Bulletin – October 22, 2017

ST. GABRIEL’S SCHOOL – WANTED

St. Gabriel’s School is looking for a Nutrition Program Co-coordinator for the school snack program. If interested in this position, please call the school principal, Ms. Crispo at 416-393-5256.

MAKE SURE YOU ARE COUNTED!

October 21st /22nd

Cardinal Collins has requested that a weekend Mass attendance count be conducted annually in all parishes and missions of the Archdiocese. The attendance count will take place again this weekend, October 21st /22nd. The purpose of the count is to have a more accurate assessment of the number of people attending Mass on a weekend.

As with last year, when you come in for Mass, you may notice a few “counters” clicking on tally counters at the doors of the church. The counters will be doing their jobs in a way as discreetly and non-intrusively as possible. Thank you for your support.

YOUTH GROUP BAKE SALE

Weekend of October 28th and 29th

On Saturday, October 28th and Sunday, October 29th our Youth Group will be having a Halloween bake sale. The money raised will help cover the Youth Group’s transportation costs to the Steubenville Catholic Conference in 2018. Please support our Youth Group!

DISCOVER ST. GABE’S: OUR GREEN CHURCH

Guided Church Tours after each Mass,
Saturday, October 28th and Sunday, October 29th

Do you know that St. Gabriel’s is the first green church in Canada to receive a LEED Gold certification? How is our church “green”? Why a green church? You may wonder.

On the weekend of Oct 28th/29th, the parish will be offering guided tours of the church after all the Masses. You will be able to find out more about our green church.

The tours, each lasting about 30 minutes, are for all parishioners. If you are new to this parish, or you have never had a chance to hear about the special design of our church building and the gardens, you may find the tours especially interesting and informative. It is a unique opportunity. Do consider joining us if you can, and discover the gem right in our midst.

More information will be available in the Gathering Space at the end of all the weekend Masses this weekend. You can also pre-register for the tours.

GARDEN WORKSHOPS

November 5th, November 19th after the 12:30 Mass

Robert Cordy, our landscape designer, will be holding gardening workshops on November 5th and November 19th after the 12:30 Mass on Orchard Tree Planting. Everyone is welcome.

DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE VIGIL

Wednesday, November 15th at 7:30 PM

Gabriel Room

This year’s D & P campaign is “Women at the Heart of Peace”

Given the increasing number of violent conflicts and their dramatic repercussions on civilians, we must find new solutions to promoting peace. Please join us for a vigil to pray for and stand in solidarity with women who play a key role in conflict prevention and resolution, as well as building and sustaining an inclusive, lasting and fair peace.

ANNOUNCED MASSES

October 23rd to October 28th

MONDAY – JAMILIE BAILEY – Requested by Mary Zakher
TUESDAY – MARY ANN O’CONNELL – Requested by the O’Connell Family
WEDNESDAY – MAUREEN DAVIES – Requested by Margaret Anne Leckie & Mary Alice O’Mahony
THURSDAY – BERNIE SEDGWICK – Requested by Teresa Sheldrick
FRIDAY – ALICE MICHAEL – Requested by Charmaine Michael
SATURDAY – JUAN VILLAFRANCA – Requested by his Family

PARENTS FIRST COMMUNION INFORMATION MEETING

Thursday, November 2nd at 7:30 PM.

St. Gabriel’s Church

There will be a meeting here at the Church on Thursday, November 2nd at 7:30 PM. for parents of children who will be receiving the Sacrament of First Communion in 2018.

WELCOME TO THE NEWLY BAPTIZED

The Parish Family of St. Gabriel’s would like to welcome:
Trudy Rose McGee
Mason Valle Pangalilingan
Paige Eve Viaje Gallardo

These children received the Sacrament of Baptism on October 15th, 2017. Congratulations!

R.C.I.A. AND ADULT FAITH DEVELOPMENT

Meetings in preparation for the R.C.I.A. (Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults) will begin in October. These meetings are for persons interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith. The exploration may lead the candidate to seek baptism, and become a member of the Catholic Christian community; or for Christians already baptized into another Christian denomination, the reception into the Catholic Church.
Adult Catholics who have not received the sacrament of Confirmation but who wish to do so are also encouraged to attend these sessions.

As well, these meetings may be an opportunity for “Born Catholics” to deepen their understanding of our faith. Very often, especially for those of us who received our religious instruction at an early age, we tend to grow physically, mentally, psychologically etc., but the understanding of our faith does not grow correspondingly. The RCIA may serve as a good opportunity for us to ask questions and to develop a more adult understanding of our faith.

