St. Dominics Church

Local Celebrations for Cardinal-designate Collins Announced

2012-01-31T17:48:00.000-05:00

Picture courtesy Acrchdiocese of Toronto Blog

As we prepare for a very busy February/March, we'renow able to share details of the local celebrations to welcomeCardinal-designate Collins upon his return from Rome. There will be plenty ofopportunities in this space to highlight the activities at the Vatican inmid-February soon enough.

For now, we want to ensure that Catholics throughout the Archdiocese know that they will personally have a chance to pray and celebrate withCanada's newest cardinal through a series of regional celebrations scheduledfor late February and early March.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - High Pontifical Mass at St. Michael's Cathedral- due to the space limitations at the Cathedral, attendance at this ticketedevent will be by invitation only.

The following celebrations are open tothe public and will include Mass (beginning at 7:30 p.m.) followed by areception.

Thursday, March 1, 2012 – CentralPastoral Region – Blessed Trinity Parish, Toronto - 3220 Bayview Ave. (Map)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012 – Eastern PastoralRegion – St. Isaac JoguesParish, Pickering - 1148 Finch Ave. (Map)

Monday, March 12, 2012 – Western Pastoral Region – St. FrancisXavier Parish, Mississauga - 5650 Mavis Rd. (Map)

Tuesday, March 13, 2012 – Northern Pastoral Region– St. Clare of Assisi Parish,Woodbridge - 150 St. Francis Ave. (Map)

The Diocese of Hamilton is also planning a similarcelebration in the new cardinal's hometown of Guelph for later in the month.

As for the Rome celebrations, plans for theofficial delegation have been confirmed with what promises to be an excitingFebruary at the Vatican. We'll do all that we can to bring the consistoryexperience to you through photos, video, social media and whatever other toolsthat may be available.

Please continue topray for all the new cardinals and those who shepherd us in our faith. Ablessed experience but one with plenty of work still to be done!

From the desk of Fr. Phil…

2012-01-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

>>click here to view Bulletin January 29, 2012

Do you believe that God’s wordhas power to set you free and to transform your life? When Jesus taught hespoke with authority. He spoke the word of God as no one had spoken it before.When the Rabbis taught they supported their statements with quotes from otherauthorities. The prophets spoke with delegated authority – “Thus says theLord.”When Jesus spoke he needed no authorities to back his statements. He wasauthority incarnate – the Word of God made flesh. When he spoke, God spoke.When he commanded even the demons obeyed.

Scripture tells us that truefaith works through love (Galatians 5:6) and abounds in hope (Romans 15:13).Our faith is made perfect in love because love orients us to the supreme goodwhich is God himself as well as the good of our neighbor who is created in theimage and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26,27). Hope anchors our faith in thepromises of God and purifies our desires for the things which will last foreternity. That is why the word of Christ has power to set us free from all thatwould keep us bound in sin, deception, and despair. Faith is both a free giftof God and the free assent of our will to the whole truth that God has revealed.To live, grow, and persevere in the faith to the end, we must nourish it withthe word of God. The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds thatwe may grow in his truth and in the knowledge of his great love for each of us.If we approach God’s word submissively, with an eagerness to do everything theLord desires, we are in a much better position to learn what God wants to teachus through his word.

I hope you all have a good week.

Fr. Phil

From the desk of Fr. Noel…

2012-01-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

>>click here to view Bulletin January 22, 2012

ARCHBISHOPTHOMAS COLINS TO BECOME CARDINAL – Pope Benedict has appointed our ArchbishopThomas Collins to be a Cardinal. Weoffer our congratulations and our prayers to our Archbishop on receiving thisprestigious honor in the Catholic Church. The Consistory (ceremony to create cardinals) will be held at St.Peter’s on Saturday, February 18th, 2012. Cardinals official function is to elect popes. There will be twodepartures, February 13-21 – 8 nights and February 16-21 – 5 nights and if youare interested in attending please call Bethesda Travel at 1-888-752-1622 orthe Office of Public Relations & Communications at 416-934-3400 X563.

From the desk of Fr. Noel…

2012-01-14T07:19:00.000-05:00

>>click here to view Bulletin January 15, 2012

ARCHBISHOP THOMAS COLINS TOBECOME CARDINAL – Pope Benedict has appointed our Archbishop Thomas Collins tobe a Cardinal. We offer ourcongratulations and our prayers to our Archbishop on receiving this prestigioushonor in the Catholic Church. The Consistory(ceremony to create cardinals) will be held at St. Peter’s on Saturday,February 18th, 2012. Cardinals officialfunction is to elect popes.

ANNUAL PRE-MARRIAGE COURSE – Onthe weekends of Friday evening and Saturday throughout the day, January 20/21and January 27/28, the course is for couples to be married at St. Dominic’s in2012. This is an important time for ourcouples and they need the prayerful support of the whole parish. Please pray that all our couples will befilled with love and wisdom as they prepare themselves for the sacrament ofmarriage.

THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY - We are having an ecumenical Service forChristian Unity as St. Dominic’s on Wednesday, January 25th at 7:30 pm, thefeast of the Conversion of St. Paul. Allour parishioners are kindly invited to welcome our friends from other localChristian Churches and to pray together for Christian Unity. Fellowship to continue with lightrefreshments in the parish hall.

From the desk of Fr. Phil…

2012-01-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

>>click here to view Bulletin January 8, 2012

I hope you all enjoyed the festivitiesand celebrations of Advent and Christmas. I would like to thank all those whomade these celebrations so meaningful. At this time too, I would like to thankyou for your good wishes, Christmas cards and gifts. All are very much appreciated.

Today we celebrate the Feast of theEpiphany and the great Gospel story of the visit of the Magi. We are familiarwith the term Magi, although it is more common to refer to them as the 3 wisemen, or the 3 kings.

As people of faith, do we know thenames of these important visitors? They are: Balthazar, Caspar and Melchior.The three wise men were called to come and give worship to the child Jesus.They were called by the powerful light of a star and by careful study of OldTestament Scripture. As scholars of non-Jewish heritage, they realized that themessiah has come to visit his people.

The Feast of the Epiphany is thecelebration of the manifestation of Jesus the Lord to the Gentiles. And thismanifestation is represented by these mysterious kings from the Far East. Thevisit of these kings will make clear that the King of King came to save allpeople of every nation. This is the manifestation of the New Covenant. This isthe beginning of the universality of Christ’s church; that universality we callCatholic.

The Magi journeyed far and for quitesome time to pay homage to Jesus. This would not be an easy journey. Yet theirfaith in the promise of new hope motivated them to press on. They did not havethe advantage of witnessing Christ’s miracles, reading the stories of Jesus inthe New Testament, they hardly could know of the passion, crucifixion, deathand resurrection that were to come. Still their faith was enough.

And they came not to say hello, here weare. No, they came to pay Christ worship and to bring him their finest gifts.And these gifts we all know so well; gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold is themost precious of all earth’s metals, frankincense is the incense that is burnedin churches down through the centuries to make a pleasing offering to God andmyrrh is a byproduct that is used in the holy oils for anointing. Theseprecious gifts represent all that the life of Jesus, sent to us through theVirgin to save us, is all about; for He is our priest, our prophet and ourKing.

What does all of this mean for ustoday? These men gave their all andsacrificed much to be able to do so? We can ask ourselves what kind of time towe devote to giving ourselves to Jesus? If we truly reflect on a typical day ora typical week in our lives what would we discover about our faith commitmentto Christ?

Today, we can ponder the example of the3 wise men, these mysterious Kings from the Far East known as the Magi. Godcalled them, as He calls us, by name.

I hope you all have a good week!

Fr. Phil

From the desk of Fr. Phil…

2011-12-31T16:00:00.000-05:00

>>click here to view Bulletin January 1, 2012

Before we reachChrist's birth in Luke's gospel we are already well aware of how special Maryis. The angel Gabriel calls her "most highly favored" and her cousinElizabeth exclaims how she is "most blessed". She is the one in whomthe blessings spoken of by God to Moses are to be fulfilled. Yet she has noclaims to greatness. She is a maiden betrothed to a man named Joseph in aninsignificant village in the unimportant region of Galilee. Luke traces thegenealogy of Jesus through his foster-father, Joseph. Mary herself, in hergreat hymn of praise on her visit to Elizabeth, will speak of her own lowlinessand marvel at how God has chosen the weak and poor to confound the rich andpowerful.

In this sense theshepherds are Mary's natural companions. They too are looked down upon. Mary isgreat not through any social connections or natural talents but because God hasblessed her and chosen her. She becomes the model for the many characters inLuke's gospel who will turn social expectations upside down: the GoodSamaritan, the woman who was a sinner, Zacchaeus and the Prodigal Son, to namebut a few. She is the one who, with the Spirit living in her heart, is able tocry "Abba, Father". She becomes the first of those freed fromslavery, the first heir among the children of God.

