"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,
I want to begin this update wishing each of you a very Blessed and Holy Thanksgiving weekend with your families. As we hear in the scriptures this weekend, we are called to always thank God for our daily blessings and have an attitude of gratitude throughout our lives.
I also wish to share an important update from Fr. Stephen....
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A note from Fr. Stephen
Dear Friends in Christ,
I was recently diagnosed with cancer. I will be taking a leave of absence from St. Joseph's to focus on treatment. I am optimistic and hopeful about treatment and my goal and aim is to return to ministry once I am able to do so. Please keep me in your prayers as I begin treatment and be always assured of my prayers for you every day. There would be no reason for me being a priest if I was not continually praying for you the people of God. We hold up in prayer too everyone who is facing down this insidious disease. Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal. I am grateful for Fr. Bill's assistance to Fr. Rico and the parish in my absence. I look ahead and forward to returning to St. Joseph's.
In Christ,
Fr. Stephen
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While this news has not only affected Fr. Steve, but each of us, we know that the power of prayer is strong. Let us commit ourselves to lifting our priest, brother and friend Fr. Steve in our prayers as he begins his battle attacking cancer.
Fr. Steve will not be living in the rectory during his treatment, but is now living with his parents in St. Catharines.
Fr. Steve has asked that you kindly NOT reach out to him via phone calls or email messages. He thanks you for your prayers, however let us all respect his wishes for respecting his personal privacy. I do not expect him to return to St. Joseph until at least January 2023. In the interim, Fr. Bill will again assist me in meeting your pastoral and spiritual needs.
Thank you in advance for your prayers and respect of privacy.
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Please continue to keep Fr. Bill Derousie in your prayers. He lost both his sister Barbara Derousie and sister-in-law Karen Derousie in the last days. Fr. Bill celebrated a beautiful funeral Mass for his sister Barbara yesterday at Holy Rosary Church in Thorold and I was pleased to be present representing our entire parish family at the funeral Mass.
Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May Barbara and Karen rest in peace. Amen
Please also keep Fr. Jim Mulligan in your prayers. Fr. Jim passed away this week and has been a long standing member of our Diocesan Family, serving St. Kevin's Church in Welland as a Holy Cross Father. He is a champion for Catholic educations and has done much in our local Catholic Board as well as nationally in regards to the promotion and development and spreading of the Gospel message. Fr. Jim will greatly be missed. His funeral Mass will take place on Wednesday morning at St. Kevin's Parish in Welland.
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May Fr. Jim rest in peace. Amen
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Thanksgiving Grace before Meals
God of all goodness, through the breaking of bread together, you strengthen the bonds that unite us in love. Bless us and these your gifts. Grant that as we sit together around this table, in joy and with gratitude, we may grow always closer in the bonds of love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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At my request, after meeting with Bishop Bergie this week, I am pleased to announce that throughout the Diocese, we are now able to relax more COVID protocols that had been in place for many months. This of course will also affect us here at St. Joseph. Effective immediately, myself and the ministers of Holy Communion are no longer required to mask when distributing communion. For those who wish to wear the mask while at Mass, you may do so.
For those who wish, you may once again receive Jesus in Holy Communion on the hand or on the tongue. In the coming weeks, we will also return to hold the Offertory and collection during its proper place at Mass and will once again also have a procession of gifts (ciboria, wine, water) at Mass.
This is great news!
Once again, I invite you all back to Mass in PERSON. Sacramental communion is essential.
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As we approach the month of November, we especially remember those who have died from our families, friends and parish family. It is important that we remember them at Mass and pray to God for their eternal repose.
I encourage each of you to take an envelope from the foyer of the Church and place the names of your loved ones who have died, even those from many years ago, so they will be remembered at Mass each day in the month of November. Please then also place your donation in the envelope and return it to the office. Please note that the Diocesan offering for just one Mass is $10, please allow your offering to be appropriate since there will be over 40 Masses offered for our loved ones. Please return the names BEFORE October 29th to the parish office.
I will also be hosting the Parish All Souls Mass on Sunday November 6 @ 6:30pm and have invited all parishioners who have lost a loved one in the past year to attend. You are also welcome to attend this Mass as we lift our loved ones to Almighty God.
Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen.
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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.
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A Message from Fr. Bill
You are invited: Each Wednesday night the RCIA (an instruction in the Catholic faith for the unbaptized, for those of other faiths who wish to learn about the Catholic Church) meet. As baptized Catholics, sometimes we might have questions re: the Catholic Church. As the members of the RCIA team are here every Wednesday night, you are invited to come with your questions at 7:30pm to the St. Joachim Room and to hear a short presentation re: the RCIA topic of the night, and to bring your questions.
This week (Oct 12) the Topics is: The BIBLE. If you would like to understand more about the Bible, please join us Wednesday night at 7:30pm.
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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 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 4 left only 17 teams standing. Good luck to you all in Week 5!
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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
October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary
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 & 8 on Tuesday October 11th @ 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 November.
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.
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
Karen Derousie
Barbara Derousie
Ernest Murray Huggins
Ilene DeLeon
Fr. Jim Mulligan
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.
Mass Intentions
Monday, October 10th
9:00 a.m. † Ilyn De Leon
-and- † Fr. Gabriel Dias
Tuesday, October 11th St. John XXIII
9:00 a.m. † Allen McCarter
-and- † Msgr. Vincent Ferrando
Wednesday, October 12th
9:00 a.m. † Charlotte Olivia Feletar
-and- † Emma Kate Feletar
Thursday, October 13th
9:00 a.m. † Jim Trainor
-and- † Jason Munt
Friday, October 14th St. Callistus I
9:00 a.m. † Frank Nafekh
-and- † Fr. Andre Lemelin
Saturday, October 15th
St. Teresa of Jesus
9:00 a.m. † Jubran Batbouta
-and- Special Intention for Carmelina Passero
5:00 p.m. † Bob & Adele Walsh
-and- † Domenica Varasso
Sunday, October 16th
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 a.m. † Pasquale, Grace, Sam and Vito Bommarito
-and- Special Intention for David & Lyn Hibbitt
10:30 a.m. † St. Padre Pio
-and- † Deceased members of the Crasto Family
-and- † Deceased Members of the Morrone Family
12 noon † All Saints
-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:
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
With September officially coming to an end, it is officially Soctober! For the full month, the CWL will be collecting new socks for those is need so that the winter season will be a little warmer for them. Boxes are inside the main doors of the church. Thank you for your generosity!
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.
The next bottle drive is November 5th from 9 am to 3 pm so start saving up the empties again.
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!
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)
Stay tuned for our next meeting!
Get those deposits in for World Youth Day, the deadline has been extended and we continue to accept new applicants.
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. Bill and the Pastoral Team
