E-Newsletter - June 14, 2023

From the Desk of Fr. Tim…

ShareLife BBQ Thank you!

Thank you to everyone that supported the parish ShareLife BBQ fundraiser on June 3! A special word of thanks to Mike Genua, Peter Eng and the Knights of Columbus who cooked the hamburgers from Erie Meats, https://eriemeats.com/ . Since thanks to Debbie Bates and the CWL who served the food and hosted the reception in the parish hall.

Father’s Day Cake Raffle This Weekend!

Please support the Catholic Women’s League Annual Father’s Day Cake Raffle by purchasing a ticket or tickets for one of the amazing 5 cakes that will be raffled off after all the masses in the parish hall.

Coffee Sunday & St. Jude’s Cupboard

While you are in the hall purchasing your CWL Father’s Day Cake raffle tickets, please join us for a cup of coffee, tea or juice and a cookie.

St. Jude’s Cupboard will also be open after all the masses this weekend. Please stop by and check out the rosaries and other religious items that we have for sale. Many items have now been discounted.

All proceeds go to support the Social Outreach Ministry to buy groceries for the Salvation Army Food Bank at Collegeway and Glen Erin Drive.

Church and Foyer Flooring Replacement and Sanctuary Renovation Project,

June 19 to September 8, 2023

Our church carpet has served us well and has been in place since the church was built 36 years ago!  This summer we are replacing it with large porcelain tiles throughout the church, sanctuary, main and hall foyers. The carpet on the rounded sanctuary stairs and presider’s platform area will be replaced with marble.

In conjunction with the flooring improvements, the parish Property and Finance Committee has approved and decided to also proceed with switching the tabernacle and Mary statue/Baptismal font locations due to the high traffic area near the hall doors and the congestion in that area after mass. 

In other words, the existing tabernacle alcove area will be lowered to floor level and the Mary statue and Baptismal font will be placed in that area.  Therefore, the existing Mary statue/Baptismal font alcove area will be raised to sanctuary level and the tabernacle will be placed in that alcove. 

There will be three stages to this project:

Stage I:  Beginning Monday June 19, all weekday and Saturday morning masses will move to the parish hall until Friday September 8.  Access to the parish office will remain open through the front doors. Saturday weddings, funerals and all weekend masses will remain in the church until Sunday July 16.

Stage II:  Beginning Monday July 17 until Friday September 1, the church will be entirely closed but the parish office access will remain open.  All weekend masses will move across the parking lot to the cafetorium at Kateri Centre (the old Loyola High School where we gathered for mass from 1982-1987 before the construction of the church).

Please note that during this stage, we will unfortunately not be able to offer the livestreaming of our Sunday 9:00 a.m. mass.  We hope to return to the livestreaming on Sunday September 3.

Stage III:  Beginning on Saturday September 2, we plan to return to the church for Saturday weddings, funerals, and all weekend masses. A return to the church for weekday masses is scheduled to begin on Monday September 11.

Please note that the church office will remain closed on Mondays during the Renovation Project. The church and hall will also close each Monday after the 9:00 a.m. Mass beginning on Monday June 19.

Summer Saturday Masses

In the months of July and August we will only offer Saturday at 9:00 a.m. mass on the first Saturday of each month: Saturday, July 1 and Saturday, August 5. Regular Saturday 9:00 a.m. masses will resume on Saturday, September 2.  These masses will be offered in the parish hall.

National Indigenous Peoples Day 2023: Wednesday June 21

His Grace Archbishop Francis Leo, assisted by our Deacon John Brown, will celebrate Mass at the Native Peoples’ Mission, Toronto in observance of National Indigenous Peoples Day. The day honours and celebrates the culture and heritage of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people.

Date: Wednesday, June 21 Time: 7:00 p.m.

Place: Native Peoples’ Mission, St. Ann’s Church, 120 First Avenue, Toronto.

Following the Mass, a reception will be held in the parish hall. All are Welcome!

Special Collection: Marygrove Camp Collection, June 24/25

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Toronto Central Council, helps over 1,000 girls each summer, registering eligible campers through home visits including those in our own parish.

Marygrove Camp is a residential camp situated on Georgian Bay and open to eligible girls ages 5-13. Marygrove provides a camping experience for children who may not otherwise have the opportunity due to financial or domestic hardship, enjoy a camping adventure.

Special Marygrove Camp donation envelopes are included in your offertory envelope boxes. There are extra donation envelopes available on the tables in the front and hall foyers.

ShareLife 2023

Covenant House is one of the agencies you support through ShareLife. It’s located in Toronto, but its young clients – largely homeless youth – arrive from throughout the archdiocese.  In expressing their gratitude to your generous contributions, Covenant House shared this message:

“The money raised by ShareLife directly impacts the youth at Covenant House because it goes to a wide array of programming. That funding goes directly to the youth to have them be able to reach out and get the support they need.”

We thank you for your generosity and the support you continue to give ShareLife, our agencies, and our youth.  Thus far we have raised $170,589 toward our goal of $230,000. Please give at the parish using a ShareLife envelope, online through our parish website, or at https://sharelife.org/. Thank you for generously supporting our parish’s ShareLife campaign.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) Begins in September!

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is for adults who would like to become Roman Catholic will begin again in September.  If you or a loved one would like to consider becoming a Roman Catholic, please speak to Fr. Tim or Fr. Alex after mass or e-mail or telephone to arrange for an interview.

The Rosary Apostolate

The Rosary Apostolate in our parish schools, St. Mark, and St. Clare, is seeking volunteers who have great devotion to the Our Blessed Mother Mary. Volunteers need to be willing to visit our elementary schools to pray the Rosary with the children once a month for a total of 8 days in the school year. Training and screening will be provided. If you are interested, please contact Judy Camilleri at  judy.camilleri.2010@gmail.com .

Looking Ahead to July…

Catholic Christian Outreach Canada Appeal

On the weekend of July 8th/9, Naomi Misquitta, a young adult of our parish and lay missionary with CCO, will be speaking at all Masses regarding finding financial partnership towards her ministry which seeks to bring the Gospel to university students for the coming year, and challenging them to live in the fullness of the Catholic faith. For more info or questions for Naomi, naomi.misquitta@cco.ca.

Mission Co-Op Appeal

The Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood look forward to joining us, with Sr. Frances speaking at each mass on the weekend of July 22/23. They say:  “We are grateful for the opportunity to share with you our various ministries in many parts of our world. Sister Francis, especially, will share her personal journey with good humor and giving tribute to God’s abundant grace and help.”

Unidentified Envelope #400

If you are currently using offertory envelope #400, would you please contact Olga in the parish office, stignatiusloyolami@archtoronto.org or 905-820-1444.