PRESS RELEASE JANUARY 4, 2005

HOMELANDS MASS AT THE CATHEDRAL
A CELEBRATION OF OTTAWAS CULTURAL DIVERSITY

A Homelands Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, January 9, 2004, at 2:30 p.m., at Notre Dame Cathedral, Sussex Drive. Ottawa Archbishop Marcel Gervais will be the principal celebrant and special guests include members of the different Roman Catholic multicultural communities in the Archdiocese: Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, Spanish, German, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Lebanese, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Czech, Ukrainian and Vietnamese, and any other groups and individuals attending the celebration. In the Archdiocese, Mass is celebrated in about 20 different languages on a regular basis.

At this special mass, the Archdiocese will celebrate the end of the year of festivities in honor of the 50^th anniversary of the Catholic Immigration Centre, the 25^th anniversary of the arrival in Ottawa of the Boat People from Vietnam and honor one who played a major role in the welcoming of these refugees, Archbishop Emeritus of Ottawa, Most Rev. Joseph-Aurèle Plourde.

The Homelands Mass is a most original and colorful celebration and features a procession into the Cathedral of traditional costumes, flags and food. The latter is shared among participants at a reception, which will follow in the Cathedral Hall. Members of the public are invited to participate.

For further information: Gilles Ouellette, 738-5025, ext. 238