This Week’s Message
June 2, 2013
Pastoral Notes...
Rita Kara, our office administrator, will be working on a reduced summer schedule for June, July and August. She will be in the office from Tuesday to Friday for these months. The office will continue to be open on Mondays, for the month of June, but will be staffed by volunteers Karen Ford and Irene Costie. July and August the office will be closed on Mondays.
*** The Saturday 9 a.m. Mass and Benediction, confessions will be cancelled for July and August. This mass will be restored in September.
The Pastoral Team will be taking holidays throughout the summer, that schedule will be made available in the coming weeks. Fr Tony and Fr Jay plan on being around during the summer months with the exception of maybe a few days off.
The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
This feast originated in France in the mid- thirteenth century and was extended to the whole Church by Pope Urban IV in 1264. There are two major themes to this feast: the Body of Christ that is the Holy Eucharist and the Body of Christ that is our communion of faith, the Church. The Church is called the Body of Christ because of the intimate communion which Jesus shares with us, his disciples.
When we gather for Mass, we become one with Christ, transformed by his loving gift. We become one with Christ in the person we may not know sitting next to us in the pew. The feast encourages us to embrace the Eucharistic reality that although we may be strangers sharing the one Lord’s table wherever we are, we are one, just as the many grains of wheat make up one loaf of bread, and the many grapes make up the shared wine in the Lord’s cup of blessing.
(Courtesy of: catholicstewardship.com)
The Vision/Mission Discernment (update)
Last week a group of parishioners from different backgrounds, age groups and personal experiences of the parish’s life, entered into the same discernment process as the Pastoral Team to reflect on what God’s plan is for His Church here at this particular place and time. Focusing on Jesus’ first commandment to love God and neighbour, and his great commission to make disciples, we will formulate the Vision/Mission Statement for our parish. It will become our frame of reference in setting plans and making decisions related to the life of our parish community. It ought to challenge us to grow as disciples of Christ. Please keep us in your prayers! And keep an eye on the bulletin and our Facebook page for the updates in this discernment process.
Food for Thought:
"Let us ask ourselves today: how much do I love the Church? Do I pray for her? Do I feel myself a part of the family of the Church? What do I do to make the Church a community in which everyone feels welcomed and understood, [in which] everyone feels the mercy and love of God who renews life? Faith is a gift and an act that affects us personally, but God calls us to live our faith together, as a family: as the Church." Pope Francis during General Audience on May 29, 2013
St. Dymphna Ministry Update:
The Pastoral Team and interested parishioners have been exploring offering a special outreach to those of our community who live with mental illness. The 7th century martyr St. Dymphna is the patroness of those with nervous and mental disorders. We have now had a consultation with diocesan staff and are moving ahead with planning the ministry for the fall of 2013. If you are interested in helping facilitate this ministry, please call the parish office and ask for Scott, our Pastoral Associate, or email him at scott_whitfield@ymail.com
RCIA Update:
We are now beginning preparations for the RCIA 2013 -2014. If you, or someone you know, is interested in becoming a Catholic, completing their initiation into the Catholic Church or finding out more about the Catholic faith, then the RCIA is for you. We will begin meeting in October, one night a week for about two hours. For further information or to register please call the parish office at: 905-522-9828 or e-mail: stpatrickrectory@cogeco.net
Stewardship Moment: The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
From the rich Eucharistic themes to be drawn from today’s second reading, one stewardship theme stands out: The Eucharist is Christ’s gift to us. Good stewards are grateful for this gift and realize that no matter their station in life, they are welcome to come to the table and receive the body and blood of Christ. If Jesus could break bread with his betrayer, Judas, his denier, Peter, and the other ten who deserted him, then he will welcome us. Do we truly appreciate what a tremendous gift it is to approach the Lord’s table? Do we realize that the Holy Spirit means to transform us by the gift of Christ’s body and blood? (Courtesy of: catholicstewardship.com)
This Week's Homily
June 2, 2013
May 26, 2013
May 5, 2013
April 28, 2013
April 21, 2013
April 14, 2013
April 7, 2013
The Resurrection of The Lord
March 31, 2013
Palm Sunday of The Passion of The Lord
March 24, 2013
March 17, 2013
March 10, 2013
