Parish News & Events
For Upcoming Events in Parish, go also to latest Bulletin on Bulletins & Homilies page.
For Ministry Meetings, go to our electronic Calendar. For Archived News, click here
Latest News
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♦ Community Hours for H.S. students
If any High School students still need community hours, please call Helen at the OLPH Office at 416-489-1540 ext 221 and we can co-ordinate a time when you can come and help and obtain additional hours.
♦ Sr. Virgina Varley's Painting group at OLPH Parish Hall (May 2013)
As you may know, OLPH parishioner, Sr. Virginia Varley, is not only a Sister of St. Joseph but an accomplished painter. Her informal Group of Painters (3 to 6) meets Thursdays in the OLPH parish hall to do what they love to do.
♦ Pictures from First Communion - Group 2 (May 12, 2013)
Under a cool overcast day on this Ascension Day, a second group of some 34 children made their First Communion. This was a stark change from last Sunday's first group under gorgeous weather. In fact, the group picture was taken just in time as heavy rain started within minutes of taking family pictures.
♦ Memories of the Parish Jazz Night
Pictures of the enjoyable Jazz Night on May 3rd can be found both on the OLPH Website's Parish News & Photo Gallery plus paper prints on the Bulletin Board in the Vestibule of the church. Check it out! Also a few pictures from the First Communion groups of May 5th and May 12th.
♦ Anniversary of Ordinations to the Priesthood
The month of May is a special month as it is the anniversary of Ordinations to the Priesthood. Please remember and pray for our clergy at OLPH for their years of service as they continue the Mission of Christ.
- Fr. Jim Hannah - 39 years
- Fr. Guenter Petricek - 17 years
- Fr. Dan Donovan - 51 years
♦ Pictures from First Communion - Group 1 (May 5, 2013)
Under a gorgeous sunny sky, some 31 children made their First Communion. This is only the first half, with the second group scheduled for next Sunday. Fr. Jim now has it well organized that the children process out and are neatly lined up for the professional photographer to first get good group pictures - before all the "paparazzi" parents/family swoop in to get their pictures!
♦ Pictures from OLPH Jazz Night posted here & in Photo Gallery (May 3)
An enjoyable evening of good music with good food, drinks and fellowship was had by a good turnout of over 150. Some highlights are shown below but many more are now posted in the Photo Gallery
♦ Calling OLPH Class of 1972-73 for a 40th Reunion soon
OLPH grade 8 Class of 1972-73 is planning a 40th Reunion to be held late in June 2013. For further information, please contact Philip Conetta at phillerc@hotmail.com or 647-278-1672. We are presently compiling a mailing list with email addresses/phone numbers. If you have any contact with any graduates of this class, please forward this information to them. We're looking forward to renewing our old friendship with many fellow students.
♦ OLPH Choir's CD still available at parish office
The new CD that was launched after the March 17th Concert is available $15.00 - in the parish office - 416-489-1540, ext. 221. They can make great gifts for relatives and friends. Proceeds from these sale will go to the ongoing church improvement fund.
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♦ 2013 Calendar - Summary of Parish Events (OLPH's 90th Anniversary)
This summary page is from the 90th Anniversary brochure that was inserted in the Jan. 20th Bulletin - click here to read it. Keep it in a handy place for reference throughout 2013 as we celebrate this milestone of our parish.
Upcoming Events
♦ Preparation Course for Next Baptism - September, 2013 at 7:30 - 8:30 in the Library
- The upcoming Baptism dates are: Sat. May 25 at 5 pm and Sun June 30 at 9:30.
- All parents who would like to have their child baptized in the upcoming months are required to have an interview with Karen Corcoran, Lay Pastoral Associate before each Baptism Preparation Course. Please be advised that the Baptism Date requires to be confirmed before you make arrangements for family and friends to attend.
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♦ 90th Anniversary Parish Family Fair - June 9th (Sun) starting after 9:30 mass
The various activities will be held in the Parish Hall & Church Grounds and OLPH School Playing Field. This event is for parishioners of OLPH and hope everyone will take some time to join us.
At the Church
- BBQ with hot dogs, hamburgers & sausages
- Pot luck spread of salads and casseroles
- Wine and beer and soft drinks
At the School
- Activities & games for the children
- Shuttle bus will be running between church & school.
Sign-up sheets are in the Vestibule for people to indicate what kind of salad or casseraole they are able to bring to the pot luck. Bring your dish to the hall before the start of the 9:30 am mass.
If you are willing to volunteer to help and are interested in getting more information, contact Henry Miller at 416-932-8420
This will be a great opportunity to visit with old friends and to make new acquaintances...
Archived Parish News (2013-2008)
2013
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♦ Pictures from Sacrament for the Sick (April 20)
As one of OLPH's parish celebrations for our 90th Anniversary, this special Mass was conducted to incorporate the celebration of the Anointing of the Sick. It was a reaching out to all parishioners who are struggling with their health for various reasons - as well as to pray for our relatives, friends and neighbours whom we know to be not well.
