THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORDINATIONS OF FR. STEPHEN DUNN, C.P. AND FR. BERNARD MCEACHERN, C.P.
Please join us to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the ordinations of Fr. Stephen Dunn, C.P. and Fr. Bernard McEachern, C.P. on Sunday May 5th, 2024. There will be a reception after the 12:30PM Mass with an opportunity to congratulate Fr. Steve and Fr. Bernard on this milestone and to share our gratitude for all that they have contributed to the life of St. Gabriel’s Parish.
FIRST COMMUNION MEETINGS
Meeting appointments for children who are registered and preparing to receive their First Communion are now available.
Meetings are ongoing and will continue until Thursday, May 2nd. They are scheduled every 15 minutes from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Please call the Parish Office at 416-221-8866 to book your appointment if you have not already done so.
ANNOUNCED MASSES
April 29th – May 5th, 2024
MONDAY –
TUESDAY – LESLIE CLARKE – Requested by Karen Crichton
WEDNESDAY – CHIARA INTINI ✞ – Requested by Carmina & Aldo Filice
THURSDAY – FR. BERNARD & FR. STEVE – Requested by Isabel, Jenny & Leonore
FRIDAY – LIBERO VECCHIARELLI ✞ – Requested by Mary Papadatos
SATURDAY – ALLAN PERSAUD ✞ – Requested by The Family
SUNDAY – 8:30 AM – FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH
SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – ANGELO DI FLUMERI ✞ – Requested by His Family
SUNDAY – 12:30 PM
YOUTH STREET PATROL
Last weekend 36 of our youth group members prepared and distributed 130 bagged lunches and 4 milk bag mats across downtown Toronto. They were accompanied by Fr. Dennis.
STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION
5th Sunday of Easter
1st Reading: Acts 9.26-31
2nd Reading: 1 John 3.18-24
Gospel: John 15.1-8 – Jesus the True Vine
In today’s Gospel Jesus says “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” We can abide in Jesus by placing ourselves in His presence whenever we pray and He likewise abides in us, especially through receiving Him in the Eucharist. This close relationship with Jesus is where our stewardship originates and is sustained so let us never fail to go to Him before we offer up our time and talents to the parish.
SHARELIFE
Share the love with our beloved seniors through ShareLife.
ShareLife Sunday
Last year, ShareLife supporters like you offered quality care and companionship to over 2,300 vulnerable seniors.
“The largest thank you to all ShareLife donors for your continued generosity! With your support, our centre is able to provide assistance to seniors in need through our community programs.” – Jaymie Daunt, LA Centre for Active Seniors
The third ShareLife Sunday of the year is June 2. We ask you to share your blessings through the parish or at sharelife.org/donate.
Thank you for living the Gospel!
Please give at the parish using a ShareLife envelope, online through our parish website, or at sharelife.org/donate.
A Grief Retreat and Presentation of Support Fundamentals
Saturday, May 11th, 2024, 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Hosted by Father Ed Murphy at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church – 3220 Bayview Ave. Toronto M2M 3R7. This retreat is presented at no cost. Email the parish office to register – office@blessedtrinityparish.ca
Year of Prayer
On January 21, 2024, Pope Francis inaugurated a Year of Prayer ahead of the 2025 Jubilee, calling on the faithful “to pray more fervently to prepare ourselves to live properly this grace-filled event and to experience the power of hope in God.”
The Year of Prayer, the Holy Father explained, is dedicated “to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer, prayer in personal life, in the life of the Church, prayer in the world.”
Visit http://www.archtoronto.org/prayer for more information on this event.
CARING FOR THE HOMELESS IN OUR CITY
Thank you for your generous support of Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre. Your food donations are always so important as numbers of people in need continue to increase.
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.
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.
Please check the expiry date before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired.
GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE CASSEROLES
Your frozen casseroles will be collected at all Masses this weekend.
Good Shepherd provides more than 240,000 meals a year to people who would otherwise go hungry. Please think about volunteering to help feed our less fortunate sisters and brothers. Three different recipes are available in the Parish Office or online at the Parish website. Casserole pans are also available in the Parish Office.
Your support is a tremendous help and is appreciated in the fight to end hunger and chronic homelessness. For more information, you may contact Irene Albrecht at 416-221-2791.
Catholic Education Week
May 5, 2024 — “We Are Called To Love”
During Catholic Education Week (May 5 – 10, 2024), we give thanks for the gift of publicly funded Catholic Education in our province. Catholic schools foster supportive communities where children can experience the joy of God’s love and understand the Christian mission in the world. Together, our parishes, educators and families sow and nurture the seeds of faith with the next generation of Catholics, encouraging them to live lives of holiness and Christian witness as one body in Christ. To indicate your support of Catholic education and sign-up for email updates, visit: www.togetherinfaith.ca.
PLANNING TO BE A CATHOLIC TEACHER?
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.
GARDEN SHED
OPENING: SUMMER GARDENING POSITION FOR YOUTH
St. Gabriel’s Parish has received a Canada Summer Jobs grant from the federal government for a Youth Gardening Helper, to assist with gardening tasks 30 hours per week for 9 weeks, beginning mid-May. Work can include, but not be limited to watering, weeding, planting, transplanting, soil preparation, pruning, harvesting, mulching, cleaning up debris and care of garden tools. Applications will be accepted until May 8, 2024.
To apply, please send your resume to francisng@stgabrielsparish.ca.
OUR PARISH GARDEN MINISTRY NEEDS A LOGO!!
Our Community is enjoined to help them design their logo.
Entries will be received from March 22nd to April 30th. (Closing date extended from April 15th, 2024) The winning logo design will be announced on May 4th. Details are posted on the bulletin boards.
PERENNIALS
The Spring issue of our newsletter “Growing News” is now available from the home page and the Garden Ministry page of the Parish website. We hope you will enjoy it and look forward to your “letters to the editor”.
If you would like to receive the latest copy as soon as it is printed send us an email and we will gladly put you on our email list. Email us at: garden@stgabrielsparish.ca
If you are an experienced gardener, or interested in learning and would like volunteer or take on the leadership of St. Gabriel’s community garden, growing vegetables for the Good Shepherd Ministries, please get in touch. You will be welcomed with open arms.
To volunteer or to obtain more information please email garden@stgabrielsparish.ca
BULLETIN TRIVIA
Where in the church will you find the symbol of “I am the vine; you are the branches.” John 15:5a
Hint: Look beyond the red globe.
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.
