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WELCOME TO THE STRATFORD CATHOLIC PARISH COMMUNITY
OF ST. JOSEPH’S & IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH
Pastor: Fr. Dick Bester
Parochial Vicar:
Fr. David Butler
Pastoral Minister:
Ron MacDonald
Sunday Masses:
Immaculate Conception Church
5:00 p.m. Sat. evening
10:00 a.m. Sun. Morning
Confessions:
Saturdays from 4-4:30 pm. or
by appointment
St. Joseph’s Church –
Sunday Mornings
8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Confessions:
Saturdays from 11 am—noon
or by appointment.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word
(For children JK – Grade 3)
Offered at Immaculate
Conception— 10 am. Sunday
morning Mass and
St. Joseph’s 8:30 am. Sunday
morning Mass.
Contact Informa�on for our Parish:
Office Hours: Monday—Friday 8:30 am.—noon and 1- 4 pm.
Office Address: 96 Huron St., Stra�ord, ON N5A 5S6 Office email: [email protected]
Phone: 519-271-6722 or 519-880-3685 Fax: 519-880-3686
Website: www.stra�ordcatholic.com Contact Kel Pero at 226-921-4818 or [email protected])
Facebook address: St. Joseph’s and Immaculate Concep5on Parish Community
Sunday, February 18th, 2018
From the Pastor’s Pen -
Today, we celebrate The First Sunday of Lent. Lent is a 5me to remember
that God first reached out to us. This was not a one 5me gesture like
those we o<en make and withdraw, but a profound, las5ng and healing
covenant. During this season, we reflect on and ask forgiveness for our
sinful ac5ons. We ponder in deep prayer and silence that God has invest-
ed everything, including a beloved Son, into this rela5onship.
If you haven’t already done so, please pick up your income tax receipt.
You will find them in whatever Church that you are registered in. Thank
you so much for your generosity.
Lenten material is available in either Church for help in reflec5on and
prayer through the season of Lent.
Our ALL DAY CONFESSIONS will take place on March 21st beginning at
8:30 am. at Immaculate Concep5on Church. We will then move to St. Jo-
seph’s in the a<ernoon. Details of the day will be in next week’s bulle5n.
I want to thank all those who par5cipated in “Campaign Conscience”. I
especially want to thank the coordinators for all their work and all those
who assisted at the tables. Well done.
I want to thank the Advisory Board for planning a family skate on March
18th, from 1:00 pm. - 3:00 pm. at the Allman Arena. What a great way to
end the March break. Mark the date now.
Monday, February 19th is Family Day. Our office will be closed and will re-
open on Tuesday, February 20th at 8:30 am. Have a good long weekend
and enjoy giving your family a nice memory.
READINGS FOR THE WEEK—
Monday: Lv 19:1-2, 11-18; Ps 19:8-10, 15; Mt 25:31-46
Tuesday: Is 55:10-11; Ps 34:4-7, 16-19; Mt 6:7-15
Wednesday: Jon 3:1-10; Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19; Lk 11:29-32
Thursday: 1 Pt 5:1-4; Ps 23:1-3a, 4-6; Mt 16:13-19 The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter
Friday: Ez 18:21-28; Ps 130:1-8; Mt 5:20-26
St. Polycarp—disciple of the apostle John and Patron Saint of those suffering from earaches.
Saturday: Dt 26:16-19; Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8; Mt 5:43-48
Sunday: Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Ps 116:10, 15-19; Rom 8:31b-34; Mk 9:2-10
Staff Directory:
Fr. Dick Bester, Pastor: ext. 23 ([email protected])
Fr. David Butler: ext. 24 ([email protected])
Dr. Ron MacDonald (D. Min.), Pastoral Minister, Director of Liturgical Music: ext. 25
Main Recep5onist: ext. 0 (Mary Chisholm and Elizabeth Manto on Mondays) ([email protected])
Brenda Heisz, Bookkeeper and Hall Bookings: ext. 22 ([email protected])
Mary Chisholm, Office Administra5ve Assistant: ext. 26 ([email protected])
Ken Chisholm, custodian @ St. Joseph’s Church: ext. 28 ([email protected])
Linda Ingoldsby, custodian @ Immaculate Concep5on Church: ext. 31
Sacraments
Bap�sms Our next prepara5on class is on Tuesday, March 13th @ 7:40 pm. at Immaculate
Concep5on in the hall with bap5sms taking place on Sunday, March 18th at Immaculate Con-
cep5on Church.