♦ Pictures from Easter Vigil mass (March 29, 2013)
♦ Pictures of Mark Grant's special day at the Easter Vigil mass (March 29)
At this Easter Vigil, Mark Grant had a triple-event day - received into the Catholic Church, received Sacrament of Confirmation and received Holy Eucharist for first time. We congratulate and welcome Mark to our OLPH parish.
♦ Pictures from Good Friday Ecumenical Walk with Cross (March 29, 2013)
Some representative pictures from the Walk but many more photos are posted in the Photo Gallery.
♦ Pictures from Good Friday Service (March 29, 2013)
♦ Pictures from Holy Thursday (March 28, 2013)
♦ OLPH Choir's CD still available at weekend masses and parish office
The new CD that was launched after the (above) March 17th Concert is available for purchase ($15.00) - in the vestibule after the weekend masses starting March 24th. They are also available from the parish rectory. Proceeds from these sale will go to the ongoing church improvement fund.
Here are 30-sec sampling of some of the music found on the CD -
Widor Toccata
Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
Ave Verum Corpus
Glory to God
Some CD details - front and back covers and list of organists & choir members.
♦ Pictures from OLPH Evening of Musical Celebration (March 17)
OLPH Church was filled with beautiful music provided by the OLPH Choir and Organists. It was appropriately entitled "Make a Joyful Noice unto the Lord" as it included music for St. Patrick's Day. The 15-member choir and the two organists (Peter Daly and Frank O'Grady was led by the Music Director, Carolynne Davy Godin.
A couple of pictures below with Program but many more are posted in the Photo Gallery with numerous short videos on Picasa Web http://picasaweb.google.com/115270280982994338177. If it does not connect by clicking on link, please copy it to your browser.
♦ The Holy Week Triduum
Over the next week we join Christians around the world in celebrating our most holy and important religious moments in the year. Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter are without question the celebration of the heart of our Christian faith, namely the death and resurrection of Christ. Our whole liturgical year leads up to these days and our faith flows out of them.
The “Triduum” is the name given to the celebration of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter and in particular the Easter Vigil. Too often we see these three celebrations as three separate events when in fact they are a celebration of one event only and that is the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Each day celebrates a different dimension of what is called the Paschal Mystery which is the name given to Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.
Because the Triduum is a three-fold celebration of the one Paschal Mystery it is important, if it is at all possible, that we as Catholics attend all three of the celebrations in order to participate in the whole Mystery. And of particular importance is the Easter Vigil, which is without question the most important liturgy we celebrate as Catholics. Thus, I encourage everyone to make an effort to come to church on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, but even more so to the Easter Vigil. You won’t be disappointed that you did.
♦ Lectures on Vatican II by Prof. Meg Lavin ended March 21st
As part of OLPH's 90th Anniversary celebrations during this year, this 4-lecture series on Vatican II was provided by Prof. Meg Lavin of Regis College. Much of her talk was based on her own recent book "Vatican II: Fifty Years of Evolution and Revolution in the Catholic Church". The first lecture started on a stormy evening of Feb. 7th which ended on a calmer day on March 21st with good attendance each evening. A few pictures below from the last evening including refreshment break in the vestibule.
For those who missed her lectures, Prof. Lavin will be giving a more comprehensive 8-wk course at Regis College starting Thurs. May 2nd, 11:00 - 1:00 - more info at www.regiscollege.ca/Windows_On_Theology
♦ Confirmation Session #4 for all Students held on March 6th
♦ New Custodian
As many of you may know, Roman Pietraszkiewicz our parish custodian, will be retiring at the end of June 2013. I am pleased to announce that we have now hired a new custodian to take over from Roman when he retires. Our new custodian is Edward Pietraszkiewicz and he is Roman’s younger brother. We are very fortunate to get Ed as he brings with him many of the same skill sets that made Roman such a wonderful caretaker for us. I want to welcome Ed to OLPH and to wish him well in his new position. Roman and Ed will be working together for the next few months so that Roman can show Ed all that needs to be done to keep the church, rectory and grounds in good order and fine repair.
♦ 2012 Financial Report & 2013 Financial Budget
This Report/Budget with a covering letter from the OLPH Finance Council were inserted with the Feb. 24, 2013 Bulletin.
♦ Few pictures below from Pancake Breakfast (Feb. 10) - with many more in Photo Gallery
There was a good turnout after the 9:30 and 11:00 masses despite the bad snow storm just two days earlier. This event was to launch ShareLife with all services provided by the male parishioners - preparation, cooking, serving, cleaning up and more.
