21 February 2021 – First Sunday of Lent

Parish Schedule

Effective until February 10, 2021

COMMUNION SERVICES
Saturdays
Every 15 minutes from 5 p.m. to  6 p.m.
Last service is 5:45 - 6 p.m.

Sundays
Every 15 minutes from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Last service is 10:45 - 11:00 a.m.

8 parishioners per service.
First-come, First-admitted.
No registration required.

PRIVATE PRAYER
Monday - Thursday
5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

COMMUNION SERVICE INSTRUCTIONS/COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS

  • First come, first admitted. No registration required.
  • 8 parishioners per service
  • Line-up will be outside the Pacific door until a spot becomes available
  • Contact information will be collected for COVID contact tracing.
  • Masks are mandatory for your entire time in the church. Masks need to cover your nose, mouth and chin.
  • You will be required to sanitize your hands upon entering the church.
  • You will have to stand up for the duration of the Communion Service (approximately 10 mins)
  • Proceed to the designated spot in front of the sanctuary, keeping a safe physical distance from each other. Refrain from touching the pews as you walk down the center aisle towards the spots provided.
  • Stand on your spot for the duration of the Communion Service.
  • Receive Holy Communion. Wait for the final blessing and exit through Aziel door.
  • Washrooms will not be available at this time.
  • Please, for the safety of all, you are asked to self-assess for Covid before coming to the church.

WEDDINGS, FUNERALS AND BAPTISMS
10 person restriction includes priest, cantor, etc.

CONFESSION
By appointment - please contact the office.

THE OFFICE is closed to the public.  Staff are working remotely; responding to emails and phone calls during regular office hours: Wed-Fri, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Fr. Joseph is responding to urgent messages outside of these hours.


STATIONS OF THE CROSS with Adoration

This parish video premiered the first Friday of Lent, Friday, February 19th and is available to view on our youtube channel. Visit saintcecilia.ca to link.

LENTEN RETREAT

Father Joseph is recording a Lenten retreat video to assist the parish community in preparing for Easter.  The video will be posted to our youtube channel once it is completed and will be accessible via our website.


BILL C-7 and PALLIATIVE CARE
EMERGENCY VIRTUAL LECTURE SERIES

Tuesday, Feb 23 and 24,  2021 at 7 p.m.

The deVerber Institute will be hosting a 2 day lecture series via Zoom to address concerns regarding Bill C-7 and its impact on palliative care.

For Info and to register: www.deverber.org or bioethics@deverber.org


NEW BEGINNINGS INTRODUCTORY SUPPORT PROGRAMMES

Online Bereavement Support Group
begins Wednesday, February 24, 2021 @ 7:00 pm 

Online Separated/Divorce Support Group
begins Thursday, February 25, 2021 @ 7:00 pm 

Register at:  https://rpypy.eventbrite.ca

For more information please email: Arcangelo Limanni, MRE alimanni@cfstoronto.com


DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE: SHARE LENT - SHARE LOVE

Development and Peace is hosting weekly virtual events,  inviting catholics from across the country to join in conversation with Development and Peace partners from the Global South.

Week 2 - February 27, 2021 at 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Humanitarian Aid Featuring Caritas Bangladesh

Learn about the Rohingya refugee crisis and the way Caritas has been working to alleviate consequences on affected communities, as well as Development and Peace's unique philosophy regarding humanitarian responses.

Registration link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NC_TTvYySs-xTRvxxZmlHg

Contact: elukasik@devp.org 


VIRTUAL/ONLINE WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER EXPERIENCE
March 5 – 7, 2021

In these stressful times, give your marriage a booster shot! Restore your loving communication with your spouse and rekindle the romance. The Marriage Encounter experience is a skill-building enrichment program where together, you, as husband and wife, learn how to be the best couple you can be. No group discussion. Based on Catholic values but open to couples of all faiths. Rediscover the love in your relationship!

Contact: Marge & Gerard McCauley at gerard.marge@rogers.com or Call: (905) 792-1925
Website:
wwme.org


DYNAMIC WOMEN OF FAITH
Live Virtual 2021 Lenten Retreat
March 6, 2021 - 9:30 am

Speakers & Topics:
Dr. Carrie Gress: Exposing the Anti-Mary and Rebuilding Civilization, One Women at a time,
Dr. Josephine Lombardi: Mary, the Original Expert in Humanity
Gary Zimak: Stop Worrying & Start Living,
Dorothy Pilarski: How to Start a Mothers Group

Registerhttp://dynamicwomenfaith.com/ fee: $40

Tickets on Eventbrite: dwf2021@eventbrite.ca


A Theology and Spirituality of Sexuality
Understanding the Complex Fire Within

Virtual retreat (with Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI)
Fri March 12 - Sunday, March 14, 2021

Sex is too often seen as setting itself against spirituality. Sex seems too earthy to be connected to spirit. Evidence suggests that more people struggle religiously with the issue of sexuality than any other area in their lives. What is sexuality? Why is it so powerful? Does it come from God or does it set us against God?  Why has the church never produced a healthy, robust spirituality of sex?  This retreat will attempt to articulate a healthy anthropology, theology and spirituality of sex.

COST: $100
DEADLINE: Wed, March 10
CONTACT: Queen's House, Saskatchewan:

 www.queenshouse.org  306-242-1916 ext. 226


St Thérèse Of Lisieux Spiritual Life Series

February 22, March 8, 22, April 12,  26 at 7 p.m.
A Virtual Event Hosted By Newman Centre Catholic Mission

All are welcome to join a new spiritual life series based on the book The Story of a Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The new series will begin on Monday, February 22 and will be presented in several bi-weekly segments by Fr. Peter Turrone, pastor of the Newman Centre. There will be time for group discussion. Participants will need to purchase the Study Edition of Story of a Soul by Fr. Mark Foley for the class.

Info and to register: :

https://thestoryofasoul.eventbrite.ca/

lenita.lopes@newmantoronto.com,  www.newmantoronto.com

ST. MICHAEL'S CHOIR SCHOOL AUDITIONS

St. Michael's Choir School is a unique and heralded educational experience that is offered jointly by the Archdiocese of Toronto and the Toronto Catholic District School Board. It is consistently ranked as one of the best schools in Ontario and it is one of only six schools in the world to be affiliated with the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music.

The school is now booking auditions for boys interested in enrolling for September 2021. St. Michael’s Choir School offers instruction in Grades 3 through 12.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/35SLNOk #catholicTO


FOR SEPTEMBER 2021


The Toronto Catholic District School Board invites parents to register their children for Junior Kindergarten beginning Wednesday, January 20th, 2021 at 10:00 am EST. Due to current COVID-19 conditions all applications (including the upload of required documents) must be completed online.

The following documents are required for registration:
1. Child's Birth Certificate (Certificate of Citizenship or Landed Immigrant Status)
2. Child's Catholic Baptismal Certificate (or proof of Catholicity)
3. Child's Immunization Record
4. Proof of residency in Toronto


FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE PARISH DURING THIS TIME

Weekly envelopes may be used -  mailed to the parish or dropped off:  161 Annette Street, Toronto, ON M6P 1P5.

The easiest on-line options:

Archdiocese Donate Now link  https://community.archtoronto.org/page.aspx?pid=416 Enables you to give to St. Cecilia parish by credit card. You  choose St. Cecilia from a list of parishes and the Archdiocese directs your donation to our parish.  The parish receives a monthly report of all donations made via this method.  Tax receipts are issued to donors at year end by the Archdiocese (one-time gifts are receipted at time of giving).

Pre-Authorised giving  A set donation figure of your choosing is withdrawn from your bank account on the 20th of each month.  Please contact the parish office to set this up.

If you have any questions regarding methods of donating,  please email or phone the parish office.

Thank you for your many and varied contributions to our parish community!


Dear parishioners,

I hope and pray that you are staying healthy – both physically and spiritually. Please let me know if the parish can help you during these difficult times.

