Wednesday, 19 February 2014

Fr. Edwin's Farewell Reflection - Pt. 1

With Fr. Edwin leaving St. Barnabas Parish to serve as Rector of St. Augustine's Seminary, he will be writing a 3-part reflection on his time as Pastor.  It will be posted over three consecutive bulletins.  For your convenience, it is reprinted here:

“I’m telling you for the last time”
The title inspired by Jerry Seinfeld

As I reflect on my last three weeks at St. Barnabas, I would first like to thank each and every one of you for your love, support and prayers; of course, I am eternally grateful to God from whom all blessings flow.  Our Blessed Mother, St. Joseph and St. Barnabas have been my constant intercessors and protectors and this, I am always aware of, and thankful for. 

When I joined the parish in 2008, I was welcomed with open arms. The parishioners, office staff, ministries and organizations made me feel at home. Msgr. Pan, Fr. Paul and Fr. Luis have been great brothers in ministry. Together, we shared the love of God, celebrated life and had fun.

I know Fr. Luis will do a great job. He is a gifted and talented young priest with lots of wisdom. I have enjoyed doing ministry with him at St. Barnabas. Do continue to pray for him and support him.   A special mention goes to my great inspiration, most beloved Deacon Paul:  truly, he is a man who is salt of the earth and light of the world.  He is an absolute gem and a precious gift to our community and the Church.

The office staff has been a great help to me. Jan, Chris, Joachim and John work so efficiently and humbly behind the scenes. I tend to be forgetful but they are always on point. This is why we are able to achieve much in the parish and I am ever grateful to them. Gemma has lovingly taken care of us priests at the rectory.

To the elderly of the parish: I am greatly honored by your presence and it is a joy to serve you.  Some because of poor health have been unable to attend the parish: know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. You are my "moms" and "dads" whose faith has continually inspired me. Thank you to all of you, my St. Barnabas family.  May our gracious God bless you always with his grace and mercy!

Have a blessed week.

Fr. Edwin

Saturday, 9 November 2013

Confirmation Session 1 Notes

Please note that Session 1 for the Confirmation Preparation Program (2013-2014) is now online.  You can find them on the Sacraments page of the St. Barnabas Parish Website or by clicking on the link below.

St. Barnabas Catholic Church - Sacraments Page

Tuesday, 30 July 2013

Photos From WYD 2013 Parish Celebration

"Go and make disciples of all nations" -Matthew 28:19

A special thanks go out to all those who contributed to make the World Youth Day 2013 Parish Celebration at St. Francis Centre a resounding success.  It was a faith-filled, fun weekend and would not have been possible with the support of so many within the parish community.

Photos from the weekend celebration have been posted online on the parish website:
WYD 2013 Parish Celebration Photos.

Sunday, 14 April 2013

WYD 2013 Parish Celebration

The Youth of St. Barnabas Parish are encouraged to register and attend the World Youth Day 2013 Parish Celebration.  This gathering of young people ages 14-20 will coincide with the gathering in Rio de Janeiro on July 26-28, 2013.  Registration costs $50 per person. Below you will find a link for the registration form.

WYD13 Registration Form

In order to help alleviate the costs for hosting this celebration, the Youth Group is hosting fundraisers leading up to the event.  Currently, coins are being collected after all Sunday Mass as part of their "Loonie Drive."  Any assistance that you are able to provide is greatly appreciated.

Tuesday, 9 April 2013

Confirmation Session 8 (Test)

A reminder that Session 8 for Confirmation Prep is this Saturday.  Part of the session is the test to show that students have learned about the sacrament of Confirmation and our Catholic faith.  A 70% is required to pass the test.  Those who do not achieve the minimum mark on the test will be able to demonstrate their knowledge later on at the Confirmation Retreat in order to pass.

A Study Guide for the Confirmation Test in addition to Notes from Session 7 can be found on the Sacraments page of the parish website.

Monday, 18 March 2013

Holy Week Schedule

As noted on the homepage of the St. Barnabas website and in the parish bulletin, the Holy Week Schedule is as follow:

Passion (Palm Sunday): Regular Sunday Mass Schedule
Saturday, March 23 -- 4:30pm
Sunday, March 24 -- 9am, 10:30am, 12:15pm, 7pm

Holy Monday & Tuesday (March 25/26):
Mass at 9am

Holy Wednesday (March 27):
Mass at 9am & 7pm

Holy Thursday (March 28):
Mass of the Lord's Supper at 7:30pm

Good Friday (March 29):
Confessions from 9-11am
Celebration of the Lord's Passion Liturgy at 12 Noon & 3pm

Holy Saturday (March 30):
No Mass in the morning or afternoon
Easter Vigil Mass of the Lord's Resurrection @ 7:30pm

Easter Sunday (March 31):
Mass of the Lord's Resurrection at 9am, 10:30am and 12:15pm
Note that there will be no evening Mass on Easter Sunday.

Tuesday, 19 February 2013

Confirmation Session 5 Notes + Assignment & Upcoming Session 6

For all Confirmation Preparation Program students: Session 6 is scheduled for this Saturday, February 23.  If you have missed a previous session including Session 5, notes and the assignment can be found on the Sacraments page of the parish website.  The assignment will be due during the session this Saturday.  In addition, students who were absent from Session 5 (or any previous one) will be required to write a brief quiz at the completion of the session on material covered in the missed class.