From Fr. George
This week's Gospel reminds us of our dual citizenship & the same commitment we have as Pope Francis mentions in his encyclical Fratelli tutti. Jesus says "give to Caesar what is Caesar's & to God what is God's". We are citizens of the world & citizens of Heaven & have an allegiance & an obligation to each. We fulfill our duties to our country by loyally obeying the just laws of the land & working for the welfare of all citizens. We become good Heavenly citizens by obeying God's laws. Our service to the parish Church should be an expression of our gratitude to God, giving back to God all that He has given us. Active participation in the various ministries of the parish is an offering to God of our time & talents, yet another way of giving to God His due, our whole self. Let us realize that we are all brothers & sisters.
God bless us all.
World Mission Sunday
October is Missionary Month & the whole world celebrates World Mission Sunday this weekend to ensure that resources for the physical & spiritual development are available to the poor. This year Pope Francis chose the theme, "Here I am, send me!"
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, a Pontifical Mission Society, has been tasked by the Pope with the Church’s daily missionary work for new & poor mission territories worldwide.
The Worldwide Solidarity Fund is fed by the yearly offerings sent by Christian communities from 120 countries. The spirit is the same as the one which inspired the first Christian communities: “They sold their goods and possessions & distributed the proceeds among themselves according to what each one needed” (Acts 2,45).
The primary purpose of World Mission Sunday is to unite Catholics all over the world in prayer & support of the missions. It encourages prayer & financial assistance for the missionary work of the Catholic Church throughout the world. It responds to the needs of all mission churches, particularly those more recently formed or located in the poorest countries.
We ask for your continued help for our missionary priests & religious brothers & sisters by giving in your parish envelope donations, visiting missionsocieties.ca or online donations here.
The missions need your help.
Sacraments
Children registered to receive First Communion & Confirmation in the 2019-20 school year, should have already received an email with dates for the celebration. If you have not received an email, please contact Michelle (see below).
First Reconciliation & First Communion for the 2020-2021 school year
Registration will continue until noon on Friday, October 30.
- You can register online here, in person at the parish office, by submitting your documents to your child’s school (St. Philip, St. Boniface, or Don Bosco) or when you purchase the workbooks.
- More information about this year's preparation & the registration form can be downloaded below.
- If your child was not baptized at St. Bonaventure, please include a copy of the child’s baptism certificate with the registration form.
- Workbooks will be available for purchase at the parish office:
- Monday through Friday, 9 am to 12 noon
- by appointment
- The cost for both workbooks is $50. We accept cash, cheque or debit/credit.
We are here to help! If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to email Michelle, Sacrament Coordinator: mfraser@stbonaventureparish.ca
God Bless!
Bits & Bobs
- All are welcome to attend Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the church Mondays from 12 noon to 4 pm.
- Diocesan October Newsletter "Faithfully" here - Farmers talk about gratitude & the joy of working God's land; rosary-making ministry; around the world with Mary; beautiful artwork from the Sacred Arts Guild of Alberta.
- COVID & the Call to Faith - Week 4: Vulnerability & Solidarity. Video & reflection available here.
The church is open for prayer Monday - Friday mornings after mass until noon.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available by appointment - please call the Parish Office during office hours.
Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 am - noon
Parish Office: 403-278-7556
Liturgical Guidelines Update - from the Diocese
Updated September 25, 2020
Parishioners are reminded that the dispensation of the faithful from the obligation to attend Sunday mass remains in place until decreed otherwise by the Bishop of Calgary.
The Alberta Bishops continue to require & direct the faithful to receive Holy Communion in the hand & not on the tongue at this time. This continues to remain a provisional & temporary decision that we ask the faithful to accept in a spirit of humble obedience & charitable consideration for those who remain vulnerable to being exposed to COVID-19 in our parishes.
Knights of Columbus Bottle Drive
October 17-18
Drop-off in the church parking lot at these times:
- Saturday Oct. 17 - 9:30 am to 2 pm
- Sunday Oct. 18 - 10 am to 2 pm
Please bag & donate your recyclable beverage bottles, cans & other recyclable containers to this fund raiser.
Proceeds will be directed to Charitable Works of the Knights of Columbus Council 7432, St Bonaventure Parish during our Columbian Year 2020-2021
If you have questions, please contact Bill Wolff, Grand Knight, 403-620-3479.
Annual Winter Clothing Drive
Saturday, October 24, 2020 - 8 am - 5 pm
held by St. Vincent de Paul & Knights of Columbus
Parishioners are invited to drop off clothes at the church October 24, from 8 am - 5 pm. in the St. Francis Room at the church.
Donations of winter type clothes are urgently needed for men, women & children at the Calgary Drop In Centre. They are looking for these quality used items: casual pants, jeans, cords, jogging pants, winter jackets, gloves, scarves, sweaters, plain T-shirts, toques, running shoes, winter boots, new socks (the warmer the better), long johns, towels, new underwear (women’s & men’s), & backpacks.
All goods should be packed in strong garbage bags for ease of handling.
Kindly wear a mask when you drop off your clothing to observe COVID-19 protocol.
Thank you!
Reflection for this Sunday
Mass Readings here
The Things of God. We often encounter those who set traps for us. They speak in half-truths, only partial stories, code language, even downright lies. It is more than regrettable. It helps if we always look to the One who calls us by name, who chooses and protects us, who empowers us to think clearly and act justly. In the words of Saint Paul, be people of faith, love, and hope.
- What work will my faith in Jesus urge me to do?
- For whom will I do some labor of love?
Even in stressful times, how can my hope in Jesus Christ endure?
Reflection: Diocese of Springfield
The Catholic Moms Summit
November 13-15
Discover how to find lasting balance, peace & joy in the vocation of motherhood by tuning into this free online conference! Dynamic presenters will be sharing wisdom, inspiration, & encouragement from a wide variety of experiences & backgrounds. This event is also a great opportunity for you to connect with other moms just like you from around the world.
Development & Peace - Online Workshop
Saturday, October 31, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Join the Development & Peace-Caritas Canada Fall Campaign Workshop & learn how to help the poorest of the poor to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic & its aftermath. Register here or contact Carol Hollywood at carol.hollywood@shaw.ca
Survey to Assess the Demand for a new MEd Program - St. Mary's University
If you are interested in participating, the survey can be found here. Please fill in the survey before October 17.
If you are interested in participating, the survey can be found here. Please fill in the survey before October 17.
More than 50 religious leaders from across Canada released an open letter to all Canadians in opposition to Bill C-7 An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying). This ecumenical & interfaith message is a response by religious leaders to the legislation introduced by the federal government which seeks to expand the eligibility criteria for euthanasia & assisted suicide (euphemistically called “medical assistance in dying”) by removing the “reasonable foreseeability of natural death” criterion currently in the Criminal Code, & by loosening some of the existing “safeguards” allowing patients whose death is “reasonably foreseeable” to waive final consent to receiving euthanasia by making an advance directive.
Registering for Mass
You can register for mass below
or https://www.stbonaventureparish.ca/mass-attendance
Difficulty Registering for Mass? Need to Cancel?
- You cannot register or cancel after the deadline, which is Friday noon for masses Saturday, Sunday & Monday (even if you call/email the office).
- If you have ever used a phone number to register, or if you have a phone number registered in your contact info, you will not receive a confirmation of any kind (text or email). To edit your contact info, use the Update My Info button below.
- If you have received a confirmation email, please click on the modify or cancel button in the email. You will not be able to if the registration deadline has passed. You will not receive an email confirming your cancellation.
- Please email communications@stbonaventureparish.ca if you require assistance. Volunteers will do their best to help you as quickly as possible.
Deadlines to Register for Mass
- for Tuesday - Saturday morning masses: 12 noon the day before.
- for Tuesday & Thursday evening masses: 12 noon the day of mass.
- for Saturday, Sunday & Monday masses is 12 noon Friday.
Attending Mass
Please read all of the details outlined on the registration web pages.
If you answer yes to any of these health questions, you will be refused entry.
You must arrive early enough to complete the entry procedure, which begins 30 minutes before each mass.
The church doors are required to be locked at the beginning of mass.
Latecomers will not be admitted.