E-Newsletter - November 23, 2022
From the Desk of Fr. Tim…
Advent Fair/Cider Sunday
Please join us in the parish hall after each mass this weekend to enjoy Hot Apple Cider and Cookies after each mass. You will also find the following:
- Jude’s Cupboard has Advent Candles available ($15 per set)
- Knights of Columbus to order your Christmas Poinsettias
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul to drop off your Annual and Christmas Collection Envelopes
- Catholic Women’s League has Campaign Life Christmas Cakes
- Joseph Shiels has creative Christmas Cards
- Pauline Books and Media has Advent and Christmas books and other religious items
- Sale of Sunday Missals for 2022 (Adult and Children’s versions available) at a cost of $5
Suggestions for Celebrating Advent 2023
Advent is a season of joyful preparation for the coming of Christ, with true joy and the knowledge that our loving God will clear away all the obstacles that we ourselves have made to his fully coming into our lives. We begin therefore in a spirit of repentance as we “await with joyful hope the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”. In that spirit, I offer the following as suggestions for celebrating Advent 2023:
ATTEND our parish Advent Evening of Reflection with Fr. Tom Rosica c.s.b. on Thursday December 8 at 7:00 p.m. in the parish hall (see details below.)
PRAY daily using the Sunday or Weekday Advent Mass Readings.
ATTEND WEEKDAY MASS during this season. The powerful symbolism of the readings and prayers will be a peaceful reprieve from this busy season.
INVITE a friend, loved one or neighbour to join you for Sunday mass in Advent.
SUPPORT THOSE IN NEED through your support of the Annual and Christmas collections through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (see details below.)
VISIT the lonely, the sick, those who mourn and perhaps inviting one of them to join your family for Christmas mass or dinner this year.
BE RECONCILED to God and one another through the healing Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) before Christmas. Advent has been called a “smaller Lent,” and is as important a season as the one leading up to the Resurrection. This Sacrament is available as follows:
- every Saturday between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., or anytime by appointment
- Archdiocesan Week of Confessions (see archtoronto.org/confession/ for times of confessions for Mississauga parishes).
- Here at St. Ignatius Loyola: Thursday December 15: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Sacrament of Confirmation
Last week we circulated registration materials and information regarding the Sacrament of Confirmation 2023 to the Grade 7 students of St. Clare, St. Mark, and All Saints Schools. If you have a Grade 7 student in your family who did not receive this package (perhaps attending another school) please visit our parish website home page under the Sacramental Preparation tab for the registration materials as well as information about our afterschool RCIC program (for students not in our parish schools).
Confirmation Registration (for candidate and one parent only) will take place on either
Tuesday December 6 or Wednesday December 7 from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the parish hall.
The Registration Meeting will take place at 7:00 p.m. immediately following registration also, in the parish hall.
Any older youth or adults wishing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in May 2023 are asked to contact Fr. Alex as soon as possible.
Advent Parish Evening of Reflection:
Thursday December 8 at 7:00 p.m. in the parish hall
Fr. Thomas Rosica c.s.b., will lead our Advent Evening of Reflection on Thursday December 8 in the parish hall with the theme: The Pregnant Season: A biblical spirituality for Advent & Christmas Through the lenses of the Holy Family.
Fr. Tom writes: Advent is a pregnant season… announcing new life from God to each of us. Our Evening Reflection will reflect on the journey of the Holy Family and how it enters our own lives. Do we trust that a loving, personal God guides each of us as well as the tragic events of contemporary history? Are we so caught up in our own families or our own work that we rarely raise our eyes to the larger world of the poor on other continents? Matthew’s Infancy story of Jesus reminds us to make Advent a time of peaceful trust in God's providence and to make Christmas a celebration in which we open our eyes, minds, and hearts to the universal call of the newborn Lord.
Our earlier plans to offer tickets to this event and include a pasta dinner have now been cancelled. We invite you to join us at 7:00 p.m. in the parish hall for coffee and cookies, followed by the talk by Fr. Tom and time for questions and answers. No tickets or pre-booking is required to attend this event.
