Message from the President – Fall 2018

05 Nov Message from the President – Fall 2018

Dear Friend,

Greetings from John Murphy, President of Pillars Trust Fund Inc. (Pillars) and Rev. Raymond
Lafontaine E.V. Pillars is the sole fund-raising organization specific to the English-language portion
of the Montreal Roman Catholic Archdiocese. We seek your financial support in this our 46th year.

We urge you to read our enclosed newsletter “The Column”. It explains more fully why we chose
“Catholic Strong!” as our 2018 campaign theme. It details the many wonderful projects that Pillars
has supported or initiated during the past year. It also addresses the dismay that we and all Catholics
felt in learning the extent to which so many young children suffered abuse by members of the
clergy. In “The Column” you will find links to various statements of condemnation with a strong
determination to prevent it from ever happening again. For our part and in our sphere of activity
we must not be disheartened, but we must faithfully carry-on as followers of Christ, continue with
our much-needed good works with the support from each other along with our dedicated clergy.

“Catholic Strong!” encompasses (among other subjects) the ongoing strong bonds being built by
Pillars with parishioners and priests to support them in their work towards greater parish vitality.
To that end we engaged Terrel Joseph as our Parish Vitality Facilitator. With his expertise and
experience, he is focused on supporting the vital role that clergy and lay leaders play in the vitality
of our diocese, parishes and family life.

Our theme is also underscored by our support of the Diocesan Priesthood Guild (DPG), which helps
defray the seminary costs of young seminarians to the priesthood (of which there are four this year).
We chatted with Father Peter Sabbath, a recipient of assistance from the DPG and pastor at
St. Thomas à Becket church, about working with Terrel to enhance parishioner engagement at
St. Thomas à Becket.

“Catholic Strong!” begins with our youth. Read about Pillars’ successful cooperation with Mission
Jeunesse, which sent 44 local teens to the Steubenville Catholic youth conference in Toronto in July.

In a nutshell and with your help, Pillars continues to donate to causes and initiatives that build a
strong Roman Catholic community in the English-language parishes of Montreal.

The success of our campaign again requires the strength of prayer and we again call upon the patron
saint of parish priests worldwide, Saint John Mary Vianney (Curé of Ars), to be the Special Patron of
our 2018 Fundraising Campaign. Read on for some exciting news, which we feel is due, in no small
way, to the special blessings he has brought to those considering priestly vocations in Montreal.

Your donation to the 2018 Pillars Trust Fund Campaign is an investment. It ensures a strong
missionary community living The Gospel. Our work together will continue to ensure that your
donations serve the temporal and spiritual development of people in Montreal. Please be
generous, we all benefit. Let us be “Catholic Strong!”.

Sincerely in Christ,

John G. Murphy Rev.                                         Raymond Lafontaine E.V.
President                                                           Director, Office for English Pastoral Services, Pastor, St. Monica Parish