Bulletin – April 12, 2015

April 11th, 2015

PARISH NEWS

At the Easter Vigil, the following children received the Sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist for the first time: Francesca Apiou, Leon Li and Amy Xie. Amy was also confirmed. Yang Zhao received the Sacrament of Baptism.

The following adults received the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation: Mei Cheng, Marsha Ryan, Katrina Young, and Tengzhen Zhao

Ernest Eisentraut was received into full Communion with the Catholic Church.

Charlotte Wong received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

The parish family of St. Gabriel’s would like to welcome and congratulate them!

ANNOUNCED MASSES

April 13th to April 18th, 2015

MONDAY – ESTRELLA C. GAVIETA – Requested by Cherrie, Stella & Isabel
TUESDAY – WELL BEING OF THE CHIU FAMILY – Requested by the Chiu Family
WEDNESDAY – WELL BEING OF THE FUNG FAMILY – Requested by the Chiu family
THURSDAY – MARY MILLER – Requested by Don & Marie Harris
FRIDAY – EDGARDO RECANA – Requested by the Family
SATURDAY – MIKE PALAZZO & CHRISTOPHER DI LALLO – Requested by Valentina Palazzo

FIRST COMMUNION INTERVIEWS

There are still some families of children who wish to receive their First Communion who have not yet booked an interview.

Those children attending the Children’s Faith Program, private schools or others are asked to choose one of the following dates: April 14th, 15th, 17th, 21st, 22nd or 23rd.

Children from St. Gabriel’s School are asked to choose one of the following dates: April 23rd, May 5th, or May 6th

Please call the Parish Office at 416-221-8866 to book your appointment with Fr. Brando as soon as possible.

THANK YOU FROM THE YOUTH GROUP

Our Youth Group held a bake sale after all the Masses last Sunday. Due to the generosity of you good people, $1,028 was raised. The money will go towards the group’s expenses for the World Youth Day to be held in Poland in July, 2016. Thank you for your continuing support!

SHARELIFE

Working wonders in our community…

“ShareLife supports a large family of Catholic agencies that truly do feed, clothe and shelter people, care for the sick and frail, and befriend the isolated and lonely. Reflecting Catholic charity, they protect the vulnerable, guide and counsel the troubled, visit people in prison and give a voice to the voiceless. Regardless of their religious beliefs or personal background, ShareLife agencies meet people where they are, treating them with the dignity and respect we all deserve.”
-Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto

ShareLife, 2014: $220,250
ShareLife to Date: $72,223

Today is ShareLife Sunday
Please give generously. You can work wonders!

JUST COFFEE

Fair trade organic coffees will be on sale after all the Masses next weekend.

Regular ground coffee: $5.50
Decaffeinated: $6
Whole Beans: $5.50
Chocolate Bars: $4 incl. taxes
Hot Chocolate and Cocoa: $4.75
Teas: $4.25

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL BUNDLE-UP COLLECTION

Weekend of May 2nd/3rd

The Society for St. Vincent de Paul will hold their annual Bundle Up Collection on the weekend of May 2nd/3rd. Bring your gently used clothing and household linens that weekend to share with others.

A St. Vincent de Paul truck will be in the Church parking lot to receive donations. The Society will donate or sell these donations to support their outreach efforts. Thank you for your continued support.

The truck will be open on Saturday, May 2nd from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and on Sunday, May 3rd from 8:30 AM to1:00 PM. Volunteers will assist with the loading before and after each Mass.

FEED THE HUNGRY

Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall or the Good Shepherd Centre. With everyone struggling at this time, these donations are more important than ever. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your ongoing support.

MILK BAGS

Did you know that milk bags can be cut, looped and woven into sleep mats for individuals or families in developing countries? Schools churches and senior homes throughout the Greater Toronto Area would welcome your contributions. Please drop the colourful outer bags in the bin located in the gathering space. Please make sure that the bags are clean and dry.

For further information about this program please visit www.milkbagsunlimited.ca or contact Sharon Gusz at sharongusz@gmail.com.