If you are interested in joining the RCIA meetings or if you would like to have more information about it, please contact Fatima Lee at fatimalee@bellnet.ca or call the Parish Office at 416-221-8866.

SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN PREPARING FOR BAPTISM

If you have, or know of, school age children (ages 7 to 14) who wish to prepare for Baptism, please contact the Parish Office, or Fatima Lee directly, at fatimalee@bellnet.ca.

FOOD FOR ROSALIE HALL & GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE

Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre.

Rosalie Hall assists young parents and their children to realize their potential through the provision of a wide range of child development, community, residential and educational services.

Good Shepherd provides hot meals and shelter for the homeless in our city as well as a chance to start again through the Resettlement or DARE Programs.

Your food donations are more important than ever as the numbers of needy people continue to increase. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your generous support.

HUMANITARIAN RELIEF FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND MEXICO

Over the course of the past several weeks, hurricanes, tropical storms and violent earthquakes have devastated a number of countries in the Caribbean and Mexico.

In an effort to support people in that region who have been impacted by these disasters, the Archdiocese of Toronto is accepting funds that will be sent through Catholic relief channels.

Those wishing to help may do so in the following ways:

  • Online through the Archdiocese of Toronto website: www.archtoronto.org
  • By phone through the Development Office – 416-934-3411
  • Through the parish, making cheques payable to:
    St. Gabriel’s Parish – 2017 Hurricane, Earthquake – Disaster Relief.

We offer our prayers for all those impacted by these tragedies. Thank you for your ongoing efforts to assist those in crisis.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE

Thank you to those parishioners who prepared 29 casseroles for the month of September. Your prepared frozen casseroles will be collected at the Masses next weekend for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.

More volunteers are desperately needed to help feed the hungry in our city. Three recipes are available on St. Gabriel’s website. or in the Parish Office. Please remember to mark the label on the pan lid with the name of the casserole. For more information, you may contact Irene Albrecht at 416 221-2791.

BREBEUF COLLEGE OPEN HOUSE

Thursday, October 26th at 7:00 PM

211 Steeles Avenue East

Brebeuf College is holding an Open House for students who are entering high school. It will be held on Thursday, October 26th at 7:00 PM. Parents/Guardians and students are cordially invited to attend. They can be reached at 416 -393-5508.

FRIENDS OF THE STREET

Wednesday October 25th from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Friends of the Street is a group in St. Margaret of Scotland parish that prays for those who have been pushed to the margins of society through drug use or their lifestyle. Each month we hear from people who have lived on the street, or from those who support them downtown.

The next meeting is on Wednesday October 25th from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM in the parish hall at 2134 Avenue Road. The speaker will be Chimene who was featured in a recent Catholic Register column “The Church on the Street”. She will talk of being on the street since her youth, and her struggle to recover from drug addiction.

VISIT THE PASSIONIST COMMUNITIES IN EAST AFRICA

June, 2018

Are you interested in witnessing the work of the Passionist Community in East Africa in June 2018? Travel in a small group and visit some of the Passionist Communities in Kenya and Tanzania. Have the experience of a lifetime on an East African Wildlife Safari.

For more information please contact Steve Carey at carey@travelonly.com or call 416-278-9346.

COME AND SEE WEEKEND

Friday, November 3rd at 7:00 PM to Sunday, November 5th

St. Augustine’s Seminary

Inviting single Catholic men 17 years and older, to cultivate a deeper prayer life and relationship with Jesus Christ; leading to a better discernment of God’s call for their lives. Time for prayer, reflection and information on the process of becoming one of Christ’s disciples as a Catholic priest. Register online at www.vocationstoronto.ca. Registrants 17 years old require parental consent. Please contact Fr. Brando or the Office of Vocations at vocations@archtoronto.org or call 416 968 0997.

MOSAIC INTERFAITH FROM ABRAHAM THREE FAITHS

Sunday November 5th from 2:00 PM to 4.30 PM

Temple Har Zion, 7360 Bayview Avenue

Mosaic Interfaith invites you to attend the next presentation in their series “From Abraham Three Faiths” to take place at Temple Har Zion, 7360 Bayview Avenue on Sunday November 5th from 2:00 PM to 4.30 PM. The subject is “In the current struggle for the soul of humanity, is religion an asset or an obstacle?” taking a look at the worldwide turn to right wing extremism in religion, nationalism and politics. Panelists as before are Rev. Canon John Hill, Rabbi Michael Stroh and Dr. Liyakat Takim from Christianity, Judaism and Islam respectively.

See flyer on bulletin boards. For more information or to RSVP call Nora 416-218 0680.