Bulletin – September 28, 2014

GOOD BYE AND GOOD LUCK!

We are very sad to announce that Luis Gutierrez, our custodian, has left St. Gabriel’s to begin his own renovation business. He will certainly be missed! We wish Luis every success as he begins a new chapter in his life.

ANNOUNCED MASSES

September 29th to October 4th, 2014

MONDAY – FRED & WANDA – Requested by a Friend
TUESDAY – PATRICIA BRADBURY – Requested by Peggy Pusaka
WEDNESDAY – SR. CONSOLATA ELLARD I.B.V.M. – Requested by Margaret Anne Leckie
THURSDAY – BETTY HIGGINS – Requested by Carol & Hugh Mackenzie
FRIDAY – MARTIN SMEE – Requested by the Family
SATURDAY – GORDON OATWAY – Requested by the Family

WELCOME! BAPTISM

The Parish Family of St. Gabriel’s would like to welcome:

Michael James Jimenez Asuncion
Aden Red Chan
Ciara M. Elbano
Ava Xinyue Leung
Nathan Thomas Prebeg
Dellon Jaden Skyers

These children received the Sacrament of Baptism last Sunday. Congratulations!

PARENTS CONFIRMATION INFORMATION MEETING

Wednesday, October 8th at 7:30 PM.
St. Gabriel’s Church

There will be a meeting here at the Church on Wednesday, October 8th at 7:30 PM. for parents of children receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation this year.

ALTAR SERVICE LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS

If you are in Grade 4 or higher and are interested in becoming an altar server, please contact Colin Meharchand at cmeharchand@bell.net or leave your name and phone number with the Parish Office at 416-221-8866. The orientation and training for new members will be held on Sunday, October 5th, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the Church.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Friday, October 3rd from 9:30 AM to 12 Noon

ECO – SABBATH

Sunday, October 5th 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. All are welcome.

ROSARY GROUPS

English: Saturday, October 4th at 3:15 PM in the Library
Chinese: Sunday, October 5th at 3:30 PM in the Gabriel Room.

For further information, please contact Linda Law at 416 -918-8029.

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 soon. 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 call the Parish Office at 416-221-8866. You can also contact Fatima Lee directly at ext. 228.

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 (416) 221-8866. Classes for them will begin on October 19th at 10:30 AM.

THE NEW STORY – A DISCUSSION OF THE WISDOM OF FR. THOMAS BERRY

Tuesday, October 7th at 7:30 PM. or
Thursday, October 9th at 10:00 AM.

The Church has had many great thinkers over the years, including St. Augustine in the 5th century and St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century. In our time, we have great thinkers too, one of whom is the Passionist priest, Fr. Thomas Berry, 1914 – 2009. He introduced us to seeing God’s creation in a new way and our role as humans within it. He called it “The New Story”. On Tuesday evenings at 7:30 P.M. and repeated on Thursday, mornings at 10:00 A.M. Mary Landry will lead a discussion of his “New Story”, the wisdom that ensues and the challenge it evokes. We guarantee an interesting discussion! All are welcome.

THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE

You can make a difference in the lives of the hungry and homeless this Thanksgiving by participating in the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive.

Urgently needed items include:
rice, pasta, pasta sauces, canned tuna or salmon, canned soups, stews, meats, fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, jam, sugar, cookies and crackers, breakfast cereals, tea, ground or instant coffee, sugar, ketchup, mustard and relish. Please no fresh or frozen foods.

We thank you for your generous support!

FOOD FOR ROSALIE HALL

Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall. With everyone struggling at this time, these donations are more important than ever. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your generous support.

THE TORONTO CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD CONFERENCE FOR NEWCOMERS TO CANADA

September 30th from 5:00 to 8:00 PM.

Catholic Education Centre 80 Sheppard Ave. East
2nd floor Boardroom

The Toronto Catholic District School Board is hosting a conference for newcomers to Canada to share information about available programs and services and tips for navigating the Catholic education system. It is also designed for school staff and members of the Catholic School Advisory Councils to discuss how to effectively engage our newcomer students and families in our schools and communities. Light refreshments will be offered. Limited parking is underground and there is public transportation nearby.

Register online at www.tcdsb.org/NewcomerRegistration or call 416-222-8282, ext. 1888. Please RSVP by September 23rd.

FREE ESTATE PLANNING SEMINAR

Thursday, October 2nd at 7:00 PM.

Blessed Sacrament Parish,
24 Cheritan Avenue, Toronto

Catholic Cemeteries and the estate planning team will share information about:
How to protect your loved ones with a proper will
How to ensure your wishes are legally protected
Powers of Attorney
The advantage of pre-arranging funeral plans
The cost savings of making an estate plan
Finding lawyers and estate planning advisors
Our Catholic traditions around funerals, burials and wills

An Estate Planning Kit and DVD will be provided at no cost
Refreshments will be provided.

Please RSVP to Frank Jannetta at fjannetta@ccat.on.ca or by phone at 416-733-8544, Ext. 2023.

ANNUAL MASS TO END WOMEN ABUSE

St. Rose of Lima Church
3216 Lawrence Ave. E., Scarborough

Tuesday, October 7th at 7:00 PM.

Catholic Family Services of Toronto and St. Rose of Lima Church will host the 5th Annual Mass to End Woman Abuse. This event hopes to raise awareness about violence against women. At 6:30 PM, they will pray the Rosary in the church. Brief presentations will be made about the violence against women programs before Mass begins. After Mass, there will be a gathering with light refreshments in the church hall. They invite you to join them as they take action in the fight to end women abuse.

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 2014 – CAST YOUR VOTE!

A municipal election will be held on Monday, October 27th. All Catholics are strongly encouraged to exercise their democratic right to vote. To help us all get to know the candidates for Catholic School Board Trustee, Cardinal Collins has given permission for candidates to distribute literature to parishioners departing Mass on weekends from September 27th /28th to October 25th /26th . We hope you’ll take the time to get to know those seeking elected office.

To ensure your vote for Catholic School Trustee, at the polling booth, verify that you are registered as a separate school supporter. If your support status is incorrect ask for an Application to Amend Voters’ List. This form may be completed and submitted at the polling station. Thank you for your interest and involvement in this fall’s municipal election!

FINANCE CORNER

Weekly Offertory

Our operating expenses average $14,550 per week.
Collection for last weekend:

Envelopes 402 $7,176
Loose Change $936
Weekly Portion of PAG 165 $3,082
(Pre-Authorized Giving)
Total $12,124