Family Matters November 2017 Congratulations! Deacon Tom MacLeod We continue to pray God s blessing on you, Colleen, and your family. Welcome to our Parish! WEBSITE: www.holyfamilylondon.ca PH. # (519) 472-0057 FAX # (519) 472-4758 EMAIL: hfparish@dol.ca HOLY FAMILY PARISH 777 Valetta St., London, ON N6H 2Y9 OFFICE HOURS Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 12 :00 noon and 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. SUNDAY MASS Saturday 5 pm Sunday 8:30 am 10:30 am 6:30 pm WEEKDAY MASS Tuesday 6:30 pm Wednesday to Friday 10:00am
CONTENTS November 2017 Family Matters is published on a monthly basis. Feel free to contact us with a story or witness talk, along with pictures by sending it to us at hfparish@dol.ca ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHRISTMAS GIVING - 2017 Colleen Jones, President of St. Vincent de Paul A WORD FROM FR. BOB Advent Parish Mission SYMBOLON Are You Interested in Becoming Catholic or learning more about the Catholic faith? ALPHA An Update on the Alpha Program ME 25 MINISTRY ENGAGEMENT Survey Results ABLAZE: Passionately Pursuing Christ & a Life of Purpose Advent Parish Mission WORLD DAY OF PRAYER ~ Sunday, November 19, 2017 This new World Day should become a powerful appeal to our consciences as believers, allowing us to grow in the conviction that sharing with the poor enables us to understand the deepest truth of the gospel. The poor are not a problem: they are a resource from which to draw as we strive to accept and practise in our lives the essence of the Gospel. From the Vatican 13 June 2017 OUR ANNUAL CHRISTMAS GIVING PROGRAM begins the weekend of November 18 & 19. Once again we ask for your support to help many single adults and families enjoy a happy and blessed Christmas. Food cards are provided to help with a Christmas dinner and gift cards are provided for children s toys and gifts. These gift cards are distributed to people in need living within our parish boundaries. Special Donation Envelopes can be found on the Christmas Giving Trees located in the narthex. Place a cash donation, Walmart gift card or a cheque in an enevlope. Make sure your name and address in order to receive a tax receipt. Cheques can be made out to Holy Family SSVP. All financial donations must be received by December 31, 2017 in order to receive a tax receipt for this calendar year. Place your envelope in the SSVP Donation Box found in the Narthex or in the collection basket during Mass. Please return your envelope by DECEMBER 3. Thank you for your generous support of The Christmas Giving Program. May God bless you for yur generousity. FAMILY MATTERS NOVEMBER 2017 2
A WORD FROM FR.BOB Deacon Keith Strohm, a world class Catholic preacher of the Good News, is coming to Holy Family Parish, beginning the weekend of December 2nd. He will preach at all of our weekend liturgies, followed by leading our parish mission on the evenings of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, December 3-5. (Please note that the regular 6:30pm Sunday mass will be moved to 12:30pm on that Sunday). His message will make all the more clear, why we need to be transformed by Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It is not only the vocation of special proclaimers of the faith, but it is the vocation of EVERY person who has been Baptized. The future existence and vitality of our parish and the Church in the Western World depends on it. Come and hear (and experience) this essential message of Good News for our present time. Please arrange your personal calendar so that you can attend each of these mission evenings. The Good News that you hear during these days may just be what you have been waiting to hear all of your life! How could anything be more important?! This year s parish mission is the perfect way to begin the Advent Season. Advent is the four-week period before Christmas that we celebrate the three comings of Jesus into our world. First, we remember how God prepared the world to receive its one and only Saviour, Jesus Christ. Across centuries, the prophets foretold his coming until at last He came in flesh, as a vulnerable child in Bethlehem. For us, God reveals himself in weakness. Second, we are reminded that this same Jesus, who suffered, was murdered and rose from the dead, will come again to signal the end of the world, the Day of Judgement. The scriptures testify that no one knows when He will return. No one! So, don t be seduced by those who claim to have inside news about when. Thirdly, Jesus is available to us on a daily basis. When we call on Him in prayer, when we beg His help and mercy, He is right there beside us. Staying close to Jesus every day is the only guarantee that we will be ready when He returns in glory. Everything else is taking a huge risk! Are you willing to place your eternal salvation at great risk?! Make this coming Christmas a special feast of your own salvation (and that of your children/grandchildren) by preparing well during the holy season of Advent. Come, Holy Spirit! Come, Lord Jesus, Come! FAMILY MATTERS NOVEMBER 2017 3
by Delia Waldock If you have been attending Mass for a while, but are not Catholic, we invite you to look deeper into the Catholic faith. In January 2018, the Christian Initiation Team at Holy Family Parish will begin a set of eight sessions designed to share with others the truths of the Catholic faith and the fellowship of our faith community. Who are these sessions for? Adults who have never been baptized Adults baptized in another Christian tradition who now wish to be baptized Baptized Catholic adults in need of First Communion and/or Confirmation We invite you to learn what Catholics believe and to ask questions you may have about the Church. Sessions will be held on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The first session is on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 in the John Paul II Room Please contact us if you require any further information: Delia Waldock deliawaldock@gmail.com Sheila O Brien sobrien@dol.ca 519-472-0057 ext. 222 Take the opportunity for growing in your faith by checking out the Lighthouse Catholic Media stand in the narthex. There is an assortment of CD s, books and pamphlets on a variety of topics, including... Parenting, Marriage, Wisdom of the Saints, Prayer Devotions, and the Sacraments. Cost: $3.00 to $5.00 each. SENIORS CHRISTMAS DINNER Tuesday, November 28, 2017 at 12:00 noon Call the office to reserve a spot. More information to come. HELP NEEDED! The Knights of Columbus Breakfast Sunday November 26 th after the 8:30a.m. and 10:30a.m. Masses. Breakfast includes scrambled eggs, sausage, french toast, baked beans, coffee and tea. Free will offering. As the cold weather approaches, our refugee friends are in need of some winter gear. If you have some lightly used winter boots, women s size 7 or men s size 9 and 10, or a woman s winter coat or jacket size medium, please contact the parish office. Let s keep them warm as they experience their first Canadian winter! Thanks, the Social Justice Committee. FAMILY MATTERS NOVEMBER 2017 4
by Loretta Wilson, ALPHA Coordinator A couple of weekends ago our 5:00 p.m. choir sang: Go make a difference, we can make a difference Go make a difference in the world. For me, it was an affirmation of what is happening here at Holy Family Parish. Since Alpha was offered in our parish, approximately 230 persons have completed ALPHA. Currently 185 persons are doing ALPHA in morning and evening sessions. To be successful, 85 volunteers come each Wednesday for a 12 week period to serve God s people by cooking, serving, cleaning, babysitting, facilitating and offering His love to all. Among them they prepare 90 lunches and 140 dinners each week. Has it made a difference? You bet it has. ALPHA is not a course but an experience. ALPHA is open to all, no pre requisites required, which teaches us the basic Christian message. Jesus wants you to know Him in a personal way. ALPHA is only the beginning... It has made a difference in our parish. As the song says: We are the salt of the earth, called to let the people see, the love of God for you and me. by Jozef Maka, Business Manager Gallup Member Engagement Survey Results Thank you to all those who were able to attend the Gallup Member Engagement Survey review that took place in Holy Family Parish on Thursday, September 28, 2017. It was great to see parishioners engaged and taking an active interest in understanding the purpose of the renewal effort that is being undertaken by this parish. For those that were not able to attend, the results from the survey have been published on the Holy Family Parish website and all parishioners are encouraged to review the results. Please go to www.holyfamilylondon.ca for all the details! A lot of you may ask, What s next? After the review presentation, the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and members of the Pastoral Council Committee (PPC) sat with the consultant from Gallup to draft up a few action items to address some of the areas of improvement in our parish. Over the next few months, SLT and PPC will work together to put an action plan in place in order to improve the engagement of parishioners in this parish. The goal here is to make it simple and to establish achievable goals that can be implemented ed sooner rather than later. We ask that you pray for the staff and parishioners working on this action plan, that it will be something which will bear great fruit. We will publish the action plan once we have developed and reviewed it internally. We appreciate your prayers and patience during this time! FAMILY MATTERS NOVEMBER 2017 5
PARISH STAFF (OFFICE 519-472-0057; EMAIL: hfparish@dol.ca) FR. BOB REMARK (ext n #228) JOZEF MAKA (ext n # 224) Pastor Business Manager FR. SEEJO JOHN (ext n #226) Parochial Vicar DEACON TOM MACLEOD DEACON HENRY KLING DEACON GEORGE SEBOK HEATHER CUSHING (ext n #260) Pastoral Minister PETE DOIRON (ext n #258) Pastoral Worker /Sacramental Preparation of Children SHEILA O BRIEN (ext n # 222) KELLY WILSON (ext n # 201) Secretaries ANNE SANDERSON (ext n # 229) Bookkeeper STEVE BALDINELLI (ext n # 261) Building & Property Coordinator FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE SEVEN MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2017 Operating Statement Actual Budget Prior Year Revenue Offertory including Easter $ 603,041 $ 600,450 $ 600,292 Ministry Programs and Other $ 68,428 $ 71,970 $ 66,523 Sub-Total $ 671,522 $ 672,420 $ 666,814 Special Collections Revenue $ 73,213 $ 82,900 $ 98,546 Special Collections Expense $ (73,213) $ (82,900) $ (98,546) Total Operating Revenue $ 671,522 $ 672,420 $ 666,814 Expenses Compensation $ 400,745 $ 403,885 $ 400,915 Facilities, Ministry, Liturgy $ 217,075 $ 212,580 $ 209,928 Diocesan Assessment $ 94,982 $ 94,950 $ 95,618 Total Operating Expenses $ 712,802 $ 711,415 $ 706,461 Operating Surplus (Deficit) $ (41,280) $ (38,995) $ (39,647) Thank you to all our generous parishioners for your ongoing support! IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM OR MATRIMONY AT HOLY FAMILY PARISH, PLEASE NOTE THAT IN ADDITION TO PREPARATION, WE REQUIRE THAT YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH US A MINIMUM OF 3 MONTHS IN ADVANCE OF YOUR HOPED-FOR DATE FOR BAPTISM AND ONE YEAR PRIOR TO YOUR DESIRED WEDDING DATE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BAPTISM, contact Sheila: sobrien@dol.ca or ext n # 222. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MARRIAGE, contact Kelly: kwilson@dol.ca or ext n # 201. FOR FUNERALS OR FUNERAL PRE-PLANNING, contact Heather: hcushing@dol.ca or ext n # 260 Or Kelly: kwilson@dol.ca or ext n # 201. DO YOU NEED A PASTORAL REFERENCE LETTER? WE NEED TO KNOW YOU CONTINOUSLY FOR ONE YEAR BEFORE PROVIDING ONE. If you are new to the parish, please introduce yourself to one of our parish staff. If you like to register, go to www.holyfamilylondon.ca FAMILY MATTERS NOVEMBER 2017 6 FAMILY MATTERS AUGUST 2017 www. holyfamilylondon.ca 7