How she acceptsGod's blessing and choice is important. In a phrase Luke will repeat, Mary isreported as treasuring all these things and pondering them in her heart. She isthe model of prayerful reflection, the one who allows the Spirit to speak andinspire. The result of her reflection is in this case transposed onto theshepherds. They go back glorifying and praising God for all they have heard andseen. In the Magnificat it is Mary herself who glorifies and praises God forall he has done.

Mary is awonderful model for us as we begin this New Year. I wish you every blessing,happiness and health throughout 2012. May our parish and parishioners continueto be blessed!

Fr. Phil

Prayer for the New Year

Give us the kindness to hear with compassion,

to offer support,

loving comfort and care.

Give us the courage to do what is needed,

the wisdom to choose

what is right and most fair.

Give us the vision to see what is possible.

Give us the faith

that will help pave the way

for a present that’s hopeful,

a future that’s peaceful---

give us the heart to bring joy each day.

2011-12-24T21:20:00.000-05:00

CHRISTMAS is a time for thanks.

2011-12-24T16:00:00.000-05:00

>>click here to Bulletin December 25, 2011

Thanks to Anthony Bastianonand the SATB choir, to Mark Linsao and the Folk Choir for all their beautifulmusic at Christmas and throughout the year. We are blessed with music at every Mass each weekend and we thank allthe people engaged in Music ministry. Thanks to all who volunteer at St.Dominic’s – our Lectors – who proclaim the Scriptures every week, the Ministersof Eucharist who are charged with the responsibility of distribution HolyCommunion each week and thanks to those extraordinaryministers of Holy Communion who take the sacrament to our parishioners at homeor in hospitals or institutions ; Thanksto the Ministers of Hospitality who welcome us each week, to those responsible for coffee after the 10:00 am Mass,to our Altar Servers who help the priest at Mass. Thanks to all who bring us“The Ministry of the Word for Children”,a very important aspect at some of our Sunday liturgy, to the Catechists whobring the knowledge of God to our children attending public school we saysthanks; to the catechists Involved inFirst Communion, First Reconciliation and those involved in Confirmation wethank you for your participation. Thanksto the many dedicated people who are involved in our baptisms and weddings. Toall married couples who produce our pre-marriage course we say thank you.

Thanks to Knights andthe many volunteers who helped decorate the church during this Christmas seasonand on other special occasions throughout the year.

Thankstothe youth group with the assistance of some adults who hosted “Encounter withSanta Clause on Sunday, December 18th. It was a lot of fun for all the children. It was a lot of fun for all the children,parents and grandparents who attended. Thanks to Jennifer Van de Coevering who organized the Christmas Eve’schildren’s mass. We were blessed with somany angels and shepherds, even some wise men. Thanks to Parish Social Ministry and St. Vincent de Paul for bringingthe Caring & Sharing outreach initiative to the people in our community whoare in need at Christmas. We would also like to thank them for their ministryto the needy all year long. We wouldalso like to thank you, our generous parishioners who support these programsall year long. Thanks to our team of handymen who quietly and diligently do thetask of repairing pews, doors and answer to the call when the need arises.Thanks to Anne Abbott and her team who each year co-ordinates the ParishSkating Party. To all of you who volunteer for some ministry in Churchespecially those of you we may have forgotten we say a very big “thankyou”. We really do appreciate all you dofor the parish and the community of St. Dominic’s.

From the desk of Fr. Phil… 4th Sunday of Advent

2011-12-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

>>click here to view Bulletin December 18, 2011

Immediately following today’s Gospel isthe Magnificat – which I printed on the sheet that contains the “OAntiphons.” I thought it would behelpful for you to briefly explore Mary’s wonderful song of praise, located inthe first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 1:46-55. This great worshiphymn is called the “Magnificat” because in the Latin Bible it begins with thewords "Magnificat Anima Mea Dominum," which mean "My soul glorifiesthe Lord."

When you open the Gospel of Luke, younotice that it is filled with music –especially the first two chapters. There you find five hymns: the hymn ofElizabeth (Luke 1:42-45); the hymn of Mary (Luke 1:46-55); the hymn ofZechariah (Luke 1:68-79); the hymn of the angels, "Glory to God in thehighest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests," (Luke 2:14);and the hymn of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32), which he prayed when he saw the infantJesus Christ and realized that God’s promise to him had just been fulfilled andthat he would not die until he saw God’s salvation.

The Christmas season is a time ofsinging and rejoicing because of the divine announcement of good news of greatjoy to all the people of the world. We need a divine Savior, and the message ofChristmas is that God has given us such a competent Savior in his Son, our LordJesus Christ, who became man for our salvation. After the annunciation, thearchangel Gabriel left and Mary got up quickly and traveled to Judea to visither cousin Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant. When Elizabeth saw Mary, anamazing thing happened: through the Spirit of the living God, she recognizedMary, this unmarried teenage girl, as "the mother of my Lord," andbegan to prophesy.

When that happened, Mary also began tosing in the Spirit, exalting and worshiping God. It is this song that isrecorded as the Magnificat, and at this point I want to note something:Although Mary was just a poor peasant girl she had been brought up in a godlyhome and for that reason she was thoroughly versed in the Holy Scriptures. LikeZechariah, Simeon, Anna, and others, Mary was looking forward to God’sredemption of Israel. So when she heard Elizabeth’s greeting, she was filledwith the Holy Spirit and Scripture came pouring out of her heart.

Listen, then, to Mary’s acknowledgement of God’s greatness as shemagnifies the Lord. Psalm 103:1 tells us, "Praise the Lord, O my soul; allmy inmost being, praise his holy name," and elsewhere we are told that outof the abundance of our heart, our mouths will speak. Mary was filled with Godand his grace; thus, she sang about God and his attributes. There are sevenattributes of God that Mary speaks about in her song, the Magnificat:

God Is Mighty…The first attribute Mary speaks of isthe might and power of God. He is the mighty God, ho dunatos, and inLuke 1:49 she sings, "For the Mighty One has done great things forme." Mary’s God was the Almighty God, the Creator of the ends of theearth. There is no god mightier than her God. He alone is able to do all thingsand with him alone nothing is impossible.

God Is Holy…The second attribute Mary speaks about is God’s holiness. In verse 49 Marydeclares, "Holy is his name." Throughout the Scriptures God tells us,"Be ye holy, for I am holy." God is light, and in him there is nodarkness at all. He is the One separate from us – that what it means sacred,holy! – the One without sin.

God Is a Judge…The third attribute of God that Maryspeaks about in her hymn is that God is a judge. In the latter part of Luke1:51 she says, "He [God] has scattered those who are proud in theirinnermost thoughts." Additionally, in verse 52 we find, "He hasbrought down the mighty rulers from their thrones," and in verse 53,"He has sent the rich away empty."

God Is Merciful…The fourth attribute Mary speaks of isthat God is merciful. The word "mercy" appears five times in Luke1—in verses 50, 54, 58, 72 and 78. Mary reveled in the knowledge of this greatattribute of God.

God Is a Covenant God…The fifth attributeof God that Mary speaks of is that God is a covenant God. We must realize thatGod does not have to enter into a covenant with sinful man. There is nothing inhis being necessitating that he stoop down and promise salvation to anybody.But the truth is, God did just that. He entered into a covenant with Abraham,promising to show mercy to him and his descendants by granting them salvation.

God Is Faithful to His Covenant…If God promises through a covenant, he will fulfill it, because he is theGod of the covenant. The sixth attribute of God Mary speaks of in this passageis the faithfulness of God to his covenant.

Mary realized that what was happeningin her womb was the fulfillment of the age-old promise to Abraham, that God wasfinally sending the divine Messiah, Jesus the Savior, the eternal Godincarnate. So she sang, "He has helped his servant Israel, remembering tobe merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to ourfathers."

God Is the Savior…The final attribute of God that Mary describes here is that God is herSavior. "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices. . . ." Inwhat is Mary rejoicing? ". . . in God my Savior." …and so we praytogether:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit

of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for ussinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen

GTA Catholics have new one-stop spot for church gifts

2011-12-14T13:29:00.003-05:00

New online donation site provides more than 800 optionsfor charitable giving

Picture courtesy Archdiocese of Toronto Blog

TORONTO (14 December 2011) - At a time of year when thejoy of giving is top of mind, Catholics in the GTA now have more ways to make acharitable gift than ever before.

The Archdiocese of Toronto has launched a centralizedonline donation portal for Catholics in its region, the first service of itskind in North America. Through the donation portal (www.archtoronto.org),donors at 225 parishes can make a gift to their parish weekly collection, tobuilding funds or to their church capital campaign. Gifts can also be madethrough the website to a number of other Catholic charities.

"With more and more people making charitablecontributions online, we are happy to offer this opportunity to Catholicsthroughout our archdiocese, whether their parish is large or small, urban orrural," said His Grace, Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto. "TheInternet allows us to extend our parish communities in creative new ways -including this option to make an offertory or other charitable giftonline."

Churches throughout North America of all denominationshave been accepting online donations for years but this is the first timecentralized giving has been offered for all parishes in a diocese. Visitors tothe online portal have upwards of 800 donation options.

"Donors are becoming more comfortable in the onlineenvironment and it is important that we strive to interact with them in thatspace," said Arthur Peters, director of development for the Archdiocese ofToronto. "Though the rate of online giving continues to rise in Canada,not all of our parishes have the resources or technical support required tooffer online giving options. By undertaking this initiative on their behalf, wehope everyone will benefit."

At present, the new online giving portal is set to acceptcredit card gifts for the following charitable options: gifts to a parish(offertory, building fund, capital campaign); ShareLife, the annual charitableappeal of the diocese; St. Augustine's Seminary; the Archdiocese of Toronto;St. Michael's Choir School; tribute gifts (living gifts, in memoriam gifts);humanitarian relief (as of January 1, 2012); Sunday TV Mass; and the Our FaithOur Future planned giving and estate planning options.

As one of the most diverse dioceses in the world, theArchdiocese of Toronto is home to 1.9 million Catholics who celebrate Mass eachweek in over 30 different languages. More than 800 diocesan and religiouspriests serve the Catholic community in 225 parishes.

-30-

Media Contact
Bill Steinburg
Communications Manager
Archdiocese of Toronto
Phone: (416) 934-3400 x 558
Cell: (416) 708-9655
bills@archtoronto.org
www.archtoronto.org

From the desk of Fr. Phil – the ‘O ANTIPHONS’

2011-12-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

>>click here to view Bulletin December 11, 2011

The O Antiphons refer to the seven Antiphons that arerecited, or chanted, preceding the Magnificat during Evening Prayer of theLiturgy of the Hours in the Breviary. The ‘O Antiphons’ are chanted in theverses of the famous Advent Hymn, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. They cover a special period of Adventpreparation known as the Octave before Christmas, December 17 – 23. Each Antiphon addresses Jesus with a uniquetitle which comes from the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah. The original Latin titles are: Sapientia, (OWISDOM), Adonai, (O LORD OF ISRAEL), Radix Jesse, (O ROOT OF JESSE), ClavisDavid, (O KEY OF DAVID), Oriens , (O RADIANT DAWN), Rex Gentium, (O KING OF ALLNATIONS), Emmanuel, (O GOD WITH US). Notice when they are read in reverse order, the first letter of eachAntiphon forms the word, Eros Cras, which, when translated means, Tomorrow Iwill Come, referring to the birth of Christ. On the 24th Of December, Christmas Eve, the Church uses the prayers forthe vigil of Christmas. The exact origin of these Antiphons is not known but it is thought thatthey were recited in the Benedictine Monasteries in France between 480 and524. In the 8th Century, they were inuse in Rome during liturgical celebrations. We can conclude that they have beenan important part of our Advent liturgies for a long time. So the ‘O Antiphons’not only bring intensity to our Advent celebrations and preparation, they bringthe season of Advent to a joyful conclusion. I hope that you will enjoy praying these short antiphons in anticipationof the birth of Christ. They are said directly before praying the Magnificat,Mary’s Prayer of thanksgiving. I haveincluded this prayer for you with the insert of fridge prayers for week threeof Advent. I trust you will all have agreat week!

Fr. Phil

From the desk of Fr. Phil….

2011-12-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

>>click here to view Bulletin December 4, 2011

Who is John the Baptist and whatis the significance of his message for our lives? In dramatic fashion Luketells us when John came on the world scene. The world's rulers paled inreference to this son of a priest whose task was to make the way for the Kingwho is above all other kings. John stood at a pivotal juncture in the historyof God's dealing with his people. He bridged the Old and New Testaments. Johnwas a prophet, a spokesman for God. "The word of God came to John in thewilderness." John was pre-eminently the servant of the Word, the Word ofGod who became flesh for our sake and for our salvation. Why was he in thewilderness? John was called from an early age to devote himself to prayer andto the word of God. God taught him in the solitude of the desert and preparedhim for a prophetic ministry to turn the hearts of his people to receive theirlong-awaited Messiah. He is the last of the Old Testament prophets who pointthe way to the coming of the Messiah. He is the first of the new Testament witnessesand martyrs who suffered on account of his witness to Christ.

When a king toured his kingdom,he sent his courier ahead to prepare the way. John is the courier of theMessianic King who comes to usher in the kingdom or reign of God. Isaiah had longago prophesied the role of the Forerunner of the Messiah. John undoubtedly tookthis word to heart as he searched the scriptures and reflected on the word ofthe Lord in the wilderness. How does one prepare for the coming of the King andhis heavenly kingdom? By conversion – turning our hearts and minds from sin andrebellion, indifference and skepticism, to trust and obedience to God's word.Luke's gospel emphasizes the universal call of the gospel to all peopleswithout distinction. He quotes from the prophet Isaiah that "all fleshshall see the salvation of God." John stood at the door of a new era ofgrace and salvation. He saw from a distance what Jesus the Messiah wouldaccomplish through his death and resurrection – pardon for our sins and eternallife for all who would believe in his name.

From the desk of Fr. Phil

2011-11-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

>>click here to view Bulletin November 27, 2011

Advent calls us as Christians toponder again the mystery of our salva¬tion, our hope that there is an answer tothe riddle of earthy life with its passing joys, disappointments, sorrows, andfrustrations, and its apparently dark end in the oblivion of death. Does life go anywhere? Does it have anymeaning? Advent calls every one of us to stop in the struggle of life and tolook up, to recall the answer to the questions of life. We are on a journey toour Father's house. The door has been opened to us by the Son of God, and theway marked out. Advent invites us to look back over the long centuries, duringwhich the human race struggled on in shadows. Of course, there was always somelight. It began with the promise of a Redeemer who would crush the head of thedestroying Serpent, the Son of a woman at bitter enmity with evil. Theexperience of human beings during those thousands of years of waiting is not sodifferent from the lives of those around us who live without the consolation offaith and hope. They can accomplish much, but to what purpose? They canstruggle to live as well and as long as possible, but then they will sorrow asthose who have no hope. The Christianshould look at and listen to this darkness and confusion. Human existence forthe believer is always an advent, a waiting, a journey toward a destination,toward the light. Begin Advent by recalling the long darkness endured by thehuman race. Many are still in it. As believers, we have the faith to know thatGod came to us through no merit of our own, and that He comes to us still byHis grace. He calls to us by His birth, His life, His terrible death, and Hisglorious Resurrection. Advent reminds us that He will come again. So manymysteries, so many questions, and so many answers. For the one with faith,Advent should be a time of mystery, discovery, new insights, blessings, manygraces and a deeper joy as we celebrate this great season. Let us pray: O Lord, speak to my heartduring this season of grace, as you spoke to your prophets and saints. Remindme again of the journey you call me to make and the work you would have me do.I am your servant, O Lord. Speak to me in this holy season and turn my eyes towatch for your coming.

O Emmanuel, Jesus Christ,

desire of every nation, Savior of all peoples,

come and dwell among us.

I hope you enjoy this beautifultime in the church year.

Fr. Phil

The New Mass App for iphone

2011-11-24T22:24:00.001-05:00

>>click on image for the App. page

From the desk of Fr. Phil

2011-11-19T06:30:00.000-05:00

>>click here to view Bulletin November 20, 2011

I would like to thank theco-ordinators of our Annual Christmas Bazaar, Ann Worobec and Maria Volpe. Iknow that much work went on behind the scenes to make this eventsuccessful. Many thanks to all those whocame on board to help in any way.

This past week I received aletter from the Broken Wings Mission in Haiti which expressed gratitude foryour generosity and support while the dancers were in town. I second thatthank-you!

I am not sure where the time hasgone but next Sunday is the first week in the season of Advent and it will bean extremely busy weekend for many reasons. We will bless the Advent Wreath and light the first purple candle; allthe new prayers, music and liturgical changes must be in place and our childrenpreparing for Sacraments will receive their crosses which will set them apartas special people in our community. We need to keep in our prayers as theyapproach the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. I hope that you will enjoy the differentrites and rituals that begin with the beautiful season of Advent. Just to give you some advance notice, therewill be a Christmas Concert in thechurch on December 17 at 7:30 performed by some music major students from YorkUniversity. Fr. Leo will be arriving on December15th and will give a mission on December 19, 20 21. He will perform a Spanish Christmas carol inthe December 17th concert. Further information about our up-coming events willbe published in the bulletin. I hope you will enjoy the wonderful season ofAdvent.

