He is risen, Allelujah!

Excellencies, fellow knights and dames, friends of the Order,

I attended the Easter Vigil mass yesterday evening in Antigonish, and the light, sound, music, and word were especially striking. With all of the war, conflict, and violence occurring worldwide, it is essential that we are reminded, in a very real sense, that Christ has conquered all, and has brought salvation to all who seek him.

This Vigil was especially significant for me, as some of my senior students were welcomed into the Church. We read of an increase in baptisms in secular countries - with France reporting over 13,000 adult baptisms for Easter 2026. In Canada, the Archdiocese of Toronto welcomed over 1,500 new adult Catholics at Easter, and the Archdiocese of Vancouver reported some 800 adults would be entering the Church — doubling the 2024 total. Similarly, Melbourne, Australia, has welcomed 550 new Catholics (a 57% increase over last year) and the Dublin Archdiocese in Ireland has had a nearly 10-fold increase from 2022, and a 60% rise over the 80 adults baptized in 2025. Hope is with us.

The work of the Order continues in these difficult times. Recall that, last week, on March 28th, we joined in prayer by reciting the Rosary to implore our Lord for the gift of peace and serenity, especially for those suffering because of the conflict in the Holy Land and in all the Middle East. Then, just a day later, His Beatitude Cardinal Pizzaballa was prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday mass. The outcry from Christians and non Christians alike lead to an apology by Israeli authorities, the Church was opened to His Beatitude, and he was able to celebrate the Easter Vigil there yesterday.

https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/middle-east/israeli-police-block-cardinal-custos-from-entering-church-of-the-holy-sepulchre

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-04/cardinal-pierbattista-pizzaballa-jerusalem-easter-vigil-peace.html

I want to bring to your attention a book published just last week by Cardinal Pizzaballa. The title is The Heart of All Nations: Faith and Hope in the Holy Land, and it is published in the US by Ignatius Press. If you wish to purchase a copy, please see: https://ignatius.com/the-heart-of-all-nations-hanp/

(I would remind you that an audio book version of Cardinal Filoni’s book The House Was Filled with the Fragrance of the Perfume is now available at: https://eohsjnorthamerica.org/?page_id=2738)

I wish you all a blessed Easter. Please remember in your prayers our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land but also those of our members who are experiencing illness or poor health..

​In Christ,
​
Will Sweet
​