Sunday April 26

      Fortunately, the electricity went on around 6:15 am..... it was a damp cool morning but at least not raining anymore.

     We had a short morning prayer with the singing of our gathering song: Ad majorem Dei gloria....and followed by recitation of the Assembly prayer and images from our last few days to evoke in us a sense of gratitude.

     We proceeded to the reading of the final draft of the Graces and Orientations of the Guelph Assembly 2009.  The participants of the Assembly approved their approval and appreciation of this document with a warm round of standing applause.    

     After "announcements" Mary Balfe did a summary of the evaluations that had been posted on our butterflies... This was then followed by an appropriation of the graces received at the Assembly by a personal short response from most of the participants.

    We had time for a short break before the final Eucharist celebrated with Bishop Gerard Bergie, auxiliary bishop of Hamilton. It was joy-filled celebration led by him. His homily, based on the Gospel of the DAy, touched on and confirmed much of what we had shared together on the weekend:  our CLC call to be transformed and be a prophetic apostolic body.  Before being sent forth, we had a serious of "thank you's" as well as an acknowledgement of those who had made a permanent and temporary commitment since the Lethbridge Assembly in 2004.

     Bishop Bergie stayed with us for lunch and was hosted at the tables by the young adults from Toronto and Ottawa.

     We had a delicious lunch and we gave a warm thank you to our cooks at Loyola House.  After this people said their goodbyes and headed out.

    The experience of this weekend is too rich to communicate in words. We can only give witness to it by our joyful sharing of its graces when we return to our local groups and regions....

     Peace of the Risen Christ, 

   Charles