Christmas Blessings

Wishing you and your loved ones The Blessing of Peace; The Beauty of Hope; The Spirit of Love; and The Comfort of Faith.  May these be your gifts this Christmas Season!  

Fr. Michael and the Parish staff wish you and your loved ones all of God’s blessings for a ~~~Merry Christmas and a Happy and a Healthy New Year 2021~~~

St. Peter’s Church Open Christmas Eve and Day for Adoration and Communion!

St. Peter’s Church will be open for Adoration and Communion Services on Christmas Eve from 5:00 to 10:00 pm and on Christmas Day from 9:00 am until noon. During this time, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for Adoration and Communion will be distributed in a short Communion Rite every 15 minutes. Due to the COVID 19 protocols that are in place in the City of Toronto, only ten (10) people are permitted in the church at a time.  As this includes the parish priest and volunteer at the doors, only eight (8) people may be in the church at any time. Those visiting the church will be asked to limit their visits to 15 minutes in order to allow others to come to church to receive the Eucharist and pray on Christmas Eve and Day.

The entire parish community wishes you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a happy and health 2021.

Altered 5th Annual GREAT TURKEY GIVE

On MONDAY DECEMBER 21st Freeman Real Estate Ltd. will host an altered 5th Annual GREAT TURKEY GIVE starting at 7AM . This year due to the Pandemic we are supporting up to 100 Local families in need with holiday food supplies.

Freeman Real Estate has partnered with Spirit of Math Central Toronto and Fiesta Farms to give over 100 families holiday food via our food distributors– St. Alban’s Boys & Girls Club, St. Peter’s Church & Beth Sholom Synagogue.

Inspired by the generosity of Honest Ed’s this is the fifth year The Great Turkey Give will take place. This year please join us as we do a BIG FESTIVE SHOP at Fiesta Farms Grocery store beginning at 7 am Monday December 21st 2020. Fiesta Farms is located at 200 Christie Street (Dupont & Christie area) .

Last year’s Turkey Give was a great success engaging with hundreds of people and spreading the spirit of the season. This years program will deliver food to those in need in a safe and efficient manner. (go to www.thegreatturkeygive.com for more info)

Helping the crew at Freeman Real Estate & Spirit of Math central to shop will be Santa himself and a few honoured guests including Rev. M. McGourty (St. Peters) & Rabbi A. Flanzraich (Beth Sholom).

Freeman Real Estate is a family-run, boutique realty company that has a almost 50 year tradition for supporting community causes, charities and interests.

Spirit of Math Central Toronto is an innovative leader in after-school mathematics education with more than 40 campuses in North America.

Fiesta Farms is a family run independent grocer with deep community ties– located in Toronto’s Annex Neighbourhood.

For any media inquiries’ please contact Elden Freeman elden@freemanrealty.com (416) 834 0790 or (416 535 3103) or Daniel Freeman, daniel@freemanrealty.com (416 937 5556).

2021 Offertory Envelopes

Offering Envelopes for 2021 are available at the back of the church along with the Pre-Authorized Giving Plan Form (PAG). Instructions are on the form. The boxed sets are organized alphabetically. Please make sure to pick up only the box with your name on it and kindly refrain from touching boxes belonging to others.  Please practice social distancing and sanitize your hands before reaching for your envelopes

PLEASE DO NOT USE THE 2021 ENVELOPES UNTIL THE NEW YEAR BEGINS

Are you thinking of purchasing a live Christmas tree?

The live Christmas trees are now on sale until 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 are 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.

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down

It is not too difficult to believe that the words that we hear in this Sunday’s first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,” are words that have been spoken by women and men of many generations in the face of tragedy and difficulty. These words are certainly not very different from those that I found myself praying at the time of the first lockdown here in Toronto due to the COVID 19 pandemic. As the first shutdown got underway, I, like many, was frightened about the future and about what might be coming. I feared for the parish and how I would be able to serve the needs of the parishioners; I was frightened that we might have to lay off our parish staff; I wondered how I would visit the many seniors isolated in senior’s homes; and I feared that many might get sick and die as a result of the pandemic. The tone of many of my prayers was “Lord, O that you would tear open the heavens and come down and help us in these difficult times.” Continue reading

COVID 19 Update – All Public Celebrations of Masses Cancelled in Toronto due to COVID 19 Lockdown

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 Lockdown that has been ordered for the City of Toronto, beginning on Monday, November 23, 2020, and lasting for at least 28 days, there will be no public Masses celebrated in Toronto. Under this lockdown order, churches may only admit 10 persons, including clergy, at a time. All publicly celebrated Masses during this time have been cancelled. Continue reading

All Souls Day – November 2, 2020 & praying for Our Beloved dead in November

In the month of November it is our tradition to pray for our beloved. The parish will have a “Book of Remembrance” for the faithful departed and the names of all those family members written in it will be remembered at all masses throughout November. Parishioners may add names of deceased family members or friends for whom they wish the parish to offer prayers during this season of remembrance.

On November 2, All Souls day the parish will have Masses for All Souls at 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM.

The parish has invited the families of those who have had a death this year to the 7:00 PM Mass. Due to Covid 19 restrictions the space is limited to 100 people. You must call the parish office to confirm your attendance for the 7:00 PM Mass