August 31st, 2024
Welcome back to all our parishioners who have been away. We hope you had an enjoyable summer.
For those young people who are off to university, we wish you every success as you begin a new stage in your life. For those students and teachers returning to elementary or secondary school, we wish you a very positive year.
Monday, September 2nd is Labour Day, a civic holiday.
The Parish Office will be closed and there will be no 9:00 AM Mass.
September 2nd to September 8th
MONDAY – LABOUR DAY – No 9:00 AM Mass TUESDAY – LORENZO & VINCENZA GRECH ✞ – Requested by the Grech-Padova Family WEDNESDAY – JEANNE BRISTOL-CLARKE ✞ – Requested by Karen Crichton THURSDAY – LYDIA McGRANN – Requested by Ron & Anne Ackber FRIDAY – MANUEL COSTA ✞ – Requested by Celeste Costa & Family SATURDAY – RAYMOND MARTE ✞ – Requested by Michelle Alonzo SUNDAY – 8:30 AM – FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – GEORGE EGERTON HALE ✞ – Requested by his Family SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – ELEUTERIA SORIASO ✞ – Requested by Elsa Soriaso
There will be a second collection next weekend, September 7th/8th for the Maintenance Fund of the Parish. Envelopes are in the pews. Please be as generous as your means allow.
Why are clocks never in a hurry?
Because they always have time on their hands.
The Parish Family of St. Gabriel’s would like to welcome these little ones: who were baptised over the summer.
Gianluca Barrera-Pizzuti Riley Trish Calay Rory Trewt Calay Oliver Diaz Ruiz Caleb Hosein-Elefano Caerwyn Enjambre Taleisha Sky Mamuric Alexander Eli Mayrina Noriko Mew Emilia Wynn
Blessings and congratulations to these little ones and their families.
Registration forms for the Children’s Faith Program are now available in the parish office. This program is for children of the Parish who attend other Catholic schools, public or private schools. Classes will be held at St. Gabriel’s School. The first class is on September 8th.
Please note that a separate Sacramental registration form is required if your child will receive the sacraments of First Communion, Reconciliation or Confirmation during the 2024/2025 school year. These forms are also available in the Parish Office. Baptismal Certificates are required for First Communion and Confirmation.
Thank you for your generous support of Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre over the summer. They are very appreciative.
Rosalie Hall assists young parents and their children to realize their potential. The food we donate from our parish often replenishes their empty food bank.
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. In addition to our casseroles and food donations, our Garden Ministry has been growing fresh food for the Good Shepherd Centre.
Your food donations are so important as numbers of people in need continue to increase. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired.
ShareLife, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto, and a generous anonymous donor are once again stepping forward with a pledge of $750,000 for Food Security Grants this year.
The compassion of your parishioners is critical in combatting food insecurity. They can make a difference by supporting your parish’s ShareLife Campaign.
Thank you to the volunteers who prepared 68 casseroles this summer. For September, your prepared frozen casseroles will be collected at the Masses on the weekend of September 28th/29th for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.
You may pick up a copy of a casserole recipes 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.
More volunteers are urgently needed to help feed the hungry in our city. For more information, please contact Irene Albrecht at 416 221-2791.
Weekend of September 14th/15th
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul will be collecting gently used clothing, shoes and linens to support our neighbours in need on the weekend of September 14th/15th. Please bring your donation and help others in your community. Thank you! The truck/bin will be open Saturday from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM and Sunday from 8:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Volunteers will assist with the loading before and after each Saturday and Sunday Mass.
A small group of St. Gabriel’s parishioners will be going to Yellowknife from September 27th to October 1st to visit the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith where Fr. Brando and Fatima Lee currently work.
We would like to take a monetary gift from our Parish to the Diocese. Many of their priests have to be responsible for the pastoral care of multiple communities as there is a shortage of priests there. These remote communities are often fly-in communities, transportation costs are extremely high. Our contribution will help support the travel costs of these priests.
To raise funds for this, we are holding a bake sale after all the masses on September 14th and 15th. Any bake goods donated to this sale is very much appreciated. Baked goods can be dropped off before the Masses to the kitchen.
Please support our efforts to support our brothers and sisters in the North by donating and purchasing the baked goods.
