On a snowy evening in Toronto, Auxiliary Bishop Richard Grecco presided over the celebration of a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving for the Canonization of St. Josemaria Escriva. Over 300 attended the Mass, which took place at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Thornhill (in the north Toronto suburbs). Concelebrating with Bishop Grecco were Fr. Charles Nahm, Fr. Paul Nicholson, Fr. John Johnson, Fr. Italo Reich, Fr. Terry McKenna, and the pastor of St. Joseph’s, Fr. Richard Love.

The Mass was accompanied by a local choir which led the faithful in the opening hymn “Lauda Jerusalem”, followed by Gregorian liturgical hymns. In his homily, Bishop Grecco commented on the Gospel reading from St. Matthew recalling the Lord’s command to “Put out into the Deep” (Duc in Altum) and the miraculous catch of fish which resulted. Bishop Grecco noted that he had been present on the two occasions when Pope John Paul II used the phrase “Duc in Altum” – first, on January 6, 2001 at the closing of the Jubilee Year and opening of the Third Millennium and secondly, on October 6, 2002, at the canonization of St. Josemaria. The Holy Father is calling on all Catholics to raise their eyes to the horizon of personal sanctity and apostolate, very much as St. Josemaria did over the many years he spent spreading the message of Opus Dei. Bishop Grecco glossed the Holy Father’s apostolic letter “Novo Millennio Ineunte”, noting the importance of finding Jesus Christ in one’s ordinary life, contemplating his face in those around us – our wives, family members, friends and colleagues. Each face reveals God’s richness and love in a marvelous creation. Contemplating Our Lord’s face brings us to love Him and say, in the words of St. Peter, “Lord, you know that I love you”.

Bishop Grecco was happily surprised to receive the gifts at the offertory from Benedict, Anthony and John Tomory, three Toronto high school students whom the Bishop met in Rome during the Canonization of St. Josemaria. He had recognized their Toronto World Youth Day backpacks and struck up a conversation during the October event. Bishop Grecco, who has recently been appointed to the northern region of the Toronto, was making his first visit to St. Joseph the Worker.