Easter Letter

Dear Members of the Canadian Canon Law Society,

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen” (Lk 24:5). These words of the two angels spoken to the faithful women who had rushed to the tomb at the break of dawn, kindle hope within their spirit. These faithful women had experienced the tragic events culminating in Christ’s crucifixion. They had felt sadness and confusion in the face of these events. In the hour of trial, however, they had not given up, they had not abandoned their Lord. Early in the morning, they go to the place where Jesus was buried in order to see him one last time. They are moved by love, that same love that led them to follow him throughout his ministry, all the way to the Cross. They did not know that a new day had dawned. A new day that would change the course of everyone who journeys through this life.

We too have journeyed through dark times, seeking signs of life. The past few years have been difficult for many of our members. The Covid 19 pandemic has affected the lives of us all. We all have felt isolation and loss, pain and suffering which has impacted our lives. We may even ask, “How can life be the same ever again? Where do we go from here?”

We have asked these same questions as the members of the Canadian Canon Law Society. We have faith that Covid 19 will not have the final say and that life will continue. In fact, we look to the future with anticipation and hope!

Last year at the Annual General Meeting, I announced that the Executive Board was going to review the bylaws of the Society in order to modernize them to meet the challenges of the future. We have begun a consultation process for the revision of our bylaws. Two Special Meetings were held on February 15 and 16, 2022, in both French and English. The feedback provided helped the ad hoc committee in assisting us to refine the proposed text. Two other Special Meeting will be held in the coming months to discuss this draft. We hope to be able to present a final draft at the next Annual General Meeting in October 2022.

Undoubtedly, we all would like to once again gather at an in-person Convention. The 56th Annual Convention will be hosted by the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate and the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall. I invite you to “save the date” of October 17-20, 2022 and to join us in Ottawa. Once again, we will host an exciting list of speakers and topics. Further details will be announced soon!

Let us be like those faithful women in the Gospel, who sought our Lord on that Easter Morning so many years ago. Let us leave behind the darkness of old and open ourselves to a new dawn, one filled with life and hope!

Letter