The Wise Still Seek Him.
“If we approach with faith, we too will see Jesus;
for the Eucharistic table takes the place of the crib.
Here the Body of the Lord is present, wrapped not in swaddling clothes but in the rays of the Holy Spirit.”
St John Chrysostom
FROM THE DESK OF FR. BRANDO
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Thank you, good people, for your overwhelming generosity this Christmas season. Thanks to you, St. Gabriel’s was able to provide toys, food and gifts to Rosalie Hall, the Catholic Children’s Aid, the Good Shepherd Centre and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
A special thank you to our neighbours the St. Gabriel’s Village Condos for their generous support of our food and toy drives. Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated!
Thank you to Catherine Soong and her family for the very generous donation of the beautiful olive wood carving of the “Pieta” from Bethlehem which is now in our Gathering Space. The Pieta was very significant to St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin to whom our church is dedicated.
A SPECIAL CEREMONY FOR FATIMA LEE
Thursday, January 10th at 7:30 PM
St. Gabriel’s Church
Something new will happen in the Passionist Community on the 10th of January, 2019. At 7:30 PM, in a special ceremony in our church, Fatima Lee, who had served as Lay Pastoral Associate of St. Gabriel’s for the past twelve years, will become the first Passionist Associate of our Toronto community. She will covenant to bond with vowed members of the Passionist community in prayer, relationships and ministry.
Father James O’Shea, CP, the Superior of the Passionist Province of St. Paul of the Cross, will officiate at the ceremony. A simple reception follows. All are invited. If attending, please RSVP (quickly) to 416.221.8866 or by email at stgabrielsparish@bellnet.ca.
ANNOUNCED MASSES
January 7th – January 12th 2019
MONDAY – RENATO BELLISARI – Requested by Chiara & Tina Intini
TUESDAY – THANKSGIVING – Requested by Gloria Flor
WEDNESDAY – ANTONIO & ESTHER – Requested by their Family
THURSDAY – DELPHINE OAKIE – Requested by the Oakie Family
FRIDAY – THE INTENTIONS OF NIKKI MALUNAS – Requested by the Staff of St. Gabriel’s
SATURDAY – JOSEPH NASELLO – Requested by his Family
GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE CASSEROLES
Thank you to the volunteers who prepared 41 casseroles for December. For January, your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at all the Masses on the weekend of January 26th/27th for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.
More volunteers are urgently needed to help feed the hungry in our city. 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. For more information, please contact Irene Albrecht at 416 221-2791.
FOOD FOR ROSALIE HALL & GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE
Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre.
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. There is a letter from Rosalie Hall on the bulletin boards.
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 the numbers of needy people continue to increase. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your generous support.
MOSAIC INTERFAITH
Temple Har Zion, 7360 Bayview Avenue
Sunday, January 13th from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
MOSAIC Interfaith invites you to attend their annual program in honour of Martin Luther King’s birthday at Temple Har Zion, 7360 Bayview Avenue on Sunday January 13th, 2019 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
The presentation by Rafi Aaron will be on “Faith and social Justice: The Story of the Interfaith Coalition to Fight Homelessness”. To RSVP or for more information contact Nora at 416 218 0680 by Jan 10th. See also posters on the bulletin boards.
TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
Beginning January 16th at 10:00 AM
The Toronto Catholic District School Board welcomes families with kindergarten-aged children to register for the September 2019 school year beginning on Wednesday, January 16th, 2019 at 10:00 AM. For September 2019 all children born in 2015 are eligible to attend Kindergarten.
For parents who are not available during the regular school day, most schools are hosting extended hours for registration one evening during the month of January. For specific dates and times, contact the Catholic school in your neighbourhood.
For more registration information, please call 416-222-8282, ext. 5314 or visit www.tcdsb.org.
GARDEN MINISTRY
Please join us on January 6th at 1:30 PM in the Gabriel Room to review Robert Cordy’s proposals for the south garden.
Robert will be providing a workshop on Garden Planning and Seed Selection on January 20th from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM in the Gabriel Room. Come and look at seed catalogs and dream about your future garden. Learn how to select seeds, set a budget, and grow healthy plants. Bring along a google screen shot or pictures of your garden. We can help you select the best way to start your garden.
If you would like more information about the garden ministry, please email Heather Bennett at heathermjb@gmail.com.
FINANCE CORNER
Our operating payments average $17,000 per week.
Offertory Envelopes for 2019
The 2019 Offertory Boxed Envelopes are now available in the hallway next to the Gabriel Room. Please pick yours up as soon as possible.
If you are contributing cash to the Offertory Collection without any identification, you will not receive credit for your contribution. You must provide your full name and address.
Please do not use envelopes from previous years since that envelope number may have been reassigned to another parishioner. Thank you.
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.
