Mary Mother of God, New Years & Peace

This prayer was posted on the Archdiocese of Toronto website for the feast of Holy Family - and so I wanted to post it here for our parish to enjoy!

January 1st each year marks 3 events in the Church:

• The Solemnity of Mary - the Mother of God.
• The World day of prayer for Peace,
• and the beginning of a New Calendar Year.

For the celebration of Mary - Mother of God, I wanted to share another video from "Busted Halo" a website that endeavours to use social media to express the truths of the catholic church - and they have a video on Mary - the Mother of God.

Each year - on this first day of the year - the Holy Father provides a statement / letter on the topic of peace - in order to mark the International Day of Prayer for Peace.  How very needed these messages are!  From the domestic front in people's homes, to international relations - I think all violence needs to be confronted with peace.  Here is the text of the Holy Father's message this year:

Finally - on behalf of everyone here at Holy Family Parish - I wish to thank the Knights of Columbus and everyone who helped to make our Parish Feast Day skate such a terrific success.  I think it was our largest turn out since we began this tradition 5 years ago! 

There were over 300 cups of Hot Chocolate served - thanks to the Tim Horton's owner of the 2 locations on Hwy 7: at Gore Road and at McVeen Road.  I think there were over 250 skaters - and close to 350 people at the arena Sunday Afternoon. 

At one point we had 5 members of the parish staff on the ice!

I conclude with the blessing for the beginning of the year from the new Roman Missal:

May God, the source and origin of all blessing, grant you grace, pour out his blessing in abundance, and keep you safe from harm throughout the year.  
Amen.

May he give you integrity in the faith, endurance in hope, and perseverance in charity with holy patience to the end.  Amen.

May he order your days and your deeds in his peace, grant your prayers in this and every place, and lead you happily to eternal life. Amen.
Peace

Feast of the Holy Family

Happy Feast Day…

What parent would not be beside themselves
     When a child goes missing from their side:
In the Store – Mall – Arena -
The Teenage Jesus is lost in this Sunday's Gospel: but not really!

Mary and Joseph are looking for him for 3 days (an allusion to the cross!) and Jesus asks: "why are you distressed?"
This is not Jesus giving lip to his mother and Joseph, perhaps it was more like: Look for me HERE – first!

This past week I had the chance to spend time together with Family, making the trek to Kingston  – where my Dad lives now. (Thanks to my brother-in-law for the driving!)
All of us were talking in the living room after presents, meal, more presents, and dessert – then Gabriel and Michael (my 2 nephews) were put to bed by my brother in law and my sister in law.  But they never resurfaced! So it was just 4 of us (those inlaws have no staying power!) Then Dad went to bed - so it was just Chris, Julie and I: the 3 kids! Then just Chris and I... talking and reflecting late into the night... but it was not always so…  Chris and I used to fight like the dickens!

Certainly - Family is where we experience the Highs & Lows in life. Pleasures & Pains. Both Joys & Sorrows.  Yet when we feel that anger or frustration – that can be a flag to remind us - 
"They Matter – I love them…"

How can the Holy family be a model for our Family?
Fidelity in the face of ridicule and turmoil,
Hope in the face of despair,
and Love in the face of violence.
Faith // Hope // Love //   and the Greatest of these is Love!

Peace

Christmas Eve

The  Church is now decorated... just a final vacuum run to clean up those pesky pine needles, and we will be ready for those who seek to celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation.

The stores are still busy this morning - and I can attest by my own witness - I myself have seen ... Why go to Garden Foods on Christmas Eve morning??? I'll tell you: last night my Dad emailed and asked  if Garden Foods had "dessert manicotti" shells.  I knew he meant canolli shells - and so (against my better judgement) I was at Garden Foods at 10 this morning! The guys there were all very helpful - and after a call to Dad - 2 packages of Canolli Shells were purchased! (Imported from Sicily no less!)
I hope you have all of your shopping for Christmas dinner already done - so that you are not caught in all of this!!! 

Here is a cute video - from New Zealand - where it is already Christmas morning!!!

Peace

Sunday Reflections

John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’  So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

(Luke 3:16-18)

Winnowing Fork… Threshing floor cleared…Chafe burned… This is good News?  What is the Good news in all of this???  
Perhaps the good News is that "We are being gathered in to the Lord’s Granary"

St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians: Rejoice in the Lord always – Again I say – Rejoice – The Lord is near.  This Sunday in known as Gaudete Sunday – Rejoice Sunday…Pink Candle Sunday!

Facing Tragedy – as we have this week learning of the death of 28 people in Newtown, Conneticut - we are left asking questions like Why?   &   How? Really – how can God let this happen?
It may be helpful for us to remember that St. Paul was in prison when he wrote these words… An uncomfortable place to be !
For St. Paul – all he had was the security of the mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.  That is where St. Paul’s rejoicing originates. That is where our hope lies – when we find ourselves in the uncomfortable place of facing the tragedies like this week…

When we encounter Christ in the Eucharist – it requires a response Conversion can be a source of rejoicing – for we realize that in the change of heart we are being challenged - and are being gathered into the Lord’s Granary.

