POPE FRANCIS 2025 +

Today we are experiencing joy, mixed with sorrow. Our joy rests in the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, three days after his death on the cross - a death he died to give us life. We are an Easter people. This means that our faith and therefore our lives, are built on the foundation that God loves us so much, He Himself became fully human, so that He might understand humanity. And that included experiencing our pain, so that He could give us the chance to end suffering once and for all, opening for us the gates of heaven. We are called to live in such a way that we show our gratitude to God for this gift, every single day. 

At the same time, our joy is tinged with sorrow. Yesterday, April 21st, our Holy Father, Pope Francis closed his eyes on his earthly life and returned to the Father. This is a time of great sorrow because we are a flock that has lost its earthly shepherd. Our Holy Father was one who demonstrated gratitude to God and lived the Gospel. Pope Francis led the Catholic Church in true faith, humility, and love. He focussed on encounter, not judgement. Compassion, not condemnation. He emphasized dialogue. 

Pope Francis taught us that “there is only one time that we are allowed to look down upon another - when we are offering to help them get back up." A simple but powerful image that demonstrates his way of living out the teachings of Jesus.

We do not draw people to a relationship with Christ by telling others how wrong they are, and how right we are. Instead, we show them a light and love that is so wonderful that they want with all their hearts, to know the source of it. This was the mission of Pope Francis - to draw the world toward the love and warmth of the Triune God. 

So today, as Easter people who place our hope in the resurrection and everlasting life, let us pray in gratitude for that gift, and that Pope Francis will enter those gates of eternal love and life. 

Lord, the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope. 
Help us to live as Easter people,
always answering the call
to live in gratitude for the gift of life.
Give us the courage of Pope Francis -
to boldly proclaim the Gospel

by being open to encounter, compassion, and dialogue. 

Welcome your servant Pope Francis
back to the loving arms of the Father in Heaven.

Grant him eternal rest,

and may your loving arms of comfort

wrap around those in the world who feel this loss so deeply. 

We ask this in the name of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. 
Amen. 

Our Lady of Comfort, pray for us.

HOSPITALITY SOCIALS

FOR YOUR INFORMATION OUR COFFEE & TREAT MEETS ARE…

• January 25th / 26th, 2025

• May 10th / 11th, 2025 (Celebrating Fr. Joe Durkacz’s 40th anniversary as a Diocesan priest)

• September 20th / 21st, 2025

• November 29th / 30th, 2025
  
  All our hospitality socials follow our Saturday 5pm & Sunday 10am Masses in our parish hall.

  These socials are complimentary and our thanks for having you members of our parish.
  

HOSPITALITY SOCIAL - Jan. 25/26, 2025 Chinese New Year

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2025

On Sunday April 6th 2025 the students of Sts. Peter & Paul School as well as St. Michael School received the Holy Eucharist for the first time.

“God gives parents all the grace they need to raise their children to know and love Him.”

The Eucharist is our family meal. In our individual families, we come together out of the common need to be nourished. Family meals bring us together and give us a collective identity. As a Church, we are nourished by Christ himself. Through our Communion with Jesus and with one another, we are formed as the Body of Christ.

May God bless you as you lead your little one into communion with Him. We pray that you continue to nourish the family by attending Mass on a regular basis.

CONFIRMATION 2025

On Sunday, March 30th, 2025 we celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation with our students of Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Elementary School as well as St. Michael Catholic Elementary School. His Excellency, Bishop Crosby of the Diocese of Hamilton was our presider and we thank him for his time and guidance through his homily. Many thanks to the teachers, staff and Fr. Joe Durkacz for preparing these students for this special sacrament.

It was lovely to see all our confirmandi in their red robes.

May the Holy Spirit be with them always +

WAY OF THE CROSS

Every Friday during Lent following our 6pm Mass in the main church.
March 7th to April 18th, 2025

There are 14 stations and takes about 30 minutes to complete.

When meditating on the Stations of the Cross, the celebrant—or the faithful individually—move from station to station as they recall the specific events along the Way of the Cross. This usually involves reading passages from Scripture and meditations on the events, and praying various prayers, often accompanied by genuflections. A very common prayer that is prayed with the Stations of the Cross came from St. Francis himself:

“We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.”

One of our parishioners made this beautiful poem and sketch. Thank you Mr. Jim Rochemont.

In Hoc Signo Vinces

EASTER SCHEDULE 2025

MASS EVERY FRIDAY EVENING through Lent at 6:00pm (starting Friday, March 7th until Good Friday)
Followed by the Way of the Cross

PASSION / PALM SUNDAY, April 12th & 13th
Saturday at 5:00pm / Sunday at 10:00am
Blessing of Palm branches at all weekend Masses

HOLY THURSDAY, April 17th at 7:00pm adoration to follow until 9:00pm
Mass of the Lord’s Supper (there will not be washing of the feet)

GOOD FRIDAY, April 18th at 3:00pm
Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion – Veneration of the Cross with Communion Service

GOOD FRIDAY, April 18th at 6:00pm
The Way of the Cross (final)

BLESSING OF EASTER FOOD, SATURDAY, April 19th at 1:00pm
Bring your basket to the main church (Baskets lined with white linen/napkin filled with eggs, butter, sugar, bread, ham, sausage and salt or other foods you will be using for your Easter dinner)
 
SOLEMN EASTER VIGIL, SATURDAY, April 19th at 7:00 p.m.
Service of Light and Renewal of Baptismal Promises
 (Service will be approximately 2 hours and may not be suitable for young children)

EASTER SUNDAY, April 20th at 10:00 a.m.
Alleluia!  The Resurrection of the Lord (Mass will be 1 hour)

Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025 * The start of Lent**

Fr. Joe Durkacz will celebrate Ash Wednesday Masses on Wednesday, March 5, 2025

8:30am in the chapel
12:00 Noon in the main church (School Mass, all welcome)

6:00pm in the main church

Ash Wednesday invites us into

almsgiving, prayer and fasting,

the three traditional Lenten

practices that can draw us into a

deeper relationship with the Lord.

The command of the Gospel is to give alms, pray and fast in ways that only God can see.  “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”  It can be difficult in our complicated lives to set aside time for prayer, and yet prayer is the essential element that guides and sanctifies our fasting and our almsgiving.  There are a variety of ways to pray, and the weeks of Lent are a good time to explore a new practice or to renew an old familiar one.  The Lord’s invitation is extended to each one of us.
  Accept this invitation. 

*We are obliged to join the Church around the world in fast and abstinence on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday.

The Disciplines of Fasting and Abstaining

Fasting from food means that one full meal and two small meals may be eaten on prescribed days (no snacking).   On Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent: Everyone of age 14 and up must abstain from consuming meat. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday: Everyone of age 18 to 59 must fast, unless exempt due to usually a medical reason.

Abstaining from meat binds those 18 years - 59 years of age.  In Canada the two mandatory days of abstinence are Ash Wednesday & Good Friday.  In the USA every Friday is a mandatory day of abstinence.

Exemptions to the above are those who are very young, the aged, the seriously ill, pregnant women.  Please, do not observe these disciplines if it causes you to be sick or prevents you from fulfilling your daily duties.  Lent begins Ash Wednesday and ends Holy Thursday.  Sundays are not part of Lent.  You may relax your penance this day and resume on Monday.

COMMUNION PANCAKE BREAKFAST - March 2, 2025 (11am)

The Knights of Columbus Council #5860 will be hosting a Communion Pancake Breakfast in our parish hall on Sunday, March 2nd, 2025 following our 10am Mass.

Pancakes, Sausage, Bacon, Beverage

Adults $ 10.00
Children under 12 $ 5.00

ALL ARE WELCOME! Bring your family and friends. Enjoy some fellowship in our parish hall.

Advance Tickets only. We will not be selling the day of the breakfast.
Tickets sold following our weekend Masses (Saturday 5pm or Sunday 10am) or in the parish office Tuesday to Thursday 9am to 2:30pm.

PRE-AUTHORIZED GIVING (EFT)

Please consider supporting the Parish!

Sts. Peter & Paul parish community is able to thrive because of your generosity!
Donations can be made at Mass or by dropping off your envelopes at the Office rectory mail box.

However please consider registering for the PRE-AUTHORIZED GIVING PLAN (EFT - Electronic Fund Transfer) for your Church contributions. 
EFT helps especially during these uncertain pandemic times by:

• eliminating any chance of COVID-19 transmission on paper/money for our counters

• saving the expense of purchasing boxes of contribution envelopes (approx. $1 500 / year) 

• enabling your support to the parish to be continued, allowing the parish's re-occurring maintenance expenses to be paid, even if you are not present on the weekend or if mass is cancelled

  Click Here for EFT form

​THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED GENEROSITY.

Please contact the office if you require assistance. We require quite a few parishioners to use this method since the banking fees are quite high. Please consider using this method of donating.

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

We celebrate the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul on June 29th.

Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith. ~Saint Augustine of Hippo

June 29: Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles—Solemnity

Simon was born in Bethsaida, near the Sea of Galilee. He and his brother Andrew were fishermen, accepting Jesus’ invitation to become His first disciples and “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). John’s Gospel has Andrew following Jesus first and bringing Simon to Him. Jesus tells Simon, “‘You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas (which is translated Peter)” (John 1:42). In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter when He said to him, “I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18–19).

Peter emerged as the Church’s central leader after Pentecost. For a decade in Jerusalem, he preached, performed miracles, and converted many. He then traveled to Rome, established the Church there, and became its first bishop. Around AD 64, he was martyred during Emperor Nero’s persecutions. Tradition says that Peter asked to be crucified upside down because he did not deem himself worthy to die the same way that Jesus died. His tomb lies under the main altar of Saint Peter’s Basilica.

Saul was a Roman citizen born in Tarsus, modern-day Turkey. As a young man, he studied at the rabbi Gamaliel’s school in Jerusalem. After Jesus’ ascension, Saul fiercely persecuted the early Church, in part responsible for the proto-martyr Stephen’s death (Acts 7:58). While traveling to Damascus to persecute Christians, Paul was knocked to the ground and struck blind. He heard Jesus say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). Jesus directed Saul to a disciple named Ananias who baptized him. Saul spent three years in intense prayer and study, eventually returning to Jerusalem where Barnabas testified to the truth of Paul’s conversion to the other disciples.

Using his Roman name, Paul spent ten years as a missionary throughout the Mediterranean. Imprisoned in Jerusalem for a couple of years, he was sent to Rome for trial and met up with Saint Peter. According to tradition, Paul was beheaded just outside the city. When his head fell, it bounced three times, giving rise to three springs of water, marked today by the Abbey of the Three Fountains.

Saints Peter and Paul are the Church’s foundational pillars. Peter represents the Church’s stability and the office of the Vicar of Christ. Paul represents the Church’s mission of evangelization and is the Church’s first theologian for his epistles that expound on the Gospels. One tradition holds that both died on June 29, making them twin martyrs and reminding us that as the Church remains grounded in the ancient Truth, it must grow and flower in its understanding of the mysteries of faith.

Saints Peter and Paul, you responded to Christ’s call with total abandonment to His holy will. Through you, the Church was founded and began to grow. Please pray that I will fully devote myself to the ongoing mission of the Church, so that God can use me according to His holy will. Saints Peter and Paul, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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