The Pilgrims of Saint Michael

The Pilgrims of St. Michael were founded in Canada in 1939 by Louis Even (left) and Gilberte Côté-Mercier (right) to promote the development of a better world, a more Christian society, through the diffusion and the implementation of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, in every sector of society, especially the economic field.

The House of St. Michael, head office of the Movement and the residence of the lady full-time Pilgrims.

For this purpose, they publish a journal called “Michael”. (A version in French, called “Vers Demain”, exists since 1939; the version in English began in 1953, a version in Polish, also called “Michael” is published since 1999, and a version in Spanish, called “San Miguel”, exists since 2003.) Moreover, the Pilgrims print and distribute every year in every continent the equivalent of 30 millions of free 4-page offprints, translated into more than eight languages.

The Pilgrims of St. Michael have their own print shop, where they themselves print their journals and millions of offprints.

The Pilgrims of St. Michael can be recognized by the white beret they wear in their apostolate work, which consists of holding meetings, distributing leaflets, visiting families to pray with them a decade of the Rosary, and present to them a solution to the present economic injustices.

The St. Joseph's Chapel, between the House of St. Michael and the House of the Immaculate

If the Pilgrims of St. Michael talk a lot, in their publications, about money and economic issues, it is because, as Pope Benedict XV said, “it is in the economic field that the salvation of souls is at stake.”

John Paul II has mentioned several times the need for a change of the financial and economic systems: “A structural reform of the world financial system is, without doubt, one of the most urgent and necessary initia-tives.” (Message to the United Nations, Sept. 26, 1985.)

Man needs a minimum of material goods to live his short pilgrimage on earth, for while God created man with an immortal soul, He also created him with material needs: food, clothing, shelter. But in order to get food, clothing, and shelter, man must have money to purchase them; otherwise, goods will rot on the shelves, and the pauper will starve to death.

The House of the Immaculate, where the monthly meetings of the Pilgrims of St. Michael are held, is also the residence of the men full-time Pilgrims.

Those who hold the power to create money — the Bankers — therefore literally control our lives, as Pope Pius XI rightly put it in his Encyclical letter Quadragesimo Anno, in 1931, adding that “the State has become a slave, bound over to the service of human passion and greed,” to the service of the money powers.

The Pilgrims of St. Michael are spread all over the world. On this picture, a group of Pilgrims in Ghana, West Africa.

The control of money by private interests is the greatest swindle of all times, and it has brought about disastrous consequences, like economic depressions, wars, etc.

From March until September, the Pilgrims of St. Michael organize Rosary processsions on their grounds on the occasion of their monthly meetings.

It is for these reasons that Louis Even decided to spread the Social Credit doctrine — a set of principles and financial proposals conceived in 1917 by the Scottish engineer, Clifford Hugh Douglas, to solve the problem of poverty and of the chronic shortage of purchasing power in the hands of the consumers. The words “social credit” means social money, or national money, money issued by society, as opposed to the present money that is a “banking credit”, money issued by the banks.

The Catholic Church teaches principles of social justice (known as “the social doctrine of the Church”), but leaves to the faithful the task of finding concrete ways of implementing these principles. To our knowledge, the Social Credit principles are one of the best ways to apply these principles of justice in economics.

Beside thousands of part-time apostles who give all of their spare time to visit families to make the “Michael” Journal known, there is a core of full-time apostles who are lodged in our headquarters in Rougemont, but who are mostly continuously on the road in different regions of Canada and other countries. Everything is done voluntarily, and no one gets any salary, not even those who print the journal. Our millions of free leaflets are financed by the donations of benefactors.

To be a Pilgrim of St. Michael for social justice is an exciting vocation for all, especially for the youth. All are invited to join our team, either as a full-time Pilgrim in Rougemont, or as a part-time Pilgrim in their areas. Many give several years, and some all of their lives.

In fact, this group of full-time apostles in Rougemont is similar to a religious community in every aspect, except for the fact that nobody takes vows, each one giving as many years as her or she wants to — some giving a few years, and others all of their lives. The Pilgrims of St. Michael have two houses in Rougemont: one for the ladies, the House of St. Michael, and one for the men, the House of the Immaculate.

The Pilgrims of Saint Michael (or “White Berets”) are a Roman Catholic lay order that preaches loyalty to all the teachings of the Pope. They go to Mass every day at their parish church in Rougemont, and they obtained in 1971 from the Bishop of their diocese (Saint Hyacinthe), the Most. Rev. Albert Sanschagrin, permission to keep the Blessed Sacrament in the chapels of their two houses. 

Besides, it is Bishop Sanschagrin himself who came in 1976 in their chapel of the “House of the Immaculate”, where their monthly meetings are held, to celebrate the first Mass there (see picture).

All are therefore invited to take part in this Work of social justice, either by attending our meetings, distributing our leaflets, or soliciting subscriptions to our “Michael” Journal.