Parish Week 5 July 2020

Saturday, 4 July / St. Elizabeth of Portugal

8.00 am Mass: † Melanie Opinion Mabiog

(Ponce family)

5.00 pm Mass: Int. Joseph D’Souza (friends)

SUNDAY, 5 JULY – 14 A

■ Homilist: Fr. Edwin Galea

■ St. Maria Goretti Devotions at all Masses

9.00 am Mass: † Joe D’Souza (family)

10.30 am Mass: † Marguerite & George Chachati (Fr. Elias)

12.00 pm Mass: Int. Guiller Lorenzo Cenizal (family)

7.00 pm Mass: Pro Populo

Monday, 6 July / St. Maria Goretti, virgin & martyr

8.00 am Mass: † Liberfil Gregorio Rocha (Lila)

7.00 pm Mass: † Michael Dennis Solomon (Anne-Marie)

7.40 pm Infant Baptism Parent/Godparent meeting

Tuesday, 7 July

8.00 am Mass: † Genouva Sousa (sister Ondine)

Wednesday, 8 July

8.00 am Mass: † Lydia Marquez (Dolores)

Thursday, 9 July / St. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest,

& Companions, martyrs

8.00 am Mass: † John Walsh (Evelyn)

Friday, 10 July

8.00 am Mass: Int. Thanksgiving (We Do Care)

Saturday, 11 July / St. Benedict, abbot

8.00 am Mass: † Souls in Purgatory (Audrey Caza)

5.00 pm Mass: † Swarna Ameresekere (family)

SUNDAY, 12 JULY – 15 A

■ Homilist: Fr.Elias Chachati

■ 2nd Collection: ShareLife Free Will

9.00 am Mass: † Billy & Ludy Ombac (family)

10.30 am Mass: † Ernesto & Lydia Rodas (family)

12.00 pm Mass: † Rodrigo DeLeon (Carol Banez)

1.30 pm Infant Baptism

7.00 pm Mass: Pro Populo

Focus on the Word

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Isaiah 49.14-15; 1 Corinthians 4.1-5; Matthew 6.24-34

O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen

world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have

rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. Amen.

Pray for the Deceased

Reginald Cassar, Cyprian Cyrus, Agnes Joseph

Karolina Ciasullo & her daughters Klara, Liliana & Mila

The 24 victims terrorist attack on the maternity hospital

in Kabul, Afghanistan

1st Communion and Confirmation

The celebrations of 1st HOLY COMMUNION and CONFIRMATION,

which were to take place after Holy Week, will be rescheduled

later in the Fall. Updates will be provided regularly, and dates

publicized as soon as possible, to give families a chance to prepare

properly to celebrate these vital, affirming and life-giving events

Receiving Holy Communion

There are important protocols to be observed during this period as

we resume our public Sunday Masses. Communicants are asked to

wear their face mask as they line up for Holy Communion. You

should stand 2 meters (6 ft.) apart from others. Leave your mask

ON when you reply “Amen” at the location marked by the tape

patch on the floor 2m in front of the Priest or Minister. Then, come

forward to receive the Host. Leave your mask ON while the Priest

or Minister places the Host in your hand. Then step to the right, to

the location marked by a white “X” on the floor, and take your

mask OFF in order to consume the Eucharist. Then, put your mask

back ON, and return to your place.

Thank you for your attention to these important procedures as we

foster a safe environment for all who are returning to Church.

2nd Collection

12 July: ShareLife Appeal, Freewill Offering

On 12 July, the 2nd collection will be the Freewill Offering for our

annual ShareLife Appeal, supporting 33 Catholic agencies and 10

grant recipients that respect the sanctity of all human life.

COMING UP 7014o20

1 July Canada Day

6 July Feast of St. Maria Goretti

6 Aug. Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

15 Aug. Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

20 Sept. Stewardship Sunday

Website stmariagoretti.archtoronto.org For the Prayer to St. Michael, and details of other events in our

Parish, see pages 3 and following in the website bulletin.

