Dear subscribers and readers of "Michael", our annual International Congress held in Rougemont on Sept. 1-3 was great, better than all our expectations, because you were there. The lectures given by our guests from other countries filled us with joy and hope for the future of the poor of the whole world. What a consolation for you and for us who have fought the good fight for so many years. Victory belongs to God!
We are small, very small, but God put a treasure in our hands (the Social Credit philosophy) that we must share with the whole world. We feel like a grain of dust before the greatness of the mission that God has given us. We place ourselves totally in His Divine Hands, He is the One Who made the program and Who directs it. All was providential; in the three days of retreat, the seven days of study, the three days of the Congress and the two days of pilgrimages.
Our guests from various countries were hand-picked by Divine Providence. Our audience was of high quality. We lived in perfect fraternity and harmony with people of different races from five continents, we are all brothers in God our Father.
We had visitors from Paraguay, Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, France, Switzerland, Poland, Austria, Malta, the Philippines, New Zealand, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, from the United States, with a large delegation from New England and California and of course many people from all the regions of Canada.
The procession in honor of the Blessed Sacrament presided over by two Bishops and ten priests was spectacular thanks to your presence. It was a beautiful homage to our Creator by whom all was and is created.
Never before as during this week of study did I understand the greatness and depth of our Social Credit and what effect it would have on the entire world, especially for the poor. What a joy, what a consolation for our Social Crediters who devote themselves in the shadows and in the persecutions over so many years, often without seeing tangible results, of knowing that the seed of Social Credit is growing across the whole world.
For example I was strongly impressed by Dr. Anthony Spiteri, professor of Theology and Philosophy at the university of Malta. He said to me after a few days of study: "I was never taught this at school nor at the university, here, it is'the truth'. I will teach Social Credit at the university from now on; I do not want to teach socialism nor tainted capitalism." What a great testimony!
And the bishop who tells us that his country is robbed by the vultures of High Finance and that Social Credit seems to be the solution to the problems of his country. (See text on page 4.)
And the French teacher and translator from Columbia, a woman who knew nothing about Social Credit, who now says with arms upraised: "I am ready for any battle" with the white beret firmly fixed on her head. She is already in the apostolate. And what about all these priests who will teach Social Credit in their dioceses and social groups!
From the Philippines, Bishop Almoneda and Father Zantua plan to send us four young people to be trained and help us, and they have great projects for their country as well. What I have just told you is only a small overview of what took place. We must live it to understand it well.
Therese Tardif
From Poland (from left to right): Dr. Jan Wilk, Doctor of Mathematics and president of Catholic Action in Krakow; Fr. Tadeusz Bienasz, professor at the University of Vienna in Austria; Mrs. Teresa Reyes; Jadwiga Kalinowski, Product Manufacturer; Janina Natusiewisa; Anna Walentynowicz, heroine of Poland and founder of the "Solidarity" movement in 1980; Janusz Lewicki, co-editor of the Polish "Michael" Journal and professional architect; and Jacek Morawa, full-time Pilgrim and co-editor of the Polish edition of "Michael".
From Paraguay: Speaking at the microphone, Miss Paola Santamaria from Mexico who did missionary work for us for five months in Paraguay, brought four young people from the Pastoral Society in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, for six months of training in Rougemont. From left to right: – Christian Torres Vera, Miguel Angel Vera Ovelar, Lourdes Mabel Ruiz-Dias Aguilera, and Jorge Guillen Portillo. Also on the picture: our Directress, Therese Tardif and Lucie Parenteau, who also went for a month to Paraguay.
From Ecuador (from left to right): Mrs. Karina Alexandra Cabrera, Pastoral Society in Loja; (holding the flag and partly hidden) Miss Alana Mantilla, 20 years of age from Quito who is speaker at the youth retreats; Fanny Armas, Dr. Maria del Carmen Ortiz, physiologist, representing our best benefactor in Quito; Fr. Agustin Carrion, director of the Pastoral Society in Loja; Mr. Carlos Armando Reyes (at the microphone), editor of the Spanish-language edition of the "Michael" Journal; Fr. Gerardo Onofre, representing Archbishop Julio Teran Dutari from Ibarra; Fr. Arturo Pozo, representing Archbishop Raul Vela, of Quito. (Not on the picture: Rosa Rivera, Professor and translator from Quito.)
From the Philippines (from left to right): Father Romuald Zantua, founder of the “Disciples of Hope”; Mr. Gregorio Dominador, director of the movement “Couples for Christ”; His Excellency Bishop Benjamin Almoneda, Bishop Emeritus of Daet.
From Africa (from left to right): Fr. Hugh Chikawe, from Tanzania; Fr. Alain Thierry Raharison, parish priest of the Cathedral of Antananarivo, capital city of Madagascar; Fr. Albert Kaumba-Mufwata from the Congo, presently pastor of Limoges, near Ottawa; Most Rev. Nestor Ngoy, Bishop of Kolwezi, Congo.
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On Wednesday September 5, we went on a pilgrimage to Quebec City, and made a stop at the different shrines of the French Canadian saints: Blessed Marie of the Incarnation (who founded the first Catholic schools in North America), Blessed Catherine of St. Augustine, Blessed François de Laval (first Bishop of Quebec City), and then to the Basilica of St. Anne de Beaupré. In 2008, Quebec City will celebrate its 400th anniversary and will hold the 49th International Eucharistic Congress (June 15-22). (Picture taken in front of the Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City's famous landmark.)
On Tuesday, September 4, the bishops and priests who took part in our Congress as well as a large delegation of Pilgrims of St. Michael attended the funeral Mass of Edouard Cardinal Gagnon that was celebrated in the beautiful Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal. It was a providential opportunity for our Bishops and priests to concelebrate with Cardinals Jean-Claude Turcotte of Montreal and Marc Ouellet of Quebec City, who delivered the homily.
His Eminence Édouard Cardinal Gagnon passed away in Montreal at age 89 on August 25, 2007, following a long illness. Born in 1918 in Port-Daniel, Quebec, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Montreal in 1940 and joined the Society of the Priests of St. Sulpice. In 1969 Pope Paul VI named him Bishop of Saint-Paul, Alberta. In 1972 he was called to Rome, first as rector of the Canadian College, then President of the Pontifical Council for the Family and more recently President of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses. Pope John Paul II appointed him to the College of Cardinals in 1985. Cardinal Gagnon resigned his Vatican assignment in 1990 and retired seven years ago.
The retreat for the young people in Rougemont was truly a great success. Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Armando Reyes and Alana Mantilla prepared it with great care. They brought out the evil consequences of the sin that attracts each one of us so hypocritically. The young and less young were visibly and strongly impressed and there were lasting miracles of conversion. Youth is made for God and not Lucifer. The testimonies by the young men and young girls were eloquent. Thanks to these retreats in South America, the youth in large numbers are abandoning drugs, alcohol and New Age, etc. They are deciding to live in perfect chastity until their marriage in order to raise a family in charity, holiness and forgiveness.
In 2008 we are preparing for three more great events: our "Siege of Jericho" March 23-30, 2008; the International Eucharistic Congress which will take us all to Quebec City on June 15-22, 2008; and our next International Congress in Rougemont which will be held from August 30 to September 1, preceded by the week of study and followed by a pilgrimage with the presence of His Eminence Bernard Cardinal Agre from Ivory Coast who has already confirmed his presence. Make sure not to miss these three important events!
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