Bulletin – December 9, 2018

Christmas Mass Schedule

ADVENT INDIVIDUAL CONFESSION

Friday, December 21st from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM

REGULAR SUNDAY MASSES

Saturday December 22nd
Vigil Mass 4:30 PM
Office Open – 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Sunday, December 23rd
8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM
Office Open – 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM

CHRISTMAS EVE – Monday, December 24th

No 9:00 AM Mass
5:00 PM Family Mass – Carol Singing
9:00 PM Adult Choir – Carol Singing
12:00 AM Midnight Mass – Contemporary Group
Office Open – 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM

CHRISTMAS DAY – Tuesday, December 25th

10:30 AM
12:30 PM
Office Open – 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM

BOXING DAY – Wednesday, December 26th

Office Closed
No 9:00 AM Mass

REGULAR SUNDAY MASSES

Saturday December 29th, Vigil Mass 4:30 PM
Sunday, December 30th, Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus
8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM
Office Open – 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM

NEW YEAR’S EVE – Monday, December 31st

No 9:00 AM Mass
5:00 PM Mass
Vigil for Feast of Mary the Holy Mother of God
Office Open – 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM

NEW YEAR’S DAY – Tuesday, January 1st

Feast of Mary the Holy Mother of God
10:30 AM
12:30 PM
Office Open – 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM

Parking

While parking at ground level is limited to 51 spaces, there is plenty of space in the underground parking lot. Please follow the instructions of the attendants. Do not park in front of the Church since this is a fire route and must be kept clear.

Additional parking is available on the east side of Elkhorn Public School and in the bus loop. Again, please follow the instructions of the attendant. The school requests that we do not park on the grass. Many thanks to Holly Richards, the Principal of Elkhorn Public School, for allowing us the use of the school property.

ANNOUNCED MASSES

December 10th to December 15th

MONDAY – TULIO RAMIREZ – Requested by his Family
TUESDAY – THANKSGIVING FOR BLESSINGS RECEIVED – Requested by Minda
WEDNESDAY – AGNES NATCHATIRAM – Requested by Felix Savariar
THURSDAY – ANNETTE COORAY & PEARL BRIDGET MISERSKY – Requested by Annie Lau
FRIDAY – HARRY LEUNG – Requested by Mary Leung
SATURDAY – EVA GULBINOWICZ – Requested by Kathleen Olden-Powell

DAY OF CONFESSION

Friday, December 21st

On Friday, December 21st, we will all have the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Confessions will be heard from, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

CHILDREN’S CHOIR FAMILY MASS – CHRISTMAS EVE AT 5:00 PM

Rehearsal: Sunday, December 23rd from 2:00 to 4:00 PM
Each year, young people, Grade 3 and up, form a special choir for the Family Mass on Christmas Eve. Children must be at the Church by 4:00 PM. One rehearsal, which is mandatory, will be held on Sunday, December 23rd from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.
For more information call Marilyn Calderone at 416-618-2041.

CHRISTMAS PAGEANT DRESS REHEARSAL

Sunday, December 23rd from 4:00 to 6:00 PM

Each year a Nativity pageant takes place at the 5:00 PM Family Mass. S.K. to Grade 5 children are invited to participate in the pageant. The rehearsal will be held on Sunday, December 23rd from 4:00 to 6:00 PM in the Church.

SHARELIFE

Thanks to you good people of St. Gabriel’s, the final total collected for Sharelife 2018 was $172,231. Thank you for your generous support!

R.C.I.A. AND ADULT FAITH DEVELOPMENT

Meetings in preparation for the R.C.I.A. (Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults) began last Saturday. 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 contact the Parish Office at 416-221-8866.

HOPE FOR THE CHILDREN TOY DRIVE

Saturday December 1st to Sunday December 16th
Catholic Children’s Aid Society

We are 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 8 years to12 years old. Containers will be set up at the doors of the Church next weekend and will remain there until Sunday, December 16th

THE GIVING TREE

Saturday, December 1st to Sunday, December 16th

During Advent, the Society of St Vincent de Paul 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 $25.00 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 ages 3 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 16th.

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.

FOOD FOR ROSALIE HALL & GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE

Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre.

Rosalie Hall assists young parents and their children to realize their potential through the provision of a wide range of child development, community, residential and educational services.

Good Shepherd provides hot meals and shelter for the homeless in our city as well as a chance to start again through the Resettlement or DARE Programs.

Your food donations are more important than ever as the winter begins and numbers of needy people continue to increase. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your generous support.

MILK BAG PROJECT

Wednesday, December 12th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Gabriel Room

Volunteer milk bag weavers will be meeting Wednesday afternoon, December 12th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the Gabriel Room to continue their great work, making sleep mats for third world countries All are welcome!

For further information about this project please visit www.milkbagsunlimited.ca or contact Sharon Gusz at sharongusz@gmail.com

EFFECT HOPE – LEPROSY MISSION OF CANADA

Collecting Stamps

This is a wonderful time of year to collect stamps from your Christmas cards and letters to give to Effect Hope, the Leprosy Mission of Canada. If you wish to help, your stamps may be left in the basket outside of the office. Please visit effecthope.org for more information

JUST COFFEE

Weekend of December 15th /16th

Fair trade organic coffees will be on sale after all the Masses next weekend.
Regular ground coffee: $5.50
Decaffeinated: $6.00
Whole Beans: $5.50
Chocolate Bars: $4.50 incl. Taxes
Hot Chocolate and Cocoa: $6.00
Teas: $4.25

MARSHMALLOW WORLD CONCERT

Seraphim and Cherubim Chorus
Friday, December 14th at 7:30 PM
St. Bonaventure’s Parish

Christmas, Christmas time is near! Join the Seraphim and Cherubim Chorus’ singing the Christmas songs you love as part of their Marshmallow World concert series. A mix of old favourites and twists on classics! Join us on Friday, December 14th at St. Bonaventure Parish in Don Mills, Saturday, December 15th at St. Matthew Parish in Oakville and Sunday, December 16th at St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Woodbridge. All shows start at 7:30pm. Advanced tickets available online at http://www.seraphimandcherubim.ca

THE GARDEN SHED

The next meeting of the Garden Ministry will be a planning meeting for the development, in the spring of 2019, of a community garden that would support the Good Shepherd Mission. If you are interested in participating in this project, please join us this Sunday, December 9th at 11:30 in the Gabriel Room, or contact Heather Bennett at heathermjb@gmail.com.

“To grow and share food with others in a garden is to enter a holy country. ” – Fred Bahsnson, Soil and Sacrament

THE FINANCE CORNER

The Finance Council wishes to share this with all who come together as our worshipping community …

“The financial burden of the Parish is the responsibility of each and all parishioners to the extent that your means allow.” Our operating payments average $17,000 per week. Please consider giving your offertory by picking up Envelopes, enrolling in Pre-Authorized Giving (PAG), or Donate Now (through the Archdiocese of Toronto website). Please come by the parish office if you have any questions.

Offertory envelopes are now available in the Gathering Space Please pick yours up as soon as possible. If you do not have offertory envelopes but would like a box, let the Office know and we will prepare a box for you.