Last Sunday morning, some 50 or more parishioners arrived at the church for private prayer
before Mass. They, along with Fr. Graham, waited patiently for a non-parishioner to arrive to open
the church. The church was not opened till 8.45 am. It is a sad reflection of the lack of trust in
long-standing parishioners, loyal and trustworthy individuals, who for years have been opening and
locking the church as needed. Must they now be frustrated by the recent changing of all the locks?
Are they not to be trusted to do their job any more???
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It is now August. Things move slowly in the summer, even when deemed “urgent”. The bishop, who
has been away for two weeks has since returned and, we hope, will now turn his attention to his
commitment to resolving of any problems, as stated in his letter of 23 June. More than a month has
elapsed and people in the parish are extremely pessimistic about there being no apparent
movement towards finding a solution to our present discord. There is confusion and despair. We
are in a state of dysfunctional paralysis. Many of our parishioners are now attending mass in
other parishes. Will our parish survive? As each week passes, more and more parishioners feel
excluded and alienated from our parish.
In last week’s parish bulletin, Fr. Beltran expressed his wish for genuine reconciliation and peace in
our Parish Community. This is our common aspiration. We have been advocating this for nine
weeks. But “wishing” will not make it happen. Only real and positive action will make it happen.
The lack of action is evidence of a lack of leadership. Why can’t our leaders lead? Positive steps
taken by concerned parishioners in the past number of months have been foiled. The promise of
action means nothing when it is not carried through and is used merely to placate. To expedite
action, let us in turn, hold back our weekly church offering pending satisfactory resolution. Let
action be matched with action. Many parishioners are choosing to direct offerings to some of the
charities mentioned in last week’s circular (see www.saveourparish.com).
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Email:bishop.boissonneau@rogers.com Fax: 416 207-4984.
His Eminence, Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic, Fax: 416 934-3452.
For more information, contact:
Anna Jushkevich 905 279-7822 Tony Cucci 905 276-3728
Pat DeAngelis 416 809-1819 Yvonne Zirnhelt 905 897-3452
Lucy Pires 905 273-6093 Dunstan Bazely 905 275-3946
Aisling Egan 416 671-4710
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THE OBLIGATIONS AND RIGHTS OF ALL CHRIST'S FAITHFUL (Cann. 208 - 216)
Can. 208 Flowing from their rebirth in Christ, there is a genuine equality of dignity and action
among all of Christ's faithful. Because of this equality they all contribute, each according to his or
her own condition and office, to the building up of the Body of Christ.
Can. 209 §1 Christ's faithful are bound to preserve their communion with the Church at all times,
even in their external actions.
§2 They are to carry out with great diligence their responsibilities towards both the universal
Church and the particular Church to which by law they belong.
Can. 210 All Christ's faithful, each according to his or her own condition, must make a
wholehearted effort to lead a holy life, and to promote the growth of the Church and its continual
sanctification.
Can. 211 All Christ's faithful have the obligation and the right to strive so that the divine message
of salvation may more and more reach all people of all times and all places.
Can. 212 §1 Christ's faithful, conscious of their own responsibility, are bound to show christian
obedience to what the sacred Pastors, who represent Christ, declare as teachers of the faith and
prescribe as rulers of the Church.
§2 Christ's faithful are at liberty to make known their needs, especially their spiritual needs, and
their wishes to the Pastors of the Church.
§3 They have the right, indeed at times the duty, in keeping with their knowledge, competence and
position, to manifest to the sacred Pastors their views on matters which concern the good of the
Church. They have the right also to make their views known to others of Christ's faithful, but in
doing so they must always respect the integrity of faith and morals, show due reverence to the
Pastors and take into account both the common good and the dignity of individuals.
Can. 213 Christ's faithful have the right to be assisted by their Pastors from the spiritual riches of
the Church, especially by the word of God and the sacraments.
Can. 214 Christ's faithful have the right to worship God according to the provisions of their own rite
approved by the lawful Pastors of the Church; they also have the right to follow their own form of
spiritual life, provided it is in accord with Church teaching.
Can. 215 Christ's faithful may freely establish and direct associations which serve charitable or
pious purposes or which foster the christian vocation in the world, and they may hold meetings to
pursue these purposes by common effort.
Can. 216 Since they share the Church's mission, all Christ's faithful have the right to promote and
support apostolic action, by their own initiative, undertaken according to their state and condition.
No initiative, however, can lay claim to the title 'catholic' without the consent of the competent
ecclesiastical authority.
