the 

sheep. Each shepherd would customarily name each member of his 

herd just as people today give names to their dogs, cats, and other 

pets. Every morning, the shepherds would in turn come to the gate 

of the pen and call out to their respective sheep. The latter, recognizing 

their own particular owner’s voice would head for the gate. 

We are certainly familiar with the voice recognition part of it. Dog 

owners know how well these quadrupeds become familiar with the 

sound of their owners’ voices. 

Each shepherd would then lead his flock out into the meadows and 

fields to spend the day. The sheep were accustomed to having a 

steady and purposeful but leisurely day. The shepherd would take 

up a suitable place (out of the sun on a very hot day) where he 

could keep an eye on all of them. The owner would then begin to 

call each of the sheep by name, in turn, to come to him. Recognizing 

its own name, each one would amble eagerly over to where the 

C o m p a n i o n s o f t h e C r o s s s u m m e r 2 0 1 1 

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3

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shepherd was. This was its own special time of the day. This was 

the time for it to receive individual attention. The shepherd would 

gently comb out the coat, dislodge the burrs and ticks, apply oil to 

any cuts or abrasions, work the shoulder and neck muscles a bit 

while talking in quiet and tender tones to the sheep itself. Just the 

way dog owners of today minister to their pets. All of this had the 

effect of soothing the animal’s feelings and giving re-assurance 

that it had somebody to love and care for it. This is the way the 

Basques do it today. And this is the way the shepherds did it in Jesus’ 

day. This has many of the appearances of fathering done well. 

The priest has to be this kind of father to his flock. 

I find this shepherd analogy persuasive. But more persuasive still 

has been my own experience. Through the years the conviction 

has been deeply planted in my heart and mind that our Heavenly 

Father desires his priests to be fathers to his people. 

I was born into a fervent Catholic family. But it was very untypical. 

I was the only child. As I grew into adulthood, I was not at all 

well equipped to enter into marriage with the attendant children 

that would have inevitably been part of that. I knew nothing about 

children. Had I got married in my mid-twenties, I would have been 

a disaster as a father. I would have started out, I think, as a type 

of martinet – all discipline – and degenerated over the years to a 

“who cares?” parent. Of course, nothing would have worked. The 

children would have been in total rebellion by the time they were 

12 or 13. I would have had a strange assortment of adolescents 

around me – wildly coloured hair, rings in ears and noses and other 

protruding parts of their anatomy, every outrageous clothing fad. 

But the Lord had other ideas. He saved society from the merry 

chase upon which my progeny would have led it. He drew me into 

the priesthood. 

After three years of ordination, the archbishop appointed me to 

teach in a new boys’ high school he was starting, from which he 

hoped to get some decent prospects for the seminary. I was hor- 

C o m p a n i o n s o f t h e C r o s s 

s u m m e r 2 0 1 1 

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4 

rified. I had already had a bad experience teaching catechism in 

my last year at a local Catholic elementary school. It was the parish 

school for the nearby St. Theresa’s parish. It was customarily 

called “Little Flower School”. If ever a school in the history 

of Catholic education was misnamed, it was that one. It should 

have been called “Sing-Sing” or “Alcatraz”. I explained this to the 

archbishop. He was sympathetic but suggested I consider trying it 

for a year. I taught for 20 years. With the grace of God, I not only 

survived, I thrived. I even became principal for a term. 

I obtained my qualifications as a school counsellor as well as teacher. 

This led me into many individual meetings with young men. I 

got to understand them quite well, I believe. I learned that they 

do not quickly trust adults. But, once they become convinced the 

older man can be trusted, they begin to open up. And that is what 

happened. Once we got past the Math and Geography problems, 

the real issue was broached. I became more and more amazed at 

the number of times the fathers of the boys would come up for discussion. 

Fully four out of five of the young men saw the source of 

their difficulties in the relationship with their fathers. “I cannot get 

along with my father,” one would say. “My father doesn’t understand 

me,” another would offer, “and I certainly don’t understand 

him”. Some said they just did not like their fathers. It was like a 

broken record. I was aghast. 

We have a major sociological problem on our hands here, I said to 

myself, and one of which I was not even aware. I had to conclude 

that not too many fathers were doing a good job. These boys were 

largely unfathered. It did not take long for me to move from chatting 

with the students to trying to provide some of the fathering 

they were actually longing for. Over the years, I gradually learned 

what a father should be. And I opened up, I believe, to what the 

Lord was teaching me through my experiences. 

A father needs to know how to affirm his offspring and how vitally 

important affirmation is. A critical spirit has to be conquered. The

.................................................. 

son needs to hear from his father that he is 

loved, not just for what he does, but simply 

for himself. No matter what scrapes he gets 

himself into, the boy has to be sure it would 

not change his father’s love for him. 

Odious comparisons should be avoided entirely. 

“Why can’t you be like . . . ?” type 

of comments have to disappear. Firmness, 

yes, when need be, but fairness always. 

Father and son have to have quality time 

together, have to go places together. The 

father has to be unflinchingly reliable. And 

he must learn how to move along with the 

moods of the young, not putting up with 

everything, but understanding everything. 

After 20 years in the classroom, my teaching 

days came to an end. It is about time, I 

said to myself, that I begin to involve myself 

more with the general adult population. 

But the Lord, once again, had other ideas. 

It was not long before I found myself involved 

with the foundation of a new community 

of priests. In fact, I was the founder. 

I had to do it. The Lord left me no other 

choice. He had me where he wanted me. 

He knew, of course, what he was doing. 

The community, the Companions of the 

Cross, received early approval by the archbishop 

and began to grow steadily. 

The Lord brought dozens and dozens of impressive 

young men to join us, and continues 

to do so. We are a group, at this point, 

of over 70 men, ordained and unordained 

(seminarians). But, impressive though they 

be, many of them still need lots of fathering. 

What I learned as a teacher, I do now 

as a founder. If I am to believe the men 

around me, fathering has become my main 

gift. I would think the Lord’s obvious will 

for me is to carry on into whatever years 

he still has appointed for me, as a father to 

young men. Not only that, I have to model 

for them the role of father that they themselves 

will find is awaiting them. 

Has this fathering business been my discovery? 

I prefer to think that it is God’s 

revelation to me. But, in any case, it should 

not have surprised me that I have become 

what people began to call me the day I was 

ordained – “Father”. 

t i m e with 

Fr. Bob... 

One of the things that 

we’ve learned from 

Fr. Bob is that he was steadfast 

in his message that we need 

to consult the Lord every day, 

in every situation, in order to 

“catch his Word”. He would say this over and over, in 

many ways, from many different angles. He would say it 

so often that perhaps he could have copyrighted his words. 

It’s amazing that even now, as we spend time with Fr. Bob, 

we wait in anticipation of any word that he may speak – 

even just the simple words of “yes” and “no”. 

One day, Sr. Anna and Sr. Monique were spending time 

with Fr. Bob, and Sr. Anna was telling Fr. Bob that she 

was ready to catch the Word for the day. She continued on 

with more conversation and then came back to the topic 

again. Wanting to engage Fr. Bob, she asked him, “What’s 

the Word for today Fr. Bob?” Fr. Bob looked long and 

hard and seemed to really be concentrating. The sisters 

were patient, recognizing that Fr. Bob wanted to respond 

to the question. Finally, in a near whisper they heard him 

say, “Follow him.” Such simple words, but incredibly 

profound. 

Sr. Anna then continued by quoting a favourite Bible verse 

of Fr. Bob’s, but she was mixing things up a bit. She could 

see that Fr. Bob wanted to recite it for her, and then she 

heard him say, “Psalm 37.” The full verse is: “Commit 

your life to the Lord, trust in him and he will act”. 

In the midst of his trials, Fr. Bob is still communicating 

a message that he’s been proclaiming for over 30 years. 

Hearing Fr. Bob speak these simple words is a testimony 

to Christ living in him. The one whom he spent countless 

hours listening to, and receiving from, continues to shine 

through Fr. Bob in a radiant way. 

Servants of the Cross 


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5

f e a t u r e 

by Fr. Scott McCaig, CC 

Blessed John Paul II and 

the Gift of Enduring Hope 

On May first of this year, like so many 

of you, I was glued to the television 

set to watch the Beatification Mass 

of one of the greatest popes in history, Pope 

John Paul II. It was touching to see how, 

even six years after his death, he still moves 

people so profoundly. 

