1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

Happy Easter
Journey in Faith, Easter 2015 | Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall
Mark Your Calendar
April 12
Divine Mercy Sunday
April 16
Praise & Worship (St. Peter’s)
April 17
Theology on Tap (Best Western)
April 18 to 30
Treasures of the Diocese
Archives Exhibit
April 26 to 30
October Baby (Bishop’s Pix)
April 24 to 25
New Evangelization Summit
May 8 to 14
Mary of Nazareth (Bishop’s Pix)
May 14
March for Life
May 21
Mass for 125th Anniversary
(Cocathédrale de la Nativité)
May 22 to 28
Joseph of Nazareth (Bishop’s Pix)
Details at alexandria-cornwall.ca
Bishop Marcel’s Easter Message
Dear friends in Christ,
Although winter doesn’t seem in a hurry to leave, Easter is upon us! This great
feast reminds us of what is at the core of our Christian lives: the Resurrection of
Christ. “If Christ has not been raised,” writes St. Paul,
“your faith is futile” (1 Cor. 15:17). Our joy of Easter is
founded on this very truth and it is my hope that you will
share that joy in your gatherings, whether they be with
family or parish celebrations. May this Easter be for us all a
moment of profound joy that expresses itself in the small
things of daily life and/or experienced in the midst of our daily crosses.
Please allow me to list a few signs of the Risen Christ that I see around me. I think
of the success of the Day of Confessions on March 25th because so many of you
experienced the mercy of God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I think also of
the Ralph Martin Rally that brought so many people together last weekend. I
think of the work put into hospitality in your parishes allowing many to
experience a warm welcome. I think of the important ministry accomplished by
the priests, deacons and religious, making present the living Christ.
I therefore wish you all in the diocese, including the elderly, the sick and the
youth, a Blessed Easter. To all, I pray that the Risen Christ may be for you the
Good News that you are called to share with all those you meet.
Be assured of my prayers and my heartfelt blessing.
+ Marcel Damphousse
Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall
50 Days of Easter!
We spend 40 days preparing for and
counting down to the great celebration
of Easter, the day that Christians around
the world remember the resurrection of
Christ. What many do not realize is that
Easter is not a
single day but
rather it is a
season made up
of 50 days. We
continue to live
Easter for six
consecutive
Sundays before
commemorating
Jesus’ Ascension
into Heaven. The
Easter season culminates the following
week with the feast of Pentecost, the
day the apostles were sent out,
accompanied by the Holy Spirit, on their
great mission.

Continue to wish your family and
friends a Happy Easter!

Make a poster of a life-giving cross.
Add paper flowers and leaves to it
throughout Easter.

Drape your crucifixes with a strip of
white cloth.

Make cookies in the shapes of
Easter symbols. Freeze some to
serve throughout the season.

Play 20 Questions - Have someone
choose a Bible character or thing
from the Easter and Pentecost
stories. The group gets twenty
questions (yes or no answers only)
to guess the right answer.
The Easter season is also a great time to
learn about a newer devotion: the Via
Lucis (the Way of Light.) Similar to the
Way of the Cross, the Way of Light
celebrates the most joyful time in the
Christian liturgical
year, the fifty days
from Easter to
Pentecost. The idea
for depicting the
Way of Light was
inspired by an
ancient inscription found on a wall of the
San Callisto Catacombs on the Appian
Way in Rome. To learn how to pray the
Way of Light visit the diocesan website.
Finally, for more great ideas to do with
your children check out:

www.catholicicing.com

www.catholicinspired.com
Happy Easter!
At Masses during the Easter season, the
usual Old Testament reading is replaced
by readings from the Acts of the
Apostles. The Acts of the Apostles
recount the story of the Church’s earliest
days, and the beginnings of our faith.
These stories of heroism, controversies,
persecutions and miracles all testify to
the continued presence of the Risen
Christ in the world, through the lives of
his disciples, and the actions of the Holy
Spirit.
Here are a few ways to help you more
fully live the Easter season.

