“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” Jn 14,26

Dear parishioners,

As we near the end of the Easter season, Jesus is preparing us in the gospels for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church, which we will celebrate at Pentecost, just two Sundays from now. To mark the occasion, we invite everyone to dress either in red, orange, or yellow. We will distribute beautiful Pentecost souvenir cards, and if all goes well, there will be a video produced by Mission Ablaze that will be aired at the end of all Sunday masses on that day. 

In other parish news:

There is a very fine ministry that has begun in the parish, and that I would like to share with you. We simply provide space for this ministry. The group is called Refood. They provide food for Filipino families in need. They started providing food from St. Mary’s about a year ago, but demand has grown to the point where they have opened a second counter at the Baptist church just up the street on Joyce. They are also collaborating with Collingwood Neighbourhood House to keep the cupboard and fridge that you might have noticed in front of their building, well-stocked. Perhaps you are wondering, why just Filipino families? The answer is that they specialize in Filipino foods, and the demand exceeds their capacity to provide, in the Filipino community alone. It is a real privilege for us as a parish to contribute even just modestly to this all-important ministry. 

A reminder of the next big upcoming event: the St. Mary’s school spring concerts, celebrating the 90th anniversary of St. Mary’s school. This event will take place on Tuesday June 7, from 4:30-8:00 p.m. The festivities begin with a meal. Enjoy a meal provided by a variety of food trucks that will be onsite. There will be a photo gallery to view and activities to participate in such as a Word Wall and Photo Booth. If you are a St. Mary’s alumnus, enter your contact information in person or online to be included in updates about the school. There will be performances by the three school choirs, Primary, Junior, and Senior, as well as by the school’s five bands. The choir concerts will begin in the church at 6:30, and the band concerts will begin in the gym at 7:15. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. Come and join us for what promises to be a pleasant event.

That’s it for this week. Next week’s pastor’s corner will be my last until July 9, as I am leaving for a month in Ottawa, where I will be participating in our Dominican provincial chapter, held every four years. During that time, I will be replaced by Fr. Prakash Lohale, an Indian Dominican brother of ours who I am sure you’ll enjoy immensely.

In the week that opens before us, in the beautiful words of this Sunday’s psalm 67: “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.” God keep you all safe and well. 

Fr. Guy