In this week’s bulletin, the confirmation enrolment ceremony, Shepherd’s Trust collection and your help for our refugee family.
As you may have noticed the arm at the Sheppard entrance is closed at all times other than Mass times. If you are visiting the Church at other times, please use Elkhorn Drive to enter and exit. Thanks.
November 19th to November 24th, 2012
MONDAY – LOUIS & MARIE FUNG Requested by the Family TUESDAY – THANKSGIVING Requested by Wanda & Jack Wrobel WEDNESDAY – MARIA NGOC LAN NGUYEN Requested by the Nguyen Family THURSDAY – KIM SE DONG Requested by Cecilia Han FRIDAY – JIM & VERONICA ANDREW Requested by Mary Ann Mailhot SATURDAY – MIKE PALAZZO & CHRISTOPHER DI LALLO Requested by Val Palazzo
Sunday, November 25th at 12:30 PM Mass
The Confirmation Enrolment Ceremony for all Confirmation candidates will be held next weekend on Sunday, November 25th at the 12:30 Mass. All Confirmation candidates must attend.
There will be a Book of Remembrance placed on the altar for the month of November. You are invited to write the names of your deceased relatives and friends in the book. They will be remembered at all the Masses celebrated in November.
An Overview of the Old Testament – now known as the ‘Hebrew Scriptures’. Tuesday, November 20th at 7:30 PM or Thursday, November 22nd at 10:30 AM
For information or to register please call Mary at 416-293-3760.
November 17th and 18th
Religious order priests such as our own Passionist Community have faithfully served parish communities like St. Gabriel’s for many years. They were with us to joyfully celebrate our marriage, baptize our children and also to support us during times of sadness and grief. The Shepherd’s Trust recognizes their faithfulness, their many years of service to us, and the strong ties we have to them by ensuring that funds collected in parishes served by religious order priests, be given to those orders as a contribution towards the retirement of our priests. It does more than just bridge the gap in our priest’s retirement years; it says thank you in a very tangible way for the blessings we have received. The Shepherds’ Trust Collection takes place this weekend, November 17th/18th. Envelopes are available in the pews. Please be as generous as your means allow.
Weekend of December 1st/2nd
As you know, the Iraqi refugee family that the parish sponsored arrived safely in July from Damascus, Syria — amidst heavy fighting there. They are Christians who lived originally in Mosul (the biblical city of Nineveh) in northern Iraq. They were targeted and threatened because of their faith, and had to flee to Damascus.
Since arriving in Toronto, your financial and material assistance has helped the family begin a new life in Canada. Members of the refugee sponsorship committee have been generously giving their time to help them settle in. The youngest in the family, Reta, is now attending Grade 6, and the adults of the family are all in full-time English-as-a-second-language classes. Learning English is an important step towards their eventual full integration in Canadian society.
The parish, in sponsoring the family, has committed to supporting them financially for one year. For a family of five, the commitment is $39,000. Thus far, we have received $23,800 in funds as well as donations in kind. We estimate that we would need another $15,200 to fulfill our commitment.
On the weekend of December 1st/2nd, there will be a second collection dedicated especially for the sponsorship of our refugee family. Please be as generous as your means allow. Your help will be instrumental in allowing the family to finally make a new home here in Canada, after their many years of living in danger or exile.
We are having a Christmas Toy Drive for the Catholic Children’s Aid Society and Rosalie Hall. Can you help by dropping off an unwrapped new toy for a child 0 to 12 years old? Containers will be set up at the doors of the Church from Saturday, November 24th until Sunday, December 16th.
Your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses next weekend for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre. The Centre serves more than 1100 hot meals each day to the needy of Toronto, up 13 percent over last year. They desperately need your help.
More volunteers are encouraged to get a copy of a casserole recipe and a pan and give it a try. Three recipes are available on St. Gabriel’s web site. Printed copies of the recipes are also available in the Parish Office . Please mark the label on the pan lid with the name of the casserole. For more information, please contact Irene Albrecht at 416 221-2791.
This Christmas, St. Vincent de Paul is looking to provide mittens, hats, scarves or socks for needy kids. If you are able to participate in this drive please look for our Christmas “mitten” tree in the Gathering Space by December 1st. There you can select a “mitten” tag from the tree that describes the gender and age of the child you would like to support. You may also choose a “Christmas Stocking” tag to buy mittens hat, scarves or socks for a toddler at Rosalie Hall. Items should be gift wrapped with the original tag attached and delivered to the drop box by the “mitten” tree no later than December 16th. Thanks for your generosity.
At this time of year, many will be receiving Christmas cards. Please remember to bring us your used postage stamps. These are passed on to the Leprosy Mission of Canada helping them work towards the day when leprosy is eradicated. They are happy to accept any and all trimmed stamps, leaving no less than ¼ inch and no more than ½ inch paper border. Stamps may be deposited in the basket on the cabinet just outside the Parish Office.
Scarboro Missions 2685 Kingston Road, Scarborough Saturday, November 24th from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM
“Listen to your Inner Voice as it speaks of your meaning and purpose.”
You are invited to attend a day retreat sponsored by the Scarboro Missions on Saturday, November 24th at the Scarboro Missions Office in Scarborough. The facilitator and spiritual director is Henriette Mazenc-Dolak. Cost including lunch is $50. For further information or to register, please email Henriette at courage retreats@hotmail.ca
“What if Jesus came — and I missed him?” Wednesday, December 12th 7:30 to 9:00 PM
Christmas is right round the corner. The few weeks leading to Christmas are always such a busy time for us — shopping, entertaining, decorating, that we often forget the true reason for the season.
To prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas, the parish will once again be hosting an Advent Evening of Reflection: “What if Jesus came – and I missed him?” on December 12th from 7:30 to 9:00 PM.. Father Patrick Fitzpatrick, CSSp, will be leading us in prayer and reflection.
The evening will be a great opportunity to pause, listen, and look deeply into our lives to find the room there to appreciate the meaning of “God with us”.
Please mark your calendar, and reserve the time for some quietude amidst the busyness!
Our operating expenses average $13,750 per week. Collection for November 11th , 2012
Loose Change – $2,815 Envelopes (419) – $7,773 Weekly Portion of Pre-Authorized Giving (184) – $3,442 Total – $14,030
The “Pre-Authorized Giving” Plan (PAG), authorized and supported by the Archdiocese of Toronto, is a direct debit program. It allows parishioners to make their regular offertory donations by automatic monthly bank withdrawal on or about the 20th of each month. Participation in the PAG provides a regular dependable cash flow of contributions to the parish and enables us to better manage the Parish finances. PAG brochures and sign-up forms are available in the Parish Office and on the tables at the back of the Church.
The 2013 Offertory Boxed Envelopes will soon be available in the Gathering Space. Please inform the Parish Office if you have recently moved or are new to the Parish so that we may update our records and label your box correctly.
If you are on the Pre- Authorized Giving Plan, you will still receive a smaller green box of envelopes since these include Initial, New Year’s, Christmas, Easter and Maintenance envelopes.
You may contact the Parish Office if you do not have envelopes but would like a box for 2013.
This Bulletin entry was posted on Sunday, November 18th, 2012.
Founded by St. Paul of the Cross, every Passionist takes a special vow to spend his or her energies in promoting remembrance of the sufferings of Jesus, the memory of the Cross, and reflection of the meaning of the Cross for the world.
Learn about Passionists and our insignia »
Listen to the audio
Watch Fr. Paul Cusack’s Funeral Mass (video)
Companion for the Walk of the Stations of the Cosmic Earth
St. Gabriel’s Garden – Guided Sensory Reflective Walk