Dear St. Joe’s parishioners,
This Sunday’s reflection is offered by parishioner and member of the Refugee Outreach Committee, John Weir. In the reading from Ezekiel, we read and reflect on Judeans who find themselves forcibly displaced, in exile in Babylon. The reflection explores how forced displacements have effected more than 80 million people in our world today, many of whom find themselves in overcrowded refugee camps. How do we respond to the plight we see in the world around us with concrete action, and how do we focus on empowering people in our response? In his reflection, John explores these questions, refers back to our readings, the Oblate Charism and the mission of the Parish’s Refugee Outreach Committee.
We invite you to view the video reflection here, or in-person at our Masses this weekend.
Liturgical Resources
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time – September 27 2020 – Liturgy of the Word for use at home
READINGS FOR THE 26TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
READINGS FOR CHILDREN – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 2020 – Prayers of the Faithful
A reminder of Mass precautions:
Thank you for working with us over the past four months since we re-opened in adapting to many new precautions whilst attending Mass. We will continue to ensure that our protocols are explained in a verbal update at the start of each Mass. When arriving, please continue to enter through the main church doors at 174 Wilbrod and to sanitize your hands at one of the two sanitizing stations available as you enter. Please continue to wear masks, as these are obligatory in all public indoor spaces in Ontario. We would also like to draw your attention to the Covid-19 self-assessment screening questions provided by the Province and available here. Please review these standard questions before attending Mass.
Capacity at Mass remains set at 90. We have not reached this number thus far at any of our public liturgies, so there is space and an ability to physically distance at all Masses.
Parish Update:
- The Parish Annual Report is now available as a pdf file. To download a copy and read in detail about achievements, challenges, future directions and about our upcoming AGM on Sunday, October 4, 2020 at 1:00 p.m., please click here.
- New Funding for the Supper Table: Thank you to the Ottawa Food Bank for providing the St. Joe’s Supper Table with $25,000 in additional funding for its fall/winter programming and Covid-19 related expenses.
- Sunday Offering for September 20, 2020: $4,029. 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/.
- Registration for St. Joseph’s Confirmation Preparation is now open. You can register your child on our website at www.st-josephs.ca/sacraments/confirmation and follow the link to the registration page. Confirmation is open to any child between grades 6 and 12 and classes will begin on Nov. 1st and last for 7 weeks.
- Lector’s Workbooks: This fall, St. Joe’s and Canadian Martyrs Parish have jointly placed an order for new lector’s workbooks. We expect these to arrive and be available to lectors by November.
- Welcoming back staff: During the spring lock-down, 7 members of our Parish staff team went on unpaid leave due to the suspension of our services and the difficult financial reality of our Parish, brought on by the pandemic. Staff members were able to collect CERB and it was our intention to welcome them back at a future date. In early September, our weekday front office employees, Kathleen Strader and David Trepanier, resumed their full shifts. Next week, Aaron Fell, our Parish’s part-time safety coordinator, will return to work too, after a five month leave. Aaron will be mostly helping out with the Supper Table’s take-away meal service and with food bank.
- Oblate Vocations Café: In the spirit of creating and cultivating the culture of vocation, OMI Lacombe Canada introduced this summer a virtual “Vocations Café”. It’s not a webinar or an online lecture… Vocations Café is a conversation! We will invite people from different walks of life: religious brothers and sisters, priests, married couples or persons embracing single life. It’s LIVE streamed on OMI Lacombe Canada Facebook Page fb.me/missionaryoblates and provides an opportunity to ask questions and fully engage in the conversation. This coming Saturday, Fr. Jarek Pachocki OMI be chatting with the Oblate Sisters Misioneras Oblatas de María Inmaculada from Spain.
- Oblate Vocations “Zoom and See”: If you are a young Catholic man interested in the Oblate religious and missionary life, you are invited to “Zoom and See” on October 10, 2020 11am-2:30pm Central Time Zone. You will have an opportunity to hear the stories from the Oblates and also from the Guest Speaker, Fr. Leo Patalinghug (famous priest chef). There will be also some time for “virtual” fellowship and Q&A. To register or for more info, please contact Fr. Jarek Pachocki OMI – Vocation Director via email vocations@omilacombe.ca Zoom and See!
Thank you for continuing to follow our Parish updates and for your feedback!
Peace,
Chris
Christopher Adam
e-mail: cadam@st-josephs.ca
