“I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord. Should they cry to me in any distress, I will hear them, and I will be their Lord for ever.” Entrance antiphon for this Sunday’s mass.

Dear parishioners,

As the pandemic continues to flair up here and all around the world, we are moved to lift up hearts and voices to Him who is ultimately our only hope: the Lord. Let us cry out to him the world’s distress, that he might hear us and be our Lord in this time of pandemic, and always.

In spite of it all, I continue to hope that we are engaged in a slow but definitive exit from this horrible pandemic. In this spirit, I want to thank those who have helped us through it, here in the parish. Last week, I thanked the live streamers. Today, I want to thank the ushers. Ushering in a time of pandemic is no simple task. They generously stepped up to the plate, and graciously guided us in such a way that we could gather safely. Without them, our gatherings would have simply been impossible. I thank them on our behalf, from the bottom of my heart. And I think you, the parishioners, for having lent yourselves so graciously to their directives.

I thank also those who have bravely stepped forward in other liturgical roles so that our gatherings, however modest, could continue. I thank the sacristans, the lectors, the eucharistic ministers, and our limited choirs, for their presence and service to us during this pandemic. God bless you all.

This year’s Archbishop’s Dinner will take place, tentatively, on Wednesday, November 10th, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Tickets are $175.00 per person. The parish will not be purchasing a table. Instead, we will make a donation to the archdiocesan office of marriage and family, to which the profits from this year’s Dinner will be directed. Although the parish as such will not be in attendance, you are more than welcome as members of our archdiocese to attend on your own initiative. Just go to rcav.org/dinner/2021 to purchase individual tickets.

We have started an important new ministry at St. Mary’s. It is called Seasons of Hope, a faith-based, scripture-based bereavement support group for those mourning the loss of a loved one. Look for more information on this group on all our sites, pick up a brochure at the church exits today, or call Marianne at 604-435-9611 ext 0. I am profoundly grateful to Ann Marie Carlson, Christie Alcayde, Marianne, and Sandra Woolley for together making this ministry a reality.

Today marks the official launch of this year’s Project Advance campaign at the parish level. Hopefully, we will project the archbishop’s video on this topic at all masses this Sunday. If this fails, you can access the video by going to www.projectadvance.ca Our parish goal this year is $97,500. Everything we contribute to the campaign above and beyond this amount returns to the parish. Again by way of precaution, we will withhold the funds in our operating account, and transfer them to the building fund when we are reasonably certain that the worst of the pandemic is over, and that we won’t need these funds to cover our operating expenses.

Enough information for one Sunday. Lord our God, we cry out to you the distress of our world. Hear us and be Lord for us in this time of pandemic, and always.

This Monday is our federal election. Please vote, and enjoy watching the results pour in on Monday evening. And lift up a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the fact that we live in a democracy.

God bless us and keep us all safe. 

Fr. Guy