Our Hope in Advent is not a Psychological Hope 
– where there is a Goal we set out towards 
knowing that you have what is necessary 
inside of you to achieve that goal.
NO – Our hope in Advent is a Theological hope,
– where there is a Goal we set out towards 
knowing you DO NOT have what is necessary 
inside of you to achieve that goal
but rather, set out knowing that – what is necessary 
is with God – and is God’s Utter gift.
Peace

Tragedy & Rejoicing?!?

With yet another school shooting tragedy in the United States, we are left again with all kinds of questions that we feel there are never any satisfactory answers: 

• Why does this happen?
• How can God allow innocent children to be killed like this?
• Where is God in all of this?

In the Liturgy this Sunday we hear the words of St. Paul to the Philippians:

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice."

I imagine that there are not many people in the close knit community of Sandy Hook in Conneticut who are rejoicing these days.  How does the scripture written almost 2000 years ago speak to our present reality?

The mystery of Christ's death and resurrection is, for me, the only hope we can have.  It was also the only hope that St. Paul had!  He wrote this letter to the Philippians while he was imprisoned in Rome, awaiting trail on charges of promoting a Kingdom other than the existing Roman Empire. In the midst of prison - which was surely not a very comfortable place, St. Paul urged his readers on to rejoice.  In the very uncomfortable place of grief and sorrow - we place our hope in the Lord. The one who had given all tragedy meaning in his resurrection!

For the people in Sandy Hook and for us - the people in Bolton - knowing that the story does not end at the cross, but continues to the resurrection, this alone can give us peace in turmoil, hope in sadness, and joy in the ultimate power of God.
Peace

Full Wednesday

Yesterday was the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Under this title  Pope John Paul II declared that Mary is the Patroness of the Americas.  And so this was quite a full day in Holy Family Parish!  We had 2 Advent Masses at Pope John Paul II School.  Since the school is over 700 students - we celebrate 2 masses - with 1/2 of the students and staff at each mass. And Stephanie and I had some time for visits to a couple of the grade 8 classes.  One student had quite a few questions for me.  It seemed each time I answered one question - Jack had 3 more he wanted to ask.  I love these times to just hang out and speak with the young people.
After a Pizza & Salad lunch that the school staff provided, I went to St. Michael's for our weekly Wednesday "Class Mass" that happens in Period 4 (1:00 - 2:15). There are usually 3-4 classes that attend these weekly masses - this was the last one for this semester, and had 4 grade 9 classes.  After Mass I usually have a time of 

"Anything you ever wanted to ask a priest and were afraid to ask, since you thought he might run away, but now he won't - so you can ask!"

These grade 9's have been asking terrific questions - including stuff about priesthood, Illuminati, the Mayan calendar, etc.
To be sure, there is lots of talk in our culture these days about whether the world will end on December 20th, 2012.  I simply reminded the students that Jesus consistently said " ... about that day we know not the day or the hour ..."  

After a stop at Tim Hortons for Tea and coffee for Lydia and Stephanie, I spent some time in the office talking to Stephanie about plans for a new ministry in the parish - aimed at children in grades 3, 4,  and 5.  (Watch for a roll out in the new calendar year!)

Then we both headed to Boston Pizza to have dinner with the Chaplain - Urszula Cybulko - and the team going on the Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic in January.  This was a fundraiser that Boston Pizza does with different charities, with a percentage of the evening's sales being donated to offset the cost of the mission trip and supplies.

After that dinner - Stephanie came back to the church for the Holy Family School - Family Advent Mass, while I went on to St. Margurite d'Youville to help with the sacrament of reconciliation.

A full day in the parish!
Peace

2nd Sunday of Advent

God’s Word always comes to specific human beings in concrete situations. It’s not airy, floating in the clouds. All around the world, as Advent begins, Christians undertake intensified prayer and preparation.  This is how they prepare the way and make the paths straight. There is a collective power in millions turning from the culture’s hype, seeking instead a way of peace, simplicity, and mystery. 

When the stores hang red and green tinsel, Christians drape
their altars and prayer corners with violet. Their energy
comes not from what they can buy, but as the prophet Baruch says, from “rejoicing that God has remembered them.”

In the twenty-first century, we remember Herod, Philip,
and Annas only as villains. The heroes of the story that is
unfolding were unknown in their day: a ragged preacher in
the wilderness named John, a teenaged girl named Mary,
her baffled fiancé, Joseph.



Somewhere in a Toronto hospice for AIDS patients, a first nations parish in Attawapiskat, an orphanage in Malawi, the Word of God continues to be spoken by unique individuals who aren’t famous: through healing touches, compassionate eyes, hearts attuned to Christ’s.




