Heart to Heart: Issue #514
THE NEW FLOORING in the Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King is complete. Masses will be celebrated upstairs once again this weekend following a closure of three-and-a-half months. Sincere thanks to the men who spent much of that time “on their knees” laying the tiles and carpet and moving heavy pews from one side of the church to other. The result is sheer beauty. Well done indeed!
ST. JEROME’S UNIVERSITY in Waterloo sponsors this year’s Catholic Education Mass for the seven Catholic School Boards that serve in the Diocese of Hamilton. Inspirational speaker, David Wells, will address the participants from the various Boards, the University, and Diocesan personnel prior to the Mass and festive reception. We are blessed to have publically-funded Catholic education in Ontario, and next Thursday’s Mass is an opportunity to pray in thanksgiving for such a gift!
ON OCTOBER 4th, POPE FRANCIS will open the first session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, “For a Synodal Church. Communion, Participation, Mission”. In a recent letter to Bishops around the world, Cardinal Mario Grech, General Secretary of the Synod encouraged every baptized person and every particular Church to pray unceasingly that the Holy Spirit guide the Synod participants as they discern what the Lord is asking of his Church today. “With the prayer of listening, adoration, intercession and thanksgiving, the whole ecclesial community will be present, in the power of the Spirit, at the Synodal Assembly as an event that concerns all the baptized.” Prayers of intercession for 25th and 26th Sundays, and for Weekday Masses, and a Solemn Blessing was included in the letter. They will be sent to all Priests and Parishes.
POPE FRANCIS has also announced that an Ecumenical Prayer Vigil will take place in St. Peter’s Square, to which he has invited “brothers and sisters of all Christian confessions” and at which “we will entrust to God the work of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops”. Resources for the prayer vigil are available here.
HOLY CROSS CROATIAN PARISH in Hamilton is celebrating the 65th anniversary of its establishment this weekend. The three-day event begins tonight with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and solemn concert, and continues with a gala dinner on Saturday evening, followed by a solemn Mass on Sunday. Welcome to Bishop Fabijan Svalina, Coadjutor Bishop of Srijem, who will preside at the Masses. Significantly, the president of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic, will also be present for the celebration. May all the celebrations be a blessing!
A WARM WELCOME ALSO to Bishop Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum from Ghana, who is visiting Father Andrew Quarshie, Pastor at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Stoney Creek. Father Quarshie is a Priest from the Bishop’s diocese, serving with us here. The Bishop was a fine host during my brief visit to Ghana a few years ago. May his visit with us be as welcoming!
PRIESTS ORDAINED SEVEN YEARS AND UNDER in dioceses in Ontario have been invited by the Commission for Priests of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario to the 2023 Symposium for the Recently Ordained, taking place at the Mount Carmel Centre in Niagara Falls from November 6th to 10th. The session begins with a Holy Hour at 7:00 p.m. Jesuit Father John O’Brien, Director of the National Shrine to the Canadian Martyrs in Midland, Father Kevin Belgrade, and Father John Lemire will be presenters and Bishop Gerard Bergie and our own Bishop Wayne Lobsinger will preside and preach at Holy Hours. Ordained between 2016 and 2023? You are encouraged to attend.
DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE (Caritas Canada) has launched the Fall phase of their campaign, Create Hope – Stand for the Land. Resources for the campaign are available here. The campaign runs through February 25, 2024. Get involved. Support brothers and sisters in the Global south.
Our Lady of the Annunciation, pray for us!
Ex corde,
+Douglas, OMI