Bulletin – October 26, 2025

PARISH NEWS

On November 9th there will be a special reception in the Gathering Space after the 12:30 PM Mass to say goodbye to Fr. Dennis. He will be leaving St. Gabriel’s to begin his new assignment as associate pastor at St. Joseph’s Parish in Paris, France.

We pray for his continued success and ask him to keep us in his prayers.

NOVEMBER IS THE MONTH OF ALL SOULS

BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE

A Book of Remembrance will be placed on the altar for the month of November. You are invited to write the names of your deceased relatives and friends in the book. They will be remembered at all the Masses celebrated in November.

SACRAMENTAL PARENT MEETINGS

A Parents’ Meeting for children registered to receive a sacrament of Reconciliation in 2026 will be held on Wednesday, October 29th at 7:30 PM.

Textbooks will be sold at this meeting (cash or cheque only).

MAKE SURE YOU ARE COUNTED!

The annual weekend Mass attendance count is being conducted at St. Gabriel’s Parish this weekend,
October 25th/ 26th.

The purpose of this important count is to have a more accurate assessment of the number of people attending Mass on a weekend.

When you come in for Mass, you may notice a few volunteers with tally counters at the doors of the church. The counters will be doing their jobs as discreetly and non-intrusively as possible.

ANNUAL MASS FOR ALL SOULS DAY

November 8th, 2025 at 2:00 PM

All Souls’ Day, also called The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, is a day of prayer and remembrance for the Faithful Departed. Through prayer, intercessions, alms and visits to cemeteries, people commemorate their loved ones that have passed.

Catholic Cemeteries & Funeral Services – Archdiocese of Toronto wishes to invite all families to participate in the All Souls’ Day Mass on Saturday November 8th, 2025 at 2:00 PM.

All Masses will be held indoors at the following locations:

  • Assumption Cemetery, Mississauga – Our Lady of Fatima Mausoleum
  • Christ the King Cemetery, Markham – Reception Centre
  • Holy Cross Cemetery, Thornhill – Holy Family Mausoleum
  • Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Woodbridge – St. Anthony’s Mausoleum (Liturgy in Italian and English)
  • Resurrection Cemetery, Whitby – Our Lady of the Assumption Mausoleum

ANNOUNCED MASSES

October 27th to November 2nd

MONDAY – ZENALDA MOON ✞ – Requested by Emelia Moon-Dekent
TUESDAY – DEPARTED MEMBERS OF THE CALIMBAS, GAVIETA & LUKE FAMILIES ✞ – Requested by Maria Rachel Gavieta
WEDNESDAY – DRAGICA PETROVIC ✞ – Requested by Mira Petranovic
THURSDAY – ROSA JOHN ✞ – Requested by her Family
FRIDAY – GIOVANNI NDUKWE – Requested by his Family
SATURDAY – ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED
SUNDAY – 8:30 AM – FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH
SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – LYDIA McGRANN ✞ – Requested by Ron & Anne Ackber
SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – ALL SOULS ✞ – Requested by the Valavi Family

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS

The Parish Family of St. Gabriel’s would like to welcome the following children who received the Sacrament of Baptism this month:

Elena Maria Cairns
Sophia Ennis
Alexander Milbrandt

PSALM MEDITATION

Psalm 34

“I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

Today’s Psalm responds to our first reading from the Book of Sirach.

It’s the prayer of the humble that pierces the clouds, it will not desist until the Most High responds… Indeed, the Lord will not delay.

Jesus’ parable in the Gospel as written for us by Luke teaches us with power!

Being a follower of Jesus is not about thinking how good we are, but about recognizing how much we need God’s mercy.

“The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit.”

GARDEN SHED

The Garden Ministry is celebrating harvest season!

We have picked our red currants and cherries and transformed them into delicious baked goods. We invite you to taste the fruits of our labour by buying raffle tickets for these treats: one ticket for $2 or 3 for $5.

