E-Newsletter - March 26, 2024

From the Desk of Fr. Tim…

Easter Triduum

More and more Catholics are re-discovering the richness of experiencing the Easter Triduum in its three parts – Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:30 p.m., one of our three Good Friday Services 11:00 a.m. (Children’s Celebration), 1:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m., and the Easter Vigil on Saturday April 8 at 8:00 p.m. OR Easter Sunday mass.  I invite you to make these three celebrations your priority in Holy Week 2024. 

Holy Thursday Mass and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Immediately following the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:30 p.m., there will be a formal procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Parish Hall, where a special chapel will be set up so that we may pray and meditate on the last hours of Jesus’ life and the suffering he endured for our sakes.  Please join us for an hour or even just a few moments.  Adoration concludes at Midnight.

Good Friday Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

Please join us for our Good Friday services at 11:00 a.m. (Children’s Celebration), 1:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m.  This year we will be resuming the practice of individual veneration of the cross at the end of each celebration, either directly by kissing the cross, or by touching the cross, or bowing before it as you come up in procession.

Flowers for Easter on Holy Saturday 9:00 a.m. to Noon

Thank you for remembering your loved ones at Easter through the bringing of potted flowers of any description to the church on Holy Saturday morning where they will be placed in our sanctuary for the Easter celebrations.

Blessing of the Easter Food on Holy Saturday 11:00 a.m. Parish Hall

In the Eastern European tradition, it is customary that the special foods used at Easter Breakfast be brought to the church on Holy Saturday to be blessed by the priest.  These foods are specially selected to symbolize various aspects of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

All are welcome!

Easter Sunday

Please join us on Easter Sunday Mass on March 31 for at 7:30 a.m. (note earlier start time), 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. or 12:00 Noon  

O God, who on this day, through your Only Begotten Son,

have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity,

grant, we pray, that we who keep the solemnity of the Lord's Resurrection may,    through the renewal brought by your Spirit,

rise up in the light of life.

-Collect Prayer, Easter Sunday Mass

I wish to thank you for joining us for Easter Sunday mass as we rejoice in the light of Christ’s resurrection and seek to be a light to others whom we will encounter, not only today but throughout the Easter Season!

Congratulations and Blessings

Congratulations and Blessings to the newest members of our parish community baptized into the Catholic Church at Easter Vigil:  Roxanna Ali, Justin Bailey, Jennifer Parker, and those received into the Catholic Church:  Roxanna Ali, Justin Bailey, Jennifer Parker, and Joy Westendorp who received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Special thanks to their sponsors Adrianna Cowdrey, Carol Harry, Peggy Schreader, Norma Webster and the RCIA team who journeyed with them:  Franka Lowe (Co-ordinator), Joan Cabri, Peter Mui, and Fr. Alex.

Thank You!

…for your financial support of your parish, especially at Easter!

…for your donation to ShareLife this year as we welcome Jesus Christ into our hearts by sharing our blessings!

…for your ministry in our parish community over the past year.   We have sent out e-mail invitations to our Parish Volunteer Appreciation Evening on Thursday April 18…please reply as directed as soon as possible…by Friday April 12 at the latest!

Employment Opportunity:  Custodian

We are looking for a new parish custodian. This position is 25 hours per week (modified full-time) with full benefits through the Archdiocese of Toronto.  The successful applicant will provide janitorial and maintenance services for the church, hall, and rectory. The custodian will be responsible for keeping buildings clean and in orderly condition and will also perform heavy cleaning duties such as cleaning floors and carpets, washing walls and glass, removing rubbish and recycling materials.  A more extensive description of the position can be found on our parish website www.stignatiusloyolami.archtoronto.org. Résumé and cover letter should be submitted to the parish office, or in Word format to Father Timothy K. Hanley, Pastor at thanley@archtoronto.org by Thursday April 4, 2024.  We thank all applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

Pope Francis and Archbishop Francis Leo has asked the Faithful to renew the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.  Due to the date of Holy Week and Easter, this year’s feast has been moved from its usual date of March 25 to Monday April 8.

