St. John Paul School

On Tuesday morning we had a terrific celebration at St. Michael's Secondary School with almost all of the students from the newly Renamed St. John Paul II School.

Months ago we began to meet - once we learnt that Blessed John Paul II was going to be Canonized.  We chose the date, once we knew the official Canonization date. In our preliminary meetings we talked about wanting to have one celebration - with all of the students and staff in attendance.  Neither the school nor the parish has a space big enough for over 800 people!  So we asked St. Michael's Secondary school if we could use the Gym.

St. Michael's were very gracious hosts! (They even had a fruit platter, and coffee & muffins for Bishop Boissonneau, Fr. Jim Roth and the parish team immediately following the celebration.)

It was a pleasure to have Bishop Boissonneau able to attend our celebration as well as Fr. Jim Roth - the "Priest in residence" for Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board.  The celebration was truly memorable! Everything was so well done - from the opening Drama that showed the History of the life of Karol Wojtyla, to the concluding liturgical movement / Dance.  There were many quotes from John Paul's Pontificate, and there were prayers offered - especially for the youth of the world and those who suffer from Parkinson's disease - as did John Paul. We also prayed a decade of the Rosary - remembering the St. John Paul's devotion to Mary.
There were plants and lanterns for each classroom - representing the call to grow in holiness and to be a light for our world. There was music and song that tied the entire celebration together. Everything flowed so wonderfully. I thank God for all of the many gifts that were put to service in marking the incredible milestone of John Paul II's Canonization. 

I pass on my congratulations to both the Principal and the Vice Principal and to the entire staff at St. John Paul School for a job well done! 

Canonization homily

At the heart of this Sunday, which concludes the Octave of Easter and which John Paul II wished to dedicate to Divine Mercy, are the glorious wounds of the risen Jesus.
He had already shown those wounds when he first appeared to the Apostles on the very evening of that day following the Sabbath, the day of the resurrection.  But Thomas was not there that evening, and when the others told him that they had seen the Lord, he replied that unless he himself saw and touched those wounds, he would not believe.  A week later, Jesus appeared once more to the disciples gathered in the Upper Room, and Thomas was present; Jesus turned to him and told him to touch his wounds.  Whereupon that man, so straightforward and accustomed to testing everything personally, knelt before Jesus with the words: “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28).
The wounds of Jesus are a scandal, a stumbling block for faith, yet they are also the test of faith.  That is why on the body of the risen Christ the wounds never pass away: they remain, for those wounds are the enduring sign of God’s love for us.  They are essential for believing in God.  Not for believing that God exists, but for believing that God is love, mercy and faithfulness.  Saint Peter, quoting Isaiah, writes to Christians: “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pet 2:24, cf. Is 53:5).
John XXIII and John Paul II were not afraid to look upon the wounds of Jesus, to touch his torn hands and his pierced side.  They were not ashamed of the flesh of Christ, they were not scandalized by him, by his cross; they did not despise the flesh of their brother (cf. Is 58:7), because they saw Jesus in every person who suffers and struggles.  These were two men of courage, filled with the parrhesia of the Holy Spirit, and they bore witness before the Church and the world to God’s goodness and mercy.
They were priests, bishops and popes of the twentieth century.  They lived through the tragic events of that century, but they were not overwhelmed by them.  For them, God was more powerful; faith was more powerful – faith in Jesus Christ the Redeemer of man and the Lord of history; the mercy of God, shown by those five wounds, was more powerful; and more powerful too was the closeness of Mary our Mother.
In these two men, who looked upon the wounds of Christ and bore witness to his mercy, there dwelt a living hope and an indescribable and glorious joy (1 Pet 1:3,8).  The hope and the joy which the risen Christ bestows on his disciples, the hope and the joy which nothing and no one can take from them.  The hope and joy of Easter, forged in the crucible of self-denial, self-emptying, utter identification with sinners, even to the point of disgust at the bitterness of that chalice.  Such were the hope and the joy which these two holy popes had received as a gift from the risen Lord and which they in turn bestowed in abundance upon the People of God, meriting our eternal gratitude.
This hope and this joy were palpable in the earliest community of believers, in Jerusalem, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles (cf. 2:42-47).  It was a community which lived the heart of the Gospel, love and mercy, in simplicity and fraternity.
This is also the image of the Church which the Second Vatican Council set before us.  John XXIII and John Paul II cooperated with the Holy Spirit in renewing and updating the Church in keeping with her pristine features, those features which the saints have given her throughout the centuries.  Let us not forget that it is the saints who give direction and growth to the Church.  In convening the Council, John XXIII showed an exquisite openness to the Holy Spirit.  He let himself be led and he was for the Church a pastor, a servant-leader.  This was his great service to the Church; he was the pope of openness to the Spirit.
In his own service to the People of God, John Paul II was the pope of the family.  He himself once said that he wanted to be remembered as the pope of the family.  I am particularly happy to point this out as we are in the process of journeying with families towards the Synod on the family. It is surely a journey which, from his place in heaven, he guides and sustains.
May these two new saints and shepherds of God’s people intercede for the Church, so that during this two-year journey toward the Synod she may be open to the Holy Spirit in pastoral service to the family.  May both of them teach us not to be scandalized by the wounds of Christ and to enter ever more deeply into the mystery of divine mercy, which always hopes and always forgives, because it always loves.

