New spiritual group arrives in the Lower Mainland

Society based on Ignatian spirituality meets monthly at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Coquitlam

Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, poses for a photo with Georges Gracieuse (left)
and Pierre-Jean Stygelbout earlier this year at the John Paul II Pastoral Centre. Gracieuse
is leading meetings of the Society of the Evangelic Life of the Heart of Jesus at
Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Coquitlam. Stygelbout is the society's Assistant-General.
Special to The B.C. Catholic.

Here's a story about a new spiritual group that started up last month in Coquitlam:

The Society of the Evangelic Life of the Heart of Jesus (SELHJ), approved by the Holy See in 2002, had its first meeting in the Lower Mainland at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Coquitlam Sept. 11. The group functions under the Rule of the Famille Cor Unum established by the Secular Institute of Priests of the Heart of Jesus.

Georges Gracieuse, a parishioner at Our Lady of Fatima, leads the meetings. He initially became a member of the society in Mauritius, his home country, and wants to attract Catholics interested in developing a strong life with Jesus and showing that joy to the world.

"The society is not an action group; it is a sharing group where we meet to pray and share our life together with Christ and support each other through our prayers."

The group follows the Ignatian spirituality of "contemplation in action," which means developing a life of familiarity with Jesus and radiating His love, compassion, and joy in the world.

Read the full story at The B.C. Catholic website.