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Soulanges Hospitality Management Centre : Another Dream Come True!

In 2001, The Honourable Lise Thibault, Quebec’s Lieutenant Governor, visited the construction site at the Manoir de Beaujeu, a retreat centre of Opus Dei in Coteau-du-Lac on the outskirts of Montreal. When she arrived, she found only “a huge gaping hole”. Two years later, that hole has now become a completed building: the Soulanges Hospitality Management Centre, a brand new wing of the Manoir which will house the staff and a training centre for hospitality management.

2004/12/27

All it took was faith, time and energy. Another dream of the Foundation for Culture and Education (FCE) has come true: the Soulanges Hospitality Management Centre. Adjacent to the Manoir de Beaujeu – a conference and retreat centre where spiritual activities are also provided by Opus Dei – Soulanges caters to young women who are interested in the many facets of hospitality management.

The new centre officially opened its doors with an inauguration ceremony on October 17th 2004 Presiding the event was Lieutenant Governor Mme Thibault as guest of honour, along with Msgr. Luc Cyr, the bishop of Valleyfield, Msgr. Frederick Dolan, the Regional Vicar for Opus Dei in Canada, Mr. Robert Sauvé, the Mayor of Coteau-du-Lac, as well as some 200 benefactors and friends of Opus Dei.

“This is a wonderful opportunity”, said Mayor Robert Sauvé, “Many young girls will receive training here that will be an asset to the leisure and touristic industry of our region. We must guide our youth on the right path so they can tackle life with a strong set of values. This is a place where they will be able to acquire these values.”

Mme Thibault was given a tour of the impressive new complex, comprised of the following facilities: a professional kitchen, dining rooms, an Oratory, a library, living rooms, a laundry and live-in staff quarters. At the centre of it all is an interior garden that will eventually be used for social and cultural activities geared to families.

“ May this home be filled with life!”, said Mme Thibault enthusiastically, as she pointed out that the team that inspired the project realized that “believing in God doesn’t only involve going to Mass, but also supporting life, endeavouring and encouraging one’s surroundings to live rich lives and to be witnesses of one’s own beliefs.”

Lise Thibault echoed Saint Josémaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei, who encouraged all baptized people to find God in their everyday circumstances and professional work: “We must get people to work! We must set humanity back to work! We are all born with a mission. When we fulfil our human work and give it a Christian touch, things are different”, she said, as she presented a commemorative plaque to Dr. José Morais, the president of FCE. Similarly, Saint Josemaria taught that Christians must become agents of positive social change, builders of the future wherever they might be.

“Our society is going through difficult times and changes. We have tried to start everything from scratch again”, explained the Lieutenant-governor, “and when we do that, we forfeit the soul. And what would a human being be without the soul? The human person is a unity of soul, body and mind. When one of these three elements is neglected, an imbalance results. [But] with this centre, a new opportunity dawns, welcoming women, inspiring them to grow in faith, providing them with tools to accomplish their mission in mind, body and soul while applying Christian spirituality to modern society.”

As the Soulanges Hospitality Management Centre embarks upon its mission to provide human, professional and spiritual formation to current and future generations, the Lieutenant-Governor’s words vibrated with optimism and brought encouragement: “Yes, may this home be filled with life! And for this to happen, there must be sharing, affection, love and individual attention!” A family spirit, cheerfulness and consistency with one’s Christian values are the right backdrop for her wish to come true.