Thanks to pictures received from parishioners Renee Greening and Nadine Maxwell (new OLPH website member). Another new website member is Kent Fines who was helping after both masses at this Pancake Sunday....If you see any incorrect captions (especially with names), please send email to OLPH webmaster at webmaster@olphtoronto.com
Archived Parish News 2012
♦ Pictures from Christmas Eve masses - with more pictures now posted in the Photo Gallery
♦ Many pictures from the Dec. 9th Christmas Cheer in Photo Gallery
If you were at the Christmas Cheer after the 9:30 or 11:00 mass, there is a good chance you'll be in one of some 40 pictures that are posted in the Photo Gallery (Left menu). Please take a look.
♦ Canned Food Drive held on Nov. 24, 2012
This annual event took place under a sunny but cool Saturday morning. The tentative count is about 15,500 cans, about 15% down from previous years for various reasons (other food drives, etc). Councillors Kristyn Wong-Tam & Josh Matlow came to help out. Few pictures below but please take a look at many more in the Photo Gallery.
♦ Gigantic Afghan made by parishioner Margaret Boland
This afghan was presented to Fr. Jim on Nov. 2nd for OLPH use - he's thinking about how best to utilize it. Some quick facts - it's good for king-sized bed, over 72" in diameter, made of bernat satin (wool material from money from the OLPH Craft Cbrcle group). It took a few months (June - Sept) to finish it in this fantastic shape and colour....The design is based on the Stained Glass windows in Our Lady of Chartres Cathedral near Paris, shown below at right. For better view, go to their website and scroll down half way to "Rose Windows"
♦ Neighbour's Branch fell on Rectory Roof
Neighbour's large branch fell on Rectory Roof during the storm connected with Hurricane Sandy during the night of Oct. 29-30.
♦ Helping Christian Palestinians through purchase of hard-carved crafts
After the Nov. 18th weekend masses, someone for the Christian Palestinians spoke about the serious problems they are facing. Jean-Francois Bourgeois mentioned the percent of Christian Palestinians has dropped from 30% over 50 years ago to a mere 1.6% now - due mainly to religious persecution and economic hardship (lack of tourists). Their main source of income are hand-carved crafts which were displayed in the parish hall for sale. Although the crafts were only available that weekend, they can be ordered through their website - Holy Land Direct - www.holylanddirect.com
♦ Young parishioners starting their confirmation preparation - Nov. 18th
There were a total of 9 candidates (including 3 altar servers) at the 9:30 mass preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
♦ Two Baby Baptism at the 9:30 am mass on October 28, 2012
♦ An Evening of Inspiritional Organ Music - Oct. 14, 2012
This evening was enjoyed by the many music lovers who braved the cool wet Sunday evening - to listen to six organists from the Churches-on-the-Hill. A few pictures below from that musical evening.
The participating organists were - Stephen Fraser (Grace Church-on the-Hill), Peter Daly (OLPH), Frank O' Grady (OLPH), Anita Gaide (St. John's Lutheran Latvian), Rachel Mahon (Timothy Eaton Memorial) and William Maddox (Yorkminster Park Baptist).
History of the newly revamped OLPH organ Built in 1905 by Karn-Warren for The People's Church, Toronto, this beatuiful organ made its way to OLPH in 1937, on the advice and under the supervision of Healey Willan. The T. Eaton Company, Organ Division, did some major repais in 1956 - not on the pipes, but on the chests and other sundry items. Then came Casavant ranks from Deer Park United Churched added in 1971, at which time the organ was largely re-voiced by Thomas Fitches. A complete cleaning and tuning was done in 2011, with the addition of new console and additional digital ranks completed in 2012 by Rodgers Organs. This information was provided courtesy of Talan T. Jackson.
♦ Announcing The Year of Faith
This article by Fr. Jim Hannah was inserted with the bulletin of Oct. 14th. Read the article
♦ Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan – Communication from Cardinal Thomas Collins
This weekend, as we celebrate the feast of St. Michael, patron saint of the Archdiocese of Toronto, we are distributing copies of a pastoral letter from Cardinal Thomas Collins. This communication provides background on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan that will be shared with our catholic community in the New Year. Please take a moment to read the online version of the cardinal’s letter and pray for the ongoing work of all those involved in this important process.
♦ Children preparing for First Communion with families on Sept. 30, 2012
♦ Children's Liturgy at 9:30 mass on Sept. 23
♦ Homepage of OLPH Website completely Overhauled
The Homepage of the Parish Website has been completely re-designed - new headings, colours, and format including changing flash pictures. Please take a moment to check it out – www.olphtoronto.com. While the rest of the pages have not been revised at this time, we believe that it’s still a very comprehensive site and provides extensive information on the parish, matters of faith, donation options and more.
♦ Update about OLPH Refugee Sponsorship Program
The following update was emailed on August 20th to all OLPH Parishioners on our current email list. If you did not receive it or missed it, click here for the update from Krysta Davies Foss of the OLPH Refugeee Committee.
For a summary of what the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) spokesperson said at the Palais des Nations press briefing in Geneva in mid-July, click here
♦ Former OLPH Pastor Fr. Cyril Robitaille passed away on Aug. 12, 2012
The seventh pastor was at OLPH from 1998-2002 when he retired.