Are you a university or college student? This school year, open your heart to an exciting journey of spiritual growth and community. Join campus ministry to grow deeper in your faith, form lasting friendships and experience university/college life in a more meaningful way. Connect with campus ministry anywhere in Canada and find your Catholic home on campus! Visit chaplaincyconnect.ca.
Continuous Learning Courses
Commencing in September, Regis College will offer three new, dual delivery (in-person and online) non-credit courses: Music and Christian Spirituality (led by Dr. Christina Labriola), Understanding Sacred Spaces (led by Roberto Chiotti, Founding Principal of Larkin Architects), and Science, Climate Change, and Theology: A Dialogue (led by professors and subject experts from the Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology, the University of Toronto, and the American Academy for the Advancement of Science).
For more information and registration. visit https://regiscollege.ca/academics/windows-on-theology/
Understanding Sacred Spaces (led by Roberto Chiotti, Founding Principal of Larkin Architects). If you would like to learn more about the history of church design throughout the ages and the criteria that distinguish sacred space from every day, then this course is for you. Come and learn about the history of Christian Church architecture from its early days to current theological influences on contemporary church architecture including the role that eco-theology had on the design of our own St. Gabriel’s church. The course is being offered both in person at Regis college and online for those who prefer to learn from home. For more information or to register, see the poster on the bulletin board or scan the QR code.
Please consider giving your offertory by picking up Envelopes, enrolling in Pre-Authorized Giving (PAG), or Donate Now (through the Archdiocese of Toronto website). Please come by the parish office if you have any questions.
| Posted in Bulletin |
July 23rd, 2024
In 2021, Pope Francis established World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, celebrated this year on July 28th.
The theme chosen by the Holy Father this year is “Do not cast me off in my old age.”
Read Archbishop Leo’s message for this special day.
| Posted in Notice |
July 19th, 2024
In recent weeks there has been a sharp increase in the amount of fake/scam emails being received by parishioners throughout the archdiocese. These emails – usually sent from Gmail accounts operated by scammers – appear to be from a priest and often request the purchase of gift cards or electronic payments. Please exercise caution should you receive an email like this and contact the parish via telephone to validate its authenticity.
July 10th, 2024
Registration for R.C.I.A. (Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults) is ongoing now. The R.C.I.A. is for persons interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith. The exploration may lead the candidate to seek baptism, and become a member of the Catholic Christian community; or for Christians already baptized into another Christian denomination, the reception into the Catholic Church. The sessions will begin after the Labour Day weekend in September and will end in June 2025.
If you are an adult who wishes to become Catholic or who have not received the Sacrament of Confirmation or First Eucharist, or if you would like to have more information about it, please contact Sr. Maria Lucia at StGabrielParishRCIA@gmail.com or call 416-221-8866.
June 29th, 2024
This is the last bulletin until the Labour Day Weekend in September. We wish you all a happy and safe summer!
Monday, July 1st is Canada Day. The parish office will be closed and there will be no 9:00 AM Mass on that day.
Sunday, July 7th after the 12:30 Mass
The Parish BBQ Picnic will be held on Sunday, July 7th after the 12:30 Mass in the parking lot. There will be hot dogs, salad, dessert, fruit, face painting for kids, games, music and much more. Suggested donation is $5 per person. Please bring your families, friends and neighbours, as well as your lawn chairs to enjoy a summer afternoon with parishioners.
The art on display in the Gathering Space is called The Passion of the Earth and was painted by Br. Michael Moran, CP, of the Passionist province of St. Paul of the Cross, of which we are a part. May this powerful work of art inspire in us a new consciousness, a new creativity, and a new energy to know we are as integral to Earth as Earth is to us. We are one. May we see and experience the Divine Presence in all Creation, and may our renewal bring Earth healing and peace.
We hope you can take time over the next few months to look at the painting, read the accompanying notes, and reflect.
A limited number of postcards and mini prayer cards are available from the parish office. Please see the table by the painting for suggested donation amounts. Proceeds will be donated to the Passionist Missions.