St. Maria Goretti Novena: 27 June – 5 July

We may prepare for the feast of

our dear Patroness by praying as

families each evening for nine

days prior. This Novena should

include the ROSARY and the

PRAYER TO ST. MARIA GORETTI. The

devotion will be part of all parish

Masses from 27 June to 5 July.

Prayer to St. Maria Goretti

O Saint Maria Goretti, who, strengthened

by God’s Grace, did not hesitate, even at

the age of twelve, to shed your blood and

sacrifice life to defend your virginal

purity, deign to look graciously on the

unhappy human race, which has strayed

far from the path of eternal salvation.

Teach us all, and especially modern

youth, with what courage and haste we

should flee anything that could offend

Jesus and defile our souls with sin.

Obtain for us from God great horror of

sin so that, keeping our souls undefiled,

we may live holy lives on earth and win

eternal glory in heaven. Amen.

For the complete text of the Novena, see pages 3 and 4 in the

website bulletin. Go to: stmariagoretti.archtoronto.org

[Above: St. Maria Goretti’s body in front of our Altar during

her pilgrimage to our Parish, 31 May 2012. Below: The body

arrived at Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School, 959

Midland Avenue, on 30 May. Fr. Eugene Morashita-Miki

conducted the Rite of Reception, with students from the

High School and nearby St. Albert School present.]

Weekend program: 4 – 6 July

All Sunday Masses, 4 & 5 July: Sprinkling with Holy Water

in reparation for all acts of sacrilege and desecration; Prayer

to St. Maria Goretti after Communion offered by the Priest.

(To comply with the re-opening protocol, new water will be

blessed for use at each Mass. Old water will be poured out

onto our flower beds.)

10.30 am Mass: Liturgical action by the Children’s Choir;

12.00 pm Mass: Knights of Columbus Special Prayer.

Monday, 6 July, is the actual feastday of our patroness:

6.00 pm Holy Hour in honour of St. Maria Goretti

7.00 pm Solemn Mass with blessing of Relic

Novena to St. Maria Goretti

How to pray the Novena

This novena, was written to mark the

first observance of the Feast of St.

Maria Goretti after she was canonized

on 24 June, during the Holy Year of 1950. The Holy Father, Pope

Pius XII, who had called her “the modern Saint Agnes,” proposed

the Little Maid of Corinaldo as a model for youth.

Select an appropriate time each day to pray the Novena. It may be

said privately; or it may be said by a family (perhaps after dinner),

or by an extended family, neighbours or group of friends in a host

home.

[A] Begin with the Sign of the Cross and the Opening Prayer.

[B] Pray the Petition for a Special Favour.

[C] Each day of the Novena, offer the proper Daily Prayer.

[D] Offer one Our Father, ten Hail Marys and one Glory Be. Add

the invocation, “St. Maria Goretti, pray for us!”

Conclude with the Sign of the Cross.

[A] Sign of the Cross, Opening Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy

Spirit. Amen.

O St. Maria Goretti, who, strengthened by God’s grace,

did not hesitate, even at the age of twelve, to shed your

blood and sacrifice life to defend your virginal purity,

deign to look graciously on the unhappy human race,

which has strayed far from the path of eternal salvation.

Teach us all, and especially modern youth, with what

courage and haste we should flee anything that could

offend Jesus and defile our souls with sin. Obtain for us

from God great horror of sin so that, keeping our souls

undefiled, we may live holy lives on earth and win

eternal glory in heaven. Amen.

[B] Petition for a Special Favour

Dear Saint Maria Goretti, obtain for us from our Lord

victory in temptation, comfort in the sorrows of life, and

the grace which we earnestly beg of you… (here insert

your daily intention).

May we one day enjoy with you the imperishable glory of

Heaven. Amen.

[C] Daily Prayer 1st Day: PURITY June 27

“There stands out, above everything else, her purity.”

