Dear Parishioners and Friends,
It's wonderful to witness your growing enthusiasm for outdoor mass in the face of the closure of the churches. On Sunday, between the two parishes, nearly half as many of you as our last indoor masses come out in the cold to have your hearts warmed by both being and receiving the Body of Christ.
As the Premier announced just a couple of days ago, churches will be allowed to re-open in February! Details will be announced, so keep an eye on your inboxes in the coming weeks!
We have two more weekends of gathering in the open air to celebrate Mass together, so bundle up and joyfully join us:
- St. Thomas More: Mass at 10:00am on the church steps; Communion at 10:25am
- St. Willibrord: Mass at 11:15am in front of the Rectory; Communion at 11:40am
Masks and 1m physical distancing required. Communion will be brought to you in place.
If you take any photos and are open to having them included in upcoming editions of Soul Health, please send the pictures along with your consent for us to share to Fr Robert (vicarofverdun@gmail.com) and Angela (pa.englishparishes.verdun@gmail.com)!
Yours in Christ,
Father Robert Assaly +
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Keep your faith alive while churches are closed!
All are welcome to the open-air Masses, even those who are not parishioners of St Thomas More or St Willibrord! And, if you choose to attend Mass online or on television, consider completing your Sunday with Communion at either church.
Attend Mass online with:
- Saint Ignatius of Loyola https://stig.ca/live-stream/
- Saint Thomas à Becket https://www.becket.ca/
- Saint Joseph’s Oratory https://www.saint-joseph.org/en/keep-in-touch-with-the-oratory/
- On TV, the Salt & Light channel is also a great option for attending Mass virtually.
Sacraments can also be brought to your front steps! If you are unable to get to the church to receive Communion or to go to Confession, please contact the parish office to request a visit from Father Robert.
Collection Envelopes and Making Online Contributions
Parishioners who use envelopes for their Sunday offerings can drop off their envelopes at the parish office while the church is closed.
Regular or one-time donations can also be made at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/50630. Canada Helps is a secure online platform that’s a good alternative to envelopes for parishioners who cannot easily get to the parish to drop off their donations, or even for those who wish to go paperless.
The weekly collection is an incredibly important resource for the parish, and your contributions to it support our various programs and efforts to serve our parish and our community.
Upcoming Friday Evening Online Events! "Called, Chosen, Gathered, and Sent: A Journey Inspired by **The Chosen**" TV Series
Join brilliant film interpreter Fr Raymond Lafontaine, Episcopal Vicar, and other Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Montreal including Father Robert on a journey to experience Christ in an enjoyable new way!
Running on Friday evenings throughout February (Feb 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th) on Zoom, this program will help you see the life of Jesus through the eyes of the people that walked on Earth with him – the disciples, Mary his mother, the Pharisees, the children, those he healed. What would that look like? What difference would it make for your personal journey of faith, your experience of belonging to a church community, your witness and service to the world around you?
For more information and to register by February 1st 2022, visit https://microsites.diocesemontreal.org/microsites/parishvitality/language/en/the-chosen-a-synodal-journey-2022/ or email the organizers at parishvitality@diocesemontreal.org
Rev. Michael McAndrew: St Paul’s Conversion (and ours)
This past Tuesday January 25th the Church celebrated the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul - the moment in history when Saul of Tarsus, persecutor of early Christians, had a life-changing encounter with the Risen Christ and experienced God's healing and mercy through the hands of Ananias. He went on to become St Paul, whose letters to the early Church around the Mediterranean are still used by the Church today as part of the Mass readings to guide us to our own encounters with Christ.
Click here for a brief (three and a half minutes!) reflection on the Conversion of St Paul. As Rev. Michael says, “Like St Paul, we all have some blindness in our hearts…stuff that is keeping us from greater Communion with Our Lord.” As we head towards the reopening of churches, let us consider: if God was able to turn one of Christianity’s greatest opponents into one of its greatest champions, what might He do through the faith already in our hearts if we surrendered ourselves completely to Him?
The Bible and the Virgin Mary
Parishioners and friends of the parish who are seeking to gain more knowledge of Catholicism and deepen their faith are invited to join Father Robert on a new online course!
Developed by the Saint Paul Center and based on Dr Scott Hahn’s book Hail, Holy Queen, participants will rediscover Mother Mary through Sacred Scripture during this course. From the newly confirmed to the fully engaged, this study has something for all Catholics!
The Bible and the Virgin Mary is accessible through the following Zoom link: https://concordia-ca.zoom.us/j/91966291246. More information on this program can be found on the Saint Paul Center website here.
Each gathering for this study begins with 30 minutes of prayer with the Rosary, followed by a video, discussions, and teaching with Father Robert. For more information, including a list of session topics, please contact Angela or Father Robert.
Father Mike Schmitz: A Pep Talk for difficult times, and Bible In A Year
We continue to live in unprecedented times and as the pandemic presses it, it’s easy to feel helpless and hopeless. If this resonates with you, take courage from this message from Father Mike Schmitz.
Speaking of Father Mike, have you heard of Bible In A Year? In just about 20 minutes a day, this podcast will take you on a journey through Scripture that not only shares the Word of God, but helps you “understand how all the pieces of the Bible fit together to tell an amazing story that continues in your life today!” Join Father Mike and Jeff Cavins on YouTube, or on your favourite podcast app. For more information, visit https://ascensionpress.com/pages/biy-registration.
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