E-NEWSLETTER APRIL 6, 2022

From the Desk of Fr. Tim…

Day of Confessions: Thursday April 7

We welcome you to join us on Thursday April 7 to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation as follows:
9:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m. (3 priests), 4:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. (2 priests), and 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (3 priests).

For other times of Confession prior to Easter please see our Holy Week Schedule.

Masses: Friday April 8

Please join us for mass at either 9:00 a.m. or 7:00 p.m. The evening mass will be followed by the Stations of the Cross, led this week by the RCIA Team.

Palm/Passion Sunday This Weekend!

We invite you to join us for our Palm Sunday Masses this weekend (April 9/10) as follows: Saturday 5:00 p.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m. (note earlier start time), 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and Noon. We are delighted to be able to distribute individual palms for blessing at the beginning of each mass…for the first time in three years!

Holy Week 2022…

Holy Week begins this weekend with Palm Sunday…our full Holy Week Schedule is on the opposite page. We want to make sure that you feel comfortable attending Holy Week celebrations at our parish and therefore, I wish to inform you that our priests, deacon, parish staff and volunteers will remain masked in the church and office until at least Easter Sunday.

I draw your attention to the following Holy Week highlights:

Confession/ Sacrament of Reconciliation

In preparation for the renewal of our baptismal promises at Easter, you are welcome to celebrate the sacrament on either Tuesday or Wednesday evening this week between 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

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., 1:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m., and the Easter Vigil on Saturday April 16 at 8:00 p.m. I invite you to make these three celebrations your priority in Holy Week 2022.

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., 1:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Again, this year we are not able to individually venerate the Cross during the Good Friday Service. Instead, after the Procession of the Cross and its placement in the sanctuary, the priest and deacon will kneel before the cross in silence, leading the people in a period of silent communal adoration of the cross of Christ.

Pontifical Collection for the Holy Land on Good Friday

The Good Friday Collection is requested by the Holy See to help maintain the Christian sites of the Holy Land and to support the Church in the pastoral, educational, and social works that contribute to a sustained Christian presence in the land where Jesus the Christ once walked.

This Pontifical Collection will be taken in the parishes on Good Friday. Those who are unable to attend are still invited to contribute online by visiting: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/ and searching for “Commissariat of the Holy Land” or by Interac e-transfer to terresainte@bellnet.ca . Receipts will be issued.

Blessing of the Easter Food- 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!

Flowers for Easter - 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, where they will be placed in our sanctuary for the Easter celebrations.

Holy Week Schedule 2022
Reservations not Needed

Palm Sunday Masses April 9/10
Saturday at 5:00 p.m. & Sunday at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. (livestreamed), 10:30 a.m., 12:00 Noon

Holy Week Daily Masses
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.

Holy Week Confessions
Saturday, April 9 from 9:30 – 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Holy Thursday April 14
No 9:00 a.m. mass.
Mass of the Lords’ Supper at 7:30 p.m. (livestreamed) and
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until Midnight

Good Friday April 15
11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. (livestreamed), the Passion of the Lord

Holy Saturday April 16
No 9:00 a.m. Mass
11:00 a.m. Blessing of the Easter Food in the parish hall
No 5:00 p.m. Mass

Easter Vigil Saturday April 16
The Easter Vigil beginning at 8:00 p.m. (livestreamed) is the most important Eucharist celebration of the year. It celebrates our faith in the Resurrection, the cornerstone of our belief. The liturgy begins with the Blessing of the Fire, the Service of the Light, the Exultet, the Sacred Word, the R.C.I.A. Sacraments of Initiation & renewal of our Baptismal Promises.

Easter Sunday April 17
Sunday Masses at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m.(livestreamed), 10:30 a.m., and 12:00 Noon Easter Sunday Masses include the renewal of our Baptismal Promises which is the reaffirmation of our faith.

ShareLife 2022: ShareLife agencies need our support

The LA Centre for Active Living is a ShareLife-funded agency that helps seniors. Here’s how your support of ShareLife is enabling their lifesaving work:

“This pandemic has had a big impact on the world, revealing new needs in our communities, and it through ShareLife's support that we have been able to provide prepared meals and pantry goods every week to our members through our food delivery program. Your support is invaluable, and we cannot thank you enough!"

The social service agencies supported by our ShareLife collection live the Gospel value to love everyone as I have loved you through their daily programs and services. During the Covid-19 pandemic, our support for the ShareLife campaign is critical to making these programs possible.

Parishioners have recently received a letter from Cardinal Collins with various options for making a gift to ShareLife including via credit card or through pre-authorized giving (PAG). Please consider a monthly contribution to ShareLife using PAG. You can learn more about PAG on our parish website or at https://sharelife.org .

We thank you for your extraordinary support of ShareLife in 2021 and would like each family to consider a Lenten donation to ShareLife 2022. Our parish’s ShareLife campaign goal this year is $255,000.

Update of Gill Refugee Family

We formally welcomed the Gill Family to our parish at mass on Saturday March 26. Here is a photo of them with Fr. Tim and Michelle Kolozetti, Refugee Committee Chair. Please keep them in your prayers during this time of transition!

Livestream of Sunday 9:00 a.m. Mass

For those not comfortable or able to return to mass quite yet, we continue to encourage you to view the livestream of our Sunday 9 a.m. Mass via our parish website: https://stignatiusloyolami.archtoronto.org .