Standing Announcements
- We welcome Fr Gerald Langevin, our new Pastor. He was previously Pastor of Christ the King Parish in Stonewall and of the other parishes of the South Interlake. His note of introduction to parishioners is in the Bulletin of the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
- The New Liturgical Year began Sunday 29 November, 1st Sunday in Advent. Sunday missals for Year C are available for $4 from the ushers at weekend masses, or from the Office during the week.
- 2010 Weekly Offertory Envelopes are now available from a table in the Narthex.
- Religious Education: Level 6 and Spare (Substitute) Teacher positions open. Contact Fr Gerald at 832-7335.
- Journeyperson electrician or Electrical contractor is needed for work to be done at the Rectory. Call 832-7175.
- Contact with the Sick and Shut-ins: Please keep us up to date on the needs of your loved ones.
- If you would like to have your home blessed or would like a visit from the Pastor, please call him at the Office.
- Tuesday morning Scripture Study Group: Fr Gerald invites all those interested to each Tuesday, following 9:15am Mass. Reflection on Scriptures for the coming Sunday, using the Celebration Teaching Resource.
- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) meets Wednesdays at 7pm at St Paul the Apostle Church, 2400 Portage Ave. (Note change of venue.) Some places are still open; if you know someone who is considering our Faith and would like to explore it, please pass on the invitation. For info, call Fr Gerald at 832-7335. Thanks to Fr Mark Tarrant for his openness to have us join forces with the St Paul the Apostle RCIA group.
- During flu season and throughout the year, many people avoid shaking hands in order to minimize transmission of colds and flu. Archdiocesan guidelines for H1N1 ("swine") flu "Stage 1" precautions now in effect for the liturgy suggest alternatives to the shaking of hands during liturgical functions. Parishioners should not feel obligated to shake hands for the greeting during the Gathering Rite and the "Peace" greeting during the Mass. Nor should anyone feel hurt if their neighbour does not extend their hand. It is important to show care and friendliness, but there are many other ways: a brief nod, a respectful bow, or a cheerful smile are all perfectly acceptable.
Grandmothers Advent Campaign: The Justice, Development & Peace Committee has joined with St Chad's, for the third consecutive year, in an Advent fund-raising campaign for Grandmothers to Grandmothers. This helps provide food, clothing, and school fees for orphans in southern Africa who are being cared for by their grandmothers, because their parents have died of AIDS. For more information, see Bulletin Insert. Contributions continue to be accepted, but after 31 December, tax receipts can only be issued for 2010, not 2009.
- Disaster Relief contributions through Development & Peace: Because D&P is part of the Caritas Internationalis network,
 you can choose to earmark your contribution for any particular country or disaster around the world. D&P specializes in the hard, long-term process of reconstruction, respectfully letting stricken communities decide how best to rebuild. Donations in the special envelopes for this purpose (see example at left) are available in the office; they may be marked with your preference and placed in the collection basket at Mass or handed back to the office. Please make cheques payable to Blessed John XXIII Parish. The Parish will issue income tax receipts, and ensure that Development & Peace directs your contribution to the area(s) you choose.
- Winnipeg Harvest - Appeal of the Week The A.C.C. Food Bank Workers distribute food from the Centre every second Wednesday. Why not donate an item or two from Winnipeg Harvest's
'Most Wanted Items' List:
- Canned Meat and Fish (tuna and salmon)
- Cereal
- Macaroni & Cheese
- Dry Pasta
- Canned Vegetables, Soup, and Fruit
- Canned Stews
- Peanut Butter
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Fruit Juice
- Disposable diapers (sizes 1, 2, & 3) and feminine hygiene products
Note: This week's Food of the Week is listed in "Current Highlights" above.
- Our Place / Chez Nous list of most needed items: can be dropped off at Drop-in Centre, 676 Main Street, but first phone 956-1359 or email opcn@shaw.ca to make arrangements.
- Women's and men's clothing: jeans, sweat shirts & pants; hoodies; long & short underwear; toques, gloves, mitts; socks; winter boots; runners. Dark colours preferred.
- Personal care products: safety razors; shampoo, conditioner, body soap (all hotel size); deodorant; toothbrushes; laundry detergent; face cloths; bath towels.
- Basic household items: Bedsheets & pillowcases; blankets & comforters; pillows; electric fry pans; small appliances (clock radios, coffee makers, electric kettles, pots & pans); cutlery; can openers; dish cloths & dish towels.
- Coffee supplies: tins of regular grind coffee; sugar; coffee sweetner. [2009-10-30]
- Agape Table needs cash donations. Please send donations to Box 26111 RPO Maryland, Winnipeg, MB R3G 3R3.
- Part-time lunch monitors wanted at St John Brébeuf Catholic School, weekdays 11:30am to 12:30pm, September to June. Call 489-2115 or visit www.sjbcommunity.ca/school [2009-09-15]
- ACC Bingo Canteen Volunteers needed for 2009/10 season. Rotation is every 10 weeks for about three hours on a Thursday evening. Please call Chris at 837-6806. [2009-09-15]
- ACC Knitters' Group: . Anyone interested in knitting and crocheting -- for Cancer Care, Winnipeg Harvest, Knights of Columbus Baby Shower, and other worthy causes -- is cordially invited to join our group. We meet the 1st & 3rd Mondays of each month, 7-9pm in the ACC Lounge.
Outside Volunteer Opportunities
- Assist people living in personal care homes in our area: Volunteers respond to varied needs, including assisting residents to come to Mass when it is held in their residence. Please call Deacon Gary McCallum at 832-7206 or email him at garyjoan@mts.net. [2009-09-18]
- Pregnancy and Family Support Services, Inc.: Volunteers wanted as clerks, sorters, and pricers in our Spence Street Thrift Shop -- serving the disadvantaged at the same time. Also needed: people to do odd jobs around the store and to collect donated items. We accommodate any amount of time a person has to give: from a few hours to a full day, one or more times per month. To offer your services, please call Christine, 783-9281 or email pfss@mts.net [2009-09-15]
- Misericordia Health Centre invites you to join our caring volunteer team, who assist residents wishing to attend chapel services or other activities. Call 788-8132, apply online at www.misericordia.mb.ca or email volunteer@misericordia.mb.ca [2009-09-15]
- Grace Hospital needs friendly visiting volunteers to work one morning, afternoon, or evening per week. Training provided. For more information, call Jennifer Sheppard, 837-0368. [2009-09-15]
- Hospice & Palliative Care Manitoba needs end-of-life Companions and Bereavement Support Volunteers to provide emotional support and practical assistance to individuals and families living with a chronic or life-limiting illness. Volunteers visit in the home 3-4 hours/week, and are especially needed during the day. Volunteers are required to participate in an education program provided by the Hospice for a nominal charge. For information, please call Peggy McRitchie, Volunteer Development Coordinator at 889-8525 X228 or email her at pmcritchie@manitobahospice.mb.ca [2009-09-15]
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- St Charles Academy: Labels for Education: Please save all your Campbell Labels to help obtain computers, sports equipment, musical instruments, and more, for our Catholic school. Turn in all your labels to the school at year's end.
- Used Postage Stamps wanted: Special commemoratives, foreign stamps, (excluding regular single-rate Canadian). Support Development & Peace initiatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Please cut the stamps from your envelopes without damaging perforations. There is a deposit box on the counter in the ACC Office.
- A.C.C. Resource/Library: (Room 4 in the basement). A range of books and audio-visual items is available. Hours: Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., and upon request. (Valerie Stark & Nell Ramsay, Coordinators). The library welcomes donations of recently published books. Thanks to Lindsay Price for the donation of a computer and setup of a database.
- Monsignor Maurice Comeault has transferred to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, effective July 1, 2009. We wish him Godspeed in his new assignment. His good-bye message to our parishioners is his final "Pastor's Viewpoint," contained in the Bulletin of the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY: Over $10,600 from our Parish so far in Disaster Relief Contributions to Haiti through D&P: You are encouraged to make your donations for Haiti through Development & Peace, founded
by the Canadian Catholic bishops in 1967 as the “Canadian Catholic Organization for Development
and Peace” (D&P for short). It is the Canadian arm of Caritas Internationalis, the official worldwide
umbrella agency for Catholic development organizations. With Caritas, D&P was on the
ground in Haiti long before the current crisis; since it specializes in both emergency assistance and
long-term reconstruction, it will be on the ground long after many other agencies are gone. D&P
strictly follows the Catholic Ethic of Life; it is experienced and efficient; and amongst development
agencies, it spends one of the very lowest percentages of revenue on administration. D&P operates
under close supervision from the Canadian bishops and they have recently reinforced and confirmed
its mandate. D&P takes pride of place on any reputable and comprehensive list of development
organizations eligible for Canadian Government matching funds (e.g., CBC’s website). For Catholics
who value loyalty to the Church’s institutions, D&P should be the agency of choice to express
Christian solidarity with those in need around the world. Special envelopes marked for Haiti are available in the office, or in the Narthex after weekend masses; they may be placed in the collection basket at Mass or handed back to the office. Please make all cheques payable to Blessed John XXIII Parish. The Parish issues income tax receipts, and ensures that Development & Peace directs your contribution to the area(s) you choose. For detailed information about Haiti relief, please see D&P newsletter or Caritas Internationalis Haiti blog .