Why this special consecration? We have already been consecrated to God through the gift of Baptism. In Baptism, we receive God’s gift of Himself and become His adopted children. Baptism sets us apart – consecrates us – as God’s chosen people.   We consecrate ourselves to God on this Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord because we want to grow closer to Him through Mary’s intercession. Consecration is a response to the Lord’s invitation to live in holiness and self-giving. When we consecrate ourselves to God, we are making a commitment to live very intentionally for Him in all aspects of our daily lives, giving ourselves fully to God out of love.

Please join us for this Solemnity Mass and Consecration Prayers on Monday April 8 for either our usual 9:00 a.m. mass or at our special 7:00 p.m. mass that evening. 

ShareLife 2024: Embrace Jesus’ love and compassion through giving

Jesus’ love and example inspire us to extend a helping hand to others, especially those facing the greatest challenges. ShareLife agencies continue to reach out to the most vulnerable members of our community, offering essential services made possible by your compassion and generous contributions.

We thank you for your extraordinary support of ShareLife in 2023 and would like each family to consider an Easter donation to ShareLife 2024.  Our parish’s campaign goal this year is $254,000 and to date we have raised $20,326.    Please give at the parish using a ShareLife envelope, online through our parish website, or at https://sharelife.org/donate/ .

Manresa April Weekend Retreats

Two retreats are taking place in April at Manresa Jesuit Renewal Centre:

Theme: Is Failure an Option? Friday, April 12 to Sunday, April 14

“Failure is not an option!” was the supposed mantra of the engineers who built the Apollo Moon rockets. But in fact, science progresses precisely by failing. What insights into ourselves and our faith can we derive from how science learns from its mistakes? The retreat facilitator is Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J. Brother Guy is an American research astronomer, physicist, religious brother, director of the Vatican Observatory, and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. This is a Silent Retreat for Men and Women.

Theme: Do Monkeys Go to Heaven? Friday, April 26 - Sunday, April 28

The Beauty and Wisdom of Faith and Science.  There persists a seemingly widespread notion that religious faith and empirical science must, by necessity, be in conflict. Properly understood, science and religion are not in conflict but act as fruitful partners in a healthy dialogue that seeks the truth of the fullness of human experience. Placing biological evolution in dialogue with the Christian theology of creation, we will examine the wisdom and beauty of the dance of science and faith. The retreat facilitator is Fr John McCarthy, S.J. Fr. John McCarthy joined the Society of Jesus in 1983 and holds advanced degrees in Theology, a PhD in Boreal Forest Ecology, a Masters in Soil Science, and a BSc in Forest Tree Biology. He is the author of Do Monkeys Go to Heaven? Finding God in All Creation (Novalis 2015) and Do Monkeys Go to Heaven 2.0: More Reflections on Finding God in All Creation (Novalis 2017). This is a Silent Retreat for Women.

For more information about the retreats, please contact Manresa, 905-839-2864 or to register: https://manresa-canada.ca/events/ . Manresa Jesuit Renewal Centre is located at 2325 Liverpool Rd., Pickering, L1X 1V4 (at top of Liverpool Rd., N. of Finch)

"Pour Out" Adoration Night

Merciful Redeemer's spring Pour Out Adoration Night will take place on April 19 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.  (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) and is open to all ages! This evening is inspired by Romans 5:1-11, where St. Paul speaks of how God’s love is poured into our hearts to give us peace, mercy, and hope. With Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday having just passed, we will gather to continue soaking in God’s love as we ponder the incredible mercy He pours unto us. What does God’s overflowing gift of mercy look like? How are we being receptive to this love and mercy? And finally, how do we love Him in return? 

Join us for a beautiful evening of praise and worship, adoration, prayer ministry, confession, testimony sharing and a talk by Fr. Matt McCarthy! No registration required. All are welcome!