Let us pray. Most lovable little Saint, who valued your

purity above any earthly gain, and who sealed this choice

with a martyr’s death, obtain for me also a strong love of

this virtue, so consoling to the Sacred Heart of JESUS

and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The pleasures of the world create many temptations for

me. I turn to your powerful intercession in Heaven, so

that with this help I may remain ever loyal to GOD, no

matter what the price. In danger, inspire me to repeat

with you, “No, it is a sin!” Amen.

2nd Day: OBEDIENCE June 28

“We see in her life a tender and docile love for her parents,

which was at the same time practical and obedient.”

Let us pray. Dear St. Maria Goretti, model of loving

obedience to parents, teach me to imitate your example.

Help me overcome all selfish and stubborn pride; draw

my parents to you and help me accept their authority as

the voice of GOD in my life. Direct me in the right path,

and enable me to obey their every wish. Amen.

3rd Day: SELF-DENIAL June 29

“There was the sacrifice she made in her difficult daily work.”

Let us pray. Dear little saint Maria! You were ready for

the moment of martyrdom because your short life was

given over to daily and heroic self-denial. Your great love

of the Sacred Heart made all this possible.

Teach me to love JESUS and His Blessed Mother, that I

too will be inspired to daily self-denial. I tend to pamper

myself, to gratify my senses, and to excuse myself from

penance. This keeps me from being a true follower of

CHRIST. Help me, lovable little martyr, to a sincere

practice of self-denial, so that I may be your worthy

follower and thus gain Heaven for all Eternity. Amen

4th Day: CONTENTED LIVING June 30

“There was that evangelical poverty to which she freely

submitted.”

Let us pray. Dear little saint! Your days were spent in the

filth of the marshes, willingly helping your desperately

poor parents and family. Obtain for me the grace to

accept my present circumstances in life, no matter how

difficult or humiliating they may be. “Just one little drop

of water,” was the only request that fell from your

parched lips during those last horrible hours of life.

How much I demand, how

unhappy I am when I cannot

have my share of the world’s

conveniences! Teach me by

your heroic example to be

content with what I have, and

to be grateful for the blessings

which GOD has showered upon

me. Amen.

r : His Holiness, Pope Pius XII,

who canonized St. Maria Goretti

on 24 June 1950.

5th Day: CONFIDENCE IN GOD July 1

“She was sustained by her confidence in heavenly

Providence...”

Let us pray. Dear little saint, I depend a great deal

upon the help of my friends in time of trouble or sorrow.

I look for their approval in many things that I do.

I am disconsolate and lonely when they desert me.

Through your powerful intercession in Heaven,

obtain for me the grace to place all my confidence in

GOD. Only by walking constantly in His presence and

depending on His help, will I have the courage to stand

up for His laws, even though it may mean loss of friends,

criticism, and complete removal of worldly comfort.

Help me to look for all my strength in Him. Amen.

6th Day: RESPECT FOR TEACHERS July 2

“There was her religion to which she tenaciously clung- and which she desired to understand better with each passing day.”

Let us pray. Dear little saint! Help me to obtain greater

love of my Faith. I have many GOD-given opportunities

to study it, but, sad to say, I neglect them. I am even

critical of the priests, brothers, and sisters who offer

their lives that I may better know and love my holy

religion. Dear saint Maria Goretti, teach me to be

thankful for these graces, which you did not have.

Make me proud of my Faith and ready to die for it,

if GOD should require that of me. Amen.

7th Day: LOVE OF HOLY COMMUNION July 3

“There was her ardent longing to receive JESUS in the

Eucharist.”

Let us pray. Dear little saint, never was JESUS more

welcome in a human heart than yours. The great day

First Communion could not come quickly enough. In

borrowed clothes, and with head crowned with flowers of

the field, you knelt to receive Him into your soul, so rich

with innocence and love, and this after months of keen

anticipation!

