I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.” Ps 122,1

Dear parishioners,

This time the Knights of Columbus have really outdone themselves. They have created “Columbus Plaza”, a gated little “house of the Lord” into which we can enter, a prayer space located just to the left of the main entrance to the church. It has been well over one year in the making. They toiled morning till night, in the heat of summer, in the cold and rain of winter, Saturdays and Sundays, to bring this place of prayer to reality. And it is beautiful. It includes a monument to the unborn, and to their parents, because we believe that every time an abortion occurs, there isn’t only one victim; there are at least three. The child whose life is taken, and the parents, who have to live the rest of their lives with the fact that they have taken a human life, and the fact that it was the life of their own child. They too, need our prayer. This monument to the unborn and to their parents is at the same time a monument to the thousands of native children who died in Canada’s residential schools, all alone, deprived of their parents and family. Our remembrance of them naturally extends to the survivors of those schools, and to all of those who were left bruised by the children’s dying, their families. Finally, this place of prayer naturally includes a statue of our Blessed Mother Mary, sheltered by a beautiful Shintoesque pagoda. Because Mary is the patron of our parish, after all, and besides, who better to pray to for the unborn and the children who died in residential schools than Mary, our mother and theirs, someone who also lost a son, in fact her only Son, to a violent death. It is our hope and our prayer that this shrine will be, for all who visit it, a place of truth and reconciliation, a place of remembrance, contrition, and healing, a place of renewed serenity and hope in God.

We will inaugurate this place of prayer immediately after the 9:00 a.m. mass on Saturday, November 20th, fittingly, in the month in which we remember all the deceased. The inauguration will be live streamed and broadcast live inside the church for the benefit of those who wish to be a part of it.

Also, we will have a second collection at all masses on Saturday and Sunday, October 30 and 31, as a way of providing for all parishioners a way of participating in this beautiful initiative by making a monetary contribution to it, however modest. The Knights have drawn upon their own funds and have received significant donations to make this project a reality, but we still have a shortfall of about $8000, relative to the ultimate cost of the project. Should there remain a shortfall after our special collection, the parish is now in a position to cover it.

The gate to the plaza will be open to correspond with Sunday mass times, so roughly, 4:00-6:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and all day Sunday, from 7:30 a.m. till 8:30 p.m.

Please, next time you come to church, take a moment to visit our beautiful Columbus Plaza. And thanks to the Knight of Columbus for having made this a reality.

We still have copies remaining of the lovely “Safe Haven Sunday” prayer card which you can pray as a family in your home. They are available at all three exits as you leave the church this Sunday.

This Sunday we welcome back Deacon Marty Cayer, recently ordained to the permanent diaconate for the archdiocese of Vancouver. If you wish to meet and greet him, he will be serving as deacon and delivering the homily at three masses this weekend, the Saturday mass at 5:00 p.m., and the 11:15 and 1:00 p.m. masses on Sunday.

God bless us all with a safe, happy week.

Fr. Guy