4th Sunday of Easter (April 21, 2024)
Praying for the Sick and Faithful Departed
If you or a family member is sick please let us know and we shall add their name to our prayer list which is posted in the gathering space of the church.
We remember in prayer those who have died recently including: Hermanna Arbour.
Visiting the Hospital: if you or a family member are admitted to RVH please let them know you are Catholic and call the parish office to inform us. If you wish to receive Holy Communion please let the parish office know and one of our pastoral visitors will come to see you.
Celebrating Initiation During Easter
In the Church the Easter season is the normative time for celebrating the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. At the end of the Easter season we will celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation with our young people and throughout Easter children will join us at the table of the Lord as they begin to share in Holy Communion. You are asked to pray for all families who are preparing to celebrate a sacrament and we thank God for their witness of faith.
Wedding Anniversaries: Celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage
The married couples in our parish are a sign to us of God’s faithfulness and through their witness we are strengthened. If you celebrated a wedding anniversary in April we shall pray with you and share in your joy at all Sunday (Saturday evening) Masses next weekend on April 27 / 28. Please join us in thanking God for the gift of the married couples in our midst.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Summer Camp Sign-Up
Time to register your child(ren) for summer camp! The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has two camps; Marygrove for girls ages 5 - 13 near Penetang and Camp Ozanam for boys ages 7 – 12, South River, On. Camps are for families experiencing financial difficulties. Registration will be held in the parish library on the following dates:
Wednesday, May 1 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 4 from 9:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday, May 8 from 5:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
Please bring ID for yourself and your child(ren).
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A Sign of our Communion with God and Union with Others
Our sharing in Holy Communion is a profoundly public personal act. We process forward to share in Holy Communion. It is most definitely a holy union with Jesus and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. There is nothing private about the Communion procession. In 2011, the Canadian Bishops instructed that our common sign of reverence before sharing in Holy Communion be a bow of the head. The Church’s ritual does not expect anyone to genuflect, kneel or make the sign of the cross before or after receiving Holy Communion. At the time of Holy Communion when the person in front of you has received Holy Communion and you are in the front of the procession, you bow your head, the Minister of the Body of Christ will say, “The Body of Christ”, you reply, “Amen”. It is important to note that the only appropriate response is Amen. The Church expects that Amen is said in a voice that can be heard by the Minister of Holy Communion. After saying Amen the Minister of Communion places the host in your hand. You put the host in your mouth. If you are going to share in the Blood of Christ you move to the Minister and he / she says, “The Blood of Christ”, you answer “Amen” and take the chalice and take a sip. Then you return to your place. The Communion procession is a time of communal prayer. We sing the Communion hymn as an outward sign of our unity. We sit or kneel for silent prayer when the priest sits down after Communion. |
Beginning on April 27 /28 a number of our young people will begin to share in Holy Communion. They and their parents have been preparing for months. This is an ideal time to review the process for sharing in Holy Communion.
Invest in our Church’s future by giving to ShareLife 
Your kindness enables St. Augustine’s Seminary, the Office of Vocations and the Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary to provide formation for our seminarians. In 2023 you invested in our Church’s future by supporting 58 seminarians.
This Sunday, April 21, we celebrate the 61st World Day of Prayer for Vocations. There has never been a better time to support and pray for our seminarians, wherever they may be on their journey.
Please give at the parish using a ShareLife envelope, online through our parish website, or at sharelife.org/donate.
Our parish goal is $136,500.00
The next ShareLife Sunday is April 28th
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The Good Shepherd Catholic School Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary! All former students, families and staff members are welcome to join us for a special afternoon of gratitude and unity as we honour our past quarter of a century in Catholic education. We will be commemorating this special anniversary on Sunday, May 5th at 2:00 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Catholic School. Let's celebrate the past 25 years and our bright future! Please rsvp to the school at 705-728-2302 or at gshoffice@smcdsb.on.ca.
