May 5, 2020

Dear brothers and sisters:

As we prepare for the amalgamation of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall and the Archdiocese of Ottawa, I wish to thank so many people for the prayers and words of encouragement sent my way on the occasion of my 25th anniversary of episcopal ordination (on the feast of St. Mark April 25, 1995-2020), which was also a few days before the 2nd anniversary of my nomination as ninth Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall (April 27, 2018).

Pope Francis was kind enough to send a personally signed congratulatory scroll done in excellent ecclesiastical Latin (attached).  

Here is the translation of this single Latin sentence:

To our Venerable Brother
TERRENCE THOMAS PRENDERGAST, S.J.
Metropolitan Archbishop of Ottawa
and also Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall

happily contemplating his Silver Jubilee of Episcopal Ordination in this Easter Season, We gladly congratulate him on this joyful milestone and for the pastoral ministry carried out fervently and prudently in various locations to the benefit of the Catholic Church in Canada
while, with the Blessed Mother of God and St. Mark interceding, We augur from Christ the Victor over death all the best for him and with affection bestow the Apostolic Blessing, as a pledge of heavenly graces, asking prayers to rightly carry out Our office.

Given in Rome, at the Lateran, on the 18th day of April 2020.

Francis

Please pray for me as I do for you.
God bless you.
✠ Terrence