LIVING POPE FRANCIS’ VISION OF THE CHURCH – THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL – ADVENT RETREAT
Saturday, December 2nd from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM
St. Gabriel’s Church
Please join us for the Advent Retreat. It will be a wonderful way to prepare our minds and hearts for Christmas. The retreat will be preached by Father Robin Ryan, a Passionist priest and theologian. Father Ryan teaches at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He is author of numerous books, articles and recordings on theological and spiritual topics, and a much sought-after retreat director.
Among his work are Catholics on Call: Discerning a Life of Service in the Church (Liturgical Press, 2010) and God and the Mystery of Human Suffering: A Theological Conversation Across the Ages (Paulist Press, 2011).
Pope Francis is calling all baptized Christians to renew their relationship with Christ and the Church. In this parish retreat, Father Ryan will explore with us the vision of the Church that Pope Francis presents and reflect on its implications for Christian living.
For more information, please call Parish Office at 416 221-8866, or email Fatima Lee at fatimalee@bellnet.ca.
YOUTH GROUP ADVENT WREATH SALE
Weekend of November 25th and 26th
The St. Gabriel’s Youth Group has decorated Advent wreaths which will be on sale on the weekend of November 25th and 26th after all the Masses.
Money raised will go toward sponsoring the youth group activities. Please support our Youth Group!
CYBER SAFETY PRESENTATION
Sunday November 26th at 2:00 PM
St. Gabriel’s Church
There will be a presentation on Cyber Safety here at the Church on Sunday, November 26th at 2:00 PM. It will be led by Peter Sloly, a former parishioner. Mr. Sloly was a member of the Toronto Police for 27 years and the Deputy Police Chief of Toronto Police Services. All are welcome to attend.
ANNOUNCED MASSES
November 20th to November 25th, 2017
MONDAY – MICHAEL BOBYK – Requested by Miroslaw & Alicia Bobyk
TUESDAY – SOULS IN PURGATORY – Requested by Mary & Ravi
WEDNESDAY – ANNA & PETER – Requested by Their Parents Robert & Maria
THURSDAY – SOULS IN PURGATORY – Requested by Mary & Ravi
FRIDAY – GUS CALDERONE – Requested by the Marie Calderone
SATURDAY – MARJORIE SKAZIN, ANITA MARKLE & PATRICK MCGROARTY – Requested by Bill & Carolyn Markle
CONFIRMATION ENROLLMENT CEREMONY
Sunday, November 26th at the 12:30 PM Mass
The Confirmation Enrollment Ceremony for all Confirmation candidates will be held on Sunday, November 26th at the 12:30 PM Mass. All Confirmation candidates must attend.
Candidates are reminded to submit their letters requesting Confirmation to Fr. Brando through the Parish Office by this Sunday, November 19th.
PARENT MEETING FOR FIRST RECONCILIATION
Wednesday, November 29th at 7:30 PM
St. Gabriel’s Church, Gabriel Room
On Wednesday, November 29th at 7:30 PM there will be a meeting in the Gabriel Room for parents of children who will be receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time.
SHEPHERD’S TRUST COLLECTION
This Weekend, November 18th/19th
As members of our Catholic community, we regularly benefit from the tireless service of our priests. Called by God and ordained to care for His people, our priests serve our families, in churches, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, missions and on the streets.
This weekend, there will be a second collection for The Shepherds’ Trust. The mission of The Shepherds’ Trust is to help ensure that elderly and disabled priests are provided with sufficient financial resources to lead a dignified life after many years of ministry. Your generous gift will help our priests to maintain a modest but active and independent lifestyle in their retirement years. For priests who are ill or otherwise infirm, the Trust ensures they have access to nursing home facilities and medical care. Thank you for your support of this important work.
THE GIVING TREE
Saturday,December 2nd to Sunday, December 17th
During Advent, the Society of St Vincent de Paul 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 $25.00 for that child and return the unwrapped gift, with the tag attached, to the box provided in the Gathering Space. 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 ages 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 17th. Toys 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 Parish Office. Thank you for your generous support.
DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE
Development and Peace has launched a new campaign “Women at the Heart of Peace”. This campaign invites Canadians to learn more about the vital role women play in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. To learn more, visit devp.org/campaign.
CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE
Saturday, December 2nd to Sunday, December 17th
We are 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 newborn to 12 years old. Containers will be set up at the doors of the Church from Saturday, December 2nd until Sunday, December 17th.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE
Your prepared frozen casseroles will be collected at the Masses next weekend for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.
More volunteers are needed to help feed the hungry in our city. Three recipes are available on St. Gabriel’s website. Printed copies of the recipes are also available in the Parish Office. Please remember to mark the label on the pan lid with the name of the casserole.
For more information, you may 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. The good people of St. Gabriel’s have been extremely generous in their support of these two important centres.
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.
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.
Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your tremendous support!
ST. GABRIEL SCHOOL POINSETTIA FUNDRAISER
Weekend of November 18th and 19th
St. Gabriel School is holding a poinsettia fundraiser this year. Order forms are available after all the Masses this weekend, November 18th and 19th in the Gathering Space or from the Parish Office. Plants will be available for pick up at St. Gabriel School on Friday, December 8th. Funds raised will help subsidize activities and materials that benefit all students at the school. Please support St. Gabriel School.
FRIENDS OF THE STREET
Wednesday, November 22nd from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM
St. Margaret Parish Hall
Friends of the Street is a group in St. Margaret of Scotland Parish that prays for those who have been pushed to the margins of society through drug use or their lifestyle. Each month we hear from people who have lived on the street, or from those who support them downtown.
The next meeting is on Wednesday November 22nd from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM in the parish hall at 2134 Avenue Road, Toronto. The speaker will be Kelly who will talk of her life of addiction and her journey to recovery.
FACULTY OF THEOLOGY 8TH ANNUAL MEAGHER LECTURE – THEOLOGY IN THE CHURCH
Tuesday, November 21st at 7:00 PM
Madden Hall, 100 St. Joseph Street, Toronto
Please join the Faculty of Theology, University of St. Michael’s College as Professor Emeritus Dr. Michael Vertin presents the 8th annual Meagher Lecture, a talk entitled Theology in the Church. The event takes place at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, November 21st 2017 in Madden Hall, at 100 St. Joseph St., Toronto. Admission is free, and no registration is required
BLESSED TRINITY CWL PRESENTS
Let’s Talk About Mental Health
Tuesday, November 28th at 7:00 PM
Blessed Trinity Parish Hall
Please join Blessed Trinity CWL for an evening with Dr Andrea Levinson, Psychiatrist in chief. Health and Wellness, University of Toronto. This talk will provide an overview of the continuum from mental health to mental illness. Issues pertaining to the impact, stigma, gender differences, key signs and symptoms, common illnesses and ways to access help will be covered. Refreshments will be provided and a $10 donation would be appreciated. For more information, please contact Kay Booker at 416-357-5378.
THE TORONTO CHORAL SOCIETY PRESENTS BACH’S CHRISTMAS ORATORIO
Wednesday, December 6th at 7:30 PM
Koerner Hall, Telus Centre
On the first Wednesday in December at the acoustically magnificent Koerner Hal the Toronto Choral Society, 22 members of the Talisker Players and some great soloists present Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. Tickets start at $45 and can be ordered from the website: https://www.torontochoralsociety.org/concerts/2017/12/6/christmas-oratorio-at-koerner-hall.
FRIARS’ STUDENT WRITING AWARD 2018
Win great prizes! Deadline for submissions January 8th 2018
Students aged 14 to 18 are invited to write a 500-word essay on the theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, celebrated January 18th to January 25th, 2018. The Theme is “Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power” (cf. Exodus 15:6). Students should read the Scripture passage from Exodus 15: 1-21 and respond to the following question in the essay:
Just as the Israelites sought deliverance from enslavement, in contemporary society the dignity of all people is threatened by new enslavements to poverty, violence, injustice and addictions. In what ways can Christians of all denominations work together to stave off these assaults to human dignity? Explain.
First Prize: iPad Pro (128 GB). Second Prize: Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2. Third to Sixth Prizes: one-year subscription to The Catholic Register and other prizes. Winning essays will be edited and published in The Catholic Register. Deadline for entries is January 8th, 2018. For entry details, please visit http://bit.ly/studentwritingawarddetails.
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.