Participate in the Divine Mercy
Service on the second Sunday of
Easter (see below.)
Divine Mercy Sunday
In the course of Jesus' revelations to Saint Faustina on the Divine Mercy, He asked on numerous occasions that a feast day be dedicated to the Divine Mercy and that it be celebrated
on the Sunday after Easter. So during the Jubilee Year (2000) Saint John Paul II proclaimed
that the Second Sunday of Easter would now be known as Divine Mercy Sunday. On this
Sunday the theme of the psalm and the Gospel centre on God’s mercy.
Please join Bishop Marcel at the Cocathédrale de la Nativité on April 12 at 1:30 pm for a penitential service followed by Adoration at 2:00 pm. This is a French service.
Father Jerome invites you to attend the Divine Mercy Hour at St. Columban’s from 3:00 pm to
4:00 pm. This is an English Service.
Did you know?
In 325 AD, the Council of Nicaea set the date
for Easter as the Sunday following the full
moon that falls on or after the spring equinox,
the date of Jewish Passover, which Jesus and
his apostles shared as the Last Supper.
Resurrection Rolls
Ingredients needed:
Crescent rolls
Large Marshmallows
Melted butter
Cinnamon
Sugar
1.
Give each child one triangle of crescent roll.
2.
Explain that the crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was
wrapped in. (Read Matthew 27:57­61)
3.
Next, give each child a marshmallow to represent Jesus. Dip the
marshmallow in melted butter, which represents the oils of
embalming.
4.
Now dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar to
represent the spices used to anoint Jesus’ body.
5.
Wrap up the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll by
bringing the sides up and sealing the marshmallow inside to
represent the wrapping of Jesus' body after death.
6.
Place in a 350 degree oven for 10­12 minutes.
7.
The oven represents the tomb. (While you are waiting for the
rolls to bake, read Matthew 27:62­66.)
8.
Remove the rolls from oven and let them cool slightly. Let the
children open their rolls and discover that Jesus is no longer
there! HE IS RISEN!!!! (The marshmallow melts and the crescent
roll is puffed up, but empty.) (Read Matthew 28:1­10)
Enjoy your warm
rolls as you rejoice
at the good news of
Easter! And then go
and tell someone
else the good news
today!
Christians in the Middle East
While we celebrate Easter in peace and tranquility, our Christian
Brothers and Sisters in the Middle East continue to be under seige.
Last week the Vatican issued the following the statement, “During
Holy Week, which is now close, these families are sharing with
Christ the unjust violence of which they are victims, and
participating in the pain of the same Christ.”
Please remember them in your prayers and learn how you can help
at www.cnewa.ca
This two day conference will bring together speakers who are leaders
in the New Evangelization to provide inspiration, encouragement,
training, practical wisdom and resources on how Catholics can
effectively evangelize. All Catholics – pastors, missionaries, lay
ministers, and the lay faithful – will benefit immensely from this
powerful opportunity to be further equipped in the fundamental
mission of the Church.
The main event is being held in Ottawa and live-streamed to 20 hostsites, including Cornwall. Our diocese will be hosting the live streamed
event at the Agora Catholic Centre. This is your opportunity to see the
best of the best (see below) and your investment is just $65. This is an
event not to be missed!
Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and
said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” Jesus
said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because
I have not yet ascended to the Father. But
go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am
ascending to my Father and your Father, to
my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went and announced to
the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and
she told them that he had said these things
to her.
(John 20:16-18)
For more information and to register go to www.newevangelization.ca
Dr. Scott Hahn
A doctor of theology, an EWTN TV host, and an author
of over forty books.
Dr. Ralph Martin
The president of Renewal Ministries, a doctor of
theology, and Consultor to the Pontifical Council for the
New Evangelization.
Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC
The director of the Association of Marian Helpers, and a
best-selling author.
Patrick Coffin
A national radio host, and author of Sex Au Naturel:
What It Is and Why It's Good For Your Family.
JoEllen Gregus
Light of the World Evangelization Ministries, and
responsible for Adult Evangelization in her local parish.
Ken Yasinski
The founder of Face to Face Ministries and a Lighthouse
Catholic Media contributor.
Fr. James Mallon
A priest from Halifax, and the founder of the JP II Media
Institute.
Michael Dopp
Founder of the New Evangelization Summit and
President of Mission of the Redeemer Ministries.
Every Life is Worth
Living
Easter is a time to celebrate life and what better way
than to stand up for the most vulnerable of our
society, the unborn. This
month and next there are
two important events that we
hope you will support.
The first is the April Bishop’s
Pix: October Baby, which will
be screened at the Port from
April 26th to 30th. As the
curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage
for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before she can
utter her first lines, Hannah-unscripted-collapses in
front of the stunned audience. After countless
medical tests, all signs point to one underlying factor:
Hannah's difficult birth.
You are also invited to join Pro-Life Cornwall for the
annual March for Life in Ottawa on May 14th. Again
this year they will be sponsoring a free bus to the
March. Contact Joan at 613-937-0536 to reserve your
spot.
www.alexandria-cornwall.ca