January 17th, 2026
Thank you for considering increasing your Sunday Offering.
Join your fellow parishioners who have answered the call to action.
The offerings are what keeps the parish functioning and maintained.
belonging, believing, becoming
January 19th – January 25th, 2026
MONDAY – LEANDRO FERRAO – Requested by Joan Ferrao TUESDAY – WEDNESDAY – VERA TAN’S BIRTHDAY INTENTIONS – Requested by the Family THURSDAY – FRIDAY – TAT LAU ✞ – Requested by Agnes Lau SATURDAY – DAVID BARBOUR ✞ – Requested by Janet Candido SUNDAY – 8:30 AM – FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – BERNARD PINTO ✞ – Requested by Sophie & Candida Pereira SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – MARTIN HIGGINS ✞ – Requested by Agnes Gaughan
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalm 40
“Here I am Lord. I come to do your will.”
From Isaiah in our first reading: “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
These words refer to Jesus. And Jesus’ response is in the words of the psalm: “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
While the words apply definitely to Jesus, do they also apply to each of us? Are we light in the world? Do we delight to do God’s will?
Let’s appreciate the wisdom and beauty of these age-old prayers.
Thank you for your generous support of Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre
Your food donations are very important during the winter 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
Next Weekend, January 24th & 25th
Your prepared frozen casseroles will be collected at all the Masses next weekend for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre. Many more volunteers are needed to help feed the hungry in our city. This is a wonderful way to share your time and talents.
Three recipes are available on St. Gabriel’s website. Printed copies of the recipes are also available in the Parish Office. Pans can be picked up here in the office. Please remember to mark the label on the pan lid with the name of the casserole. For more information, please contact the parish office at 416 221 8866.
Dear Friends at St Gabriel Parish Community,
Now that I am back in Haiti, (helicoptered in again!), I remember your hospitality with gratitude.
I was glad to accept the invitation to share with you, in the form of advent reflections, some things I have learned as a priest and “apostle” over many years in ministry.
The faith sharing is also healing for me, and the messages I tried to convey during the weekend are in fact ancient teachings of our faith. They are ever new, in every generation of faithful people.
While I was not in Toronto for a mission appeal, your spontaneous generosity was enormously impressive, and I especially appreciated the many personal notes and messages that you spoke or handed to me, after the various masses.
Please know that I was quite rejuvenated by being with you, and my Passionist Brothers!
I offer your most sincere thanks for your donations for the people we serve in Haiti!
I wish for all of you a most blessed new year of Grace, 2026! Fr. Rick Frechette CP
Fair Trade coffee will be sold after all the Masses next weekend, January 24th /25th. The cost is $7.00 per bag.
The Garden Ministry’s Winter Issue is now available on our website and parish bulletin boards. We welcome your feedback and letters to the editor.
Offertory envelopes for 2026 are still available in the Gathering Space. If there is no box with your name on it and you wish to use envelopes, please advise the parish office either in person, by email or by phone.
On the first few 2026 envelopes, please write your name and complete address so that the office can ensure they have your correct information when sending out 2025 tax receipts. If you have changed your address, please inform the parish office as soon as possible.
To ensure the proper recording for tax receipt purposes, please do not use any envelopes from 2025 or any prior year for any 2026 donations.
| Posted in Bulletin |
January 11th, 2026
January 12th – January 18th, 2026
MONDAY – DELPHINE OAKIE ✞ – Requested by the Family TUESDAY – SOULS IN PURGATORY ✞ – Requested by the Chiu Family WEDNESDAY – WORLD PEACE – Requested by the Chiu Family THURSDAY – RINO DELLA MORA ✞ – Requested by John & Anna Della Mora FRIDAY – VALENTINA PALAZZO ✞ – Requested by Cheryl Rancati SATURDAY – MICHAEL CROGHAN ✞ – Requested by Luvi Croghan SUNDAY – 8:30 AM – FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – PHILIP TAYLOR ✞ – Requested by his Family SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – MIGUEL MAGTIBAY ✞ – Requested by his Family
Baptism of the Lord
Psalm 29
We sing 6 of the 11 verses of this impressive psalm: The power of the Lord is compared to a massive thunderstorm sweeping inland from the Mediterranean and across the countryside. Think back to being outside without protection in a storm with crashing lightning and thunder, stinging wind and rain. The awe which a powerful storm can evoke is compared to the awe we feel towards God. In the times of the composition of the psalms, ancient peoples often associated the most violent manifestations of nature with divine power.
