Bulletin – January 9, 2022

IN LOVING MEMORY OF FR PAUL CUSACK CP

September 5th, 1932 – December. 30th, 2021

“Live simply so that others may simply live.”

Fr. Paul Cusack was an institution here at St. Gabriel’s Parish. Arriving as a young priest, he served our parish for almost 60 years.

He was compassionate, kind and always ready to listen and give advice to his “good people”. He was especially concerned with the “Passion of the Planet Earth” and wrote his Doctoral Thesis on it.

He was a brilliant homilist and had a wonderful and quick sense of humour as was seen in the tributes to him from parishioners old and new. He was grateful for everything that was done for him and always gracious. He was friendly to all he met.

He retired in 2013 as Fr. Brando took over as pastor but still could be found most days in his office. Although his mobility issues became more pronounced over the last year, he continued to celebrate Mass up until a few weeks before his death. He will be missed not only by the community of St. Gabriel’s but also by those who knew him from near and far.

During funerals, he gave families great comfort and hope with the thought “If we but knew what a joy it is to look upon the beautiful face of God, we would not wish him back.”

Although we had hoped to have him with us for a little longer we cannot wish him back.

For those of you who were not able to get tickets or not able to see the funeral online, you are now able to see it on our website at https://stgabrielsparish.ca/2022/fr-paul-cusack-funeral-mass/.

ANNOUNCED MASSES

January 10th – January 16th, 2022

MONDAY – RITA COUTINHO – Requested by Megan Freitas
TUESDAY – DELPHINE OAKIE – Requested by her Family
WEDNESDAY – LORRAYNE PEREIRA – Requested by Megan Freitas
THURSDAY – MICHEL SEAS – Requested by Megan Freitas
FRIDAY – THE TA FAMILY – Requested by Veronica Do
SATURDAY – FR. PAUL CUSACK CP – Requested by the Burke Family
SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – BRUNO CORTESE – Requested by the Cortese Family
SUNDAY – 12:30 PM

GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE CASSEROLES

Thank you to the volunteers who prepared 30 casseroles for December. For January, your prepared at the Masses on the weekend of January 29th/30th for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.

You may pick up a copy of a casserole recipes and a pan from the Parish Office. Three recipes are also available on St. Gabriel’s web site. Please remember to mark the label on the pan lid with the name of the casserole. More volunteers are urgently needed to help feed the hungry in our city. For more information, please contact Irene Albrecht at 416 221-2791.

FOOD FOR ROSALIE HALL & GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE

Thank you for your generous support of Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre during our Christmas Food Drive. Your response was overwhelming!

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 Covid 19 continues and numbers of needy people continue to increase. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired.

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

Beginning Wednesday, January 19th at 10:00 AM

The Toronto Catholic District School Board welcomes families with junior kindergarten-aged children (born in 2018) to register for the September 2022 school year.

The Elementary Student Online 2022 will be available beginning, January 19th at 10:00 AM. Please complete an application at http://soar.tcdsb.org on or after this date. Registrations sent before this date will not be accepted.

The following documents are required for registration:
Child’s Birth Certificate.
Passport/immigration documents (only if child was not born in Canada).
Child’s Catholic Baptismal Certificate (or proof of parent’s Catholicity or RCIA/RCIC letter).
Proof of residency in Toronto.

Parents of Toronto school-aged children must provide their child’s vaccination information to Toronto Public Health. Students without the required vaccines will receive notice asking for updated immunization information. Please visit Toronto Public Health for more information

For registration information, please call (416) 222-8282, ext. 5314 or visit www.tcdsb.org

THE SYNOD ON SYNODALITY

Pope Francis has launched the Synod on Synodality: a two-year global process of listening to the faithful that will help the Church reflect on how we can do God’s will in the world today. The comments of the faithful will ultimately be discussed at a meeting of the bishops in the Vatican in 2023.

To learn more about the Synod on Synodality and to share your thoughts, please visit: www.archtoronto.org/synodality.

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY SERVICE

Sunday, January 23rd, 2022, at 4:00 PM

Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church,
920 Progress Avenue, Scarborough

The Annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Service for the Greater Toronto Area will be held at Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church, 920 Progress Avenue, Scarborough on Sunday January 23rd, 2022, at 4:00 PM.

All are welcome to attend in person or watch the livestream on Facebook at the link, https://bit.ly/3DAaxca.

For details, please see the poster at the link, https://bit.ly/3rNvdLd.

Join His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Collins and a wide representation of Christian leaders to pray for the restoration of full visible unity willed by Jesus Christ for the Church.

The homilist is Rev. Archpriest Fr. Zareh Zargarian (Vicar of the Armenian Diocese of Canada and Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Toronto).

This event is sponsored by the Archdiocese of Toronto’s Office for Promoting Christian Unity & Religious Relations with Judaism and the Greater Toronto Area of Council of Christian Churches.

FRIARS’ STUDENT WRITING CONTEST 2022

Win Great Prizes!

Deadline: Monday, February 14th, 2022

It is time once again for the Friars’ Student Writing Award. Students aged 13-19 are invited to submit a 450-500-word essay for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, celebrated from January 18th to 25th, 2022.

This year, the theme and the resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2022 have been prepared by the Middle East Council of Churches based in Beirut, Lebanon.

The theme of the contest is: “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him” (Mt. 2:2).

The deadline for the writing contest is Monday, February 14th, 2022 at 2:00 PM

Please see the poster for more contest details: https://bit.ly/FriarsStudentWritingContest2022

CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE MASS WITH BISHOP KASUN

Sunday, February 13th, 2022 at 2:30 PM

St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica
65 Bond St., Toronto

As part of Marriage Sunday 2022 celebrations, Bishop Robert Kasun, CSB, will preside at a special Mass to honour married couples celebrating milestone anniversaries (25th, 40th, 50th, 60th or 60+) in 2022.

Due to social distancing measures, cathedral attendance is limited to pre-registered couples celebrating milestone wedding anniversaries and a maximum of one (1) guest per celebrant couple. Registration is now open. Given the limited attendance at the cathedral, we encourage milestone celebrants to register early. Those who are not able to register may join the celebration via livestream Mass here: www.stmichaelscathedral.com/live. The broadcast will begin at 2:15 PM.

Please visit www.archtoronto.org/marriage to register and to access resources for parishes and couples.

MINISTRY FOR MATURING ADULTS

Stay tuned…

We are excited to announce several programs that parish Ministry with Maturing Adults Committee will be starting in the next two months. All sessions will be offered virtually. Please watch this space for further information.

Writing Circle
Ways to Pray
Scripture Programme
Milk Bag weaving

FINANCE CORNER

The 2022 Offertory envelopes are now available. When you attend Mass, please remember to pick up your box of envelopes from Nikki, maintaining the required physical distancing.

If there is no box with your name on it and you want a box, please let the parish office know in person, by phone or by email. If you are donating via Pre-Authorized Giving or Donate Now at the Archdiocese, you normally would not have an envelope box assigned to you.

If you still have envelopes in your possession from any prior year, including 2021, do no use them for 2022.

Please write your name and complete address on the first few 2022 envelopes you use so that the office can ensure we have your correct information for sending out tax receipts.