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Around St. Mary's This Week (9 May 2021)....
Feast of Pentecost!
The great 50 days of Easter draws to a close on the Feast of Pentecost. As we prepare to celebrate Pentecost we pray:
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created.
And you shall renew the face of the earth.
YOUTH MINISTRY
YOUTH RETREAT – Save the REVISED Date! We are excited to announce that prolific Catholic speaker, Paul J. Kim who currently resides in Texas, is joining virtually on Saturday, May 15th for a retreat for our young people. It will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For further details or to register for the retreat, please email stmarysyouthministrybarrie@gmail.com or call (705) 229-7426.
Preparing for Confirmation or first sharing in Holy Communion
All preparation meetings and celebrations have been suspended. Please check your emails regularly for updates and consult the parish website and bulletin. All questions about preparation and celebration of the sacraments may be directed to Catherine Ecker at cecker@archtoronto.org.
Prayer for Families Waiting to Celebrate a Sacrament
We invite you to pray in an intentional way for families preparing for Baptism, for our young people waiting to be confirmed and for all families preparing their children to begin to share in Holy Communion.
Gracious God,
I pray for the families waiting to celebrate
a sacrament. I ask for your blessing upon them.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph
pray for our families.
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Some have asked whether we could have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament during this time when the church is open from 11 to 1pm for personal prayer. The document Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass issued by Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments states: “The Blessed Sacrament should never be exposed for the purposes of private devotion.” The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is a public liturgical rite which is celebrated by the Church community. As such, the times of exposition are typically scheduled when a sufficient number of the faithful can be present to pray before the exposed Eucharist. This is not possible with the limits of 10 people in the church. Since it is expected that Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament would flow from, or lead to, the celebration of the Eucharist, and since public Masses have been suspended in the Archdiocese of Toronto at this time, we will not have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. While there is permission presently from Cardinal Collins for a 10 minute communion service to be held in parishes with up to 9 people, I feel that this diminishes the Mystery of the Eucharist. It leads to the malformation of the people of God as getting some “thing” vs celebrating the Eucharist. The Cardinal has been quite clear in granting pastors complete discretion in this matter so we will not have communion services and the church will not be open on Sundays for personal prayer. Fr. Larry |
Adoration / Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
Celebrating Seniors During the Month of June!
Ministry with Maturing Adults: Free Webinar!
The Office of Formation for Discipleship is offering a webinar on Saturday, June 5 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. with Sr. Janet Schaeffler, OP, on, “Prescription for COVID: A Daily Dose of Faith, Hope and Love.”
These unprecedented times have been upsetting, unfair and challenging for maturing adults. We need our daily dose of faith, hope and love to fight off the fear, gloom and dread. As we reflect on what helped us through this past year, we discover that it was – and continues to be – the strength of the Gospel, which provides us with answers to the trauma and fears of the pandemic.
All men and women in the second half of life (50+), including volunteers, parish leaders, parish staff and priests are welcome to join this webinar.
To register, please visit: http://bit.ly/MAW-RegisterJune2021.
If you have any questions, please contact Ella Okonkwo at: 416-934-3400 ext. 523 or formation@archtoronto.org
Christian Meditation meets weekly, online. The next session is on Tuesday, May 11th at 11:00 a.m. Christian Meditation is one form of prayer and is a discipline that requires practice, concentration and commitment. This ancient form of Christian contemplative prayer invites us into a time of sacred silence. All are welcome. No prior experience is needed. If you have any questions or to receive the link to the meeting please email Catherine Ecker at cecker@archtoronto.org.
Writing Circle Alumni Group: this gathering is for those who have already completed the Life Story Writing program. The monthly meeting will be held Thursday, May 13th online at 2:00 p.m. To get the link please contact Catherine Ecker at cecker@archtoronto.org.
We are Called to Pray!
During this stage of the pandemic many people are suffering, our hospitals are over capacity and our front-line workers in the hospital, long term care facilities and nursing homes are exhausted. During the month of May, Monday through Friday you are invited to come together in prayer virtually at 3:00 p.m. to pray the rosary for those affected by Covid and all health care professionals.
You may join us online via Zoom. If you prefer not to use Zoom you are invited to pray at 3:00 p.m. knowing you will be in union with those who are online praying.
For those joining online the Zoom link will open at 2:50 p.m. and no one will be admitted after 3:00 p.m. as the leaders will be praying. For more information or to receive the link please email Catherine Ecker at cecker@archtoronto.org or call 705 728 2985 ext. 115 and leave a message.
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Prayers for Those Suffering and for all Healthcare Workers God of Mercy, You never abandon your people. Your unconditional love is unfailing. Uphold our sisters and brothers Who are suffering with Covid 19 including the patients in our hospitals, long term care residences, and nursing homes. During this time when physical separation is necessary, reassure them, and all of us, that bonds of faith, family, and friendship stretch beyond any distance or length of time. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Giver of so many gifts, we thank you for the women and men who dedicate their lives to providing healthcare in our communities, as they battle a virus that knows no distinctions, help them to care for the sick in safety, and with determination and compassion. God, give them strength. God, renew their spirits. God, protect them from harm. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen. © 2020 by Steven R. Janco. All rights reserved. Used with permission |