The implication is that a powerful storm may terrify man and beast; and yet, the sovereign Lord of creation is the master of all things, including a tempest that terrifies.
Psalm 29 is our response to the words of Isaiah about the Christ who “will faithfully bring forth justice”.
“The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty…. The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.”
Today’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the liturgical season of Christmas.
Begins Wednesday, January 21st at 10:00 AM
The Toronto Catholic District School Board welcomes families with junior kindergarten-aged children (born in 2022) to register for the September 2026/2027 school year.
The Elementary Student Online Registration 2026/27 is now available. Please complete an application at http://soar.tcdsb.org.
The following original documents for your child are required upon registration: Birth certificate.
Proof of Catholicity (one of the following documents):
For more registration information, please email: admissions.registration@tcdsb.org or phone 416-222-8282 ext. 5320
If you are planning to be a teacher, it is important for you to know that to be hired to teach in any Catholic school board in Ontario, there must be a letter of reference from your pastor as part of your application.
The letter explaining that you belong to and participate in the community cannot be written if your pastor does not know you. It is recommended that you have a conversation with him early in the process well before the applications are to be submitted.
Wednesday, January 21st from 1:00 to 2:30 PM
This a reminder that the next milk bag weaving session will take place on Wednesday, January 21st from 1:00 to 2:30 PM. New members are welcome. For more information, please contact Sharon at sharongusz@gmail.com
On behalf of the Women’s Shelters supported by “the good people” of St. Gabriel’s, the Beacons of Hope were able to more than meet their requests for winter clothing and personal care items. Thank you so very much!
The need for personal care items is ongoing. Please check the list posted by our boxes before donating for items needed.
Thank you for your generous support of Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre over this Christmas season.
Rosalie Hall is an accredited children’s mental health facility focusing on the needs of pregnant and parenting youth ages 12-25, their children, and their families. Here the needs of young families are met, offering prenatal and parenting classes as well as staff to aid in the transition to parenthood. A school program enables clients to finish high school. The food we donate from our parish often replenishes their empty food bank.
Good Shepherd provides hot meals, clean clothes and shelter for the homeless in our city. They help find housing and provide follow up support. They support the homeless who are working to overcome addictions and provide a chance to start again through the Resettlement or DARE Programs.
Your food donations are so 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
The winter issue of the Garden Ministry’s newsletter is now available on our website and on the parish bulletin boards.
We welcome your feedback and letters to the editor.
Sunday, January 18th, 2026 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Runnymede United Church, 432 Runnymede Rd, Toronto
Theme: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4)
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU) invites all Christians to draw on our shared Christian heritage and enter more deeply into the faith that unites all Christians.
This year the prayers and reflections for the WPCU were entrusted to a writing team from Armenia that included the Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) Church, the Armenian Catholic Church and Evangelical Churches and have been jointly published by the Dicastery for Christian Unity (Vatican) and the World Council of Churches.
We invite you to join Bishop John A. Boissonneau and distinguished Christian leaders and many choirs from various traditions to pray together for the restoration of the full visible unity that Jesus Christ willed for His Church.
This gathering is jointly organized by the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations and the Greater Toronto Area Council of Christian Churches.
Wednesday, January 14th, 2026 FROM 12:00 PM TO 1:00 PM
AN ONLINE EVENT RECOMMENDED BY THE OFFICE FOR ECUMENICAL AND INTERFAITH RELATIONS
Dr. Alan Brill, professor at Seaton Hall University, will explore contemporary perspectives on six themes of Christian theology (Trinity, original sin, incarnation, salvation, messianism, and covenant) presenting approaches with potential for greater commonality with Judaism, while remaining aware of essential differences between our faith traditions. For more information and to register, click bit.ly/4aTerAW.
Boxes are usually not assigned to parishioners who are donating via Pre-Authorized Giving or Donate Now through the Archdiocese.
Did you know?
The Baptism of Jesus is the first moment in the New Testament where all three Persons of the Trinity are clearly shown at the same time.
Christ the Son was baptized while the Holy Spirit descended, and the Father spoke from the heavens. Worth celebrating!
January 3rd, 2026
The Epiphany of Christ is a shining light set at the turning of the year to illuminate all that has gone before and to guide us through the year ahead.
