The Altar Server assists the members of the liturgical assembly by presenting or arranging vessels and other items used in the celebrations. Their reverent and efficient service enables other ministers to attend to their own roles while the liturgical actions unfold with calm, order, and appropriate decorum.
RECRUITMENT OF NEW ALTAR SERVERS CANDIDATES will take place every Sunday in September following each Mass in the Sacristy.
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the way adults come to learn about and experience the Christian life, specifically our Roman Catholic tradition, and become initiated into the life of our Church through the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.
Weekly classes begin on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 and run until Easter. The RCIA program is led by a parish priest and lay catechists. Please sign up in the parish office.
The role of the Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion is fundamentally one of service to the Church by sharing the Body and Blood of the Lord with others. To be an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion a person must be in full communion with the Catholic Church. The mandate of an Eucharistic Minister is for a period of three years (renewable).
For more information on being an Eucharistic Minister click here.
As a Minister of the Word, the reader serves the liturgical assembly by proclaiming the sacred scripture during the Liturgy of the Word. The exercise of this role enables the Church to hear the Word of God more clearly and receive it with more open hearts. Such regular public nourishment with the biblical Word helps to sustain the community and contributes to its ongoing conversion and mission.
For more information please contact Fr. Marcin or A. Łopiński at (905) 274-4660 (Polish Group). For the English-speaking Eucharistic Ministers group, please contact V. Genoway at (905) 274-7405. For the English-speaking Lector group please contact T. Rowinska at (905) 896-7238.
Since the Divine Mercy Chapel was opened in 1995, there has been adoration of the exposed Blessed Sacrament 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People from many different parishes have signed up for regular hours of adoration, ensuring that there is someone praying in the chapel at all times. This chapel is a special blessing from God.
Many people drop in to pray at various hours of the day and night. However, there is a constant need of new people to sign up for regular hours of adoration. Also, as people discontinue regular hours of adoration, we need replacements.
If you would like to commit yourself to an hour of adoration each week at a particular time, or if you would like to be placed on a substitute list, please contact the adoration coordinator, Małgorzata Podolak, at (647) 888-7487.
In the early years when Father Stan Bąk was Pastor, a group of deaf persons began congregating at the Sunday English Mass. A few years later, regular translation of the Mass into sign language was introduced. Carol Stokes has been the coordinator of the group from the very beginning. She is currently responsible for the hearing-impaired ministry in the Toronto archdiocese. The mainstay of this ministry is weekly Sunday Mass at 9:30. After Mass there is a social gathering in the parish hall over coffee and pączki (donuts).
For information, please contact C. Stokes at 647-328-7631.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a program of Christian formation for children ages 3 – 6. It is based on the teaching methods of Maria Montessori, and on the understanding that there is a deep bond between God and each child, which produces in the child the desire to draw near to God.
In the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the classroom, called the Atrium, is a spiritual environment – a place of worship rather than a traditional classroom. It is perceived as ‘holy ground’ where Christ may be encountered in Word and Action—a place for community and worship where the spiritual life of the child is nurtured and a place of work that becomes prayer and conversation with God. It is a prepared environment where children grow in the knowledge of Jesus and His love. The work of the Atrium prepares children for involvement in the larger worshipping community.
The hands-on material in the Atrium encourages children to explore and deepen their experiences at their own pace. The children are free to work with materials that represent the essence of the Christian message. The adult’s role is to prepare the environment, present works that call forth the child’s response, then step back allowing God and the child to work together.
The vision for this faith experience began in Rome in 1954 with Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, a Hebrew Scripture scholar, and her co-worker, Gianna Gobbi, a Montessori educator. It has now spread internationally.
Registration for preschool catechesis (Good Shepherd Program) will take place on the following days:
Parents who are unable to attend any of the above registration dates may register their child directly with Sister Halina until the end of September. No registrations will be accepted after September 30. Sister Halina can be reached at (647) 205-7297.
Copy of Baptism Certificate is not required