I would venture to say that seldom, if ever, 

have so many people felt such a close personal 

attachment to someone they had never 

actually met. Shortly after the death of John 

Paul II one of the cardinals shared in an interview 

that he felt personally orphaned - 

that he had lost his father. The words struck 

me because I felt exactly the same way. I 

am certain that many of you did as well. He 

really was our Holy Father: a man of contagious 

holiness, a man who put God first, 

and who by his very example made us want 

to do the same; and he was a true spiritual 

father who showed us our identity as Christians, 

our incredible destiny and our serious 

responsibilities. He exhorted us to “open 

wide the doors to Christ”, and gave us the 

hope to believe we could. 

God is extraordinarily generous and he 

has given us another true shepherd in Pope 

Benedict XVI. But I want to take a few moments 

to thank God for the gift of Blessed 

Pope John Paul II, and to acknowledge the 

absolutely key role he played in our own development 

as Companions of the Cross. 

To begin with, Pope John Paul II was an incredible 

inspiration to us. In our very first vision 

statement, before the community even 

had a name, Fr. Bob wrote the following: 

“We believe the present Holy Father, Pope 

John Paul II, to be particularly chosen by 

God to shepherd his people in this critical 

age, and we wish to bind ourselves to a special, 

deep loyalty to him and to the Magisterium 

of the Church”. When we look at the 

vision, the priorities, the character, and the 

mission of the Companions of the Cross – it 

is hard not to see the vast inspiration and the 

imprint of Blessed John Paul II. So much of 

who we are as a community was either directly 

inspired by him or confirmed by his 

own life and teaching. 

When Fr. Bob read Pope Paul VI’s Apostolic 

Exhortation On Evangelization in the 

Modern World in 1975, it captured him and 

completely reshaped his priestly ministry. 

For years, decades even, Fr. Bob preached, 

taught, and did everything that he could do 

to further this vision that evangelization is 

the first and essential mission of the Church. 

The remarkable response of his students in 

high school to his new evangelical focus 

only further confirmed his convictions and 

increased his resolve. At diocesan meetings 

he was a constant gadfly, insisting again and 

again that our pastoral priorities needed to 

be realigned – that it made little sense to try 

and catechize and sacramentalize those who 

were not yet properly evangelized. He evangelized 

and taught evangelization far and 

wide through his burgeoning speaking ministry. 

He was a true pioneer of the “new evangelization” 

and made a difference in untold 

numbers of lives. Unfortunately, however, 

his efforts were not always understood or 

appreciated. Even the term “evangelization” 

seemed somehow foreign and suspiciously 


s u m m e r 2 0 1 1 

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6 

un-Catholic to many. Resistance, and even 

ridicule, was a not entirely uncommon response 

– even among the clergy. 

All that began to change with Pope John 

Paul II, who early in his papacy began calling 

for a “new evangelization”. In 1990 he 

strongly reaffirmed the Church’s fundamental 

call to evangelization in his encyclical 

Mission of the Redeemer. It seemed that 

by the mid-1990’s everybody was talking 

about evangelization. And John Paul II was 

explaining evangelization in terms that we 

had all heard before from Fr. Bob: 

“It is the Spirit who opens people’s 

hearts so that they can believe in 

Christ and ‘confess him’” (Redemptoris 

Missio, 46). 

“Conversion means accepting, by 

a personal decision, the saving sovereignty 

of Christ and becoming his 

disciple.” (Redemptoris Missio, 46). 

“Sometimes even Catholics have lost 

or never had the chance to experience 

Christ personally: not Christ

as a mere ‘paradigm’ or ‘value’, but 

as the living Lord, ‘the way, and the 

truth, and the life’ (Jn 14:6)” (Pope 

John Paul II, L’Osservatore Romano, 

March 24, 1993, p.3). 

“It is necessary to awaken again in 

believers a full relationship with 

Christ, mankind’s only Saviour. Only 

from a personal relationship with Jesus 

can an effective evangelization 

develop.” (Pope John Paul II, speech 

to bishops of Southern Germany, 

Dec. 4, 1992 L’Osservatore Romano 

(English ed.), Dec. 23/30, 1992, 

pp. 5-6). 

The teaching of John Paul II on evangelization 

was a deep confirmation of our charism 

and mission. Because we were in harmony 

with the heart of the Pope we knew we were 

on the right track and it gave us courage to 

forge ahead. 

In the same way our deep Marian devotion 

was confirmed and deepened by the life 

and teaching of Pope John Paul II, as was 

our profound devotion to the Holy Spirit, 

the recognition of a New Pentecost in our 

time, and the charismatic dimension of the 

Church that we were seeking to awaken in 

the hearts of believers. John Paul II’s missionary 

zeal, his Eucharistic piety, and his 

call for priests to live a deeper fraternal life – 

all left a permanent imprint on our lives and 

ministry. Without question we are deeply 

indebted to him. His life became a big part 

of who we are. 

As I have listened to Pope Benedict speak 

in several different addresses, it occurred to 

me that even now, years after his death, we 

still have many things to learn from Blessed 

Pope John Paul II. One of those lessons may 

be his indomitable hope! 

After 26 years, many things have changed 

for us. The youthful exuberance of 1985 

has given way to a lot of hard work in 2011. 

Then most of us were seminarians, now we 

have 37 priests in the trenches, facing the 

stresses, the difficulties, the trials of pastoral 

ministry while trying to bring vibrant 

renewal to the people of God. And I can say 

confidently as Moderator, because I’m in the 

privileged position of hearing back from so 

many people, that great things are happening! 

People are experiencing renewal and 

the vision is being fulfilled. But I also have 

to tell you that it can be very difficult. It can 

test you to the marrow of your bones! When 

we face the immense challenges of evangelizing 

and renewing the Church in our day it 

is easy to become discouraged. 

But there is an answer. Pope Benedict 

showed us the antidote to this temptation in 

the life of Blessed John Paul II. 

In the midst of all his pressing duties, facing 

immense needs and problems, John Paul II 

never surrendered his hope. He lived in 

hope: hope for the Church, hope for the future, 

hope for renewal. He was always looking 

forward to what was possible, to what 

God wanted to do next. And this hope was 

not mere human optimism. He wasn’t blind, 

and he definitely wasn’t a fool. He saw the 

collapse of Christianity in so many formerly 

Christian nations. He saw the advance of the 

culture of death – of war and poverty, etc. He 

saw it all, but he never lost hope. How did 

he do this? John Paul II was able to maintain 

his hope simply because he was constantly 

immersed in Jesus. He was immersed in the 

one who holds the future in his hands. He 

was immersed in intimate dialogue with the 

Lord of all history. He lived a deep spiritual 

life even though he had a schedule that most 

of us could hardly imagine. He made Jesus 

his first priority and all-consuming love. 

And Jesus gave him hope. 

This is a vital lesson. The obstacles we face 

are big. But the Lord is bigger. In his merciful 

heart are all the grace, all the strength, 

and all the hope we need. And it doesn’t 

matter how small or weak or unprepared 

we feel. Because it’s ultimately not about 

us, it’s about Jesus, and he loves to use the 

“weak things of this world” precisely to 

show that what is accomplished is not from 

us but from him. Some of Pope John Paul 

II’s greatest achievements came as his body 

failed. Some of his greatest teachings came 

when he could barely communicate. His 

deep immersion in Jesus gave him hope, 

and his hope allowed the Lord to use him in 

remarkable ways! May it be the same for us. 

Thank you Blessed Pope John Paul II for 

your guidance, your inspiration, and your 

enduring hope. Thank you Jesus for the gift 

of Blessed Pope John Paul II! 

.......................................... 

This article is the Foundation Day Homily, 

2011 given by Fr. Scott McCaig, CC Moderator 

of the Companions of the Cross. 

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7

In the Shoes of 

St. Barnabas 

“For the Son of Man also came not to be 

served but to serve, and to give his life as a 

ransom for many” (Mk 10:45). 

Fr. James Lowe gave his life in service of the Church on 

Saturday June 11, 2011 when he was ordained to the 

priesthood in a beautiful Mass celebrated by the Most 

Reverend Terrence Prendergast, SJ at Notre Dame Cathedral 

in Ottawa. 

Archbishop Prendergast told the joyful congregation 

that Fr. Jim was being ordained on his 37th birthday 

and the Feast day of St. Barnabas, one of the first of 

the faithful in Jerusalem. He preached the Gospel in 

Antioch and was a companion of St. Paul. St. Barnabas 

was a faithful follower of Christ who proclaimed the 

Gospel to all. 

