“Living the Gospel” by supporting ShareLife agencies…

As we begin our ShareLife campaign, we are encouraged to “Live the Gospel,” in all that we do. How do we demonstrate that in our community? Living the Gospel may mean helping single mothers to care for their newborn children, or being available to families facing difficulties, or welcoming refugee families to our community. Over the past forty years, countless individuals have experienced this compassionate care offered by our agencies; as an archdiocese we continue to demonstrate our Catholic commitment to serving the needs of the greater community and around the world.
Please help us celebrate our ShareLife’s 41st anniversary by supporting our annual Archdiocesan appeal during this Lenten season! —Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto.

Sunday April 2, 2017 is ShareLife Sunday
Please give generously.

A great Lenten spiritual devotion held on Friday evenings during Lent after the 7:00 p.m. Mass on the First and Last Friday of the month and at 7:00 p.m. every other Friday.

Join the “Call for Conscience” – February 6 – March 31, 2017

In the coming weeks, members of Ontario’s Provincial Parliament will review Bill 84 which deals with legal issues related to euthanasia/assisted suicide. At present, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario is forcing doctors to participate, despite their objections, when a patient decides to end their life. No other country does this. Please visit www.CanadiansforConscience.ca to learn more, join the “Call for Conscience” and write directly to your elected MPP asking them to amend Bill 84 to add conscience protection.

Click here to download the letter and send it to your MPP

LENT IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER (Ash Wednesday is on March 1st)

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. The celebration of Easter, of being reborn in the Risen Lord to a new life, will only have meaning to the degree that we ‘die to the old self”. Thus, the Church asks us to live this period of Lent, with Christ in the desert, as period of forty days devoted to inward renewal through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Let us prayerfully consider before Lent how we might make best use of this time to imitate the Lord in His dedication to the Father so that His resurrection may take deep root in our thoughts, words and actions throughout Lent and forever.

• Ash Wednesday Masses: 8:00 AM, 12:10 PM, and 7:00 PM in the Church
• Ash Wednesday Confessions: 5:30 – 6:30 PM
• Stations of the Cross: A great Lenten Spiritual Devotion held on Friday evenings during Lent at 7:00 PM., or after 7:00 PM Mass on the First and Last Friday of the month in the Church.
• Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast (one full meal, and two lighter meals a day with no eating between meals), and abstinence (no eating of meat). The law of abstinence obliges those 14 years of age and older, and the law of fast obliges all those from ages 18 through 59 years of age.
• Parish Lenten Retreat: April 4, 5, 6 at 7:00 PM conducted by Rev. Zachary Romanowsky of Madonna House

The Church recommends that we observe not only Good Friday, but the other Fridays of Lent as days of abstinence, or that we perform some act of charity as an alternative – the choice is yours. Lenten penance should be external and social, as well as internal and individual.

The highest point in the Church’s year of prayer is the Easter Triduum of the dying and rising of the Lord Jesus. We prepare for this three-day period by the season of Lent, and prolong it for the great 50 days of the Easter season.

LENTEN RECONCILIATION SERVICES

• Saturday, April 1 : 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM. There will be several priests hearing Confessions.
• Good Friday, April 14, after 3:00 PM service commemorating the Passion of our Lord.
• Private reconciliation every Saturday from 3:45 – 4:30 PM

Please note that the Parish Centre will be closed on Monday, February 20th for the Family Day Holiday. Daily Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM in the Centre chapel. There will be no adoration taking place on that day.

New Beginnings is a Bereavement Ministry support group. We offer compassionate care and mutual support to help each member navigate through the difficult terrain of grief. If you or someone you know is dealing with the loss of a loved one or loss from separation or divorce, we’re here to help! The New Beginnings program at St. Peter’s parish will be offering two day-time bereavement support groups:

Bereaved Individuals – (Those mourning a death)
Meets every Tuesday
Starts: February 28th, 2017
Ends: March 28th, 2017
Time: 10 am – 12 pm OR 1 pm – 3 pm

Separated or Divorced
Meets every Saturday
Starts: February 24th, 2017
Ends: March 25th, 2017
Time: 1 pm – 4 pm

Parish tax receipts for weekly donations, PAG, second collections, Capital campaign donations and donations to ShareLife made through the parish will be mailed out the week of February 12.

Tax receipts for the Family of Faith Campaign will be issued and mailed by the Archdiocese. Receipts for Donate Now made by the Credit card will also be issued and mailed by the Archdiocese of Toronto. Thank you very much for your continued support.

The Office of Vocations is hosting a day retreat at Blessed Sacrament Parish, 24 Cheritan Avenue Toronto on Saturday, February 11, 2017 (from 9am to 5pm). Provides a time to pray, interact & socialize with other young Catholic men. Seminarians deliver talks on practical aspects of faith. Day includes Holy Mass, Adoration & Confession. For more information please call the Office of Vocations at 416-968-0997 or email: vocations@archtoronto.org

We invite you to join us for a special Valentine’s Day Bake Sale on Saturday, February, 11 after the 5 PM Mass and on Sunday, February 12,  after the 9 am and 11:15 am Masses in the Church auditorium. Valentine goodies will be on sale. All are welcome!