KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS PANCAKE BREAKFAST THIS SUNDAY
The last Knights of Columbus Pancake Breakfast in 2025 is this Sunday November 30 after 8am, 10am, and 12pm masses. Entry is by donation, and everyone is welcome.
NEW HYMNALS
We celebrate the arrival of the new, blue Glory and Praise (3rd ed.) hymnals in our pews this weekend – the first Sunday of Advent.
We give thanks and acknowledge you, our generous parish community, who helped to raise all the funds needed for the purchase and transition to these new hymnals. THANK YOU. Our priests will acknowledge and bless the new hymnals at all the masses this weekend.
WHAT IS SHARE CHRISTMAS
Share Christmas is a program that was put together to help those in need at Christmastime. How is it done? It is done through food donations with the aid of a Christmas tree. When will this charitable activity take place? It will take place this weekend where a Christmas tree will be present in the church lobby. On the Christmas tree, food products are printed on cards that are hung on its branches. Each card on the tree would request a food product to be purchased in bulk, approximately $25 worth. For example, a batch of identical cards would list Chicken Noodle soup, another batch of identical cards would list Jam, and so on. If Chicken Noodle soup was chosen, the parishioner would take one card from the batch of identical cards and purchase $25 worth of it. In the case of Chicken Noodle, the cost is $3.49/can (515 mL). Purchasing 7 cans works out to about $25.
SHARE CHRISTMAS BEGINS THIS WEEKEND
Share Christmas begins this weekend (Nov 29-30), and it is the only weekend our Christmas tree will be on display in the church vestibule. On the tree, parishioners will find cards requesting food donations. For parishioners who would like to contribute and are working within a limited budget, they can take a card and share it with another parishioner. Like last year, we will continue using the honor system. There is no need to register your card taken from our Share Christmas tree. For further inquiries, please visit our Share Christmas Information Table in the church vestibule after Mass this weekend. Next weekend (Dec 6-7) is the only weekend where food donations together with Share Christmas cards are dropped off in our school gym. Also, next Sunday December 7, all donations will be delivered to a convent in the Downtown Eastside. The Sisters will then distribute your food donations to the needy families and individuals for Christmas.
SHARE CHRISTMAS – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED NEXT SUNDAY DEC 7
We are looking for volunteers to help us load and off-load our delivery truck on Sunday, Dec 7. We will meet in the school gym at 3:00 pm. We are looking for volunteers that have good backs and you can come for either loading or off-loading or both. Also, among the volunteers present in our gym at 3:00 pm, we will be looking for drivers who are able to carpool to and from the convent in the Downtown Eastside. The work will take about 2.5 hrs to complete. If you are interested, please bring a pair of gloves, wear comfortable shoes, and dress for the weather. For more information, please phone/text Dillon Fong (604 561-6918). Thank you.
2026 SUNDAY DONATION ENVELOPES
Your 2026 Sunday donation envelopes are ready for pickup in the Church lobby. Please do not use these envelopes until January 1, 2026.
2026 SUNDay Missals and little books
The 2026 Sunday Missals and the Little Books for Advent and Christmas are available for sale in the back of the church.If you are a Sunday Mass reader, you should consider buying a Sunday Missal now as, when they are sold out, we cannot get any more.The Sunday Missals are $5.00 each and the Little Books are $3.00 each.
ADVENT PENITENTIAL SERVICE AT HOLY CROSS
Please join us on Thursday December 11th 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.
PURDY’S CHOCOLATES FOR CHRISTMAS (CWL FUNDRAISER)
You still have until this Monday December 1st to order your Purdy’s chocolates and support our Holy Cross CWL.
To place an order, click on the following link to “Join a Campaign”:
Holy Cross CWL Christmas 2025 Fundraising Link https://fundraising.purdys.com/2162555-130232
If you have trouble accessing the site when clicking on the link, please visit: www.fundraising.purdys.com and select “Join a Campaign”. You will be asked to provide your email address and our Customer Number (63039).
If you are not comfortable shopping online, please use one of the order forms available in the lobby of the Church on the shelf close to the Adoration Chapel (Crying Room). Fill out the form and put it in an envelope marked “CWL” in the collection basket with payment by cheque payable to Holy Cross CWL or cash. Your order will be entered as part of our fundraising order.
If you don’t want chocolates, you can still support our CWL with a monetary donation.
If you have any questions, please call or email the Parish office (parish.hcb@rcav.org) or email Krys Bondi at krys.bondi@gmail.com. Thank you!
CHRISTMAS CARDS AND 2026 CALENDARS FOR THE PRISON MINISTRY
We are collecting 2026 calendars and unused Christmas cards, all occasion cards (i.e. Happy Birthday, Get Well Soon, etc.) for the Prison Ministry. We appreciate all donations, but 2026 calendars are especially needed. 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. (We will be collecting these items until early January 2026.)
ALPHA – STARTING JANUARY 9, 2026
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, we invite you to join Alpha at Holy Cross – a set of weekly evening gatherings that will explore these questions.
