Bulletin – February 13

In this week’s bulletin, Lent 4.5, the Lunar New Year Party, and the Scarboro Missions Interfaith Series on Jewish-Christian Relations & Roots.

FROM THE DESK OF FR. PAUL

LENT 4.5

While Lent and Easter come a little later than usual this year, it is nonetheless fast approaching. This year the parish will be launching a special Lenten program: Lent 4.5.

The Lent 4.5 program is developed by the Passionist Earth & Spirit Centre based in Kentucky, USA. (It is an unusual name, but in time you’ll hear more about it). Through the program, we approach the Lenten season of purification and repentance with a particular focus on how our lifestyles affect creation, as well as the poor of this world. It gives the traditional Lenten practice of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving a whole new meaning.

Beginning February 27, each week during Lent, there will be an additional insert to our Parish Bulletin, covering a variety of themes, such as Christian simplicity, food, energy, water. Each week the particular theme will be explained in the insert, along with what the Church teaches on the subject. There will also be simple actions suggested so that if we decide to, we can make a difference in caring for the poor and for God’s creation.

We encourage you to take a few moments each week, using the insert to ponder and reflect. Hopefully this Lent will be for you a new experience of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

AN INVITATION TO LEARN!

Jean Vanier at 80
Tuesday February 22nd at 7:30 PM
Wednesday, February 23rd at 10:30 AM

ANNOUNCED MASSES

February 14th – February19th 2011

MONDAY – LUCILLE LABELLE Requested by Sonia & John Day
TUESDAY – HARRY LEUNG Requested by Mary Leung
WEDNESDAY – MIGUEL CASAR Requested by the Casar Family
THURSDAY
FRIDAY – ARMANDO & WALTER DINARDO Requested by the Family
SATURDAY – JOSEPHINE BADAME Requested by the Family

OFFERTORY ENVELOPES FOR 2011

There are several boxes of offertory envelopes still left in the hallway outside the Gabriel Room. Please pick yours up as soon as possible if you have not already done so.

If the address on your box is incorrect, please inform the Parish Office in order that we might update our records. If you do not receive offertory envelopes and would like to do so, please call the office at 416-221-8866 and we will prepare a box for you.

TAX RECEIPTS

Tax receipts for donations made in 2010 will be mailed to you by the end of February. If you have changed your address or are moving out of the Parish, please notify the Parish Office at 416-221-8866.

COLLECTION

Our operating expenses average $14,000 per week.
February 5th/6th

Loose Change – $1,314
Envelopes (342) – $6,130
Weekly Portion of Pre-Authorized Giving (136) – $2,758
Total – $10,302

JUST COFFEE

Fair trade organic coffees will be on sale after all the Masses next weekend.

  • Regular ground coffee: $5
  • Decaffeinated: $6
  • Whole Beans: $5
  • Chocolate Bars: $4 incl. Taxes
  • Hot Chocolate and Cocoa: $4.50
  • Teas: $4.00

SOCIETY OF SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL

2010 tax receipts for all donations of $20 or more have been mailed. Receipts for donations of less than $20 are available upon request.

FRENCH GROUP CANCELLED

There will be no French Group on February 17th.
Class will resume on February 24th at 10:00 AM.

LUNAR NEW YEAR PARTY

Lunar New Year for a few East Asian cultures (e.g. Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese) fell on February 3rd this year. For many years, the Asian community in our parish has gifted our parish community with a big New Year Party. This year our Lunar New Year Party will take place this weekend on Sunday, February 13th after the 12:30 PM Mass in the Gathering Space.

Volunteers and donations are welcome. Please contact Linda Law at 416-918-8029.

This New Year will be the Year of the Rabbit. During the party, there will be balloons twisted to the shape of rabbits. At the request of the two young people who are responsible for this activity, there will be a free-will donation for the balloons, and the proceeds will go to the St Vincent de Paul Society.

SCARBORO MISSIONS 2011 INTERFAITH SERIES: JEWISH – CHRISTIAN RELATIONS & ROOTS

  • Feb. 17th (Thurs.): From Holy Roots Come Blessed Fruits: An Overview of Jewish-Catholic History since Vatican II.
    by Fr. Murray Watson & Lucy Thorson, NDS
  • Feb. 23rd (Wed.): From the Ghetto of Rome to the Wider World: Calls and Challenges in Catholic-Jewish Relations.
    by Margaret McGrath & Mary Babic (Sisters of Sion)

No admission fee. Voluntary offering to help defray costs is always appreciated. For more information, please call:
416-261-7135 ext 244/296
Email: lthorson@scarboromissions.ca or www.scarboromissions.ca

WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER

Married couples: You deserve a weekend to celebrate being together; to rediscover each other and focus on ways to make your relationship even better. A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend offers this opportunity. 

Consider giving each other or another couple that you know the gift of a weekend away from daily pressures; time to be with each other and with God on a Marriage Encounter Weekend.

Upcoming Weekend Date: March 25-27, 2011

For further information or registration please contact: 
Cora & Mike Bryce at 905-896-2958 or cora-mikebryce@sympatico.ca

FAITH CONNECTIONS

Eat, Pray, Share: Soul Food
Wednesday, February 23rd at 6:30 PM

Soul Food is a new series of Eat Pray Share sessions where young adults (18-39) share a meal and personal insights about the spirituality of food, within an ecumenical context. Participants take turns shopping for local food, preparing a meal to be enjoyed together, and taking time to pray and reflect on scriptural themes related to food. This series also includes a retreat, guest chef and field trip.

Note: registration is required as there are a limited number of seats. The registration deadline is Tuesday, February 15. The cost is $60, plus contribution of ingredients to two meals by each participant.
The location will be in a home of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto in the High Park area (we’ll send the address with your registration confirmation).

Interested? Contact program Director Kelly Bourke by phone at 416-222-1426, Ext. 276 or email at faithconnections @csj-to.ca

QUEEN OF APOSTLES RENEWAL CENTRE

Marriage Enrichment February 25th – 27th

Older married couples are essential to their families and community when they become ‘elders’ not elderly.  Couples married over 25 years, looking at retirement and those in retirement are a valued resource to their children and grandchildren.  Discover your unique role by participating in a special marriage renewal weekend called Alone Again being held at Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre, Mississauga, February 25-27th. 
For information call 905-278-8879 or 416-694-1742 or register at Queen of Apostles, 905-278-5229. 

THE GREEN CORNER

After close on two centuries of passionate struggles, neither science nor faith has succeeded in discrediting its adversary. On the contrary, it becomes obvious that neither can develop normally without the other. And the reason is simple: the same life animates both. Neither in its impetus nor its achievements can science go to its limits without becoming tinged with mysticism and charged with faith.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin,
The Phenomenon of Man
in M. Reagan, The Hand of God