The Archbishop encouraged Fr. Jim by telling him, 

“You must meditate on the love of God, teach what 

you believe and put into practice what you preach . . . 

imitate the mystery you celebrate and make every effort 

to die to sin and walk in the new life of Christ.” 

Archbishop Prendergast reminded the congregation 

that the Companions of the Cross are called to live in 

response to the grace of God as a community and to 

take their orientation from the Holy Spirit in the reverence 

of the Eucharist. He explained that the Companions 

live their call out in evangelizing and staying close 

to the teaching Magisterium of the Church, maintaining 

harmonious consultaton with the Bishop. 

He concluded by reminding the newly ordained Fr. 

Jim, “Remember that you are chosen among God’s 

people . . . do your job with joy and love. Seek to bring 

the faithful together in a unified family and always remember 

the example of the Good Shepherd.” 

All in attendance were certainly filled with joy and were 

a unified family in the prayerful, uplifting celebration 

of ordination for another apostle of Christ following in 

the footsteps of St. Barnabas.

From top, left to right: Fr. Jim Lowe with members of his 

family; Newly ordained Fr. Jim Lowe with Archbishop and 

members of the Companions of the Cross; Celebration of 

the Eucharist; Fr. Jim blesses his brother; Fr. Jim Lowe and 

Fr. Scott McCaig; Fr. Jim Lowe with Archbishop Terrence 

Prendergast; Fr. Jim Lowe with Sister Servants of the 

Cross; Fr. Jim’s first Mass at St. Mary’s; Fr. Jim with Bryan 

Sabourin at evening reception. 

Photos: Anne Marie Gruden

f e a t u r e 

by Mark Neugebauer 

Messianic and Catholic 

Having been raised in a Conservative Jewish home in Toronto, 

I was an attendee at synagogue on Sabbaths and 

High Holidays. I sang in the choir, assisted at a Hebrew 

school and lived a committed Jewish life. My father is a Holocaust 

survivor from Auschwitz and my mother’s family survived 

the pogroms in Russia. Both settled in Canada and raised my sister 

and myself in a Jewish environment where all of our friends 

were Jewish. Christianity was the religion of the outsiders, the 

faith of anti-Semites and Jew-haters, the creed of the Crusaders, 

Inquisitors, Persecutors, and Nazis. Yet, my mother would 

remind me continually that “Jesus was a Jew”. 

One day I picked up a volume by the Yiddish writer Sholem Asche 

called, The Nazarene. I was awestruck by the Jewish Yeshua, 

who in no way resembled those who apparently hated us. The 

film, Jesus of Nazareth confirmed this and listening yearly to 

Handel’s Messiah began to convince me as I examined the scriptural 

libretto to that magnificent oratorio. The words, “He was 

wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. The 

chastisement for our peace was on him, and by his stripes we are 

healed” caused me to wonder what these New Testament words 

(so, I thought) were doing in a piece of music! To my surprise, I 

discovered that they were from Isaiah 53 from the TANACH and 

originally in Hebrew. 

In the choir were two Jewish believers who were praying to lead 

someone to the Lord. I was fascinated by their peace and asking 

them what it was that helped them, they responded, “Jesus”. I 

was shocked and determined to talk them out of that aberration! 

When they began to expound on the prophecies concerning the 

Messiah, I did not hear a word they said. What I did hear was 

the Lord speaking to my heart saying, “Jesus is the Messiah; he 

is Lord.” I came to the Messianic fellowship and I confessed 

Yeshua as Messiah. I brought home a Hebrew New Testament 

and then began both the beginning of intensity at home, and the 

deepest friendship with Yeshua. Through their tears and anger, 

I began to pray for my family to come to faith, while the Lord 

comforted me with the sweetest of intimacy and love. 

I studied Hebrew and Greek in my undergraduate years and examined 

the early Church Fathers. My Greek professor at the University 

of Toronto was a devout Roman Catholic with whom I 

had a wonderful friendship. My degree turned out to be one in 

Hellenistic-Near Eastern Studies; that is, the Jewish writings of 

the Hellenistic period, which included the New Testament. 

During this time, I became involved in the Messianic Congregation 

preaching and doing other ministries including elder and 


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10 

interim pastor. Conferences bolstered my joy in Yeshua and 

connections with international and local Messianic believers 

were ongoing. I met my wife Sue at the Congregation and we 

raised our two sons in the Messianic Jewish faith. We prayed and 

worked for Jewish salvation and ministered to those who were 

coming to faith. 

When I was in teacher training 29 years ago I decided to take the 

Catholic Education course. I did a practicum in a Catholic School 

and taught catechism to children and led them in prayers, not 

having been Catholic. This is surprising considering the fact that 

I was strongly anti-Catholic. Friends who were former Catholics 

thought I was foolish. Yet, I was strangely attracted to the liturgy 

and the beauty of the Catholic Church. 

After years of serving at the Congregation, we felt led to attend 

a charismatic church. I led a men’s group and became involved 

in intercession, where I learned much about prayer and hearing 

from God. We kept our ties with the Messianic movement by 

leading intercession meetings, where we prayed for Jewish and 

Arab believers in Israel. 

When friends of ours reverted to the Catholic Church, they suggested 

that we examine EWTN; I discovered Mother Angelica 

and “the Journey Home”. I was so surprised to discover a beautiful, 

faith-filled, and passionate Christianity. I had never seen anything 

like this - the doctrinal concerns notwithstanding: Mary, 

the Saints, and Purgatory. My heart was being drawn in unexpected 

ways. When I heard Jewish Catholics share their stories 

of faith, I knew I needed to investigate further. 

The old attitudes and the way my people had been treated by the 

Church during many centuries had left a wound in the hearts of 

many Jews and a very negative attitude toward Christianity. Despite 

all of this, I had a desire to read Vatican II and was relieved 

when I learned about Nostra Aetate and the new attitudes toward 

the Jewish people. Blessed John Paul had done much to heal 

and this was a step in the right direction. I decided to read the 

Catechism of the Catholic Church to ascertain what the Church 

actually taught and I discovered that the Catechism is extremely 

honouring of the Jewish people. I felt the deep need to forgive 

the Church and also repented of my judgments. It was safe to be 

Jewish and explore Catholicism. 

Through recommendations of friends, and through a series of 

dreams about men in brown robes, I became involved with contemplative 

prayer. I began to read about St.Theresa of Avila and 

St John of the Cross. I was overwhelmed by a presence of Jesus I 

had never experienced before and I was determined to seek more. 

The power of the love of God was so evident and the truth and 

honesty was so prevalent.

Our Wedding May 30, 1982 

When my sister passed away tragically in 2007 it was to the quiet, 

restful worship space of a Catholic Church, St. Timothy’s in 

Toronto that I turned. Why a Catholic Church? I had witnessed 

and experienced the quiet gentleness of God’s love through 

EWTN and I was desperate for some grace and contemplation in 

the midst of grief. The Lord met me powerfully as I gazed at his 

Cross. I began to wonder what it was in the Church that I had not 

seen elsewhere. Did it have something to do with what (or who) 

was in the box to the side of the sanctuary? Through the music of 

John Michael Talbot and Gregorian chant on CD, I experienced 

much comfort as well. 

During Lent 2008 my wife and I decided to attend a Tuesday 

evening course on “The Spiritual Life” at St. Timothy’s, which 

focused on Ralph Martin’s book, The Fulfillment of All Desire. I 

had watched Mass on EWTN, but now I began to experience the 

REAL PRESENCE OF JESUS IN THE EUCHARIST in person. 

I wanted to take Communion, but I could not. There was a choice 

to make now: either leave St. Timothy’s or honour the rules and 

stay. I decided to press on, not knowing where it would all lead. 

My wife and I attended the “Lift Jesus Higher Rally” in April 

2008 and it was at the Adoration and Divine Mercy segments that 

we were touched. I felt I needed to explore this “Catholic Thing” 

further. I met other Hebrew Catholics on TV: Debbie Herbeck, 

Bob Freedman, Roy Schoeman, and David and Rosalind Moss. I 

began reading different Websites including: Salvation is from the 

Jews; The Association for Hebrew Catholics and, Catholics for 

Israel. I began a correspondence with Messianic Jewish Catholics 

and I was reading everything I could find on Jewish Catholics. 

