Share Christmas – THIS WEEKEND
Share Christmas begins this weekend. A Christmas tree at the back of the church will be decorated with cards asking for food items to be donated. All food donations received will be handed over to the Sisters in the Downtown Eastside. The Sisters will distribute your food to the families and individuals in need during the Christmas Season. Your participation in our program will be greatly appreciated by the Sisters. If you decide to take a card, please have it registered and return your card along with your food to the school gymnasium next Sunday. Thank you. Our Share Christmas Tree will run for only one weekend, the 1st Sunday of Advent (Dec 2-3).
PANCAKE BREAKFAST
The Pancake Breakfast is this Sunday (Dec 3) after the 8am, 10am, and 12pm masses.
Second Collection: Youth Ministry Sunday
This weekend’s second collection supports the work of the Ministries and Outreach Office in providing formation, training, and support for youth ministries across the Archdiocese.
ADVENT PENITENTIAL SERVICE AT HOLY CROSS
Please join us on Wednesday December 13th at 7:00 pm in the Church for our Advent Penitential Service. There will be several priests available to hear your confessions. If possible, please plan your Advent Confession for this night.
ALPHA FOR MEN – STARTING JANUARY 2024
Do you have big questions about the meaning of life? Do you want to learn more about what it means to follow Jesus? Do you want to grow in your faith?
If so and you are a man aged 30 to 55, we invite you to join Alpha for Men at Holy Cross – a set of weekly evening gatherings that will explore these questions. If you have a husband, brother, or son who may not be a believer or has drifted from their faith, Alpha is also for them. All are welcome.
Each gathering consists of dinner followed by a short video and small group discussion. Alpha for Men begins on Friday, January 12 at 6:30pm at the parish.
Alpha has changed countless lives. To get a taste of what Alpha is about, watch this short video on how Alpha transformed a parish in Montreal.
To join Alpha for Men at Holy Cross, sign up here. We hope to see you on January 12!
Poinsettias and Christmas decorations for the Church
If you would like to donate red poinsettias to decorate our Church for Christmas, please drop them off at the Parish Office by Friday December 15th. You are also welcome to give cash for Christmas decorations for our Church.
CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE
Sunday, December 24
8.00 am – 4th Sunday of Advent Mass
10.00 am – 4th Sunday of Advent Mass
12.00 pm – 4th Sunday of Advent Mass
5.00 pm – Christmas Eve Mass
10.00 pm – Christmas Eve Mass
NO MIDNIGHT MASS
Monday, December 25
8.00 am – Christmas Day Mass
10.00 am – Christmas Day Mass
12.00 pm – Christmas Day Mass
No 5.00 PM MASS
NEW YEARS DAY MASS SCHEDULE
Sunday, December 31
8.00 am – Holy Family Sunday Mass
10.00 am – Holy Family Sunday Mass
12.00 pm- Holy Family Sunday Mass
5.00 pm New Year’s Eve Mass
Monday, January 1
8.00 am – New Year`s Mass
10.00 am – New Year`s Mass
12.00 pm – New Year`s Mass
No 5.00 PM MASS
Christmas Cards and 2024 Calendars FOR PRISON MINISTRY
We are collecting unused Christmas cards and calendars for 2024 for the Prison Ministry. Calendars can be wall, desk or appointment calendars without coils and should have a modest theme. Please put the cards and calendars in the boxes in the lobby of the Church.
January 12!
2024 Sunday donation envelopes and wall calendars
Your 2024 Sunday donation envelopes and 2024 wall calendars from Kearney Funeral home are available for pickup in the Church lobby.
CWL MEMBERSHIP
Thank you to all CWL members who have paid their 2023 membership dues. It is not too late to join the CWL and/or renew your $45.00 membership – you can drop it off at the Parish Office or leave it in the collection basket at the front of the Church when you come for Mass. (Please make sure that you label your envelope CWL and if you are paying cash, put your name, address, phone number and email address on the front of the envelope.)
2024 Little Books and Sunday missals
We still have some little books for Christmas and Advent for sale. Unfortunately, we have sold out of the 2023/2024 Sunday missals. Some Sunday Missals may be available at St. Andrews Church Supply in Burnaby – their phone number is 604-875-1441.
