Bulletin – March 21

In this week’s bulletin, the Remembrance Meal of the Passover and our annual Earth Hour parish celebration.

LENTEN AND EASTER SCHEDULE 2010

Stations of the Cross Friday Evenings at 7:30 PM
Reconciliation Service Wednesday, March 24th at 7:30 PM
Palm Sunday March 28th

  • Masses 4:30 PM, 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM

Holy Thursday April 1st

  • No 9:00 AM Mass
  • 7:30 PM Mass of the Lord’s Supper
  • Followed by Adoration until 10:00PM

Good Friday April 2nd

  • 10:00 AM Morning Prayer
  • 3:00 PM Solemn Passion of Our Lord
  • 7:30 PM Stations of the Cross

Holy Saturday April 3rd

  • Confessions 11:00 AM to 12 Noon
  • No 4:30 PM Mass
  • 8:30 PM Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday April 4th

  • Masses 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM

Easter Monday April 5th

  • No 9:00 AM Mass
  • Office closed

Extra parking at Elkhorn Public School.

ANNOUNCED MASSES

March 22nd to March 27th 2010
MONDAY – EVANS D’SILVA Requested by Warren & Valerie D’Silva & Family
TUESDAY – TSUN YAN HO Requested by The Family
WEDNESDAY – ANNA HO & FAMILY Requested by Anna Ho
THURSDAY – THE HWANG FAMILY IN THANKSGIVING Requested by the Hwang Family
FRIDAY – CECILY TURTON Requested by The Turton Family
SATURDAY – THE O’CONNELL FAMILY Requested by Fergus O’Connell

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Stations of the Cross will take place each Friday evening during Lent at 7:30 PM. We also encourage your attendance at our daily Mass throughout Lent.

RECONCILIATION SERVICE

Wednesday, March 24th at 7:30 PM

This is an opportunity to spend some time in peace and quiet, to reflect upon how we are responding to our call to be sons and daughters of God. Recognizing the fact that we are “good people”, we also accept the fact that good people can sin. Through an examination of conscience we face those sins, admit them and are reconciled to God. For those who wish, individual confessions will be celebrated after the service. We encourage you to take advantage of this celebration.

PLEASE NOTE: FIRST RECONCILIATION

March 27th @ 10:00 AM at St. Gabriel’s Church

First Reconciliation for children attending St. Gabriel’s School and for children in the Children’s Faith Program, Private Schools and others, has been changed to 10:00 am.

REMEMBRANCE MEAL OF THE PASSOVER

Wednesday, March 31st at 7:00 PM in the Gabriel Room

This annual parish event is again being sponsored by the Pastoral team. Passover is the oldest festival of the Hebrew liturgical calendar. It has been observed by the Jewish people for more than 3,000 years. Passover is a religious family meal celebrating Jewish freedom from slavery. It occurs in the spring, the time of renewal in “Nissan”, the first month of the Hebrew year, and it lasts for eight days. Why do we celebrate this “meal” at St. Gabriel’s? First, this celebration helps us to understand our religious roots, which are Jewish. Second, it is an opportunity for us to celebrate our growth as a community and be together with families and friends at this most special time during Holy Week. Please call the Parish Office at 416-221-8866 by Friday, March 26th to book your table of 6 or 8, or to have your name added to a table.

SHARE LIFE: YOU CAN WORK WONDERS!

Each of us has the power to make a positive difference in the world. Small goodwill gestures; unseen acts of kindness; quiet charitable deeds – they make a big difference in the lives of the people they touch. Collectively, we can make an even more significant impact on the lives of those who are in most need. Please consider making a contribution to help us sustain the good work our social services agencies do. Last year alone, over 225,000 people had access tour programs at our social service agencies. A donation to ShareLife is an opportunity for recipients to regain self-respect and hope for a new or better quality of life. Help us continue to work wonders in the community!

Today is ShareLife Sunday. Your sacrificial gift today will allow our agencies to continue to make a difference in the lives of those who need help and care! Please give generously.
‘You can work WONDERS!’

EARTHQUAKE RELIEF – CHILE

In response to the massive earthquake and tsunami which struck Chile on February 27th, the ShareLife Office is accepting monetary donations to support disaster relief efforts in the affected areas. Those wishing to help through a financial contribution may do so on the following ways:

  • Online through ShareLife
  • By Phone at 1-800-263-2595 or 416-934-3411
  • Through the parish, making cheques payable to ShareLife – St Gabriel’s Parish – Earthquake – Chile

JUST COFFEE
Fair trade organic coffees will be on sale after all the Masses next weekend, March 27th/28th.

  • $5 Regular ground Coffee
  • $6 Ground Decaffeinated
  • $5 Whole Beans
  • $4 Chocolate Bars (including taxes)
  • $4.50 Hot Chocolate and Cocoa
  • $3.25 to $4.00Teas (by variety)

CASSEROLES FOR THE GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE

Your prepared chicken rice casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at all the Masses next weekend, on March 27th/28th, for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre. We desperately need more volunteers to get involved. Please pick up a copy of the casserole recipe and a pan at the Parish Office. For more information, please contact Irene Albrecht at 416-221-2791.

GIVE TO THOSE IN NEED! FOOD DRIVE FOR THE GOOD SHEPHERD MINISTRIES

Please help feed the hungry and homeless this Easter. The following non-perishable food items are urgently needed:

  • rice, pasta & sauces
  • canned fish, canned vegetables, canned meats, canned fruit, canned soups and stews
  • cookies & crackers, breakfast cereals, peanut butter, jams
  • tea, ground and instant coffee, sugar powdered fruit juice
  • ketchup, mustard, and relish.

Thank you for your generous support!

FINANCE CORNER

Our operating expenses average $14,000 per week.
Weekly portion of PAG: $2,285
Number of PAG contributors: 109
Last week’s collection was: $8,682
Number of Envelopes Used: 408

4:30 8:30 10:30 12:30
Total $ 1,884 $ 1,436 $ 2,570 $ 2,792

“Thought for the week”: Last year, our expenses increased more than our donations.

AN INVITATION TO LEARN!

Sacramentals
Tuesday, April 6th at 7:30 PM.
Wednesday, April 7th at 10:30 AM.

NATIONAL CATHOLIC MISSION

A God for All Seasons
March 29th and 30th at 9:00 PM

The National Catholic Mission that was taped at St. Gabriel’s Church on March 6th and 7th will be aired on Vision TV on Monday March 29th and Tuesday, March 30th at 9:00 PM. The broadcast will be repeated at 11:00 PM.

EARTH HOUR

March 27th 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM

As you know, on March 27th, millions of people around the world will be shutting off their lights for one hour in a symbolic demonstration of their concern for climate change. As parishioners of Canada’s First Green Church, we at St. Gabriel’s will also be celebrating Earth Hour. Please join others from the Parish on March 27th here in the Church at 8:30 PM for an hour of prayer and reflection. All are welcome.

NORTH YORK RETIRED MEN’S CLUB

The next meeting of the North York Retired Men’s Club will be held on Tuesday, March 23rd at 2:00 PM in Blessed Trinity’s Parish Hall. Terence Coates will speak on “Can Cyber Wars cause World War Three”. All retied men and spouses are invited to attend.

THE GREEN CORNER

The time has come to lower our voices, to cease imposing our mechanistic patterns on the biological processes of the earth, to resist the impulse to control, to command, to force, to oppress, and to begin quite humbly to follow the guidance of the larger community on which all life depends.

Thomas Berry, The Dream of the Earth