My friends suggested I look into RCIA just for interest. I met 

with Fr. Randy, who was extremely kind, and I began RCIA with 

a very learned man at St. Timothy’s. Because I had been a be- 

liever for over 30 years, with experience in ministry and Bible 

teaching, I had private RCIA classes. 

Providentially, in the summer of 2008, we came to Christ the 

King Catholic Church in Ann Arbor, MI when our son went to 

University in Ohio for a semester. On the Christ the King website, 

we found the RCIA study sheets they used. These are question 

and answer lessons that use the Catechism and the Bible as 

the only textbooks. Using the study sheets from Christ the King, 

the RCIA classes with my teacher at St. Timothy were a delight. 

We discussed those doctrinal “chestnuts” that I mentioned above. 

Each time we did a study, I was convinced by the Lord of the 

truth of those doctrines. It was, as St. Augustine stated, “I believed, 

and then I understood” and it was as St. Thomas Aquinas 

asserted, “Faith and Reason”. 

I began to ask God if I was to become Catholic. I wanted to do 

the right thing considering my Jewish background. During the 

prayer, “I am not worthy to receive you …” I would pray, “only 

say the word and I shall become Catholic.” 

I also wondered if I could walk away and leave the Catholic 

world having had a wonderful, faith-enriching experience. I read 

Edith Stein’s biography and asked the Lord at Epiphany to send 

me some Hebrew Catholics to confirm that it was okay for a Messianic 

Jew to become a Catholic. The Lord said to me, “I have 

sent you one already [i.e. Edith Stein] what more do you want?” 

I knew then that that was it, as I had sensed intercession from St. 

Theresa of Avila and St. Edith Stein. I could not walk away; only 

proceed to where the Lord was leading. 

One Saturday evening Mass in February 2009 I experienced the 

Rite of Welcoming. At my first Confession, I confessed 32 years 

of sin and guilt since my Baptism and for the first time felt truly 


.................................................................................................................................. 

11

.......................................... 

Continued from page 11... 

forgiven and free of guilt and shame. At 

the Easter Vigil I was confirmed and had 

my First Communion. Having listened to 

priests say, “The Body of Christ” became 

music to my ears, and when I was able for 

the first time to take the Body and Blood 

of the Lord, I felt like dancing. 

And, I see the Jewishness of it all. The 

synagogue has an Eternal Light hanging 

over the Ark where the Torahs are kept; 

the Catholic Church has a light near the 

tabernacle where the “Torah made flesh” 

is kept. There is a long table in the synagogue 

for the Torah; there is an altar for 

the Eucharist in the Church. There are 

Scripture readings and prayers chanted in 

the synagogue; the Church has scriptures 

and prayers read and sung. 

When I became a believer in Yeshua at the 

Messianic Congregation, I did not cease 

to be Jewish. When I joined the Evangelical 

Church I did not cease to be Messianic 

Jewish. When I joined the Catholic 

Church, I did not cease to be any of the 

above; it is addition and multiplication, 

and not subtraction or division. I am not 

a convert from Messianic Judaism via 

Evangelical Protestantism to the Catholic 

Church. My conversion is daily to the 

Lord. He has led me into a deepening of 

relationship with him that grows daily too. 

If anyone had ever told me years ago that 

this would be happening, I would have 

told them they were dreaming. Yet, it is 

a dream come true. The Lord has given 

me many more mercies, favours, and opportunities 

to share the Jewish roots of the 

faith. Jesus is a real person to me at Mass 

and not just a theory or an experience. 

The richness in history, tradition, and the 

manifold “colours” of the Catholic tradition 

are so beautiful and so wise. Our 

Holy Father is a real friend to our people. 

Bringing with me the rich heritage of my 

Jewish roots and all I have learned over 

the years in various places, I feel as if a 

whole new, yet ancient, world has opened 

up for me to explore and enjoy as well as 

to serve in – all for the glory of God the 

Father, the love of Messiah Yeshua and in 

the fullness of the Holy Spirit. 

Gift and Mystery 

– 25 Years as a Priest 

“Do not be afraid! 

Do not be afraid to give your life to Christ! 

Nothing will ever replace the ministry of priests at the heart of the Church! 

Nothing will ever replace a Mass for the salvation of the world! 

Dear young and not so young who are listening to me, do not leave 

Christ’s call unanswered.” 

Pope Benedict XVI, September 13th, 2008, Paris. 

T he 

Ministerial Priesthood is a Gift, a Call and Mystery. These words come to 

mind as I reflect on the grace of 25 years of priestly life, service and ministry 

since my ordination that memorable sunny morning October 18th, 1986. 

In Gift and Mystery written by John Paul II on the 50th anniversary of his own priesthood 

he said: “As Jesus says to the first apostles, on the night before he died: ‘You did 

not choose me but I chose you’ (Jn 15:16). 

“Priesthood is a gift given. The author of the letter to the Hebrews says that no one takes 

this gift of himself, but “takes it only when called by God” (Heb 5:4). 

“But God’s call and the gift of a vocation is also a mystery. A mystery is something that 

we do not fully understand, but something that we can still embrace and accept. God is 

a mystery; why should his call be any different?” 

When I had the realization that the Lord might be calling me to become a priest, I 

clearly remember being quite puzzled. I could not ever remember contemplating such 

an idea. Why did the Lord wait until I was 25 before finally knocking at my door? After 

all, I had none of the usual qualifications to offer him. I never played Mass as a kid; I 

was never interested in becoming an altar server; and I never questioned once that marriage 

and career were for me. While initially trying to come to terms with the possibility 

of a call to become a priest, I may have thought: Mystery - “yes” Gift - “no!” 

As I gradually yielded to the grace of his call and gave up trying to figure this whole thing 

out, Mystery, a peace and desire to accept this Call as Gift began to take hold of me. 

In my final year of studies at St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto, for the Diocese of 

Hamilton, another unexpected turn appeared on my vocational horizon – a strong sense 

that I was being called to live my priesthood in a community setting. I did not feel called 

to join an already existing religious order. Puzzled once again, I took a sabbatical year for 

further discernment and ended up living in Ottawa in the spring of 1985. This precipitated 

a move into St. Mary’s rectory with Fr. Bob Bedard, the newly appointed pastor. 


s u m m e r 2 0 1 1 

.................................................................................................................................. 

12 

f e a t u r e 

by Fr. Dennis Hayes, CC

This was the result of a phone call that I had made during the 

final weeks of that last semester: “Fr. Bob, as I was praying in 

our seminary chapel last night your name kept popping into my 

mind.” “Come and stay the summer” he said, “stay as long as 

you like” I couldn’t pass up such a generous offer. The rest is 

history. Fr. Bob once said to me in passing: “Dennis, just like the 

fellow in the movie The Man Who Came to Dinner you came for 

a visit and never left us.” 

In May of 1985, I joined with the already existing group of four 

young men who called themselves “the brothers”. They met with 

Fr. Bob in his rectory living room every Friday evening. Together, 

we attentively listened to those initial prophetic words that the 

Lord seemed to be imparting in our midst. We responded in turn 

with a fair measure of heartfelt prayer and vibrant praise. This 

led us steadily, with our beloved founder “Father Bobby B”, into 

the foundation of a new community of priests. From the beginning, 

I had a strong sense that I would be part of this new thing 

that the Lord raised up. 

The “Foundational Vision” for this new priestly community, the 

Companions of the Cross, evolved from the expression of our basic 

spirituality: fully Eucharistic, Marian, Charismatic and Magisterial 

into the gradual discovery of our own “unique charism”. 

Our unique and particular gift to the Church is to serve the 

Lord’s call for a New Evangelization. This is inspired by a renewed 

call in our own day by the Holy Father (Blessed John Paul 

II and Benedict XVI) and the bishops of the Church to rediscover 

the centrality of proclaiming the basic Gospel message of salvation. 

This is to be a proclamation of the Gospel given with new 

ardour and methods of expression adapted to the people of our 

day by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Over these last 25 years I 

have had the privilege of 

serving God’s people in 

seven parishes both within 

the Archdioceses of Ottawa 

and Toronto. I have also had 

the privilege of working in the 

formation of our seminarians 

and most recently as a facilitator 

in vocations. 

As I reflect on these different pastoral assignments 

and my priesthood there is a question 

that comes to mind: “What is the most fundamental 

“spiritual marker” that has brought 

the most life and vitality into the gift of my own priesthood with 

the Companions of the Cross? 

