Dear St. Joe’s parishioners,
As we resume public Masses in our Parish this weekend, Fr. Jim offers us a reflection focusing us on the Lenten journey. Fr. Jim shares that God always desires to journey with us, even when our personal choices take us along a dark and destructive path far from the Creator who has loved us into being. You are invited to watch the video recording of the reflection below.
St. Joseph’s Parish History with Terry Byrne & Jamie Loback (Part 6)
Jamie Loback joins Terry Byrne in exploring the history of sacred music in the Catholic tradition and specifically at St. Joseph’s.
RCIA & the Lenten Journey: Interview with Bridget
Each week of Lent at St. Joseph’s, we will feature an interview with one of our RCIA candidates alongside highlighting what the RCIA is and its importance to our experience of the Church and the Church’s liturgical seasons. This week we start with our candidate Bridget. BE SURE TO JOIN US THIS FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT FOR OUR RITE OF ELECTION AT THE 5PM SATURDAY MASS AND 7PM SUNDAY UNIVERSITY MASS.
Liturgical Resources
First Sunday of Lent – February 21 2021 – Liturgy of the Word for use at home
READINGS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
READINGS FOR CHILDREN – First Sunday of Lent
First Sunday of Lent – 2021 – Prayers of the Faithful–21feb
A Prayer to the Creator – Pope Francis – Share Lent 2021 – Development and Peace
Message from Pope Francis for Lent 2021
Organ Postlude Performed by Tom Fagan
Parish Update:
Weekend Masses resume
Weekend Masses have resumed according to our regular schedule: Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Maximum capacity in the church is set at 90 people. Pre-registration is not required at this time.
Announced Weekday Noon Masses
- Wed., February 24: Village of Loussomini requested by Marina Lamont
- Thurs., February 25: Justin Clark (ill) requested by Joanna Lee
- Fri. February 26: Frank O’Donnell (deceased) requested by Marion Kizas
Virtual Children’s Liturgy of the Word over Zoom:
Each Sunday at 9:30AM we are hosting a Liturgy of the Word for families and children virtually over Zoom. If you would like to join us be sure to send an email to Andrew (apump@st-josephs.ca) and he will send you the Zoom information. Although a Children’s Liturgy with accompanying children’s readings, it is also a great chance to connect for everyone in our community that hasn’t been able to come back to Church yet. So don’t be shy: All Are Welcome.
Lectio Divina over Zoom each Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Lectio Divina is a reflective exercise centered around the reading of scripture. We will be meeting virtually over Zoom to reflect on the Sunday’s Gospel and share with each other our insights and what the scriptures are calling us to look at in our lives and where they are leading us. Please join us by using the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2906781332?pwd=VWUvMUtXVlFzUjlSME9velZHRWcrZz09
A reminder about emails purporting to be from Fr. Jim
Some of your may know that there is a confidence trick making its rounds on the Internet, in which priests are impersonated and members of their congregation are contacted with emails purporting to be from clergy, asking for assistance or favours. Please know that Fr. Jim never uses Gmail and never asks parishioners for favours. If you receive such an email, please disregard it.
SHARE LOVE, SHARE LENT WITH DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE
The Share Love, Share Lent campaign is inspired Pope Francis’s encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, and its call “for a love that transcends… geography and distance” and “allows us to acknowledge, appreciate and love each person.”
Each week, the campaign explores a different aspect of Development and Peace’s work and offers you ways to become involved.
Interactive Solidarity Calendar
Each Lent, many Catholics make Development and Peace’s Share Lent calendar part of their Lenten journey. Every week, the calendar invites you to explore an aspect of Development and Peace through prayer, action and fundraising and to participate in a virtual event. You can find the calendar here: en_calendrier2021_web.pdf (devp.org)
Upcoming Virtual D&P Events
- World Day for Social Justice, this Saturday, February 20 from 1 to 2 pm ET
Join Most Rev. Pierre Goudreault of the Diocese of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatiėre, member of D&P’s National Council Executive; Fr. John Patrick Ngoyi, Director of the Commission of Justice, Development and Peace, a long time D&P partner in Nigeria; and Gabrielle Dupuis, young adult member and Diocesan Council Chair for Ottawa-Cornwall English Sector (and St. Joe’s parishioner!) as they discuss how Development and Peace’s Mission is directly inspired by Catholic Social Teaching. Sign up here to register for the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUofuuuqDMqGtM_SIShn5O_oUphPNsEanzt
- Humanitarian intervention: Realities from the field – Saturday, February 27, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ET
Join Development and Peace staff members and Abdullah Fuad, representative of Development and Peace’s partner, Caritas Bangladesh, and head of the program for emergency response for Rohinga refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. They will be discussing the Rohinga refugee crisis and the way Caritas has been working to alleviate consequences on affected communities as well as Development and Peace’s unique philosophy when it comes to humanitarian responses. Sign up here to register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LnrWeM9jRMuI62elhdHXVg
Church Offering for February 14, 2021: $4,170. Thank you for your generosity. We are grateful for your support during the pandemic, especially as most of our expenses continue. If you would like to continue giving in this period, 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.
Pastoral Visiting Ministry
Although we cannot visit with you in person, our pastoral care volunteers are wondering if they could call you to see how you are doing. If you or a loved one would like a phone call – to check-in, chat and see how you are doing – please reach out. You can contact Andrew at ext. 235 or apump@st-josephs.ca, who will then forward your information to our ministry. Our prayers are with you all at this time.
Vocation Reflection: “Into the Wilderness”
By Jarek Pachocki OMI – Oblate Vocation Director
“We might not be able to literally travel to the desert as Jesus did, but we can all create a desert space in our overcrowded lives. We can set aside a place and time to be alone daily with God, a time to distance ourselves from the many noises and voices that bombard our lives every day, a time to hear God’s word, a time to rediscover who we are before God, a time to say, “yes” to God and, “no” to Satan as Jesus did. Welcome to Lent! Welcome to the desert!” Read the reflection here (published on Friday February 19): https://omilacombe.ca/become-an-oblate/
Wishing you a fruitful start to the Lenten journey,
Chris
..
Christopher Adam
email: cadam@st-josephs.ca
I am a parishioner at St Joe’s since 1982, almost half of my life. I appreciate the creative ways the parish team has initiated to keep us parishioners engaged, informed and spiritually nourished during these unprecedented times. Among these is having Terry Byrne tell stories, on specific themes, of St. Joe’s past from the time of foundation. We are so fortunate to have a curious-minded historian recording the parish’s past. Hearing these stories grounds us as a community and creates a family spirit. Thank you team. Thank you Terry.
I am a parishioner at St Joe’s since 1982, almost half of my life. I appreciate the creative ways the parish team has initiated to keep us parishioners engaged, informed and spiritually nourished during these unprecedented times. Among these is having Terry Byrne tell stories, on specific themes, of St. Joe’s past from the time of foundation. We are so fortunate to have a curious-minded historian recording the parish’s past. Hearing these stories grounds us as a community and creates a family spirit. Thank you team. Thank you Terry.