O powerful intercessor with the Lamb of GOD, inflame

my soul with your “ardent longing to receive JESUS in

the Eucharist.” Obtain for me the grace to put aside

laziness and indifference, so that I may often, even daily,

allow myself to be consumed in the “burning Furnace of

Charity.” Teach me what true love really is! Amen.

8th Day: CHARITY TO OTHERS July 4

“As the crown of her charity, there was the heroic pardon,

which she granted to the man who had murdered her.”

Let us pray. Dear little martyr! To the last you followed

your beloved JESUS! He, while hanging upon His Cross

of suffering, uttered through parched lips, “FATHER,

forgive them, for they know not what they do!”

And you upon your bed of pain, burning with fever,

forgave your murderer with the words, “I too pardon

him… I too wish him to join me in Paradise!”

Grant me the grace, O heroic saint, to be charitable to

others! Much of my time is spent on vengeful thoughts,

seeking how I may pay back others the harm they have

done to me. Teach me to forgive, so that I may not only

gain Heaven, but also lead others there, who might

otherwise be doomed to Hell. As I am to follow CHRIST,

help me imitate His charity, as you have done. Amen.

9th Day: LOVE OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER

July 5

“In you...all young people will find safe refuge.”

Let us pray. Dear saint Maria Goretti! Once again I turn

to you, and beg of you, in the words of the Holy Father,

Pope Pius XII, that “serenity of spirit and deep joy which

is the heritage of those who are pure of heart.”

Help me to turn to Our Blessed Lady, confident in the

hope that she will take my hand as she did yours and

lead me on to Paradise, my heavenly country, there to

enjoy with you and Her, the company of GOD the

FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT for all eternity. Amen.

[D] Closing Prayers

1x Our Father… 10x Hail Mary… 1x Glory be…

St. Maria Goretti, pray for us !

In the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Left : St. Peter Basilica,

Vatican City;

Below : Pope Paul VI prays

at the casket of St. Maria

Goretti in Nettuno, Italy

7014o20

Remember our SHARELIFE Agencies at this critical time

Community / Family Services Catholic Community Services of York Region,

Catholic Cross-cultural Services, Catholic Family

Services of Durham, Catholic Family Services Peel-

Dufferin, Catholic Family Services of Simcoe Country,

Catholic Family Services of Toronto, FertilityCare

Toronto, Natural Family Planning Association

People with Special Needs Mary Centre, Our Place Community of Hope,

Saint Elizabeth Health Care, St. Bernadette’s Family

Resources Centre, St. Michael`s Homes / Matt Talbot

Houses, Silent Voice Canada (ministry to the deaf)

Children and Youth Catholic Children`s Aid Society of Toronto, Catholic

Settlement House Day Nursery, Covenant House,

Sancta Maria House / Young Parents: Rosalie Hall, Rose of Durham, Rose of Sharon,

Vita Centre / Seniors: Les Centres d’Accueil Heritage, Loyola Arrupe Centre,

Providence Healthcare, Society of Sharing

Affiliated Organizations Camp Ozanam (Society of St. Vincent de Paul),

Good Shepherd Ministries, Birthright International

Photos on this page: Archbishop Thomas Collins blesses

the new ST. JOHN PAUL THE GREAT FAMILY CENTRE, at St.

Augustine of Canterbury Church, in the Jane-Finch area.

ShareLife 2020 Living the Gospel !

Our ShareLife Freewill Appeal is on 12 July

Today, we reflect on Living the Gospel by maximizing the impact of your donation.

Administered by St. Elizabeth Health Care, the Shared

Services Initiative is supporting agencies funded by

ShareLife in the areas of human resources, financial

services and information technology. Agencies that

participate are able to improve the quality, competency

and accuracy of their work. Through this initiative,

ShareLife agencies reduce their administrative expenses

and ensure that the maximum of what is received is

directed to the front-line services they provide.

Please make a sacrificial gift to ShareLife through our

parish campaign.

The ShareLife Freewill offering will be on 12 July.

Please donate, and help us reach our goal!

St. Maria Goretti Our Parish Patroness

Above: The Shrine of St. Maria Goretti at Nettuno, Italy.

