Parish Weekly Bulletin - and other parish information

this page last updated on February 07, 2012

FOR A COMPLETE LIST of parish events and meetings please view our

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Current Parish

Bulletin Information

Current Bulletin Starts Here
 

Mass Intentions
Wed. Feb. 8: Angelo Ciavarella (d.)
Thurs. Feb. 12: No mass
Fri. Feb. 13: No mass
 

Weekly Collection
Last Week’s Collection: $6,425.65 + Pre-Authorized Giving (PAG) $2,209.50 = $8,635.15; Capital Campaign: $92 + PAG $163.85 = $255.85; Refugee Sponsorship: $55; SVP: $202.85.
 

Catholic Women’s League Update
Membership
Did you know that the CWL of our parish makes prayer shawls to comfort the sick in hospital? Join us and see what else the CWL does in our community. It is time to renew your CWL membership for January 1 to December 31. Please use the envelopes at the back of the church and leave in the collection or at the parish office. Please think about joining as we always welcome new members.
 

2012 Ordinandi Dinner –Tuesday, March 6
Do you know anyone considering the priesthood? The Ordinandi Dinner is an excellent opportunity to hear stories from the men being ordained this year. It will be held at the Pearson Convention Centre in Brampton. Tickets are $65.00 adults and $35.00 for youth. They go fast so contact Linda Shackleton at 905-853-6959 for more information.

Wedding Banns
There is a promise of marriage between:
Alex Freeman & Danielle Zettler
 

The Poor Box
Thank you for remembering the St. Vincent de Paul Society. In the month of January a total of $1,063.73 was collected in the poor box. Many needy families were assisted with emergency food vouchers, clothing and furniture. The St. John Chrysostom/St. Elizabeth Seton conference of St. Vincent de Paul meets the second Monday of the month (except July and August) at St. John Chrysostom parish hall and new members are welcome.
 

Rite of Call
Confirmation preparation is well underway and this weekend we will be welcoming this years’ confirmandii during the Rite of Call to confirmation at all the masses. Please keep these young people in your prayers as they make the journey into adulthood.

 

PARISH MISSION - Mark Your Calendars!
On the evenings of March 4 & 5 a televised mission will be filmed here at our church for broadcast during Lent. Please plan to attend and participate. Let’s show everyone what an active parish we have by being present at this mission. More details to follow….

 

Vocations
Jesus created much excitement in His day through His preaching, teaching, and healing. Today, the church communicates that same wonder and grace by those active in priesthood, religious life, and lay ministries. If you think God is calling you to a Church vocation, call Fr. Hansoo at 416-968-0997.
 

New Parishioners Welcome
The next Welcome Sunday for new parishioners will be February 26 after the 10 am mass. Refreshments will be served after mass in the Gathering Room. New parishioners can register through our website, by calling the parish office or filling out a registration form located at the back of the church. Please see one of the priests after mass in the next couple of weeks to have your picture taken so that we can display it on the overhead on that weekend.
 

New Beginnings
For those suffering the loss of a loved one through death, separation or divorce, come to an informative evening with guest speaker, Mary Benincasa MRE., DSD. She will discuss “Suffering and our image of God” on Tuesday, February 7 from 8 pm to 9:30 pm at St. Bonaventure’s Church, 1300 Leslie St. Toronto. Pre-registration is not necessary. Please direct enquiries to Deacon James Shaughnessy at 416-921-1163 ext. 2227 or email at jshaughn@cfstorotno.com.
 

Discernment Retreat
Ever thought of serving Christ as a missionary priest or a lay missioner? Would you like to learn more about the vocation to global mission? Join us for our “Come and See” – Discernment Retreat on Friday, February 17 at Scarboro Missions, 2685 Kingston Rd. Scarborough. Come, pray and reflect with us on the Missionary vocation for our world today. Meet Scarboro priests and lay missioners. Hear their stories. It’s a weekend that my change your life forever! To register please contact us at: 416-261-7135 ext. 265 or 250 or email at lmo@scarboromissions.ca. Registration deadline is February 10.

Euchre Fundraiser
Come out for a night of FUN-raising and friendly euchre competition in support of Rose of Sharon Services for young mothers. There will be a live auction, prizes, draws, light snacks & cash bar. The evening takes place at Oakview Terrace, 13256 Leslie St. Richmond Hill on March 2. Tickets are $40. Doors open at 7 pm.

