Hundreds of young adults participated in the Youth Gathering, which was held from the 5th to the 7th of June as part of the celebrations for the 175th anniversary of the Grand Séminaire de Montréal.

"Allow yourselves to be surprised by God!" These words, read by Most Reverend Christian Lépine, were the same that Pope Francis used when he addressed the 250 enthusiastic young people that assembled for the opening night filled with teaching, music, and prayer organized by the groups Single for Christ and La Rencontre, Brother Daniel Leckman, SJ, and Sister Jacki Abi Nassif, RSR.

Then, more than 80 people participated in the first night of adoration in the major chapel, which was a key part of the weekend, as reported by Youth Ministry, an active partner in this weekend's organization.

The morning and afternoon activities on Saturday were dedicated to the discovery of consecrated life with Brother Antoine Emmanuel and to the vocation to the priesthood. The Apostolic Nuncio of Canada, H.E. Msgr. Luigi Bonazzi, met with the young adults late in the afternoon. The dialogue was greatly appreciated by everyone.

Le Centre Benoît-Lacroix and la Famille Marie-Jeunesse headed the evening's events, which ended with a celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, presided by Gérald Cardinal Lacroix, and a night of adoration in which many participated.

On Sunday morning, Serge and Sylvie Vallée, director and assistant director of the Office de la Famille for the French community at the Archdiocese of Montreal, spoke of their Church involvement as a couple. They have been married for 38 years and members of the Chemin Neuf Community for more than 20 years.

Cécile and Jean-Guy Paquette gave the second testimony. They spoke of the importance of experiencing the permanent diaconate formation together. The two couples stressed the importance of their Church involvement. "It is a calling within the calling. The marriage, the life as a couple, and the Mission evolve together over time."

To bring the gathering to a close, Most Rev. Christian Lépine presided at the celebration of the diaconal ordination of three deacons: Claude Ngodji, Frank Scalia, and Christophe Guillet. In his homily, Most Rev. Lépine spoke of the fundamental vocation of all human beings: being God's children. "We are like the stones in a mosaic... small but important for the whole."

La Mission Notre-Dame d'Afrique provided the entertainment for the entire event. It was a true celebration of the glory of the risen Christ.

Everyone left at the end of the weekend feeling happy. The young adults from Youth Ministry especially appreciated the experience, applauding the diversity of the testimonies, the wealth of the teachings, and Archbishop Lépine's great availability for the youth.

The weekend ended on a hopeful and joyful note!

Photo Album (Grand Seminary's Facebook page)
Ordination of 3 deacons (video)