We would like to encourage everyone to come and spend time with Jesus in our overnight Eucharistic Adoration tonight, Friday November 21st starting at 7:30pm and ending at 9:00am before morning Mass tomorrow Saturday, November 22nd. There will not be a Divine Mercy Mass this evening as the priests are still away. You can come and make a holy hour or even just stay for 15 minutes. Jesus loves it when you come to spend time with Him. There will always be at least one male person during every hour throughout the evening, so you won’t be alone. Come and see Jesus Face to face. He is waiting for you!
2026 SUNDAY DONATION ENVELOPES
Your 2026 Sunday donation envelopes are ready for pickup in the Church lobby.
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.
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 on the 1st Sunday of Advent where a Christmas tree will be present in the church lobby. On the Christmas tree, food products are printed on cards, which 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, another batch of identical cards would list Jam, and so on. If Chicken Noodle 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 NEXT WEEKEND
Share Christmas begins next weekend (Nov 29-30) and it is the only weekend the program will run. Next weekend, as parishioners enter the church, they will find a Christmas tree decorated with cards requesting food products to be purchased. If some parishioners are working within a constrained budget and would like to participate, they still can. They can take a card and share it with another parishioner(s). The following weekend (Dec 6-7) is the only weekend where food donations, together with the Share Christmas tree cards, are dropped off at our school gym. That same weekend, Sunday (Dec 7), all donated food products will be delivered to a convent in the Downtown Eastside. The Sisters will then distribute your food donations to the families and individuals in need. 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 lobby after Mass.
SHARE CHRISTMAS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR DEC 7
We are looking for volunteers to help us load and off-load our delivery truck on Sunday, Dec 7 at 3:00 pm (school gym). Volunteers who have good backs is a requirement and they 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.
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. There are also CWL brochures in our brochure rack. You 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.
PURDY’S CHOCOLATES FOR CHRISTMAS (CWL FUNDRAISER)
This is a reminder that you only have 1 week left to support the CWL Purdy’s fundraiser as the deadline for ordering is Monday December 1st.
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.
Deadline to place an order is Monday December 1st and you can pick up your order after all Sunday Masses on December 14.
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!
HOLY CROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN 2026 APPLICATIONS
Holy Cross Elementary School will be accepting applications for Kindergarten students who will be 5 years old in 2026 (born in 2021). 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, recent family photo and a $25.00 application fee (payable by cash or cheque) from November 3 to November 28, 2025. In-person interviews for families selected (based on our admissions policy) will be held on January 9, 2026.
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 a number of 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 November 24, 2025, to Sunday November 30, 2025 (Requested by)
Mon. Nov 24 8:15 am
+Joseph Chow (Family)
Tues. Nov 25 8:15 am
+John Van Essen (Family)
+Lucija Sigurnjak (Family)
Spl. Int. Catherine Parel (Perla)
Spl. Int. for Thanksgiving for the 65th Wedding Anniversary of Dawson and Mary Fong
Thurs Nov 27 8:15 am
+++++Maureen, Wallace, John and Helen Morris and James Harrington (Diva)
Fri. Nov 28 8:15 am
+Giuseppe Guttadauro (Giuseppina)
Fri. Nov 28 7:30 pm
+Zosia Zgudziak
+Lorenzo Mancini (Costanza Mancini)
+Tarcisio Boffo (May & Don Chan)
++Souls in Purgatory (Costanza)
++++Dorothy, Allen & Garry Stevenson
Spl. Int. Alec Ortiz for his Birthday (Family)
Spl. Int. for Healing for Alejo Mariano Junior (Angelina)
Spl. Int. James Morris (Diva)
Spl. Int. Alpha for Youth Participants and Volunteers
Spl. Int. Catherine, Angela, Monica and Joachim Chen
Spl. Int. Francesca and Joan
Spl. Int. Una Gaughan (Andrea)
Spl. Int. Trish and Gary Enderby (Andrea)
Sat. Nov 29 9:00 am
+Salvatore Demare (Nick G. and Marisa D.)
Sat. Nov 29 5:00 pm
+Tarcisio Boffo (Maria Camazzola & Family)
+Loreto Malsegna (Family)
++Angela and Angelo Leonardi (Liberatore Family)
+++Antonina, Sebastino and Luigina D’Elia (Liberatore Family)
Spl. Int. Thanksgiving for Magsino Family (Magsino Family)
Sun. Nov 30 8:00 am
+Tony De Santis (Family)
+Dominic Moscone
++Katie Kwok and Wo On Cheng (Family)
++Yuk Wah Chan and Hoi Gum Chan (Family)
+Lana Tesan (Andrea & Peter)
++Deceased Members of Lovato and Artuso Families (Family)
Sun. Nov 30 10:00am
++John and Rosalind Fernandez (Family)
+Elsa Djoenaidi (Lanny and Danny)
++Eufrasia Sovernigo and Deceased Members of the Sovernigo Family
+Tarcisio Boffo (May and Don Chan)
Sun. Nov 30 12:00 Noon
+Mike De Mare (Livio & Lilia Chiarello, Lina & Vincenzo Catania, Tanny and Larry Gough)
+Nives Burlo (Family)
+++Bernice, Kenneth and Bev Young
+Mario Tuan (Baldonero Family)
Spl. Int. Marie and Allen
Sun. Nov 30 5:00 pm
+Alice Ciccone (Robert and Krys)
Spl. Int. Maria Viveiros (Giuseppina)