First Reconcilia�on has wrapped up for this year. Prepara5ons begin again in October, 2018.
First Holy Communions are now scheduled and will take place during the Easter season.
Confirma�on prepara5on con5nues. Confirma5on will take place Sunday, May 27th.
Weddings—should be booked six months to a year in advance. Please call the church office to
speak with one of the priests.
Lenten Lunches - 2018
Everyone is most welcome to aLend the Lenten Lunches 2018.
Presented by: Stra8ord and District Council of Churches
Loca5on: Immaculate Concep5on Church (50 Well St.)
Time: 12:00 pm. to 1:00 pm. Lunch begins promptly at noon.
Speaker Slot: 12:35 pm. – 12:55 pm.
Schedule of Speakers and Suggested Theme + Topic
Feb. 21st
Jerry Steingard - Jubilee Stra�ord Salva5on Luke 23:43
Feb. 28th
Mary Fletcher - Parkview United Abandonment MaL. 27:46
March 07th
Keith Reynolds - Avondale United Distress John 19:28
March 14th
Mark Parker Spotlight Church Triumph John 19:29-30
March 21st
Mark Wolfe St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Reunion Luke 23:46
Menu: Soups, Sandwiches, Veggies, Dessert, Coffee, Tea, Water
Cost: $8:00
Sponsors: Stra�ord and District Council of Churches & Kiwanis Club of Stra�ord.
A Note from the Bookkeeper: Income tax receipts will be ready to pick up this
weekend. Immaculate Concep5on contributors - your receipt can be picked up in
the foyer of the Well St. entrance at Immaculate Concep5on Church and St. Joseph
contributors - your receipt will be on tables at the front of St. Joseph’s Church.
The receipts are sealed and filed alphabe5cally by last name. If you made dona-
5ons to both churches your receipts should be together in the same envelope and
filed under your registered Parish. Thank you for helping to save on postage by picking up your re-
ceipt at the church. Receipts that are not picked up will be mailed out on February 23rd. Any ques5ons
on receipts can be directed to Brenda at 519-271-6722 ext. 22.
St. Joseph’s Renew Campaign 2018
Present Loan Fund Borrowing $ 721,106.15
Dona5ons to restora5on 2018 $ 33,335.00
Balance of Building Fund Acct 2018 $ 12,616.71
Interest Expense Jul-Dec/17 $ 20,594.51
March Break Family Fun
We are not offering a March Break Camp this year but instead St. Joseph and Immaculate Concep-
5on Parishes will be hos5ng two MARCH BREAK FAMILY FUN a<ernoons. Some of ac5vi5es:
Prayer and worship, cra<s, music, movies, snacks and St. Patrick celebra5on ac5vi5es.
When: Tuesday March 13th
and Thursday March 15th
Time: 1 pm. to 4 pm.
Where: Immaculate Concep5on Parish Hall Facilitator: Mike Haase
No formal registra5on but a sign up is required for planning. Contact Mike at : [email protected]
NOTE: The a?ernoons are for all family members.
CWL News
St. Joseph’s - Warm Your Heart Soup and Sandwich Lunch. Following the 11:30 am. Mass
on Sunday March 4th
join us for a hearty lunch. There will be a Free Will Offering and a
good 5me to eat, relax and enjoy the company of your fellow parishioners.
Euchre: Team 4 is scheduled to play on February 28th. Conveners are: Lillian Morris, Phyllis
Schooley and Barb Zavitski.
Raffle: We s5ll have 70 books of raffle 5ckets that we would like to sell as soon as possible.
The money generated from the sale of these books will go towards St. Joseph's renova5on
fund. Mary Cobb will be at the church on Sundays before and a<er Mass to sell these
books. If you wish to pre-order any 5ckets or books in advance, please contact Mary Cobb
at: 519-275-1842.
Immaculate Concep�on - Thank you to all members who aLended our February 12th
mee5ng to hear Dennis Young give us an update on the Hospice which is being erected in
Stra�ord this year. Our next mee5ng is March 12th. Team #3 in charge of snacks.
