Bulletin – January 18, 2015

ANNOUNCED MASSES

January 19th to January 24th, 2015

MONDAY – MAURICE MICHAEL – Requested by Charmaine Michael
TUESDAY – EDGUARDO RECANA – Requested by the Family
WEDNESDAY – ALL ABANDONED SOULS – Requested by the Nguyen Family
THURSDAY – TOMMASO RUSCICA – Requested by Paolina & Family
FRIDAY – DANIEL, MARGARET & CATHERINE MORIARTY – Requested by Teresa Sheldrick
SATURDAY – HENRY KITTS – Requested by the O’Connell Family

WORLD LEPROSY DAY – SUNDAY, JANUARY 25TH

USED STAMP COLLECTION

Sunday, January 25th is World Leprosy Day. Leprosy affects the nervous system deadening the body to pain. As a result, cuts and burns go unnoticed and neglected leading to severe infections. Such conditions can lead to loss of function in the limbs and even result in amputation. Please take a few moments to remember the children, women and men living with leprosy.

Please remember to bring us your used postage stamps. These are passed on to the Leprosy Mission of Canada helping them work towards the day when leprosy is eradicated. They are happy to accept any and all trimmed stamps, leaving no less than ¼ inch and no more than ½ inch paper border. Stamps may be deposited in the basket on the cabinet just outside the Parish Office.

CASSEROLES FOR THE GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE

Your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses next weekend for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.

More volunteers are needed to help feed the hungry in our city. Please 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. 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.

DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE CAMPAIGN

This weekend parishioners will be asked to sign a petition supporting D&P’s campaign, “Sow Much Love”. This campaign is asking the Government of Canada to commit to:

Adopt international aid policies that support small family farmers, especially women,

Ensure that Canadian policies and programs are developed in consultation with small family farmers, and that they protect the rights of small family farmers in the Global South to preserve, use and freely exchange seeds.

Because of the ratification by a number of countries of the latest version of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, ancestral rights, which consisted of preserving, using and exchanging farmer seeds, have become in some cases illegal acts, which are punishable by law. More details are available at www.devp.org.

Mass for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees

This Sunday, January 18th at 11:00 AM

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 202 St. Patrick Street

Catholics in our region can be proud that 160 parishes in the Archdiocese of Toronto are involved in sponsoring refugees to resettle in Canada. Join us for a Mass to celebrate the many individuals and families who have escaped turmoil to resettle in Canada and to pray for those still seeking to leave areas of war and strife.

Bishop Wayne Kirkpatrick, Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto, will preside. Mass is hosted by the Chinese Pastoral Council at Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, with a reception to follow. A special invitation is extended to those who have been involved in refugee sponsorship across the archdiocese. For more information, visit www.archtoronto.org. All are welcome.

THEOLOGY ON TAP – NEW EVANGELIZATION: POPE FRANCIS STYLE

Thursday, January 22nd, at 7:00 PM

The Bear, 1294 Kingston Road, Pickering

Faith Connections, the Office of Catholic Youth, and the local parishes invite young adults (19-39) to join us for an evening of thought-provoking conversation on theological topics! Their special guests will be Cheridan Sanders & Sebastian Gomes, producers at Salt + Light Media.

Munchies are provided and a cash bar is available – come and bring a friend!

For more information: visit the Toronto Theology on Tap web page, or contact OCY by phone at 416-599-7676 or e-mail youth@ocytoronto.org. RSVPs are appreciated!

AN EVENING OF PRAYER AND FELLOWSHIP

Thursday, January 22nd from 7:00 to 9:00 PM

St. Paul’s Basilica, 83 Power St., Toronto

Join the Sisters 0f Life for an evening of prayer and fellowship from 7:00 to 8:00 PM in the main chapel of St. Paul’s Basilica.

They will have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with meditative music provided by the Sisters of Life. Confessions will be available. From 8:00 to 9:00 PM there will be refreshments and fellowship in the hall downstairs. They hope to see you there!

For more information, contact The Sisters of Life at 416-463-2722, toronto@sistersoflife.

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 2015 ECUMENICAL PRAYER SERVICE

Sunday, January 25th at 4:00 P.M.

Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge Street

Come and join us in an ecumenical prayer service with His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins, Anglican Archbishop Colin Johnson, Evangelical Lutheran Bishop Michael Pryse, Slovak Catholic Bishop John Pazak, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Harris Athanasiadis and other city-wide religious leaders on: Sunday, January 25th at 4:00 P.M. at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge Street (2 blocks north of St. Clair at Heath Street)

Parking is available. Refreshments will follow in the parish hall.

For further information, please contact the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs at 416-934-3400, Ext. 344 or Ext. 527 or vkwok@archtoronto.org.

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR CONSECRATED LIFE CELEBRATION

Sunday, February 1st at 3:00 PM

St. Paul’s Basilica, 83 Power Street

On Monday, February 2nd, the Church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life.
In the Archdiocese of Toronto we are blessed to have living and serving among us more than 1,000 religious men and women of over 100 different religious congregations. This World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life is a wonderful opportunity for us to thank God for the gifts of these religious sisters, brothers and priests and to pray for God’s blessing upon them in their efforts to faithfully live the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.

On Sunday, February 1st at 3:00 PM at St. Paul’s Basilica, there will be a special Mass presided by His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins, in celebration of the vocation and witness of these special men and women religious who are such an important part of the life and ministry of the Church in our archdiocese. All are welcome to attend.

FINANCE CORNER

FAMILY OF FAITH CAMPAIGN

Our parish has commenced the Family of Faith campaign as mandated by the Archdiocese of Toronto. As stated in my Christmas letter, the parish goal is $900,000 of which 25% will remain in the parish. We hope to use these funds to develop our youth ministry program.

Commitment Sundays are scheduled for January 25th and February 1st. Commitment pledges of $5,000 or more may be made over five years. Pledges less than $5,000 are to be fulfilled within 3 years.
I would ask you to be as generous as you always are to cover this special appeal.

Fr. Brando

Our operating expenses average $14,550 per week.

Collection for January 11th, 2015:

Envelopes 468 $ 9,434
Loose Change 956
Weekly Portion of Pre-Authorized Giving 164 3,701
Total 632 $14,091

OFFERTORY ENVELOPES FOR 2015

If you are a regular Parish member and you do not contribute to the Offertory collection, the Finance Council reminds you that “the financial burden of the Parish is the responsibility of each and all parishioners to the extent that your means allow”.

For those parishioners who contribute to the offertory on a regular weekly basis, we thank you for your constant support. Have you considered using PAG or Donate Now?

Please pick up your 2015 envelopes as soon as possible if you have not already done so. If you are not currently using parish envelopes and wish to have a set issued for 2015, please contact the Parish Office and we will prepare a box for you. This is the most effective way to keep track of your donations. If you have recently moved, please inform the Parish Office so that we may keep our parish records up to date.

In 2015, please do not use any envelopes from 2014 or any envelopes from previous years as the number on it may have been reassigned. Please put your name on your envelope to ensure that your donation is properly recorded.