Did you know…
….that the opening prayer concludes the Gathering Rite or Introductory Rites of the mass?
It is the prayer of the people.  The presider says, “Let us pray.”  The pause that follows is not to give the altar server time to bring the book to the presider.  It is a time that the members of the assembly are given for their own prayer.

In the early Church, the members of the assembly voiced their prayers out loud.  When this had gone on for a time, the presider said a CONCLUDING prayer which collected all the prayers voiced by the people and summed them up, bringing the communal prayer to an end.  Before Vatican II that prayer was known as the COLLECT. Now it is called the Opening Prayer.

 
The Opening Prayer is called that because it is the first “presidential” prayer of the liturgy, that is, the first prayer that the presider voices in the name of the people.  However, his part of the prayer is the CONCLUSION to the prayer which we are all to have said in response to the invitation, “Let us pray.”

Copyright © 2008 Resource Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. . All rights reserved.
 

Sunday Bulletin ends here

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Announcements from previous weeks worth repeating

Parish Mission / Easter Choir
Now is the time to join the parish choir if you would like to sing at the nationally televised Parish Mission in March, and at our Easter celebrations in April. We begin learning our music for these occasions now! So if you want to sing, please join the choir for rehearsal on Wednesday nights at 7:30. The only qualification is that you be able to carry a tune!
 

A History of God
This illuminating program based on theologian Karen Armstrong’s best selling book, takes a look at the countless ways human beings have experienced the idea of God throughout the ages. The program is being presented by the Interfaith Unity Ministries over eight evenings covering eight different topics and begins Monday, January 23 at 7:30 to March 12. It takes place at Trinity Anglican Church, Aurora Rectory, 44 Metcalfe St. Aurora. Contact Rev. Terry Weller at 905-727-7011 for information.

Development Day
Father Gilles Mongeau S.J. will present “The Power of Prayer” on Saturday, February 18, from 8:45 am to 3:15 pm at the Nativity of Our Lord Parish Hall, 480 Rathburn Road, Etobicoke. Free for members and $10 for non members. Coffee and tea will be provided; however, will need to bring a lunch. We will carpool. Contact Mary Antonio at m.antonio@sympatico.ca or 905-868-9406 for more information.
 

Opportunities for Our Youth
St. Michael’s College Scholarship: A $2,000.00 scholarship is available to any young woman of Catholic faith who has applied to St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto as her first college choice and is entering the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in the area of Computer Science, Commerce, Human and Social Sciences or Science.

Mary Dobell Pro-Life Essay and Poetry Contest:
The objective is to increase in students the awareness of the value and dignity of all human life and reinforce the Catholic Church’s teachings and standards. The contest is open to intermediate and senior students interested in issues that promote a culture of life.
Jean McCann Service Award for Youth: This award recognizes and reaffirms the role played in our parish by our confirmed Catholic youth ages 15 -18 and the importance of our gospel messages and service to others. Nominated youth will describe how their involvement with family, school, community, parish and other activities support their witnessing Christ.
Please contact Nancy at 905-853-3128 for information about these contests and awards.

You did it!! With the addition of this week’s Capital Campaign, the organ is fully paid for. Thank you to everyone for your support in this special campaign.

That's a picture of our new organ!
 

New Roman Missal Pew Cards
You will notice new pew cards in the church to assist us in the implementation of the new Roman Missal, which begins this weekend. Parishioners are kindly asked to ensure that these cards remain in the pews of the church as they are intended to assist our family of faith at all Masses. Please help us ensure that all parishioners have the necessary tools to more actively and consciously participate in the Eucharistic celebration.

Marriage Preparation Course
Couples who wish to get married in the Catholic Church must complete a mandatory Marriage Preparation course before their marriage.  St. John’s will be offering this course in February 2012 in the Parish Centre on February 20 from 7-10 pm, February 23 from 7-10 pm and February 25 from 9-3 pm. In order to register for the course and for more information, please contact the office at 905-898-4137.

We are also looking for volunteer couples to assist with the facilitation of the programme. Committed couples looking to enrich their own relationships and who are willing to commit to attending several planning sessions and all three marriage preparation classes can leave a message for Betty Francis at the parish.