PROJECT ADVANCE
We are happy that we have surpassed the Archdiocesan Goal of $56,400 for Project Advance at Holy Cross Parish. A very sincere thank you to all our parishioners who have helped make this happen. All further donations to Project Advance will go directly to our Parish and help us achieve our three main campaign goals for this year:
– Replacing the furnace in the rectory – $13,000
– Parking Lot Repairs – $22,000
– Seismic upgrade of our elementary school
The deadline for a 2023 tax receipt is December 31, 2023. You can drop off your pledge form in the collection basket, at the parish office or go online to give at www.projectadvance.ca and make sure you designate our parish as the recipient. You can also make a donation by phoning the Parish Office with your credit card information.
Kindergarten 2024 Applications
Holy Cross Elementary School is accepting applications for prospective Kindergarten students who will be 5 years old (born in 2019). If you are interested in having your child attend Holy Cross Elementary, please complete the application form which can be found on the school website (www.holycrosselementary.ca) and bring the following to the school office: child’s birth certificate, baptismal certificate (if baptized Catholic), completed application form and a $25.00 application fee payable by cash or cheque by December 8, 2023. In-person interviews for families selected based on our admissions policy will be on January 12, 2024.
Save the Dates in 2024
Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events:
Sunday Feb. 11, 2024 – Super Bowl Party
Friday May 10, 2024 – Annual Golf Tournament
Sunday Sept. 15, 2024 – Annual Salmon Barbecue
MASS INTENTIONS for December 4 to 10, 2023 (requested by):
Mon. Dec 4 8:15 am
+Florence Fung Luen Leung (Family)
Tues. Dec 5 8:15 am
++Deceased Members of Guttadauro Family and Salud Migrino
(Giuseppina G. and Diva)
Wed. Dec 6 8:15 am
+Carmelo Luongo (Family)
Thurs. Dec 7 8:15 am
Parishioners
Thurs. Dec 7 9:15 am
School Mass +Leah Crescenzo (Holy Cross School Staff)
Fri. Dec 8 8:15 am
Spl. Int. Connie Madayag (Art Madayag)
Fri. Dec 8 7:30 pm
+John Hong (Family)
+John Morris (Family)
++Nadine and Gerard Benquet (Nicole and Mike)
+Mario Dalla Zanna (Family)
++Honorata and Quirico Migrino (Diva)
++Stephen and Frances Morris (Diva)
Spl. Int. Father Maciej (Regina)
Spl. Int. Joachim, Catherine, Angela and Monica Chen (Agnes)
Spl. Int. Nenita Marsland (Diva)
Sat. Dec 9 9:00 am
Spl. Int. in Honour of St. Pancratius, Patron of Workers and Good Health (Cynthia Avelino-Gomez)
Sat. Dec 9 5:00 pm
+Kathleen Heirakuji (Thow Family)
+Emilia Diaz Clemente (Family)
+Carlo Piovesan Senior (Family)
+Stefano Macri (Family)
+Joseph Chow (Vivian and David and Family)
+Dinh Phero Dinh
Sun. Dec 10 8:00 am
+Mark Baldonero (Family)
++Segunda Dina and Edward Reyes (Dawson and Mary Fong and Family)
+Joe Yamauchi (Diva)
Spl. Int. Maria Romano (Family)
Spl. Int. Nancy Yamauchi (Diva)
Sun. Dec 10 10:00am
+John Pavich (Family)
++Deceased Members of the Debbini Family (Nakhleh Family)
+Kazimierz Chojnacki on his first Death Anniversary (Family)
+Doctor Sabino Baluyot (Ilagan Family)
+Diana Ting (Alice and Ernest)
+Antonio Pelizzare (Lina and Tarcisio Boffo and Family)
Spl. Int. for Healing for Lorabelle Paynor (Nanette Ilagan & Family)
Sun. Dec 10 12:00 Noon
+Bev Chan (Family)
+Wallace Morris (Diva)
+John, Maureen and Kay Ostofy (Judy Talas)
+Sabato Bellico (Jane and Tom Cikes and Family)
Spl. Int. Alan Marsland and Family (Diva)
Sun. Dec 10 5:00 pm
+Fulvio Bondi (Krys and Robert)
++Manuel and Filomena Goncalves and Deceased Members of the Goncalves Family (Family)