Under Spiritual Guidance of Fr. Virgil Amirthakumar Pastor of The Good Shepherd Parish, Ottawa, ON November 8 - November 14, 2020 - 7 days CA$2799.00 (Taxes & Tips Incl.) for Ottawa departure Travel arrangements by QS Travel & Tours Inc. affiliate of Queen Syrena Travel Inc. 3055 Dundas St. W., #4, Mississauga, ON L5L 3R8. Tel. 905.412.3355 or 1-800-565-3619 www.qstours.com CA $50.00 OFF for registration before March 31, 2020! Please see the pamphlet in the gathering space for details.

There will be a Basic Spring course for Pastoral Care on March 9th – May 11th. The course will be given both afternoon and evening. Cost is $125 before March 1st and $140 after March 1st. The Church will pay half of the cost. There is a form on the bulletin board outside the secretary’s office, and I have others. Pastoral Care is a very rewarding ministry, and sorely needed in our Parish with so many ill and elderly parishioners. To be able to journey with people unable to attend Mass and to bring them Communion is extremely gratifying. If at all interested, please call me Carol Faure at 613-824-0693 so we can chat about what all is involved after you have taken the course. It would be preferable that you be available during the day, no longer workings, or have other responsibilities that would disallow you not to be able to visit. Our visits take place during the day, and on occasion after Masses on weekends.

Establish a culture of blessing in your family with Craig Hill. Includes teachings on DVD, prayer ministry and a workbook. Resurrection of Our Lord, 1940 Saunderson Drive. Fri., Jan. 24, 6:30-10:00 pm, Sat., Jan. 25, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm. Early registration deadline: Jan. 22. Cost: $60 or $100/couple. Info: 613-523-1377.

The Knights of Columbus Flag Relay is travelling throughout Ontario to raise public awareness of Special Olympics and to support our local Athletes. A flag is on display in the entrance area. Please stop by and add your signature to indicate your support. On completion of the relay, the Flag will be displayed at an upcoming Special Olympics event.

Features stories of ordinary Catholics working on the margins who see an agent of change in Pope Francis. This is not a film about Francis changing the church; it’s about the church changing the world. Saint Paul University Amphitheatre, 223 Main St., Feb. 24, 7:00-9:30 pm. Free. Info: Joe Gunn [email protected].

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Parish Reverse Advent Calendar Project! Contributions were received Saturday 4 January and were delivered to the local Food Cupboard in Blackburn Hamlet.

The eleventh annual Don Bosco Gala celebrating youth ministry in the Archdiocese will be held Saturday February 1, 2020. Come out and celebrate all that God has done in youth ministry in Ottawa this year!

Join other young people from across the Archdiocese of Ottawa travelling to Steubenville Toronto this summer. Jul. 3-5. Dive into the theme "Restored" at Canada's largest conference for Catholic high school students. If you are 21 years and up consider applying as a chaperone. Visit www.fymottawa.com/steubenville-toronto-2020 to register and www.steubenvilletoronto.com to learn more. Registration deadline: Jan. 13. Info: Andriano De Luca ( [email protected]).

Advent is long over, and we have also come to the successful conclusion of this worthwhile activity. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Reverse Advent Calendar Project. All contributions were received this morning (9 am - 12 noon, January 4) and were delivered to our local Food Cupboard in Blackburn Hamlet. They were very grateful for the generosity of our parish and sincerely thank everyone who participated in this outreach project. The need for assistance is ongoing, and those who visit the Food Cupboard for help will be the recipients of our parish’s generosity and kindness. For those who did not deliver their box of items Saturday morning, you may bring them to the church during office hours and they will be delivered to the Food Cupboard in the normal delivery cycle.

Thank you to all you so generously helped to provide the beautiful flower arrangements! Please see the list of intentions and donors here.

I want to personally thank everyone who helped make our Christmas celebration a successful one. Without your help it would not have been done. You made this Christmas season a joyful and blessed one by giving your time and talent. My appreciation to Deacons Dan Careau and Philip Tang and to our talented lively different musical groups, sacristans, ushers, welcoming teams, Eucharistic ministers, the Knights of Columbus and our Décor team and all those who contributed towards Christmas flowers and the new nativity scene. Most of the time you don’t hear but the priest hears all the comments. Many parishioners and visitors said the church was beautiful, liturgical celebration and the music was great and the people were so welcoming. Keep up the good spirit. I would also like to extend my gratitude to everyone for the Christmas cards and your gifts. Thank you for so kind towards me during Christmas time.

Our new sound system has been installed. Thank you to Steve Hughes and Cliff Seibel for all their dedication to this project. Thank you to all the Parishioners who donated to this project as well.

Advent is a season of prayer… we seek to improve our prayer habits, as individuals and as a family. The handouts on this activity are posted on the parish website: https://www.thegoodshepherdparish.com/news/reverse-advent-calendar-2019 Say a prayer each day…Come, Lord Jesus! …then place an item in your box. ** Please deliver your box to the church between 9:00 am – 12:00 Noon on Saturday 5 January 2019 **

Everyone is invited to consider donating to the liturgical décor for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. If you so wish, your donation may be made in memory of a loved one. All “in memory of” names will be published in the bulletins on the weekends of 21/22 and 28/29 December 2019. Specially marked envelopes are available from the Greeters or the Ushers at each Sunday Mass on the first three weekends of Advent; Please clearly PRINT your name and envelope number (for tax purposes), and clearly PRINT the name of the person(s) in whose memory you are making the gift. Donations will also be accepted at the parish office during working hours up to Friday 20 December 2019.

Under the Spiritual leadership of Fr. Vernon Boyd, SJ, Pastor of Holy Rosary Church in Guelph, Ont. October 19-30, 2020 for 12 days at $4390.00. Travel arrangements by International Heritage Tours. For more information, please contact Michael Kwadrans at 1-877-999-8868 ext. 367 or email at [email protected]. Flyers will be available at the church foyer.

2020 Sunday Envelopes – The 2020 Sunday envelopes are available to be picked up in the gathering space. The new envelopes begin on January 1st, 2020

Joe Dunham from Net Ministries will be appealing for Parish support for Net Ministries next weekend, November 23/24. Please make cheques payable to the Good Shepherd Parish.

Pope Francis has invited each one us to reflect on this day, the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Throughout the year, the poor need our help by way of prayer, donations of clothing and furniture. A monetary offering will help our St. Vincent de Paul Council provide them with food. Envelopes are provided at the back of the church for your donation. Please make cheques payable to Good Shepherd Parish.