Sharpen Our Hearing
God our generous Father,
you who sent John to awaken the people to the coming of Jesus,
sharpen our hearing, so we too might hear
the unlikely prophets in our midst.
Attune us to your Word, spoken by ordinary people,
by children and teenagers, laborers, artists, and the elderly
so that together we can prepare your way.
Lead us to appreciate all your people
as much as we admire the rich and famous.
We ask this through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Advent in 2 minutes

Busted Halo is a website that presents Catholic teachings in different formats - and is involved in different forms of media. They have a radio show on Sirius Satellite radio's Catholic Channel, and Utube Videos.  One of the neat U Tube Video's was featured on the Archdioces of Toronto Blog this week:

I think that focusing on the coming of Christ daily in our lives is a way to see Advent in a new light.  That is what Catherine Ecker (our parish catechist) talked about at the family gathering at the end  of November where people made Advent Wreaths.

     God our caring Father,
     you who gave your beloved Son
     to ransom all people,
     see our human fears
     and love us anyway.
     Guide us through this season
     with quiet, glad anticipation.
     Help us to pay attention
     to the poor and needy,
     and to the lonely among us.
     Give us a spirit of reflection,
     patience with each other,
     and hearts brimming with thanks.
     We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Advent Peace

Light up for Christ

This evening we had the "Light up for Christ" gathering at Holy Family Parish.  The Knights of Columbus throughout the world celebrate this evening - the first Tuesday evening in December - at 8:00 pm as they light Christmas trees and Nativity Scenes.

This year we blessed a New Nativity Scene that was purchased through the efforts of the Squires and the Squirettes.  This beautiful Nativity scene will be light up each night to be a physical reminder that we need to keep Christ in Christmas in our local community!

After singing and praying and singing some more, we headed inside to enjoy hot chocolate and goodies!  

Peace

Santa, Photos and Advent

Saturday was a busy day for Holy Family Parish!  I was up early to get the greenery for the Advent wreath that we make each year- more on that later!

Then it was off to the church to meet over 35 Edgers and LifeTeen youth for the annual Santa Clause Parade in Town.  We had Squires, Squirettes, and Knights of Columbus take care of the decoration of the float, and the Edge and LifeTeen youth stuck "Keep Christ in Christmas" stickers on the candy we handed out! 

The Holy Family Float this year was just ahead of Santa - great placement - and we were in the middle of the Paramedics and Fire Fighters!  

We are a life-saving group too!!!

While it was cold out there on the float - it was great to be able to see so many people!

After the Parade we had a Photo-Shoot at the parish.  I know - you are thinking - really - a Photo-Shoot??? Why???

Well we were looking for a number of images that we can use on our web site, on brochures, and on a series of prayer cards we are preparing for a new project in the coming year.  Stephanie talked with Rosemary Bolognese - a parishioner who is a photographer and a teacher at one of our schools (St. Nicholas).  We spent the afternoon getting hundreds of images - including some with a casket that Egan's Funeral Home kindly loaned us!

We got images of Deacon Robert, Father Damian, and I in different vestments, as if we were celebrating Mass, presiding at a funeral, as well as the font and altar area, and the gift table.

Then we set up our Advent Wreath in minutes - and took pictures with 1, 2, 3, and all 4 candles lit...

Each week throughout Advent we will be placing Family Resources on line on the parish website:

www.holyfamilybolton.ca

I encourage you to use these neat resources which we get from a Liturgical Publisher in the United States.  

And we still have LifeTeen tonight! And Families for reconciliation tomorrow afternoon!

Peace

Terrific Tuesday

Yesterday we had the Funeral of Victor Carnavale - a faithful parishioner with his wife Josie, a Knight of Columbus and an Usher at the 10 am Mass. Victor was remembered as a man of faith and "Mr. Fix It!"  He worked for Ford Motors, and would fix electrrical problems on cars that came off the assembly line.  In the last 5 weeks he learned that he had cancer - in many places in his body. The funeral rites of our church are powerful and comforting.  I continue to pray for Josie, who met Victor after her first husband, and his first wife had died.  Josie also a son - Gus - in a tragic accident in 1993.

Tuesday has been a full day - and there is still more on my calendar! This morning in period 1 of St. Michael's (8:15-9:35) I spoke to a class of grade 12 students on the Sacrament of Marriage.  I did the same thing in Period 4 (1:00 - 2:15) - both classes are taught by Mr. Brooks - a terrific new religion teacher at St. Michael's. He is the son of a religion teacher I have known (Mary Connor-Brooks) for almost 20 years - since I was an associate pastor at St. Jerome's Parish in Brampton!  My hope is that the students will remember that as a Catholic - they need to come to the church for their marriage - when ever that is in the future!

Then I had a friend drive by with her new Fiat car - Roberta is a consultant with Peel Children's Centre, and was up in Bolton to attend the Caledon Parent Child Centre 25th Anniversary Open House this afternoon!  She often has families that she serves here in Bolton.

