Dear parishioners,

This week, it’s all – or almost all – about money! It’s never easy to solicit funds, but when the causes are right and good, it becomes much easier. I’m soliciting your help this week for two very good causes.

The first is Project Advance. This is a very good year, for those who are so blessed as to still have their jobs and are therefore able to contribute, to give to Project Advance. It is a good year to give

  • because our parish goal has been reduced by half, which means that we are certain to surpass our goal, and that a significant portion of your contribution to Project Advance will come back to the parish.
  • because the destination of the funds raised by this year’s campaign is so noble. All the funds will be directed toward ministries of evangelization, and of support to those who have been affected in one way or another by the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • because the funding for our local “All Were Filled” ministry of distribution of frozen foods to families in need because of Covid-19 comes entirely from the funds raised by Project Advance, together with a bit of additional help from the Government of Canada.

Now for the great news: Even as I write this, we have reached our parish goal! Which means that as of now, every penny we contribute to Project Advance comes straight back to the parish. I invite you to go to our parish Project Advance website, where you can monitor our progress, and make a donation or a pledge. Here is the address: www.projectadvance.ca/stmarysvan  You can also drop off an envelope with your envelope number, and with a clear indication that the donation is for Project Advance, either in the mail, in the collection box in the church, or at the parish office. I thank all of those who have already made a pledge or donation, and I invite all of those who are in a position to do so to consider making a donation this year.

I conclude with a reminder of what we plan to do with the rebate. This is an exceptional year. We are making it financially for the time being, but looking forward, from now until next summer, overall, our expenses will almost certainly exceed our income. So we will keep the Project Advance rebate in our parish account as a precautionary measure, and use it if need be to stay afloat. Anything remaining of the rebate after our pre-pandemic financial situation will have been restored will go, as usual, into our building fund.

 

I’m also soliciting your help today for Development and Peace. As you know, the usual Share Lent campaign on the fifth Sunday of Lent didn’t take place this year because we were shut down. This special collection will take place next Sunday, October 10/11. The name of the collection has been changed from “Share Lent” to “Recovering Together”. Development and Peace, just like Project Advance, have decided to channel all the funds raised in this year’s campaign to their partners in the global south that are devoted to helping people to recover from the consequences of Covid-19. Much of it will have to be emergency aid, things as basic as safe clean water, soap, masks, gloves, food, resources for testing and contact tracing, for treatment, and eventually, lobbying to make sure that the world’s poorest countries will have fair access to the vaccines, once these are ready for distribution. It’s perhaps never been more important than now to make a contribution, however modest, to Development and Peace. You can simply use the Share Lent offering envelope in your box of envelopes, or donate online by going to the Development and Peace website: www.devp.org Let’s help Development and Peace help people far more disadvantaged than we are to recover from this pandemic.

 

Now, a solicitation of a different type. Belinda Colon, the wife of one of our parishioners, Steven Colon, whom many of you know, is stricken with a degenerative kidney disease that will eventually result in complete kidney failure. She expects to be on dialysis within a year. She is currently on the waiting list for a kidney from a deceased donor, but we all know how long that can take. She’s hoping to find a live donor. Live organ donation offers better long-term health outcomes for recipients, the benefits of a planned surgery, and of course, less time spent waiting for a transplant. So I’m putting this out there, in case someone in the parish might be moved to come forward as a potential donor. If this is something that interests you, contact Steven at 778-888-2022. In any case, please join me in praying for all the people who are in Belinda’s situation, that God will make their burden light, their yoke, easy.

 

To conclude with some very good news: We are going to have our very own flu shot clinic here at St. Mary’s, organized by the school, together with Shoppers’ Drug Mart. It will take place on Thursday October 22, from 8:00 a.m. till 3:30 p.m. More information will follow in the coming days. By being vaccinated, we not only protect ourselves; we contribute to the common good. The more of us receive the flu vaccine, the more resistant we are as individuals and as a society to Covid-19, and the more pressure we take off of the health care system to free it up to cope with Covid-19 cases.

 

God keep us all safe and well, Fr. Guy