January 5th – January 11th 2026
MONDAY – THANKSGIVING FOR THE LAU FAMILY – Requested by Agnes Lau TUESDAY – MOTHER OF AGNES NG & ALL VICTIMS OF THE TAI PO FIRES IN HONG KONG – Requested by Dorothy & David Yiu WEDNESDAY – DR. MARIO CHIU ✞ – Requested by the Chiu Family THURSDAY – ANTHONY MARIE REMEDIOS – Requested by Anne & Ron Ackber FRIDAY – THANKSGIVING TO GOD – Requested by the Chiu Family SATURDAY – FRANK & NELLA COLANTONIO ✞ – Requested by Angela Colantonio SUNDAY – 8:30 AM – FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – ELIZABETH TAN – Requested by Vera Tan SUNDAY – 12:30 PM –
With this Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, we close our celebration of Christmas and we look forward to a peaceful New Year. Sincere thanks to everyone who supported our various outreach programs and all other events held and organized by our Parish.
A special mention also goes to all our Parish Ministries and their volunteers. Your selfless contribution of your time and talents are certainly the greatest blessing that our Parish continues to have!
Thank you to the volunteers who prepared 34 casseroles for December. For January, your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses on the weekend of January 24th/25th for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.
You may pick up a copy of a casserole recipe 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.
Thank you for your support of Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre over Christmas. Once again, the people of St. Gabriel’s have been extremely generous.
Your food donations continue to be important as numbers of people in need increase. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired.
Several boxes of offertory envelopes are in the Gathering Space awaiting pick-up. Please pick yours up as soon as possible.
Under the Canadian Income Tax laws, a donor is entitled to an income tax credit against income taxes payable based on a tax receipt from a registered Canadian charity like St. Gabriel’s parish.
Please consider using offertory envelopes, enrolling in Pre-Authorized Giving (PAG) or Donate Now via Archdiocese of Toronto’s online giving for your offertory giving no matter the amount of your weekly donation. Envelopes are available at the Parish Office if you need them.
The three wise men came to the manger with gifts for baby Jesus. They brought gold and frankincense… But wait, there’s myrrh!
December 27th, 2025
“The most beautiful thing that God made, was the family…
All of the love that God has in Himself, all of the beauty that God has in Himself, all of the truth that God has in Himself, He gives to the family.”
Pope Francis
Heavenly Father, you have given us the model of life in the Holy Family of Nazareth. Help us, O Loving Father, to make our family another Nazareth where love, peace and joy reign.
We want to say thank you to Christine and Roland Kilchling for all their hard work in setting up our outside planters. They look great! Thank you both!
Thank you also to Fr. Rick Frechette for preaching the Advent Retreat and sharing his experiences from a faith perspective. This, as well as the gift of his time, was very much appreciated by our parishioners, and beneficial.
Wednesday, December 31st No 9:00 AM Mass Office Open – 8:30 AM to 12:00 Noon 5:00 PM Vigil Mass
Thursday, January 1st No 8:30 AM or 9:00 AM Mass 10:30 AM Mass 12:30 PM Mass Office Closed
Parking at ground level is limited to 51 spaces. Do not park in front of the Church since this is a fire route and must be kept clear. There is plenty of space in the underground parking lot.
Additional parking is available on the east side of Elkhorn Public School and in the bus loop. The school requests that we do not park on the grass. Please follow the instructions of the attendant. Many thanks to the Elkhorn Public School for allowing us the use of the school property.
December 29th, 2025 to January 4th, 2026
MONDAY – THANKSGIVING TO GOD – Requested by the Chiu Family TUESDAY – JOSEPH SUNG ✞ – Requested by Cecilia Sung FRIDAY – SUNNY JOSEPH ✞ – Requested by the Family SATURDAY – FOR ALL AFFECTED BY THE HONG KONG FIRE – Requested by Amy Lee SUNDAY – 8:30 AM – FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – BRIDGET PEREIRA ✞ – Requested by Sophie and Candida Pereira SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – INESITA DE ARDILA ✞ – Requested by Dario Ardila
Amplify your love through ShareLife!
NEW: Your gift will double in value! From November 3rd until year end, your contribution to our parish’s ShareLife campaign will be matched by an anonymous donor up to a total of $500,000.
Your Christmas gift will go twice as far, providing twice the hope, twice the comfort, and twice the love to those who are counting on your support. If you donate online by December 31s, you will receive a 2025 tax receipt.