Canonizations Sunday April 27

Here is a Video of the Pope Francis entering St. Peter's square and greeting Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

Below is the Video of the declaration by Pope Francis (in Latin) of John XXIII and John Paul II as Saints in the Catholic Church.

Here are 2 recently released prayers to the new saints:

Prayer to St. John Paul II

Oh, St. John Paul, 
from the window of heaven, 
grant us your blessing! 
Bless the church that you loved and served and guided,
courageously leading it along the paths of the world 
in order to bring Jesus to everyone and everyone to Jesus. 
Bless the young, who were your great passion. 
Help them dream again, help them look up high again 
to find the light that illuminates the paths of life here on earth.

May you bless families, bless each family! 
You warned of Satan’s assault against this precious 
and indispensable divine spark that God lit on earth. 
St. John Paul, with your prayer, 
may you protect the family 
and every life that blossoms from the family.

Pray for the whole world, 
which is still marked by tensions, 
wars and injustice. 
You tackled war by invoking dialogue 
and planting the seeds of love: 
pray for us so that we may be tireless sowers of peace.


Oh St. John Paul, from heaven’s window, 
where we see you next to Mary, 
send God’s blessing down upon us all. Amen.

Prayer to St. John XXIII

Dear Pope John,
Your simplicity and meekness carried the scent of God 
and sparked in people’s hearts the desire for goodness. 
You spoke often of the beauty of the family 
gathered around the table to share bread and faith: 
pray for us that once again true families would live in our homes.

Without outstretched hands you sowed hope, 
and you taught us to listen for God’s footsteps 
as he prepares a new humanity: 
help us have a healthy optimism of defeating evil with good.

You loved the world with its light and darkness, and you believed that peace is possible: help us be instruments of peace at home and in our communities.

With paternal gentleness you gave all children a caress: 
you moved the world and reminded us 
that hands have been given to us not for striking, 
but for embracing and drying tears.


Pray for us so that we do not limit ourselves 
to cursing the darkness but that we bring the light, 
bringing Jesus everywhere and always praying to Mary. Amen.

Peace

Play at St. Mikes

Friday Evening Fr. David and I attended the Dinner Theatre production of Altar Egos at St. Michael Catholic Secondary School. This was a terrific night that brought together the talents of both the Drama Club at St. Michael's and the Hospitality / Tourism students.  The subject of the Play is the preparations around what will be a simple "wedding" for the 2 main Characters. Thus the Cafeteria was set up like a wonderful Banquet Hall, and there was a fine 4 course meal - with a sweet table during intermission.  There was an antipasto plate that was spectacular - visually and for the taste buds! The pasta was terrific and done "al dente". Our main course was guinea hens with roasted potatoes, veggies and a salad.

