Family Is the Masterpiece of God!

Dear Families and Friends,

Throughout my years as a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, I have had the privilege of meeting people from many walks of life – families filled with joy and gratitude, young couples beginning their journey of married life, parents carrying the hopes and worries of their children, and people who come to the Church searching for comfort, healing, and peace. These encounters have touched my heart deeply and have strengthened a conviction that I carry with me in my ministry: when we care for a family, we touch the very heart of God’s creation.

My pastoral ministry at Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal has given me a special appreciation for the power of faith, the importance of prayer, and the quiet miracles that unfold when people place their trust in God. In the life and witness of Saint Brother André, I have encountered a powerful reminder that a simple gesture of kindness, a listening heart, and a prayer offered with faith can bring hope to someone who is suffering. His example continues to inspire me to reach out to people with humility, compassion, and confidence in God’s love.

As the Executive Director of Holy Cross Family Ministries in Canada, I feel both deeply grateful and profoundly challenged. I see this mission not merely as a responsibility, but as a calling close to the heart of the Gospel and to the charism of the Congregation of Holy Cross. I am inspired by Venerable Patrick Peyton whose extraordinary faith and missionary vision brought the message of family prayer to millions of people around the world. His conviction that “The family that prays together stays together” continues to speak powerfully to our time.

I often think of the countless families who long for peace in their homes, couples who need encouragement to rediscover the beauty of their commitment, parents who worry about their children’s future, and young people searching for meaning and belonging. Behind every family is a unique story of love, sacrifice, struggle, and hope. Some stories are filled with celebration; others carry wounds that remain hidden from the world. Every one of them deserves to be met with tenderness, dignity, and compassion.

I believe with all my heart that “The family is God’s masterpiece” as said Pope Francis. It is where love first takes root, where forgiveness can begin, where faith is passed from one generation to the next, and where we learn to recognize God’s presence in the ordinary moments of life. Even when a family experiences difficulties, its beauty and dignity remain. With prayer, loving accompaniment, and the right support, wounded relationships can begin to heal, hope can be renewed, and new beginnings can emerge.

This is the dream I carry for Holy Cross Family Ministries in Canada: to help millions of families discover or rediscover the transforming power of prayer, to accompany young couples as they build strong and loving marriages, to reach families experiencing difficulties, and to bring the compassionate presence of Jesus Christ into homes across our country.

I invite you to join me in this mission – not simply to speak about the importance of family, but to stand beside families, listen to their stories, share their joys and sorrows, and help them discover that they are never alone. Together, inspired by Venerable Patrick Peyton and Saint Brother André, we can bring hope to homes, strengthen the bonds of love, and help families become living witnesses of God’s presence and peace in our world.