It is our unique and enduring commitment as a community to 

remain open, even radically so, to the inspiration and leading of 

the Holy Spirit! Thank you Fr. Bob for modelling and teaching 

that from our very first foundations to the present day, “Yes, Give 

God Permission! To have a fully Catholic spirituality imbued 

with an evangelical heart and Pentecostal fire!” 

I would be remiss in giving thanks and praise to God for these 

many years of priestly service if I did not say: “Thank you Lord 

for causing me to be spared from a most certain death by 

drowning when I suffered a heart attack in Ottawa during 

the course of an evening swim on April 26, 2004.” I thank the 

Lord of infinite mercies for the prayers that were offered for me. 

Even at that very moment of near tragedy and for the countless 

prayers of God’s saints who prayed for me along the difficult 

road to a full recovery. 

These first 25 years of priesthood been filled with many GIFT(S) 

and yes, MYSTERY! I must say that the experience of initially 

being puzzled at the onset of this journey of mine has evolved 

significantly. Today, this evolving sense of Mystery leads me 

into a sure and abiding knowledge of the Father’s constant embrace, 

his enduring, faithful and never ending mercy! 

Dear friend, you have nothing to fear in giving your whole life to 

God. Come Holy Spirit enkindle in us the fire of your love – may 

we never leave the Call of Christ unanswered! 

................................................................. 

Fr. Dennis Hayes is the pastor of Holy Rosary parish in Ottawa. 


.................................................................................................................................. 

13

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InvItatIon 

Jesus said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the labourers are few; so ask 

the master of the harvest to send out labourers for his harvest” (Lk 10:2). 

Jesus called 12 men to be with him. Yet even they had struggles in following. 

Many people pray for us daily. Over the years, many of our donors have asked for a 

picture of one of our seminarians studying for the priesthood, wanting to pray 

for them daily. 

We recently mailed every single current donor and supporter with valid addresses, 

inviting them to say an intercessory prayer daily for our seminarians. 

Knowing that no plan is perfect, we expect that we have missed some of you. 

(If you haven’t received your card by August 20th, please let us know.) 

If you wish to receive a picture and a prayer like the one shown on this page, please 

e-mail us at info@companionscross.org, call locally (613) 728-3175 or toll free 

(866) 885-8824 and we will send one out immediately. 

I hope you will accept this invitation to become more deeply involved in the lives 

of these young men.

f e a t u r e 

by Maria Nicastro 

sPiriTuAl MoTHerHooD oF PriesTs 

Mission sTATeMenT 

We are an apostolate of Catholic women, 

who, inspired by love for the Church and 

in response to her invitation for eucharistic 

Adoration for the sanctification of Priests 

and spiritual Maternity (Congregatio pro 

Clericis, Dec. 8, 2007), make a total selfoffering 

of our lives for the sanctification of 

priests. We unite ourselves to the Blessed 

Virgin Mary, the Mother of the eternal High 

Priest and his helper in the work of redemption, 

by anonymously spiritually adopting a 

priest-son. Formed in an authentic feminine 

spirituality we intercede for our priest-sons 

and for all priests in order to help them with 

their self-offering, prayer, and penance. We 

emphasize eucharistic Adoration as a preeminent 

way to unite priests to the Priestly 

Heart of Jesus. 

A CAll To CATHoliC WoMen 

On December 8, 2007, the Solemnity of 

the Immaculate Conception, a document 

from the Congregation for the Clergy 

was sent to all the bishops of the world. 

It was entitled Eucharistic Adoration for 

the Sanctification of Priests and Spiritual 

Maternity. In essence, the letter requested 

that women spiritually adopt priests and 

embrace Eucharistic adoration, in a spirit 

of genuine reparation and purification, for 

the sanctification of priests. In an answer to 

this call, our apostolate of “Spiritual Motherhood 

of Priests” was conceived. 

We are not alone! Through the inspiration 

of the Holy Spirit similar women’s groups 

(united in intention but unique in apostolate 

formation) continue to form worldwide: the 

best known of these groups is led by Fr. Mark 

Kirby of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Blogs, articles 

and Catholic TV are being used to spread the 

call. The spirit is moving and getting the attention 

of Catholic women everywhere! 

All of this is part of a larger call from the 

Holy Spirit to women. We are called to use 

our God-given gifts of authentic femininity to 

fight the culture of death and to help transform 

the world. The Church has been confirming 

this call in many ways for many years! 

The concept of “feminine genius” was first 

outlined by Pope Pius the 12th in 1957. 

Then, from a closing speech from Vatican 

II, December 8, 1965 came: 

“The hour is coming, in fact has come, 

when the vocation of women is being acknowledged 

in its fullness, the hour in 

which women acquire in the world … an 

influence, an effect and a power … never 

hitherto achieved. That is why, at this moment 

when the human race is undergoing 

so deep a transformation, women imbued 

with a spirit of the Gospel can do so much 

to aid humanity in not falling.” 

This fire has been lit in the hearts of many 

Catholic women! One is tempted to believe 

that we are living in “the hour” predicted. 

We continue to confront deep challenges 

to the human race that Vatican II refers 

to. The horrific moral decay and loss of 

faith in the world is disheartening. In our 

own day, Blessed JP II exhorted Catholic 

women to employ their “feminine genius” 

to build a culture of life. Our whole being 

is called into play in order that we may love 

mankind with our “feminine genius” in all 

the aspects of our authentic femininity: receptivity, 

sensitivity, generosity and maternity. 

Together with Our Lady, whose every 

fibre exudes “authentic femininity”, we 

are called to fight for the salvation of humanity 

- beginning with our own families 

and working our way into the world … to 

wherever the Holy Spirit calls us to become 

instruments of God’s love. 

We see the apostolate of Spiritual Motherhood 

of Priests within this larger call. It 

embraces all aspects of authentic femininity, 


s u m m e r 2 0 1 1 

.................................................................................................................................. 

16 

but especially maternity. Spiritual maternity 

is the heart and focus of Spiritual Motherhood 

of Priests (SMOP). We believe that it 

is a particular call from the Spirit to employ 

our feminine gifts to transform specifically 

the Church. We unite with the sorrowful 

heart of Mary, a heart concerned and distressed 

with the trials of the Church – and in 

particular the attack on her priest sons. The 

attack on priests is paramount because they 

are chosen instruments of divine grace, used 

to save and sustain us. If the enemy brings 

down a priest, souls follow: “Strike the 

Shepherd, and the flock scatters.” 

our CAll To sMoP 

Words can’t express the beauty of what the 

Spirit is doing in the hearts of hundreds of 

women worldwide. For Maria Pirrone and 

me, this apostolate is the fulfillment of our 

God-given desires. It encompasses all the 

areas of ministry we’ve been involved in 

over many years – in particular, intercession 

for priests, Eucharistic adoration, and 

formation of women. In retrospect, we can 

clearly see the hand of God in all of this. 

We can see his direction and purpose for 

our lives. We can see how he and Mary 

have tenderly nurtured in us an appreciation 

for the particular spirituality required 

for this call: a tremendous love for Holy 

Mother Church, love for the mystery of the 

priesthood, a spirit of sacrifice, mature obedience, 

a hunger for adoration, and a spirit 

of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

It pains us to witness attacks on the Church 

at every level. Our hearts have been broken 

many times as we have heard of priests 

succumbing to weakness and temptation. 

Fully aware that our efforts could never be 

enough, a desire continued to grow within 

us to help build up, defend, and protect the 

faith we love and to support our beloved 

priests. While ministering to women over 

the course of many years, we have recognized 

the same call to pray and intercede 

for priests in some of them. Often, women 

shared with us about a “sacrificial love” for

the Church taking hold of their hearts. They 

would share how Jesus was moving their 

spirits to offer themselves for the Church. 

Through God’s grace and two years of 

discernment and prayer, SMOP Ottawa is 

now a reality. It was officially inaugurated 

on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 

(which is also World Day of Prayer for 

Sanctification of Priests) on July 1, 2011, 

with Mass and an induction ceremony. Fifty-nine 

women became spiritual mothers 

and there is already growing interest in our 

formation weekends next year! 

We are immensely grateful to Archbishop 

Terrance Prendergast for his support and 

permission! We are also grateful to the Companions 

of the Cross, to Fr. Scott McCaig, 

CC and Fr. Terry Donahue, CC for their 

guidance and help in formation - and to Fr. 

Dennis Hayes, CC and Fr. Allan MacDonald, 

CC for their help in formation as well. 

“No greater love is there, than one lay down 

his life for his brother” (Jn 15:13). 

