By Adam Brazeau
CORNWALL, Ontario – The long-list of people blessed by the selfless service of two Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall parishioners might already consider them modern-day saints.
Nearly 800 people filled the pews at Nativity Church (Cocathédrale de la Nativité) during a Mass of Thanksgiving on Thursday (May 21) to celebrate the diocese’s 125th anniversary.
A thunderous roar of applause erupted thorughout the cathedral as Msgr. Réjean Lebrun and Father Kevin Maloney announced the winners of the Diocesan Award of Merit.
“It’s very humbling,” said Raymond Legault, 70. “I’m really glad they mentioned my wife, Marie-Ange, in the presentation, because a lot of this wouldn’t have happened without her.”
After operating a pediatric clinic in Cornwall from 1973 until 1990, he spent several years in administration at the former Hotel Dieu Hospital before retiring due to hearing loss.
The local Roman Catholic diocese appointed Legault in 2003 as the bishop’s delegate on sexual abuse matters involving clergy. He still leads the advisory committee for safeguarding against sexual abuse of children and sexual assault of adults and for managing allegations of such, and is a member of a provincial committee working with the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario.
“If someone has been abused we make sure that their case is heard, they receive justice, and they’re compensated,” said Legault.
The second award recipient spent three decades at the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) of Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry in various facets, co-founded the Children’s Treatment Centre (CTC) in Cornwall, and is the father of City Councillor Justin Towndale.
The 1990 Citizen of the Year also helped start Big Brothers Big Sisters in the region and the Rudy Villeneuve Foundation, which provides bursaries to teens of all faiths.
“Without the church, I wouldn’t be here,” said Angelo Towndale, 70.
As a young man, he received a scholarship from the Jesuit community to attend a university in Chicago. After he finished his studies and returned to India, Towndale’s former local bishop reached out to his colleagues to help him start a career abroad.
“His example of service is to me a sign of dedication, and an example of what Christian witnessing is all about,” said Maloney. “If I was to summarize Angelo’s personal motto it would be this, in the words of St. John the Baptist when he spoke of Christ, ‘He must increase, I must decrease.’”
But according to his beloved wife Margaret, Towndale’s reaction to winning was: “Why me?”
“Awarding these two men is a special way to indicate how even through rough times the light of Christ is always something that works against the darkness of the world,” said Bishop Marcel Damphouse.
The Manitoba native took over the diocese three years ago.
Former local bishops, Archbishop Paul-André Durocher (2002 – 2011) and Bishop Emeritus Eugene LaRocque (1974 – 2002), were also in attendance.
After the event, hundreds of worshippers flocked next door to the Agora Centre for a social visit, snacks and beverages.
Over the last 125 years, the diocese has established a number of institutions in the townships of Glengarry and Stormont, including the Hotel Dieu Hospital (now the Cornwall Community Hospital), the Cornwall Classical College, St. Michael’s Academy, and the Agape Centre.
Looking to the future, the diocese is facing declining numbers of worshippers at many parishes throughout the United Counties.
To help modernize its message, the Bishop’s Pix Movie Series was launched at the Port Theatre. Until Thursday (May 28), a screening of Joseph of Nazareth: The Story of the Man Closest to Christ will air at 7:15 p.m.
“Really what we want to do is evangelize those who have already been introduced to Christ a long time ago but who have disconnected and don’t see any more relevance to the faith so they’ve kind of taken a distance,” said Damphouse.
Under the theme of A Legacy of Faith, the diocese has organized a number of projects to celebrate Catholic heritage during its milestone year, culminating with tours of St. Columban (where former NHLer Newsy Lalonde is buried) and St. Finnan’s cemeteries in the late spring.