NEW BEGINNINGS: “The Art of Journaling for Inner Healing”

Monday, April 13 at 7:00 PM

Catholic Pastoral Centre 1155 Yonge St. 4th Floor.

Catholic Family Services of Toronto New Beginnings invite you to a talk entitled, “The Art of Journaling for Inner Healing” on Monday April 13th at 7:00 PM at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, 1155 Yonge Street. 4th Floor, adjacent to Summerhill TTC Subway Station. Free underground parking is also available.

Martez Schembri-Diskey, author, therapist and instructor, will guide us through a unique journaling approach which employs meditations, affirmations, gratitude, intentions and connections to balancing the spirit, body, mind and emotions for trauma, stress, pain management and self-care.

FAITH CONNECTIONS PRESENTS CHRIST AND CULTURE: AGO

Art Gallery of Ontario 316 Dundas St West
Wednesday, April 15th at 6:45PM

This is a chance for young adults (18-39) to engage culture from the perspective of the nature and person of Jesus!

Each of our Christ and Culture events are designed to open our eyes to the world of God’s beauty as expressed in every person. With that in mind, we will discuss and open our hearts to Christ in one another. Our event will be held at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Its collection includes more than 80,000 works spanning the 1st century to the present day.

Free! (The AGO does not charge an admission fee on Wednesday evenings). We will meet by the information desk near the front door.

RSVPs would be appreciated. For more information, contact John-Paul Markides at faithconnections@csj-to.ca or phone 416-467-2645.

REGIS COLLEGE BOOK SALE

April 21st to April 24th from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM

100 Wellesley Street West

Regis College (the Jesuit College at the University of Toronto) is having its 4th annual Sale of used hardcover and pocketbooks. There are more than 10,000 gently used books in all categories.

The College is located at 100 Wellesley Street West at the corner of Wellesley and Queens Park.
The Sale runs from Tuesday, April 21st to Friday, April 24th from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

BREBEUF COLLEGE ALUMNI EVENTS

Brebeuf College, 211 Steeles Avenue East

Pub Night Friday, May 1st

Mass and Luncheon – Sunday, May 3rd

Brebeuf College will be holding two upcoming events at the school for alumni and friends. A Pub Night Reunion will be held on Friday, May 1st. The Order of St. Jean de Brebeuf Mass and Luncheon will take place on Sunday, May 3rd. See www.brebeufalumni.org for more details or contact Michael Da Costa at Michael.dacosta@tcdsb.org

MEAGAN’S WALK – CREATING A CIRCLE OF HOPE

5km Fundraising Walk and Hug

Saturday, May 9th, 2015

Registration from 8:30 to 9:30 AM at Fort York
10:00 A.M. Walk to SickKids

On Saturday, May 9th, the fourteenth annual Meagan’s Walk: -Creating a Circle of Hope will take place.

Registration opens at 8:30 A.M. at Fort York and the Walk begins at 10:00 AM. The Walk concludes at SickKids with the “Hug”. The day includes live music and entertainment, face-painting, an opportunity to sign our Wall of Honour, and moving and powerful messages from Meagan’s Walk’s founder, youth ambassadors and world-leading doctors and researchers.

Proceeds from this event support the SickKids Foundation and are designated to the Meagan Bebenek Endowment Fund and awareness, research and treatment of paediatric brain tumours at SickKids

“INVITATION TO JOY” A WEEKEND OF PRAYER AND CONTEMPLATION

Weekend of May 29th to 31st

Single Women are invited to a retreat weekend, on Lake Simcoe, in Orillia offered by a team of Sisters of St. Joseph on the weekend of May 29th to 31st. Please register by May 14th.
Cost is $150.00 (subsidies available)

For information and registration, please contact Sister Rosemary Fry CSJ, rfry@csj-to.ca or 416-285-4166.

FINANCE CORNER

Our operating expenses average $14,550 per week.

Collection for Last Weekend

Envelopes 658 $ 19,875
Loose Change 2,862
Weekly Portion of Pre-Authorized Giving 164 3,117
Total 822 $ 25,854

Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land: $ 6,662

Homily – April 5, 2015

April 5th, 2015

Easter

’m sure you’ve all heard the saying, ’first things first’. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminds the early Christian of what was handed on to them that is of first importance, ‘that Christ died for our sins and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day. This reality is of first importance for those of us who claim to be Christian. If Christ has not be raised then his passion and death was for nothing. We are still in our sins.