♦ Surprise Party for Fr. Jim's 10th Anniversary as OLPH Pastor - June 10, 2012
Few pictures below but 40+ pics in the Photo Gallery
♦ Continuing Refurbishment of the Church (from May 27th Bulletin)
The next step we will be taking in the church is the widening of the centre aisle at the front of the church. Towards the end of June, we will be taking approximately one and a half to two feet off the first two or three pews on each side of the centre aisle. For events like weddings and funerals, the centre aisle at the front is simply too narrow with the result that it can be very congested making it awkward for people to move around. Making the pews slightly shorter will make a significant difference and give much more room for movement.
Once that is completed, we need to think about having the church roof re-insulated. There is still insulation in parts of the ceiling but a lot of it has been shifted either by contractors over the years or simply by gravity with the result that many areas of the roof are now without insulation. Addressing this issue will go a long way in helping to reduce our gas bill in the winter as well as making it possible to address the issue of the marks all over the interior ceiling of the church. The marks are not the result of water damage but rather shifted insulation. Where there is no insulation any longer you get hot and cold spots that attract dust leaving the marks we can see when we look up. We cannot paint the ceiling until we deal with the insulation or the marks on the ceiling will return in just a few years. So we will be looking at what is involved in addressing our need for insulating the ceiling.
♦ Many Refurbishment pictures now posted in Photo Gallery
As mentioned in our Insider's Easter Greetings last Sunday, many pictures of the Refurbishment (Nov. 2011 to present) are now posted in our Photo Gallery. They have been separated, for convenience, into the following phases:
- Phase-1 (Nov-Dec) – OLPH Icon cleaning & Organ/Pipes repainting (this was posted already last November)
- Phase-2 (Jan-Feb) – Repainting Our Lady’s statue, removal of Carpets and last Pew
- Phase-3 (Mar-Apr) – Large Cross, Painting walls behind Our Lady and Eucharistic Altar
♦ First Communion - Group 2 on May 13th
On another beautiful day at 11 am mass - May 13, 2012. Pictured at the back are OLPH School teacher, Fr. Jim, Karen Corcoran and OLPH School Principal Lillian Kurnick
♦ Confirmation on May 12th, 5 pm mass
Confirmation for the 40 candidates on the near and far sides of the central aisle, was administered by Fr. Jim. Boys pictures courtesy from Peter Mastromarini
♦ First Communion - Group 1 on May 6th
Pictured in this group photo outside is newly-arrived seminarian Joshua Roldan, Fr. Jim, Karen Corcoran and Fr. Guenter
♦ Sacraments for Kevin Willis and Kent Fines - Easter Vigil (April 7)
At the Easter Vigil mass, Kevin Willis and Kent Fines were received into the Church as well as receiving the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Communion.
♦ Decorating the Altar area and Alter Servers' Practice - April 7 (Sat)
♦ Good Friday Cross Walk - April 6 (Fri)
Few pictures at the start of the annual Good Friday Cross Walk, starting from OLPH. Young parishioner Rory Greening is carrying the cross.
♦ Pictures from Two Baby Baptism at 9:30 mass on Feb. 26th
Congratulations to Nicholas & Karla Brown of their baby boy's baptism and to Maura Kukaric of her baby girl's baptism by Fr. Jim.
♦ Pictures from another successful Pancake Breakfast - Feb. 12
To launch the 2012 ShareLife campaign, many male parishioners helped out with Pancake Breakfast - setting tables, making and serving pancakes and cleaning up afterwards. A few pictures shown below but a total of 28 are shown in the Photo Gallery.
♦ Refurbishment of Church is continuing
Our Lady's statue (to the right of the altar area) was re-painted with beautiful colours in mid-January 2012, part of the ongoing major refurbishment of the church.
Another phase started on Jan. 23rd with the removal of the last pew to provide more space to move at the back. Also the removal of the carpets started in the centre and side aisles and in front of the Eucharist and in the baptism font area. See many more pictures in the Photo Gallery.
Archived Parish News 2011
♦ New Calendar of Events and Meetings
A new and better Calendar has been recently introduced. It’s quite obvious how to use it:
- the Event and Start/End times are shown on the day itself
- when you mouse over the Event, it will give additional info - Time and Description (location of event)
- when you click on the event (“View this event”), it will display the complete info in one place but no additional info
- Use browser’s Back Arrow to go back to Calendar.
The different types of events/meetings have been colour-coded to make it easier to identify:
- blue = Ministry Meetings
- red = Sacramental Preparation Meetings (first communion, confirmation, etc)
- brown = Parish Events
- green - Beyond-the-parish Events
♦ Globe & Mail article about major refurbishing of the OLPH Pipe Organ
A comprehensive 3-page writeup by Peter Power appeared in the Dec. 24th issue with numerous large photos of the pipes being overhauled and refurbished. Read full article. The online version has a 2.5 minute video of some of the renovation plus a photo essay with 18 photos.
