Around St. Mary's This Week (24 October 2021)...

TODAY is World Mission Sunday

It represents a global sign of the universal Church and Mission.  We are invited to reach out and help build the Church in the most remote areas across the world.  Your prayers and donations will support churches, hospitals, schools, and vocations to priesthood and religious life.  Please show your generosity as it provides assistance to the young dioceses in Asia, Africa, Latin American, and the Pacific Islands. Thank you to all for your commitment to the church’s mission.  Please keep all missionaries in your daily prayers.

Praying for the Sick 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 pray those who have died recently including Allan Shaw and Columkelle Maloney.

Ministry to the Hospitalized If you or a family member are hospitalized please contact the parish so you or they may receive a pastoral visit.

With Burning Hearts: 4th Annual Parish Ministry Conference

A virtual event from October 26 to 30, 2021 sponsored by the Office of Formation, Archdiocese of Toronto.  Registration is now open, there is no cost for this event. Details are available at https://www.archtoronto.org/conference

St. Mary’s Annual Memorial Mass

On Tuesday, November 2nd, All Souls Day we will prayer for all of the faithful departed at the 7:00 p.m. Mass. Our Bereavement Committee has extended a personal invitation to all families who had a loved one buried from St. Mary’s Parish during the past year to attend this Mass.  All parishioners are welcome to attend this Mass as we pray for our family near and far who have died this past year. When you arrive, we will give you a lit candle which is placed on the steps near the altar. At the end of Mass, you are welcome to take a candle home or to leave it in burning in the church.

This Mass will also be livestreamed on our parish Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/St.MarysBarrie/live.

ShareLife - Your gift will be matched!

The ongoing pandemic has made life even harder for those who are poor and marginalized. A couple that has supported ShareLife for many years felt so moved by this unprecedented crisis that they wanted to do more to help – and are inviting you to join them.

For every dollar you give to ShareLife, they will do the same. From now through November 15, your gift will be matched up to a total of $750,000.
The needs are greater than ever. And now your gift will go even further towards making our communities more caring and compassionate.

Next Sunday, October 31 is the final ShareLife Sunday of 2021.

Please give generously or anytime at sharelife.org.

MINISTRY WITH MATURING ADULTS

The Ministry with Maturing Adults seeks to support the lifelong faith development of women and men throughout all phases of the pre-retirement and retirement years. Programs are open to everyone.

VON SMART (Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together) Exercise Program is held on Tuesday mornings. For details regarding beginning dates and registration please call: VON at 705 737 5044 ext. 221.

Christian Meditation meets on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. The next session on Tuesday, October 26th will be online (Zoom) 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 Next Chapter Network is a faith-based support network for women who are widowed. The network encourages and empowers widows to move forward into a positive future. This group is not a bereavement support group and is not intended to replace the Bereavement Support Group at St. Mary’s Church. The next meeting will be on Zoom on Monday, October 25th from 7:30 – 8:45 p.m. Questions or for more information please contact Catherine Ecker at caecker@archtoronto.org.

Wedding Anniversaries

Living and Celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage

The expression a wedding lasts a day a marriage lasts a lifetime highlights the importance of celebrating and living marriage vows day after day. 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 October we shall pray with you and share in your joy at all Sunday (Saturday evening) Masses on October 30th and 31st. Please join us in thanking God for the gift of the married couples in our midst.

YOUTH MINISTRY

LIFETEEN – for high school teens to explore their faith through talks, prayer and friendship meeting monthly on Sunday nights. Our next gathering is TODAY - Sunday, October 24^th after the 4:00 p.m. Mass.  Dinner provided.

M.E.R.C.Y. (Ministry to Educate Roman Catholic Youth) is for youth grades J.K. to Gr. 4and 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, November 12^th. 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, November 12^th.

For information on our Youth Ministry please email stmarysyouthministrybarrie@gmail.com or call Shannon Barks at 705-229-7426.

BREAKFAST TO GO PROGRAM

We are seeking a volunteer to be a Costco shopper for the Breakfast to Go Program here in the parish.  We need someone to shop once a month for nonperishable items and deliver to the parish kitchen.  For additional information or if you can donate your time for this important role, please contact Eileen Bethune at 705-791-6249.

RESILIENCY – A FREE 45 MIN. WEBINAR

Join Jenna Wickens from Catholic Family Services of Simcoe County on October 28 @ 11 a.m. as she defines resiliency and provides tools to build up your resiliency.  Whether you are a parent caring for a child, a child caring for a parent, a spouse caring for a spouse, or a friend caring for a friend, the pandemic has made the weight of caregiving heavier. Caregivers have been burning out at extremely high rates. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sharelife-speaker-series-building-caregiver-resiliency-registration-194587986907?utm_source=Archdiocese+of+Toronto&utm_campaign=bc09466353-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_11_30_2020_17_23_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ec9d7dab1a-bc09466353-106348061