After a Baptism interview this afternoon - I have a CCS Board Meeting this evening!  I have to say I have become quite learned in Local Health Integration Networks over the past year and a bit that I have been on the CCS Board. 

Christ the King

Despite the claim that we are a democratic people, we really act as if we are fascinated by monarchy - any Monarchy. When I was in Morocco there were pictures of the King - in every house, restaurant, etc.  The big deal actually was that this king was the first to have his Queen shown / photographed along side him...
Whether its the Queens Diamond Jubilee, William and Kate’s wedding or speculation about a child, Prince Harry’s antics – roalty in general still fascinates and captivates us...

Yet the readings this Sunday speak of a different kind of Kingdom.
I remember years ago working with Grade 12 students at St. Augustine's Secondary School, on a retreat where the first activity was to make "Dream Catcher / Timelines." The idea of dreamcatchers comes from our first nations peoples - who would hang them over their head when they slept... When the Sun rose - mit burned off the nightmares, and the good dreams were caught in order to provide hope and stength when facing adversity... 
Daniel captured his dream,  his vision, not in such a fancy dreamcatcher as the native peoples have, never the less, this dream was of a kingdom that would not pass away, that would not be destroyed, one kingdom that would be everlasting.

Daniel's dream,  his vision,  born out of the Historical reality of his time.  This book in the Hebrew Testament was written only about 150 years before the Birth of Christ - and at the time there were conflicts in the temple about increasingly pagan practises.
Daniel  had a certain eagerness for the kingdom.  Looking forward to that kingdom, to its arrival and to the differences that it would bring.

Jesus – in the encounter with Pilate – is called a title he never sought!  A Kingdom not of this world – but in this world.  "Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
To Listen is more than hearing – it does involve hearing - yet so much more. I think it means making a change – from our way to His way so that we belong:  to Jesus; to Christ; to our real King.  When we pray in the Our Father: Thy Kingdom come – it  means also – MY kingdom must go!
Peace

Giving Tree & Building Permit

During this Year of Faith Pope Benedict often speaks of the "New Evangelization."  It could be considered as proclaiming the message of the Gospel in our words and deeds to the culture in which we live which may already have a large number of "nominal" Christians.  This culture - considered by some as already Christian, needs to hear once again with renewed vigor the saving message of the Gospel.  This Evangelization challenges us to live the corporal and spiritual works of mercy:

By working with our community we can affirm the aspects which support a culture of life - and one of those ways we work with CCS and the Santa Fund is our own "Giving Tree" at Holy Family Parish.  This Sunday at all the Masses there will be information shared about how we can support those who experience poverty this year at Christmas.

On another (related) note - The Exchange - the new food support hub that CCS is working on received its building permit today! 
Monty Laskin - the CEO of CCS said:
"With thanks to [those] that believed ... and who toiled long and hard through the ... drawings and revised drawings and revised drawings again!"
Construction has started!

Peace

Landing Home!

On Friday night I returned home - a little later than anticipated and a lot tired! My Dad, Fr. Scott and I were awake Friday morning at 4:15 to catch a cab to the airport in Casablanca, for a 7:30 am flight.  The connection was only 2.5 hours in Paris, but our plane was delayed a further hour while we were on board, because of foggy weather in Paris that had slowed down the departure schedule... so we arrived in Toronto an hour late.  Then there was a passenger who had experienced a medical emergency while we were over Newfoundland, and the EMS people at the airport needed time to take him off before we could exit the plane.  (He looked OK when we passed him inside the terminal!)

Some pictures from my last post - about the OLC conference ...

Jerry Galipeau and Catherine Ecker at "Go and Make Disciples" conference Nov. 6-8

... and my Godson Thomas who plays for the Toronto Titans!

My Godson - Thomas Schemitsch - MVP Big Nickel Tournament Nov 1-4, 2012

This morning I attended the Funeral of Msgr. Gerard Breen, who had been administrator at Holy Family  for about 4 months when Fr. Hank first got sick.

Msgr. Breen was 95 years old ...
and was 71 years a priest!  
God rest his soul!

Peace

OLC and Vacation

Greetings from France. I am on my way to Moracco for a week of holidays with my Dad and Fr. Scott. I will be back in the parish Friday Nov. 16, hopefully awake long enough for Edge.

Some neat things happened this week!

1. Last week I dog-sat "Cocoa" for my friend Maureen Schemitsch while she and her Mom and her son, my Godson Thomas Schemitsch were in Sudbury. Thomas' hockey team - the Titan's - won the Big Nickel hockey tournament and Thomas was named MVP of the tournament. (Thomas' older brother is Geoffery who plays in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals.
2. Our OLC conference went terrifically well this week. Jerry Galipeau was a terrific presenter - who helped us consider how we need to shift our thinking on sacramental preparation - to initiation - which is formation in a way of life - not simply teaching of doctrine. 
3. St. Michael Catholic Secondary school had their awards ceremony last night - and Julia Coffa won the Holy Family parish award for her involvement at St. Michael's and the parish in the past year!  Congrats Julia. 
4. I received word just last night as I was boarding the plane that CCS is starting the renovation work on the Exchange - the new poverty reduction - food support program I spoke about here last week.