St. Maria Goretti was born to a poor peasant family on

16 October 1890 in Corinaldo, a town near Ancona,

Italy. Maria was the third of seven children of Luigi

and Assunta Goretti.

When she was seven years old, the Goretti family

moved to Ferriere di Conca, a village near Anzio,

where they shared a home with Giovanni Serenelli and

his son Alessandro. Maria was nine years old when her

father died of malaria. While her mother worked the

farm Maria took care of her siblings and also cooked

for the Serenellis.

Maria was known for her unusual serious-mindedness

and piety. Every night she would recite the Holy

Rosary for the repose of her father’s soul. As Ferriere

had no parish church, nor a priest, Maria would walk

for kilometers for the privilege of hearing Mass.

At the time it was not customary to receive First Holy

Communion before the age of twelve, but Maria,

extremely devout and religious, pleaded with her

mother to let her take instructions when Maria was not

quite eleven years of age. Every day, Maria walked to

the village of Mazzoleni, where she received

catechetical instructions. During this time Maria

intensified her piety, obedience to her mother and love

for her siblings. She was busy preparing her soul to

receive Jesus. On Thursday, 29 May 1902, the feast of

Corpus Christi, she received her Lord for the first time.

Maria would receive the Body of Christ only 4 more

times before she died.

Being a beautiful child, Maria attracted the attention of

20-year-old Alessandro. It was 5 July 1902 when

Alessandro tried to force his attention on her. He was

furious over her refusal to commit an act of impurity

and when Maria resisted him with all her strength,

crying out repeatedly, “It is a sin. God forbids it,” he

drew a knife and stabbed her fourteen times.

At about 6 o’clock in the evening her weakened body

was put on a stretcher and put in a horse-drawn

ambulance which took her to the hospital at Nettuno.

Doctors worked feverishly to save her life. No

anesthetic was administered because the attendants

feared peritonitis. Despite the intense pain, she uttered

not a sound, till she finally lost consciousness. In the

morning of 6 July 1902, Maria received Holy

Communion for the last time, and openly forgave

Alessandro, her murderer. Then Maria died.

Alessandro was captured soon after Maria’s death.

Originally, he was going to be sentenced to death, but

since he was a minor at that time the sentence was

commuted to 30 years in prison. He remained

unrepentant and incommunicative to the world. In his

8th year of imprisonment he had a vision of Maria. He

saw a garden, where a young girl dressed in white was

gathering lilies. She smiled, came near him and invited

him to accept an armful of lilies. As he accepted them,

each lily transformed into a still white flame. Maria

then disappeared.

A local bishop, Monsignor Giovanni Blandini, visited

Alessandro in jail. He wrote a thank you note to the

Bishop, asking for his prayers and telling him about his

dream. Alessandro’s conversion was complete. When

he was released from prison after serving 27 years, his

first act was to travel to Maria’s mother, Assunta, to

beg her forgiveness. She forgave him, saying that if

Maria had forgiven him on her deathbed then she could

not do less, and they attended Mass together the next

day, receiving Holy Communion side by side.

Alessandro reportedly prayed every day to Maria

Goretti, referring to her as “my little saint.”

Alessandro later became a Capuchin lay brother, living

in a convent and working as its receptionist and

gardener, until dying peacefully in 1970.

On 27 April 1947, His Holiness, Pope Pius XII

beatified Maria, and on 24 June 1950, the same Pope

solemnly canonized her and proclaimed Saint Maria

Goretti the new patroness of Catholic Youth. This

ceremony was attended by 250,000 faithful, including

her mother (the first mother to see her child canonized)

and her brothers and sisters. St. Maria Goretti has also

been a principal patron of the World Youth Day

celebrations, begun by Saint Pope John Paul II, and

held around the world.

Three New Titles of Mary

Pope Francis has approved the inclusion of three

additional invocations in the Litany of the Blessed

Virgin Mary, also called the Litany of Loreto.

