Mass

October 12, 2003, solemn Mass and large meeting of the descendants of the Great Recruit of 1653

Basilique Notre-Dame, Montreal

This morning at 11 a.m., takes place in the Basilique Notre-Dame a mass in memory of the Great Recruit of 1653.

We find Jacques Désautels on "Place d'Armes", to the entry of the Basilique Notre-Dame, which gives us a sticker "Grande Recrue", allowing us to enter and to place themselves in front of the furnace bridge, where 400 places are reserved. The Basilique can accomodate 3 000 people.

Much of emotion when the ceremony starts at 11 a.m.

The titular organist Pierre Grandmaison plays the introduction, an anthem « Peuple de Dieu à Montréal », accompanied by the choir of the basilica under the direction of Jean-Pierre Guidon.

It is very beautiful and very touching. All the music which will be played and sung today is identical to the mass commemorating into 1992 for the 350 years of Montreal. The music is by Pierre Grandmaison, except for the offertoire "Gratias tibi Deus" of Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1634 - 1704), and for the communion "Aufer has to me Ego gaudebo in domino", Gregorian of Guillaume Bouzignac (17th century)

A the end of the mass, associations offer gifts to remember this day : a model of Saint-Nicolas-de-Nantes, boat which transported the Great Recruit, a wooden Virgin, a Michel Langlois's book "Montreal 1653 - the Great Recruit", and of a contract of a sister dating from the years 1660.

A the end of the ceremony at 12.30, Antonio gives us details on the construction of the Basilica (Antonio was a guide in the basilique Notre-Dame).

The mass was chaired by Monseigneur Jude Saint-Anthony, Evêque auxiliary of Montreal