"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,
We continue in this holy season of repentance and renewal - Lent 2023.
I was pleased with our third discussion session on Paschal Mystery on Monday evening. I led our discussion on the 4th chapter of our amazing resource from Bishop Barron and Word on Fire. I invite you all to attend the next session which will take place on Monday March 20 @ 7pm in the Church following our St. Joseph Feast Day Mass at 6pm. A light reception at 8pm will follow.
In Sacred Scripture this weekend, we hear of the encounter with Jesus and the man born blind. Jesus brings him sight and so often God does the same for us. May we not be blind to realize that our words, actions and behaviour has a significant impact on our relationship with God and one another.
We continue to lift Fr. Steve in our prayers.
Thank you for continuing to pray for our beloved Fr. Steve!
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Through Lent, we will be offering a Communal celebration of the Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings at 6:30pm followed by Mass at 7:00pm. As Lent calls us to prayer, fasting and almsgiving, this is a wonderful way to focus on the suffering of Jesus for our salvation. Join us on Fridays as we grow in God's grace.
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Please keep Wednesday March 22nd at 7pm on your calendar as our LENTEN NIGHT OF RECONCILIATION here at St. Joseph. I will have priests who speak a variety of languages here to hear your confessions. Remember as Church Law reminds us, our Easter duty is to go to confession, AT LEAST once a year. Make sure that your Lenten preparations include a holy confession either on this evening or on Saturday afternoons all year round.
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The 2022 St. Joseph Parish Annual Financial Statement is available for parishioners to pick up in the foyer of the church (green page) after Mass this weekend. Thank you to all those who support the ministry and faith development of the community of St. Joseph Parish all year. God bless you all.
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Monday March 20th is the feast of St. Joseph. We will have Mass at 6pm, followed by a discussion session on PASCHAL MYSTERY at 7:00pm. Light reception to follow. Mark your calendars and join us for this special feast of the patron of our parish. St. Joseph - pray for us!
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The Diocesan Day of Reconciliation is Saturday March 25th. From 10am until 2pm in every confessional in the Diocese of St. Catharines, priests will be hearing confessions. Again ensure that you make confession a priority this Lent and be reconciled to God and turn away from sin.
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The Sunday after Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday. As our annual tradition here at St. Joseph, I will be hosting priests to help me hear confessions in a variety of languages as we pray the chaplet of Divine Mercy and receive the graces that Jesus promised. Nancy Bodsworth, Catholic recording artist, will lead us in the music.
Join us at 2:30pm on April 16th for this special celebration.
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For those wishing to donate funds for our brothers and sisters in Turkey, Syria and the other areas affected by the natural disasters, please see the links shared in the foyer of the Church. There are many organizations that you can donate to directly to assist our brothers and sisters in need.
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I am pleased to continue to present the Pilgrimage Itinerary that I will be leading to Italy this coming fall - which I call "The Faith and Flavours of Italy." This pilgrimage promises to be one filled with God's grace and much fun too! We will be visiting Venice, Padua, Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Assisi, some of the Tuscany regions, Rome, and have an optional extension to the Amalfi Coast for those interested in seeing the Isle of Capri and the Blue Grotto.
We will be journeying from August 27th to September 8, 2023**
Extension trip - Sept 8-10, 2023.
We will be having an information evening on Tuesday April 11 @ 7pm in the Church. Registrations are due on that evening for those who wish to join. Don't miss out on what promises to be an amazing pilgrimage!
The itinerary attachment is included in this email.
For those who would like to join me, please fill out the registration form and contact the parish office. Spaces will be limited and will be saved on a first come - first serve basis.
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GOD's PLAYBOOK podcast continues to launch DAILY.
We continue our 2-week series focusing on the Stations of the Cross.
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/
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I am pleased to announce that we will once again be holding an amazing night of entertainment and fun at the - 2nd Annual St. Joseph Parish Designer Purse Bingo night. This will take place on Friday May 26, 2023 @ 7pm. The premium purse for the Bonus Round will be a beautiful Louis Vuitton premium handbag. Save the date and tickets will go on sale shortly. This event will definitely sell out. Stay tuned!
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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
March is dedicated to the Feast of St. Joseph
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 17/18 on Tuesday March 21st @ 7:00pm via Zoom. All are welcome and encouraged to
join so as to come to know God's Word more clearly.
2. The next PASCHAL MYSTERY dialogue session will take place on Monday March 20 @ 7pm in the Church. All are welcome to join.
3. 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 May.
4. Our updated campaign for our HVAC system is $101,790. 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.
5. The 2023 Faith & Flavours of Italy Pilgrimage that I will be leading from August 27 - Sept 10, 2023 itinerary has been finalized. 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, Pisa, Padua, San Gimignano and an optional trip to the Amalfi Coast (see extra cost)! Reserve your spot now as spaces will be limited! The price for the experience is $5,490 for double occupancy, please see the attached PDF for the full itinerary and registration form.
The information meeting will take place on Tuesday April 11 @ 7pm. Registrations will be due that evening.
Weekly Mass Schedule
March 20-25, 2023
Monday 9:00 am* & 6 PM Feast of St. Joseph Mass
Tuesday 9:00 am*
Wednesday 9:00 am*
Thursday 9:00 am*
Friday 9:00 am* & 7:00pm
Saturday 9:00 am*
* denotes Live-streamed
Holy Hour:
Saturday 9:30am to 10:30am.
Saturday 9:30am to 10:30am.
Stations of the Cross through Lent
Fridays @ 6:30 PM followed by Mass at 7 PM
Please keep these brothers and sisters in Christ in your prayers as we mourn their passing into the Lord's hands
Those who have died in Ukraine
Those who have died in Turkey and Syria due to the Earthquake
Tom Manzuk
Walter Rice
Sigrid Bachmann
Ruth Nigro
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.
On Saturday, March 25, 2023 in every parish church across the diocese a priest will be available from 10:00am to 2:00pm to hear individual confessions. There will also be Eucharistic Adoration during this time. No matter how long it has been, you are welcome to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance, which assists us in spiritual discipline as we turn away from sin and open our hearts to reconciliation and healing; or you can also simply come to pray before the Lord.
The BLD (OSG) Covenant Community of St. Catharines, would like to invite you to their 22nd Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS), every Friday night (8 PM) from April 14 to May 19, 2023 at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria. See the attached poster or watch the video from Bishop Bergie below to learn more!
We are putting a call out to see if there is anyone who might consider supporting out Purse Bingo night by donating a prize that might be great for our ladies. Spa packages, vintage hotels or other ways to be pampered are all great! Contact the office if you might be interested in donating.
SAVE THE DATE
St. Joseph Summer Camp is now taking those who would like to volunteer this summer! Contact the parish office to be added to the list!
Ministries and Groups
Honduras’s diverse ecosystems, fertile lands and rich natural resources attract many profiteering enterprises that over exploit the land to no benefit for local communities.
Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada supports Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación (ERIC, Reflection, Research and Communication Team), an organization that helps communities in their struggle for land and territory and investigates human rights abuses.
This Lent, meet our solidarity visitor Elvin Hernández, a human rights investigator at ERIC. Learn more at devp.org/lent.
Items are still being collected for Out of the Cold Niagara. Winter items are in special need including gloves, hats, coats and especially for men.
4thDegree Meeting Tuesday March 21 7:30 pm Gathering Room.
Executive Meeting Tuesday March 28 7:30 pm Gathering Room
Next Bottle drive Saturday, April 1st
9 am to 3pm with proceeds to support local community charities.
The CWL would like to thank all those who supported our pizza sale. The profits will support the Ukraine appeal and Choose Life Niagara. God bless you for your generosity!
The CWL is also collecting eyeglasses to be sent to war-torn and third world countries through the Warehouse of Hope. A collection basket is on the table in the church foyer.
Executive Meetings
Monday, April 3 - 7:00pm
General Meeting
Executive Meetings
Monday, April 3 - 7:00pm
General Meeting
Monday, April 17 - 7:00pm
Diocesan Convention
Diocesan Convention
Monday, April 24
Children Ministries need teachers and student volunteers for Little Spirits and Children Liturgy. Please contact the office if you are interested in these important and very rewarding ministries!
On Saturday April 1st we will be holding an in-person event as the conclusion of our ThinkFast. Participants will begin fasting on the Friday and then willjoin us in person on Saturday for talks, activities and a meal to break the fast. Students in grade 8 and above are invited to participate by contacting the Church or chaplaincy at Blessed Trinity High School.
We will be having a special session on March 21. We will be hosting a BRING YOUR PARENT TO EDGE night. Any existing EDGE members as well as anyone looking to find out more about EDGE are welcome to attend. We will meet at a special time of 6 PM.
EDGE regularly takes place from 6:30 - 8 pm on Tuesdays.
It is open for all students in grades 5-8 and takes place in the Youth Room.
Contact Andrew for details!
EDGE ministry at St. Joseph Church is going to camp this summer! From August 19-23, we will be going to Camp White Pine in Haliburton for 4 nights. If you are interested in learning more about it, please attend our next information session on Tuesday April 4th.
Young Adult(19-39)
Our next Feed your Faith is Friday, March 31st
BUT with a TWIST….
The plan is to still meet around 6pm for a simple Lenten Meal of soup and salad at the Catholic Centre but then, around 7:40pm, head out to the Cathedral to join the hour longLenten Taize and Meditation Evening lead by Fr. Chris Kuelig, hosted by the BLD Community.
For those who wish, we may continue our fellowship with drinks downtown SC as this prayer is scheduled to end around 9 PM.
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. Stephen, Fr. Bill and the Pastoral Team
