Catholic Family Services of Toronto Walk-in Services

Our professional counselling staff is trained to offer Walk-In services to clients who have an urgent need to speak with a counsellor. The single-session consultation is aimed at helping clients identify and hone-in on plans that will provide them with help for their presenting concern. Clients who are interested in accessing services can:

(1) choose to call one of our branches at 416-921-1163 (Central) or 416-222-0048 (North) and book a single-session appointment, OR

(2) drop-in at our North Office on Thursdays between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For additional information on the range of services we offer, please visit our website at: http://www.cfstoronto.com/

Project Hope Update

To date the Archdiocese has raised 2.4 million dollars to sponsor Syrian Refugee Families. The goal is 3 million dollars. Our own parish has a Committee and we will be sponsoring a family. If there are any families in the parish who have a home or an apartment to accommodate our family, please notify the parish office (416-534-4219). To date, we do not know the exact make-up of the family we are sponsoring (number of children or adults). Please keep the refugees in your prayers.

Remembrance Day

rememberance dayOn November 11th, we remember in thanksgiving those who made and who continue to make the supreme sacrifice for us in time of war. We pray that the offering of their lives may not have been in vain. Today we dedicate ourselves to the cause of justice, freedom and peace, and for the wisdom and strength to build a better world.  May we keep all those who are overseas in our prayers, that they may return home safely.

Are you thinking of purchasing a live Christmas tree?

xmas treeStarting November 27th through December 24, the same company as in years past will be selling Christmas trees on the Markham Street lot of our church. Please consider getting your tree (or trees) from them. You would be helping St. Peter’s operating budget by purchasing your live trees from our Markham Street lot. There will be many beautiful trees available and your purchase of a Christmas tree helps to financially support the Winter Welcome table’s outreach efforts. The lot will be open every day from 10 AM to 8 PM.

A Very Unpopular Homily!

givingIf any of you happened to be at the 11:15 Sunday Mass a few weeks ago, you will know that I got a little teary-eyed during the Mass. This happened after the homily when I called Sister Ann of the Franciscan Missionaries up so that we could say good-bye to her as she was preparing to depart Toronto and return to her community’s motherhouse in Montreal. She will be going to live in the community’s convalescence wing. At eighty-four years of age, Sister Ann spoke to me openly about the fact that she was going to face the final part of her journey on earth. Sister Ann had been a member of this parish community since 1969 and had worked very closely with some of the poor in our parish. Now the reason I got teary-eyed when I called her forward is not because she has been a friend of mine for many years. In fact, I have only known her for the little more than four months that I have been pastor here. In the short time that I have known her, I have really only spoken to her a few times. What made me teary-eyed was the beautiful donation that she made to the parish’s Winter Welcome Table as she was departing. Sister Ann had received a few gifts before her departure from Toronto. Although she herself has very little as an individual, she came to see me before she left and said that she wanted to donate the gifts that she had received as going away presents to the parish’s Winter Welcome Table because she wanted to feed the poor. Her generosity and care for the poor moved me greatly. Her simple and beautiful gesture was a powerful statement about her mission as a Franciscan Missionary and the call to care for the poor that is at the heart of her community’s charism. Her generosity reminded me very much of that generosity that is shown by the poor widow in today’s Gospel as she gives from the little that she has to care for the Temple. Continue reading

Shepherd’s Trust Collection

The Shepherds’ Trust cares for those who always cared for us- our retired priests who have faithfully served parish communities throughout the Archdiocese of Toronto for many years. The Shepherd’s Trust recognizes their faithfulness, their many years of service to us, and the strong ties we have to them by ensuring that funds collected in parishes served by priests be given as a contribution towards the retirement of our priests.

The Shepherds’ Trust Collection takes place the weekend of November 14-15. Thank you for your generous support!

St. Peter’s Parish Altar Servers Recognized

This weekend on Saturday, November 7, 2015 three altar servers from our parish received the “Bishop’s Altar Server’s Award for Service” from the Most Reverend Wayne Kirkpatrick, Auxiliary Bishop – Northern Pastoral Region of the Archdiocese of Toronto during the 30th Annual Bishop’s Altar Servers Awards Ceremony sponsored by Serra Clubs of the Archdiocese of Toronto. We offer our sincere thanks and congratulations to the following St. Peter’s altar servers:

Mary Joy Cadavida
Jonathan Cadavida
John Paul Piano

This special recognition is given annually for the altar servers in light of their dedication, sense of responsibility and display of leadership in the performance of their duties. Our parish extends our congratulations to these altar servers and their families.