See OLPH's own set of numerous pictures taken during this period in - The Photo Gallery
♦ Ecumenical Christmas Canned Food Drive (Nov. 26th) - now Sobeys $10 bag
The residential component saw close to 18,000 items collected, about the same as last year. In addition the Saint Vincent de Paul Society received cheques and cash totalling slightly over $4,000. A special thanks to all those who contributed and also those who volunteered.
A few pictures are posted to show the "cycle" of the entire operation - delivery of flyers the previus Saturday (Nov. 19), the picking up of canned goods, the boxing into donated beer boxes in the OLPH Parish Hall, the carrying up to the waiting vans to take to various food banks. Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam for Ward 27 (Toronto Centre Rosedale) - www.toronto.ca/councillors/wong_tam1.htm dropped by to give a hand. She had apparently helped with St. Vincent de Paul in past years.
If you have not already given or may have missed the residential Drive, you can still participate by donating at the Sobeys store on St. Clair Ave. East near Avoca Ave. that has again agreed to hold a Drive via a pre-packaged bag scheme - More info in this flyer.. Simply give the appropriate amount to the cashier when checking out and the bag will be set aside for pick-up for delivery to area food banks. This Drive will continue until early January.
♦ Monsignor BARNETT (Pastor 1953 to 1978) Recalls the 1960's Renovations
In March 1959, discussions began with Mr. Harold Rambusch of New York and Mr. Roy Orlando, a local architect. Renovations began in January 1960 and continued throughout that year. The marble steps disappeared with the extension of the sanctuary. A massive carved walnut reredos serves as a background for the main altar of Italian marble, on which is specially designed bronze tabernacle. On the reredos hangs a crucifix of olivewood, with the corpus of carved ivory. The sanctuary is carpeted and furnished in walnut with a marble communion rail. Over the centre of the sanctuary hangs the medallion of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, enamel on copper in a hand-carved wooden frame of adoring angels.
The two side altars are of marble, one decorated with a Venetian mosaic depicting Christ the King and Priest; the other with a carved lindenwood statue of St. Joseph, surrounded by carved wooden and polychromed representations of the Canadian Coat of Arms, as well as those of the ten provinces and the territories.
The Baptistry, behind heavy bronze gates, is of Verde Issorie marble with a hand-wrought bronze of John the Baptist baptizing Our Lord in the Jordan. The stations of the cross are individually carved wooden figures embellished with gold leaf. They are outstandingly beautiful.
Two lindenwood statues of St. Anne and St. Anthony are installed to decorate the front vestibule. Stained glass windows, with rock glass, feature the story of the picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The pipe organ was fully renewed in the 1950’s, and the tone brightened with new pipes in the 1970’s. In 1961 the sacristy was renovated with a massive vesting table and new stained glass windows.
Copy from 60th Anniversary pamphlet 1923-1983
.♦ More Info about using new Roman Missal - started 1st Sunday in Advent (Nov. 27)
Changes are coming to the way we celebrate Mass. Although this is mainly for English mass, it’s still useful for all of us to know about these changes. Beginning with the start of Advent (new Church year), the Mass will undergo its biggest change since Vatican II. There is a lot of useful information about this Third Edition of the Roman Missal in the Archdiocesan website - www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal/:
- FAQ’s (Frequently asked Questions) – useful for quick info about the Roman Missal - www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal/faq.htm
♦ Cleaning OLPH Icon and Refurbishing Organ & Pipes
Work on this major project started in November. The repairing of the organ and re-painting of the many pipes started in early November and will take more time. The cleaning of the Icon started on Nov. 14th and was finished during the week but Fr. Jim left it at the lower height so parishioners could see better the front and back of the Icon. Few pictures below but many more are posted in the Photo Gallery (Left Menu).
♦ Baby Baptisms at OLPH on Oct. 30th
The Sunday 9:30 mass on Oct. 30th was a busy one with the baptisms of 4 babies, including twin girls. But the 3 girls and 1 boy behaved well with no crying from any of them - kudos to Fr. Jim's good job too! The individual family pictures are very similar to the ones on Homepage but slightly different (look closely at the baby directions!)
♦ More Info about using new Roman Missal - started 1st Sunday in Advent (Nov. 27)
Changes are coming to the way we celebrate Mass. Although this is mainly for English mass, it’s still useful for all of us to know about these changes. Beginning with the start of Advent (new Church year), the Mass will undergo its biggest change since Vatican II. There is a lot of useful information about this Third Edition of the Roman Missal in the Archdiocesan website - www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal/:
- Home (top menu):
- Preamble (on Homepage itself)
- Background
- Timeline of Contemporary Developments (historical development since 1962)
- GIRM & Order of Mass (GIRM = General Instruction for Roman Missal)
- Order of Mass - it’s comprehensive and long (75 pages and may take time to download PDF file)
- Excerpts from the Order of Mass (12 pages)
- The Eucharist (Mass) – A Guide – this is - a useful item
- FAQ’s (Frequently asked Questions) – useful for quick info about the Roman Missal - www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal/faq.htm
♦ OLPH Ministry Fair held on Oct. 15-16 weekend
Thanks to everyone who came to the Ministry Fair and inquired and or signed up for various ministries.
