Christmas Schedule 2019
ADVENT INDIVIDUAL CONFESSION
Friday, December 20th from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
REGULAR SUNDAY MASSES
Saturday, December 21st
Vigil Mass – 4:30 PM
Office Open – 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Sunday, December 22nd
8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM
Office Open – 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM
CHRISTMAS EVE – Tuesday, December 24th
No 9:00 AM Mass
5:00 PM Family Mass – Carol Singing
8:00 PM Adult Choir – Carol Singing
12:00 AM Midnight Mass – Contemporary Group
Office Open – 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM
CHRISTMAS DAY – Wednesday, December 25th
10:30 AM and 12:30 PM
Office Open – 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM
BOXING DAY – Thursday, December 26th
Office Closed
No 9:00 AM Mass
REGULAR SUNDAY MASSES
Saturday December 28th
Vigil Mass – 4:30 PM
Sunday, December 29th,
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus
8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM
Office Open – 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM
NEW YEAR’S EVE – Tuesday, December 31st
No 9:00 AM Mass
Vigil for Feast of Mary the Holy Mother of God
5:00 PM Mass
Office Open – 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM
NEW YEAR’S DAY – Wednesday, January 1st
Feast of Mary the Holy Mother of God
Mass at 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM
Office Open – 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM
YOUTH GROUP
The St. Gabriel’s Youth Group will be selling hand-painted Christmas ornaments this weekend in the Gathering Space. All proceeds will support the youth’s annual attendance at the Steubenville Catholic Conference in July 2020. Please support our youth!
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
St. Gabriel’s Church, Saturday, December 14th 7:30 PM
Christmas, Christmas time is near! Come join the Seraphim & Cherubim – Men’s’ Chorus and Women’s Chorus singing the Christmas songs you love as part of their All You Need is Love concert series. Bringing our friends together to sing songs that touch our hearts is celebrating what the season is all about. Never a typical Christmas concert and always full of surprise tunes and reimagined classics. Ticket prices: Adults $20, Children $5. Proceeds are in support of Thalassemia Foundation of Canada.
ANNOUNCED MASSES
December 2nd to December 8th
MONDAY – JOSEPH LUAN NGUYEN – Requested by the Nguyen Family
TUESDAY – DANIEL MORIARTY & DAVID SHELDRICK – Requested by Teresa Sheldrick
WEDNESDAY – CATHERINE MINNAN WONG – Requested by her sister Noreen
THURSDAY – MARIA DIDIODATO – Requested by the Family
FRIDAY – NICOLA VUKOVIC – Requested by his Family
SATURDAY – GUS & MARIE CALDERONE – Requested by the Family
SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – KAZ SWIDERSKI – Requested by Carol & Hugh MacKenzie
SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – THANKSGIVING TO GOD FOR EVERYTHING – Requested by the Chiu Family
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
Friday, December 6th from 9:30 AM to 12 Noon
ENGLISH ROSARY GROUP
Saturday, December 7th at 3:15 PM – Library
CHILDREN’S FAMILY MASS
Christmas Eve, 5:00 PM Mass
The Children’s Family Mass is on Christmas Eve at 5:00 PM. There will be a rehearsal on Sunday, December 22nd from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM for any young people, Grade 3 and up, who would like to sing in the choir. There will also be a rehearsal on the same day from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM for any children from S.K. to Grade 5 who would like to participate in the Nativity pageant. Please mark your calendars!
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND INTEGRITY OF CREATION
During our Development of Peace meeting in late October, we discussed about the fact that many issues and concerns have arisen and continue to arise since we started this committee years ago as well as the place of D & P in our parish. We deemed it wise to heed the challenge of Pope Francis to follow the signs of our times and thus, broaden the scope of parish commitment to social justice. In consultation with Fr. Brando, we are changing the name of our committee to that of Social Justice and Integrity of Creation (SJIC). This committee will serve as the umbrella for the expanded number of social justice initiatives we will undertake as a parish family which will include the D & P projects.
As mentioned in last week’s bulletin, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (D&P) will kick-off its campaign for the next two years starting this Fall 2019, the project called For our Common Home which is inspired by the papal encyclical, Laudato Si’ – On care for our common home. This fits in very well with the eco-theology thrust of our Passionist parish whose primary motivation is to establish a link between the sacredness of the gathered community of Faith and the sacredness of the Earth which is our common home.
The first year of the campaign will be dedicated to the Amazon in recognition that a future for the Amazon is a future for all. In a world where natural resources are ruthlessly exploited for commercial gain; where environmental degradation threatens the health and survival of the Amazon’s flora, fauna and people; and where “development” benefits the rich to the detriment of the poorest, we must act! The Amazon plays an essential role for all of humanity. By defending its people and their way of life, we are securing a future for the Earth and its people.
