Dear Parishioners,
The Prince of Peace is born! If you are like many in our world today, you often find yourself going 100 km/h through life, accompanied by the drama going on in our workplace and in our extended family; moreover, our country and our world are in such irreconcilable conflict. There is a fundamental lack of peace, yet God knows that is precisely what we need.
Peace in our world begins with peace in our own country. Peace in our country begins with peace in our community. Peace in our community begins with peace in our family. Peace in our family begins with peace in ourselves. Bringing peace to the war within our hearts is what Jesus came to do. In a world where distractions and temptations abound and bring us away from the life God wants us to live, we become conflicted in our hearts. What we celebrate at Christmas is that God has come to reveal himself in visible form in Jesus, so that we can fix our eyes back on the one who can bring healing and wholeness to our fractured hearts.
A very blessed and peaceful Christmas to you and your loved ones!
Fr. Tomas and Fr. Chris
CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR’S DAY MASS SCHEDULE
Christmas day (and New Year’s Day) fall on a Monday this year. All the faithful are obliged to attend both a Sunday Mass and the respective Christmas Mass or New Year’s Day Mass. Our schedule below indicates whether a Mass is the celebration of the 4th Sunday of Advent or Holy Family Sunday (Sunday obligation) or Christmas or New Year’s Day (Holy Days of Obligation).
CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE
Saturday, December 23
5:00 pm – Anticipated Mass for 4th Sunday of Advent
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
9:00 pm Festival of Lessons and Carols
10:00 pm Mass
NO MIDNIGHT MASS on Christmas Eve
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 on Christmas Day
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 on New Year’s Day
PARISH OFFICE CLOSURES
The Parish office will be closed on Monday December 25 and Tuesday December 26.
The office will also be closed on Monday January 1, 2024.
MORNING MASSES at 9:00 am (next 2 weeks)
Weekday morning Mass will be at 9:00 am from Tuesday December 26, 2023 to Friday December 29, 2023 and from Tuesday January 2, 2024 to Friday January 5, 2024.
SUPER BOWL PARTY Sunday February 11, 2024
Tickets are now available at the Parish Office for our Super Bowl Party on Sunday February 11th from 2:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the School Gym. Your $50.00 ticket includes snacks and 1 beverage and a dinner featuring pasta and roast pork served at halftime. A full bar will be available throughout the game and doors open at 2:30 pm. There are a limited amount of tickets available.
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!
ALPHA FOR MEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
As you know, Alpha for Men is starting on Friday, January 12, 2024 for 11 weeks (ending on March 22). We are currently seeking your help to make this a successful and fruitful program. Here are the options for everyone:
• 5pm to 9pm – This would be great if you could commit these hours for various tasks.
• If you are only available for a couple of hours:
– 5pm to 7pm- set up and serving food
– 7pm to 9pm- clearing dishes, washing, take down
Dessert
Please share your love of baking on the dessert table. Just let me know if you would like to bring a dessert on one of the Fridays.
I also understand that it’s hard to know about your plans in February or March. I can certainly put you on the volunteer list for now and email you in the beginning of the year to find if you are available.
Please email Makiko Morelli at mymorelli@hotmail.com if you would like to be on the list. If you have any questions, feel free to text me or call me at 778-938-3244. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you!
MASS INTENTIONS for Sunday December 24 5:00 pm to Sunday December 31, 2023 12:00 Noon (requested by):
Sun. Dec 24 5:00 pm +Joseph Chow (Vivian and David and Family)
++Nemencio and Teresita Laxamana (Cruz Family)
++Deceased Members of the Danao and Recto Families
+Norberto De Castro (Jesse De Castro)
Spl. Int. Ernest and Alice and Alvin Tan (May and Don Chan)
Spl. Int. Peggy, Nicholas and Family (May and Don Chan)
Sun. Dec 24 10:00 pm +++Marina Parado and Domingo Parado Junior and Nguu Ly (Family)
+++++Zacharias and Dolores Nopre. Bernardo and Victor Nopre
and Helmut Halfar (Albina Halfar)
+Norberto De Castro (Jesse De Castro)
Spl. Int. Ly Family (Family)
Spl. Int. Lanny and Danny (May and Don Chan)
Spl. Int. Krys, Robert and Nicholas Bondi (May and Don Chan)
Mon. Dec 25 8:00 am +Vincenzo Misceo (Wife)
+Glen Hogg
+Sam Buonassisi (Andrea and Peter)
+Norberto De Castro (Jesse De Castro)
Spl. Int. Jason Fong (Family)
Spl. Int. Marcelo San Juan (Grace San Juan)
Spl. Int. Laszlo and Bozena Szucs (May and Don Chan)
Spl. Int. May and Don Chan (Lanny and Danny)
Spl. Int. Cathy Kinniston (May and Don Chan)
Mon. Dec 25 10:00 am ++Antonio and Anna Patano (Maria B.)
+Antonio Troiani (Maria B.)
+Bernadina Liguori (Esposito Family)
+Santolo Esposito (Esposito Family)
+Joan Smulders (Andrea and Peter)
+Norberto De Castro (Jesse De Castro)
Spl. Int. Carlos, Linda, Chloe and Claire (May and Don Chan)
Spl. Int. Kit and Family (May and Don Chan)
Spl. Int. Priscilla, David, Lucas, Gracelyn, Matthew and Samantha
(May and Don Chan)
Spl. Int. Giuseppina (May and Don Chan)
Mon. Dec 25 12:00 pm +Mate Bratanic (Bratanic Family)
++Anna and Martin Jurkovic (Bratanic Family)
+Maria Plavcic (Ana Rukavina)
+Antun Vidosevic
+Adolfo Ortiz Junior (Family)
+Juanito Sason (Family)
+Domenic Luongo (Franca Zumpano)
+++Ray, John and Maureen Ostofy (Judy Talas)
+++Vilma, Joe and Judy Talas (Judy Talas)
+Norberto De Castro (Jesse De Castro)
Spl. Int. Diva (May and Don Chan)
No 5:00 pm Mass Christmas Day
Tues. Dec 26 9:00 am Spl. Int. Dorothy Demare (Carmine and Makiko)
Wed. Dec 27 9:00 am Spl. Int. Daphne Aslam (Family)
Thurs. Dec 28 9:00 am ++Lucija and Paul Sigurnjak (Family)
Fri. Dec 29 9:00 am +Maria Demare (Marisa and Nick)
Fri. Dec 29 7:30 pm +Victor Nopre (Albina Halfar)
Spl. Int. Magda (Regina)
Spl. Int. Nenita Marsland (Diva)
Spl. Int. Joachim, Catherine, Angela and Monica Chen (Agnes)
Sat. Dec. 30 9:00 am Parishioners
Sat. Dec 30 5:00 pm +Joseph Chow (Vivian and David and Family)
++Francesco Pironaggi and Francesco Amenilolia
(Teresa Pironaggi)
Spl. Int. Marcelo San Juan (Grace San Juan)
Sun. Dec 31 8:00 am ++Giuseppe and Loretta Romano (Family)
Spl. Int. Maria Myung and Family (Family)
Sun. Dec 31 10:00am++ +++Eufrasia Sovernigo and the Deceased Members of the
Sovernigo Family (Family)
++Aurelio and Enrica Nicoletti (Giuseppina)
Sun. Dec 31 12:00 Noon Parishioners
Sunday Dec 31, 2023 5:00 pm and New Year’s Day Mass Intentions (Monday January 1, 2024) will be included in next week’s bulletin
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