Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Easter blessings to you all. I hope and pray that you are all well, spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. We have come through the “desert” time of Lent and have walked with our Lord through the agony, fear, anxiety, betrayal and suffering of His Passion, Crucifixion and Death on the Cross; the three days of darkness, cold and loneliness of His entombment; and, now, His emergence from the tomb to His glorious Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Our “desert” experience during this Lent has been enhanced due to the fear, anxiety, darkness and suffering which the whole world is enduring in these “unprecedented times”. Holy Week this year has been a very strange and painful experience for many of us. With all churches being closed for public worship for several weeks now, parishioners are unable to be physically present in our church and have had to rely on services provided on television or social media to attend Mass.
With the coming of Easter and the joy of our Lord’s Resurrection, we see an end to the darkness of the Passion of the Lord and rejoice in His glorious light. However, this year, our joy in the Resurrection is tempered, because our parishioners continue to be disconnected from our church and our parish family. They cannot visit their families and friends; they are isolated in their homes and confined to their personal spaces. They are restricted, temporarily, from receiving the Sacraments, especially the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist, out of concern for the protection and wellbeing of others.
Therefore, the blessings of Eastertide, which are hope, peace, love and joy in the Risen Lord, are countered by the suffering, sickness and, often, death of our brothers and sisters from the coronavirus, which is going on around us. Let us pray fervently for an early end to this pandemic which is afflicting the whole world, so that we may, once again, rejoice fully and anew in the hope, peace, joy and spirit of the Easter season and may all return to the churches and the Sacraments.
In the meantime, until this happens, please be assured that I, together with my fellow priests, Fr. Dominic and Fr. Daniel, celebrate Mass every day for all your personal intentions. You are always in our thoughts and we pray daily for the spiritual, physical and mental health of all our parishioners.
Please pray for us as well. We are all here for you in case of need and you may continue to contact us by telephone at 416-769-8163 or by E-mail at stceciliatoronto@gmail.com.
Once again, I wish all of you a holy, blessed and joyful Easter with trust in the Risen Lord.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Joseph Tran
Pastor
Living the Gospel by supporting vocations
“The financial help provided by the people of God through ShareLife plays a significant part in my vocation. Without ShareLife, I would not be able to complete my studies and go on in my formation. Thank you very much for being instrumental in the hands of God and His Church, so that His word could come true in my vocation.” – Deacon André Luis de Lima, priest in formation at Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary
To go online to give to our parish campaign: http://www.sharelife.org/public/donate
You may also donate via on-line banking as a "bill payment".
Let us pray the Divine Mercy Novena together from our homes as a parish community.
Divine Mercy Novena
Friday April 10th - Saturday April 18th
(Friday at 2:45 p.m. and Sat-Sat at 3 p.m.)
Sunday 19 April 2020
Divine Mercy Sunday
MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday 9:05 a.m.
NO MORNING MASS
EASTER VIGIL p.m.
Intentions of the Parish Community
EASTER Sunday a.m.
Intentions of the Parish Community
Monday 9:05 a.m.
In Thanksgiving to Jesus and Blessings for the Grzbek Family (INT)
Req. by Sofia
Tuesday 9:05 a.m.
Antonia Hymenes (RIP) and Felicia O'Connor (RIP)
Req. Annette & Ben Beneditz
Wednesday 9:05 a.m.
The Parish Community
Thursday 9:05 a.m
The Parish Community
Friday 9:05 a.m.
Adam Grzbek (RIP)
Req. by His Wife
OFFERTORY
March 15............................0.00
March 29............................0.00
Last week's offering.......0.00
PAG for March..............217.30
Anon. Donation.......1,000.00
Thank you for any support you are able to offer!
See www.archtoronto.org/covid19/Pages/sup at this timeport.aspx for ways to support the parish during this time.
NEW ALTAR SERVERS NEEDED
Are you a student in gr. 3 or above who has received the Sacrament of First Communion? You are eligible to serve at Mass! The parish is in need of altar servers to serve at Sunday Masses. Please consider sharing your talents in this way. Training will be provided. Contact the office or speak with Fr. Joseph for details. There are registration forms on the bulletin board at the back of the church. Thank-you!