John Mark Keyes’ Reflection and a Parish Update for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

As we begin the Synodal process in the Catholic Church, John Mark Keyes shares in his reflection:

“Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. This message seems to have been all too often lost in our Church and in its institutional hierarchy. In fact, the notion of hierarchy itself is at odds with Jesus saying that whoever wishes to be first among you, must be slave or servant of all. In the Catholic Church, governance from the top has often been the norm, with little scope for the majority of its members, the faithful, to have a say in how decisions are made or how the institutional Church is managed….We have recently been reminded of some of the horrific effects of what is known as clericalism, in the abuses committed by members of the clergy and religious communities  — most notably, in the Indian residential schools. Where was Jesus’ message when these things happened?…I have had and continue to have difficulty understanding what has unfolded and continues to unfold around clerical abuse here in Canada and around the world — most recently in France. But I am also not prepared to abandon the Church, for it has made me who I am and has given me so much nourishment.,.”

Liturgical Resources

Parish Update

A Video from Archbishop Marcel Damphousse on the Synodal Process

The Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall will hold an in-person Pastoral Day on October 21st that Fr. Jim and Chris Adam will attend. Parishes will be provided more details on the Synodal process at this time and what it will mean for St. Joe’s. We look forward to sharing more information in the coming weeks.

Thank you for your donations of toiletries!

St. Joe’s parishioners showed their generosity again these past two weekends as we launched a drive in our parish to collect toiletries for Afghan refugees. Thank you for donating a table full of essential hygiene items! We will be forwarding these to the Catholic Centre for Immigrants Foundation.

Sunday offerings for October 10, 2021: $5,788

Thank you for your generosity!

Ordering 2022 Sunday Offering Envelopes

This month, we will be placing an order for 2022 Sunday offering envelopes. If you currently use envelopes for your offerings and would like to switch to auto-debit or Canada Helps, or if you no longer require your annual box of envelopes, please contact David in the front office by email: dtrepanier@st-josephs.ca. Please also contact us if you currently do not have a box of envelopes, but  would like one for 2022. This information will help us to order the correct number for next year.

To be Christian is to do what Jesus did – ‘Serve’”

By  Vijay Deivanayagam, OMI – Vocation Team Central

“Firstly, we are challenged to give our lives in loving service to others. As Christians, we are all invited to serve others – and to serve with a smile. Today the church is called to be a ‘servant church’. By the power of baptism, we all share in this ministry of service – an indispensable expression of her very being and nature. Serving implies initiative and creativity, knowledge and efforts to build a human, just and loving society.”
Read the reflection here (published on Friday October 15): https://omilacombe.ca/become-an-oblate/

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