Bulletin – March 17, 2013

In this week’s bulletin, reconciliation service, the remembrance meal of the Passover, and the parish financial statement for 2012.

LENTEN AND EASTER SCHEDULE 2013

Stations of the Cross – Friday Evenings at 7:30 PM

Reconciliation Service Wednesday, March 20th at 7:30 PM

Palm Sunday March 24th
Masses Sat. -4:30 PM, Sun. – 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM

Holy Thursday March 28th
No 9:00 AM Mass
7:30 PM Mass of the Lord’s Supper followed by Adoration until 10 PM

Good Friday March 29th
10:00 AM Morning Prayer
3:00 PM Solemn Passion of Our Lord
7:30 PM Stations of the Cross

Holy Saturday March 30th
Confessions 11:00 AM to 12 Noon
No 4:30 PM Mass
8:30 PM Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday March 31st
Masses 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM

Easter Monday April 1st
No 9:00 AM Mass
Office closed

Extra parking at Elkhorn Public School

ANNOUNCED MASSES

March 18th – March 23rd, 2013

MONDAY – ERIC SANTOS Requested by Celeste Costa
TUESDAY – OLIVIA BARRON Requested by the Barron Family
WEDNESDAY – JULIE PARK Requested by Suzanne Kim
THURSDAY – LOUIS & MARIE FUNG Requested by the Family
FRIDAY – GUS CALDERONE Requested by Marie Calderone
SATURDAY – GORDON OATWAY Requested by the Family

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 20th 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.

FIRST RECONCILIATION

Saturday, March 23rd at St. Gabriel’s Church at 1:30 PM

First Reconciliation for children attending St. Gabriel’s School, and those in the Children’s Faith Program and children attending Private Schools will be held at St. Gabriel’s Church on Saturday, March 23rd at 1:30 PM.

REMEMBRANCE MEAL OF THE PASSOVER

Wednesday, March 27th at 7:00 PM in the Gabriel Room

Passover is the oldest festival of the Hebrew liturgical calendar. It has been observed by the Jewish people for more than 3,000 years. It celebrates the freeing of the Jews who were slaves during the time of Moses. It occurs in the spring, the time of renewal in “Nissan”, the first month of the Hebrew year, and it lasts for eight days. At this time, their meals celebrate this momentous historical Jewish Event.

Why do we Christians 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. The menu is identical to the Seder supper’s menu and the meal is “pot luck” – each person brings a dish for their table. Please call Mary Landry at 416-293-3760 by Friday, March 22nd to book your table of 6 or 8, or to have your name added to a table.

CASSEROLES FOR THE GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE

Weekend of March 23rd /24th

Your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses next weekend for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre. Please note this is a week earlier than usual. 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. For more information, please contact Irene Albrecht at 416 221-2791.

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 including taxes
  • Hot Chocolate and Cocoa: $4.50
  • Teas: $3.25 to $4.00 by variety

FERTILITYCARE TORONTO EASTER EGG SALE

This weekend, March 16th/17th

The St. Gabriel’s Youth Group will be selling hand-made dark chocolate Easter eggs for $3.00 each or 2 for $5.00 before and after all the Masses this weekend, March 16th/17th. Your support will help FertilityCare Toronto promote and maintain their service in the Diocese.

SHARELIFE

Working wonders in our community…

“You don’t have to look far to see the wonders being worked by ShareLife… in the pews of your parish, in the homes on your street, in your neighbourhood.”

ShareLife agencies provide competent, faith-informed care to those who turn to them for help, regardless of their beliefs or background. Last year, nearly 250,000 people in our Archdiocese were helped in more than 20 languages, receiving the compassion, care and respect they rightly deserve. In addition, countless others were assisted through outreach programs around the world.

Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto

SHARELIFE COMMUNITY CHALLENGE

Through the ShareLife Community Challenge, a generous parishioner in the Archdiocese of Toronto will match all new
or increased gifts to the 2013 ShareLife Campaign up to a total of $800,000! Together, as a Catholic community, we
have an opportunity to respond to this challenge and make a significant impact on the work of our agencies.

Today is ShareLife Sunday. Please give generously. You can work wonders!

GREENING SACRED SPACES

“Making the Leap: Hope for a Sustainable World” – 5th Annual GAN/GSS Forum
Saturday, March 23rd, 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM
First Unitarian Congregation, 175 St. Clair West

On Saturday, March 23rd, the Green Awakening Network and Greening Sacred Spaces invite you to make the leap and visualize what a sustainable future might look like. Keynote speakers, José Etcheverry and Stephen Scharper, will share their insights into building green energy economies and the heart and mind change needed for a sustainable future from a faith perspective.

Participatory workshops will explore eco-spirituality, greening faith buildings, and developing sustainable energy in Ontario. The forum, graciously hosted by First Unitarian Congregation (175 St. Clair West in Toronto), is a full day event and the registration cost of $35 includes lunch.
For more information, contact Donna Lang at dlang@faith-commongood.net or 416-481-1327 or go to www.greeningsacredspaces.net

THE SERVICE OF TENEBRAE

St. Bonaventure’s Church
Saturday, March 23rd at 7:30 PM

Please join us for the first Tenebrae service held at St. Bonaventure’s Church. It will be a remarkable experience for this community to share. The gentlemen of the St. Michael’s Choir School Alumni will be present to provide musical settings of the readings composed by Msgr. Ronan, who was the founder of the Choir School. This tradition is celebrated annually at St. Michael’s Cathedral on the Wednesday of Holy Week. We would like to introduce this custom to our congregation in hopes of better preparing ourselves for the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

WERE YOU THERE?

Sunday, March 24th at 3:00 PM
Blessed Trinity Church
3220 Bayview Avenue

Blessed Trinity Choir, conducted by Matthew Otto, will present a musical meditation of the Passion of Christ on Sunday, March 24th at 3:00PM. Tickets are $15 or $10 for persons under the age of 21. For tickets or information, please call 416-733-1201 or email BTconcerts@gmail.com.

LOVE IN ACTION SCHOOL

May 19th to 26th
Seoul, South Korea

Care to reach out to the homeless, the sick, those who are ostracized from society? Don’t wait to share your love with them any longer. Love in Action School is an 8 day volunteering event and retreat that will take place in Seoul, South Korea from May 19th to 26th. It will also include a day’s events of touring and experiencing the Korean culture. For details, please contact Bona Kim by email at bona.kim@gmail.com or by phone at 647-261-9366.

BIBLE FOR BEGINNERS

Monday, March 18th at 7:30 PM or
Thursday, March 21st at 10:30 AM

Topic: An Overview of the Old Testament – now known as the ‘Hebrew Scriptures’. For information please call Mary at 416-293-3760

FINANCE CORNER

Our operating expenses average $14,550 per week.

Collection for March 10th, 2013

Envelopes (408) – $9,905
Loose Change $1007
Weekly Portion of Pre-Authorized Giving (186) – $3,555
Total – $14,467

The 2012 financial statement of the parish is available here (PDF, 156kB). Frs. Paul, Brando and the Finance Council members thank you very much for your extraordinary generosity during this past year.