St. Paul’s College represented at Oblates 200th anniversary celebration
Christine Butterill at Oblates Celebration
In late October, history professor Christine Butterill represented St. Paul’s College at the celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and the 60th anniversary of the Canadian Assumption Province.
The events opened with morning Mass on 25th Oct. at Despins Residence. Five bishops (three from Winnipeg, one from Keewatin-Le Pas and one from Churchill dioceses) and the Apostolic Nuncio to Canada’s representative Msgr. Fermin Emilio Sosa Rodriguez concelebrated with all the Oblates fathers.
A rededication to Mary and acknowledgement of the Oblates’ contributions took place at the Fountain in the St. Boniface Heritage Gardens in front of Archbishop LeGatt’s residence on Tache Blvd. The ceremony consisted of indigenous smudging, prayers, and speeches. Each bishop and Monsignor Sosa gave remarks, as a well as people from the community reading the unveiled interpretative panels in the garden. Dr. Butterill read from a panel on the significant education component of the Oblates’ work including mentioning the foundation of St. Paul’s College in 1926.
The following evening at the Gala dinner honouring the Oblates St. Paul’s College Chaplain, Fr. Michael Koryluk, who grew up in Sacre Coeur Parish run by the Oblates, presented a congratulatory letter to OMI Provincial LeGal from current Rector, Dr. Christopher Adams.