I again urge you to buy a ticket for the Red Hot Gala - on the night of the 17th to support the very good work CCS does!

Peace. Fr. Larry

Oil and OLC

Last week I had 2 parents - the Mother and Father - of a Confirmation candidate come to the church and ask why I use so much oil at Confirmation.  The timing of the conversation was a little odd. They had phoned in to the office to complain to one of the students at the office - who said that they needed to talk to me as pastor.  Then they arrived as I was leaving - around 1:30 pm. that same afternoon.  While it was the last Sunday of October - and was the last Sunday for registration for Sacraments - its not like we had just had a meeting for parents, or there was some reference in the homily, or readings to oil... The timing was just odd.  
For years (centuries ago in fact) the Church struggled to define what was minimally necessary for a sacrament.  At least 3 "drops" of water and the Trinitarian Formula (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) for Baptism;  The consent of each person and at least 2 witnesses other than the Church witness (Priest or Deacon) for Marriage; imposition of hands, and anointing with oil by the thumb on the forehead for Confirmation.
When was the last time we saw 3 drops of water at a baptism? When was the last time you saw 5 people at a wedding?  Just because there is a minimum does not make it the standard.  The minimum is just that: minimal. I remember a liturgist once saying, "Large symbols speak, small symbols squeak!"  This is what I tried to communicate to these parents, with little success - standing at the doorway of the church - at the end of a busy Sunday.
I invited them to contact me for a further conversation - which has not happened - in hopes that they could hear some more reflections on this matter. They said - was there a possibility of change - and I said "YES - you could see things the way I do!"  They were not too happy with that - and said no way were they changing and turned to leave. I then said - "You want me to be prepared to change my  practice of over 13 years in my priesthood, but you yourselves are not open to that possibility of change yourselves."  Interesting.  Maybe they will go off and grumble with other parents. Maybe they will contact the Archdiocese. Maybe they will go to another parish. Or maybe they will realize, if they are regular parishioners, that the Bishop will most likely be coming to celebrate Confirmation in 2014 - and then "a little dab will do ya!"

This week (Nov. 6-8) the Ontario Liturgical Conference (OLC) - the organization which provides advice to the Bishops of Ontario on Liturgical matters - will be meeting in Mississauga. The OLC is composed of representatives of the different dioceses in Ontario, and "members at large" who have expertise in liturgical matters. (I am a member at large!) This year - along with the annual meeting - there is a workshop on Christian Initiation. The hope is that the 100 people who will be joining the 20 or so regular members of the OLC will be able to see that the work in parishes that is often considered "Sacramental Preparation" is really all about initiation.  Jerry Galipeau - who is Vice President and Chief Publishing Officer for JS Paluch a Catholic Pubisher in the US - is going to be our main presenter.  He has a blog that I highly recommend: GottaSingGottaPray
Peace

The Exchange

You may remember that last spring I participated in a Hunger Awareness Week activity: "Living on a Food Box".  Along with 9 other people in Caledon - I lived on what a person who receives assistance from the Food Bank receives.  Actually it was less than a week - only 5 days - but that was enough for me to realize that things needed to change.  People need fresh fruits and vegetables, not simply canned beans and peanut butter! 

This week I was able to attend a tour and simple Chili Dinner that was hosted by CCS in the unit that will become a new community hub addressing food and crises support.  The EXCHANGE is going to change things up.  This will not be your usual food bank!  There will be counselling rooms, food preparation areas, a meeting room, and a Pantry for people to choose the food assistance that they need.  This Pantry is named after our parishioners who own Garden Foods: "The Carbone Family Pantry." [ Their annual golf tournament has provided funds for CCS over the past 10 years. ]

Sorting area & refrigerators

This facility will be a place where the whole community can serve and be served.  Where there will be refrigerators in order to receive fresh fruits and vegetables, for those who need food support.  Where there is a plan in place to work with local suppliers & farmers to get some of this fresh product.  

I support the Exchange because I realized how absent fresh food was from the typical Food Bank Box.  That is why I support the CCS Red Hot Gala - so that we will have a Healthy, Engaged, Community for all!

Radiant Joy and CCS Gala

The XLT on Friday night was terrific!  With hundreds of people from Bolton and across the GTA - including the youth from Nativity of our Lord Parish in Etobicoke, there was praise and worship, a talk by Joe Chernowski from the Lifeteen office in Atlanta, and Adoration.  An awesome night for our parish and for the youth of the Archdiocese.  
Today there is the Empower Plus ministry training conference for youth ministers and CORE team members from southern Ontario, as well as some people coming from the northern states - New York and Michigan.  