If you did not have an opportunity to come to the Fair, see the attachment in this bulletin regarding the various ministries. Fill out the sheet and indicate the ministries that you are interested in and return it to Karen, one of the priests, put it in the collection basket or drop if off at the office.
The special prize for all the participants who came to the Ministry Fair was won by Mary McGrath. A few pictures from the Fair.
♦ Pictures of some new Registrants on June 5, 2011
The Pastoral Council had designated this Sunday to acknowledge some 80 new parishioners from last October to April inclusive. Fr. Jim blessed those who came to the 9:30 mass. Coffee and snacks were enjoyed by them and other parishioners.
♦ First Communion at OLPH - Group 1 (May 1, left pair) and Group 2 (May 8), 2011
As there was such a large number (74) receiving this sacrament, it was split into two consecutive Sundays at the 11 am mass. As in the Confirmation ceremony below, Karen Corcoran worked very hard (with numerous helpers) to organize these three events.
♦ Confirmation By Bishop McGrattan at OLPH - May 4, 2011
Pictures of Confirmation by Bishop William McGrattan, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Toronto.
♦ Anniversary of Ordinations to the Priesthood
During the month of May which is set for such anniversaries, please remember and pray for our clergy at OLPH for their years of service as they continue the Mission of Christ:
- Fr. Jim Hannah - 37 years
- Fr. Guenter Petricek - 15 years
- Fr. Dan Donovan - 49 years
♦ Pictures from COTH's Good Friday Walk held on April 22
The 18th Annual Good Friday Walk, organized by the Churches-on-the-Hill (COTH), started with a decent number starting at OLPH. But it grew in the Yonge/St. Clair area as more participants joined it. The Eastern Route started at OLPH at noon, then to Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Chist Church Deer Park Anglican Church, Calvin Prersbyterian Church/Deer Park United Church and Timothy Eaton Memorial Church (United). The Western Route started from Holy Rosary church. Some sample pictures are shown below but many other pictures are in the Photo Gallery.
♦ Pictures from COTH's Lenten Service held on March 29
The Churches on-the-Hill (COTH) held an ecumenical Lenten Service at the 143-yr old Bishop Strachan School - http://bss.on.ca. Although Fr. Jim was attending, OLPH was represented by Pastoral Associate, Karen Corcoran, who did a great job of reading the Gospel.
♦ 2010 Financial Report and 2011 Budget
The OLPH Finance Council has issued the 2010 Financial Statement and 2011 Budget plus the covering letter (inserted with the March 27th bulletin). This same information will be retained in the Parish Info/Parish Admin Section (Left menu).
♦ Pictures from Saint John's Bible presentation at OLPH on March 24th
A presentation of the Saint John's Bible was made by Fr. Gordon Rixon, sj, Dean of Regis College and a Jesuit scripture scholar. He was assisted by Jesuit seminarian, Matthew Livingston, for "turning" the pages carefully with white gloves. They brought two of the 7 volumes that were presented to Regis College a year ago - the Pentateuch (first 5 books in the Bible) and the Prophers. Fr. Rixon gave a talk entitled “Remembering Sacred Scripture: Growing in the Word”. See more pictures from that evening in the Photo Gallery
The Saint John's Bible is the first-handwritten, hand-illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine Abbey in Minnesota in over 500 years. Each volume is large, measuring 2 ft high by 3 ft wide when opened and weighing 20 lbs each. Its handwritten lettering and stunning artwork truly present the Word of God in an engaging and inspirational way. It is a truly beautiful bible that is a work of art in itself. More info about Saint John's Abbey & University can be found at www.saintjohnsbible.org
♦ March 6 — Pictures from Pancake Breakfast on March 6
A large turnout after both 9:30 and 11:00 masses to kick off ShareLife 2011 (see below). Sample pictures are shown below - many other pictures in the Photo Gallery. Names of young children are excluded in captions for their safety as this is on the public Internet.
♦ February 12 — Update on OLPH's Craft Circle
We meet on the first Friday of each Month at OLPH. We do crocheting, knitting, sewing, jewellery making and other crafts. We have a pre-Christmas Sale and we also donate items to charity. You are welcome to join us for social chat & coffee. Donations of any wools or fabrics are welcome. We would also appreciate receiving crafts made at home at your own convenience. To contact us, leave your number at the church office, 416-489-1540.
See some pictures of the group from Nov. 26th in the Archived News section, further down on this web page.