Raffle tickets will be available 30 minutes prior to each mass on the weekend of November 8th and 9th. A winner will be announced at the end of each mass. This year’s raffle will also feature two cookbooks as special prizes for two lucky winners.

We will also have lavender sachets and jam for sale. Thank you in advance for supporting our Garden Ministry!

CARING FOR THE NEEDY IN OUR CITY

Food Collection for the Good Shepherd Centre and Rosalie Hall

Rosalie Hall assists young parents and their children to realize their potential. The food we donate from our parish often replenishes their empty food bank.

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 very important as numbers of people in need continue to increase.

Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired.

SHARELIFE

From the heart of the Church – Food Security Grants to fight hunger

As food insecurity worsens across the GTA, ShareLife, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto (CCAT), and two generous anonymous donors, have pledged a combined $800,000 in Food Security Grants for 2025—building on previous commitments of $500,000 in 2023 and $750,000 in 2024.

Living the Gospel means caring for those who are hungry and vulnerable every single day. This is why we need your help to reach our parish goal. Please help fight hunger through sharelife.org/donate or by giving at our parish using a ShareLife envelope. Thank you for your kind generosity.

ARCHDIOCESAN DAY FOR PALLIATIVE CARE

ST. GABRIEL’S PARISH PALLIATIVE CARE WORKSHOP SERIES

October 25th and 26th, 2025
and
Saturday, November 8th, 2025 from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM

As part of our parish’s on-going commitment to provide our parishioners with information regarding palliative care, the Palliative Care and Bereavement Ministry at St. Gabriel’s will present its third and final session of the 3-Year Palliative Care Workshop Series. We started the series in November 2023. This will be followed by the Horizons of Hope series next year.

In observance of the Archdiocesan Day for Palliative Care which the Archdiocese of Toronto has scheduled for the weekend of October 25/26, please consider attending the Palliative Care Workshop III which will be held on Saturday, November 8, 2025 from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM. Please contact Sr. Maria Lucia via email at StGabrielBereavement@gmail.com and see the bulletin next week for more information.

A letter to the faithful from Cardinal Frank Leo is available from the parish office to anyone who would like a copy. In it, Cardinal Leo asks for the parish community to “pray, reflect, and act with renewed compassion towards those in need of comfort, dignity, and accompaniment in their final journey” home to God.

COME & SEE DISCERNMENT WEEKEND RETREAT

October 31st to November 2nd 2025

St. Augustine’s Seminary

The Office of Vocations will be hosting a Come & See Weekend Discernment Retreat for men 18 years and older, at St. Augustine’s Seminary on Friday, October 31st at 6:30 PM until Sunday, November 2nd at 2:00 PM. This retreat offers a way for men to discern a possible call to priesthood at the seminary.

Registration must be done online at www.vocationstoronto.ca/comesee

For more information, please email vocations@archtoronto.org.

PROJECT RACHEL RETREAT

Friday, November 14th to Sunday, November 16th

Have you suffered the loss of a child from abortion, or the abortion pill? If grief, sadness, or shame has kept you alone in this, know that you are not alone, and that there is healing for you. Project Rachel at the Refuge will hold a retreat for post-abortive women November 14-16, 2025. Here you will find a beautiful, natural setting, companionship, and a welcome free of judgment or condemnation – healing is possible. Call 613-473-2679 in confidence, and see stmarysrefuge.org/rachel

RED WEDNESDAY: A VOICE FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS

November 19th, 2025

Red Wednesday 2025 will be observed on November 19, uniting Canadians in prayer and action. In Toronto, the Archdiocese of Toronto invites Catholics to join in the celebration of Mass at 5:30 PM at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica. Bishop John Boissonneau, Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto will preside

Contact: el@ac-canada.org or (416) 785-0498. An ACN Canada initiative with archdiocesan support.

FALL

You know it’s fall when you need a hat and scarf in the shade and shorts and sandals in the sun.