Each gathering consists of a dinner followed by a short video and small group discussion. Alpha 2026 begins on Friday, January 9th at 6:30pm at the parish and is free of charge.
We’re welcoming all men and women who haven’t taken Alpha before, to come join us. There will be childminding available for children five years old and up (toilet-trained a requirement).
Alpha is open to all faith traditions as well as to individuals with no religious affiliation.
Alpha has changed countless lives. To get a taste of what Alpha is about, watch the short video at this link Alpha Stories – Father Michael Leclerc, St. Ignatius of Loyola on how Alpha transformed a parish in Montreal.
To join Alpha 2026 at Holy Cross, sign up here. Holy Cross Alpha Registration Form 2026. We hope to see you on January 9th!
MEMBERSHIP IN THE CATHOLIC WOMEN’S LEAGUE (CWL)!
It is not too late to join our CWL or to renew your membership! New members are always welcome! If you or your friend or family member want to join or know more about the CWL, please talk to one of our members (chances are you know someone who is a CWL member) or look at our CWL bulletin board outside the Adoration Chapel/Crying Room. can also go to our National website https://www.cwl.ca/why-become-a-member/.
Our CWL membership fee is $45.00. You can pay by cash or cheque. Please put your payment in the collection basket with all your contact info in a separate envelope marked CWL. You can also phone the parish office and pay by credit card.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ANNUAL CHARITY APPEAL
Knights of Columbus Annual Charity Appeal is now live, draw date is December 13th. Tickets can be purchased online from the following link: https://kofccharity.ca/?olc=C05423
First prize is a Ford Maverick Pickup and there are several cash and early bird prizes. A portion of the ticket sales come back directly to our council to support the various charities and ministries in our community.
WORLD YOUTH DAY 2027 in SEOUL KOREA
Have you heard of World Youth Day (WYD)? Saint Pope John Paul II began this call to all youth ages 18-35 to gather globally and Seoul, Korea is the next host from August 3-8, 2027. We are reaching out to see if we have interest from individuals and families at our parish to attend this event. Even if you are undecided or may simply want to know more about it first, we encourage you to get in touch. Our volunteers plan to hold periodic meetings over the next two years to share information and prepare for the experience. Email us at wyd2027hc@gmail.com to get in touch.
MASS INTENTIONS for Monday December 1, 2025, to Sunday December 7, 2025 (Requested by)
Mon. Dec 1 8:15 am
+Philippe Krayen (Perla)
Spl. Int. Leah Fornwald (Franca)
Tues. Dec 2 8:15 am
+Cheung Wong Nga Ching (David and Heidi)
Spl. Int. for Oliver on his 1st Birthday (Family)
Thurs. 8:15 am
+Robert Veltri (Roseanne)
Thurs. 9:15 am
School Mass – Parishioners
Fri. Dec 5 8:15 am
+Florence Fung Leun Leung (Family)
Fri. 7:30 pm
+John Morris (Giuseppina)
+Annabelle Cinco (Magsino Family)
++Deceased in the Hong Kong apartments fire (Yam Wong)
Spl. Int. Justin, Joel and Jerome (Nita)
Spl. Int. Father Maciej (Regina)
Spl. May & Michelle (Juliet)
Spl. Int. for Healing for Alejo Mariano Junior (Angelina)
Spl. Int. Alpha for Youth Participants and Volunteers
Spl. Int. Autom Tagsa (Diva)
Spl. Int. Francesca, Helen and Joan
Spl. Int. Alba Stevenson (Franca)
Spl. Int. for the Injured and the Families of the Hong Kong apartment Fire (Yam Wong)
Sat. Dec 6 9:00 am
+Tony De Santis (Family)
++Souls in Purgatory
Sat. Dec 6 5:00 pm
Spl. Int. Loreto Nullar (Art and Connie Madayag)
+Fernando Realina Senior (Lourdes Realina)
++Pius and Maria Cheung
+Carlo Piovesan Senior (Family)
Sun. Dec 7 8:00 am
+Tony De Santis (Family)
+Benito Poato (Rosa and Family)
Spl. Int. Father Maciej (Diva)
Sun. Dec 7 10:00am
++John and Rosalind Fernandez (Family)
+Erik Chowsen
+Rita Gomes
++++++Serge and Marie Rousseau, Janos and Anna Pek, Gerard and Nadine Benquet (Nicole and Mike)
++Madalena and Domenico Ricci (Family)
+Tarcisio Boffo (Giuseppina)
+Olga Racanelli (Family)
+Antonia Caro (Caro Family)
Sun. Dec 7 12:00 Noon
+Paul Thow
+John Thow
+++Bernice, Kenneth and Bev Young
+Tony Magistrale (Family)
Spl. Int. Marie and Allen
Spl. Int. Teresa Rasquinha and Family (Holy Cross CWL)
Sun. Dec 7 5:00 pm
++Souls in Purgatory
Spl. Int. Father Maciej (Holy Cross CWL)