Bulletin – September 27, 2020

ANNOUNCED MASSES

September 28th to October 4th

MONDAY – GUILLERMO ACOSTA – Requested by Mirian Fabra
TUESDAY – LOZANO ACOSTA – Requested by Mirian Fabra
WEDNESDAY – SOULS IN PURGATORY – Requested by Mirian Fabra
THURSDAY – CARL LEFEBOUR – Requested by Yvonne Lefebour
FRIDAY – THOMAS OWEN & JESSE PETER JOSEPH MILLER – Requested by their Family
SATURDAY – GUS & MARIE CALDERONE – Requested by their Family
SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – DOREEN YOUNG – Requested by Noreen Chen
SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – LAUDELINA DESOUZA MOREIRA – Requested by Humberto Holanda

FIRST COMMUNION INTERVIEWS

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

Interviews began on Tuesday, September 15th and will continue until Thursday, October 1st. They are scheduled every 15 minutes from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

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

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.

CHILDREN’S FAITH PROGRAM

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

WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS & REFUGEES

This Sunday, September 27th at 10:00 AM.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented some unique challenges for the Church, as well as for our efforts to plan for this year’s World Day of Migrants & Refugees. In response, our office arranged for this year’s World Day of Migrants & Refugees, which will take place this Sunday, September 27th to be celebrated virtually. On Sunday, Cardinal Collins will be the celebrant and homilist at the 10:00 AM Mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica. The Mass will be livestreamed. Following the livestream, the Mass along with pre-recorded videos from several guest speakers will be made available on ORAT’s website and Facebook page. These are intended to draw our attention to the plight of so many who have been displaced from their homes and homelands.

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.

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!

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.

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.

FAITH CONNECTIONS

Monday, September 28th at 7:00 PM

Join Faith Connections on Monday, September 28th at 7:00 PM for a virtual evening of theology and reflection for young adults, ages 18-39! We welcome Rev. Leigh Kern, Hon. B.A., M.Div., for a discussion on “Colonization and Confinement: From Assimilation to Liberation,” which will examine the theological roots of our current judicial, policing and prison system, and their impact on Indigenous communities. For more information and to join us via Zoom, please visit the events section of Faith Connections Facebook page: www.facebook.com/FaithConnections/events. It’s sure to be a great night!

Please contact Faith Connections at faithconnections@csj-to.ca or phone
WEBSITE: faithconnections.ca

THE GARDEN SHED

When you see Garden Ministry members in the garden, you rightly assume we are its caretakers. What you might not see is the garden taking care of us. Its rich, earthy scents soothe anxiety; birdsongs lift a troubled soul out of shadows; soft breezes swishing through grasses calm an overactive mind; colours pique curiosity and loneliness fades as we are drawn closer to the myriad creatures that make the garden their home. In that quiet space, awaits the listening ear of our Creator. Our garden is there for all of us.

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.