A Community in Harmony

Saint Joseph's Oratory rang with celebration on June 19, as the Filipino community of Montreal marked Filipino Heritage Month with a special English-language Mass under the theme "Blessed are the peacemakers!", offering the whole Archdiocese a luminous witness of faith, culture, and belonging.

Father Pierangelo Paternieri, CS, Episcopal Vicar for Cultural and Ritual Communities, presided at the Eucharistic celebration in the Basilica. In his homily, he turned the hearts of the faithful toward the voice of Pope Leo XIV, which reaches us from Rome as an urgent call to become artisans of peace.

Pope Leo XIV's Words at Ostia Lido

In February 2026, Pope Leo XIV made his first pastoral visit as Bishop of Rome to a parish of his own diocese, celebrating Mass at Santa Maria Regina Pacis (Saint Mary, Queen of Peace) in Ostia Lido, a coastal community southwest of Rome. Addressing a congregation confronted by violence and social hardship, he issued a courageous call: "Do not resign yourselves to the culture of abuse and injustice. On the contrary, spread respect and harmony, beginning with the disarming of language, and then investing energy and resources in education, especially for children and young people." (Pope Leo XIV, Ostia Lido, Feb. 15, 2026)

The Holy Father recalled that evil takes root first in the human heart, not in the world around us. He invoked St. Augustine to remind us that peace is a gift to be cultivated with humility and tenacity: "It is harder to praise peace than to possess her... If we wish to possess her, we can do so without the slightest effort." (St. Augustine, Sermon 357, cited by Pope Leo XIV)

He concluded with a challenge addressed to every baptized person: "Do this too, dear sisters and dear brothers, day by day. Do it together, as a community."

The Filipino Community: A Gift to the Archdiocese

The day's celebration gave those words immediate, living expression. The Filipino community of Montreal embodies this vocation: to be a bridge of peace. Through its joyful faith, its deeply rooted music, and its welcoming families, it brings the Archdiocese a richness that transcends cultural boundaries.

As Father Paternieri noted with feeling: "This rich culture is a true gift to the Archdiocese of Montreal. It is a culture that does not turn inward, but opens outward, shares, and builds bridges."

Maraming salamat sa lahat! (Thank you, all, from the bottom of our hearts.)

Alessandra Santopadre
Assistant, Office for Cultural and Ritual Communities
Coordinator, Sponsorship Program for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Archdiocese of Montreal