But Christ is raised and we too will be raised in him. We will all die but we know that death is not the end of life, it is the beginning of a new and endless life. In a time known only to God and in a way known only to God our bodies too will be restored to life.

Paul tells the Corinthians that Jesus appeared first to Peter and then to the twelve and then to many others. Paul was not a member of Christ’s followers at the time of the resurrection. Paul came to Christ, or rather Christ came to Paul a few years later so in Paul’s telling of the resurrection of Jesus there is no mention of Mary Magdalene. But the truth is that it was to a woman, Mary Magdalene, the Risen Christ made himself known. Mary was given the task of bringing that awesome news to Peter and the others and finally to the world. Mary, a woman, a second class citizen, was the first person to say ‘I have seen the Lord.’ Mary was made the apostle of the resurrection of the crucified Jesus.

This is a real shock if we consider the social position of women at the time of Christ. It was pretty like it is for women in many Moslem countries in the Middle East. Women lived very restricted lives. Woman never left the house unless they were accompanied by a male member of the family. They were never to be seen talking to a man in public. They were forbidden to be a witness in a court case because everyone knew women were unstable. Jesus turned his world upside down, he broke the mold when he made a woman, Mary Magdalene, the witness to his resurrection; ‘go tell my disciples I live.

Jesus delighted in upsetting the normal way of doing things. At the last upper he shocked the Apostles when he, their teacher and lord became their servant, washing their feet and challenging them to imitate his servanthood. ‘I have given you an example’.He upset the religious authorities and they complained,’ he eats and drinks with sinners, the unwashed.’

Can we imagine that in choosing Mary Magdalene to tell the world he lives, he was challenging all of us to take a deeper look at how we see people different from ourselves, how we see the others in our lives. Is Jesus calling us out of our own tombs of bigotry or narrow mindedness to see life and other people in new ways? We all have our own prejudices, hang ups about men and women who come from different countries, racial backgrounds, faiths and life styles. There can be times when we find it difficult to understand or accept the validity of their lives and customs. Our politicians want us to see other Canadians as threats, as disrespectful of Canadian ways. They come here they live and think and act as we do, or else.

When we let our lives be lived with such restrictions and stereotypes we bind and cramp our possibilities of living full and Christ like lives. Jesus Christ died for each one of us, he died for the very ones who nailed him to the cross, he died for the men and women who teased him to come down from his cross.

If we are to be true followers of Jesus the crucified then we try as best we can to accept and respect men and women whose culture, faith or life styles we don’t understand, for we are all sons and daughters of God and Christ died for each one of us. Today the risen Christ calls each one of us to try, try and try again to ‘love one another as I have loved you.

I can’t imagine the number of bishops and parish priest Pope Francis has really upset by washing the feet of women on Holy Thursday in the prison he visited. His action breaks all the liturgical rules, it is just not allowed. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples – men. That’s it. I think Pope Francis is saying, ‘get over it’ think outside the box, be with the people.

On this day of the risen Christ we pray for ourselves and for each other that we hear the call of Christ to each of us to come out of our tombs of narrow mindedness and bigotry – come out to life come out to love.

Bulletin – April 5, 2015

April 5th, 2015

Rejoice for the Lord has truly risen!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
We wish you all a very Happy and Holy Easter!
From the desk of Fr. Brando…

Thank You!

Thank you one and all who made our Holy week and Easter such a beautiful and uplifting time; those in the Music Ministry, our Lectors and Altar servers, our Ministers of the Eucharist, our Ministers of Hospitality, those responsible for decorating the Church and the members of our Pastoral Team.

YOUTH GROUP BAKE SALE

Sunday, April 5th after all the Masses

Our Youth Group will be holding a bake sale after all the Masses this Sunday, April 5th. The money raised will go towards the group’s expenses for the World Youth Day to be held in Poland in July, 2016. Please support this worthy cause!

ANNOUNCED MASSES

April 6th to April 11th, 2015

MONDAY – EASTER MONDAY – No 9:00 AM Mass
TUESDAY – ARNOLD BENNETT – Requested by Heather Bennett
WEDNESDAY – SR. MARION MARR IBVM – Requested by Margaret Anne Leckie
THURSDAY – PAULINE FUNG CHIU – Requested by the Chiu Family
FRIDAY – CELINE CHIU KO – Requested by the Chiu Family
SATURDAY – WALTER DI NARDO – Requested by the Family

FIRST COMMUNION INTERVIEWS

Interviews for children who wish to receive their First Communion are now being scheduled.

Those children attending the Children’s Faith Program, private schools or others are asked to choose one of the following dates: April 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, or 24th.
Children from St. Gabriel’s School are asked to choose one of the following dates: April 23rd, 24th, 28th, 29th, May 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th.

Please call the Parish Office at 416-221-8866 to book your appointment with Fr. Brando as soon as possible.

FEED THE HUNGRY

Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall or the Good Shepherd Centre. With everyone struggling at this time, these donations are more important than ever. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your ongoing support.

SHARELIFE

Working wonders for those entering the priesthood…

Men who have responded to God’s call to dedicate their lives to His service come from all walks of life. Those who enter the priesthood come from different ages and backgrounds, economic situations, skill sets, and ethnic communities.

At ShareLife-funded agencies such as Serra House, Redemptoris Mater, and St. Augustine’s Seminary, they undergo extensive theological education and practical field training. Through ShareLife, you are helping sustain the vocations for priesthood and inspire discernment for God’s call. Last year ShareLife helped support 80 priests and seminarians in their formation studies.

ShareLife, 2014: $220,250
ShareLife to Date: $70,788

Next Sunday is ShareLife Sunday – April 12, 2015

Please give generously.
You can work wonders!

GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE CASSEROLES

Thank you to the volunteers who prepared 72 casseroles for March. For April, your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses on the weekend of April 25th/26th for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.

More volunteers are 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 website. 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.

MILK BAGS

Once again we are collecting milk bags. Did you know that milk bags can be cut, looped and woven into sleep mats for individuals or families in developing countries? Schools churches and senior homes throughout the Greater Toronto Area would welcome your contributions. Please drop the colourful outer bags in the bin located in the gathering space. Please make sure that the bags are clean and dry.

For further information about this program please visit www.milkbagsunlimited.ca or contact Sharon Gusz at sharongusz@gmail.com.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL BUNDLE-UP COLLECTION

Weekend of May 2nd/3rd

The Society for St. Vincent de Paul will hold their annual Bundle Up Collection on the weekend of May 2nd/3rd. Bring your gently used clothing and household linens on that weekend to share with others.

A St. Vincent de Paul truck will be in the Church parking lot to receive donations. The Society will donate or sell these donations to support their outreach efforts. Thank you for your continued support.

The truck will be open on Saturday, May 2nd from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. and on Sunday, May 3rd from 8:30 AM until 1:00 P.M. Volunteers will assist with the loading before and after each Mass.

SUPPORT FOR RECENTLY SEPARATED OR DIVORCED CATHOLICS

April 9th to June 11th

Tuesday Evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM

Catholic family Services Central Office, 1155 Yonge Street

Catholic family services of Toronto is offering a 10 week group program for adult men and women coping with many struggles involved in the process of separation and divorce. Group participants will receive support and guidance as they move through this difficult period of transition.

The group will run Tuesday evenings, April 9th to June 11th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. at the Central Office, 1155 Yonge Street near the Summerhill Subway Station. For more information, please contact Ian Singer at 416-921-1163.

NEW BEGINNINGS: “The Art of Journaling for Inner Healing”

Monday, April 13 at 7:00 PM

Catholic Pastoral Centre 1155 Yonge St. 4th Floor.

