1> Lent is upon us. This is a time for us to “turn again to the Lord” with fasting, prayer, works of spiritual and corporal mercy and the renewed use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As you will see there are many opportunities right here in our parish for a full and active Lent.
2> Unfortunately there will be no Mission on March 19-21 as was stated in previous bulletins. Our preacher, Bishop Peter Hundt, was appointed just this week to Corner Brook and Labrador and it was too late fo find a replacement. In place of the Mission, we will have a Eucharistic Weekend and Reconciliation. There will be Eurcharistic Adoration for the 5 p.m. Mass (March 19) to 7 p.m. Benediction and Reconciliation Service on Sunday (March 20).
3> March 9 is Ash Wednesday. The distribution of ashes will take place at both the 7:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and all school masses.
4> Friday Masses will be at 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. The Stations of the Cross will follow the evening Mass. I strongly encourage you to attend them.
5> We have had and will have three transitional deacons preaching: Ante Market, Hezuk Shiroff, and Brad Markus.
6> At the auspices of the CWL, a study of Pope Benedict’s XVI’s encyclical, Caritas In Veritate, facilitated by Sister Loretta, is being held twice weekly for 7 weeks ending on March 30. In this study, the participants are looking at economic, ecological, inter-cultural, pro-life and social justice issues and are challenged to revision them in the light of the creative and redeeming love of God seen in the person of Jesus Christ.
7> Father Charlie is giving a series of spiritual talks following the Saturday 9 a.m. Mass during Lent. They will be held at St. Mary’s Chapel for 9:45 to 10:30 a.m. The talks will have a Lenten theme focus.
March 5 1st talk – Integration
March 12 2nd talk – Orientation
March 19 3rd talk – Wisdom
March 26 4th talk – Reflection and Penance
April 2 5th talk – To Serve Others
April 9 6th talk – Incarnation
April 16 7th talk – Mercy of God
8> In the bulletin you will find a Lenten meditation each week.
9> The Novena to St. Joseph begins on March 10-18.
10> First Communion for the children attending the 3 Catholic schools and the public school children (who are being prepared by Frances Lynch) will take place on April 9-10.
11> First Reconciliation for the public school children will take place on Monday, March 28, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. in St. Mary’s Church.
Pastoral Activities
12> The st. Vincent de Paul Society pulled off a superb Christmas Hamper program with a great deal of help and as a result of you generosity. Thanks to you and them for their unstinting work. We are a vital part of the Central Food Cupboard (our local food bank). It is housed in the Queen Street United Chruch Annex. Insurance costs were mounting extremely rapidly and so it has been decided that it will be legally run by the Queen Street United Street but its board will be composed of a clergyman and layperson from the five supporting churches of St. Mary’s, St. Paul’s Anglican, Bethel Missionary, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian and Queen Street United. We are just about the biggest supporters of that worthy cause in terms of both money and manpower. St. Thomas Aquinas High School, under Gina Pasquarelli of our parish, regularly has high school students helping to unload and package food donations. Please help us to keep it running.
13> The Knights of Columbus are relocating their Assembly Rooms to the rooms under the rectory library having sold their hall on William Street last fall. These rooms have an outside access and in the spring will have a walkway from the street. It is a great use of large space that was previously unused. Already, we have had study group meetings there, hosted a day get-together of the Redemptorist Mater seminarians from Toronto on Thursday, February 24. The Central Deanery meeting of the Bishop and Priests was held there on Wednesday, March 2. When the rooms get redone, the trailer in the north parking lot, which is holding the hall furniture will be removed.
14> On December 12, 2010, the CWL Christmas Party was held in the rectory. Santa Claus (Fr. Charlie) visited the celebration and there was delicious food and drinks and Christmas Carols. A great time was had by all!
15> There was a pulpit exchange with Queen Street United Church on January 26 and Fr. Theo read a lesson in the anniversary celebration for St. Paul’s Anglican on that same evening.
16> Sr. Loretta has hit the ground running as our Education and Outreach Coordinator. Her office is set up in the Parish Library. Among her projects is the on-going multi-part series on the New Translation of the Mass as you are seeing in the bulletin. As well, she is working on small group instructions.
17> Fr. Tom and Fr. Theo took Visitor’s Training at the Correctional Centre in early February to facilitate ministry there.
18> Thank you for the feedback on our questionnaire and we will get responses to you shortly. For volunteers we realized that the new pastoral visitors will need training and are working on that and hope to see the ministries of Readers and Gift Bearers resuscitated. The screening for all our volunteers dealing with vulnerable people is still ongoing.
Youth Activities
19>We welcomed back the Sir Sanford Fleming students as they begin their final term this year. With these students there have been monthly Masses, Theology on Tap, Scripture Study and lunches.
20> Several activities to raise funds were held by the Pilgrims to World Youth Day in Spain such as pancake breakfasts and a concert by Madison Kozak.
21> The Morning Watch Eucharistic Adoration will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. on March 19-20 in the Church.
22> Ice fishing at Wigglesworth’s was a cold blast. Potluck lunches and sports nights have been some of the ongoing youth activities.
23> Our pilgrimage to honour the day of martyrdom of St. Jean de Brebeuf and Gabriel Lalemant is off and running for March 16 to Midland.
24> The National Evangelization Teams once again came to the Parish and had an all day retreat for the 5 local Separate Schools Grade Sevens as a follow-up to Confirmation. It was a loud and resounding success. They also had a morning with all of St. Thomas Aquinas students. Fr. Tom had a teaching Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas for all the Grade 9s and 10s. We would like to congratulate our new trustee Michelle Griepsma on her election.
Administrative Activities
25> Sometimes the most obvious activity is that right below your feet. All of us have been part of the rather disruptive work on the floor here at the church. Who would have thought that we would find 150-year-old Southern Pine under all those layers of varnish and paint? The result of weeks of work is a magnificent floor. Thunder Beach Works headed up these repairs fixing kneelers and pews as well. Many volunteers also helped in moving pews (repeatedly), scraping and painting the radiators while the pews were out and dusting the pews each week to get ready for Sunday Mass, funerals and even a wedding! Thanks to the St. Joseph volunteers and especially Catherine McGrory, Madaleen Lynch, Sue Miller, Shirley King, Catherine DeBosky, Bonnie Collins, Josette Chase, Gail Vugts, Wylie Suggit, Lawrence Allen, Len Albrecht, Charlie Grech, Joe McColl and Simon Snellen. It’s a big job. The last two pews have been removed to give us more and better space at the church doors for both our liturgy preparation and general movement and carpet put in thanks to the Knights. This was all possible due to your generosity as the repairs got bigger as the job progressed. Over 150 people and families sponsored kneelers and we collected approximately $21,000 out of a total cost of approximately $27,000. Thank you.
26> As I am sure you noticed, the three front altars have had their central portions and statues lit up to highlight their significance. Thanks to Rick Ward and John Ritchie for installing them. The choir loft stairs are actually safe now and more work is being done on the loft floor. The large and unused hanging speaker will be taken down shortly and we are investigating a better sound system. The South Tower repairs, netting to keep out bats and birds, cleaning and floor insulation is paying off in a warmer vestry and upstairs tower workroom. This was done by volunteers and with donated materials. We do need to look at getting all of our bells working again. Work is beginning on the back bathroom in vestry.
27> The consultation work on the bricks and outside of the church is proceeding in the Property and Maintenance Committee. There will be three stages:
A> Deciding on how to clean or peel off existing paint and doing so. The church has three layers of paint, some of which is lead-based with all the attendant environmental problems in its disposal.
B> Repair and replace deteriorated brick and masonry with age-appropriated bricks. We commissioned a study last year, which identified all the areas to be repaired.
C> Decide as to appropriate paint and then repaint. Testing as to various methods will be done as soon as the weather permits and then according to our decisions, available funds, and diocesan permission, we will proceed. We have approximately $350,000 in the Restoration Fund and this work will take all of that if not more, but the outside of the church has to proceed before the inside can be restored. We will be giving more information as to the stages as it becomes available.
28> The original part of the rectory has had its windows replaced for the first time. There is an immediate and welcome improvement in heat retention and the original frames have been kept and will be part of our fundraising effort. This was paid for by a bequest. Soffit and eaves troughs will have to be repaired this summer and the veranda painted. The third floor bathroom still needs to be finished. A shower for physically challenged persons was installed courtesy of the Knights of Columbus with professional volunteer labour thanks to Jay Jackson.
29> The photocopier is dying fast (It is at least 10 years old and was bought used!) and we are looking at a (probably used) replacement. We have budgeted for this and hope to see some economies with a newer machine.
30> Next week I will present the parish financial statement and 2011 budget.