Do you like yummy treats? Are you pro-life and want to help the cause? Delicious traditional Christmas cakes and other tasty gifts made by the Cistercian Monks of Val Notre-Dame Abbaye in St-Jean-de-Matha, Quebec will be for sale in our church the first and second weekends of December after all Masses. All proceeds go to help the preterm babies.
* DATE/TIME CHANGE* Christmas Parish Potluck Luncheon - Sunday 08 December 2019 following the 11:15 am Mass Due to a conflict with other planned community and parish activities the date for this event has changed and it is now a potluck luncheon. Please mark your calendar for Sunday 08 December, following the 11:15 am Mass. At this event we will also be marking a special farewell and gratitude to Deacon Dan as he retires from active Diaconate Ministry; best wishes will also be extended to Dee, his wife, who has journeyed with him in his years of ministry. Please plan to attend, bring along your favourite dish to share and enjoy wonderful fellowship with your faith family. We will have a Christmas sing-along and some activities for children as we endeavour to make this a memorable spiritfilled gathering. We are grateful for all help with the set-up in the morning and tear down at the end. Please contact Marilyn Olsen, Pastoral Council Chair at mabolsen@rogers.com; enter “2019 Christmas Parish Potluck” in the subject line.
The new Living with Christ Sunday Missals will be available for purchase on the weekends of 23/24 November and 30 November/01 December. A table will be set up in the Gathering Space both weekends; cost is $5.00 each. Copies can be purchased any time during office hours.
YOUTH GROUP – Come out to youth group Friday nights for food, fun and fellowship! Junior youth group (grades 6-8) runs from 6:30-8pm and Senior (grades 9-12) from 8:15-9:45pm. All are welcome! Any questions or interested in volunteering? Please contact Kate at: youth@thegoodshepherdparish.com
SECOND COLLECTION – there will be a second collection for the Catholic Missions in Canada the weekend of November 16/17. There are no envelopes in the envelope box for this collection. Additional envelope will be provided.
St-Vincent de Paul and the Knights of Columbus would like to announce: “Pick an angel tag and buy a Christmas present for a child!” By the main entrance, you will find angel tags hung on the Christmas tree. The blue tag indicates the age of a boy, and the pink tag indicate the age of a girl. This is in order to provide a gift appropriate for this child ….
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS 9005 CHARITY AUCTION – Friday, November 8th at 7:00 pm. The cost of the event is $5.00. Proceeds from the auction will go to the Christmas Food Hampers/Food Banks in the community. Donations of cash or unused/new items would be appreciated. Items can be dropped off of Friday, November 8th from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm.
The new heating unit will be installed on Wednesday, October 30th. A crane will be needed to lift the unit into place. At this time, we are unsure where the crane will be placed. If it is blocking the main doors, please use the side entrances.
Saturday, November 2 – 9:00-2:00 pm - Don't miss the opportunity of finding just the right gift for your family and friends. Home baked goodies are waiting for you on the bake table and you can choose from cakes, squares, cookies, etc. Rest awhile and have a delicious soup and sandwich for lunch or a coffee and muffin at the Café.
CURSILLO - It is that time again for all Christian women to consider taking a Cursillo weekend, October 17-20, 2019 at the Notre Dame Retreat Facilities, on St-Joseph Blvd. You must register on-line before Oct 15, 2019. There is still room available, please see the Ottawa Cursillo Movement for more details in what it covers, or call Helen Lemoire at 613 590-7450 anytime for help or more information. I promise once you attend you will be pleasantly surprised and fulfilled with the love of God. You can also see information in the Good Shepherd website under Cursillo.
The results of last weekend’s second collection for the heating and sound systems are in. Thanks to your generosity, we raised $20,428, more than enough to cover the cost of replacing the heating unit in the main worship space. We will, therefore, be moving ahead with the replacement, with the aim to having the unit installed by the end of October.
An enrollment ceremony will be held at all Masses on October 19th and 20th for the children preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. We ask that you arrive early, at least 15 minutes before Mass and write your child’s name in the sign-in sheet. The priest will call the child’s name after the homily and the parents will bring the child in front and will stand facing the altar.