Capital Fund – Organ replacement
Last Sunday Father Ouellette spoke about the wonderful opportunity the parish has received to replace our badly aging 34-year old organ with a much newer instrument that has been on rental to St. Michael’s cathedral. A new, fully digital organ would cost approximately $100,000.00. We can purchase this replacement organ fully installed for $23,000.00.

This price also includes refurbishing the decorative pipes surrounding the speaker system. These pipes are actually real pipe organ from the old St. John Chrysostom church. This replacement organ was never a good fit for the cathedral but would be ideal in our small space. We are assured that this replacement organ has a life of another 20 years and perhaps longer.

Despite the many collections that seem to be occurring at this time of the year, we ask you to be as generous as possible so that the organ can be installed before Christmas. Capital fund envelopes for this project were handed out last weekend and are of course available today on the shelves at the back of the church. It would be a shame to miss out on such a great deal and to see this organ go to a less worthy parish.

 

UPDATE

The organ was paid for in four weeks with your generous donations. Outstanding! Thank you so much!

Community Bread Needs Help!
Community Bread, the Monday evening meal program sponsored by St. John's and St. Elizabeth Seton in our parish centre, is in need of financial support.  The cost of food is going up and our bank account is almost empty. Thank you to those who have made generous donations recently.  We ask others to consider donating at this time in order that we can continue to provide a healthy delicious meal for vulnerable people in our community.  Every dollar helps.  Please use one of the Community Bread envelopes to assist us.  There are hungry individuals and families who will appreciate your generosity.

 

Christmas Baskets Program
Once again St. Vincent de Paul is looking for your loving support. Last year you made Christmas a happier occasion for 182 needy Newmarket families. Any person, family or business wishing to adopt a needy family, please call the St. Vincent de Paul Society at 905-898-4137 and leave a message for Brian.
 

New Canadian Mass Setting
In the past two weeks we've introduced a new setting of the sung mass parts: Gloria (Glory to God), Sanctus (Holy), Mystery of Faith, and Amen. This will be our primary mass setting for at least the next year. Parishes all across Canada are learning this beautiful setting by Winnipeg priest, Fr. Geoffrey Angeles. You can hear MP3 sound files of these mass parts on the parish website. (We are using a different setting at the 12 o'clock mass.)
 

The Revised Roman Missal III
On the weekend of September 18, Fr. Bob's sermon was on the topic of the new revised Roman Missal III. He talked about the changes in the mass that will be happening soon in all English speaking countries. If you missed the sermon, you can read a copy of it on the home page of the parish website where you can find additional resources on this topic as well.

Rosaries
Rosaries are available year-round under the bulletin board at the back of the church. Please feel free to take one especially this month during which we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
 

BBQ Pictures
Pictures of the parish Welcome Back BBQ are posted in parish Photo Album 152.
 

New Mass Settings
On the First Sunday of Advent (Nov. 27) the Catholic Church begins to use a new translation of the Roman Missal. The general structure of the mass is the same. The meaning and shape of our prayers and responses are also the same. However, with a new translation, the words we use to express our prayers and responses will be slightly altered. 

This means we will be learning new musical settings of the new mass parts that have been written for the new texts. A mass setting is a musical composition that includes most of the following parts: Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy), Gloria (Glory to God), Sanctus (Holy Holy), Mystery of Faith (Memorial Acclamation), Great Amen and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).

To make it easier to transition to the new texts, we’ve begun introducing new musical settings of the people's parts of the Mass. In the coming year we will return to some of our old mass settings, but only to the ones that have been revised with the new texts. In the meantime, we hope you will support the effort to learn and sing the new mass settings. We hope these new musical settings will help you pray and lead you into the presence of God.  

If you are interested in learning more about these changes in the mass, a workshop is being offered by the Archdiocese at Our Lady of Grace Church in Aurora on September 27, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm. Anyone is welcome to attend.

Cantor required
After many years of dedicated service at the 8:30 mass, our cantor, Irene Illic has stepped down. A cantor is a liturgical minister who sings the verses of the responsorial psalm and leads the assembly in their communal prayer.

A cantor should be able to read music and be comfortable singing and leading the assembly in prayer.

If you know of someone who might be able to fill this role please pass their name on to our director of music, David Jafelice. Cantor training is provided.

Community Bible Study
Join us for an inspiring twelve week series of readings, discussions and fellowship with Christians from many different churches of our times as we explore the letter to the Hebrews, using the Interpretation Bible Studies on Hebrews by Earl S. Johnson, Jr. Meetings are Thursday mornings from 9:15 to 11:30 am starting on September 22 at Trinity United Church, Newmarket (Main St. & Park Ave). All are welcome. For more information, please call Jean Lashley at the office.
 

New Photos on the Web Site
New photo albums have been added to the web site. They include the Easter Vigil, Baptisms of May 8, the Healing Mass, First Eucharist and the Sunday Brunch. Check them out on our Photo Album Page. Pictures from Confirmation will be posted in the coming weeks.
 

Weekly Donation Envelopes
We would like to advise those parishioners who have not picked up their 2011 donation envelopes, that your envelopes will now be reassigned. If you have any old envelopes left from 2010 please do not use them anymore otherwise, your donations will be recorded under the new owner of the envelopes.

We would also like to remind everyone that you may sign up for pre-authorized giving at any time of year. This is a very convenient way to support your parish even in your absence. Forms are available at the back of the church, at the office or can be downloaded from the parish website.
 

Seeing with Heart
Catholic parents of lesbian daughters and gay sons are invited to a day of reflection on Saturday, June 18 from 9 am to 5 pm at the Scarboro Missions, 2685 Kingston Rd, Toronto. The cost is $40 and includes lunch. Contact John Montague at 416-523-6449 or Christine Way Skinner at 905-898-4137.

Bullying

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association has prepared a listing of bullying resources on their website. To access these, enter their site at www.oecta.on.ca and under the headings you will find ISSUES, where you can view these under the sub-title Safe School.
 

No Parking
Please do not park in front of the garage doors of the rectory. Occasionally our priests need to exit the garage and parking lot when there is an emergency sick call while mass is occurring. This might also be a good time to remind you to leave the parking spaces closest to the side doors of the church for those parishioners with restricted mobility.


 

Prayer Shawl Ministry
Do you crochet or knit? The Prayer Shawl Ministry needs shawls for the sick, the bereaved and those going through particularly difficult times. For information about this Ministry and how you can help call Lesly at 905-836-7786.

 

Children’s Liturgy
After a two year hiatus, we are once again offering Children’s Liturgy at the 8:30 am mass on Sundays.  We encourage you to have your little children, ages 4-10, participate so they can hear the Children’s version of the Liturgy of the Word.
 

Parish Website Calendar
The parish website calendar is a complete interactive record of what's happening in the parish on any given day. From sacramental preparation meetings to daily masses, you'll find every parish event or meeting on the web calendar.

There have always been two versions of the web calendar, the "text on calendar" view and the "blog mode" view. On the main "text on calendar" page, events, times, locations, and descriptions of meetings are organized on a large calendar grid. When you hover your mouse pointer over a particular day, a "pop up" window appears with more information.

At the beginning of January the entire web calendar was revamped and a couple of new features were added. Now you can filter any parish group on both calendar pages. Once you choose a group from the drop down list and click the filter button, only instances of that group or event will appear on the calendar. This makes it much easier to find what you are looking for. Most of the groups are colour coded as well which aids in visibility.

In addition, at the bottom of the large calendar grid are six new smaller calendars for the coming months. The mouse-over "pop ups" work in the same way.

The next time you're wondering "what's on", check out the Parish Web Calendar!

If your parish meeting is not on the web calendar, it probably means your meeting is not in the office schedule book. Please call the office to book your meeting time and space.

The Poor Box
Did you know that the money you drop into the poor box every Sunday goes to the St. Vincent de Paul Society and is used to help those in our community who are in need? Remember also that the St. John Chrysostom/St. Elizabeth Seton conference of St. Vincent de Paul meets the second Monday of the month (except July and August) and new members are welcome and needed. For more information visit our church web site at http://www.stjohnchrysostom.on.ca/st_vincent_de_paul.htm
 

Parish Donation Envelopes
Please pick up your 2011 offertory envelopes which are still available in the Stained Glass Room at the back of the church. In order that we may have the most current information on file, please fill out the front of the envelope for the first few weeks in January.
After January 30 the envelopes will only be available at the office. If you no longer wish to use envelopes, please contact the office as there are parishioners waiting for envelopes.
 