Spiritual Motherhood isn’t complicated. 

It’s about love: sacrificial love; the kind of 

love that the Father had for us by sending 

Jesus; the kind of love Jesus had hanging 

on the cross; the kind of love Mary had 

standing by her Son at the Cross and watching 

him suffer and die for our salvation. It’s 

also the kind of love priests have for the 

church: a love of total self-offering for the 

good of the other; life-giving love. It’s the 

kind of love all women have a capacity for, 

but must choose to live out daily. 

Being a spiritual mother is a call within a 

call, but the spirituality and disciplines of 

this movement are meant to complement 

our lives – using the duty of the moment 

as our guide. We offer our everyday loves, 

joys, sorrows, sacrifices and prayers. We 

unite them to Jesus through Mary for the 

good of all priests, pastor(s) of our parish, 

new vocations, the Holy Father and our 

bishops. Primarily, it’s our particular priestson, 

entrusted to us through our offering, 

which we focus our hearts on. SMOP has 

its own crosses but it’s a tremendous blessing 

to our personal spiritual lives. It’s not 

for everyone, but it is a blessing to those 

who are called. 

SMOP is meant to complement any women’s 

state in life, regardless of whether 

she is single, married, or in religious 

vows. The patronesses of this apostolate 

were all called to spiritual maternity of 

priests and reflect a remarkable diversity 

of life. St Thérèse was a nun, St Catherine 

of Siena was a single lay woman, 

and Blessed Anna Maria Taigi was a wife 

and mother. 

I leave you with the words of one Spiritual 

mother. Filled with emotion, she relayed, 

“I don’t know my priest-son, but I already 

love him.” Is Jesus calling you? 

For info: spiritualmotherhoodottawa@ 

gmail.com 

.......................................... 

Maria Nicastro is a parishioner at St. Maurice 

parish in Ottawa. 

“Fr. Bob Bedard has played a 

significant role in the life of the 

church in Ottawa and far beyond. 

These memoirs are a testament to his 

profound openness to the Holy Spirit. 

It is inspiring to see what the Lord Jesus 

can accomplish in the life of someone 

who is wholeheartedly surrendered 

to him. It’s important – even for priests 

– to ‘give God permission’!” 

Most reverend Terrence Prendergast, sJ, 

Archbishop of ottawa 

$20.00 plus shipping and handling. 

Available through the office. 


.................................................................................................................................. 

17

Big Changes 

in 2011! 

To say that this has been a year of big changes for the Companions 

of the Cross would be an understatement! Over half 

of our priests are moving into new assignments, and most of 

our seminarians are on the move as well. We have had to let a few 

ministries go and we have accepted several new parishes. We have 

even begun an entirely new foundation that will involve a new 

academic formation program. Big changes indeed! In fact, this is 

the biggest year of changes in the community’s history! 

Unfortunately, before I can share the exciting changes in the community 

– I must begin with a few disappointing ones. To begin with, 

Fr. Fernando Suarez and Fr. Jeffrey Shannon are no longer members 

of the Companions of the Cross. They are now members of the Vicariate 

of San Jose of Mindoro, Philippines. Their departure was not 

entirely unexpected. For several years, the leadership of the community 

has made every effort to address growing concerns about their 

life and ministry, and to help them integrate fully into our community 

life. Fr. Suarez and Fr. Shannon chose to leave the community 

rather than submit to the authority and expectations of the Society. 

As a result of their departure we have discontinued our foundation 

in the Philippines. 

St. Scholastica 

f e a t u r e 

by Fr. Scott McCaig, CC 

St. Scholastica Monastery 

Also, it is with much regret and sadness that we are consolidating 

our ministry in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to the 

Catholic Charismatic Center and Queen of Peace Parish. We had 

hoped to minister at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish and to 

use St. Teresita Priory as a house of formation for many years to 

come. Unfortunately the Priory building requires extensive repairs 

which the Archdiocese cannot justify at the present time due to the 

tremendous burden of expenses incurred as a result of the recent 

hurricane. This has necessitated the community to relocate to another 

house of formation and parish for the formation of our seminarians. 

This has been an extremely difficult situation and it was 

very hard to leave OLMC parish and the wonderful friends and 

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partners in the Gospel that we have made 

there. We trust that our loving and merciful 

Lord will keep us united in heart and 

that our relationships will persevere for the 

glory of God. 

But the Lord is always one step ahead and 

is never outdone in generosity! Just as we 

were struggling with the realization that 

we would need to move our formation program 

in Houston, we received a call from 

the Archdiocese of Detroit. Archbishop Vigneron 

was inviting us to take on St. Scholastica’s 

parish on the outskirts of the inner-city. 

This is a tremendous opportunity 

for several reasons. First, the parish is well 

suited to our needs and mission. Inner-city 

ministry has always been a priority for the 

community and the parish itself is ideally 

located, has a large church building well 

suited to renewal work, and as a former 

Benedictine parish comes with a “monastery” 

residence with ample space. Secondly, 

it is only a 15 minute drive from Sacred 

Heart Seminary, which is arguably one 

of the best seminaries in North America. 

Years ago our Executive Council discussed 

the possibility of moving our academic formation 

to Sacred Heart Seminary, but it just 

wasn’t feasible at the time. The reason we 

were so motivated to do so, and the reason 

why we are so enthused now, is that Sacred 

Heart Seminary is not only providing topnotch 

philosophy and theology programs 

but is also unquestionably leading the way 

in training future priests for the new evangelization. 

In fact, our good friend Ralph 

Martin who has been a leader in Catholic 

evangelization and renewal for decades is 

the director of graduate theology programs 

in the new evangelization at Sacred Heart. 

The commitment to training “heralds of 

the new evangelization” in this seminary 

is unparalleled. After a community wide 

consultation and discernment process we 

accepted Archbishop Vigneron’s invitation. 

We begin on July first. Most of our 

seminarians will be transferring to Sacred 

Heart Seminary. 

There are also some exciting changes in 

Continued on page 20... 

f a t h e r terr y’s piCks 

Priesthood 

Dear Father – A Message of Love to Priests 

by Catherine Doherty 

A powerful book on the meaning and importance of the priesthood. 

Madonna House Publications, 2001, 138pp. 

Theology of Priesthood 

by Jean Galot, SJ 

Comprehensive theological presentation of the priesthood, relationship between 

the priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood, the priest’s 

role as minister of sacraments, as prophet and leader. 

Ignatius Press, 1985, 274pp. 

The Priestly Office – A Theological Reflection 

by Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ 

A collection of five lectures on the Catholic priesthood today. 

Paulist Press, 1997, 96pp. 

The Catholic Priesthood and Women – A Guide to the 

Teaching of the Church 

by Sara Butler, MSBT 

A clear and compelling explanation of the Catholic teaching that the Church 

does not have the authority to ordain women to the priesthood. Includes 

explanation of the fundamental reasons for the teaching and the theological 

explanations for it. 

Hillenbrand Books, 2007, 132pp. 

Is Jesus Calling You to be a Catholic Priest? 

A 32 page guide to discerning the will of God regarding a vocation to the 

priesthood. National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors. 

www.ncdvd.org/orderdiscernmentjournals.html 

Eucharistic Adoration for the Sanctification of Priests 

and Spiritual Maternity 

2007 Document from the Congregation for the Clergy on Spiritual Motherhood 

for Priests 

www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/specialitems/adoration_for_ 

priests.pdf 

Vultus Christi (The Face of Christ) 

Catholic blog by Fr. Mark Kirby 

vultus.stblogs.org/priesthood/ 

Congregation for the Clergy Website 

www.clerus.org 

Also, check out our Priesthood and Vocations playlists at 

www.youtube.com/CompanionsCross and companionscross.org/vocations/ 

comeandsee.html

.................................................................................................................................. 

our “Mother-house” foundation here in Ottawa. At the invitation 

of Archbishop Prendergast we have accepted responsibility for two 

more parishes in the archdiocese. The first is Annunciation of the 

Lord Parish in Gloucester. This is a wonderful parish and it seems 

to be a very natural fit for us as we have long been involved in 

many of the outreaches associated with the parish – not the least 

of which is the vibrant Lifeteen Mass on Sunday evenings. The 

second parish is Blessed Sacrament Parish in the Glebe area of the 

city. This is an unexpected but exciting development for us. Not 

only is it a lively parish, but we have a unique history and relationship 

with it. Blessed Sacrament Parish was Fr. Bob’s home parish. 