For the 4th year, the 4 Knights of Columbus councils in Orleans are organizing a steak dinner, on October 19, at St Joseph’s Parish, in support of Sister Rita at the Miriam Centre. The Miriam Centre provides assistance to mothers and babies in the community. The building housing the Miriam Centre was recently damaged by fire, and the need for help in rebuilding is critical. Good Shepherd Council is part of this endeavour and we have tickets for sale over the coming days. The cost is $20.00, and includes an 8-10oz striploin steak with all the trimmings, (potatoes, carrots, salad, bread and dessert, coffee and tea). For tickets, please contact Jay Sanko at jaysanko@hotmail.com, or John Butt at jrbutt@gmail.com.
The CWL membership drive will be held at all the Masses this weekend. Membership is open to all women 16 years and older. Please consider joining or renewing your membership with us. The annual membership fee is $25. Ladies will be in the Gathering Space this weekend to answer any of your questions and assist in joining/renewing your membership.
Thank you to all who signed up to be active in a ministry or an organization within the parish. As Mother Teresa said, "I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things." Each and every action that we do helps build God’s Kingdom here on earth. We extend heartfelt gratitude to each of you for making space for your faith family in your busy days. For those who have not yet completed a Time & Talent Registration Form, please continue to prayerfully consider ways for you to help out or to be involved. You are asked to place your completed form in the basket just outside the parish office. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any member of your Parish Pastoral Council (phone numbers in the bulletin).
Flourishing Congregations National Congregational Survey Imagine if all churches could be strengthened across Canada, ours included. Our congregation, along with others in the Archdiocese of Ottawa (plus parishes in the dioceses of Calgary, Hamilton and Regina), has partnered with the Flourishing Congregations Institute to be part of this transformation, and we would like your help! All adults who attend services at our parish are requested to complete the survey. Please take 20 minutes to fill out the anonymous national online survey at our unique parish link: https://tinyurl.com/fc332c. With strong survey involvement, we will receive a parish-specific report that will inform planning on current and future parish initiatives. Fill out the survey and you also have an option to be entered into a draw for one of five $50 Amazon gift cards. Frequently asked questions regarding the survey are posted on our parish website for your information. Should you have any questions on this survey, please contact our parish lead, Marilyn Olsen, Pastoral Council Chair at mabolsen@rogers.com; please enter “Good Shepherd Parish Survey” in the subject line. Thank you very much, in advance, for completing the survey!
Sometimes invitations lead us to totally unexpected experiences...to a life of peace, faith, and hope. If you have never been baptized and find yourself attracted to the Catholic faith, come and explore the possibilities of becoming a member of the Roman Catholic Church. If you have been baptized in another faith tradition, this journey can lead you to full communion with the Catholic Church. If you were baptized in the Catholic faith but have never received the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation, come and inquire about how to become fully initiated in the Church. Do you attend Mass with your Catholic spouse? Are your children preparing to receive the Sacraments? This invitation is for you too! The RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (R.C.I.A) is a process by which one can answer God’s invitation! Good Shepherd Parish offers R.C.I.A., a process of learning and discussion held in the context of prayer, shared experiences, and the Word of God! Starting October 3, 2019, we will meet each Thursday from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. If you feel this invitation may be intended for you (or someone you know), please call Marilyn Dunn at 613-830-9545 for more information.
PARISH BREAKFAST – The Knights of Columbus will be hosting a Parish Breakfast on Sunday, September 22nd after the 9:00 & 11:15 a.m. Masses. Tickets will go on sale weekend of September 7/8 after all Masses, as well as September 14/15 and 21/22.
This is an important year in the life of your child, if your child is in Grade 2 or Grade 6. Grade 2 children will celebrate the Sacrament of First Reconciliation followed by the Sacrament of First Communion in the spring. For those children in Grade 6, they will be preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Preparation for these sacramental celebrations will begin with an information and registration meeting. This meeting will be offered twice, it is necessary to attend only one. The choices are Tuesday, September 24th at 7:00 pm OR Thursday, September 26th at 7:00 pm. Meetings will occur at the Good Shepherd Parish and will last approximately one hour. This meeting is for parents only.
You are all invited to prayerfully consider to which ministry you are being called to share your gifts with your faith family here at The Good Shepherd Parish the weekends of September 21/22 and 28/29. For a complete list of the Parish activities, please refer to the brochure (pdf format) by clicking on this news item to open the web page.