Both Leagues - World Day of Prayer is being held at Avondale United Church on Friday,
March 2nd @ 2 pm. This year, the service is wriLen by the commiLee of Suriname and the
focus is prayer and prayerful ac5on on the preserva5on of crea5on. The annual World Day
of Prayer is a prayer movement that invites us to enrich our faith experience with Chris5ans
from other countries and cultures and to bring hope to women touched by injus5ce.
Knights of Columbus
Thursday morning breakfasts are served at Immaculate Concep5on Church from
8:30-9:00 am. Everyone is welcome and invited to come out to enjoy good food and
comradery.
Bowling For Beau�fica�on
All bowling spots have been filled! However, there is s5ll 5me to sponsor
someone you know who is bowling. All money raised is going to the Resto-
ra5on Fund and we thank you for your support.
Parish Supported Ministries
Divine Mercy Study Group The study group meets on Saturday mornings from 9:30 am. -
10:30 am. at the cenacle next to St. Joseph’s Church.
Divine Mercy Prayers -St. Joseph’s Church, Monday - Friday at 3 pm. All are welcome.
Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during Mass (Liturgy of the Word) for children be-
tween the ages of 4 and 8. This program supports the child's faith forma5on to par5cipate in
the Mass and runs at Immaculate Concep5on @ 10 am. Mass and at St. Joseph's @ 8:30 am.
Mom and Tots Group meet the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at Immaculate Concep-
5on hall from 9:30-11:00 am. Moms enjoy fellowship while the children are cared for with
Bible stories, colouring as well as a toy area. For more informa5on please contact Donna at
519-271-8787 or Sonja at 519-348-0920.
St. Pio Rosary Group Join us in friendship & faith for rosary, scripture & discussion on Mon-
days from 9:30-11:00 am. in the cenacle at St. Joseph’s church. All ages are welcome. If you
would like to join us please call John Dario (519 271-7941) or Louise Gould (519-305-0197).
Women’s Bible Study Wednesday mornings from 9:15 am. - 11:00 am. For more informa5on
please contact Ron MacDonald at the office or Merrin Donley at [email protected]
Diocesan and other news…
Seminary Come and See Discernment Weekend St. Peter’s Seminary invites men 17-45 years old to a
discernment retreat on March 2 - 4 for men considering a call to the priesthood. This weekend offers
a firsthand experience of the life of a seminarian, spiritual helps for discernment, and an opportunity
to meet current seminarians and faculty. Contact Fr. Patrick Bénéteau at [email protected], or 519-
432-1824 ext. 204 or speak with Fr. Bester or Fr. David for more informa5on or to register.
St. James, Seaforth and St. Patrick’s, Dublin Parish Lenten Mission with Rev. Enzo Del Brocco, a
member of the Passionist Missionaries. The three-day mission begins @ 7:30 pm. and runs Sunday,
March 11 to Tuesday, March 13. The theme of the mission is "Return with Your Whole Heart."
Li? Jesus Higher Rally - FIRE ON THE EARTH! Saturday, March 3rd from 9:00 am.- 5:30 pm. at the
Metro Toronto Conven5on Centre. Contact Elisabeth Dobbe at 519-271-7233 to book your spot on
the bus which will be leaving from Stra�ord. Fr. David will be on the bus to accompany us.
Cost: Adults $50.00 Students (age 13 - 18) $35.00 (includes bus and admission 5cket to the rally)
Contact Elisabeth Dobbe at 519-271-7233. Payment Deadline is Feb. 24th.
The Medjugorje Gala Dinner - Sunday February 25th at the Best Western Arden Park Hotel, Stra�ord.
Tickets are $60 ($30 receipt) & students $30. Keynote speaker is Fr. Clare Coleman. For informa5on
contact Mary Jacob 519-271-7894 or Donna Campbell 519-271-8787.
Voca�ons Prayer Calendar— This week
please pray for: Deacon Jose Viveiros,
Fr. Ross Bartley, Fr. Mark Poulin, Fr. Mark
Maloney, Deacon Larry Lamphier,
Chrisandro Skipper (Campus Minister),
Fr. Rodrigo Tagnines, religious communi5es,
Bishop Fabbro and Auxiliary Bishop
Dabrowski, and for Pope Francis.