Each year Caledon Community Services has a Gala in support of the many services that are provided in the community that do not receive government funding:  Crisis care, poverty reduction, food support, counselling and the like.  This year's Gala is only 2 weeks away - November 17 and is held at Caledon Golf and Country Club - which is on the west side of Highway 10 - off of Old Base Line Road.  I support this fundraiser, not only because I am a member of the board, but also because as a parish we send people to CCS all the time in order to receive support. By working together with other community partners we can make a difference - and have a "Healthy, Engaged, Compassionate, Community for All!"
I hope you will support the GALA - more info is here.
Peace

All Saints - All Souls

This is one of many tapestries of saints that hang in the Cathedral in Los Angeles, California.  I like this image because it contains some modern day saints, and blessed's and the placement, on both sides of the main place of assembly in the Cathedral, signifies that we are a pilgrim Church - and that we are surrounded by the communion of saints. For me this means that even those who have died, and are with God in the fullness of the Kingdom, are also with us at the Eucharistic Table, when  we pray today - the feast of all Souls - for those who are still on the way to that beatific vision.

It was funny to hear someone comment on what a coincidence it was that Halloween was the night before All Saints day!  Hello!!! All Saints Eve-> All Hallows Eve -> Hallows Eve-> Halloween!
Come on folks!  These two dates are connected.  And then there was the conversation on CBC on Wednesday evening - asking - should this "evening" be moved to the "weekend" so people would have time to shop and prepare their homes and their children!  Yikes...

On a more delightful note - this week Stephanie and 2 other young adults from the parish lead a retreat at St. Nicholas School for their Student Leaders - and Thursday afternoon we had a commissioning celebration - on the feast of All Saints!  May you be the hands and feet of Christ in all that you do:

St. Nicholas School - Student Leaders

Peace

Hurricanes Outside and Inside!

While we have all heard of Hurricane Sandy - and dealt with winds on the outside - so to speak, there have been strong winds on the "inside" of my life these days too.  I think that this photo is an indicator of this... Here are 4 sets of Shoes that are hanging out in the sitting area of my room at the rectory.  From top to bottom:

• Brown pair - worn with brown pants earlier this weekend.  
• Black regular pair - worn at the Wedding Saturday
• Black "dress" pair - worn at the two funerals this week!
• Running shoes taken for the Lifeteen outing at the Circus School on Saturday night but never worn!

All of these not put away, for a couple of reasons: our housekeeper is sick right now, and I feel like I am just keeping up with things!  I know it takes just a few minutes - so these were put away right after I took the picture.  I felt this was just the right image to indicate the type of week its been!

I have 3 friends (from the Chicago 6) who have been Struggling with the "Outside Winds" of hurricane Sandy:

• Fr. Rick in Andover - just north of Boston - lost power in his Church rectory for 24 hours and lost a big pine tree behind the Rectory - next to the Church.
• Rita Ferrone - who lives in Mount Vernon - just north New York City - lost power Monday evening and it is still not on.  She is safe - in a 6th floor apartment, but has gone over to her Sister's place - also in the Suburbs of New York, where the power is on at the present time...
• Jim Sullivan - the widower of Margie who died in March - lives in Norfolk Virginia, where he sent this email message from:

... the wind and rain have abated a bit but the backside of a hurricane is always messy. It is always nice not to be at sea but on land during these events. I have paid my dues with typhoon, green water and rolling, pitching ships plus seasickness. I have not lost power. There is plenty of disruption, flooding, damage and schedule chaos but so far no deaths due to the storm. I didn't sleep past 4 AM last night due to anxieties about storm status and being alone in a creaking house so be prepared for the silence and new noises...

We lost 2 Garbage cans at the church and our "garbage shelter" was blown apart and was in pieces all over the property! We put it back together yesterday - but have not found the garbage cans that were inside them!
Inside wind - Outside winds - all moving things around!
Peace 

Busy - Kingdom Building Time!

Since I last blogged it has been a busy life! 
"Full measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap" to quote scripture: Luke 6:38  (Which continues: "For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.") 
On October 12th and 13th I participated in the Simcoe Liturgy Conference. This was the 10th time the conference had been held (every 18 months or so) and I presented this time with Margaret Bick.  I'll let you in on a secret - Margaret was the brains in this operation! We based our presentations on Dies Domini - the Day of the Lord, which was written by Pope John Paul II in 1998. Even though it is 14 year old - I have fallen more and more in love with this document!
I shared the different "Titles" or names that Pope John Paul II used to help describe Sunday as the Lord's Day.  Margaret spoke about the claim Christ made of Sunday - the whole day - and shared her own conversion around what she did on Sundays... It was a wonderful time - with over a 100 participants. 