Please lend your voice in defending the defenders of the Amazon and committing to care For our Common Home by taking part in the following:
Sign or write Solidarity Letters addressed to two threatened Amazonian communities in Brazil. In addition to reassuring the communities that their struggles are not solitary, these letters will be used to press the Canadian and Brazilian governments to assert their rights.
Go to https://www.devp.org/en/campaign/forourcommonhome or take home the reading materials provided which show a deeper understanding of the Amazon; its role in maintaining the health of the planet; and the threats faced by its forests, rivers and people. It also outlines the campaign’s advocacy strategy, including questions to ask Members of Parliament and much more.
THE GIVING TREE
Saturday, November 30th to Sunday, December 15th
During Advent, the Society of St Vincent de Paul, St. Gabriel Conference will have a Giving Tree in the Gathering Space.
The tree will be decorated with gift tags. Each tag will have the gender and age of a child. We invite you to take a tag, buy a gift or a gift card of about $25 for that child and return the unwrapped gift, with the tag attached, to the box provided in the Gathering Space. If you choose an older child, please buy a gift card. Return it with the tag to the Parish Office. If you are a knitter, there will be mitten tags. Please take one and return mitts to the box in the Gathering Space.
At this time of the year, we are also thinking of the young mothers and babies of Rosalie Hall. If you wish to help, you may choose a “Christmas Stocking” from the tree to purchase pyjamas or undershirts for babies, age 6 months to 4 years. Unwrapped Items with the original stocking tag attached can be left in the box provided near the “mitten” tree no later than Sunday, December 15th. Toys or books for these little ones would also be appreciated.
For the Moms, we are suggesting gift cards from Tim Horton’s, Walmart or MacDonald’s. These can be placed in the envelopes provided and brought to the Office. Thank you for your generosity.
Beautiful 2020 calendar from the Canadian North
Available weekend of Dec 7th and 8th, 2019
As many of you know, Fatima Lee, who was formerly a member of our pastoral team, has served as a missionary in the Diocese of Mackenzie in the Northwest Territories for over a year now. The Diocese is home to many isolated indigenous communities.
On the weekend of Dec 7 and 8, volunteers will be selling beautiful 2020 calendars from the Diocese of Mackenzie at the parish. This beautiful and unique calendar showcases photos of lovely landscape captured by Bishop Jon Hansen on his many missionary trips in the Diocese.
It is hoped that through the sale of these calendars, funds will be raised to support the travel of priests and pastoral workers of the diocese to the remote communities. Since this Diocese of 1.5 million sq. km has only seven priests serving, many of the isolated communities will have Mass only three or four times a year. Except in the deep of winter, each time the priests or pastoral workers would have to fly in and out of these communities. It is notoriously expensive to fly in the north.
Please consider supporting the Diocese of Mackenzie. The calendars, at $20 each, are great for personal use; they will also make wonderful gifts, since they are unique and not easily available elsewhere.
CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE
Saturday November 30th to Sunday December 15th
We will be having a Christmas Toy Drive again this year for the Catholic Children’s Aid Society. You can help by dropping off an unwrapped new toy for a child, age newborn to12 years old. Containers will be set up at the doors of the Church on Saturday, November 30th and will remain there until Sunday, December 16th.
GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE CASSEROLES
Last weekend, 47 casseroles were collected for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre. This Christmas season, more volunteers are needed. If you require more information please contact Irene Albrecht at 416-221-2791.
ADVENT LESSONS & CAROLS
Blessed Trinity Parish, December 5th, 7:00 PM
St. Joseph Morrow Park and Brebeuf College School are hosting a joint celebration of Advent Lessons & Carols on Thursday, December 5th, 7 PM at Blessed Trinity Parish. All are welcome. Come and enjoy the beautiful readings and hymns of this season. Refreshments will follow in the hall.
FOOD FOR THOSE LESS FORTUNATE
Thank you for your generous support of Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre. Your food donations are very much appreciated.
Good Shepherd provides hot meals and shelter for the homeless in our city. Rosalie Hall provides a wide range of child services for young parents and their children.
Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your ongoing support of these important centres.
C.W.L. OF ST. EDWARDS PARISH NEED WOOL
The Catholic Women’s League of St. Edward’s Parish is in need of donations of wool to knit scarves and toques for the homeless and baby clothes for the stillborn. Any donations will be greatly appreciated. Your donations, labeled CWL, can be left in the St. Gabriel parish office. Thank you for your support and God Bless!
FINANCE CORNER
Offertory envelopes are now available in the Gathering Space. Please pick yours up as soon as possible. If you do not have offertory envelopes but would like a box, let the Office know and we will prepare a box for you.
If you do not use envelopes, PAG or Donate Now for your offertory giving, but put an unidentified offering into the basket, you cannot receive a tax receipt for income tax purposes. 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. You should consider using envelopes for your offertory giving, no matter the amount of your weekly donation.
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.