He was baptized there and grew up in the parish. He was even ordained 

to the priesthood there on June 6, 1955. We are delighted by 

the opportunity to serve the people of God in these two parishes! 

Fr. Bob always warned us that when you give the Lord permission to 

do whatever he wants to do – hang on! It certainly feels like that this 

year. Please pray for the many priests in our community who are on 

the move to new assignments, and for the new parishes that we have 

been given the privilege and opportunity to minister in: St. Scholastica’s, 

Annunciation of the Lord, and Blessed Sacrament. 

.................................................................. 

Fr. Scott McCaig is the Moderator of the Companions of the Cross. 

He has been ordained for 16 years. 

Looking to 

Bring Renewal 

to Your Parish? 

St. Scholastica School 

St. Scholastica church 

.................................................................................................................................. 

Contact Fr. Allan MacDonald, CC 

(613) 728-1736 

vocations@companionscross.org 

Available for parish missions, retreats, etc.

God, let me be where i am, right now. let me 

accept myself and love myself as i am right 

now – this moment, without a single thing 

being different. 

You love me now. Let me love me now! 

God, let me live in the now, because you 

are there. 

i can’t meet you in the past or the future. if that 

is where i always am, i will miss you and i will 

miss what you are doing now! 

i want to be able to see the beauty of what you 

are about. 

God, help me to be silent for at least a few 

moments. Help me to quiet not only my 

tongue, but also my restless mind and heart. 

if i cannot be quiet, how will i ever hear your 

gentle voice pleading with me to come to you 

and receive your rest? 

“God...” 

i start my day by calling upon His help and 

assistance – i remind myself that there is a God 

and i’m not Him! 

“... let me be where I am, right now...” 

i pray in my room - i accept where i am right 

then and there – i don’t let my mind race off 

and review all the duties and responsibilities of 

the day – they can wait until later when they 

are to happen (if they even do!) 

“Let me accept myself ...” 

Do i? – i struggled for years (and still do!) with 

accepting myself. 

“...and love myself as I am right now – 

this moment, without a single thing 

being different.” 

A Prayer for Now 

i need to love myself at THis MoMenT 

because this moment is all i have - if i’m 

always wanting something to Be DiFFerenT 

then i won’t be content with noW – i’ll never 

be happy! 

“You love me now. Let me love me now!” 

Do i believe this? Do i believe that God wants 

what is best for me? 

“God, let me live in the now, because you 

are there.” 

Do i call out to Him? - Am i able to still my 

mind and be in his presence? 

“I can’t meet you in the past or 

the future.” 

i want to live in the present moment. When i 

daydream about, “What if . . . ?” then i’m not 

content with the present and i’m trying 

to escape. 

“If that is where I always am, I will 

miss you and I will miss what you are 

doing now!” 

i can be so far back in the past, or so way 

ahead of God in the future that i miss out on 

what’s going on right in front of me! 

“I want to be able to see the beauty of 

what you are about.” 

Can i see the hand of God at work in my life? - 

when times are good, but also when times 

are rough? 

“God, help me to be silent for at least a 

few moments.” 

in silence i come to hear and know God more. 

How do i handle silence? Do i like it, or does it 

make me nervous? 

“Help me to quiet not only my tongue, 

but also my restless mind and heart.” 

Ask God to take from our heart and mind 

whatever is bothering us. Turn it all over to him. 

“If I cannot be quiet, how will I ever hear 

your gentle voice pleading with me to 

come to you and receive your rest?” 

God’s voice is gentle – not bossy or shouting! 

His call is always an invitation. How will 

we respond? 

This prayer was used by Fr. Allan MacDonald on parish missions throughout this past year.

Community 

news & notes 

by Fr. Rick Jaworski, CC 

Fr. Scott writes, “On June 6, Fr. Bob celebrated his 56th anniversary 

of ordination. I celebrated a quiet Mass together 

with him and afterward we had a short time of singing praise 

and worship songs - something he definitely seems to enjoy. The 

previous Friday we visited Fr. Bob with a number of seminarians. 

He was quiet, but he did make the effort to assure Ruben Campbell 

that his English was improving - always the English teacher! There 

is little else to report on Fr. Bob’s condition. Little has changed for 

months. He speaks very little, but when he does it becomes clear 

that he carefully follows the conversations of those who are visiting. 

We continue to thank the good Lord for the gift that he is to 

us. I have no doubt that he is ‘filling up in his body the sufferings 

of Christ for the good of the Church’ as St. Paul commends us to 

do. Thank you for your ongoing prayers!” 

Then, on June 11, we had the joyous occasion of Jim Lowe’s ordination 

to the priesthood, followed by his first Mass on Pentecost 

Sunday at St. Mary’s where he became the new associate pastor, 

replacing Fr. Tim Devine, on July 1. Take a deep breath … speaking 

of which … 

An exciting new opportunity opened up with an invitation to establish 

a foundation of the Companions of the Cross in the Archdiocese 

of Detroit. (Fr. Scott writes more about this elsewhere in this 

newsletter.) We take on a parish, university chaplaincy, and archdiocesan 

position in evangelization - our charism. Sacred Heart 

Major Seminary in Detroit specializes in formation in the New 

Evangelization, and we have a large monastery with huge grounds 

for our priests and seminarians. Evangelization, youth, and scope 

for ministry to the poor as well. It would seem to be tailor-made for 

us, and the Archbishop and his staff have been incredibly welcoming 

and truly want us and not just priests to fill holes. 

At the same time, in Houston, the Archdiocese had to sell off the 

priory in which our US office was located and our seminarians and 

priests lived, due to costs associated with the hurricane a few years 

ago. Thus, the bulk of our main USA office will move to Detroit. 

We wish to thank Anna Lassig, Fabiola Gomez, Maria Zambrano, 

Janie Flores, and all those who have helped with our offices in 

Houston. We had served at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, the 

church associated with the former Carmelite priory, and this move 

saw us saying goodbye to the good people of that parish. 

We had a number of requests to go to new dioceses and take on 

new ministries. Indeed the need is great. We are sorry that we 

could not fulfill every request. In addition to the new foundation 

in Detroit, we took on two new parishes in Ottawa: Annunciation, 


s u m m e r 2 0 1 1 

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22 

St. Scholastica 

and Blessed Sacrament. A number of our men have presided and 

preached at Annunciation’s Sunday evening Lifeteen Mass. Fr. 

Yves Marchildon, the new pastor (effective August 1), has worked 

on Cursillo weekends with a number of the parishioners there. 

Blessed Sacrament is the parish that our Founder, Fr. Bob Bedard, 

grew up in - living at 400 Third Avenue. He was baptized there, 

confirmed there, and ordained a priest there. 

That’s the move “big picture”; now for the details. Fr. Simon Lobo 

goes from associate pastor of St. Maurice (Ottawa) to chaplain 

at Wayne State University (Detroit). Fr. Marc Syrenne, Director 

of Formation, moves from Toronto to Detroit to look after the 

seminarians there and becomes pastor of St. Scholastica Parish. 

Fr. Sean Wenger goes from pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel 

(Houston) to an archdiocesan position in evangelization in Detroit.

Blessing of Marian Shrine at Queen of Peace in Houston. 

Fr. Mark Goring leaves the chaplaincy at York University (Toronto) 

to become director of the Catholic Charismatic Center (Houston). 

Fr. Michael Scherrey, the former director, will be doing missions 

based out of Houston. Fr. Daren Bryk also leaves the chaplaincy 

at York to become the chaplain of Dalhousie and St. Mary’s Universities 

in Halifax. Fr. Randy Hendriks leaves that post to become 

the pastor of Blessed Sacrament (Ottawa). Fr. Francis Donnelly 

who has returned from the Philippines became the temporary administrator 

of Blessed Sacrament, and then the (part-time) associate 

pastor. Who’s going to York? Fr. Carlos Martins comes up 

from Houston, and Fr. Francis Ching takes up regular ministry 

again, both at York. 

Fr. Ben St. Croix leaves Houston and moves into Annunciation 

Parish. He will be on sabbatical for the first half of the year and 

then will do missions. Now let’s see… Fr. Yves needs an associate. 

Fr. Jerry Gauvreau, pastor at Queen of the Most Holy Rosary 

Parish (Ottawa), leaves to become associate pastor at Annunciation. 

Fr. Dennis Hayes, Director of Admissions, took over as pastor 

of Holy Rosary. Fr. Allan MacDonald became Director of Admissions 

in addition to Director of Vocations. 