Late in the evening on Thursday October 18th I flew to Chicago to be part of a 2 day Institute: "Evangelizing Parish: Vision, Passion and Practice" in the Diocese of Joliet.  This is one of many different types of conferences that the North American Forum on the Catechumenate holds across the continent at the request of local Dioceses. Forum is dedicated to the full implementation in all parishes of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.  The first period in the RCIA is called "Evangelization and Pre-Catechhumenate", so this is institute looks at how a parish is called to be an evangelizing parish - all the time.  Working all day Friday and Saturday - we take people from the Scriptures - to the Tradition of the Church. Starting in the Acts of the Apostles - we gain some insight into the passion of that early church community. Then from the Beatitudes (Matt 5:1-12) we learn the 7 Principles of Catholic Social Teaching - and realize that if we live these principles, if we live the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, then we will be witnesses in our culture.  

After flying back late Saturday night - landing just after midnight - we had a full day in the parish Sunday - Including a 25th Wedding Anniversary for 2 couples:
          Aldo and Fiorella Sunseri,    and 
          Silvia and Joseph Lume.
A wonderful celebration!

This past week I have been at the annual Priests' Seminar (at the Nottawasaga Inn) discussing the topic: Theology in the parish: Does it matter? There were good presentations on Theology, Liturgy, Scripture and Evangelization.

Peace.

Year of Faith

Today is the 50th anniversary of the opening of the second Vatican Council.  It also marks the beginning of the Year of Faith, which will conclude with the feast of Christ the King, November 24, 2013.
This morning in St. Peter's Square, there was a Mass celebrated to mark this anniversary.  There were 35 Bishops in attendance who also participated in the council, including Pope Benedict himself!
This week a Synod (a gathering of some of the Bishops of the world) began on "New Evangelization" which will last for 5 weeks. 
There will be all kinds of "Year of Faith" initiatives, with our parish as well as within our Archdiocese. All of these are designed to help us know our faith more fully, and be people who live our faith in the modern world.  
Here is some Video from earlier today:

Peace!

Harmony in Action

Wednesday and Thursday of last week I spent some time at a conference called "Harmony in Action" Compassion and Reconciliation conference.

I was a guest of the organizer - Hon. Paul Hellyer, a former MP for Trinity- Spadina and deputy PM.  There were some very good speakers, but I have to say that the Favourite part for me was meeting a faithful Jewish woman - Fredelle.  We were at the same table and so we had some great conversations among just a few of us - She spoke about how hard it was to be a person of faith in our world today.  I agreed with her - about how much our world wands to put people of faith on the margins, and any attempt engage the society by a person speaking from a faith perspective is ridiculed.

Earlier this week I learned that Michael Coren has written a new book - Heresy: 10 Lies they spread about Christianity, and I heard Michael interviewed on CBC on Thanksgiving Monday (as I was on my way to my Godson's Hockey game in Oshawa). In the interview Michael spoke about the marginalization of religious thought in our society today. Interesting convergence...
Peace

Happy Thanksgiving

There are many things that we can be thankful for.  I would say that the busy - ness of the past week is a mixed blessing!  There is a tiredness about being busy - but it is a "good" tiredness in my books.  I remember Fr. J Glenn Murray, a Jesuit priest and liturgist saying "I would rather wear out than rust out" - I agree!
Last week I hosted a meeting of the Chicago 6.  Perhaps not as famous as the group of 7 - yet a wonderful group, if only in our own minds!  We formed as a result of working together at a Beginnings and Beyond Institute run by the North American Forum on the Catechumenate in Chicago in 2002.  Forum is involved in assisting Parishes and Dioceses implement the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in the life of the church.
We really bonded as a team (I was the Intern) and so we gathered a year later at a Forum Convocation in Baltimore in 2003 (700 plus people) and have met each year since - moving around to each person's home town.  When I was still in Holy Martyrs of Japan parish in 2005 it was Toronto's first turn, and last week, while I am here in Bolton, was my second turn!  This past March one of our 6 died - I wrote about Margie Sullivan in this blog at that time.

This year 2 of our group arrived on the Sunday Night - and 2 arrived on Monday afternoon.  So I took Rita Burns-Senseman and Kevin Bourassa, the early birds to the McMichael Canadian Collection Monday morning.  They had both been unable to join the Chicago 6 the first time we were in Toronto, when I had taken that first group to the McMichael. So this was a real treat.  Then after some shopping - we went to the airport to collect Rita Ferrone and Rick Conway. (YES we have 2 Rita\s in our group! Who would have figured! We often refer to them by the initials of where they live: Rita NY = Rita Ferrone from New York, and Rita TH = Rita Burns-Senseman from Terre Haute Indiana!)

Monday night I treated them to a dinner that I prepared in the Rectory.  That is where this picture was taken.


