“Women in society, women of culture and women of the Church”: with these words, Jean-François Bouchard, on behalf of Novalis Press, Canada’s premier religious publishers, awarded its annual prize to the FSPs of Quebec in recognition of their contribution to society and the Church in the area of communications.
In conferring the award–which also intends to commemorate the Institute’s Centenary of foundation–Bouchard said: “In consecrating themselves to the publishing and communications apostolate, the Daughters of St. Paul have had to face many concrete challenges from society and from the economy. Like their fellow-citizens, they have faced the risks and uncertainties of tomorrow and the struggle to survive. And this is something they did–and still do–in order to carry out their mission, which includes the project to make their book center a vector for social and cultural activities in the city.”
Recalling the situations of 1950’s, when the FSPs opened their first community in Canada, Bouchard underscored that they contributed to making Quebec a place in which Canadians could express and disseminate their culture through the written word. “You are women of culture,” he said. “You align yourselves with all those who, in this country, believe in the future of books. We are proud to have you at our side in the effort to protect and promote publishing on a national level. Everyone is well aware of the key role you play in this.”
“You are women of the Church,” he went on to say, “that is, “strong women who are exemplary witnesses to the power of the Gospel.” And in conclusion: “You are a model and a sign of hope for all those who believe that faith is an act of intelligence that leads one to take risks, to be open to culture, to modernity and to the unexpected. In our time, you give credibility to the bet on faith.”