During the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about one of the outdoor movies we were able to show last summer: Mary Poppins.

Not that I was ever expecting a Disney musical about a British nanny to have spiritual implications for my life, but when I was watching the end of the movie last year it struck me that in many ways the life of Mary Poppins has a lot in common with the life of a missionary.  In the film, Mary Poppins comes from a faraway place in order to help two children connect with their father and to help their father connect with them.  Missionaries do the same thing… except instead helping people connect with their individual fathers we strive to help people connect with Our Father.

For the past 102 years in Canada, the Paulists have sought to help the people we have come across do just that.  In Montreal, in Vancouver, in countless missions across the continent, and of course in Toronto.  With the establishment of the University of Toronto Newman Centre, through Fr. Frank Stone’s brainchild the Paulist Information Centre, and through and with the people of Saint Peters, we have sought to give the people of Canada an experience of God through our ministry.  In the process, the people of Canada have also provided us with a constantly unfolding experience of Emmanuel, of “God with us,” through your hospitality, kindness, faithfulness, and love.

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St. Michael’s Cathedral, mother church of the Archdiocese of Toronto, is temporarily closing its doors as part of its extensive restoration efforts that have been ongoing for the past three years. The next phase of restoration will require its closure full-time to allow for work that will preserve the cathedral for years to come. Daily Mass will continue to be celebrated in St. John’s Chapel, a small worship space accessible from 200 Church Street. Nearby, St. Paul’s Basilica will provide additional weekend Masses beginning in July, featuring music from St. Michael’s Choir School to accommodate the cathedral closure. Please visit www.stmichaelscathedral.com for additional resources.
A timeline has been forecast as follows:

• June 17, 2015 – mid-December 2015 – full closure of St. Michael’s Cathedral.
• Mid-December 2015 – January 2016 – cathedral will open briefly pre/post-Christmas.
• January 2016 – March 2016 – full closure of St. Michael’s Cathedral.
• March 2016 – September 2016 – cathedral will open prior to Holy Week and Easter, remaining open while work continues through September 2016.
• September 29, 2016 – goal to complete this phase of restoration. This date is also the Feast of St. Michael, patron saint of the Archdiocese of Toronto

Long time parishioner John Bertolo has just been accepted into the Archdiocesan diocante program this past month! John will begin his aspirant year—otherwise known as a “ perpadeutic” year—within the next few months as the beginning of his journey towards becoming a deacon. Let us all congratulate him and offer him our prayers as he begins to serve the church in a new way.

Marygrove: Girls 5-13 yrs.
Ozanam: Boys 6-13 yrs.

Our parish – St. Vincent De Paul Society conference is taking requests for the registration of children who would like to attend summer camp. This is a one-week excursion – free of charge – for those children who would not otherwise be able to afford a summer camp experience. For registration and further information, please call (416) 534-4219, ext.229 (SVDP), and leave the appropriate information (including a phone #); then a member of St. Vincent De Paul will contact you.

Fr. Michael grew up in Markham and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1992. His first assignment was as associate pastor at St. Anselm’s Parish in Toronto. He also taught liturgy at St. Augustine’s seminary and served as dean of students. In his most recent assignment, he served as pastor at St. John the Evangelist Parish. Fr. Michael has recently finished a sabbatical in Rome and is very much looking forward to coming to this amazing parish.

The Paulist community would like to provide an update to the faithful regarding our ongoing ministry in Toronto.

It is with great regret that the Paulist Fathers must share with you news of our intention to withdraw from ministry to St. Peter’s Parish and the Paulist Centre for Catholic Evangelization in Toronto, effective Sunday, June 28, 2015.

Very Rev. Eric Andrews, CSP, President of the Paulist Fathers reflected on the discernment: “We are very sad to leave our Toronto ministry. This was a tremendously difficult decision for our General Council to make, given our 100 years of ministry at St. Peter’s Parish and the many parishioners with whom we have shared the faith of Jesus Christ. While the Paulist Fathers are blessed by eleven men in formation for the priesthood, the reality is that we do not have enough priests to adequately staff all of our ministries in North America at this time. We recognize that we are missionaries, and when our work has reached its completion, we are called by the Holy Spirit to move on. The Paulists Fathers leave with confidence that the archdiocese will place the parish in good hands and its evangelization efforts outlined in their recently announced pastoral plan will bear much fruit.”