St. Joseph’s High School Peace and Light Health and Wellness Symposium. You’re invited Tuesday, April 23, 2024 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. This is an exciting part of our Experiential Learning & Entrepreneurial Initiatives for the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board. Please join us for an evening to explore and promote health and wellness programs, initiatives and activities that support youth in our Barrie and extended community. Cash contributions and donations will be collected at the door and there will be student-created wellness items and materials sold at this event that have been initiated in the PAI3OY: Yoga & Meditation for Wellness Class. A portion of the proceeds will go toward funding health and wellness activities at St. Joseph's Catholic High School. This evening will conclude with a complementary sound bathing and meditation experience.
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Please come out to show your interest and support for these highly valued programs and organizations in our community. We look forward to working, building and growing together.
All Adults 55+ - Ministry with Maturing Adults
All are welcome to attend the various sessions offered for those in the second half of life.
VON SMART (Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together) Exercise Program is held on Tuesday mornings. For details regarding registration please call: VON at 705 737 5044 ext. 221.
Christian Meditation is an ancient form of contemplative prayer rooted in the Christian tradition. We will meet at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 on Zoom. All are welcome! If you are interested in learning more about this form of prayer please contact Catherine Ecker. (cecker@archtoronto.org or 705 728 2985 ext. 115).
The Role & Importance of a Power of Attorney and Will / Estate Planning - Join us for an informative session on Wednesday, May 22nd from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. The session will be led by: Robert Galloway, Partner with DOOLEY LUCENTI. All are welcome!
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The presentation by the OPP Human Trafficking Unit will be held on Tuesday, April 30th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. |
Human Trafficking
Youth Ministry
M.E.R.C.Y. (Ministry to Educate Roman Catholic Youth) is for youth grades J.K. to Gr. 4 and gathers once a month on Friday nights from 6:00-7:30 p.m. where we explore our faith in a dynamic way through activities, games, crafts and music. Our next gathering is Friday, May 10th.. Registration required.
EDGE is a youth ministry program for youth grades 5-8 to come together once a month on a Friday from 6:00-7:30 p.m. EDGE is a safe, fun place for youth to find solid Catholic community, to get answers to their questions about faith and most importantly, to experience Jesus in a profound and personal way. Our next gathering is Friday, April 26th.
LIFETEEN – for high school teens to explore their faith through talks, prayer and friendship meeting monthly on Sunday nights. Our next gathering is Sunday, April 14th after the 4:00 p.m. Mass. Dinner provided. For information on our Youth Ministry please email stmarysyouthministrybarrie@gmail.com or call Shannon Barks at 705-229-7426.
Theology on Tap - At the Flying Monkeys Brewery (in the Attic Lounge upstairs) on the following Sundays from 6:00-9:00 p.m.: May 5th and June 23rd, 2024.
Youth Pasta Dinner Fundraiser SUCCESS! A big thank you to everybody who attended and supported our first Pasta Dinner fundraiser for our youth! It was a huge success, raising just under $2,000 for the youth ministry! Special thanks to our sponsors for their generous donations; Cobb's Bread, Nick's No Frills, Fox's Bakery and Deli, Mmm Donuts, Zehrs and Sports Clips (both in the Barrie North crossing location), Domino's Pizza (Cundles location), entertainer Jack Fitzgerald and our Pastor Fr. Larry.
A big thank you to all who attended, and to our youth and core team who served at this event. We look forward to doing this again soon!
The Catholic Women’s League
Fundraiser selling seeds for your gardens. Order will be taken after each Mass next weekend April 27th/28th. Cash only for the orders. Thank you for your support!
Altar Server Training
Tuesday, April 23, at 6:30 p.m.. All children Grade 4 and up who have received their first communion are welcome to attend one of these practices. Any questions please email David dmurdoch@archtoronto.org.
Classic Movies at St. Mary’s Parish
Our next movie is on Thursday, April 25 at 2:00pm in the parish hall. We will be showing the classic Irish comedy The Quiet Man (1952) starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara about an American boxer who comes to live in a small whimsical town in Ireland. Snacks are included and all are welcome!