♦ January 30 — Two Baby Baptism at the 9:30 mass
♦ January 20 — Update of Ecumenical 2010 Christmas Food Drive
The Saint Vincent de Paul Society, as lead organizer and one of the recipient agencies, advises that the final total was 31,000 items (30,000 in 2009). This is an additional 13,000 subsequent to the residential drive in late November and is largely the result of the partnership with the two area Sobeys which held in-store drives on our behalf as well as bulk discount purchases from cash donations plus one-time special collections. Thank you for your caring and generosity for those needy members of our community. Update was submitted by Brian Kearney, chairperson of Canned Goods Drive Campaign - brian.kearney@sympatico.ca
♦ January 18 — Fr. Jim reads gospel at Sgt. Ryan Russell's funeral
As chaplain for Toronto Police Divison 53, Fr. Jim was invited to read the second reading (gospel) at Sgt. Russell's very large funeral at the Metro Convention Centre. A few pictures taken from the telecast are shown below. The complete video of the 2-hr ceremony can be viewed at www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/Featured_Videos/1555003082/ID=1750519643. This is under "Police officer's Funeral" under "Featured Videos" on the Homepage of CBC News. Click on "Full Screen" icon at bottom right. The first reading was quite early in the ceremony but Fr. Jim's second reading was about 1.5 hours from the start after numerous speeches.
Read more about this event including comments by Toronto Police Service head chaplain, Rev. Walter Kelly who was conducting the funeral service in this Catholic Register's Jan. 26th article
Archived Parish News 2010
- December 5 — Pictures from Christmas Cheer Sunday
There were good turnouts after the 9:30 and 11:00 masses. The band from the 236th Scout Group from Holy Name Church entertained with Christmas carols. The draw for the winners of the Raffle Tickets took place. An amazing amount of $3,675.00 was raised for the Church Organ Fund through the sale of hundreds of raffle tickets - thanks to the hard work of secretary Helen, who also obtained the donations of the prizes. Samples shown below - many other pictures in the Photo Gallery.
- November 27 — Pictures from St. Vincent de Paul's Canned Food Drive
An army of 200+ descended on OLPH on Nov. 27th to help in this annual Christmas Food Drive - from picking up canned food in the neighbourhood, carrying them down to the Parish Hall, emptying and re-packing them in carton boxes, taking the boxes up to a waiting truck which takes them to different food banks. Some 18,000 cans were collected, excluding many more expected via Sobeys (below). Some sample pictures of the whole process were taken - please take a look at many others in the Photo Gallery of our website.
- November 26 — Craft Circle sale at SPRINT
The Craft Circle social activity at OLPH is expanding from meeting at OLPH to another location - at SPRINT (Senior People's Resources in North Toronto), located at 140 Merton St., 416-481-6411 -www.sprint-homecare.ca. Pictures were missed of their Nov. 7th sale at OLPH but some pictures from another sale at SPRINT on Nov. 26th were taken by member Margaret Boland.
- October 24 — Pictures from "Welcome New Parishioners" Sunday
Please take a look at pictures from this Sunday to introduce and welcome the new parishioners who had registered during this year. Go to Photo Gallery in Left Menu.
- May 30 — Pictures from Parish Spring BBQ
Numerous photos from this Spring BBQ, hosted by the Finance Council, are posted in the Photo Gallery (Left menu). Please take a look - you may be looking at yourself in some pictures!
- May 8 — Confirmation at OLPH
Some 25 candidates from OLPH received the Sacrament of Confirmation from Fr. Jim Hannah at the 5:00 mass on May 8th. Lay Pastoral Associate Karen Corcoran was busy again preparing them all to receive this sacrament.
- May 2 — First Communion at OLPH
A total of 57 students from OLPH School and other schools (public and non-Catholic private ones) received their First Communion at the 11:00 mass on May 2nd. Our Lay Pastoral Associate, Karen Corcoran, was busy preparing all the candidates for their big day.
- April 31 — Young Parishioner's article "A Kenyan Experience" now published
Parishioners with good memory may recall that two years ago, Jackie de Santis made an amazing trip to Kenya with the "Leaders Now" organization. Read it online in the March-April 2010 issue of the Scarboro Missions Magazine - www.scarboromissions.ca/Scarboro_missions_magazine/Issues/2010/Mar_Apr/kenyan_experience.php.
- April 17-18 — Archbishop Collins' Message on Sexual Abuse and the Church
Addressed to all archdiocesan priests and faithful, his letter was read at all parishes on April 17-18 weekend. You can hear the Archbishop in his own words on YouTube at www.archtoronto.org. Or you can read it on the Archdiocesan website - www.archtoronto.org/pdf/abuse-april10eng.pdf.
- April 3 — Baptism of Chris and Melissa on Easter Vigil
At the Easter Vigil mass at OLPH, Chris Lee and Melissa Leonituk (left picture) received three Sacraments - Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist. They had been taking the RCIA course since last September, with the RCIA team led by Lay Pastoral Associate Karen Corcoran. Click on any picture to obtain an enlargement view.