New Roman Missal for Parents and Adults - Word for Word by Life Teen

2011-11-14T08:48:00.000-05:00

More information available on the Archdiocese of Toronto Blog ..>>click here

THE SEASON OF ADVENT

2011-11-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

>>click here to view Bulletin November 13, 2011

THESEASON OF ADVENT will soon be upon usand we are inviting a family or individuals to come forward for the Lighting ofthe Advent Wreath at the beginning of each Mass during Advent. A sign up sheet is posted in the vestibule ofthe Church - please write in your name and telephone number for the mass thatyou would like to have your family light the advent candles.

RESETTLEMENT COMMITTEE

2011-11-08T14:46:00.000-05:00

RESETTLEMENTCOMMITTEE Thanks to all who helped tomake this year’s Bazaar a success. Wewere able to raise over $5500 which will be used to sponsor our next refugeefamily. A very special thanks to MariaVolpe and Ann Worobec for coordinating the bazaar this year. A complete list of donors and contributorswill be in next week’s bulletin.

From the desk of Fr. Phil….

2011-11-05T07:33:00.000-04:00

>>click here to view Bulletin November 6, 2011

As we move through the changes inthe Roman Missal and the Liturgy, I thank you for your patience, understandingand wisdom. As I mentioned in the talk last Sunday, change is difficult nomatter what it is. However, I know that we will master the changes very welland adapt to the new liturgy just fine. It is true that the Mass tends to be abit longer with some of the new music and procedures, in particular the manyperiods of silence instituted during the celebration. As I said last weekend,the reason we are here is to praise and worship. We should not be so concernedwith time when, on the average, the mass is about 1 hour and 10 minutes. To dojustice to the liturgy on Sunday morning is more important than trying to rushthrough it so as to be finished within a certain time frame. A weekday Mass canbe done in 45 minutes. Mass on television is over in 30 because of the cost ofproduction. However, weekend liturgies, when they are done with dignity, aregoing to be a little longer now. As we are only in the learning stages of thenew liturgy I would simply ask you to be patient while we sort out all of thechanges thus far and the ones that are to come. Both of us are following thenew directives of the Church as handed down to us by the Canadian Bishops. Adjustmentsstill need to be made here and there but please understand that all of this isnew to Fr. Noel and me too. I hope youhave a great week.

Fr. Phil

From the desk of Fr. Phil….

2011-10-29T06:30:00.000-04:00

>>click here to view Bulletin October 30, 2011

We continue looking at some ofthe questions regarding the New Roman Missal. Thank-you for your efforts andpatience in the midst of these changes.

THE NEW TRANSLATION -WHEN AND HOW WILL IT BE INTRODUCED?

Parishes throughout theArchdiocese of Toronto will begin to use the new translation of the RomanMissal on the weekend of November 27. Joining us in this journey will beCatholics in all parishes throughout Canada and the United States. Beginning inSeptember 2011, parishes in the Archdiocese of Toronto will begin to learn moreabout the new translation. You will notice many changes in the words that thecelebrant (priest) uses when he celebrates Mass. There are also a few changesto the words that the congregation will use when they respond, also referred toas the "people's parts". We will also introduce new musicalcompositions as part of the sung Mass settings (Lord of Mercy, Gloria, HolyHoly, Lamb of God, etc.)

It will take some time to getused to these changes— please pray that we will all make the most out of thisopportunity to grow as a faith community. We will practice some of thesechanges before Mass, they may be discussed during the homily and we'll useother appropriate resources to help each other along the way. For moreinformation on the Roman Missal and its changes, visit

http://www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection.

Just a reminder that the month ofNovember and the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls are quickly

approaching. Please place thenames of those you wish prayed for during November in our Holy Souls Book. I hope you have a great week,

Fr. Phil

Christmas Bazaar & Craft Sale

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From the desk of Fr. Phil….

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>>click here to view Bulletin October 23, 2011

I would like to thank the Knightsof Columbus for the wonderful evening of Oktoberfest this weekend. Thanks tothose who were able to attend and support this event. I hope you had a greattime with your friends and fellow parishioners.

Our Youth Group had a veryinteresting presentation and slide show last Sunday giving us a glimpse intotheir experience at World Youth Day in Spain this past summer. Thanks to all ofyou for your efforts and thanks to those who attended. The Youth group presented me with a gift tothe parish which I hope to display soon, somewhere in the church.

I also wanted to thank ourmusicians once again for the wonderful job they are doing in learning the newmusic for the liturgy and thank you all for your efforts at learning aswell. Last Sunday I heard many peoplesinging the new music.

Thank-you all for your patienceand understanding as we continue to make the necessary changes by November27th.

I hope you will have a greatweek!

Fr. Phil

THE RESURRECTION DANCE THEATRE OF HAITI

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presents their Fall Tour “RISINGFROM THE RUBBLE” at St. Dominic’s Parish on Friday, October 28 at 7:00 pm. This dynamic and very professional group of young men are from St.Joseph’s Home in Port au Prince and are dancers and drummers, who have beentravelling extensively throughout the States and Canada in order to raise fundsto rebuild their two homes that were destroyed in the earthquake. No tickets necessary. A free-will offering will be taken up afterthe performance and there will be books and crafts for sale. Please mark this date on your calendar andplan to attend. An evening of narrative, dance, drumming at its best, forthe whole family – from the very young to the very old!

From the desk of Fr. Phil….

2011-10-15T06:30:00.000-04:00

>>click here to view Bulletin October 16, 2011

ROMAN MISSAL 3RD EDITION – THEFOUR PRESENCES OF CHRIST

The Second Vatican Councilreminded us of our ancient faith: Christ is always present in his church,especially in its liturgical celebrations. So, each time we come to Mass weexperience the presence of Christ in four different ways:

1. Christ is present in thecongregation —the people gathered together;

2. Christ is present in theperson of the priest;

3. Christ is present in theScriptures that we listen to during Mass;

4. Christ is present in the breadand wine when it becomes Christ's Body and Blood.

The more we are able to understand andparticipate in the Mass, the more we will come to appreciate and love it. Thenew translation will help us to do that because the words we will now use willsay more clearly what our faith is teaching us. For more information on theRoman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytimeto continue your reflection. Thank youfor your support as we continue to learn and experience the changes intranslations, the new musical settings and the changes in liturgical ritesduring the Mass.

From the desk of Fr. Phil….

2011-10-08T05:00:00.000-04:00

>>click here to view Bulletin October 9, 2011

I would like to wish you, your familiesand friends a very Happy Thanksgiving! I thought this prayer was very appropriate for the celebration! The mostprofound prayer of thanksgiving is, of course, is the celebration of the Mass.Let us remember to thank God for our many blessings, especially, the gift ofthe Eucharist where Christ is present to us in four special ways. The 4 presences of Christ in the Mass is ourtheme for today as we continue our prayer and study of the New Roman Missal.

A PRAYER FOR THANKSGIVING DAY

O God, when I have food, help me toremember the hungry;

When I have work, help me to rememberthe jobless;

When I have a home, help me to rememberthose who have no home at all;

When I am without pain, help me toremember those who suffer,

And remembering, help me to destroy mycomplacency;

stir up my compassion, and be concernedenough to help;

By word and deed, let us help those whocry out for what we take for granted.

Amen.

ROMAN MISSAL 3RD EDITION – THE FOURPRESENCES OF CHRIST

The Second Vatican Council reminded usof our ancient faith: Christ is always present in his church, especially in itsliturgical celebrations. So, each time we come to Mass we experience thepresence of Christ in four different ways:

1. Christ is present in thecongregation —the people gathered together;

2. Christ is present in the person ofthe priest;

3. Christ is present in the Scripturesthat we listen to during Mass;

4. Christ is present in the bread andwine when it becomes Christ's Body and Blood.

The more we are able to understand andparticipate in the Mass, the more we will come to appreciate and love it. Thenew translation will help us to do that because the words we will now use willsay more clearly what our faith is teaching us. For more information on theRoman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection. Thank you for your support as we continue tolearn and experience the changes in translations, the new musical settings andthe changes in liturgical rites during the Mass.

Happy Thanksgiving from Fr. Noel andmyself!

From the desk of Fr. Phil….

