Bulletin – November 24, 2019

NOVEMBER IS THE MONTH OF ALL SOULS BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE

A Book of Remembrance has been 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.

YOUTH GROUP

The St. Gabriel’s Youth Group will be selling hand-painted Christmas ornaments next weekend – November 30th and December 1st – in the Gathering Space. All proceeds will support the youth’s annual attendance at the Steubenville Catholic Conference in July 2020.

Please support our youth!

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

St. Gabriel’s Church, Saturday, December 14th 7:30 PM

Christmas, Christmas time is near! Come join the Seraphim & Cherubim – Men’s’ Chorus and Women’s Chorus singing the Christmas songs you love as part of their All You Need is Love concert series. Bringing our friends together to sing songs that touch our hearts is celebrating the season is all about. Never a typical Christmas concert and always full of surprise tunes and reimagined classics. Ticket prices: Adults $20, Children $5. Proceeds are in support of Thalassemia Foundation of Canada.

REMEMBERING THE PARISH IN YOUR WILL

November is “Make a Will’ month! Have you considered remembering your parish in your will? The Church is where we experience many important moments in our lives. A bequest is a beautiful way to express your faith and gratitude for a lifetime of blessings – a lasting legacy of love that will help the Church continue with its many ministries. When making your will, please consider a bequest to St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish. For more information, please call the Parish Office at 416-221-8866 or the Development Office of the Archdiocese at 416-934-3411, Ext. 519.

ANNOUNCED MASSES

November 25th to December 1st

MONDAY – FILOMENA DA SILVA – Requested by the Maria Da Silva
TUESDAY – ARMAND OAKIE – Requested by the Oakie Family
WEDNESDAY – DECEASED FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE ROSARY GROUPS – Requested by the Linda Law
THURSDAY – TONINO DIDIODATO – Requested by the Family
FRIDAY – ELIO RANCATI – Requested by his Family
SATURDAY – GIUSEPPINA SMERIGLIO – Requested by Lina Giannotta
SUNDAY – 10:30 AM FRANCES EATON – Requested by Kathleen Olden-Powell
SUNDAY – 12:30 PM 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF MIKE & BETTY MULLEN – Requested by Kathy

BAPTISM

The Parish Family of St. Gabriel’s would like to welcome the following children who received the Sacrament of Baptism on November 17:

Liv Valentina Barrios
Marcela Ferreira
Mateo Meneguzzi Florez
Taia Kai Forbes
Daniella Jade Salangsang

ECO-SABBATH

Sunday, December 1st at 11:30 AM in the Gabriel Room

On the first Sunday of each month, the Passionist Centre for Ecology and Spirituality facilitates a 30 minute reflection and discussion prompted by the readings for that Sunday’s liturgy… The guided reflection brings an ecological perspective to the readings. All are welcome.

ADVENT INDIVIDUAL RECONCILIATION

Friday, December 20th from 3:00 to 6:00 PM

Individual reconciliation will be held on Friday, December 20th from 3:00 to 6:00 PM

DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE

The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace is the member organization in Canada of CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS, a Confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development and social service organizations working on behalf of the poor and oppressed in 198 countries and territories. It is one of the largest NGO networks in the world. It has chosen to call its campaign for the next two years starting now, For our Common Home, inspired by the papal encyclical, Laudato Si’ – On care for our common home.

The first year of the campaign will be dedicated to the Amazon in recognition that a future for the Amazon is a future for all. The Amazon plays an essential role for all of humanity. By defending its people and their way of life, we are securing a future for the Earth and its people.

In a world where natural resources are ruthlessly exploited for commercial gain; where environmental degradation threatens the health and survival of the Amazon’s flora, fauna and people; and where “development” benefits the rich to the detriment of the poorest, we must act! Next week, please join us in defending the defenders of the Amazon and committing to care For our Common Home. The next step is to Take Action which we will do next week as part of our social responsibility. Please watch this space and listen to the announcements next week.

GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE CASSEROLES

For November, your prepared frozen casseroles are being collected at the Masses this weekend for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.