The play had some terrific characters, and some memorable lines! Fr. David and I marvelled at the talents of the young people who were able to memorize the lines and actions.  I enjoyed the "fast forward" recap at the end of the play, quite a way to get everyone on stage for the curtain call...

Congrats to all the Students and staff who made the entire evening such a smashing success!

Canonization

The big news this week is the upcoming canonizations of 2 popes:

St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II 

When elevated to sainthood this Sunday, it will be the first time 2 popes are canonized in the same ceremony - and it may be the first time a canonization is attended by 2 popes! (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI could attend!)

I have been watching some of the programming on Salt and Light (Rogers Cable 240 in the Bolton area) and have seen many interesting stories about the humour of Pope John XXIII when he was in office.  

• Visiting a hospital he asked a boy what he wanted to be when he grew up. The boy said either a policeman or a pope. "I would go in for the police if I were you," the Holy Father said. "Anyone can become a pope, look at me!"

• In reply to a reporter who asked, "How many people work in the Vatican?", he reportedly said: "About half of them."

• When a cardinal complained that a rise in Vatican salaries meant a particular usher earned as much as the cardinal, the pope remarked: "That usher has 10 children; I hope the cardinal doesn't."

• A Vatican official told the pope it would be "absolutely impossible" to open the Second Vatican Council by 1963. "Fine, we'll open it in 1962," he answered. And he did.

Because we have a school named after John Paul II - for our own parish this Canonization will certainly be a highlight.  We have been busy planning for months a celebration to mark this great reality with all of the students of St. John Paul II school next week.

I will report back with all of the details!

Happy Easter

Christ is Risen - Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Peace

Easter Monday

The Exchange is located at 55 Healey Rd., in Bolton. Our Holy Thursday Collection will be delivered there today!

Holy Thursday 2014

We have entered our Three holy days - our Paschal Triduum.
It is always an impressive thing - to wash the feet of so many people at this Holy Thursday Liturgy.  It would be easier is I weighed a few less pounds... 
I have shared before the fact that I try not to look up when I am washing feet during this liturgy, and I think that this is because of the reflection found in a book "Finding Jesus" - a reflection on the Bowl that Christ used in washing the feet of his Disciples and the sanctity of service… I share this again this year:

If I had to choose some relic of the Passion 

I wouldn’t pick up a scourge or a spear, 

   but that round bowl of dirty water.
And I would want to go around the world 

   with that receptacle under my arm 

   looking only at people’s feet; 

and for each one I’d tie a towel around me 

   bend down, and never raise my eyes 

   higher than their ankles 

      so as not to distinguish friends from enemies
I’d wash the feet of Atheists, 

   drug addicts, arms dealers, 

   murders, pimps and abusers of all kinds 

      - and all in silence until they understood

I am a witness 

   so people can point to me and say: 

   "There it is, there is faith in operation, 

      there is a believer, 

      there is the holy operating in another human being.

It is the guy 

   with the bowl of dirty water in his hands." 

Peace

Holy Week

Palm Sunday Saturday - a busy time!

During the day on Saturday of Palm Sunday weekend - it is always a busy place in the Church - not only were the Knights of Columbus in early to "strip" the Palms we use this Sunday - this year we had Holydays registration! This is ususally after Easter - but this year the church calendar meant that registration would need to fall before Easter this year.

That meant hundreds of people lining up (some even set up outside the church at 8:30 am!) to register for the limited number of spots we can run in our daycamp during the Summer! In total we had over 600 spots were taken today! Weeks 2, 3, and 4 have waiting lists already! And here are limited spots in the Kindergarden program still available in week 3 & 5! 

Face-Off for Families

Garden Foods will continue to host & Sponsor a great event for Families this year - on Sunday Evening April 27  at 7:00 at the Caledon East Community Complex. The Garden Foods Grinders will play the OPP Road Runners for the Caledon Cup!
Parishioners are invited to bring non perishable items to this free family focused event - and the benificiary will be the Exchange operated by Caledon Community Services.  By cheering on your favourite team - you can help families in need in our own community.  I plan to be there - so I hope you can make it too!
Peace

Meeting with David Tilson - MP

Over a week ago - on Friday March 28, we met with our local MP - David Tilson - to present our development and Peace Campaign Cards that were signed at Masses in February - 199 in total.
A Voice for Justice calls on the Government of Canada to establish an independent ombudsman for the Canadian extractive sector that can investigate complaints brought by communities overseas where companies operate. 

We suggested that this office could be based upon the example of the work of the office for Religious Freedom, which is able to speak out to the international community in cases where there are limits placed upon the Religious practise and freedom of minorities in foreign lands.
He will deliver the cards we signed to Prime Minister Harper, and raise this issue with his fellow MP's in the GTA Caucus.
Peace

Open Letter to James Ryan - OECTA President

[Background - At its convention in March of 2014, the Catholic Teacher Union (OECTA) delegates voted to march in the World Pride Parade which will be held at the end of June this year. OECTA is to have a float in the section of the parade that has different labour unions.]  

An OPEN Letter to 
James Ryan, President,
Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association 
65 St. Clair Ave. E., SUITE 400, 
Toronto, Ontario
M4T 2Y8

By FAX: 416 925 7764

April 3, 2014

Dear Mr. Ryan,
My name is Fr. Larry Léger, and I am Pastor of Holy Family Parish, in Bolton.  As a priest of the Archdiocese of Toronto, I am delighted to work with families and the Catholic Schools in the parish. My concerns are with the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association's decision to participate in this year’s World Pride Parade in Toronto.  

I write to you because so many of the practicing Catholic Teachers within our own parish have concerns about how this appears to be an activist decision - of which they had little or no knowledge beforehand. One of those teachers has also written you - prompted by the tweet of Pope Francis on March 25:

“We cannot be tepid disciples. The Church needs our courage in order to give witness to truth.”  

Perhaps those who were delegates at the OECTA Convention during the March break voted to ratify the motion to participate in the World Pride Parade did so because of paragraph 2358 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. That states:

 “...men and women who have homosexual tendencies…must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” 

The rationale given by OECTA as to their decision to participate in the parade seems, on the face of it, to answer our call as Christians to respond with compassion to those who are LGBTTQ by being a “symbol of solidarity with one of the most marginalized groups in the Catholic community”.  Yet the parade, from its own website, also aims to celebrate the diversity within the LGBTTQ “with provocative, racy, and outrageous events.”  My concern is the mixed, even misleading, message that OECTA’s participation in the parade itself will send. Why does no one ever speak of the importance of standing in Solidarity with our Bishops?  At what point will our "Catholic Schools" cease to be Catholic?

I urge you and the executive to reconsider OECTA’s involvement in the World Pride Parade to be held in June. Perhaps organizing a completely different event that promotes inclusion of, and compassion for, students who are LGBTTQ within our Catholic schools would be more appropriate. There is no doubt we have members of these groups in all areas and levels within our schools and our parishes. This fact we cannot, nor should not, ignore. What unites us all as Catholics, is that we are each called to Holiness! Maybe in living this challenging call to holiness, which John Paul II proclaimed, is the way we will celebrate his Canonization! 
Peace
Fr. Larry Léger, Pastor
Holy Family Parish, Bolton, Ontario

The sacrament of baptism is the first way that our sins are forgiven.  The celebration of Eucharist is the usual way we are reconciled to God and the believing community.  The sacrament of reconciliation is the extraordinary way our sins are forgiven. 

This sacrament has been known by different names: penance and confession are the two most common names. Confession and penance are part of the sacrament of reconciliation. When we gather to celebrate this sacrament we are celebrating the mercy and unconditional love of God.  The sacrament is not about sin.  

Sin always damages our relationship with God and the believing community.  When we have intentionally damaged our relationship with God and others it is appropriate to celebrate this sacrament. The law of the Church requires that a Catholic confess sins of a serious nature (mortal sins) once a year.  The Church also invites us to confess sins of a less serious nature. It is appropriate to celebrate this sacrament during the season of Lent.  We have some visiting priests who will be here tonight from 7:00 - 8:30 pm to celebrate this sacrament of God's Love and Mercy.

Peace