July 1st – July 7th, 2024
MONDAY – CANADA DAY – No 9:00 AM Mass TUESDAY – DELPHINE OAKIE ✞ – Requested by the Family WEDNESDAY – GUILLERMO ALMENARA ✞ – Requested by the Melis Family THURSDAY – BRUNO CORTESE ✞ – Requested by Antonietta Cortese FRIDAY – LYDIA McGRANN – Requested by Ron and Anne Ackber SATURDAY – MOU-KING AND YUNG-NIEN HSU ✞ – Requested by the Family SUNDAY – 8:30 AM – FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – GEORGE EGERTON HALE ✞ – Requested by his Family SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – BERNARD KELLY ✞ – Requested by the Family
Announced Masses for the summer months will be posted on the bulletin board in the Gathering Space.
Registration for children planning to receive the Sacraments of First Communion, Reconciliation or Confirmation in 2025 can now be done at the parish office. Baptismal Certificates are required to register for First Communion and Confirmation.
Registration forms for the Children’s Faith Program are now available in the parish office. This program is for children of the Parish who attend other Catholic schools, public or private schools. Classes are held at St. Gabriel’s School every second Sunday beginning in September.
Your love paves the way for second chances in life.
Through your support, ShareLife agencies are able to provide people struggling with homelessness, mental illness and substance use challenges with specialized care.
Your generosity brings them hope for a second chance in life. 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.
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.
Summer Collection dates: July 27th/28th, August 24th/25th
Good Shepherd serves upwards of 1,000 meals per day to people who would otherwise go hungry. Seniors, people living on disability payments, people living in poverty, homeless men and women are people at the table. Please think about volunteering to help feed our sisters and brothers in need. 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.
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.”
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Do not fear, only believe. Mk 3:36c
Sunday, August 25th from 1:00 PM
Veneto Centre, 7465 Kipling Ave., Woodbridge
The 58th annual Festa of St. Gabriel, under the direction of the Passionist Community, will be held on Sunday, August 25th at the Veneto Centre in Woodbridge. Relics of St. Gabriel will be present. There will be opportunities for Confession, a special Mass outside, and Italian food. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this wonderful celebration.
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.
The Summer issue of our new newsletter, “Growing News,” is now available from the Parish home page, and posted on the bulletin boards. We hope you enjoy it and look forward to your “letters to the editor.”
If you are an experienced gardener, or, perhaps, missing working in a garden, and would like to volunteer, you can reach the Garden Ministry by email – garden@stgabrielsparish.ca
Friday July 19th to Wednesday July 24th, 2024 (Arrival 4:00PM for Dinner, Departure after Lunch) Jericho House, 10845 Rathfon Road, Port Colborne, ON L3K 5V4 – 1-905-834-0553
Retreat Theme: Encountering and Embracing a Contemplative Ecology
Sponsored by Jericho House & Office of Province Life & Renewal Edmund Rice Christian Brothers North America
At the heart of the retreat, the relationship between contemplation and the realities of the world of nature in a time of ecological crisis will be explored – suggesting even that fostering a contemplative spirit is a primary and significant part of responding to the crises of the time.
The retreat will be facilitated by Sr. Mary Rowell, CSJ.
For Sr. Mary’s bio information, as well as further details about the retreat, please consult the poster on our bulletin boards, or visit the parish office for a copy.
Registration is by email at: leadership@jerichohouse.org
Cost: Residents $600 / Commuters $500 Please make cheques payable to Jericho House.
How do you keep a person in suspense?
Securities as a Charitable Gift Option
One of the most financially sound ways to support the Archdiocese of Toronto is with the gift of securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds). When you donate stocks, mutual funds and other publicly traded securities to a registered charity, you pay no capital gains tax and receive a tax receipt for the full amount of the gift. It means a great tax break for you and more significant support of your Parish and various archdiocesan charities such as ShareLife, St. Augustine’s Seminary, The Shepherds’ Trust and many others. To donate securities, follow this link: https://bit.ly/GiftsOfSecurities where you will find our “How to Gift Securities Info Sheet” and a “Letter of Direction.”
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.
Learn about Passionists and our insignia »
Read about Fr. Tim Boyle’s visit with Fatima. Check out the original blog post with even more pictures.
Companion for the Walk of the Stations of the Cosmic Earth
St. Gabriel’s Garden – Guided Sensory Reflective Walk