On the fifteenth anniversary of the death of Fr. Bob Bedard, CC — founder of the Companions of the Cross — some 300 people gathered at the Annunciation of the Lord Parish on Tuesday, October 6th. Clergy and laity honoured Fr. Bedard’s vision of “an explosively alive” Church, the dynamic underpinning of the charismatic worship and experiential faith that is at the heart of parishes where the Companions of the Cross minister.
Beginning in the 1970s, Fr. Bedard (1929-2011) helped lead the Charismatic Renewal in the Canadian Church. He experienced a moment of real conversion in 1975, many years into his priesthood. And this happened to coincide with the publication of Evangelization in the Modern World, an apostolic exhortation by Pope Paul VI. In 1985, he established the Companions of the Cross, a community of priests and seminarians that are well known for spearheading parish renewal efforts and embracing the New Evangelization. While their reach now extends beyond Canada, this society of apostolic life is still rooted in Ottawa.
James Shaw, who manages social media and digital communication for the Companions and had extended the invitation to me, welcomed all those gathered in person and numerous people watching the live-stream from afar. The General Superior of the Companions, Fr. Simon Lobo, CC, offered the keynote address at the gathering, while Fr. Rob Arsenault, CC facilitated a conversation on parish renewal. Fr. Dan Ramos, CC and Fr. Sebastian Muggeridge, CC led the night of Eucharistic Adoration that followed the presentations.
In his 1998 book The Catholic Disciple, Fr. Bedard explored the relational, personal and experiential focus of faith and worship, which together form the hallmark of the Charismatic Renewal. Moving faith beyond only the intellectual and communal, Fr. Bedard wrote: “Our faith is not so much membership in the Church, although that is important. It is not so much following God’s rules and guidelines, the Commandments, although that is obviously important, too. But most important of all, it is a relationship with a person — Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God…Jesus lives and we can know him as a living person. We have to come to terms with Jesus, to talk to him…Not only has Jesus become one of us, but also remains one of us. He will always be fully human while remaining fully divine…it is a profound mystery that never ceases to hold me in awe.”
The evening began with a testimonial from a parishioner of Annunciation Parish. The gentleman, originally from Montreal, relocated to Ottawa three years ago and is employed as a social worker. He spoke about growing up in Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Vaudreuil, Quebec. When he was a child, the parish hosted retreats that would appeal to those who were perhaps less likely to attend Sunday Mass, and yet participating in these retreats would leave them transformed. Why couldn’t this approach that touched so many during the retreat be introduced on Sundays at church as well, especially when it seemed that parishes were sometimes places where people lost their faith? The Vaudreuil parish never took that step and it was shuttered in 2009.
In contrast, one parish in Montreal dared to try something new. He mentioned St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish next to Concordia University. It was once a dying church. Until recently, they hadn’t had an adult baptism since 1976. But around 2017, the parish began a process of renewal and it has been growing consistently every year, adopting a more Charismatic style of worship and music. What’s key, he shared, is for churches to be missional and to understand that the Church isn’t fundamentally for us. It’s for people who aren’t members yet.
Fr. Simon Lobo, CC offered the keynote address in his capacity as the recently minted Superior General. His tone was often funny and conversational, and most of all it was enthusiastic. His community embraces a high level of optimism and the vibrancy of many churches served by the Companions undoubtedly gives good reason for continued hope. Fr. Simon shared that the Companions of the Cross serve in eight different dioceses across North America. He reflected on meeting Fr. Bedard for the first time as a young child, when he was preparing for his First Communion. Fr. Bedard later served as Fr. Simon’s spiritual director and mentor. He shared: “when I think of the impact that he’s had not just personally, but on the whole church, it’s tremendous. Father Bob was a prophet. He was so ahead of his time. He was a pioneer of the New Evangelization.”
We were reminded of Fr. Bedard’s well-known observations on the full potential of a missional Church. Fr. Bedard said: “I love the Church. I call it the sleeping giant. Once we begin to rediscover what it means to evangelize, and to undertake a large-scale revival of this ministry, I see the Church waking up and coming explosively alive to the point where it, with the power of the Holy Spirit, will shake the earth and the nations with its dynamic presence.” Fr. Simon summarized the essence of this quote: “He’s talking about this explosion of light, this explosion of beauty, this explosion of life, this explosion of love that would spread out beyond our control. And it would just keep growing!”
The evening’s praise and worship music was offered by a soloist, three guitarists, a pianist and a drummer. Incorporating the evening’s theme of renewal, among the songs was “God of Revival.” Other examples of praise and worship included “Great Things,” and “God is Able” from Hillsong. The congregation sang with enthusiasm.
Following Adoration, all were invited to the Parish Hall for a reception. Faithful from different parishes served by the Companions gathered for fellowship and to enjoy a colourful spread of baked goods, fresh fruit, crudites, cheese and crackers. On that dark, autumn weekday evening, Annunciation Parish shined brightly in the neighborhood.
Christopher Adam
Born in Montreal, Christopher Adam has called Ottawa home for the past twenty years. He received his MA from Carleton University, with a thesis focusing on twentieth century European church history, and a PhD in History from the University of Ottawa. Over the years, he has published widely and works in the faith-based charitable sector in Ottawa.