Pentecost 2020 — Mark McCormick’s Reflection, Liturgical Resources and a Parish Update

Dear St. Joe’s parishioners,

As we celebrate Pentecost, we have expanded our weekly selection of liturgical resources in an effort to continue to reach out meaningfully to our community during the pandemic. Parishioner Mark McCormick offers a video reflection for Pentecost and shares: “The mission and spirit of St. Joe’s continues to thrive outside the walls of our parish home…John’s Gospel narrative begins with parallels to our current reality. The apostles self-isolate, locked in their upstairs room. Like us today, the apostles were fearful and did not know what lay in wait. As with us today, the familiar world they have known had disappeared. In the physical person and presence of Jesus, they had placed their trust, their identity, their being. All of that now appeared lost. For us too, apart from our routines, apart from regular contact with the people we love, the people we depend upon, we are unmoored and adrift…”

We invite you to watch Mark’s video reflection here:

Liam Kennedy-MacDonald, Cantor at St. Joseph’s Parish, performs the Psalm, the Sequence and the Gospel Acclamation, while Andrew Pump and Patsy Stevens offer the readings and Fr. Jim Bleackley OMI shares the Gospel message. Please see the video recording here:

Liturgical Resources for Pentecost

Parish Update:

  • We pray for parishioners Michelle Miller and Dave Perry, and for Michelle’s family. Michelle’s mother, Dolores Butara Miller, died on May 24, 2020. Michelle has shared with us her mother’s obituary here.
  • First Friday of the month Eucharistic Adoration is a long-standing tradition at St. Joe’s. Those in our community who participate will be together in spirit on June 5, 2020, at noon.
  • The St. Joe’s Supper Table will offer take-away meals on Tuesday (June 2), Wednesday (June 3) and Thursday (June 4) from 5:00 p.m to 6:00 p.m. This is a pilot project and our attempt to find a way to resume a hot meal service in the Supper Table, while adhering to the best practices of physical distancing. In this initial phase, Ryan Mitchell will cook a meal each afternoon and will serve it outside, in front of the rectory, in take-away containers. The sidewalk outside the rectory will be marked, assisting our guests to stand at an appropriate distance apart from each other. Ryan will have the assistance of two or three volunteers during these first three days of service. We hope to learn more through this experience about how we can gradually resume the Supper Table community meal service and welcome back our volunteers. Ryan will be featured in a video update next week with more information, and we will be reaching out to Supper Table volunteers too.
  • The St. Joe’s Women’s Centre re-opens Wednesday, June 3, 2020. Services will be limited to the emergency food cupboard, toiletries, lunch to-go, and support. We will have social distancing measures in place within the Centre.
  • Sunday offering for May 24, 2020: $5,228. Thank you for your continued generosity! If you normally use Sunday envelopes for your offering and would like to continue giving during the lockdown, please consider using Canada Helps. You may choose the Parish fund of your choice through this form: http://www.st-josephs.ca/about/donations/.
  • A Message from the Archbishop on the continued suspension of public liturgies:
    • We continue to follow strictly the directions of the Government of Ontario and local health authorities as to when the lockdown will be lifted. Yesterday, Premier Ford extended the emergency closures until at least June 9. With the other dioceses in Ontario, we are awaiting guidelines being prepared under the auspices of the Bishops of Ontario to safely reopen our churches. These guidelines will then be implemented at the diocesan level. We are mindful that preparations for the return to celebrations of the Mass and sacraments will take a great deal of organization and work in order to maintain a healthy environment to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. Some initial guidance has been sent to parishes to begin their preparation. In light of the above, we foresee that our churches will remain closed at least until the end of June. If the government’s emergency orders are lifted sooner, we will adjust accordingly.Cancellation of Summer Gatherings: All social and other religious events normally held during the summer months are cancelled at least until August 31. This directive is contingent on governmental directions as noted above. It includes parish dinners and picnics; yard sales and bazaars; and national religious festivals and pilgrimages.We continue to pray for an end to the pandemic, for all who suffer illness, for those who care for them and provide essential services, for those who have died and for those who have lost loved ones.May Our Blessed Mother continue to intercede for us, for God’s mercy and deliverance. Sincerely yours in Christ,
      ✠ Terrence Prendergast, S.J., Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall
  • The Ottawa Children’s Choir “At Home Edition” fundraising concert is this Sunday, May 31, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. and 25 percent of all proceeds will go to support the St. Joe’s Supper Table. This special performance will take place live on YouTube. As you know, the Ottawa Children’s Choir has made St. Joseph’s Parish its home and its Artistic Director is our very own Jamie Loback. Please see the poster below for more information. 

Beginning in June, we will offer occasional morning and evening prayers through Facebook Live’s video service. We would like to take this opportunity to suggest that if you use Facebook, please consider following the official St. Joseph’s Parish Facebook page for updates during the week and for these video prayers. We know that some parishioners don’t have Facebook accounts. Our Parish Facebook page is public and you can access it without registration. For more information on the morning and evening prayers, please contact Andrew Pump: apump@st-josephs.ca.

Thank you for the feedback we have received over the course of the week on our virtual content. It’s wonderful to see that even after such a long shut-down, our community is staying connected!

Peace,

Chris

Christopher Adam
Executive Director

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *