"We, the members of St. Joseph Parish, as followers of Jesus Christ, are committed to serving the church, recognizing that our Church is a community of the people of God"
From the Pastor's Desk
Dear Parishioners and friends of St. Joseph,
For the second straight weekend, we hear Jesus speak to us in the Gospel about the need to be attentive to the needs of others and not be so focused on our own struggles / needs. Lazarus, (not to be confused by the Lazarus Jesus raised from the dead), suffers much during his life on earth, but has a special place in heaven. The rich man lived a life of luxury, but did not share with others and thereby spent eternity in pain. This story of Jesus helps to wake the people up at that time, and each one of us, to realize what is truly important in the eyes of God. We are called to share - one's time, talent and treasure with God and others. Each one of us are called to action - may we be the hands and feet of Christ for others.
This weekend after all Masses, the St. Vincent de Paul Society team members will be selling honey to support the great work of ministering to those who are most in need. Donations are $10 for a 500g jar. Thank you for continuing to support the work of St. Vincent de Paul in our local area.
Beginning Sunday afternoon, I will be out of town for the Annual Convention of the Canadian Federation of Presbyteral Councils in Edmonton, Alberta. I serve as the Vice President on this Commission that supports priests from across our great country. I will be returning on October 3rd. Please keep me in your prayers as I will pray for each of you. If you have any pastoral needs in my absence, please contact Fr. Steve and the parish office directly.
Fr. Steve and I were pleased to celebrate the opening school Mass liturgies for our 4 Catholic schools this week - Blessed Trinity Catholic, Our Lady of Fatima, St. Joseph and St. John. They were beautiful liturgies and the best way to start off a new school year. Please continue to keep our young people and all staff, support staff and those who support education in anyway in our daily prayers.
The RCIA team and I have begun our parish RCIA program for this year. This program invites those who have never been baptized into the Catholic Church, those baptized in different faiths, those who are Catholic and have not yet received all of their sacraments, or those who are Catholic who would like to learn the WHY we believe what we believe. I encourage each of you to consider joining RCIA, or recommending it to family, friends and neighbours. We meet Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm in the Gathering Room. Please pray for for the RCIA team as we guide souls to come to know Jesus Christ.
I am disappointed to announce that due to a lack of signups, Michelle and I have had to postpone our next ALPHA series until the New Year due to a lack of registrations. I continue to encourage each of you to be actively involved here at the parish.
The Catholic Women's League will be praying the Rosary following the Mass on Friday September 30th. Please join them in the Marian Grotto, all are welcome!
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GOD's PLAYBOOK podcast continues to launch DAILY.
I pray that each of you will use this podcast to enhance your faith and especially recommend it to your family and friends to bring them back to faith, especially the weekly attendance at Mass. This podcast will answer tough questions about faith, give the reasons why we believe what we believe and also broaden our prospective on God and His daily will for our lives.
Subscribe here on the podcast Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/GodsPlaybook and click on this link to begin listening to the podcasts - https://godsplaybook.buzzsprout.com/
Andrew Natale and I have continue to promote World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal. Our pilgrimage will be from July 27- August 6th, 2023. I will be leading our Diocesan group and encourage ALL young people of the parish, aged 18-35 to consider joining us. We will be staying with families in the Diocese of Fatima, visit the shrine and also experience the many youth activities and faith programs. This is a great way to deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ and experience the Church on a global level. Join Pope Francis along with young people from all over the world in this amazing experience of God.
If interested, contact the parish office and speak to Andrew or myself.
Below, you will see the teaser for the 2023 Faith & Flavours of Italy Pilgrimage that I will be leading from August 27 - Sept 10, 2023. Join me as we journey to enjoy the experience of a lifetime as we walk in the footsteps of St. Peter, St. Anthony of Padua and St. Francis of Assisi. Highlights will include Rome, Assisi, Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, Pisa, Padua, San Gimignano and other beautiful places! Save the date and reserve your spot now, spaces will be limited! More details to follow in the coming weeks.
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If you are in the parish NFL Survivor pool, remember that your team pick for the week needs to be chosen in your account before 1pm on Sunday.
Week 2 was another tough week, with only 36 teams remaining. Good luck to you all.
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Let us continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. They deserve and rely on our prayers and support. Let us ask the Lord of peace to bring peace to the people of Ukraine, Russia and throughout the world. Once again, I include this Prayer for Ukraine.
PRAYER FOR UKRAINE
Almighty God, through Jesus' divine name and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we humbly ask for your mercy to obtain peace in the land of Ukraine. May all the people of that country, especially children and the elderly, remain safe from danger. Please do not let chaos and war reign in the land of Ukraine, but only a forever peace that comes from You. Amen.
Be assured of my prayers and I humbly ask for yours.
God loves you and so do I.
Mary, Mother of the Church - pray for us
St. Joseph - pray for us
God bless,
Fr. Rico
September is dedicated to Our Lady of the Sorrows
Click the image to learn more!
Hello everyone!
This week's bulletin/newsletter is attached below. Click on it to download and view.
Here are the highlights this week:
- Letter from the pastor
- Church BBQ coming up on Thursday!
- Vacation Bible School is starting soon
- Jerry's mom passed away. Please pray for her!
- (NOTE: be sure to update these bullet points to reflect the highlights in each weekly bulletin)
1. Our GOD TALK Parish Bible study will continue praying over John Chapter 7 on Tuesday October 4th @ 7:00pm via Zoom. All are welcome and encouraged to join so as to come to know God's Word more clearly.
2. Baptisms continue to take place. If you are looking to have your son / daughter baptized, please contact the parish office. We are booking dates into October.
3. Our updated campaign for our HVAC system is $91,745. Please continue to remember the parish through your regular giving and consider giving in addition for this campaign. Funds can be left in the parish collection box or sent via etransfer to myparishgift@gmail.com with "HVAC" on the memo line.
4. If interested in World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon - contact Andrew in the parish office!
Weekly Mass Schedule
Monday 9:00 am*
Tuesday 9:00 am*
Wednesday 9:00 am*
Thursday 9:00 am*
Friday 9:00 am*
Saturday 9:00 am*
* denotes Live-streamed
Holy Hour:
Saturday 9:30am to 10:30am.
Saturday 9:30am to 10:30am.
Please keep these brothers and sisters in Christ in your prayers as we mourn their passing into the Lord's hands
James Long
Lynn Costa
Tom Kent
Raymond Schroder
Those who have died in Ukraine
Eternal rest, grant unto them O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
Weekly Catechism Update
The Gospel Acclamation quoted or referred to the in the CCC :
2 Corinthians 8: 9 CCC #2546: The Word speaks of voluntary humility as “poverty in spirit”; the Apostle Paul gives an example of God’s poverty when he says: “For your sakes, He became poor.”
Luke 16:19-31 In an indirect reference to Luke 16:19-31, the CCC #1859 states : Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart 133 do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin. CCC # 2831 : but the presence of those who hunger because they lack bread opens us to another profound meaning of this petition. (Give us this day our daily bread). The drama of hunger in the world calls Christians who pray sincerely to exercise responsibility toward their brethern, both in their personal behavior and in their solidarity with the human family. this petition of the Lord’s Prayer cannot be isolated from the parables of the poor man Lazarus and of the Last Judgment.118
Mass Intentions
Monday, September 26th St’s Cosmas and Damian and St’s John de Brebeuf & Isaac Jogues
9:00 a.m. † Ivanka Covaceuszach
-and- † Raffaele Mascia
Tuesday, September 27th
St. Vincent de Paul
9:00 a.m. † Antonio Colalillo
-and- † Frank Serena
Wednesday, September 28th St’s. Wenceslaus and Lawrence Ruiz
9:00 a.m. † Tony Passero
-and- † Kaz Gumieniak
Thursday, September 29thSaints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels
9:00 a.m. † Mary Lemieux
-and- Special Intention for the Serena Family
Friday, September 30th St. Jerome
9:00 a.m. † Giacomo Grossi
-and- † Debra Lynn Celeste
Saturday, October 1stSt. Therese of the Child Jesus
9:00 a.m. † Fr. Franco Barbieri
-and- † Fr. Wilfrid Murchland
5:00 p.m. † Pecchia Maria
-and- † Letizia Tavone
Sunday, October 2nd
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 a.m. † Jason Munt
-and- † Fr. Jordan Rooney
10:30 a.m. † Catarina Presti
-and- † Msgr. Vladimir Zivcic
12 noon † Quinto DiPietro
-and- Parishioners of St. Joseph, Living & Deceased
The RCIA is a process by which adults continuing on their journey of faith are full initiated into the life of the Catholic Church. The goal of initiation is not simply to receive the sacraments, but discipleship in Jesus.
Participants may include:
-those never baptized(catechumens)
-those baptized in another faith (candidates)
-baptized Catholics who have not received the other sacraments or instruction in faith.
Weekly sessions have begun, join us on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm in the Gathering Room and culminate with the reception of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil. Call the parish office to register or ask any questions.
Pack Your Own 2022 Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes!! Please share God’s LOVE & GRACE with underprivileged children through a simple love-filled shoebox gift! Let needy children know in the universal language of a simple gift that they matter, are worthy, loved and most importantly send the message of Jesus! Our campaign kicks off on October 2 and closes on October 16. Pack one or more shoeboxes this year as it is the most impactful Christmas gift you will ever give!! Thank you for putting your love into ACTION!
ROSARY COAST TO COAST 2022
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9
Time: 4 p.m. Eastern Time
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9
Time: 4 p.m. Eastern Time
Looking for a way to celebrate Thanksgiving? This year, Rosary Coast to Coast will be held on Sunday, October 9. Pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, the holy rosary and consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary!
Gather the children of the world to pray
together through the recitation of the rosary, ideally in the presence of our Eucharistic Jesus in our churches. If not possible, pray at home with your families and prayer groups!
together through the recitation of the rosary, ideally in the presence of our Eucharistic Jesus in our churches. If not possible, pray at home with your families and prayer groups!
Engaged? Looking to be married in the church?
Zoom meetings scheduled for Catholic Engaged Encounter in the Diocese of St. Catharines are:
November 4, 5 & 6
Cost: $200 per couple paid by e-transfer.
The link for district registration is:
Due to low numbers we have had to postpone Alpha until the New Year. Sorry for those who were hoping to attend, please encourage everyone you know to register for January!
On October 25th, St. Joseph Church will be posting an event with partners from across the region titled "A step toward Reconciliation". The purpose is to highlight information around the Residential School System, the recent Papal visit, and the next actions we can take towards reconciliation.
If you are interested, contact the office to add yourself to the list!
Ministries and Groups
Development and Peace - Caritas Canada is celebrating 55 years of solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the Global South! This workshop will serve as our Annual General Meeting and a continuation of last year's theme, "People and Planet First". We'll discuss corporate accountability and our own Laudato Si' call to be stewards of creation. This is a great opportunity to reconnect with D&P or to introduce someone new!
We will gather for fellowship (and free soup!) at 6:00pm, followed by the AGM & workshop at 6:30pm. The evening will wrap up by 8pm.
Tuesday, September 27th at 6:00pm at St. Alfred’s Parish
Contact Emily (elukasik@devp.org) for details
Would you like to join women in an organization that can foster and celebrate your Catholic faith?
Come join us!
September is CWL membership month. The cost is $40. Clearly mark your name, address and phone number on an envelope, enclose your membership dues and drop it in the collection or at the parish office. New members are most welcome!
September is CWL membership month. The cost is $40. Clearly mark your name, address and phone number on an envelope, enclose your membership dues and drop it in the collection or at the parish office. New members are most welcome!
A CWL General Meeting will take place in the Gathering Room on Monday, September 26 at 7:00.
The St Vincent de Paul society will be once again selling organic honey generously donated by Halcyon Farms this year September 24/25. The cost remains $10 per 500g jar. The proceeds help us to fund our winter clothing project in our local schools. Thank you in advance for your generosity. We have sold out FAST in the past so come early to get it!
We are grateful to the many parishioners and friends who supported our bottle drive September 10, 2022 through bottles and donations. It was a tremendous success with over $2,100 raised! See the attached document to see where the funds raised end up.
General Meeting October 4th. 7:30 pm in the Gathering Room.
Our Moms and Tots group continues to grow! They are going to be meeting in the on the first Tuesday of the month from 6-7:30 pm in the St. Ann Room. For more information, email Moms. We look forward to seeing you!
Little Spirits Aged 3-6 & Children's Liturgy Aged 7-10. Join us during the 10:30 am mass on Sunday!
EDGE and Life Teen will begin October 11th!
Life Teen will be hosting an Alpha Youth for those who are curious and want to learn more about their faith and is open to all students in High School. We will be meeting after school in the Youth Room. We will have a light meal, a short video and discussion. Contact Andrew to register!
EDGE will take place at 6:30 on Tuesdays this year. It is open for all students in grades 5-8 in the Youth Room. It is a great opportunity to connect with other people your age as we learn about faith in a welcoming and fun environment!
Young Adult(19-39)
Meeting the last Friday of the month, our next gathering is Friday September 30th. Since it is Orange Shirt Day, attendees are invited to wear orange and we will be discussing the papal visit to Canada and other themes around Truth and Reconciliation. Let Andrew know if you would like to attend!
Please continue to remember the Parish in your financial giving.
May God bless you abundantly for the gifts of your time, talents and treasures.
Reply to this email and let us know how we can pray for you! It is so important during this pandemic that we are there for each other so if we haven't seen you in a while let us know what's going on! We continue to pray for you, please continue to pray for all of us.
Fr. Rico, Fr. Steve and the Pastoral Team