2011-10-01T06:30:00.000-04:00

>>click here to view Bulletin October 2, 2011

In addition to talking about the New Roman Missal, I wanted to say a few words about the Ministry Fair of 2 weeks ago. I would like to thank all those who set up their booths and those who came downstairs to browse the different ministry tables. Thanks to those who looked after refreshments for the entire weekend. Special thanks to Melinda Mayo for co-ordinating the fair. Thank-you to those new people who signed up to join the various ministries. We are still in need of many ministers, especially, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Ministers of Welcome and Altar Servers. Please give some thought and prayer to joining one of our ministries!! We will continue to introduce the new music and prayers of the Mass as we approach the First Sunday of Advent when every change must be in place. I can already hear that you are catching on to some of the new music. We will all be singing in our usual style in no time! Thankyou for your understanding and patience during this huge transition in the liturgy.

Roman Missal 3rd Edition THE NEW TRANSLATION – WHY DO WE NEED ONE?

Until the early 1960s, Mass was celebrated in Latin throughout the world. At the Second Vatican Council it was agreed that the Mass could be celebrated in our own language, and in 1970 Pope Paul VI approved the official Latin text that would be used. This was then translated into different languages to be used throughout the world. It proved to be a huge task which was completed in a very short time. However, because it was done so quickly, some of the richness of the original Latin prayers was, quite literally, 'lost in translation'. It was agreed that a further translation was necessary. The new translation would keep the original words, meaning and style of the Latin as far as possible. The new translation also means a new edition of the Missal which will include some additional text such as, prayers for the saints who have been added by the Church to the liturgical calendar. For more information on the Roman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection.

From the desk of Fr. Phil….

2011-09-24T07:22:00.000-04:00

>>click here to view Bulletin September 25, 2011

I hope you have had a good week. Weintroduced some of the changes this Sunday. I am sure it is

a little disconcerting that you are notable to sing the pars of the Mass yet but as the weeks go by, I know you willlearn the new tunes just as well as you know the previous ones. Patience is thekey! As I said last Sunday, it will be refreshing to hear brand new prayers andresponses. Look upon the changes in translation as a breath of fresh air beinginfused into the life of the Church. After so many years of hearing the sameprayers, it will be exciting to hear and pray something different. The other wordconnected with the changes is Reverence. You have already noticed that thereare pauses after the readings, after the homily and after communion. In orderto create a sense of the sacred in the sacred space, as opposed to the socialspace in the hall, The General Instruction on the Roman Missal is also callingfor silence before Mass begins and when it is over, in the church and in thesacristy. In time we will be able to follow these norms too. This will givethose who wish to pray prior to Mass or directly after, the chance to do so.Again, wisdom patience and understanding will serve us well as we becomefamiliar with these changes in Church life. Personally, having experienced thechanges in the 1960’s after Vatican II as an altar server, I feel privileged tobe part of another time of change and renewal.

ROMAN MISSAL 3RD Edition - THE NEW TRANSLATION WHEN AND HOW WILL IT BE INTRODUCED?

Of Toronto will begin to learn moreabout the new translation. You will notice many changes in the words that thecelebrant (priest) uses when he celebrates Mass. There are also a few changesto the words that the congregation will use when they respond, also referred toas the "people's parts". We will also introduce new musicalcompositions as part of the sung Mass settings (Lord of Mercy, Gloria, HolyHoly, Lamb of God, etc.) It will takesome time to get used to these changes— please pray that we will all make themost out of this opportunity to grow as a faith community. We will practicesome of these changes before Mass, they may be discussed during the homily andwe'll use other appropriate resources to help each other along the way. Formore information on the Roman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection. Iwish you a good week ahead.

Fr. Phil

From the desk of Fr. Phil….

2011-09-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

>>click here to view Bulletin September 18, 2011

I trust you have had a goodweek. As you will remember, I introduced the fact that things are changing inthe celebration of

The Mass. The two key wordsto keep in mind are TRANSLATION andREVERENCE. The new translation is meant to make more sense of theprayers at Mass and their meaning more alive for us. The second word is reverence.Some changes will happen in order to ensure a more reverent atmosphere before,during and after the celebration of the Mass. These changes will be brought ingradually until they are fully implemented by the First Sunday of Advent,November 27, 2011. As I mentioned last week, patience, wisdom and understandingare the key for us all if we are to make this transition a smooth, peaceful andexciting time in our lives and in the life of the Church.

TheRoman Missal – 3^rd Edition – The New Translation – Whose idea was itanyway?

Until the early 1960s, Masswas celebrated in Latin throughout the world. At the Second Vatican Council, inthe early 1960's, it was agreed that Mass could be said in the language of thepeople where it was being celebrated. There would be no fundamental change tothe Mass itself, just the language being used. This would enable us tounderstand more fully what was being said and help us to participate morefully.

An English translation wasmade available as quickly as possible, but it was intended to be temporary. Amore considered translation would be issued later. Now, some 40 years later,this translation has been approved by the Vatican and we will begin using it inour parishes on the weekend of November 27. Until that time, we will have thechance to learn more about the new translation, become familiar with some ofthe changes and reflect on the Eucharist in our own lives. For more informationon the Roman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.orgiromanmissalanytime to continue your reflection.

From the desk of Fr. Phil….

2011-09-10T07:04:00.000-04:00

>>click here to view Bulletin September 11, 2011

The RomanMissal – WHAT NEW TRANSLATION?

Did youknow that the translation of the Mass which we currently use is going tochange?

The textswe have now have been in use since 1970 and on November 27, 2011, churchesthroughout North America will begin to use a new translation. This moment inthe life of the church provides us with an opportunity to learn more than justwords that are a little different than what were used to. It is a chance for usto reflect on the celebration of the Eucharist and how it relates to our ownlife. In addition to discussing the new Roman Missal in homilies, pulpitannouncements and in our parish bulletin, the Archdiocese of Toronto also hasextensive resources online for those who with to learn more. Visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissalanytime to continue your reflection. Beginning on September 25, 2011, we willbegin introducing the new musical settings and the textual changes, both inwhat the priest speaks during Mass, and your responses. This is a huge change from what we areaccustomed to but working together to implement the new Liturgy, will, in theend, benefit all of us and give more meaning to our Liturgy and our prayers. Everyweek, beginning today, I will talk about the changes and how they relate to thedifferent parts of the Mass.

Lookingforward to these tremendous teaching moments in the life of the Church.
Fr. Phil

ATTN. PARENTS OF CHILDREN READY TO PREPARE FOR FIRST RECONCILIATION AND FIRST COMMUNION:

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At St. Dominic’s Parish sacramental preparationfor the sacraments is parish based. This means that children fromseparate, public and private schools are prepared together by our ParishCatechist, Beverly O’Grady.

As outlined in the Sacramental Norms of theArchdiocese of Toronto, here are the requirements needed to prepare a child forthe sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion:

· Baptism in a Catholic Church.

· Aged 7 years or older.

· Regular participation at Mass on Sundays.

· At least one year of religious education(catechism) as provided by the Catholic school system or enrolment in a PublicSchool Catechism Program.

Please Note: Children preparing for First Reconciliation and FirstCommunion must be enrolled in the Public School Catechism program bymid-October, as part of their sacramental preparation. See noticebelow.

There will be two opportunities to register childrenfor Reconciliation and Communion preparation:

Sunday, October 2. 2011 at 1:30 – 3:00 pm

Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Registration will take place in the Church Hall.Cost of each program is $25.00 (registration for both programs is $50) to coverthe cost of materials and family books. Be sure to bring your child’s BaptismalCertificate to the meeting.

Please note: this is aninformation and registration meeting only - parents are asked to attend withouttheir children, if possible. For more information, please contact BeverlyO’Grady, Parish Catechist at 905-278-7762.

First Reconciliation/First Eucharist Sacramental Prep Schedule

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Registration Meeting for Communion and Reconciliation – Parents Only – chooseeither:

Sunday, October 2 at 1:30 – 3 pm or Tuesday,October 4 at 7 – 8:30 pm

FirstReconciliation Preparation - 2011

Session One - Parents only

Sunday,October 23 at 1:30 – 3 pm or Tuesday, October 25 at 7 – 8:30 pm

Session Two - Parents and Children

Sunday, November 13 at 1:30 – 3 pm or Tuesday,November 15 at 7 – 8:30 pm

Enrolment and Presentationof Crosses - Families to choose a Mass for

thiscelebration.

Saturday, November 26 at 5:00 pmMass; or

Sunday, November 27 at the 10 am Mass or12 noon Mass.

Session Three - Parents andChildren - Tour of the Church and Reconciliation Practice

Sunday, December 4 at 1:30 – 3 pm or Tuesday,December 6 at 7 – 8:30 pm

Celebration of Reconciliation

Wednesday,December 7 at 7:00 pm or Saturday, December 10 at 10:00 am

First CommunionPreparation - 2012

Session One– Parents only

Sunday, February 5 at 1:30 – 3 pm or Tuesday, February 7 at 7 – 8:30 pm

Session Two - Parents andChildren

Sunday, February 26 at 1:30 – 3 pm or Tuesday,February 28 at 7– 8:30 pm

Session Three - Parents and Children

Sunday, March 25 at 1:30 – 3 pm or Tuesday, March27 at 7 – 8:30 pm

Session Four - Parents and Children

Sunday, April 22 at 1:30 – 3 pm or Tuesday, April24 at 7 – 8:30 pm

Parish Celebration of First Eucharist- Families to choose a Mass to attend.

Saturday, May 5 at 5:00pm Mass

Sunday, May 6 at 10 amMass or 12 noon Mass

Session Five - Parents andChildren - First Communion Party (onedate only)

Tuesday, May 8 at 7 – 8:30 pm

From the desk of Fr. Phil…

2011-09-03T02:00:00.000-04:00

>>click here to view Bulletin September 4, 2011

As the last days ofSummer approach, I hope that you have had a chance to rest and relax, if evenfor a short time. As we begin a newSchool year, I wish our students and teachers a productive and fruitful year. I am looking forward to my first experienceof the ministry fair here at St. Dominic. Thanks to all those who were able to attend the meeting last Wednesdayevening. I am sure that our welcome backreception and ministry fair will be a success. Please pray and think about signing up for one of our ministry programsafter any mass on September 17^th or 18^th.

As you know Aloysius CardinalAmbrozic passed away on Friday, August 26, 2011. Let us pray for the repose of his soul. We will celebrate a Mass for the Cardinal on Tuesday, September 13^that 7:00 pm.

Please mark on yourcalendars some important dates: CoffeeSunday resumes September 11^th after the 10:00 am Mass; Registration dates for students receivingSacraments and taking religious education classes here will be announcedsoon. Children’s Liturgy begins at the5:00 pm Mass on September 24^th; Octoberfest is on Saturday, October 22 at 6:30 pm; Youth Group harvest/Halloween bake sale isOctober 29/30 after all Masses; AnnualChristmas Bazaar is November 5^th at 9:00 am; Fr. Phil’s Road beef dinner fundraiserNovember 26^th at 6:30. I hopethis list is helpful in giving you a preview of upcoming social events.

Once again, I welcome everyone backafter the summer break and ask that God continue to bless us all as we gear upfor another great year here at St. Dominic. Sincerely,

Fr. Phil

Upcoming Parish Events

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Upcoming Parish Events
Sep 11, at 10am	Coffee Sunday resumes September 11^th after the 10:00 am Mass
Sep 13, at 7pm	As you know Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic passed away on Friday, August 26, 2011. Let us pray for the repose of his soul. We will celebrate a Mass for the Cardinal on Tuesday, September 13^th at 7:00 pm.
Sep 17, 18	Sign up for one of our Ministry Programs after Mass
Sep 24 at 5pm	Children’s Liturgy begins at the 5:00 pm Mass on September 24^th
Oct 22 at 6.30pm	Octoberfest is on Saturday, October 22 at 6:30pm
Oct 29, 30	Youth Group harvest/Halloween bake sale is October 29/30 after all Masses
Nov 5 at 9am	Annual Christmas Bazaar is November 5^th at 9:00 am
Nov 26 at 6.30pm	Fr. Phil’s Road beef dinner fundraiser November 26^th at 6:30.
Hoping this list is helpful in giving you a preview of upcoming social events.

Archdiocese of Toronto Blog: Visitation & Funeral Details for Cardinal Ambrozic...

2011-08-28T18:23:00.002-04:00

Archdiocese of Toronto Blog: Visitation & Funeral Details for Cardinal Ambrozic...: Thanks to all those who have taken the time to send their condolences to the Ambrozic family and the Archdiocese on the passing of Cardinal ...

From the desk of Fr. Phil…

2011-08-27T06:49:00.001-04:00

Bulletin August 28, 2011

Welcome back to all of you who have been away on vacation. I trust, whether we were able to get away or not, that we have all enjoyed the beautiful weather this summer.

Finally, we have an air-conditioned building, not only for Mass celebrations on those hot, sticky, Sundays, but also for the many weddings, funerals and other liturgical functions that occur during the week. I am indebted to those who contributed to this fund as we have raised over $32,000 thus far. We still have a ways to go but I am confident that we will meet the final goal in short order. The funds raised at our dinners, dances and other parties this year will go towards paying off the air-conditioning bill in full.

Congratulations to all those couples who have been married here this year and to those who have begun their new life with us in the Sacrament of Baptism. Six members of our parish attended World Youth Day in Spain with a side trip to Rome and I hope that at some point, they will be able to share their experience with us. The Grey Sisters of the Dominican Republic were overwhelmed at Fiesta Dominicana by your generosity and welcome. I bring you their heartfelt thanks!

Summer is a time when many of us are away and I would like to thank our Lectors, Ministers of Communion, Ministers of Welcome and Altar Servers for altering their usual times and schedules to ensure that our ministries were covered every Sunday. We have been blessed with music at every Mass this summer and I thank those musicians who switched Masses and doubled up to provide us with musical leadership. I look forward to the return of our choirs in the coming weeks.

I would like to thank Mr. Ken Hoad, the leader and co-ordinator of our Ministers of Welcome since 2002. Ken has decided to pass on the reigns to someone else after 9 years of faithful, dedicated, service. Thank-you Ken! Your dedication to this ministry is very much appreciated. Mr. Gary MacDonald, currently a minister of welcome, a Pastoral Council member and our Deputy Grand Knight will assume leadership of this ministry.

As we begin a new school year, I wish the members of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, our teachers and students, every blessing as they continue their roles in the important task and privilege of Catholic Education. Along with our Principal, Silvina Wolf, at St. Dominic Catholic School, I look forward to working with Ann Marie Slak who is our new Principal at Queen of Heaven Catholic School. Welcome Ann Marie!

Parish activities this year will begin with a Ministry Fair on the weekend of September 17 – 18. Refreshments and a “Welcome Back” cake will be served at the fair after all Masses. I hope that we will be blest with more ministers in the many ministries available to you in our parish. As I look forward to the Fall colours, I thank you once again for your prayers and support!

Sincerely,

Fr. Phil

Pictures from Fiesta Dominicana

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Pictures courtesy Marty Barreca

Mobile template on mobile devices

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Parish website is available for easy viewing on a mobile template

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

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>>click here to view Bulletin July 24, 2011
>> click here to view Bulletin Insert WYD 2011

WYD 2011 – In our bulletin this weekend you will find an insert outlining the itinerary for our pilgrims who will be travelling to Madrid, Spain. We ask you to please keep our young people in your prayers. St. Dominic’s Youth Ministry would like to thank all our parishioners who so generously supported them through donations, fundraising events and the penny drive and much more. You will be remembered in our prayers. We will still continue to collect your pennies to fund future youth activities.

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS WITH YOUR DONATION SO WE CAN CREDIT YOU.

Thank you for your continued support of our Youth Ministry.

Fiesta Dominicana

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>>click here to view the flyer

From the desk of Fr. Phil….week of June 26, 2011

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>>click here to view Bulletin

This Wednesday, June 29^th, in many churches of the East and West the Apostles Peter and Paul are commemorated. Both were martyred in Rome in the first century. They tirelessly worked for the spread of the gospel, not only to the people of Israel, but to all the nations as well. They risked their lives in the process and gladly poured out their blood in loyalty to their Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. As Paul so eloquently stated in his second epistle to Timothy, they courageously fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).

One of the questions we need to ask ourselves is: How firm is our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? At an opportune time Jesus tested his disciples with rhe same crucial question: Who do men say that I am and who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:13). Jesus was widely recognized in Israel as a mighty man of God, even being compared with the greatest of the prophets, John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah. Peter, always quick to respond, exclaimed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. No mortal being could have revealed this to Peter; but only God. Jesus then conferred on Peter authority to govern the church that Jesus would build, a church that no powers could overcome. Jesus played on Peter's name which is the same word for "rock" in both Aramaic and Greek. To call someone a "rock" is one of the greatest of compliments. The ancient rabbis had a saying that when God saw Abraham, he exclaimed: "I have discovered a rock to found the world upon." Through Abraham God established a nation for himself. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus truly was. He was the first apostle to recognize Jesus as the Anointed One (Messiah and Christ) and the only begotten Son of God.

The New Testament describes the church, the people of God, as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5). Faith in Jesus Christ makes us into rocks or spiritual stones. The Lord Jesus tests each of us personally with the same question: Who do you say that I am?

I trust that you will all have a wonderful, restful summer. Congratulations to all our Graduates too! We wish you much success as you move on to higher places of learning. I would also like to wish our principal of Queen of Heaven, Cheryl Cauduro, many blessings as she moves to her new school in Brampton.

Fr. Phil

Bulletin June 19, 2011

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Bulletin June 12, 2011

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Bulletin June 5, 2011

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Bulletin May 29, 2011

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Bulletin May 22, 2011

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ORDINATIONS FOR THE ARCHDIOCESE OF TORONTO

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Picture - Courtesy Archdiocese of Toronto Blog

On Saturday, May 14, three new priests were ordained for service to the Archdiocese of Toronto. His Grace, Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto preside dat the ceremony, which took place at St. Michael’s Cathedral. The parish community congratulates and will continue to pray for Rev. Eric Mah, Rev. Allyn Rose and Rev. Russell Asch. Having spent no less than five years preparing for their ordination, the newest priests for the Archdiocese will each assume a role of service in one of 225 parishes, which stretch from Oshawa to Mississauga and north to Georgian Bay

Bulletin May 15, 2011

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>>click here to enlarge

Bulletin May 08, 2011

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NATIONAL MARCH FOR LIFE

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Canada is the only country in the western world with no law restricting abortion. We must work to change this now. Please join the National March for Life in Ottawa on Thursday, May 12. Mississauga Right to Life has 2 buses leaving from St. Patrick’s Church (Tomken & Flagship) following the 6:00 am Mass. The cost is $50.00. Call Carol @ 905-277-4982 for reservations

Bulletin May 1, 2011

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>>click here to enlarge

Bulletin April 24, 2011

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Holy Week 2011

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Wednesday, April 20

9:15 am – Mass – Int. Charlie Zammit

4-5 pm – Handprints

7:00 pm – PARISH MISSION

Thursday, April 21– HOLY THURSDAY

8:30 am – St. Paul’s Gr. 11 Retreat

8:00 pm – MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

Friday, April 22 – GOOD FRIDAY

9:30 am – Lebanese Good Friday Service

12:30 pm – Children’s Liturgy – Lord’s Passion

3:00 pm – Celebration of Lord’s Passion

7:30 pm – Station of Cross led by Youth Ministry

Saturday, April 23 – HOLY SATURDAY

11:00 am – BLESSING OF THE FOOD

1:00 pm – RCIA Rehearsal

2:30 pm - Confessions

8:00 pm – EASTER VIGIL

Sunday, April 24 – EASTER SUNDAY

8:30 am, 10:00 am and 12:00 noon Mass

Monday, April 25 – Easter Monday

9:00 am Mass – Alice Gilbert+

OFFICE CLOSED

Bulletin April 17, 2011

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Bulletin April 10, 2011

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Bulletin April 03, 2011

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ShareLife Sunday - You can work WONDERS!

2011-03-28T09:35:00.001-04:00

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT (1^ST ShareLife Sunday)

April 3, 2011

Working wonders in our community…

“You don’t have to look far to see the wonders being worked by ShareLife… in your neighbourhood, in the homes on your street, in the pews of your parish. Last year, the network of ShareLife-funded agencies reached out to over 250,000 people in our region and assisted countless more in developing countries around the world. They fed the hungry, sheltered the homeless, protected the meek and cared for the sick. In 42 municipalities, in 225 parishes, and in more than 20 languages, people received professional, faith-informed and compassionate care as a result of our generosity.”

— Most Rev. Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto

Today is ShareLife Sunday.

Please give generously. You can work WONDERS!

Bulletin March 27, 2011

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Bulletin March 20, 2011

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Bulletin March 13, 2011

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Bulletin March 06, 2011

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THANK YOU FROM GUATAMELA - YOUTH MINISTRY SHOEBOX CHRISTMAS DRIVE

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In December 2010 St. Dominic’s Youth Ministry held our children’s “Evening with Santa”. One of the projects of that evening was to ask parents to donate a “shoebox” filled with little items that impoverished children in other parts of the world could use. The shoeboxes, approximately 40 in all, were donated to Dr. Simone’s ‘Canadian Food for Children’. The attached photograph is a thank you note from a child in Guatamala who received one of these shoe boxes.

Bulletin February 27, 2011

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Bulletin February 20, 2011

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Bulletin Feb 13, 2011

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Knights of Columbus Clergy Appreciation Nite - Feb 10, 2011

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Prayer for Priests

Keep them I pray Thee, dearest Lord,

Keep them, for they are Thine

Thy priests whose lives burn out

Before Thy consecrated shrine.

Keep them, for they are in the world,

Though from the world apart;

When earthly pleasures tempt, allure –

Shelter them in Thy heart.

Keep them, and comfort them

In hours of loneliness and pain,

When all their life of sacrifice for souls

Seems but in vain.

Keep them, and O remember, Lord,

They have no one but Thee,

Yet they have only human hearts,

With human frailty.

Keep them as spotless as the Host,

That daily they caress;

Their every thought and word and deed,

Deign, dearest Lord, to bless.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be,

(Say this prayer every day)

Bulletin February 06, 2011

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Bulletin January 30, 2011

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Bulletin January 23, 2011

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Bulletin January 16, 2011

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Bulletin January 09, 2011

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Bulletin January 02, 2011

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Bulletin December 26, 2010

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Bulletin December 19, 2010

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Bulletin December 12, 2010

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Bulletin December 05, 2010

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Bulletin November 28, 2010

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Bulletin November 21, 2010

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Bulletin November 14, 2010

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Bulletin November 7, 2010

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Raising Children of Character

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From the desk of Fr. Phil…..

2010-10-29T15:49:00.002-04:00

I hope you all had a great week! Last Saturday evening we celebrated Oktoberfest, another great experience of coming together socially at St. Dominic! I would like to thank all the K of C members and their wives for putting this evening together in such a short time: the meal, the set-up and clean-up, the bar, the hall decorations, the music and indeed every aspect of the evening. Everyone worked very hard to make this happen for the parish. Thank-you to the students from St. Paul who came on Friday to set up for us! A great time was had by all. Thanks to you, our parishioners and friends, who were able to attend and support us! Your attendance is very much appreciated.

This weekend our Youth Group is celebrating Halloween with a Halloween tea, coffee and bake sale in the hall after every Mass!

This week, Monday and Tuesday, are very special days in the life of the Church: All Saints Day on Monday and All Souls Day on Tuesday. The Feast of All Saints is a holy day of the Church honoring all saints, known and unknown. While we have information about many saints, and we honor them on specific days, there are many unknown or unsung saints, who may have been forgotten, or never been specifically honored. On All Saints Day, we celebrate these saints of the Lord, and ask for their prayers and intercessions. On All Soul’s Day, we pray for the faithful departed, those who have been baptized, but who need to be completely purified of all stain of sin before they come into full union with God in Heaven.

Prayer for All Saints

Father, All-Powerful and ever-living God, today we rejoice in the holy men and women of every time and place.

May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,

our Lord, Amen.

Prayer for All Souls

Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom you raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Please write the names of those you wish to be remembered in November Masses in our Holy Souls Book.

**Mass on both days is at 7:30 PM**

Vote October 25 - A letter from The Archbishop of Toronto

2010-10-22T13:05:00.000-04:00

October 24, 2010

Dear Faithful of the Archdiocese of Toronto,

I strongly urge you to vote Monday in the municipal elections. The political leaders who serve at the municipal level have an immediate, practical, and profound influence on the well-being of the whole community; it is vital that each citizen vote for the candidate he or she considers most qualified to serve the common good.

As I mentioned in my pastoral letter of September 12th, it is especially important that Catholics vote, and vote wisely, in the election of Catholic School Board Trustees. I stated in that letter:

A Catholic School Trustee should be a faithful practicing Catholic.

A Catholic School Trustee should be exemplary in personal integrity and conduct, always striving to foster the good of the children, and not personal interest. We need to elect trustees who will represent us with honour and dignity, as worthy stewards of Catholic Education, so that we may all be proud of their stewardship.

A Catholic School Trustee should have a well developed understanding of Catholic Education, and of the role of the board of trustees in setting the policy that advances the common good of the whole Catholic School District, and of all of the children entrusted to it. Competence, wisdom, maturity, fiscal responsibility, respect for the law, and the capacity to work effectively with fellow trustees for the common good of Catholic Education - these are essential qualities in a Catholic School Trustee.

I urge each eligible parishioner to assess rigorously the candidates for the vitally important position of Catholic School Board trustee, holding them accountable to the highest standards, and to vote conscientiously on Monday, October 25th.