In a 20 June letter to all the Presidents of Bishops’

Conferences, Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the

Congregation for the Divine Liturgy and the Discipline

of the Sacraments, said that these invocations should be

inserted in the Marian litany:

Mater misericordiae

Mater spei

Solacium migrantium

Cardinal Sarah wrote, “The titles and invocations

which Christian piety has reserved for the Virgin Mary

over the course of the centuries, as the privileged and

sure way to an

encounter with Christ, are innumerable.”

The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as

the Litany of Loreto, has been an approved prayer for

the intercession of Mary by the Church since the late

16th century, with its usage recorded even prior.

It consists of the recitation of formal and informal titles

of Mary, followed by the request to Mary to “pray for

us.” The litany can be prayed in Latin or the vernacular.

Cardinal Sarah noted where each invocation should be

added, using the Latin formulations.

“Mater misericordiae,” which means, “Mother of

mercy,” should be placed after “Mater Ecclesiae.”

“Mater spei,” which means “Mother of hope,” should

follow “Mater divinae gratiae.”

“Solacium migrantium,” which means “Comfort of

migrants,” should follow “Refugium peccatorum.”

The letter of Cardinal Sarah was issued on the

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He wrote:

“With every good wish and kind regard, we wish to

entrust this notification to you for your information and

application. The Church which walks along the

pathways of history as a pilgrim towards the heavenly

Jerusalem and enjoys inseparable communion with

Christ her Spouse and Saviour, entrusts herself to her

who believed in the word of the Lord. We know from

the Gospel that the disciples of Jesus had in fact learned

from the beginning to praise her as ‘Blessed among

women’ and to count on her maternal intercession.”

Resuming Masses

at our Church on Wednesday, 17 June 2020

This is a synopsis of the Letter first published on 15 June 2020.

For the full text, see the bulletin for 21 June 2020.

Dear members of St. Maria Goretti Parish,

As you can expect, things will look a little different when we

return to Church. For that reason, we are including a few

resources to help us understand what things will look like.

As we re-open, we must do so in phases. Our capacity will

be limited due to directives from the Province of Ontario’s

medical experts.

One key point we need to highlight is that the Archdiocese,

after consulting with the Chief Medical Officer for the

Province of Ontario, is recommending that all those (over

the age of 3) who come to Church wear a face mask to

mitigate the potential spread of the virus. We recognize that

this may be difficult, but it is out of care and love for our

neighbour. Please bring a face mask (or a simple face

covering) with you when you return to Church.

We warmly invite you to consider how you might share your

time and talents as a Volunteer. The many tasks required for

re-opening are significant and we need more Volunteers than

ever to help. If you’d like to volunteer, please contact Gavin

Moniz at: gavinmo@hotmail.com.

Our joy of re-opening our Church is balanced with these

required restrictions. However, returning to Sacramental life

and gathering as a community is sustenance essential for our

faith community. We look forward to welcoming you back.

Be assured that you remain in our prayers each day.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Edwin Galea, Fr. Elias Chachati, Deacon Ramon Villardo

Prayer to St. Michael

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God

rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Best Place to Celebrate Mass is in the Parish

I remember being a young girl and going to visit an older

family member. The thing that stands out in my mind is my

mother reminding me and my sister that we had to behave. It

was understood that behaviour that would be overlooked in

our house would not be appropriate in this different place.

We all know from a young age that certain behaviours are

best expressed in certain places. We also know that certain

places are more conducive to certain behaviours. For

example, if I were to make a lot of noise in a library, others

would get angry at me because that is a place to quietly

study and read. It is designed to foster that behaviour.

I have been reflecting on these examples as we near the

resumption of publicly celebrated Masses. The COVID-19

pandemic caused us to be separated from our parish

communities. We did this out of justice and love for our

neighbour, as Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of

Toronto, reminds us.