Mass Schedule for the week of February 19 - 23
Tuesday -- 7:00 pm. at St. Joseph’s Church
Franziska Aigner Maria Zanin
Eileen Curley Pearl O’Connell
Nellie Van Os Barb & Bernie Van Herk
Adora�on follows this Mass for one hour with
prayers for voca�ons to the priesthood and religious life.
Wednesday - 8:00 am. at Immaculate Concep�on Church
Sylvester Ryan Madelyn Ryan
Dec’d members of the Sylvain & WhiLaker families
Madeline Marran & dec’d family members Marj Vere
Thursday—8:00 am. at Immaculate Concep�on Church
Rita Manley Madelyn Ryan
Judy Purcell Harry & Eileen Thomas
Francis Maloney & Gordon Maloney (anniv.) Doris Maloney
10:30 am. at People Care, Tavistock
**cancelled due to outbreak.
Friday—8:00 am. at St. Joseph’s Church
Dec’d members of the Merkel & Heinbuch families
Marj Garneau Rob & Maureen Leyser & family
Joe Griffi Harry & Eileen Thomas
Adora�on a?er this Mass un�l midnight
Please pray for those who are sick—
especially: Bert Boersen, Giovanni Greco,
Brock Chessell, Joan Mezenberg, Edna Brake,
Mackenna Jacobs, BrigiLa Bokkers, and
Raven Petrie.
Please pray for those who have died—
Especially Basil Voisin and Bob Chesney.
May their souls and the souls of all the faith-
ful departed through the mercy of God, rest
in peace. Amen.
Lenten Reflec�on
Lent is here. It’s a good thing.
Don’t let it go to waste.
It should be a 5me to take stock of both our
spiritual and temporal lives. No maLer what
you wish to change in your life, you can ac-
company that change by tending to your spir-
itual side. You just may emerge from this holy
season a beLer person, spiritually enriched -
a tree bearing much fruit,
prosperous and strong.
Paul Pennick -
Taken from the Living Faith booklet.
LENT 2018 ADULT FAITH ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
1) Doors of Mercy- A Journey Through Salva�on History
The 6 covenants in Sacred Scripture tes5fy to God’s unrelen5ng outpouring of ‘mercy’; a sign of God’s
deep love and commitment. This DVD presenta5on gives examples of God’s mercy given to His people
throughout history. Secondly, the tes5monies in the presenta5on show that we ourselves can channel the
mercy we have received to our rela5onships.
Where: St. Joseph’s Church (in the church)
When: Monday and Wednesday beginning February 19th
Time: 7:30 pm. – 9:00 pm.
Facilitators: Howard Culligan and Brenda Heisz
For Registra�on and Informa�on: contact Brenda at 519-271-6722 ext.22.
2) CRAVE – Sa�sfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food (women’s program)
Has food become more about frustra5on than fulfillment? Made to Crave is the missing link between a
woman’s desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make that happen. Crave is a
book and Bible study to help you find the ‘want to’ in how to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Where: Immaculate Concep5on Parish Hall
When: Began Thursday, February 15th but not too late to join.
Time: 7:00 pm. to 8:30 pm.
Facilitator: Colleen Cronin
Registra�on Fee: $20.00 (to cover book cost)
For registra�on and further informa�on: [email protected] or text
Colleen at 519-272-5875 or call Mary at the office 519-271-6722 ext. 26 or [email protected]
3) Lighthouse CD’s – Ginnie and David Charlesworth have ordered a Lenten selec5on of Lighthouse
CD talks you will find in the Lighthouse CD racks in both churches.
4) Sta�ons of the Cross every Friday evening at 7:00 pm. as follows:
February 23 (at St. Joseph’s) - St. Joseph’s CWL. March 2 (at Immaculate Concep�on) - Knights of
Columbus. March 9 (at St. Joseph’s) - St. Pio Rosary Group. March 16 (at Immaculate Con
cep�on) - Social Jus5ce CommiLee and March 23 (at St. Joseph’s) - Confirma5on Candidates.
5) The 7 Last Words of Jesus on the Cross Medita�on ( in song, word and silence)
Where: St. Joseph’s Church (in church)
When: Sunday March 25th
Time: 7:00 pm. – 8:00 pm.
Facilitators: Ron MacDonald, Andrea Barstad (violin) and Lec5onary Study Group.