Thomas Collins

Archbishop of Toronto

2010-10-22T06:27:00.000-04:00

Offerings and Collections Last Week
OFFERTORY -                          $5962.90
OTHER COLLECTION/S -       $457.10
AIR-CONDITIONING FUND - $240.00

Many thanks for your generosity                     Fr. Phil

MASSES FOR THE FEASTS OF ALL SAINTS AND ALL SOULS - please note the following:

Monday, Nov. 1 – Mass for All Saints – 7:30 pm (NO 8:00 AM MASS)

Tuesday, Nov. 2 – Mass for All Souls – 7:30 pm

From the desk of Fr. Phil…

2010-10-15T16:37:00.000-04:00

Offerings and Collections Last Week

OFFERTORY - $7612.37

OTHER COLLECTION/S - $893.13

AIR-CONDITIONING FUND - $120.00

Many thanks for your generosity Fr. Phil

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend. Your generosity and sharing is very evident by the wonderful display of food and goods around the altar. On behalf of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Caring and Sharing, thank you! Our three schools, St. Dominic, Queen of Heaven and St. Paul have also contributed to our drive and I thank them as well. As I said in my homily last weekend, it is a clear sign of our growing from the ‘mine’ stage to the ‘yours, ours and us stage’. Many thanks too, to Rose, Joe and Robert Comella for their time and talent in putting together our Thanksgiving display.
On a different note, please consider coming to our Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, October 23 with the reception at 6:30 and dinner at 7:30. This is another parish social event for you to come and have fun and meet your fellow parishioners! There will be costumes, music, dancing and a buffet dinner! The Knights of Columbus have worked hard to put on this event for us! Tickets are $15.00 and will be available in the parish office until Friday, October 22^nd. Due to the necessity of purchasing food and drinks, tickets will not be available at the door. I hope to see you there.
I know it is probably a little early to be talking about Christmas and the New Year but just to give you a ‘heads up’ about two parish events happening at that time, Fr. Leo is arriving from Rome on December 17^th for another parish mission. The theme will be Advent Lessons and Carols on December 20, 21 and 22. On December 31^st, we will hold another New Year’s Eve party in the hall. Please mark these dates on your calendar. Further information will be in the bulletin closer to the time.
I hope you have a great week and again, thanks to all for your generosity in building up our food pantry. Fr. Phil

Marriage Preparation Courses 2011

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Oktoberfest Saturday October 23, 2010 @ 6.30pm

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THE PERFECT WAY TO START YOUR THANKSGIVING DAY

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Offerings and Collections Last Week

OFFERTORY - $7524.16

OTHER COLLECTION/S - $3731.34

AIR-CONDITIONING FUND - $130.00

Many thanks for your generosity Fr. Phil

THE PERFECT WAY TO START YOUR THANKSGIVING DAY – Join your fellow parishioners as we give thanks to God for our Church, our country, for our community of St. Dominic’s, for our Catholic schools, our families, friends and neighbours. Mass will be in the church at 9:00 am. Happy Thanksgiving

From the desk of Fr. Phil…

2010-10-02T15:55:00.000-04:00

Offerings and Collections Last Week

OFFERTORY - $6886.71

OTHER COLLECTION/S - $1556.29

AIR-CONDITIONING FUND - $275

Many thanks for your generosity Fr. Phil

We had a great time last Saturday evening at the youth group coffee house. We experienced every form of entertainment from Josh Grobin, and Southern blues to poem readers and flamenco dancers! As I mentioned from the pulpit last Sunday, there is a lot of hidden talent in our midst. The entertainment, the food and the fellowship was all good. The youth group raised $490.00 towards their pilgrimage to Spain for World Youth Day. Many thanks to all who contributed to a great evening!
The Knights of Columbus’ book sale was successful last weekend too. We obviously have many avid readers, music lovers and movie watchers in the parish as hundreds of items were sold between the two weekends. A total of $1265.00 was raised and I thank everyone who participated.
Tuesday, October 5 marks the beginning of our discussion sessions under the title, “What is the point of being a Christian?” I know it will be a very worthwhile and interesting time so I hope you make some space in your busy week to attend this series. It all has to do with discussing and discovering why we do what we do as Church, members of Christ’s Body, and to know better our relationship with each other as the family of the Church. I am sure the series will spark many interesting ideas!
Please remember that if you did not register your child/children for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion last Sunday afternoon or Tuesday evening you should do this as soon as possible. The Public School Catechism program is well underway every Sunday. Please register as soon as possible for this program too!

Wishing you all a good week and God’s Blessings! Fr. Phil Jones

2010-09-24T17:55:00.002-04:00

Offerings and Collections Last Week

OFFERTORY - $6633.09

OTHER COLLECTION/S - $769.00

AIR-CONDITIONING FUND - $215

Many thanks for your generosity Fr. Phil

Confirmation Schedule 2011

2010-09-21T16:21:00.005-04:00

From the desk of Fr. Phil…

2010-09-17T15:17:00.000-04:00

I trust you had a good week. Things are getting busy again as many of our programs are beginning for another season .We are blest to have 6 new people wishing to convert to the Catholic faith and we wish them every blessing on their journey as well as the promise of our prayers. Thanks again to Barbara-Anne Krampert for her leadership of the program.

Our catechism program for children in public schools begins this weekend too. My thanks to Mary Cordeiro and Yolanda Swanson.,

Thanks to all of you who were able to donate books to the Knights of Columbus used book sale this weekend. The Knights of Columbus are always looking for new members and you may inquire about them by calling me, emailing me at pjones@stdominicschurch.ca or David Bain, our Grand Knight at djbain@rogers.com. New members are always welcome. Please remember that the Youth Group is holding their second COFFEE HOUSE with refreshments, home-made pizza and baked goods on September 25^th after the 5pm Mass. Come and entertain us by playing an instrument, singing, dancing or whatever you enjoy doing. All proceeds will go to our youth.

Weekly Bulletins for 2010

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December 26, 2010

December 19, 2010

December 12, 2010

December 05, 2010

November 28, 2010

November 21, 2010

November 14, 2010

November 07, 2010

October 31, 2010

October 24, 2010

October 17, 2010

October 10, 2010

October 03, 2010

September 26, 2010

Septem b er 19, 2010

September 12, 2010

September 05, 2010

August 29, 2010

July 25, 2010

June 27, 2010

June 20, 2010

June 13, 2010

June 06, 2010

May 30, 2010

May 23, 2010

May 16, 2010

May 09, 2010

May 02, 2010

April 25, 2010

April 18, 2010

April 11, 2010

April 04, 2010

March 28, 2010

March 21, 2010

March 14, 2010

March 07, 2010

February 28, 2010

February 21, 2010

Insert - Statement of Revenue & Expense for 2009

Febraury 14, 2010

February 07, 2010

January 31, 2010

January 24, 2010

January 17, 2010

January 10, 2010

January 03, 2010

From the desk of Fr. Phil…

2010-09-10T05:51:00.000-04:00

I trust everything went well during the first week back at school. Fr. Noel and I attended the opening ceremonies at Queen of Heaven Catholic School last Tuesday to begin the celebrations for their 50^th anniversary. The affair was well attended with many parents and students present for the Liturgy of the Word. It was great to see our school Council representatives from the parish there too! An address was also given by the Principal, Mrs. Cheryl Cauduro, Our Catholic School Trustee, Mr. Mario Pascucci and our new Superintendant, Mr. Charles Blanchard. The proceedings ended with a final blessing and ribbon cutting. I will keep you informed of the various celebrations throughout the year. In May 2011, we will celebrate with Queen of Heaven School here at the church.

I want to thank the Youth Group for all their work during the car wash and BBQ to raise funds for World Youth Day. Thanks to all of you who were able to come out and support them by having your car washed and purchasing the BBQ lunch. I hear that the desert skewers were a real hit. Your support is greatly appreciated by all. The next event will be a COFFEE HOUSE on Saturday September 25^th at 6 pm. Entry is by donation. Baked goods and refreshments will be available for purchase. Please consider coming out for this evening of entertainment and music. Everyone is welcome!! The cookbook preparations are on-going and we are looking for more recipes and thank those who have already sent the favorites in.

The air-conditioning fund continues to grow and I am looking at the submitted quotes and plans. Remember to watch the bulletin for the current numbers for all of our collections. Thanks to those who have already donated some used books to the Knights of Columbus for their book sale on September 18 – 19 in the hall after Mass. Last, but certainly not least, I am really happy to have our full senior choir and folk choir back with us at Sunday Mass. Many thanks to all those who kept us singing all summer too!!

I hope you all have a great week and may God bless you!