Fr. Jim offers the reflection for the sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time and shares:
“Last week when I was in the Oblate kitchen making a cup of coffee, I happened to look out the window and saw a group of people sitting in the garden, in front of the Women’s Centre and the Supper Table; relaxing in the sun and enjoying each other’s company. They were people who appeared to carry all their belongings with them and who were most likely guests who often come to our doors seeking food, refreshments and a place in our community. As I watched, I saw a young man digging into his pack and when he appeared to be missing something, looked around to the others in the group. Immediately, someone pulled out a sweater from his bag and gave it to him. Another person gave him a sandwich. And someone else offered him an apple. From my viewpoint, it appeared that the group was concerned for the young man, doing what they could to help him out. This is another example of how generous the poor can be with those in need…”
Watch the video recording of Fr. Jim’s refection below or come hear it this weekend at Mass.
The LGBTQ community and St. Joseph’s Parish — History with Terry Byrne & Frank McCaughey (15)
In part 15 of our Parish History Series, Frank McCaughey shares the history of the LGBTQ community at St. Joseph’s Parish in Ottawa in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.
Liturgical Resources
- Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 18 2021 – Liturgy of the Word for use at home
- READINGS FOR THE SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – 2021
- READINGS FOR CHILDREN – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021
- Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 – Prayers of the Faithful
- Mission Prayer
Parish Update
Increased capacity at Mass
Beginning July 16, Ontario entered Step 3 of the reopening. The maximum capacity at each Mass is 100 people. This number allows for physical distancing in the church. Online registration to attend Mass is not required. If you are a new visitor, you are most welcome to attend as well, but please provide the Parish office with your name and contact information for contact tracing purposes. Please call: 613-233-4095, ext. 251 or email: frontdesk@st-josephs.ca.
Parish Meetings and Ministry Gatherings
The Parish can now resume hosting in-person ministry gatherings and meetings for up to 25 people indoors. Face masks and physical distancing are both still required. If you would like to discuss booking a space for a parish/ministry meeting, please contact the office at 613-233-4095, ext. 251 or email: frontdesk@st-josephs.ca.
Free breakfast & snack boxes still available
A total of 12 free breakfast and snack boxes are still available to families with school age children in the parish. The boxes are provided to our parish community by the Ottawa Network for Education. Each box includes cereal, oatmeal, shelf-stable milk, apple sauce and other healthy items. Please contact the Parish office if you would like to pick up one of the remaining boxes: 613-233-4095, ext. 251 or frontdesk@st-josephs.ca
A Call from the Parish Finance Council
The Parish Finance Council is looking for parishioners who are interested in serving on the Council. It is a permanent advisory body to the Pastor and the St. Joseph’s Parish Pastoral Council, responsible for ensuring they are well-informed in all their decision-making with respect to financial matters.
Members serve for 2-year renewable terms and are selected from among the parishioners, based on their experience in financial management to the extent possible. Accounting credentials and experience on boards of corporate bodies or associations or management teams where financial issues are considered as part of management’s deliberations are assets.
The Council generally meets on a monthly basis with a break during the summer. Additional details about the Council and its members may be found in its Terms of Reference posted on the Parish website. If interested, please email: cadam@st-josephs.ca and your message will be forwarded to John Mark Keyes, Chair of the PFC.
Sunday Offerings for July 12, 2021 : $6,512
Thank you for your generosity. We are grateful for your support during the pandemic, especially as our expenses continue. If you would like to continue giving in this period, but have not yet returned to in-person Mass, you can mail in your offering envelopes/cheques to the parish front office, donate through Canada Helps or call us at 613-233-4095, ext. 251 to donate through credit card.
Thank you to the Ottawa Food Bank!
The St. Joe’s Women’s Centre received a $5,000 grant from the Ottawa Food Bank’s Sustainability Fund. Thank you for this generous support!
Vocation Reflection: “A Costly Caring”
By Susai Jesu OMI – Vocation Team
“The compassion of Christ is not sentimental but wholistic, it is a response of the whole person to the needs of another whole person. The compassion of Jesus implies commitment to a wholistic relationship to God, self, others and creation. If this threatens us because it seems that we will be totally consumed in trying to meet the needs of our world in distress, then the first thing we should do is spend some time with Jesus and rest a while in his Spirit.”
Read the reflection here (published on Friday July 16): https://omilacombe.ca/become-an-oblate/