Catholic Family Services of Toronto New Beginnings invite you to a talk entitled, “The Art of Journaling for Inner Healing” on Monday April 13th at 7:00 PM at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, 1155 Yonge Street. 4th Floor, adjacent to Summerhill TTC Subway Station. Free underground parking is also available. Martez Schembri-Diskey, author, therapist and instructor, will guide us through a unique journaling approach which employs meditations, affirmations, gratitude, intentions and connections to balancing the spirit, body, mind and emotions for trauma, stress, pain management and self-care.

FAITH CONNECTIONS PRESENTS CHRIST AND CULTURE: AGO

Art Gallery of Ontario 316 Dundas St West
Wednesday, April 15th at 6:45PM

This is a chance for young adults (18-39) to engage culture from the perspective of the nature and person of Jesus!

Each of our Christ and Culture events are designed to open our eyes to the world of God’s beauty as expressed in every person. With that in mind, we will discuss and open our hearts to Christ in one another. Our event will be held at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Its collection includes more than 80,000 works spanning the 1st century to the present day.

Free! (The AGO does not charge an admission fee on Wednesday evenings).We will meet by the information desk near the front door.

RSVPs would be appreciated. For more information, contact John-Paul Markides at faithconnections@csj-to.ca or phone 416-467-2645.

FINANCE CORNER

Our operating expenses average $14,550 per week.

Collection for Last Weekend
Envelopes 470 $ 9,492
Loose Change 1,299
Weekly Portion of Pre-Authorized Giving 164 3,117
Total 634 $ 13,908

Homily – April 3, 2015

April 3rd, 2015

Good Friday

The 20th of March was the first day of spring. The UN declared it ‘Happiness Day” for the whole world. Happiness Day. I wondered how the men, women and children in the refugee camps in the Middle East or the immigrants in interments camps in different countries or the hungry and homeless of the world celebrated Happiness Day.

What is happiness? The song tells us it is different things to different people. People can be happy because of the birth of a baby, a new job, a new friend, a raise, good news from the doctor. People are happy for any number of reasons.

A few years ago I was on a panel on the radio with a rabbi, and a Hindu priest. We were supposed to discuss the notion of happiness. For whatever reason the rabbi and the Hindu priest never showed up. It was a half hour program and the interviewer and I had to wing it.

The Holy Spirit helped me on that day. It dawned on me that happiness is not an end in itself. Happiness is a by-product of the way we live our lives. Self centered, self-absorbed people are never happy. They are wrapped up in their own concerns and worries they have no interest in the needs of others. For them it is all about what I want, what I need. You may have heard the story of the man talking with his friend who says ‘enough about me, what do you think of me? I suspect he was not a happy person, he needed to be the centre of attention.

Happiness is a by-product of how we live our lives. I suspect that doctors without borders are happy men and women. They are overworked, under lots of stress, working in dangerous places but when all is said and done they are happy men and women knowing they are doing good for other people. Volunteers in soup kitchens and food banks, people who deliver meals on wheels, volunteers in their blue smocks at NYGH, volunteers who drive cancer patients to treatments and many others who help others are happy people because they do their best to be there for other people in need. Hopefully most priests are happy persons especially if they are trying to be the kind of priest Pope Francis is calling for; priests who are close to their parishioners.

In the course of this radio program I remember some of the words of the prayer of St. Francis; where there is hatred, let me sow love, where is injury pardon, where there is doubt faith- for it in giving that we received, in pardoning that we are pardoned and in dying that we are born to eternal life. I suggested to those listening to the program that they would know happiness if they prayed and lived the prayer of St. Francis every day.

We just heard the words of Isaiah – surely he has born our infirmities – he was wounded for our infirmities, crushed for our iniquities and by his bruises we are healed. We’ve heard the passion narrative of John recounting the trial, the flogging, the crowning with thorns, the journey to his place of execution, Jesus being nailed to the cross and lifted up to be ridiculed and taunted by his enemies, his cries from the cross and his surrender into his father’s love – it is finished.

