Dear St. Joe’s parishioners,

Donna Rietschlin offers our community this weekend’s reflection, in video format for those not yet able to attend Mass, as a written document and in-person at our public liturgies this weekend. In her reflection, Donna explores God’s presence in our lives, even when we struggle to believe or when we don’t believe. Donna shares: “I remember when I was an adolescent, probably about 16 years old; I was talking with my friend Eileen’s mom. I told her I was not sure I believed in God. I had never said this out loud before. Mrs. McGrath did not act surprised or even take much time to respond. She said, “That’s OK, dear. God believes in you.” Mrs. McGrath gave me a great gift that day. It was not up to me! God was in my life even when I was not aware of God’s presence. Many times since, Mrs. McGrath’s words have been a light in the darkness.”

To read the full-text of Donna’s reflection, please click here. You can also watch the full video below.

Liturgical Resources:

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 9 2020 – Liturgy of the Word for use at home

READINGS FOR THE 19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

READINGS FOR CHILDREN – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 2020 – Prayers of the Faithful

Mission Prayer

Parish Update:

• Baptisms at St. Joe’s: We welcome with our prayers the new members of our Christian community through the Sacrament of Baptism —
  • Friday, August 7^th at 9 am – Kinglsey Scott Clarke, son of Leah Hubbard and Delroy Clarke
  • Saturday, August 8^th at 10 am –  Matteo Ryan Lajeunesse, son of Alexandra and Matthew Lajeunesse. (Matteo and his parents live in Alberta but are coming here for the baptism, as both sets of grandparents are here and St. Joe’s is the parish that Matthew has attended since childhood until he moved out of town. Both Matteo and Ellisyn are the grandchildren of Joan and George Lajeunesse, long-time parishioners and members of the baptism preparation team.)
  • Saturday, August 15^th at 10 am – Ellisyn Madeleine Lajeunesse, daughter of Lianne and Sean Lajeunesse
  • Sunday, August 16^th at 2 pm – Rose Evangeline Waddell-Howland, daughter of Margaret (Maggie) Waddell and John Howland
• Wedding at St. Joe’s: Congratulations to Nathan Boettcher and Mia Gosselin-Lamontagne who celebrated the Sacrament of Marriage in our church on Friday August 7th. We pray for Mia and Nathan as they begin their new life together.
• The St. Joe’s Women’s Centre’s Back-to-school program: It’s that time of year again! The children who frequent St. Joe’s are preparing for another school year and the staff team has been busy supporting families to ensure they are making informed decisions when it comes to the safety of their children. Due to the restrictions put in place because of COVID-19, we are currently soliciting for Staples Gift Cards only. Our longstanding partnership with Staples allows us to purchase more product for our dollar, and we can ensure our children get quality & long-lasting supplies. Please consider donating so we can ease the financial burden our families face. For more information, please contact Stephanie Reynolds: sreynolds@st-josephs.ca
• An Update on Funds Raised for the Refugee Outreach Committee: The 17 members of the Refugee Outreach Committee and its Settlement Support Group continue to share the parish’s “time, talent and treasure” with our new neighbours – 9 adults and 10 children. During this Covid-19 time some of us have gained expertise in using virtual tutoring with children and their parents over Zoom. We have acquired bicycles for all the children and some adults and have engaged them in CanBike safety workshops. Some children have also been enrolled in summer camps at their community centres. We are striving to assist a family of a special needs child with the registration fees for a 5 week specialized summer camp. With their limited and changeable income, the family can afford only 1 week. The fees are unusually high this year due to the high level of supervision and experienced staff and covid-19 safety requirements. Fortunately 80% of the funds have been raised. We welcome tax receiptable donations from parishioners to ensure the child is able to attend the full program offered. Please contact Dona Bowers at dona-bob@rogers.com or 613 299 9789 for more information. Good news! Our parishioners have a responded with great generosity yet again! We now have the full registration covered and the parents are thrilled for their child and their opportunity for some respite. Thank you to our inclusive, responsive parishioners. –The Refugee Outreach Committee.
• Sunday Offering for August 2, 2020: $5,428. Thank you for your continued generosity! If you are attending Mass this weekend and would like to make a donation, you will find a Sunday offering basket near the main entrance of the church. You can leave your donation here at either the beginning or the end of Mass. If you are not yet returning to St. Joe’s for Mass this weekend or will be away, please consider using Canada Helps. You may choose the Parish fund of your choice through this form: http://www.st-josephs.ca/about/donations/.
• Our Parish Meditation Groups meet in the church every Monday at 9:30 a.m. and Friday at 7:00 p.m. Please enter through the 151 Laurier Avenue entrance. For Friday evening meditation, please arrive by 6:45 p.m.
• Fr. Richard Beaudette’s vocations reflection for August 9, 2020: Our former Pastor, who is now Vicar General at OMI Lacombe Canada, shares with us his vocations reflection, exploring the concept of heeding the silence and listening to God’s invitation. Please see the full text of the reflection here: Heeding the Silence – Fr. Richard Beaudette OMI

Our Parish Zoom account is available for ministries to use to stay connected and to gather virtually. If you would like access to this account on behalf of your ministry, please contact Andrew Pump: apump@st-josephs.ca.

Peace,

Chris

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Christopher Adam
e-mail: cadam@st-josephs.ca