Responding to the pastoral need, Most Rev. Claude Hamelin, Bishop of St. Jean – Longueuil, assigned Fr. Michael Nguyen Dinh VINH, CSSp, a Vietnamese and religious priest of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) as full time pastor of our parish. His appointment is effective Oct 1, 2023 and will remain until July 31, 2029.

Message from Fr. Vinh Michael Nguyen

March 30, 2025

God of Mercy

The parable of the “Prodigal Son” in the Gospel of the 4th Sunday of Lent depicts the extremely poor condition of sinners. The younger son, after demanding his father to divide the inheritance, left home and squandered everything on social entertainment. When he ran out of money and had nothing left to cling to, he had only one way left, which was to return to his father’s house with the hope of finding some kind of alms from his father. However, beyond his expectations, his father was overjoyed to see him return. All that happened before his eyes were not the scolding, questioning or insults of his father, but a radiant joy and happiness that was taking place in his father. The father was moved with compassion and called his servants to throw a grand feast to express his joy when his lost and misguided son returned.

The father that today's parable presents is none other than God, our Father. A God full of mercy for humanity so that we can awaken to our sins, repent, and return to Him. His love is always immense and open to welcome all sinners to repent and return to Him. Because He loves us with a love that reason cannot understand. Like the prodigal son in the parable, there are times when we waste our lives in wrong passions; there are times when we are weak and disappointed and sell our conscience to the devil. However, God still patiently watches over us; He waits for us to return to Him, and generously forgives all our sins. 

With the meaning of today's Word of God, the Church invites each of us to choose a way of life that is in accordance with the morality of being His children. Even if we are sinful or unfaithful to God, we should not “forget God” but always remember that we have a very merciful father who is very happy to see our silhouettes return to him. May God help us to always be ready to return to our merciful and compassionate God; and may each of us follow God’s example in treating others with a loving and merciful heart like him.  Yes. We are on the first day of the holy Lent, may Jesus grant each of us to always experience God's love and recognize our sinful, unworthy nature to repent, to help us become new people in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

The Jubilee Prayer 2025

Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen