PRIESTHOOD: If you would like further information about becoming a priest, brother, or sister contact Fr. John or visit www.vocations.ca
SICK CALLS: If you know of a parishioner who is hospitalized or unable to attend Mass and would like to receive Holy Communion please call the Parish Office.
HOSPITAL VISITATION: If you or a loved one is in the hospital and would appreciate a pastoral visit from Fr. John please call the rectory.
E-BULLETIN: For those who wish to receive an electronic copy of the bulletin each Friday in their inbox, email frjohnlemire2@gmail.com and request to be added to the e-bulletin list.
SANCTUARY CANDLE INTENTION: For the intentions Kasa Antonello by Anna Loreto.
SANCTUARY CANDLE: Each week we invite you to light the sanctuary lamp in memory of a loved one or for a special intention. The cost is $20.00 and you may drop the donation off at the rectory or place it in the collection with the information enclosed.
WEEKLY COLLECTION UPDATE: March 22nd: $2790.00. Weekly Budget: $2350.00. Difference: +$440.00. Renovation Fund: $0.00. Thank you for your generous support.
SUPPORTING THE FOOD BANK: Please continue to remember to bring your can goods each week to Mass to help support the Timmins Food Bank. Your generosity will help make the difference in the lives of others who do not have as much as we do.
DAILY MASS: You can follow Mass from St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto at www.stmichaelscathedral.com/live or the Daily TV Mass at www.youtube.com/dailytvmass
HOW TO E-TRANSFER: For those who wish to donate to the Parish by e-transfer, use the email “sacredheart296@eastlink.ca” and the security / password “sacredheart”. Thank you for your support!
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION: “As they were marching out, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; this man they pressed into service to carry his cross.” (Matthew 27:32) The Lord calls us to love God and to love our neighbor. Every day we are presented with opportunities to love our neighbor and help him “carry his cross.” These opportunities aren’t usually big events, they are usually ordinary occurrences like helping someone carry their groceries or holding the door open for them. The key is putting the other person’s needs before our own and not expecting anything in return. (St. Louis Archdiocese Stewardship Office)
EASTER FLOWERS: Last call for donations in memory of loved ones for Easter Flowers. All donations are eligible for a tax receipt. Deadline for donations is this Monday.
POPE LEO’S APRIL PRAYER INTENTION
□ Let us pray for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer.
□ Preghiamo per i sacerdoti che stanno affrontando momenti di crisi nella loro vocazione: perché trovino l’accompagnamento di cui hanno bisogno e perché le comunità li sostengano con comprensione e preghiera.
LIVING HOLY WEEK WITH THE CHURCH
PALM SUNDAY (March 29th): We are happy to welcome Bishop Poitras to the Parish to celebrate the Palm Sunday Masses. During the Masses we recall the messianic entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, coming to complete His paschal mystery on earth. This Sunday is the sixth and last Sunday of Lent and it begins the most solemn of all weeks in the entire liturgical year. Two special features set this Mass apart from others: the blessing of palms at the beginning of Mass and the proclamation of the passion story from one of the synoptic gospels. This year we will hear St. Matthew’s passion narrative.
CHRISM MASS (March 31st) at St. Anthony’s Cathedral at 10:00 A.M.. The Chrism Mass is a gathering of the Diocesan Church around its Bishop. During this Mass, Bishop Poitras will invite the priests to renew their priestly commitment. He will do the same for the deacons. He will also bless the oils and consecrated Chrism that will be used in Parishes throughout the Diocese this coming year to celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation as well as the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. We are looking for a volunteer to receive the newly blessed oils at this Mass on behalf of the Parish. See Fr. John if you plan on attending this Mass
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: The last opportunities to celebrate this wonderful Sacrament of God’s healing and peace will be Monday from 11:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. at the Cathedral with Fr. Jijimon and Wednesday from 6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. at Sacred Heart with Fr. John. The Church strongly encourages us to use the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Easter as a way to cleanse ourselves from our “old ways” so that we may receive a new heart and a new spirit with the gift of Easter.
CELEBRATING THE EASTER TRIDUUM
Through His Paschal Mystery, Jesus redeemed the human race and gave perfect glory to the Father. By dying, Jesus destroyed our death; by rising He restored our life. For this reason, the Easter Triduum celebrates the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the high point of our liturgical life. The Easter solemnity is to the year, what Sunday is to the week.
The celebration of the Easter Triduum opens in the evening with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and reaches its climax in the Easter Vigil and closes with Easter Sunday evening. These are the three most holy and sacred days of the Church Year. Let us make every effort to live each of these days and celebrate them. The following guide may be helpful to you.
Perhaps we could use the words of the entrance antiphon on Holy Thursday to guide us through these sacred days. They sum up for us and highlight the meaning of our sacred journey:
“We should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is our salvation, our life and our resurrection; through him we are saved and made free.” (Galatians 6:14)
HOLY THURSDAY (April 2nd at 7:00 P.M.): The Universal Church gathers to celebrate Jesus’ institution of the ministerial priesthood, the Eucharist, and the command to serve our brothers and sisters. During this Mass we remember Jesus’ example of washing the feet of His apostles.
Mass will conclude with a Eucharistic Procession through the Church. Afterwards you are welcome to spend time in prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until 9:00 P.M.
GOOD FRIDAY (April 3rd at 3:00 P.M.): In our service we remember Jesus’ last hours on earth and venerate the wood of the cross as a gesture of love and recognition for the great gift that Jesus gave to us. To venerate a simple wooden cross is one of the most ancient gestures of the Church which dates back to the fourth century. There are many ways to venerate the cross: to kiss a piece of the wood, to touch it with one’s hand or to bow before it -- all are acceptable and meaningful ways to enter into the sacred rite.
At the end of the service a collection will be taken to assist with the upkeep of the Holy Land. The monies collected help maintain the shrines and churches in this holy place where Jesus lived and died for us.
The Church reminds us that Good Friday is a universal day of fasting and abstinence from meat. We are encouraged to continue this fast as much as possible until our participation at the Easter Vigil.
At 7:00 P.M. there will be the Stations of the Cross. This traditional devotion gives us an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Jesus during His last hours upon the earth with us.
EASTER VIGIL (April 4th at 8:00 P.M.): During this day we are invited to remain in recollection at the tomb of Jesus. At night fall, the Church gathers to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection. This night is the holiest of all vigils. The new fire and Easter Candle is lit, the stories of salvation history are proclaimed, our Baptismal promises are renewed, and the Eucharist is shared for the first time as an Easter people. It is an awesome and life-giving celebration! No 4:00 P.M. this Saturday!
EASTER SUNDAY (April 5th at 11:00 A.M.): During this day we continue the joy of being an Easter People. The collection at the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday goes to the Parish unless you mark it otherwise.
CHRIST PASSED FROM DEATH TO LIFE.
ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!