Development and Peace
Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace ecological justice campaign "Water for All - Let Justice Flow"
We are all encouraged to use water in ways that promote the environment.  By choosing to conserve water and to avoid the use of bottled water, we not only save money, protect local resources, and safeguard the environment, but we also promote access to safe drinking water for everyone, locally and globally.
Learn more!  Check out www.devp.org or email Maria Moreau at maria_moreau@hotmail.com
 

Supporting St. John's Parish

The Work of St. John's is made possible through the generosity of its' parishioners. The parish Pre-Authorized Giving plan may be a good choice for you.

• Who looks after the plan?

• Why should I participate?

• How do I enroll?

These and other questions are answered in our new Pre-Authorized Giving pamphlet. You can see more information and download the PDF flyer from the Administration Page.

some older announcements worth repeating

Volunteer Opportunity
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides year-round emergency food voucher assistance and also operates the Christmas Basket program providing food and gifts for hundreds of families and individuals in our area. We need men and especially women to assists in our work, particularly home visiting. We also need persons, including young people, to help with poor box collections on Sundays. Membership commitment involves one meeting a month (2nd Monday) and participation on an emergency food team every three weeks. Christ said, “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Me.” For more information contact the parish office.

Backpack Program

The CWL will be collecting items for the Backpack Program year round and ask that you drop off items at the back of the church the first weekend of each month alongside your donation of food items for the food bank. Please keep in mind that new items are required such as backpacks, binders, duo-tang, dividers, scientific calculators, crayons, math or geometry sets, coloured pencil crayons, pens, pencils, and lined paper. We thank you for your generosity to the needs of the children.
 

St. John’s Cemetery
As a result of the increased acceptance of cremation in the Catholic community and to provide a greater range of choice to the families in the parishes served by our cemetery, the St. John Cemetery Board has recently installed a 72 niche columbarium at St. John Cemetery in Newmarket.

The columbarium provides a dignified and economic option as a final resting place for the cremated remains of our loved ones and also makes efficient use of the limited land resources available for the cemetery.

A picture of this impressive structure is on the right, and at the back of the church. For further information please either refer to the web site or contact the St. John Chrysostom parish office at 905-898-4137 Ext. 226.
 

Catholic Children’s Aid Society
“Let a Child Have Faith in You – Foster Home Campaign”
Each Year in the Catholic community there are hundreds of children that need to leave their family home and be placed in foster care. At any given time, there are more than 1,100 children and youth unable to live with their parents due to parental illness, abandonment, child abuse or neglect. The Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto depends on living foster families to provide safe and nurturing homes for these vulnerable children and youth.

Sadly there are not enough foster homes to accommodate these children. In the words of Archbishop Thomas Collins: “I Strongly believe that more Catholic families would be open to caring for foster children if they were aware of this urgent need for foster homes. I am inviting you to seriously consider fostering, and reflect on the benefits the experience can bring to your family and vulnerable children in the community.”

If you would like more information about making a difference please contact the Catholic Children’s Aid Society at 416 395-1590 or visit www.ccas.toronto.on.ca

St. John’s Visiting Ministry
The Visiting Ministry of our Parish needs many new volunteers in all departments to take care of the increase of our sick and handicapped, e.g.- Southlake Regional Health Centre, which has increased in size and departments – to take Holy Communion and visit sick and suffering patients of our Region.
 

Our Nursing Homes & Senior Residences -to help conduct Communion Services and visit the sick and lonely who are unable to attend these services, bringing Holy Communion to them in their rooms.
Home Visitations – to take Holy Communion to all of our Parishioners who are shut-ins, sick, lonely, handicapped and aged.

Please respond to this vital and very necessary need for new Visiting Ministers – it may only take 1 or 2 hours of your time per week or month. Call the church office at 905 898-4137 and leave your name and contact information.
Thank you.
 

Parish Email List

All Parishioners who would be interested in receiving regular email updates from the parish are requested to print their email on their donation envelope.

The Collection
It is a familiar routine. A collection is taken up for a baby gift, a departing colleague or a local event. With varying degrees of willingness, we put our money in the basket and feel that we have done our duty.

That same invitation is made to us in an entirely different context every Sunday as we gather to offer God thanks and praise. During the liturgy of the word, we listen to the voice of God in the scriptures, proclaim our belief in the creed and offer prayers for the needs of the church and the world. Then a collection is taken up.

It is commonly understood that the money given during the collection will be used to support the ongoing work of the church. This includes setting aside a portion of those funds to be used directly for those in need. But in this age of credit cards and automatic fund transfers, isn’t there a more efficient way to do this?

If it were only a matter of paying the bills, yes, there are probably simpler ways to collect money. But our monetary contributions are more than just financial transactions; they symbolize our willingness to place our lives at God’s disposal and to be ourselves transformed into the body and blood of Christ. The act of bringing our hard-earned money (in cash or cheque or pre-authorized giving card, in an envelope or not) and placing it in the basket together is a ritual sign of the real offering that will happen when the priest invites us, “Lift up your hearts,” and we respond, “We have lifted them up to the Lord.”

Clearly, such a vision is beyond the realm of simple accounting. The pooling of our resources is a preparation for the pooling of our lives in loving service to one another and to the poor.

Copyright © 1997 Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1800 North Hermitage Avenue, Chicago IL 60622-1101; 1-800-933-1800. Text by Kathy Luty. Art by Luba Lukova.

Rose of Sharon Services for Young Mothers

is a not-for-profit, charitable organization providing support and educational services to pregnant and parenting young women under the age of 25 across York Region. Since 1985, we have given young mothers the opportunity to work towards their goals in a supportive, learning-centered environment while parenting their young children.
If you are a community minded individual, passionate about the importance of supporting young mothers, and willing to take on a leadership role, consider serving on our Board of Directors and Committees. We are currently recruiting individuals with backgrounds in human services, healthcare, business or finance, who live in York Region and can embrace our mission. For further information visit our website at www.therose.ca. To request an information package, please contact Anna Pavan, Executive Director or Rita Proctor, Business Manager at 905-853-5514.

Finding Our Place
Why do we fill up the seats in church from the back to the front? Maybe it’s piety: We sit in the back because, aware of our many failings, we don’t feel worthy to draw near. Maybe it’s culture: We sit in the back because our mothers taught us never to claim the best seats or make ourselves the center of attention. Maybe it’s selfish: We want to be able to skip out early. Whatever the reason, it causes a practical problem: The front seats are always empty, creating a gulf between the Lord’s table and the Lord’s people. And latecomers stand in the back rather than march up to the front where everyone can see that they’re late.

Let’s show some hospitality here! Let’s fill the church up from the front to the back, leaving the back rows for those who come later or late. And let’s fill each row from the center: If you’re the first one in a row, don’t hug the end (unless you’re a minister and will need to get in and out). Move into the middle so that others may come and sit beside you.
Filling in the front seats first isn’t proud or arrogant. It’s part of the ministry of hospitality that all of us who are baptized are called to exercise. It’s a simple act of kindness that helps the church to gather better around its Lord, so that we may give God thanks and praise.

Copyright © 1997 Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1800 North Hermitage Avenue, Chicago IL 60622-1101; 1-800-933-1800. Text by David Philippart. Art by Annika Nelson.

Picture: the back pews of St. John.

Liturgy of the Word for Children

Have you ever wondered exactly what is happening when the children leave the main assembly and go into the gathering room during mass? They are doing the same thing as we who remain in our seats are doing ... celebrating the Liturgy of the Word.  We know that the church desires "full, conscious and active participation" in the liturgy on the part of "all the faithful."  However, we realize that the ordinary manner of celebrating the Liturgy of the Word, is usually not suitable for children.  The language is too difficult.  The content, incomprehensible.  So we provide an alternate version of the liturgy of the Word which is simplified for the developmental needs of children between the ages of 3-8 years.  It is not Bible study, Catechism class, craft time or a babysitting service to keep the Church quiet so the rest of the assembly can hear the Word. We celebrate the Liturgy of the Word with children so that they, also can fully encounter God's love and presence in their lives through the proclamation of the Word who dwells among us.  The men, women and young adults who lead the liturgy have been trained and fully screened through our volunteer screening programme.
 
Who can attend?  Anyone who wants to attend may attend.  Usually children under 3 are not quite old enough, but there is no particular "upper limit" of age. 
 

Do I need to sign up?  No, just join the group when they are called forth from the assembly.
May I go in with my child until they are comfortable?  Absolutely. 
 

How come Children's Liturgy doesn't seem to be offered consistently at every mass?  Simple answer... we need more volunteers.   We cannot ask the same people to lead every week, so if we have no one available, we cannot offer the liturgy. 
 

Can I help?  Definitely!  We try to offer Children's Liturgy at every mass, but are limited by the number of volunteers we have.  So please consider helping out if you can.

 
What is the time commitment?  We ask that you volunteer about once a month. Preparation takes about an hour per session.  You need to arrive about 20 minutes before mass to set up and, of course, leading the session.
 
If you have any questions, please contact Christine Way Skinner at the parish centre.

Newmarket Food Pantry
Give Big or a little, and then go home happy knowing you did something good!

A long standing tradition here at St. John’s is to bring food to the church on the first Sunday of the month. Our caretaker then takes the groceries to the Newmarket Food Pantry who distributes to the needy of our community on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Newmarket Food Pantry

905.967.0428 Ext 204
510 Penrose Street, Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 1A2

(west of Bayview Ave.)

                                   Hours

• Monday 9:30am - 11:30am

• 2nd Tuesday of month 6:00 - 7:30pm

• Wednesday 9:00 - 11:00am

• Friday 9:30am - 11:30am

Children’s Liturgy
Thanks to all the volunteers who help to make the Children’s Liturgy such a great success. However, we are always in need of more people to volunteer as leaders and assistants. This is a great way for the students in high school to do their community service hours. Training will be provided. If you can assist us in this Ministry, even once per month, please call Mary Antonio at 905-868-9406. This is a wonderful way to serve your community which requires only a small time commitment.
 

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ADDITIONAL PARISH INFORMATION
visit St. John's CCSYR webpage	Catholic Community Services of York Region The parish has Settlement Workers working out of the parish office Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Immigrant programs and services as well as settlement and counselling services are offered. All services are confidential and free; there is a sliding scale fee for counselling. However donations are welcome. For more information please contact Zully Zambrano or Boonnhong Dara at 905-898-4137 ext 229. Toll Free 1800-263-2075 Ext. 224 or 223. For Counselling services you can contact Doug Loweth at Toll Free: 1800-263-2075 Ext. 230
One of our younger parishioners has started a facebook group for St. John's Parish. Check it out! www.facebook.com
	St. John's Parish Band The band is looking for any of the following musicians and instruments: drummer, saxophone, flute, oboe, clarinet, recorder, trumpet, guitar, and bass guitar.   See David after mass if you are interested in trying out for the band. Come and be part of our "making a joyful noise".   - see the band poster - click the picture thumbnail on the left
	Newmarket Food Pantry: is always in need of your food donations. We remind parishioners that  you can drop off food in the bins at your favourite grocery store.   Newmarket Food Pantry 905.967.0428 Ext 204 510 Penrose Street, Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 1A2 (west of Bayview Ave.) Hours Monday 9:30am - 11:30am 2nd Tuesday of month 6:00 - 7:30pm Wednesday 9:00 - 11:00am Friday 9:30am - 11:30am     Please remember the parish monthly food drive is on the first Sunday of the month.
	Companion Servers & Hospital Communion Visitors: We invite all adults of the parish to share the Eucharist with the elderly and sick of our parish by taking communion to the hospital, retirement homes and shut-ins. Training and guidance are provided. Your commitment would be weekly, monthly, or fill in when others are unavailable. Please call Father Miro to volunteer
	Celebrating Sunday Mass Each Sunday our God calls us together. God invites us to listen to the word as it is spoken to us; to give praise and thanks to the one who saves us; to be nourished with the eucharistic food; and to go back to our daily life with new strength and love. The Canadian Bishops have produced and online leaflet about celebrating the Sunday Mass. Many ways of taking part in the Mass are described in this leaflet. By doing them well each Sunday we can increase our full and active participation. You will find links to this information on the parish website, on the Mass Schedule page and Site Map.

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