Pope Francis has launched the Synod on Synodality, an ambitious two-year global process of listening to the faithful.
“Synod” comes from an ancient Greek word meaning “walking together on the road.” There have been many synods in the history of the Church, but these have traditionally been opportunities for bishops to come together to determine the path forward for the Church.
With the Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis is asking every Catholic to help discern what the Holy Spirit is telling us at this moment as the Church enters its third millennium.
The first phase of the Synod on Syndodality will last through the first half of 2022 and will see the world’s faithful sharing their thoughts at a diocesan level. All those diocesan-level responses will be collected and summarized. Then the bishops of Canada will meet to discuss what they heard in their respective dioceses, followed by larger multinational meetings and, ultimately, culminating in a synod of bishops in the Vatican in 2023.
Parishioners are invited to participate in this process by coming to two discussion evenings on Thursday, March 31st and Thursday, April 7th at 7:00 pm in the parish hall. The results of this discussion will be reported to the Archdiocese in order that they may be shared with Pope Francis.
If you wish to complete the survey on your own, you may do so by visiting: https://www.archtoronto.org/en/offices-and-ministries/sub-sites/synod/home/group/
This weekend is ShareLife Sunday
A five (5) week bereavement support group will be starting at St. Peter’s Parish starting on Thursday, March 31 to May 5, 2022 from 1:30 – 3:30 pm in the rectory. If you or someone you know is dealing with the loss of a loved one and would like to join this group, please register at the parish office (416-534-4219) or email: contactus@stpeterstoronto.ca Facilitator: Sr. Gabriel Riddle, cps
Those wishing to help may do so in the following ways:
On Sunday, March 27, the parish will celebrate Solemn Sung Vespers at 5:00 PM in the Church.
This Sunday’s first reading, from the Book of Exodus, presents us with what is probably the second most famous story about fire that is to be found in the Bible. In this story, we hear how God called Moses to lead the Jewish people from the slavery that bound them in Egypt to the freedom that they would experience in the Promised Land. Called by God, Moses responds “Here I am.” From this point on, he will be called to lead the Jewish people to freedom. The Exodus story is extremely important in helping us to understand what it is that Christ has done for us by His life, death and resurrection. We will hear much of the Exodus story throughout the Lenten season. Once Moses has responded to God’s call, he will go into Egypt and confront Pharaoh and demand freedom for the enslaved Jewish people. In order to obtain this freedom, Moses will lead the people of Israel through the desert. On the journey, those whom he is leading will doubt in his leadership and turn away from the true God towards false gods and will spend forty years in the desert before they are willing to trust God and are finally allowed to enter into the promised Land. Through this experience, the People of Israel will come to believe that Yahweh really is the true God and they will believe that they are able to experience His blessing in the Promised Land where He dwells with them. The image of fire is also used to show that God is leading the people of Israel to their new land as a pillar of fire goes before them. 
On Friday, March 25th, 2022, the parish will celebrate an additional Mass at 12 noon for the Solemnity of the Annunciation and the Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This Mass will be in addition to the parish’s 8:00 a.m. Mass and Friday Lenten Mass at 7:00 p.m. The additional noon Mass will be celebrated at the same time as our local bishop and the Holy Father will be celebrating Mass at the cathedral and at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.