Father Émilien Tardif, born in St-Zacharie

Father Émilien Tardif, born in St-Zacharie, a man of God, on the road to beatification. It is now nearly eight years since Father Émilien Tardif died, and his memory remains very much present among the Dominican people. A group of pilgrims from all over Canada went to visit the John Paul II evangelization school in Santo Domingo. April 20, 2007

Project of this evangelization school

This school of the Servants of the Living Christ is a lay community, founded in 1982, of which the father is co-founder with Maria Sangiovanni and deacon Evaristo Guzman. A large chapel has been added to the project of this evangelization school, in which the remains of Father Émilien will be placed on June 8, on his death anniversary. The translation is the beginning of a canonical inquiry of the Church into the virtues of Father Émilien; this stage, called venerability, is an important stage of the Church before beatification.

To this end, there will be the translation of the remains of Father Émilien, which are currently in the vault of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, in the municipal cemetery “Jesus is Alive”, in Santiago, the second largest city of the Dominican Republic, where he was a missionary for more than 40 years. His remains will eventually be venerated for a day in Santiago, so as to be transported to the crypt of the great chapel of the John Paul II international school, his last project; this will take place the following day, June 9, so that they may lie in a tomb for veneration.

Cardinal Nicolas Rodriguez

Cardinal Nicolas Rodriguez will preside over this ceremony of translation and the setting in motion of the process of venerability. The family and friends of Father Émilien will be invited to the celebration. I will be there with friends from the region at the beginning of June. Already the Dominicans have proclaimed him a saint in their popular faith. I invite you to pray with Father Émilien for our Canadian Church. Father Émilien is as present through his prayer as he was during his lifetime. This Man of God remains eternally alive. A fellow parishioner.

Text by Yves Rancourt, priest