The diocesan committee for the episcopal ordination of Bishop Jean-Michaël Durhône met for the second time last week, under the chairmanship of Father Jean Maurice Labour. Cardinal Maurice E. Piat and Bishop Durhône were also present.
The work of the various sub-committees was reviewed.
Souvenir booklet on sale
The Liturgical Committee will be selling a souvenir booklet of Mgr Durhône’s episcopal ordination Mass. The booklet, produced by Father Jean-Claude Véder and his team, will be on sale for Rs 25 from the weekend of 05-06 August in the parishes. A print run of 20,000 copies is planned.
The thirty-page booklet includes a presentation of Bishop Durhône – his various missions in the Church – and his coat of arms. It includes the hymns from the ordination Mass and a message from the new bishop. The key moments of the episcopal ordination are also explained.
Facilities to welcome the crowds
The organising committee is preparing to welcome a crowd of around 40,000 people. A whole host of arrangements have been put in place to ensure that the celebrations run smoothly:
200 stretcher-bearers and around 200 young people have been mobilised to provide security.
300 communion donors were chosen from various regions. Under the leadership of Father Gérard Mongelard, two preparatory meetings have already taken place (photo attached). There will also be 300 ZVZs to accompany the communion donors.
50 altar servers have been chosen. They will spend a period of retreat together before ordination.
Maintenance work – including painting and electrical work – is currently being carried out at Marie-Reine-de-la-Paix. The infrastructure (platforms for guests, sound system, etc.) will be put in place from 14 August.
Preparations for the ordination are being made in collaboration with various government bodies, including the municipality of Port-Louis, the Ministry of Health, the fire brigade and security services.
Fervent spiritual preparation in the parish
The novena for the new bishop, prepared by Father Lodoïska and his team, is already being circulated in the parishes. For the first eight days (10 to 18 August), the faithful can gather in neighbourhoods, movements or other groups to pray together. On the ninth day (19 August), the faithful are invited to gather in the church or another central location for a vigil led by young people. The novena is one of the oldest and most popular forms of prayer in the Catholic Church.
Special ordination T. Shirts for ordination
La Vie Catholique is offering the faithful special ordination T-shirts, priced at Rs 350, to be worn on the day of the celebration at Marie-Reine de la Paix. The T-shirts are available in several sizes.
In addition, the SeDEC offers a weekly audiovisual feature entitled “The Catholic school and its new pastor”. SeDEC visits Catholic primary and secondary schools that are, in one way or another, directly or symbolically linked to the journey of the new bishop to meet with various members of the school community: learners, teachers, support staff and administrators. They all share their experiences of contact with Bishop Durhône.
The videos are available on the SeDEC website: www.sedec.org