- March 24 — Presentation of the Saint John's Bible at OLPH on March 24
Fr. Scott Lewis from Regis College spoke about "According to Scripture: Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament". He brought three huge volumes of this Saint John's Bible to OLPH, each about 25 x 16 in. They are reproductions of the first complete edition of the Bible to be hand-scribed and hand-illuminated in over 500 years! More info at www.saintjohnsbible.org
- Feb. 1 — Haitian Earthquake Relief - donations were accepted by ShareLife (via Caritas Internationalis) for relief efforts following the Jan. 12th catastophic earthquake in Haiti. A special archdiocesan collection was also taken up at all parishes on Jan. 24-25. An ecumenical Prayer Service for the earthquake victims was held on Feb. 1st at St. Paul's Basilica with representatives from faith communities throughout the GTA including Archbishop Thomas Collins.
- Jan.24 — Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 17-24) - the main ecumenical service was held on Jan. 24th at the Timothy Eaton Memorial Church. The major Christian leaders and city-wide clergy attended with Archbishop Thomas Collins preaching at the service.
Archived Parish News 2009
- Dec. 6 — Two new Sections "Parish Donations" and "Planned Giving" were added to our website. The first method is by Pre-Authorized Giving (PAG) or the weekly Sunday envelopes - read more. Besides these methods, there are numerous other methods to support your parish, e.g., stocks, estate, life insurance, etc. - read more.
- Oct. 18 — Special Fund-raising Campaign via PAG donations - This campaign arose out of a pledge by a generous OLPH parishioner who matched, on a one-time basis till December, the dolloar amount obtained from new Pre-Authorized Giving (PAG) donors or from increases to amounts contributed by existing PAG donors.
- July 19 — Summer Issue of The Icon Newsletter was published with interesting articles about parish activities and even about our pastor. You can still read it at the very end of the "Bulletins/Homilies" section (Left Menu)
- April 19 — Surprise Party for Fr. Jim's 35th Anniversary - The surprise was kept intact till after the 9:30 mass when he was ushered down to the parish hall. It was repeated again after the 11:00 mass but not a surprise by then. Enjoy pictures from the two parties
- March 29 - April 1 — Parish Lenten Mission - This 4-day event (7:00 - 8:15 pm each evening) helped the parish to prepare for Easter through spiritual growth and renewal. It was conducted by Fr. Steve Vasek & Sr. Jean Fitzpatrick from Buffalo, NY, supported by Mission Teams of about 25 parishioners. Audio versions of each evening are available in the Bulletins/Homilies section (Archives). See pictures from each day of the Mission
- February 16 — A Holy Hour of Prayer was held in preparation for the Parish Lenten Mission (late March). It was conducted by Fr. Steve Vasek & Sr. Jean Fitzpatrick. see some pictures from that evening
- January 25 — Stopping the e-Newsletter The Insider. Based on the results of the Jan. 11th online survey, it was decided to stop the bi-weekly publication but use it for as-needed communication, e.g. important timely matters. But much of what was in the e-Newsletter would be provided via two new sections on the website: (a) Parish News and (b) Community News (news and events beyond the parish).
- January 9 — Former OLPH pastor, Fr. Wilfred Firth, died peacefully in his 86th year. His funeral mass was held on Jan. 15th at Blessed Trinity Church which he built in the mid-1960's. Read more about Fr. Firth
Archived Parish News 2008
- Sept. 14 — The OLPH Parish Mission Statement was issued, now shown on Homepage of this site
- Sept. 7 — OLPH parishioner and high school student Jackie de Santis had an amazing trip to Kenya in July 2008 with the "Leaders Today" program. Read about her experience with many pictures
- Sept. 7 — A new electronic Calendar of Events & Meetings added to website in a monthly or yearly format with the following colour-coded groups: (a) Events (within and beyond parish), (b) Ministry meetings (Pastoral council, RCIA, etc), (c) Sacramental preparation (Reconciliation, First Communion, etc) and (d) Baptism dates and preparation
- July 6 — A new section "Know our Faith" provides many links to various aspects of our Faith including Catholic Social Teaching. Please take a look
- February - June — Fr. Guenter Petricek gave a series of monthly talks/seminars following the Thursday 12:10 mass - including Church History, Lenten reflections, about Mary and about St. Paul (for Pauline year starting June 28, 2008)
- April 26-28 — OLPH School celebrated their 150th Anniversary - see many pictures from the numerous weekend events
- March 21 — The 15th annual Good Friday Walk had a good turnout, visiting and praying at the participating Churches-on-the-Hill. See pictures from the walk in Photo Gallery
- March 9 — A new bi-weekly e-Newsletter "The Insider" was launched by the website committee. The purpose of this newest form of parish communication is to inform parishioners by email of what's going in the parish and archdiocese and beyond.
- February 6 - March 19 — A Lenten Pilgrimage of Sacred Spaces 2008, organized by the Yorkminster Park Baptish Church and joined by the Churches-on-the-Hill. This ecumenical Pilgrimage visited six churches and one synagogue throughout the city. Read more
- November 27 — Pictures from St. Vincent de Paul's Canned Food Drive