Please support the work of ShareLife agencies through sharelife.org/donate or by giving at our parish using a ShareLife envelope. Thank you for living the Gospel!
Your response to our Giving Tree this year was overwhelming! The generosity of the parishioners of St. Gabriel’s Parish is truly spectacular. Thank you so much. May you be blessed with a peaceful and joyful Christmas.
Copies of the Parish’s 2024 Financial Statement are available at the office. Anyone interested is welcome to ask for one.
Your 2026 offertory envelopes are now available in the Gathering Space. Please pick yours up as soon as possible.
Under Canadian Income Tax laws, a donor is entitled to an income tax credit against income taxes payable based on a tax receipt from a registered Canadian charity like St. Gabriel’s Parish. You should consider using offertory envelopes, enrolling in Pre-Authorized Giving (PAG) or Donate Now via the Archdiocese of Toronto’s online giving for your offertory giving no matter the amount of your weekly donation.
If you do not presently have Offertory envelopes and would like to have a box, please let the office know and we will prepare a box for you.
Please note: All donations for 2025 must be received in the Parish Office no later than Wednesday, December 31st, 2025 by noon to be included in your 2025 Tax Receipt. Thank you.
December 21st, 2025
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11
December 22nd to December 29th, 2025
MONDAY − KANG WON JAE − Requested by Clara Jung TUESDAY − MARGARET HUI ✞ − Requested by Howa Hui SATURDAY – GERALDINE WALSH ✞ − Requested by Michael Walsh SUNDAY – 8:30 AM – FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – ROGELIO ABAD PEDRAGOSA ✞ − Requested by Leah & Tino Calingasan SUNDAY − 12:30
Tuesday, December 16th from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Wednesday, December 24th No 9:00 AM Mass Office Open – 8:30 AM to 12:00 Noon 6:00 PM Family Mass 9:00 PM Mass 12:00 AM Midnight Mass
Thursday, December 25th No 8:30 AM or 9:00 AM Mass 10:30 AM Mass 12:30 PM Mass Office Open – 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM
Friday, December 26th No 9:00 AM Mass Office Closed
Sunday, December 28th 8:30 AM Mass 10:30 AM Mass 12:30 PM Mass
While parking at ground level is limited to 51 spaces, there is plenty of space in the underground parking lot. Please follow the instructions of the attendants. Do not park in front of the Church since this is a fire route and must be kept clear.
Additional parking is available on the east side of Elkhorn Public School and in the bus loop. Again, please follow the instructions of the attendant. The school requests that we do not park on the grass.
Many thanks to Heather Cairns the Principal of Elkhorn Public School for allowing us the use of the school property.
There will be a Nativity Play during the 6:00 PM Family Mass on Christmas Eve. Children grades 5 and under are invited to participate where they will dress up in costumes as they reenact the birth of Jesus. There will be a dress rehearsal on Sunday, December 21st after the 10:30 AM mass. Please contact our Youth Minister at youth@stgabrielsparish.ca to participate.
Children ages 7 and up are invited to sing carols and hymns before and during the Christmas Eve Family Mass on December 24th at 6:00 PM. There will be a mandatory rehearsal on Sunday, December 21st from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.
Fourth Sunday of Advent Psalm 24
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
The Son of God, the Word of God, the Creator and sustainer of all things becomes one of us at Bethlehem. God is with us. Emmanuel. The Lord is with us always. What a cause for awe, wonder and prayer.
Weekend of December 27th/28th
Your prepared frozen casseroles will be collected at the Masses next weekend, December 27th/28th for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.
More volunteers are urgently needed to help feed the hungry in our city. Please get a copy of a casserole recipe and a pan and give it a try. Recipes are available in the parish office or on our website. Remember to mark the label on the pan lid with the name of the casserole.
Your Christmas gift will go twice as far, providing twice the hope, twice the comfort, and twice the love to those who are counting on your support. If you donate online by December 31st, you will receive a 2025 tax receipt.
Founded by St. Paul of the Cross, every Passionist takes a special vow to spend his or her energies in promoting remembrance of the sufferings of Jesus, the memory of the Cross, and reflection of the meaning of the Cross for the world.
Learn about Passionists and our insignia »
Companion for the Walk of the Stations of the Cosmic Earth
St. Gabriel’s Garden – Guided Sensory Reflective Walk