Rick, Rita NY, Kevin, Rita TH, and Moi

 Tuesday morning - after a breakfast stop at the Iconic Canadian Coffee Shop - Tim Hortons - we went to the church of my Baptism: St. Leo's in Mimico (Etobicoke). Then we went to St. Paul's Basilica, and on to the Bay at Queen and Yonge.  After Lunch at their restaraunt "Bannock" we wandered through the Eaton's Centre, and after going by the Cathedral, came back to the Hotel that they were staying in (Holiday Inn Express) to freashen up, before going back into Toronto to the Royal York for Dinner. (I remember going to the Royal York Hotel as a child with my parents for Sunday Brunch!)
Wednesday they were on their way - and so I dropped them off at the Airport.

I would never have thought that on the eve of World Youth Day in Toronto that I would travel to Chicago (be left at the airport to find my own way in) and become such great friends with this group of people.  To be sure we all had a common passion for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, but there has been something more here.  These are people that I love, not simply like.  We can talk about our joys and sorrows, our hopes and disapointments, our fears and dreams - and we can be very real with each other.  This is a priveleged place for me to be.  This is what I give thanks for this Thanksgiving Day!
Peace.

Fr. Carl Matthews, S.J.

I know that I have not been Blogging lately.  Its not for lack of work! Its for lack of Time.
Early this morning I learned that Fr. Carl Matthews, S.J., a former publisher and editor of The Catholic Register, and Chair of Trustees of the Catholic School Board in Toronto, died Sept. 26. The 80-year-old Fr. Matthews was in his 62nd year of Jesuit life.
Fr. Matthews died peacefully at Rouge Valley Hospital in Ajax, Ont. He had been at the Rene Goupil Jesuit Infirmary as his health deteriorated since his retirement from parish life in 2010.

It is Fr. Matthews' dedication to Catholic education where he made his name. He served for 14 years as a trustee with the Metropolitan Separate School Board, the predecessor of the Toronto Catholic District School Board, and is among those most responsible for full funding being extended to Catholic schools. Along with the late Cardinal Gerald Emmett Carter, Fr. Matthews worked tirelessly in the halls of Queen's Park to bring equal funding to Catholic high schools, which up until 1984 were only fully funded up until Grade 10.
In the early 1990s, Fr. Matthews was publisher and editor of The Catholic Register before returning to parish life. He spent 16 years, from 1994-2010, as pastor of St. John the Evangelist parish in Waubaushene, Ont., on the shores of Georgian Bay in the northern reaches of the archdiocese of Toronto.
Born in Kingston, Ont., in 1932, Carl Joseph Damien Matthews attended Regiopolis College in his hometown before entering St. Stanislaus Navitiate in Guelph, Ont., in 1951. After first vows and two years of Juniorate, he went on to Regis College in Toronto. He returned to Regiopolis to teach for two years before returning to the University of Toronto to study education.
Fr. Matthews was ordained a priest June 4, 1966. He served in a number of parishes in the archdiocese, including Martyrs' Shrine in Midland, Ont., Good Shepherd parish in Thornhill and St. Michael's Cathedral.  Rest In Peace Fr. Carl.
Peace

Share Life

ShareLife Annual Appeal 

Raises $14.9 Million, Up 9.4%

Each year in the Archdiocese of Toronto, a tremendous amount of energy and resources are devoted to the annual appeal, ShareLife. It's an opportunity for all Catholics to mobilize around one basic call each one of us has as Christians - to reach out to those who experience poverty and those who are marginalized.

The ShareLife campaign supports more than 250,000 people every year through its support of 40 different agencies. In short, we're not just helping Catholics, we're helping anyone in need who turns to a ShareLife agency for assistance.

With final results announced in August, Catholics throughout the Archdiocese should feel proud that the charity has surpassed its 2012 goal by raising $14,934,663, just shy of $15 million, a 9.4% increase from 2011. For those not familiar with the ShareLife Appeal, there are a number of targeted campaigns that contribute to the overall result. These include corporate, school and parish campaigns in addition to bequests and in-memoriam gifts that are made each year by those who remember ShareLife in their will or after the passing of a loved one and wish to leave a lasting legacy.

It's no secret that fundraising in today's difficult economic climate is not easy. The ShareLife campaign was blessed this year with an anonymous donor who pledged to match new and increased donations up to $650,000. The matching gift had a tremendous impact on the overall result of the 2012 appeal.  Our own Parish raised over $60,000 - surpassing our Goal!  Thank You

ShareLife has come a long way from its beginnings in 1976, with Catholics going door to door that first year to raise just over $2 million. Yet the mission, vision and goals remain essentially the same: to model the example of Christ to serve the poor and marginalized, to put others before ourselves, to give without counting the cost, to value the sanctity of every life!

So whether it's a new immigrant looking to call Canada home, a single mom seeking support, seniors looking for quality care, a child with special needs finding the support they deserve, ShareLife and its agencies are truly working wonders.

Thanks for helping ShareLife go "over the top" in 2012. Remember, the life you change may be the person sitting beside you on the subway, at church or even a friend or relative.
Peace