Around St. Mary's This Week (10 July 2022)

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: Louis Kovacs and Samara Whiteman

MINISTRY WITH MATURING ADULTS

VON SMART (Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together) Exercise Program is held on Tuesday mornings. The program continues through the summer months. For  details regarding the program and registration please call: 705 737 5044 ext. 221.

Christian Meditation is an ancient form of contemplative prayer rooted in the Christian tradition. This group meets weekly. Our next session will be on Tuesday, July 19th at 10:30 a.m. on Zoom. If you are interested in learning more about this form of prayer or have questions please contact Catherine Ecker at 705 728 2985 ext.115 or email: cecker@archtoronto.org.  All are welcome.

SHARING IN HOLY COMMUNION: A SIGN OF OUR COMMUNION WITH GOD AND UNION WITH OTHERS

Our sharing in Holy Communion is both a profoundly public, and deeply personal act; yet there is nothing private about the Communion procession. It is most  definitely a holy union with our Lord, Jesus Christ and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

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. The normative way to receive communion is standing.  To receive on our knees disrupts the procession, and draws attention to oneself, and is a misplaced sense of piety.

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.

BIBLE CAMP 2022
Thank you to all campers and leaders who contributed to another successful and fun Bible Camp. 

See you in 2023!

SUMMER CLASSIC MOVIES!
Escape from the heat and enjoy a movie!
Join us for a film on Monday afternoons.

Each Monday beginning July 11th we will gather at 3:15 p.m. to watch a classic movie in the parish hall.

Drinks and snacks will be provided. All are welcome. Free will offering.

FALLING UPWARD
A Spirituality for the Second Half of Life

Father Richard Rohr OFM, has written extensively on spirituality, Christian traditions of contemplation and action. His book Falling Upward invites us to rethink what it means to age and to embrace the spiritual richness that comes in the second half of life.

You are invited to join a guided discussion of the book Falling Upward. Sessions will be held on Thursday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. beginning September 15th and concluding December 8th. 

All participants will need a copy of the book. To register and order a copy of the book please contact Catherine Ecker at 705 728 2985 ext. 115 or email: cecker@archtoronto.org

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ANNUAL BARRIE HILL FARMS BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL IS BACK!

Barrie Council 1626 Knights of Columbus and the Gervais Family invite everyone to celebrate the return of our annual blueberry pancake festival on July 23 & 24,  2022 from 8:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. at Barrie Hill Farms, 2935 Barrie Hill Rd.  Cost: $10.00/adult & $7.50/child gives you: pancakes with blueberries, sausages and coffee or juice.
Net proceeds will be donated to Hospice Simcoe.

SUPPORTING OUR REFUGEE FAMILY
We are looking for a two-bedroom apartment, if you can assist please contact the parish office. If you are able to assist with the cost of a vehicle for our refugee family please put your donation in an envelope and mark it “Car Refugee Family”. You may place your donation in one of the baskets in the foyer or at the parish office.

LIFE STORY WRITING PROGRAM:
September 2022

“The Life Story Writing Programme provides an opportunity to stop, take stock, and look back over the process of life in order to gain deeper understanding, clearer perspective and a more integrated view. Undertaken from a faith perspective, it is a search for evidence in your life that God has been with you and is still with you. Such discovery nourishes one’s inner being, renews one’s spirit and energizes for the journey ahead.”

We will offer this six-week program beginning Monday, September 19th. The sessions will be held in person from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. A fee of $20.00 is requested to  cover the cost of printing. Advance registration is required. To register or for more information please contact Catherine Ecker at cecker@archtoronto.org  or call 705 728 2985 ext. 115.

SUMMERTIME AND FAMILY PRAYER

Throughout the summer many people are traveling.

Before you begin a trip, you are invited to pray.

Loving God, source of all life and joy, be with
us as we travel, may we be respectful of those
we meet, grateful for those who offer
hospitality, patient and kind to one another,
and alert to the wonders of your world Remind
us of your loving presence and bring us safely
home. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen