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.

At all Masses last weekend our parish welcomed Kate Keenan as the new Good Shepherd Parish Youth Ministry Coordinator. Kate is looking forward to engaging the youth in the parish and there will be future notices in the bulletin and on the website with information on youth activities. Parishioners are asked to keep Kate and the parish youth ministry in your personal prayers as they commence their activities. Kate is available via email, youth@thegoodshepherdparish.com and the parish website will soon hold additional news and information on this ministry (https://www.thegoodshepherdparish.com/). Stay tuned!

Tickets for the CWL 40th Anniversary, on Sunday Sept. 29, are now available. There will be a CWL member at the back of the Church after each Mass. Ticket cost of $40 includes a wonderful hot and cold buffet, entertainment and a few surprises, following the 11:15 Mass of Thanksgiving. Members can also obtain their tickets at our General Meeting on Sept. 10. We hope you will come out to show your support and also to have a plain old fashioned Sunday afternoon good time!!

BRIDGE CLUB - “Would you be interested in playing a friendly game of bridge this winter in your own home? The Divine Infant Bridge League would welcome you to join them. Each pair plays another pair at a mutually convenient time. You can play six to nine games between October and the end of April. For further information, please contact Barb Paquette at (613) 834-8855 or Mary Goodale, (613) 590-7879”.

The Parish Office will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon only during the two weeks between July 30 and August 13.

Please join us for the Good Shepherd Parish Annual Barbeque, complete with food, fun and fellowship. This is the time where we celebrate the 21st anniversary of the dedication of our church; our faith community gathered for liturgies and weekend Masses in school gyms since 1976. The building of our church gives everyone cause to rejoice, remember and give thanks… no better way than to gather after Mass to share a fun, summertime meal. Please plan to attend… we look forward to seeing you there!

As you well know, I have been battling with the loss of my voice for over a year now, with basically no improvement and am no longer able to carry out the majority of my ministries. So, it is with great sadness that I have tendered my resignation to Archbishop Prendergast, asking that I be relieved of my assignment here as of September 1.

Join Father Matthew Chojna and Father Tavis Goski as they explore and teach the different methods of Catholic prayer. Mass followed by a teaching and discussion. St. Peter Celestine Parish, Pakenham, July 2, 3 & 4, 7 - 9 pm. To register: Shannon McGruer (shannonmcgruer@gmail.com) or (613-623-9289). Cost: $20.

Follow the footsteps of Jesus in an amazing journey to the Holy Land November 6-15, 2019, with Fr. Lukose Kochupurackal CMF