More volunteers are needed to become active in helping to feed our less fortunate sisters and brothers. Three different recipes are available in the Parish Office or online at the Parish website. Casserole pans are also available from the Parish Office. If you require more information please contact Irene Albrecht at 416-221-2791.

Beautiful 2020 calendar from the Canadian North

Available weekend of Dec 7th and 8th, 2019

As many of you know, Fatima Lee, who was formerly a member of our pastoral team, has served as a missionary in the Diocese of Mackenzie in the Northwest Territories for over a year now. The Diocese is home to many isolated indigenous communities.

On the weekend of Dec 7 and 8, volunteers will be selling beautiful 2020 calendars from the Diocese of Mackenzie at the parish. This beautiful and unique calendar showcases photos of lovely landscape captured by Bishop Jon Hansen on his many missionary trips in the Diocese.

It is hoped that through the sale of these calendars, funds will be raised to support the travel of priests and pastoral workers of the diocese to the remote communities. Since this Diocese of 1.5 million sq. km has only seven priests serving, many of the isolated communities will have Mass only three or four times a year. Except in the deep of winter, each time the priests or pastoral workers would have to fly in and out of these communities. It is notoriously expensive to fly in the north.

Please consider supporting the Diocese of Mackenzie. The calendars, at $20 each, are great for personal use; they will also make wonderful gifts, since they are unique and not easily available elsewhere.

THE GIVING TREE

Saturday, November 30th to Sunday, December 15th

During Advent, the Society of St Vincent de Paul, St. Gabriel Conference will have a Giving Tree in the Gathering Space.

The tree will be decorated with gift tags. Each tag will have the gender and age of a child. We invite you to take a tag, buy a gift or a gift card of about $25 for that child and return the unwrapped gift, with the tag attached, to the box provided in the Gathering Space. If you choose an older child, please buy a gift card. Return it with the tag to the Parish Office. If you are a knitter, there will be mitten tags. Please take one and return mitts to the box in the Gathering Space.

At this time of the year, we are also thinking of the young mothers and babies of Rosalie Hall. If you wish to help, you may choose a “Christmas Stocking” from the tree to purchase pyjamas or undershirts for babies, age 6 months to 4 years. Unwrapped Items with the original stocking tag attached can be left in the box provided near the “mitten” tree no later than Sunday, December 15th. Toys or books for these little ones would also be appreciated.

For the Moms, we are suggesting gift cards from Tim Horton’s, Walmart or MacDonald’s. These can be placed in the envelopes provided and brought to the Office. Thank you for your generosity.

CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE

Saturday November 30th to Sunday December 15th

We will be having a Christmas Toy Drive again this year for the Catholic Children’s Aid Society. You can help by dropping off an unwrapped new toy for a child, age newborn to12 years old. Containers will be set up at the doors of the Church on Saturday, November 30th and will remain there until Sunday, December 16th.

FOOD FOR LESS FORTUNATE

Thank you for your generous support of Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre. Your food donations are very much appreciated.

Good Shepherd provides hot meals and shelter for the homeless in our city. Rosalie Hall provides a wide range of child services for young parents and their children.

Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your ongoing support of these important centres.

JUBILEE
300TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE PASSION

Commenced November 21st, 2019 and continuing through November 2020

St. Gabriel’s Parish has since its beginning in 1951 been staffed by religious from the St. Paul of the Cross Province of the Congregation of the Passion (the “Passionists”).

On November 21st there began a one year special Jubilee celebrating the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Congregation by St. Paul of the Cross in 1720.

Below is a prayer for the Province of St. Paul of the Cross commemoration of the Jubilee.

Lord, grant that on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Congregation,
the Passionist Family may be dedicated to renewing its mission,
and, through the intercession of our Mother of Sorrows and of
St. Paul of the Cross, we may be able to take the following steps…
From the foot of the Cross to collaborating with the God of compassion.
from the grateful memory of the past to the Passion of Love for the Congregation.
From contemplating Christ on the Cross to seeing Christ in the crucified.
From desiring to be optimistic to trusting in the God of the Covenant.
Look, look upon us with love. Look, upon us with compassion. Amen