Mark McCormick’s Reflection and a Parish Update for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mark McCormick offers us this weekend’s reflection. In it, Mark shares: “Jesus asks us today to be on the leading edge of change, for we cannot escape the conclusion that human hearts outside of God make enemies of the other. When we watch unfolding tragedies and say “no more” and “not again”, the pattern still endures and emerges with another group suffering under our oppressive ways.

In Christ, our hearts are tamed and taught in the gentle and humble ways of peace, understanding and friendship. These are the ways that Jesus lived. His sacred heart reaches out to us today to imitate his compassion for one another.”

You can read the full reflection here, watch it below or hear it in person at Mass this weekend.

Liturgical Resources

Parish Update

Parish Annual General Meeting 2021

Join us on Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom to learn more about the Parish’s activities over the past year. To read our Parish Annual Report and to register to attend the AGM, please click here.

Weekend Masses have resumed

Our regular weekend Mass schedule resume this weekend, with a capacity limit of 50 people per Mass. Please register here to attend weekend Masses. Registration is now also open for the following weekend, as well as the current one.

Virtual Sunday Liturgy of the Word

Andrew Pump is hosting a virtual Sunday Liturgy of the Word on Sunday, June 13th at 10:30 a.m. for those not able to return to attending Mass in person. Lectio Divina will follow the virtual service. Please register here.

Breakfast & snack boxes available

Beginning June 15, 2021, breakfast and snack boxes are once again available for free to families with school age children in our parish. Each box contains healthy items, such as shelf-stable milk, cereal, oatmeal apple sauce, granola bars and fruit compote. This is made possible through the Parish’s partnership with the Ottawa Network for Education. To pick-up a box, please visit the front office beginning Tuesday, between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or call 613-233-4095, ext. 251.

Thank you to the  Society of the Sacred Heart!

The religious of the Society of the Sacred Heart donated $2,000 to our church and an additional $1,000 to the Women’s Centre. We are grateful for this generous support.

News from the Refugee Outreach Committee

The Refugee Outreach Committee recognizes the courage of our ancestors who came to this land generations ago from many different countries, ethnicities and cultures, oftentimes in search of a better life. The Indigenous peoples were present before the settlers arrived and were able to pass on their knowledge and respect of the environment. Some in our St. Joe’s community may have more recent histories of settlement in Canada, perhaps moving here from homelands, which can be safely revisited to retain ties with family and friends. The ROC engages with newcomers for whom it is neither safe to return to a homeland or to be resettled in the initial country or countries of asylum. If able to resettle in Canada through refugee sponsorship or to realize the precarious journey of a refugee claimant, they leave behind family and support networks.

Not only on World Refugee Day Sunday June 20th, but everyday, may we be mindful of and grateful for our individual histories as settlers. May we each do our part to provide a welcoming new homeland whether the relocation is freely chosen or a miraculous pathway afforded to a small handful among the millions impacted by violence, persecution and injustices. The Parish Pastoral Council has designated a special collection for the Refugee Outreach Committee on the weekend of June 20th. The financial contributions of the parishioners of St Joe’s are directed to the needs of sponsored refugees and refugee claimants who strive to start anew in Canada, trusting this will be a country that will afford peace, safety and opportunities to live in dignity, hope and happiness.

If you choose to make a financial contribution to the special collection, we deeply appreciate generosity and ask that you note the following:

Financial support is gratefully accepted through the following link:
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/131771990RR0006-saint-joseph-parish/ Monthly or one-time donations can be made by credit card by choosing Refugee Outreach Committee from the drop-down menu under APPLY YOUR DONATION TO A SPECIFIC FUND SET UP BY THIS CHARITY. Complete the Donor, Tax Receipt and Payment information and receive your receipt immediately.
Contact John Weir jhnwr99@yahoo.ca for more information.

St. Basil’s Parish’s “Conversations for our Times” — A Webinar on L’Arche and Jean Vanier One Year Later: A Constructive Response Hosted by Kevin Burns Sunday, June 20, 2021 2:30 PM

Focusing on “What do we do now?”, writer and documentary producer Kevin Burns explores the impact of witnessing a celebrated hero fall. He offers some “building blocks” that can help as we work to rebuild resilience both individually and as a community. History, after all, is filled with troubling legacies and even more surprising turnarounds. This is a form of live radio presentation that combines archival clips, music, and photography. He hopes to promote a thoughtful conversation about remembering and about moving forward beyond disappointment, given the vital importance of L’Arche. For more information, click here.

Sunday Offerings for June 6, 2021: $4,319.

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, 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.

Vocation Reflection: “I have a mustard seed and I’m not afraid to use it.”
By Jarek Pachocki OMI – Vocation Director

“We all have those small seeds of goodness in our hands and our hearts. It might be a simple word of kindness, a listening ear of empathy, a tear shared with the broken and hurt. It might be a shared gift of talent, time or treasure with those in need. It might be a heartfelt apology and also forgiveness to those who hurt us. It might be a prayer offered for others or a small sacrifice for the intention of another. It might be many things – there are a lot of seeds of goodness that should be planted to bring truth, healing and reconciliation.”
Read the reflection here (published on Friday June 11): https://omilacombe.ca/become-an-oblate/

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