St. Peter’s First Communion Class 2019

Normally, at this time of year, in our parish, and in the parishes around the Archdiocese of Toronto, many young people would be celebrating their First Communion. Sadly, this year, due to the restrictions of COVID 19, these celebrations are being delayed until it is safe to have such gatherings in our Church.

Recently, because of parish based catechesis and preparation, the focus at First Communion has been taken off of the school class and put where it belongs; on the family of the child who is preparing to receive the Eucharist. This has brought about a change in our First Communion celebrations that I just love. In the parishes that I have served in, we have taken to inviting the entire family of the young person making his or her First Communion to come up and receive the sacrament with the young person. I think it is so beautiful to see these young people coming forward, to receive Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist, while he or she is also surrounded by the family that loves and cares for this young person so much. Each family is filled with such joy as they witness the reception of First Communion for the young candidate. The experience of witnessing so many different families coming up with their young person to receive his or her First Communion has really emphasized something that all of us share in common, no matter what our backgrounds, and that is love and the desire for happiness for our friends and families. Continue reading →

Many of the movies that come out these days are based upon sequels of previous movies. Throughout the fifty days of the Easter Season, the Church has been focusing its attention on one of the greatest sequels in human history—The Acts of the Apostles. The Acts of the Apostles is the second part of a two part series known as Luke—Acts. The first part of this series is the Gospel of Luke. In his Gospel, Luke, like the other three evangelists, presents the life of Christ and speaks of the way in which Christ revealed God’s love and salvation for all people who place their faith in Him. In the Gospels, we see how Jesus made God present to humanity, saved them and touched them through His divine person. Continue reading →

In the last century, one of the great developments in the history of the Church was the development of many “lay movements.” These lay movements often developed as a result of a rediscovery of the importance of baptism and the call that is given to all Christians to understand that they have been saved by Christ and that they are to live their lives as His disciples. One of these lay groups has the name the “Neo- Catechumenal Way.” The members of this community are convinced that their Baptism is one of the most significant moments of their lives and they spend their entire lives trying to respond to their baptismal call. Here in Toronto, we have several parishes that are devoted to this way of living and at St. Augustine’s Seminary there are about 20 candidates for the priesthood studying to serve this community and the Archdiocese. They are an important reminder to all of us of the importance of taking our Baptisms seriously and attempting to respond to God’s love for us. Continue reading →

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

I hope and pray that you are all well and safe!

As a result of the COVID 19 restrictions ordered for the Province of Ontario, beginning on Monday, April 19, 2021, and lasting for at least May 20, 2021, there will be no public Masses celebrated in the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Under these restrictions, churches may only admit 10 persons, including clergy, at a time. All publicly celebrated Masses during this time have been cancelled.

During the lockdown, the parish offices are also closed and all meetings in the parish have been cancelled.

Each morning, I will be celebrating Mass privately Monday to Friday at 7:00 a.m. and at 7:30 a.m. on Sundays for the intentions of the parishioners. This Mass will be livestreamed from our parish website.

If you have any need that you would like me to remember at Mass, you may call and leave a message at the parish office: 416-534-4219.  I am still living and working at the parish. If you wish to speak with me, please call. Although the parish offices are closed, if I do not answer when you call, I will call you back as soon as possible.

The church will be open from Monday to Friday at 7:30 a.m. and I will be available in the church from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. Monday to Friday. On Saturdays, the church will be open from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and I will be available in the church at this time. This will also be the case on Sunday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. During these times, no more than 10 persons will be permitted in the church at a time. For this reason, so that others may also visit, please consider restricting your visits to 15 minutes. Continue reading →