Bulletin – October 12, 2025

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

A Prayer for Thanksgiving

O, heavenly Father:
We thank thee for food and
remember the hungry.
We thank thee for health and
remember the sick.
We thank thee for friends and
remember the friendless.
We thank thee for freedom and
remember the enslaved.
May these remembrances stir us to service, that thy gifts to us may be used for others.
Amen.

Monday, October 13th is Thanksgiving Day.

There will be no 9:00 AM Mass and the Parish Office will be closed.

SACRAMENTAL PARENT MEETINGS

Parents’ Meetings for children registered to receive a sacrament in 2026, will be held on the following dates.

Textbooks will be sold at these meetings (cash or cheque only).

Wed. October 15th at 7:30 PM – Confirmation Parents
Wed. October 22nd at 7:30 PM – First Communion Parents
Wed. October 29th at 7:30 PM – Reconciliation Parents

WELCOME NEW PARISHIONERS

Saturday, October 18th from 2:30 to 4:00 PM

Gabriel Room

To all new parishioners

An invitation to join us at a reception for new parishioners on Saturday, October 18th, 2025 from 2:30 to 4:00 PM, in the Gabriel Room. We would like to welcome you to the parish.

It will also be an opportunity to get to know other parishioners, as well as to meet with the pastoral team, and to learn more about the parish and our very unique church building.

Please register by calling the parish office at (416) 221-8866, or email office@stgabrielsparish.ca

Hope to see you there!

YOUTH GROUP STREET PATROL

Last Sunday, our parish youth and young adults came together to make and distribute 120 sandwiches to neighbours in need throughout downtown. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the parishioners who generously donated funds and personal care items for this initiative, as well as the milk bag weaving group for kindly giving us two mattresses to distribute. Your contributions made a meaningful difference in our community!

ANNOUNCED MASSES

October 13th to October 19th

MONDAY – THANKSGIVING DAY – No 9:00 AM Mass
TUESDAY – BRIAN RUMBALL ✞ – Requested by Maureen Rumball & Family
WEDNESDAY – CATHERINE SUN – Requested by Cecilia Chiu
THURSDAY – DELPHINE OAKIE ✞ – Requested by the Family
FRIDAY – HENRY CHIU ✞ – Requested by the Chiu Family
SATURDAY – VICTOR PAUL ✞ – Requested by the Sophie & Candida Pereira
SUNDAY – 8:30 AM – FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH
SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – JOACHIM CHUN YUEN FUNG ✞ – Requested by the Fung Family
SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – FR. BILL MURPHY – Requested by the Carriere Family

PSALM MEDITATION

Psalm 98

It’s Thanksgiving and our country’s feast matches today’s Liturgy.

The line from 1 Thessalonians sung in our Gospel Acclamation sums it up: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for that is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Psalm 98 sings our praise of God for God has done wondrous things for us. God has brought victory.
The compelling story of the thankfulness of Naaman the Syrian for being cured of leprosy in 2 Kings, and the story in Luke of the thanks of the one leper whom Jesus healed who came back to give thanks, both speak to us of the importance of thanks. “Where are the other nine?”

As we pray this Psalm, may we recall that all is a gift. For which it’s right to give thanks.

Thomas Aquinas, most eminent theologian and Doctor of the Church, advises that true religion is deep and utter thankfulness and gratitude.

“He has remembered his steadfast love
and faithfulness to the House of Israel…
break forth into joyous song and sing praises.”

BEACONS OF HOPE

To meet the continued need for personal care items, pyjamas, slippers, towels etc., the Beacons of Hope group will be setting up a donation drop off box in the Gathering Space. A list of needed items will be posted at the box and on the bulletin boards. With the exception of slippers and personal care items that must be new, pyjamas, robes, towels could be gently used and clean.

One of the shelters has also made a request for vacuum cleaners. These should be in good working order and clean. Any assistance you could provide is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your kind generosity!

THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE

For the Good Shepherd Centre and Rosalie Hall

We are preparing for our Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Thanks to community partners like you, individuals facing hunger are welcomed and served daily at Good Shepherd. Upward of 900 meals are served each day at the moment.

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.

Urgently needed items include:
Tuna & Canned Meats
Coffee & Tea Bags
Soups & Stews
Beans & Chickpeas
Canned Tomatoes, Corn & Vegetables
Pasta Sauce
Salad Dressing
Cooking Oil
Sugar, Salt, Pepper, Spices
Bagged Rice
Mini sized Juice Boxes
Pancake Mix
Granola Bars & packaged snacks
Jams

Condiments: soy sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard

Please check the expiry date as we cannot pass on expired foods. We thank you for your generous support!

SHARELIFE

This Thanksgiving, gratitude comes with a challenge — families are struggling to put food on the table. ShareLife has pledged $800,000 through its Food Security Grants to bring warm meals to those who need them most.

Will you share your blessings with our parish’s ShareLife Campaign? We have currently raised $139,439 towards

our suggested goal of $169,000. Please give with love at sharelife.org/donate or our parish with a ShareLife envelope.

ANTISEMITISM AND THE DIGITAL SPHERE

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

AN ONLINE (AND IN-PERSON) EVENT RECOMMENDED BY THE OFFICE OF ECUMENICAL AND INTERFAITH RELATIONS

Join Lev Topor (Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo/ISGAP) in this third session of a formative series exploring how antisemitism is perceived, articulated, and contested in diverse academic, cultural, and political settings. His timely presentation, entitled “Artificially Amplified: Challenges and Complexities of Dealing with Online and AI-Enhanced Antisemitism” will be followed by a moderated discussion that will offer an opportunity for critical engagement and interdisciplinary exchange.

In this Holy Year of Jubilee, as Pilgrims of Hope, let us seek to better understand and work with other faith communities in friendship for the common good.

For more information: http://bit.ly/44KZLRa

To register for this session visit: http://bit.ly/451IxxQ

Thanksgiving Groaner

What would you get if you crossed a turkey with a ghost?

A poultry-geist

ECO-THEOLOGY: A CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO ECOLOGICAL CRISIS

Wednesdays from Oct. 22nd to Nov. 26th, 2025 – 11:00 AM to 12:45 PM

Explore the contributions of eco-theological discourse to today’s climate crisis through Biblical and Indigenous cosmologies, Catholic teaching and early mysticism, and modern science.

This series is presented by Roberto Chiotti, Founding Principal of Larkin Architects, and architect of our church building.

Participants can gather in Regis College St. Joseph Chapel or attend virtually via Zoom. For more information and registration visit https://regiscollege.ca/academics/windows-on-theology/

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.

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!

Trivia – Did you know?

Thanksgiving Day is not a statutory holiday in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador.