Father Robert's Induction as Pastor of Saint Thomas More
Saturday, December 11th at the 4:00pm Mass
Fr Raymond Lafontaine, the Episcopal Vicar, is presiding at this Mass to install Fr Robert as our pastor.
Saint Thomas More parishioners who usually come to the 9:30am Mass on Sundays encouraged to attend on Saturday at 4:00pm to support Father Robert's vocation and mission amongst us.
Saturday, December 11th at the 4:00pm Mass
Fr Raymond Lafontaine, the Episcopal Vicar, is presiding at this Mass to install Fr Robert as our pastor.
Saint Thomas More parishioners who usually come to the 9:30am Mass on Sundays encouraged to attend on Saturday at 4:00pm to support Father Robert's vocation and mission amongst us.
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To our parishioners who have not yet returned due to the pandemic: We miss you!
Many thanks to our volunteers for our Advent Call-Around, which has helped us stay in touch with our parishioners who haven't been able to rejoin us yet at the parish for Mass and other activities.
If you a parishioner who has not yet returned due to the pandemic and did not receive a call, please email Angela at pa.englishparishes.verdun@gmail.com or call the parish office.
As he did last year, Fr Robert is happy to bring Communion to any parishioners who are unable to rejoin us at the church, and to hear Confessions at your front doors. Call the parish office if you would like a home visit!
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Enhance Your Advent Experience!
The Archdiocese of Montreal now has a page dedicated to the Season of Advent where you can find content specifically curated to enhance your Advent experience this year. Click here to explore it with your families, and grow in faith together!
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A little closer to home, our Family Faith Formation group extends an invitation to all parishioners to join us on this year’s Advent Field Trips! If you are interested in attending, please contact Angela at pa.englishparishes.verdun@gmail.com.
Sunday, December 19th: Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs (4155 Wellington)
10:30am -2:00pm
This excursion includes Mass at St Willibrord at 11:15am with coffee and refreshments afterwards, before heading to Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs to view the Christmas display there.
Street parking is available around St Willibrord.
Notre Dame is within walking distance so we will go there on foot.
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**Free** online retreat: Walking and bearing witness together… in HOPE and in JOY
Saturday December 11th, 9:30am-11:00am
Both Fr Robert and Angela are unable to participate in this mini online retreat, but if you decide to join it please let us know how you found it!
As this pandemic persists, it feels like we will have to wait yet longer to celebrate Christmas in the manner to which we are accustomed. Yet, our challenge during Advent is to walk together: in hope, in solidarity, in joy at the greatest Gift we have received: Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.
On the weekend of the third Sunday of Advent, “Gaudete” (Rejoice) Sunday, the Office for English Pastoral Services (OEPS) invites you to a guided morning retreat.
This retreat will incorporate two elements:
1) On Friday evening (or at a time convenient for you), the viewing of “The Shepherd”, the pilot episode of the award-winning multi-season miniseries on the life of Jesus and his disciples, "The Chosen," followed by some questions to guide your prayer and personal reflection;
To our parishioners who have not yet returned due to the pandemic: We miss you!
Many thanks to our volunteers for our Advent Call-Around, which has helped us stay in touch with our parishioners who haven't been able to rejoin us yet at the parish for Mass and other activities.
If you a parishioner who has not yet returned due to the pandemic and did not receive a call, please email Angela at pa.englishparishes.verdun@gmail.com or call the parish office.
As he did last year, Fr Robert is happy to bring Communion to any parishioners who are unable to rejoin us at the church, and to hear Confessions at your front doors. Call the parish office if you would like a home visit!
***
Enhance Your Advent Experience!
The Archdiocese of Montreal now has a page dedicated to the Season of Advent where you can find content specifically curated to enhance your Advent experience this year. Click here to explore it with your families, and grow in faith together!
***
A little closer to home, our Family Faith Formation group extends an invitation to all parishioners to join us on this year’s Advent Field Trips! If you are interested in attending, please contact Angela at pa.englishparishes.verdun@gmail.com.
Sunday, December 19th: Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs (4155 Wellington)
10:30am -2:00pm
This excursion includes Mass at St Willibrord at 11:15am with coffee and refreshments afterwards, before heading to Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs to view the Christmas display there.
Street parking is available around St Willibrord.
Notre Dame is within walking distance so we will go there on foot.
***
**Free** online retreat: Walking and bearing witness together… in HOPE and in JOY
Saturday December 11th, 9:30am-11:00am
Both Fr Robert and Angela are unable to participate in this mini online retreat, but if you decide to join it please let us know how you found it!
As this pandemic persists, it feels like we will have to wait yet longer to celebrate Christmas in the manner to which we are accustomed. Yet, our challenge during Advent is to walk together: in hope, in solidarity, in joy at the greatest Gift we have received: Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.
On the weekend of the third Sunday of Advent, “Gaudete” (Rejoice) Sunday, the Office for English Pastoral Services (OEPS) invites you to a guided morning retreat.
This retreat will incorporate two elements:
1) On Friday evening (or at a time convenient for you), the viewing of “The Shepherd”, the pilot episode of the award-winning multi-season miniseries on the life of Jesus and his disciples, "The Chosen," followed by some questions to guide your prayer and personal reflection;
2) On Saturday morning, time together online (via Zoom) to share our response to this unique perspective on the Christmas story, and to explore its impact on our personal mission, and on our shared mission as we “walk together” (synodos!) as Church.
Click here for more information and to register.
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Open Now: Pray More Advent Retreat - Online, self-paced, and flexible registration fees!
Featuring 19 presentations and reflection guides, the Pray More Advent Retreat is an online retreat that allows you to dive into Advent at your own pace. Following the guidance of 6 speakers including theologian, author, and speaker Dr Edward Sri, participants in the retreat can grow closer to Christ during this season of preparation. Registration fees are flexible – you can choose what you’d like to pay, and even if you can’t pay, you can still register for free and gain access to all 19 presentations!
For more information and to register, visit https://praymoreretreat.org/
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This evocative 16th century prayer is offered daily at every mass during Advent in the Catholic Ordinariate Rite:
Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness,
and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life,
in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility;
that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty,
to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and ever.
Amen.
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Click here for more information and to register.
***
Open Now: Pray More Advent Retreat - Online, self-paced, and flexible registration fees!
Featuring 19 presentations and reflection guides, the Pray More Advent Retreat is an online retreat that allows you to dive into Advent at your own pace. Following the guidance of 6 speakers including theologian, author, and speaker Dr Edward Sri, participants in the retreat can grow closer to Christ during this season of preparation. Registration fees are flexible – you can choose what you’d like to pay, and even if you can’t pay, you can still register for free and gain access to all 19 presentations!
For more information and to register, visit https://praymoreretreat.org/
***
This evocative 16th century prayer is offered daily at every mass during Advent in the Catholic Ordinariate Rite:
Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness,
and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life,
in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility;
that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty,
to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and ever.
Amen.
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Magnificat Subscriptions
Parishioners who are subscribed to Magnificat can now pick up their January editions at the back of the church. If you are renewing your subscription for 2022, please contact the parish office.
If you’re looking for a faith-centered Christmas gift that keeps on giving, consider buying your loved ones (and yourself!) a yearly subscription to Magnificat for $64.00!
Magnificat is a monthly spiritual guide designed for daily use at home or at church, and is a useful tool in becoming more engaged in your faith life. It features daily readings, prayers, reflections, and short essays on our rich Catholic heritage in one pocket-sized publication to help you enliven and enrich your life in Christ.
Copies of the January 2022 edition of Magnificat are available for you to put under the tree to start your loved ones off the incredible year-long journey of growing in faith, hope, and love with Magnificat. Contact the parish office to get yours today!
Annual Canned Goods Collection
The Annual Canned Goods Collection for our Christmas Baskets is underway and continues until the weekend of December 18th – 19th.
We are accepting donations of non-expired canned or boxed goods and non-perishable food items. We especially need the appropriate foods associated with meals during the Christmas Season (example: canned fruits and puddings, cookies and treats for children).
Parishioners wishing to make a donation towards meat and other perishables are asked to place their offering in the St. Vincent de Paul Boxes on the walls at the back of the church.
Coffee Hour
Coffee Hour will resume in January 2022. Volunteers are needed each week to help make Coffee Hour a success. Please call the parish office if you’re interested in contributing to this opportunity for fellowship and community building!
Altar Servers
If you have children aged 10 or over who would like to help at Sunday Mass, we invite you to encourage them to become Altar Servers! Please speak with Fr Robert after Mass or contact the Parish Office.
Family Faith Formation
If you are not yet enrolled in FFF and have been waiting for our return to in-person gatherings to register, please contact Angela.
We’re also looking for more Catechists! If you are searching for more joy and fulfilment in your life, please consider joining our team of volunteer Catechists! No experience teaching (Catechism or otherwise) necessary – all we require from you is a love for Christ and for families, and a commitment to the future of the English Catholic Parishes of Verdun! Please contact Angela or Father Robert if you would like more information.
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
**Free Weekend Concerts** in Old Montreal throughout December!
Notre Dame des Bon Secours (400 Saint-Paul Street East)
Saturdays and Sundays from December 4th-19th 1:30pm *or* 3:00pm
Les Choralies returns this year offering free concerts for the holiday season at Notre Dame des Bon Secours, Montreal’s oldest chapel. Featuring a diverse selection of traditional holiday carols performed by guest choirs, these free concerts will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays throughout December, with show times at 1:30pm and 3:00pm. For more details, visit: https://margueritebourgeoys.org/les-choralies/
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Blessings in Christ, the King who is to come,
Father Robert+
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