As part of the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the Saint-Hilaire Church and the extension of the centennial of the town of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Most Reverend François Lapierre, P.M.E., Bishop of the Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe, presided at the dedication of the church, on February 23, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
Sung by an enthusiastic assembly, the refrain “Discover with your God the future which He gives to you, create with your God a more beautiful world” set the tone for the ceremony consisting of the rite of blessing with holy water, the Liturgy of the Word, and the anointing and incensing of the altar and the walls of the church.
Sisters Marie-Paule Demarbre, Provincial Animator of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) of Quebec and Thérèse Laplante, representing the Congregational Leadership Team, then lit two of the four lamps mounted on the walls as a permanent reminder of the consecration of God’s house. This action served to emphasize that the SNJM’s * as well as the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary and the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary impacted the faith life of the parish.