St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans writing about the death of Jesus tells us that ‘At the appointed time, when we were still sinners, Christ died for us godless men and women. Paul goes on to say, ‘it is rare that any one should lay down his life for a just person, though it is barely possible that for a good man someone may have the courage to die. It is precisely in this that God proves his love for us; that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Christ died for us – for you – for me –

Happiness is the by-product of how we live our lives. With all the pain and suffering we just heard about can we imagine that the Friday we call good was the happiest day in Christ’s life? For it is in dying we are born to eternal life ..in dying Christ came to the glory of his resurrection

Happiness can be ours, will be ours when we live out our relationships as Christ lived his – being there for those in need – reaching out to heal hurts, forgive wrongs, accepting and respecting men and women different from ourselves, trying as best we can to live the great commandment – love one another as I have love you. Later as you come to venerate the cross pray for the generosity you need to always be there for those who need you. May we be blessed with a happy Good Friday.

Bulletin – March 29, 2015

March 28th, 2015

FAMILY OF FAITH

The pledge total as of Monday, March 23rd, 2015 is $1,040,293. Thank you!

THANK YOU!

You may have noticed some wonderful new additions to our worship space this weekend. Thank you so much to the Palmieri family for donating the beautiful bookracks for our new hymnals. We are very grateful and pleased to be able to once again use the hymnals during the liturgy.

REMEMBRANCE MEAL OF THE PASSOVER

Wednesday, April 1st at 7:00 PM in the Gabriel Room

Passover is the oldest festival of the Hebrew liturgical calendar. It has been observed by the Jewish people for more than 3,000 years. It celebrates the freeing of the Jews who were slaves during the time of Moses. It occurs in the spring, the time of renewal in “Nissan”, the first month of the Hebrew year, and it lasts for eight days.

At this time, their meals celebrate this momentous historical Jewish Event.

Why do we Christians celebrate this “meal” at St. Gabriel’s? First, this celebration helps us to understand our religious roots, which are Jewish. Second, it is an opportunity for us to celebrate our growth as a community and be together with families and friends at this most special time during Holy Week. The menu is identical to the Seder supper’s menu and the meal is “pot luck” – each person brings a dish for their table.

To book your table of 6 or 8 or to have your name added to a table, please call Ed Shiller immediately at 647-352-3123.

YOUTH GROUP BAKE SALE

Sunday, April 5th after all the Masses

Our Youth Group will be holding a bake sale after all the Masses next Sunday, April 5th. The money raised will go towards the group’s expenses for the World Youth Day to be held in Poland in July, 2016. Please support this worthy cause!

ANNOUNCED MASSES

March 30th to April 4, 2015

MONDAY – HENRY NG – Requested by the Family
TUESDAY – LUIS FUNG – Requested by the Family
WEDNESDAY – ALLAN PERSAUD – Requested by the Persaud & Goldenberg Families
THURSDAY – HOLY THURSDAY – No 9:00 AM Mass
FRIDAY – GOOD FRIDAY – No 9:00 AM Mass
SATURDAY – HOLY SATURDAY – No 4:30 PM Mass

LENTEN AND EASTER SCHEDULE 2015

Holy Thursday April 2nd
No 9:00 AM Mass
7:30 PM Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Followed by Adoration until 10:00 PM

Good Friday April 3rd
10:00 AM Morning Prayer
3:00 PM Solemn Passion of Our Lord
7:30 PM Stations of the Cross

Holy Saturday April 4th
No 4:30 PM Mass
8:00 PM Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday April 5th
Masses 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM

Easter Monday April 6th
No 9:00 AM Mass
Office closed

EXTRA PARKING AT ELKHORN PUBLIC SCHOOL

ECO – SABBATH

Sunday, April 5th at 11:30 AM in the Gabriel Room

On the first Sunday of each month, the Passionist Centre for Ecology and Spirituality facilitates a 30 minute reflection and discussion prompted by the readings for that Sunday’s liturgy. All are welcome to attend.

ROSARY GROUPS

English: Saturday, April 4th at 3:15 P.M. in the Gabriel Room.

Chinese: Sunday, April 5th at 3:30 P.M. in the Gabriel Room.

For information, please contact Linda Law at 416-918-8029.

FIRST COMMUNION INTERVIEWS

Interviews for children who wish to receive their First Communion are now being scheduled.

