CIRCULAR TO PARISHIONERS WEEK 26 NOV 27, 2004
ADVENT - THE COMING
What is coming to us in Advent?
The PROMISED reconciliation? Will there be any change? And if not, WHY NOT?
Must we endure more unfulfilled promises, alienation, miscommunication, suppressed information,
insults and all that has become our parish?
Once we had a multitude of volunteers, now only a chosen few are privately invited to serve. Our
INCLUSIVE community has become EXCLUSIVE and forbidding.
OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SHATTERED and those in authority give no sign of caring.
O come, a selected few of all ye faithful!
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ARE WE LISTENING TO THE BISHOP YET?
Bishop John Boissonneau, July 03, 2004 “…there is presently no St Vincent de Paul Society in
the parish due to a lack of lay leadership in that area…” What could he possibly mean by that?
Are we, the parishioners, now lacking the necessary leadership after 30 years of excellence? Isn’t it
strange that this sudden lack of leadership coincides with Fr. Beltran’s pastorship in the parish?
Further in the same communication - “The Church is not a democracy. Jesus is the Lord, we do
not elect him. Through the Holy Spirit, he chooses your bishops, we do not elect them. The
bishops ordain and appoint your pastors, we do not elect them. To reject that is to reject the
Catholic Church. Your Church is Jesus’ Church. We must follow His way. When a decision
is to be made, we must trust in Jesus’ power with the bishops.”
Is this the only response to criticism of a priest’s or a bishop’s behaviour?
Contrast this to:
“I am asking you to undergo a ‘conversion’. This conversion should move us from seeing the
Church as primarily bishops, priests, and religious, to seeing it as the Body of Christ, in
which each one of us is an important member…” (Archbishop Anthony Meagher, Archdiocese of
Kingston, Ontario).
“The renewal of the Church in America will not be possible without the active presence of
the laity. Therefore, they are largely responsible for the future of the Church.” (Ecclesia in
America #44).
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ROGERS CABLE 10 NEWS
Watch the News on Rogers Cable 10 this coming week (Mon.Nov.29/Fri.Dec.3) News times are 6
pm, 10 pm and 11 pm. They will be airing a segment relating to the problems in our parish.
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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: Aaisling Egan 416 671-4710
Pat DeAngelis 416 809-1819 Duncan Walker 905 277-9825
Lucy Pires 905 273-6093 Dunstan Bazely 905 275-3946
Judy Byrnes 905 275-1536 Patricia Russell 905 279-9205
JOY TO THE WORLD!
GIVING AND SHARING
Christmas is a time when we think of others and share with those less fortunate than ourselves. Maybe
Christmas is the time to re-think where your donations can do the most good. The charities we list in
our weekly circular are all familiar to parishioners. They could really use your donation at Christmas.
1. Catholic Missions of Canada, 201-1155 Yonge St., Toronto, Ont. M4T 1W2
2. St. Vincent de Paul Society, 240 Church St., Toronto, Ont. M5B 1Z2
3. Birthright Mississauga, 307-2600 Edenhurst, Mississauga, Ont. L5A 3Z8
4. Dr.Simone’s Canadian Food for Children, 40 King George Rd. Toronto, Ont. M8X 1L3
5. Ian Anderson House, 430 Winston Churchill Blvd. Oakville, Ont. L6J 7X2
Give a penny for every tear shed – Receive a smile for every penny
given.
When was the last time we were told the amount of the parish weekly collection?
Why have we not been given the final figure for this year’s Share Life campaign?
How much was collected for the Shepherds’ Trust? Are we of use only to give money?
Who is accountable for the money that we give? (a Finance Council perhaps?).
Should we be content to “pray, pay and obey”?
CHOIR NEWS
There has been very positive reaction to the news of the two upcoming Concerts by our Choir. The
first Concert is on Sunday, December 12th, starting at 7.30 pm at St. Gregory’s Church, Kipling
& Rathburn. Tickets will be available at the door, and also from those distributing our Circulars after
the weekend masses. We are sure to enjoy the varied program which the Choir has prepared, and of
course, we get to do some singing also.
The Choir is particularly pleased to present a SECOND CONCERT on Thursday, December 16th,
7.30 pm at St. Martin High School, Rosemary Drive. This will be a benefit concert to aid the
many worthwhile charities supported by our Knights of Columbus Council, which is now unable to
fundraise within St. Martin of Tours Church. A voluntary contribution will be taken up at the Concert
for the Knights’ charities.
PANETTONE PRICE PANIC!!!
Whoops! We gave the wrong price in last week’s Circular. Sorry! These delicious Christmas
favourites are only $15 each (not $18). They will be available next weekend after all the Masses, and
while supplies last. Look for members of the Knights of Columbus in the St. Gerard School parking lot
adjacent to the Church. Don’t miss out – many have been presold.
