A thanksgiving celebration is often a great way to bring parishioners together.
Considering the events that give rise to a certain feeling of anxiety in the Church today, the parish of Charlo, New Brunswick, (Charlo) has decided to celebrate this year a special Church centennial. In 1917, the first church in the village was completely destroyed by fire and right away the parishioners decided to rebuild it. Although the new church was not opened until 1922, the cornerstone was laid in 1918. And it is this centenary that today’s parishioners want to celebrate.
In 1954, arrival of the Daughters of Jesus
On Saturday, May 5th, a group of our Sisters participated
in the Mass celebrated in thanksgiving for the presence and work of the Daughters of Jesus in the parish and the surrounding area. In fact, in 1954 our Sisters arrived at the school in Charlo where there were about two hundred students. Subsequently, in their desire to “honor the Sacred Humanity of the Son of God” (cf. RL, art. 3), they worked wherever they could offer their services: catechesis, pastoral work, receptionist and office work at the rectory, volunteer work, visiting the elderly … To this day, there is still one of our Sisters residing in Charlo.
Expression of gratitude
The Eucharistic celebration was followed by a friendly gathering where all those who attended shared a delicious lunch and exchanged cherished memories. The parishioners expressed their gratitude to the Daughters of Jesus for their presence and their services during all of these 64 years. Then Jeanne Comeau, our Vice-Provincial, thanked yesterday’s and today’s parishioners for their welcome, their friendship and their continued collaboration with our Sisters. Indeed, all those who came to live and work in Charlo were happy in this friendly environment and they really appreciated the welcome and closeness of the people, the beauty of the Baie des Chaleurs, the calm and tranquility of the village …
The main celebration of this centenary will take place on August 5th.
Rita Poirier, f.j. Moncton, Canada
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