Those children attending the Children’s Faith Program, private schools or others are asked to choose one of the following dates: April 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, or 24th.

Children from St. Gabriel’s School are asked to choose one of the following dates: April 23rd, 24th, 28th, 29th, May 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th.

Please call the Parish Office at 416-221-8866 to book your appointment with Fr. Brando as soon as possible.

GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION

During the Good Friday Service, our parish in communion with the Church turns itself towards Jerusalem. It commemorates Jesus, His sorrowful passion and His love for us and all humanity. That is also where we share a common solidarity towards the Holy Sites and the faithful who live there. Our gesture of solidarity becomes an extension of the Pope’s hand that reaches out to the Holy Sites where Jesus has lived and given testimony.

On Good Friday, there will be a Pontifical collection for the Holy Land in support of Christian communities, the work of the Holy Land, the upkeep of the Holy Sites and the formation of future priests. Let us give generously and show solidarity to respond to the needs of the Church in the land of Jesus.

SHARELIFE

Working wonders in our livelihoods…

When he was presented with a top youth achievement award at a recent gala at The Carlu, Kiwayne was only a short distance from the streets where he had been homeless, and a world away. In the building’s food court a few years ago, he recalls falling asleep at the table – exhausted – trying to avoid having to go back outside. “I was going down the wrong path and didn’t know if I’d live to be 21,” he says. But for the past two years since moving into his own place, Kiwayne has been studying construction engineering at George Brown College and working part-time at the Provincial Advocate’s Office. Kiwayne grew up in foster care and, at 17, he found himself on the street until a friend told him about Covenant House. “Covenant House gave me stable housing that allowed me to go back to school and learn life skills.” says Kiwayne.

ShareLife, 2014: $220,250.
ShareLife to Date: $68,008.25

Next ShareLife Sunday – April 12, 2015

Please give generously. You can work wonders!

MILK BAGS

Once again we are collecting milk bags. Did you know that milk bags can be cut, looped and woven into sleep mats for individuals or families in developing countries? Schools churches and senior homes throughout the Greater Toronto Area would welcome your contributions. Please drop the colourful outer bags in the bin located in the gathering space. Please make sure that the bags are clean and dry.

For further information about this program please visit www.milkbagsunlimited.ca or contact Sharon Gusz at sharongusz@gmail.com

FEED THE HUNGRY

Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall or the Good Shepherd Centre. With everyone struggling at this time, these donations are more important than ever. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your ongoing support.

NATIONAL CATHOLIC MISSION 2015

BEWARE THE HOLY SPIRIT

VISIONTV

Monday, March 30th at 6:00 PM, Repeated at 10:00 PM
Tuesday, March 31, at 6:00 PM .Repeated at 10:00 PM

The National Catholic Mission 2015, “Beware the Holy Spirit!” will be broadcast on VISIONTV on Monday, March 30th and Tuesday, March 31st at 6:00 PM and repeated at 10:00 PM

It will be hosted by Fr. Pat Fitzpatrick and feature Spiritan Fr. Anthony Gittins. This year’s Mission looks at when and where God speaks to us in our daily lives and how we, as an institution and as individuals, can ignore that voice at our peril.

In Program Two, Fr. Anthony Gittins looks at the afternoon of life and discovers why it withers some people and brings freedom and joy to others who have learned to age with wisdom.

SUPPORT FOR RECENTLY SEPARATED OR DIVORCED CATHOLICS

April 9th to June 11th

Tuesday Evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM

Catholic family Services Central Office, 1155 Yonge Street

Catholic family services of Toronto is offering a 10 week group program for adult men and women coping with many struggles involved in the process of separation and divorce. Group participants will receive support and guidance as they move through this difficult period of transition.

The group will run Tuesday evenings, April 9th to June 11th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. at the Central Office, 1155 Yonge Street near the Summerhill Subway Station. For more information, please contact Ian Singer at 416-921-1163.

FINANCE CORNER

Our operating expenses average $14,550 per week.

Collection for Last Weekend

Envelopes 434 $ 10,318
Loose Change 969
Weekly Portion of Pre-Authorized Giving 164 3,117
Total 598 $ 14,404