In this separation, many of us turned to livestreamed Masses,

so we could remain connected to our parish from the

comfort and safety of our home, work or even car. While

online Masses can be spiritually beneficial – and we thank

God for the technology that allowed us to pray in this way –

Mass viewed from a computer or TV screen is not the same

as Mass in our parish. Mass is best lived out when we gather

as a community in our parishes.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that the parish

“is the place where all the faithful can be gathered together

for the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. The parish

initiates the Christian people into the ordinary expression of

the liturgical life: it gathers them together in this celebration;

it teaches Christ's saving doctrine; it practices the charity of

the Lord in good works and brotherly love” (CCC 2179). St.

John Chrysostom puts it in a slightly different way: “You

cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great

multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from

one great heart, and where there is something more: the

union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the

prayers of the priests” (cf. CCC 2179).

Our parishes are different from our homes. This is because

there is more to Mass than just hearing the prayers and

saying our responses (though that is important).

In a 17 April homily, Pope Francis touched on the concept

of online Masses, saying that one’s relationship with Jesus

“is intimate, it is personal, but it is in a community.”

The Parish is the place where we gather as the people of

God. It is the place where we remember that we are called to

be in community with our brothers and sisters. It is the place

where we are formed as members of the Body of Christ, in

community with those around us. It is the place of “the

union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity.”

The danger of Masses through a screen is it can

individualize the liturgy. We lose the physical connection to

our community. We lose the ability to be more deeply

initiated into the mysteries of the faith. We lose the physical

reminder that God is our God, not just mine.

Livestreams were the best we had while the Churches were

closed. And many Parishes will continue to offer online

Masses to serve those who cannot go to their parish while

Covid-19 remains in our communities (Cardinal Collins

continues to dispense the faithful of their Sunday obligation

during the pandemic).

But our Parishes are places set apart for us to come together.

They are places that remind us that we are called to serve

outside of ourselves; we are called to be in community, to be

in the world. Livestreamed Masses provided an important

service during the Church closures – and will provide an

ongoing service to many who cannot be in their parish

during the Covid-19 pandemic – but we cannot become

complacent if we are able to physically attend Mass. We

need to be mindful that a screen in our individual home is

not the best expression of the Mass.

The Mass calls us to give our best to God and neighbour.

For those who are able to safely gather again, our best is best

given in community, in our parishes.

Rebecca Spellacy is the Associate Director of Liturgy at the Office of Discipleship at the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Re-opening Committee

Many thanks to Gavin Moniz, and the members of the

Parish Re-opening Committee, for their dedication to our

faith community, and for their help in making sure that

everything is in order to allow us to reassemble, in

accordance with the guidelines issued by the Provincial

government and the Archdiocese of Toronto.

As it becomes available, pertinent information will be posted

directly on our website home page.

Thanks to everyone for your patience, collaboration and

prayer. – Fr. Edwin Galea

Donation Needed: Small shelf set

The Re-opening Committee could use a small set of shelves to

store the supplies required to clean the Church, under the new

guidelines. We could purchase something from a local hardware

store; but in our parish, it is likely that there are families who have

redundant shelves sitting unused in a basement or garage, or just

storing rubbish. If someone would consider donating a set of

shelves (without the rubbish), it would be most appreciated. The

unit should be sturdy, not fancy, and easily capable of holding jugs

of disinfecting and sanitizing fluids, and boxes of wipes, gloves,

face masks, etc. We would need at least 4 shelves, so the unit

should be 1 ½ - 2 meters high. Please advise Fr. Edwin by sending

a quick email to the Parish Office: stmariagoretti@rogers.com.

Washable Microphone Covers Works of art, fashioned by Yvonne Suico

Re-opening Committee’s hard working Volunteers

Above: 5.00 pm Mass; Below: 12.00 pm noon Mass

Above: Re-opening Committee Volunteers,

7.00 pm Mass

The re-opening protocol means that every touched

surface must be regularly disinfected, including doors.

Above: Preparing to welcome the faithful for Mass.

Below: Drying cloths after a daily pew cleaning.