Bertrand Gaouette from Magog, Quebec, husband of Evelyne Proulx, passed away on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at the age of 90 years. Two months before, at the July, 2018 meeting in Rougemont, Bertrand shared with us that he was suffering from cancer of the pancreas.
Bertrand was one of eighteen children raised in Wotton, Quebec. Four of his siblings passed away at an early age. One of his brothers became a priest, and one sister, a nun. He and his brother, Bernard, were the first single men to become full-time apostles of the Pilgrims of St. Michael in 1953, and have remained close associates since then. Bernard, now age 93, still attends the monthly meetings of the Pilgrims of St. Michael in Rougemont.
Bertrand Gaouette was one of the greatest advocates of the VERS DEMAIN and MICHAEL Journal message. For almost 65 years, he dedicated all of his leisure time to subscribing families to our magazines. For many years, he took 1,000 subscriptions or more. Even just one month before passing, Bertrand was engaged in the "door to door" crusade, and in his last year of life he collected 686 subscriptions!
Bertrand married at age 50. He and his wife, Evelyne, raised two children. However, family life did not prevent him from conducting his apostolate work non-stop until August, 2018.
On his death bed, in palliative care, Bertrand wrote: "I have traveled the Gaspe region and all of the Quebec and Ontario regions as far as Penetanguishene. As well as visiting families door to door, I had a list of some 100 people I visited each year for the last 32 years. I pray that God will send an apostle to replace me at this noble task of visiting families. Spreading the message of VERS DEMAIN and MICHAEL was my whole life and my joy, notwithstanding the weariness it entailed. God is good; he allowed me to ready myself."
We offer our sympathy to his wife and children, Jean-Baptiste and Raphael. And to you, Bertrand, we express our profound gratitude for your tireless devotion. You will now receive your reward a thousand fold in Heaven. This is our hope. And we know you will not forget your friends, the Pilgrims of Saint Michael.
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