Bulletin – October 4, 2020

ANNOUNCED MASSES

October 5th to October 11th

MONDAY – SOULS IN PURGATORY – Requested by the Nguyen Family
TUESDAY – INTENTIONS OF MICHAEL KIM – Requested by Thomas & Veronica Kim
WEDNESDAY – JAE-WHAN DO – Requested by the Ta Family
THURSDAY – GIUSEPPE DIDIODATO – Requested by Chiara & Tina Intini
FRIDAY – ANNIVERSARY OF MARILYN & FRED BURKE – Requested by their Family
SATURDAY – SHANNON OLDEN – Requested by Kathleen Olden-Powell
SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – JOSE ENRIQUEZ SR. – Requested by Jackie Enriquez
SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – MARTHA SHORT – Requested by Patrick Mohan

FIRST COMMUNION INTERVIEWS

Interviews for children who were prepared to receive their First Communion last May are now being scheduled.

Two dates have been added to accommodate those who have not yet called for an appointment:

Tuesday, October 6th and Wednesday October 7th

Interviews are scheduled every 15 minutes from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Please call the Parish Office at 416-221-8866-to book your appointment with Fr. Brando as soon as possible.

WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBERS!

The Parish Family of St. Gabriel’s would like to welcome:
Sophia Crane
Mia Elyse Lamoste
Adrian William Lim Ah Ken
Mackenzie Perez

These children received the Sacrament of Baptism on in the month of September. Congratulations!

ARCHDIOCESAN CATECHIST FORMATION PROGRAM 2020-21

Registration is now open for the 2020-21 Catechist Formation Program. The program runs from Sunday, October 18th, 2020 to Saturday, June 19th, 2021. It consists of a combination of online courses, seminars, retreat morning, as well as a Mass and blessing of catechists by Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, at St. Augustine’s Seminary. There is a $250 deposit, refundable upon program completion, and the cost of books.

For more information see the brochure at http://bit.ly/OCFP-Brochure2020 or contact Connie Price at: cprice@archtoronto.org or 416-934-3400, ext. 513.

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 in October. These meetings are normally in person but, due to Covid 19, they will probably be online. They 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 Sr. Maria Lucia at 416-221-8866.

MINISTRY FOR MATURING ADULTS
PHONE PALS OR EMAIL PALS: CONNECTING WITH EACH OTHER DURING THE PANDEMIC

While the first wave of Covid 19 was trying for everyone it was particularly difficult for anyone who was living by themselves or for those living with others but not feeling included, valued or welcome. As we prepare for a possible second wave of the pandemic, the team members of the Ministry of Maturing Adults would like to invite anyone who would like a telephone pal or email pal to contact the parish office or email us directly at stgabrielmma@gmail.com.

By providing us with your name, phone number or email, we will connect you with someone who would make periodical calls to check in on you at least once a week. These calls or emails could be used for a simple friendly chat, a chance to voice a concern to a compassionate ear, or a companion to pray with.

No one should feel alone… Each of us are weathering this storm in a different way, but we are all part of the same storm. Let us know if we can help!

OCTOBER – NATIONAL SENIORS MONTH

The date for the National Seniors Day in Canada and International Day of Older Persons was October 1st. Both the Government of Canada and the United Nations have provided various resources that are available on their website, including virtual events. If you are interested in learning more, please visit the following websites:
(1) http://www.ngocoa-ny.org/
(2) https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/campaigns/national-seniors-day.html

CHILDREN’S FAITH PROGRAM

We are discerning how the program will be delivered in these times. More information will be forthcoming, so stay tuned.

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.

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.

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.

Urgently needed items include:
rice pasta and pasta sauces,
cereal curry& garlic powder
salad dressing hot chocolate
powdered milk tea bags
granola/protein bars chocolate bars
cookies and crackers, hard candy
sugar coffee
canned tuna, soups, stews, corned beef, fruits and vegetables

Please check the expiry date as we cannot pass on expired foods. Please no fresh or frozen foods.
We thank you for your generous support!

COLLECTION OF MILK BAGS

For the foreseeable future, we are stopping the collection of milk bags. There are no workshops being scheduled at this time and Sharon has many more than she can use. We will let you know when we can begin collecting them once more.

2021 REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

For Families of Parishioners

The Archdiocese Office for Refugees has a program to assist parishioners who would like to sponsor a family member that is in need of refugee sponsorship. This program is intended to assist parishioners only. If you are a parishioner, and would like to sponsor a family member, please contact the parish office to schedule a meeting with the pastor prior to November 15th. The Office for Refugees will look to the sponsoring family to provide the necessary funds for sponsorship.

The Process

Step 1: The Program is Announced at Parish by October 20th, 2020.
Step 2: The Parishioner Meets with the Pastor – Interested parishioners are to arrange a meeting with the pastor by November 15th, 2020
Step 3: The Pastor Sends Request to ORAT by November 29th, 2020
Step 4: ORAT Invites Parishioner to an Information Session – Following the receipt of the request from the pastor, ORAT will extend an invitation to the parishioner, inviting them to attend the Introduction to Resettlement Information Session. This is a mandatory session for the parishioner. The session will take place on or before Saturday, December 12th, 2020.

THE GARDEN SHED

The joy of discovery!

Check out the Garden Ministry web-page for a picture of the tiny, perfect bird’s nest, perched about shoulder height on the bough of a spruce tree on the southern walkway. Better still, take a stroll and discover it for yourself. Awesome ingenuity – a home skillfully built with materials at hand.

A testament to resilience! After the extreme heat of early summer, we thought the goji berry harvest was lost. The leaves on ninety percent of the plants had withered and dropped. But, the plants rebounded, leafing out for a second time and flowering. Chances are now very good that the berries will ripen before the first frost.

For more information on St. Gabriel’s gardens visit the Garden Ministry web-page on the parish website. If you would like to participate in caring for our gardens, please email heathermjb@gmail.com.