Fr. Galen Bank came back from his sabbatical in June for his final 

month as pastor of St. Maurice, and then became part of the 

formation team, in charge of the first-year program in Ottawa. So, 

what about St. Maurice? Well, Fr. Tim Devine went from associate 

at St. Mary’s to pastor at St. Maurice. (Newly ordained Fr. Jim 

Lowe replacing him.) Fr. Jim MacGillivray went from Personnel 

Assistant to the Moderator and Associate Director of Admissions 

to associate pastor of St. Maurice. Ta-da! 

We are pleased to announce that this September Fr. Rob Arsenault 

will be making his lifetime commitment to the Companions of the 

Cross along with Lawrence Hyginus who will be ordained as a 

deacon at St. Timothy’s parish in Toronto on Saturday, September 

17th at 10 a.m. 

Rewind. Fr. Francis Frankovich brought in an exorcist from El Salvador 

for some fruitful collaboration at the Catholic Charismatic 

Center (Houston). Fr. Francis also went on mission in Columbia. 

Our Houston men prayed in front of the Planned Parenthood clinic 

as part of their Lenten offering. (In Ottawa, a number of us participated 

in the annual national March for Life.) Queen of Peace 

had their big spring festival. Fr. Michael Minifie, after getting hurt 

while riding a mechanical bull, would still like to try the real deal. 

In other Houston (Queen of Peace) news, Fr. John Vandenakker 

writes, “Late last fall, a deranged man destroyed an old statue of 

Our Lady of Guadalupe that was on the side lawn. The attack came 

just two days before the annual December 12th Feast of Our Lady 

of Guadalupe. Thus, this act felt like a spiritual assault and not just 

a physical one. The parish was galvanized into action. A decision 

was made not only to replace the statue, but to build a whole new 

shrine that would provide a place of prayer for all who came to 

seek the intercession of our beloved ‘Patroness of the Americas’, 

‘Patroness of the Unborn’, and ‘Star of the New Evangelization’. 

Many parishioners donated funds to buy the new statue, and other 

individuals and companies stepped in to donate their labor to help 

construct it. The new shrine was officially blessed and dedicated 

on Sunday, May 1st, 2011.” 


.................................................................................................................................. 

23

Lift Jesus Higher Rally 

Speaking of Our Lady, Medjugorje seemed to be a hot spot. Both 

Fr. Francis Ching and Fr. Jerry Gauvreau were chaplains on pilgrimages 

there. Fr. Tim Devine was chaplain for a retreat for married 

couples held in Medjugorje. Fr. Dennis Hayes bucked the 

trend and went to Malta. 

Fr. Daren preached a mission at St. Timothy’s in Toronto. Fr. Allan 

preached at St. Timothy’s on Divine Mercy Sunday. He also spoke 

at the regional Catholic Women’s League conference. He and Fr. 

Dennis had a very successful parish mission at St. Maurice. (Gave 

the guys extra work hearing confessions after he spoke on that 

topic.) Their mission travels also took them to Halifax. Frs. Allan, 

Tim, and Pierre Ingram took part in the races on the National 

Capital Marathon weekend in May. The month of May also saw 

various CC Foundation Day celebrations. 

Fr. Pierre recommends the movie Of God and Men about the Trappists 

martyred in Algeria in the 1980s. Fr. Jim Lowe recommends 

Soul Surfer. Others were quite edified by Leonardo Defilippis’ 

one-man play Vianney about the Cure of Ars. On the mundane side 

of things, Fr. Mark Goring waved goodbye to his old truck as it 

floated away to Lebanon. 

Fr. Terry Donahue led an Ignatian discernment retreat in Halifax 

for students from Dalhousie and St. Mary’s, and gave talks over 

a week at the School of Faith and Mission in St. Bruno SK. Not 

to be outdone, Fr. Scott McCaig also spent a week there teaching. 

Fr. Scott also led a retreat at York. Fr. Mark Goring helped with 

adoration and confessions at McMaster University’s “The Source” 

(Hamilton). As usual, our men and associated sisters participated 

in Toronto’s Lift Jesus Higher Rally. Fr. Scott and Fr. Mark were 

speakers. One thing we are allowed to tell you about Fr. Terry’s 

work at the Apostolic Nunciature is that he designed a website for 

them: http://nuntiatura.ca/ . 


s u m m e r 2 0 1 1 

.................................................................................................................................. 

24 

Fr. Rob Arsenault preached a mission in Cape Breton, besides putting 

his boat in the water right-side-up (according to Fr. Yves). Fr. 

Francis Ching led missions for the Chinese communities in Edmonton 

and Calgary, babysitting in his off-hours. Fr. Carlos had 

relic expositions in a number of places, including Ohio and New 

Jersey. Life in the Spirit Seminars of various shapes and sizes continued 

in various locations. And various Companions helped with 

the inauguration of a new group of women organized to pray for 

priests, Spiritual Motherhood of Priests (see article elsewhere in 

this newsletter). 

Fr. Ed Wade, inspired by reading Fr. Bob’s word from the Lord on 

Church unity, continues to work in that area of the Lord’s vineyard 

out in North Carolina. Among other things, he was part of 

a team that planned a conference on unity that took place on July 

23 in Morehead City NC. To quote part of one person’s response 

to a different unity event in which Fr. Ed participated, “WOW!! I 

don’t have a better word than that to describe the worship that we 

participated in together last night! Our God AMAZES me!!! […] 

I am humbled and honored to have been a part of that beautiful 

time of sharing, love, and praise! Thank you Father Ed for sharing 

the words the Lord lay on your heart with us! […] I wish I 

could share all of the conversations that I had last night with folks 

who came up before and even more after, with tears of joy as they 

hugged me and talked to me about the power of the Body coming 

together in unity and the joy the Lord had given them for being a 

part of it.” 

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Fr. John Fletcher’s father, 

Hal, who died; and for Fr. Bernard Messier’s mother who suffers 

from cancer. 

................................................................. 

Fr. Rick Jaworski has a licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical 

Biblical Institute in Rome. He was ordained in 1990.

What track are you on? Contact Fr. Allan MacDonald, CC 

vocations@companionscross.org 

Are you Ready? 

“Come, and you will see” — John 1:39 

Contact Sr. Anna Chan, SC 

for details: info@servantsofthecross.ca | 613.729.8710 

WWW.SERVANTSOFTHECROSS.CA 

The world needs holy priests! 

The heart of our mission – Evangelization 

Come and See 

weekends offered 

Contact us for 

more details! 

613.728.1736 

WWW.COMPANIONSCROSS.ORG 

Sisterhood is our Gift!

News Flashes 

Fr. Allan MacDonald with Blaine and Elese Timinski participating in 

10km race in May in Ottawa. 

Queen of Peace School Floor Hockey Tournament 2011. Fr. Simon Lobo with St. Maurice First Communicants. 

Fr. Mark Goring at Lift Jesus Higher Rally. 

Fr. David Bergeron portrays Jesus during a live performance of the 

Stations of the Cross in Houston. 

Servants of the Cross with Fr. Marc Syrenne at the Lift Jesus 

Higher Rally. 

Photo by Nick de la Torre for the Houston Chronicle

Ordination Anniversary Celebration! 

This Year’s 

Honourees Are: 

Fr. Dennis Hayes 

25 Years 

Rejoice 

in the Lord! 

Fr. Yves Marchildon Fr. Christian Riesbeck Fr. Galen Bank 

15 Years 15 Years 10 Years 

Fr. Jerry Gauvreau Fr. John Fletcher Fr. Ben St. Croix 

10 Years 10 Years 10 Years 

Monday, August 29th, 2011 

St. Maurice Parish, 4 Perry St., Ottawa, Ontario Mass 7:00pm 

Dessert and Champagne Reception following Mass $15 per person. 

Tickets for the reception must be purchased by August 22nd. 

Tickets will not be sold at the door 

*To purchase tickets, please call Mary at 613 728 3175 (Companions of the Cross office) 

or Claire at St. Maurice 613 224 1892

Companions of the Cross 

199 Bayswater Avenue 

Ottawa, ON K1Y 2G5 

Canada 

Postage paid at city – Ottawa 

Printed Papers – Publications 

Publications Mail Agreement #40016244 

“For the Son 

of Man also came 

not be served but to serve, 

and to give his life 

as a ransom for many.” 

(Mark 10:45)

Summer 2011 - Companions of the Cross

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