If You Wish To Be Blessed, Cling To The Lord At All Times

BlessedAfter His teaching of the Great Christian prayer, the Our Father, the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount which we hear in today’s Gospel are probably among Jesus’s most famous and important teachings. Perhaps the only other teaching of similar importance would be the Great Commandment that Christ has given, that we must love the Lord our God above all things and our neighbour as ourselves. These three teachings are intimately connected as the fundamental teachings for the followers of Jesus. Continue reading

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2017 Ecumenical Prayer Service

christian unityPlan to join in an ecumenical prayer service, led by His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Collins, Chaldean Catholic Bishop Emanuel Shaleta, Coptic Orthodox Bishop Anba Mina, Anglican Suffragan Bishop Peter Fenty, and accompanied by other city-wide religious leaders on: Sunday, January 29, 2017 at 3:00 PM at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica, 65 Bond Street (north-East corner of Bond and Shuter streets). Paid parking is available, refreshments to follow.

For further information, please contact the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs at
416-934-3400 ext.344 or ext.527 or vkwok@archtoronto.org

World Day for Consecrated Life – February 2, 2017

On Thursday, February 2, the Church celebrates the World Day for Consecrated Life.
In the Archdiocese of Toronto we are blessed to have living and serving among us more than 900 religious men and women of 100 different religious congregations. This World Day for Consecrated Life is a wonderful opportunity for us to thank God for the gifts of these religious sisters, brothers and priests and to pray for God’s blessing upon them in their efforts to faithfully live the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Bishop Wayne Kirkpatrick will preside at a special Mass on Sunday, January 29 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s Basilica, Toronto in celebration of the vocation and witness of these special men and women religious who are such a vital and important part of the life and ministry of the Church in our Archdiocese. All are welcome to attend.

Farewell to Christina Labriola

With great sadness the parish must say good-bye to Ms. Christina Labriola, our Parish Music Director. Christina has provided our parish with beautiful music and faith-filled service for several years. After lengthy consideration, Christina has resigned in order to concentrate more fully on her doctoral studies. The parish thanks her for her service and wishes all of God’s blessings in her future studies, work, ministry and endeavours.

Ministry Fair

The Ministry and Groups Fair will be hosted in the Parish Hall after each mass on January 28 & 29. If your parish group or ministry would like to participate, or if you would like to volunteer to help that weekend, please contact the parish office by January 24th.

Called to Speak for the Lord

silence-1Martin Scorsese’s powerful film Silence presents the moving story of Jesuit priests Sebastian Rodrigues and Francisco Garupe. Set in the seventeenth century, the movie presents the story of these two Portuguese Jesuits and their search for their spiritual father, Jesuit priest Father Cristovao Ferreira. Father Ferreira had been sent to Japan as a missionary for the Christian faith. After he had spent some time there, word comes back to the Jesuits that Father Ferreira had fallen into apostasy, the sin of denying the faith. Father Sebastian and Father Francisco, his two devoted students, cannot believe that their spiritual father could possibly fall into apostasy and insist that the story of his fall is only a rumour or a malicious slander. They beg to go to Japan to discover the truth or to save their friend. At first their religious superior is dead set against them going on this dangerous mission. However they insist on going to find the truth or to save their friend. As their superior becomes convinced that their desire to go has been placed in their heart by the Holy Spirit, they are given permission and set out on their great mission. Continue reading