The summer has quietly arrived with a generous downpour of fresh rain followed by the gift of sun and warm temperature. The summer months offer us a time to rest and regroup for yet another year of activities. At the parish office we will be using the summer months to regroup, evaluate, and plan for the next year. Many of our churches will also welcome an influx of vacationers to our communities. It is good to know that we get to live where many people choose to vacation. This is a blessing indeed.
Fr. Emmanuel has left for a well-deserved holiday in his home country of Nigeria. He will be away until the end of July. We
wish him a restful time with his family. During his time away we will welcome a number of visiting priests who have been kind enough to offer help on the weekends of June and July. I know that they will be welcomed warmly by our faith communities.
On Wednesday, June 28, Fr. James McSharry moves back to our parish. We welcome him with gratitude for his willingness to serve our community once again. This means that our last phase of weekend Mass changes will take place: Chatsworth’s Mass will be celebrated on Sundays at 9:00 am, and Meaford’s Mass on Sundays at 11:00 am. This will start on the first weekend of July. Thank you to the representatives of each of our churches for your input and help, and to Bishop Crosby for offering us one more priest.
On July 1, 2017, Canada will celebrate the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of Confederation. To mark this historic occasion, the Catholic Bishops of Canada have decided to consecrate Canada to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Bishop has asked that all pastors consecrate the People of God in their respective Parishes following the homily during each Mass celebrated on July 1st and 2nd. We will participate in this beautiful initiative next weekend. As per usual, we will discontinue the printing of our parish bulletins for the summer months. This means that this weekend’s bulletin is the last one until September. We will continue to update our website during the summer months: www.stmarysandthemissions.ca
Fr. Kuzma