No doubt you are aware that our parish relies on the support of our parishioners to operate – parish salaries, programs and ongoing operating costs (heating, water, electricity, etc.) – are funded through the generosity of our parish community. It will be a challenge for our parish to maintain operations without the weekly offertory collection.

In response to many queries that I have received from parishioners, I offer below some of the ways that you may continue to support our parish if you are in a position to do so.  I recognise that many of you, like the parish, are experiencing financial strain at this time and I pray that those stresses are soon eased for you.

For those in a position to continue to give to our parish, the easiest on-line options would be through the Archdiocese Donate Now link. Through this link you can give to the parish by credit card.  These donations are handled by the Archdiocese.  The donation is directed to the parish of your choice. The parish receives a monthly report of all donations made to the parish via this method and tax receipts are issued to donors at year end by the Archdiocese (one-time gifts are receipted at time of giving).

Pre-Authorised giving is also an option.  A set donation figure of your choosing is withdrawn from your bank account on the 20th of each month.   We have a number of parishioners who give by this method. Please contact the office if you wish to set this up.

Weekly envelopes may still be used -  mailed to the parish or dropped off.

Thank you for your many contributions to our parish community. I miss seeing all of you at the Mass and I pray daily that we will be able to gather together again soon.

Yours in Christ,

Father Joseph
Pastor,  St. Cecilia


2021 OFFERTORY ENVELOPES

The 2021 offertory envelopes may be picked up at the church during private prayer or you may call the office  to arrange pick-up from the office.


LIVING WITH CHRIST - MASS READINGS

Living with Christ is offering Mass texts during these times.  They are updated weekly. Visit:

https://www.livingwithchrist.ca/index.php/intentions?_ga=2.50103011.496730847.1584390822-169904871.1417450886


Scripture Readings for
Sunday, February 21, 2021
1st Sunday of Lent

First Reading: Genesis 9 : 8 - 15
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 25
Second Reading: 1 Peter 3 : 18 -22, 10 : 31 - 11 : 1
Gospel: Mark 1 : 12 - 15


MASS INTENTIONS OF THE WEEK
Mon. Feb 22  - Sun. Feb 28

Monday 9:05 a.m.
Mark Cutajar (RIP)
Req. by Frances McKee

Wednesday 9:05 a.m.
Mary Schramm (RIP)
Req. by Lorraine Ostafew

Thursday 9:05 a.m.
William (Buddy) O'Hara (RIP)
Req. by Frances McKee

Friday 9:05 a.m.
Mark Cutajar (RIP)
Req. by The Clough Family

Saturday 7 p.m.
Marguerite Paolini (RIP)
Req. by David Paolini

Sunday 9:00 a.m.
Intentions of the Parish Community

Sunday 11 a.m.
Intentions of the Parish Community


PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK

Hang Sam Lee, Richard Mijares, Drew Fiala, Connie Tari-Kornhauser, Lisa Reardon, Stuart Robson, Rosa Maria Santos, Dory Kashin, Bianca Auriemma, Rosie Po, Frank Ferreira, Antonina Koziara, Julia Collins, Mary Ann Cuschieri, Sebastian Caravalho, Anne Tran Fazzalari, Gabriel Sebastian Romano,  Robert Freimuts, Giuseppe R., Mikayla Haswell, Victoria Cooper, Anna Solims, Lorenza Varga, Steven McKinney, Krysten Telfer, Natalie Chabane, Edward Spiteri,  Maria Ruccolo, John Conforzi, Ignacio Juarez Ednet, Dominic Coccimiglio, Winifred Ismail, Hector Balthazar, Mimi Ashton, Ann Baby, and Susan Murphy

Please notify the office of any changes to the list.


OFFERTORY

Donate Now Jan 16 -31     $ 2,620.00

Envelopes will be reported next bulletin.


2020 DONATION TAX RECEIPTS

Donation Tax Receipts for the Year 2020 will be mailed out this month.  We  are especially grateful to those who were able to support the parish financially during this most difficult year.   Thank you, thank you,  everyone!

 


CHANGE OF ADDRESS?

If you moved this year, please inform the office of your new address. Thank you.