2023 Offertory Envelopes/Pre-Authorized Giving
Thank you for your continued support of our parish during these challenging times, especially through your use of offertory envelopes and/or Pre-Authorized Giving (PAG). Offertory envelopes for 2023 are now available in the parish hall and have been pre-assigned and sorted alphabetically by last name. Thank you for picking up your offertory envelopes asap.
If you are not currently registered in the parish and wish to use Offertory envelopes, please fill out the parish registration form on the table in the foyer and return it to the parish office and we will notify you when your new 2023 offertory envelopes are ready for pick up.
I thank those who are currently using the option of Pre-Authorized Giving (PAG) here at the parish and remind them to pick up a set of 2023 envelopes for the special collection envelopes that are not part of PAG. To register for PAG please complete the forms located in each foyer of the church or the electronic version found here: https://stignatiusloyolami.archtoronto.org/siteassets/media/files/forms_pdf/pagbrochure-v1.1.pdf .
Unidentified Offertory Envelope
If you were the user of envelope #1206 in 2018, would you please contact Olga in the parish office. We are missing your name and address, 905-820-1444 or stignatiusloyolami@archtoronto.org . Thank you.
Society of St. Vincent de Paul: Christmas Gifts and Annual Collection
Again, this year, our parish Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP) will be providing Christmas assistance to families-in-need within our community. The families we serve have asked for food vouchers which will allow them to share a special Christmas meal with their loved ones.
Financial donations to support the Annual Collection will help us to assist families throughout 2023.
Donations to both the Christmas and Annual campaigns can be made by cash or cheque at the Advent Fair or on the SSVP link on the parish website under Outreach Ministries, or https://Canadahelps.org/en/dn/53987.
Please visit the SSVP table at the Advent Fair to drop off your donations and meet members of this ministry who serve our neighbours in need throughout the year.
EDGE Youth Program has started but it’s not too late to join!
The EDGE Youth Program for students in grades 6, 7 and 8 began on Friday, November 11. This dynamic, fun, and exciting experience makes the Catholic faith and everyday life come together in a way that you haven’t thought of before! It includes Socials, Issues and Catechesis Nights, talks, videos, games, and skits.
Join us for our next Social Night on December 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the parish hall. Interested?
Then please join us for the Social Night on December 9. We will have pizza and pop. The cost of registration for the year is $40, family maximum $100.
Ukrainian Crisis Update: Are you able to host a Ukrainian family?
Are you able to host a Ukrainian family? When hearing reports of the war in Ukraine, and the millions of Ukrainians that have been forced to flee their homeland, many have asked what they can do to help. Over 80,000 Ukrainians have already arrived in Canada through a special visa program created by Immigration Canada. An additional 500,000 have applied to the program and are expected to arrive in the coming months.
Many are arriving to Toronto and are without family here in Canada to help them. Among those will be some who are vulnerable to human trafficking, particularly seniors, single women, and women with children.
There is an immediate need for families to host for a period of between one and six months including those who have already arrived. If you would like to learn more about hosting a Ukrainian family, please go to Archdiocese of Toronto - Ukrainian Crisis (archtoronto.org) and register for a virtual information session.
ShareLife – Your Gift will Double in Value!
From now until the end of 2022, all contributions to our parish’s ShareLife campaign will be matched by an anonymous donor up to a total of $1 million.
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.
“Your commitment to love and care for the youth experiencing homelessness and trafficking who come to Covenant House truly means so much,” says the agency's director. “Your support gives hope to young people who need hope right now – and you give youth a real chance for a better future.”
Our goal this year is $255,000. To date we have collected $199,000. Please give at the parish using a ShareLife envelope, online through our parish website, or at https://sharelife.org/ .
Bereavement Day of Retreat at Queen of Apostles
Queen of Apostles, Mississauga is offering a Bereavement Day of Retreat on Saturday December 10 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The theme is, “Let the healing hands of Jesus bless you with peace and healing.” The retreat is preached by the Centre Team. The cost is $45.00 and includes lunch. Please contact, 905-278-5229 or email: office@qoa.ca .
