Rolling out the red carpet

Today, a group of priests from many dioceses across Canada converged upon the streets of Niagara Falls.

Labour Day weekend is usually a frenzy of humanity in this part of the world because people who are denoting the traditional end of summer come to spend one last day (or night) gazing at the Falls, perhaps reminicing about adventures lived or lost over the past months, or perhaps creating new memories even as they stroll the busy streets around the hotel district. However, even before the hubub of this weekend's party is quieted to a dull roar, other adventures are about to unfold.

Every year, the National Federation of Presbyteral Councils, a group of Canadian priests, each of whom represents the presbyterate of his arch-diocese, gathers for the Annual Assembly. These meetings traditionally take place in various locales across Canada, alternating between regions (Western, Central or Eastern Canada). This year, the lot has fallen to Central Canada to host the meeting, and the specific location within Central Canada that has been chosen is the city of Niagara Falls.

Not only will this week see priests from across Canada arriving at the Falls, but there's yet another chapter to this adventure. Two years ago, the NFPC was invited to consider hosting an International Meeting of Clergy, involving priests from various English-speaking countries throughout the world. After more than a year of planning, the day has finally arrived, and guests are still arriving from places as far-flung as California and New Mexico (USA); Brisbane and Western Australia; London, England and Cardiff, Wales; Accra, Ghana; and Abuja, Nigeria.

The theme around which our conversations will centre is Rediscovering the Blessings of Fraternity. We've only been together for a few hours in this place and already the conversations that are taking place around our tables are showing promising signs of fraternity being discovered, celebrated and re-created.

Long-time collegues and new-found friends are easily able to look past cultural boundaries when given the once-rare opportunity to break down the walls of cultural differences and begin to understand that we are no longer a world of many various countries, ethnicities and cultures (except for the political boundaries and realities which we must continue to observe). Rather, from a socio-political point of view, the world is ever-shrinking and the faster we learn to grasp this reality and to face the truth that each of us has an amazing opportunity lying right in front of us - a chance to capitalize on the possibility of learning from one another, and thus of becoming all the more richly blessed - the faster we will be able to truly understand the potential that comes about when bonds such as faith, love and service bind us even tighter than any political force could ever hope to impose.

Now that the hellos and how-are-you's are complete (for the most part) the work of telling the story begins. Wise ones among us will remember that we have two ears, and only one mouth. Providing a place and an opportunity for the stories of how priesthood is lived in various corners of the world will be the subject of tomorrow's deliberations.

For now, slumber awaits.