February 2011

Message from our Pastor

Dear Parishioners,

As we begin the new calendar year, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all
of you a great new beginning.

My thanks to the Finance Council for their service throughout the year in this very
important area of parish life. This year, with their expertise, we include the two “pie
charts” which give a visual depiction of our finances.

The obvious reflection is that our parish is one of generosity.

This generosity, however, is borne by a small percentage of our overall parish

community. Of 3,000 registered families, many have yet to participate in regular
attendance at the Sunday Eucharist. I do believe that as more of our families join
Our Lady of Sorrows Parish

us for Sunday Mass, the more inclined they will become to thank God for blessings
received by offering what they can for both our parish needs and the deserving
charities we support as a community. This is a worthy intention of our prayers.
Each year the number of donors gradually increases and we continuously
encourage “First Time Givers”. For those of you who would like to receive weekly
offertory envelopes, please call the office.
We also encourage our regular parishioners to periodically reassess their ability to
increase their contributions to our community as circumstances permit.
Newsletter

The core invitation is, however, simply to join us at Sunday Mass.

WWW.SORROWS.CA

We enclose information on pre-authorized giving which may be of some conven-

ience, especially for those who are away from the parish for periods of time.
Generosity to our parish and to assorted charities is simply a way of life for serious
Christians.

I urge you to take note of the Lenten and Easter Schedule. We invite you to
celebrate with your community as we gather at the Eucharistic table to celebrate the
Spirit living and acting among us.

We thank you and may God bless you

Inside this issue:

Message from our Pastor …..………....….1

OLS—A giving Community..……...….…...2
Pastor Pre Authorized Giving ………..……….…..3
Share Life Committee update…………….3
Pastor’s Advisory Committee update…....3
Lent and Easter 2011 Schedule….………4
Our Lady of Sorrows Parish - a Giving Community

Stewardship:

A biblically-based concept which im-

plores Christians to use what they have-
money, time ,talent and service-in such
a way that it honours God as the Crea-
tor of all things visible and invisible and
contributes in a conscious way to the
building of God’s kingdom on earth. In
imitation of the wise steward of the Gos-
pel (Lk 12:42;16:2), Christians ought to
exercise a responsible administration
over resources, personal and corporate,
because these resources are ultimately
not theirs but the Lord’s. The practice of
stewardship, then, means that Chris-
tians forsake a self-aggrandizement and
prefer instead a glorification of the One
Who is over all, and an ardent attention
to the common good.

Our Sundays Visitor’s Catholic

Encyclopedia
Page 904

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Pre Authorized Giving
The work of our Parish and Share Life is made possible through the giving hearts of our Parishioners.

In response to changing lifestyles and demands on time and energy, the Archdiocese of Toronto seeks,
through Pre-Authorized Giving, to assist you in your giving.
Pre-Authorized Giving may be a good choice for you. It creates a win/win situation for you and our
parish. It’s also a very simple procedure. When you participate in Pre-Authorized Giving, your offering
will be withdrawn from your bank account on or about the 20th of the month. This amount will then be
deposited into the parish account.
If you are interested in learning more, you may visit our website at www.sorrows.ca or simply call the
parish office for more information.

Share Life Committee Update

You can work wonders!

The 2011 Share Life campaign will be underway very soon , with Share Life Sunday set for April 3rd.
We cannot begin this year’s campaign without thanking everyone for our 2010 campaign, the most
successful campaign ever at Our Lady of Sorrows . We were also excited to see the number of donors
increase from 16% of our parishioners to 20% and continue to encourage first time donors to contribute
to this most worthwhile Catholic charity. Of the total amount raised last year $ 45,000 was earmarked for
the earthquake in Haiti and the floods in Pakistan. A huge thanks to our parishioners and volunteers
who made 2010 such a great success! This year the committee will again undertake fundraising
endeavors in an effort to raise our sense of community. We have begun planning for the Pancake
Dinner on March 8th, our Spring Fashion Show , as well as planning for a Gala Event.
Stay tuned for more information in our weekly bulletins.

Pastor’s Advisory Committee Update

Our Priorities: The Spiritual Well Being of all Parishioners, Communication, a Sense of
Community and the Restoration of the Parish Premises.

We reported in our last newsletter that we had begun work on understanding what needs our parish
premises require. We have reviewed the Building Condition Report and have now created a smaller
working group that we have named the Building Committee. By creating a smaller working group this will
allow the Pastor’s Advisory Committee the opportunity to focus on other priorities we have identified.
The task of the Building Committee will be to identify and work on the repair and
renovation priorities. They will be reporting to both the Finance Council and Pastor’s Advisory Commit-
tee for review and approval. The Building Committee will also be working with various professionals
who are authorized and approved by the Archdiocese of Toronto to develop a list of priorities and a
timetable. Our church is now 70 years old and is in need of many repairs, many of them serious in na-
ture. We are committed to creating a legacy for all Parishioners in the future. Our goal is to review with
the entire parish by this fall a list of repairs and/or renovations along with the timetables for the pro-
posed work. As updates become available we will keep the parish informed.

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O U R L A D Y O F S O R R O W S P A R I S H NE W S L E T T E R
Lent & Easter 2011 at Our Lady of Sorrows

ASH WEDNESDAY 09 MARCH

Mass and Distribution of Ashes
9:00 am, 1:00 pm (with the Parish School) and 7:30 pm

THE WAY OF THE CROSS FRIDAYS OF LENT at 7:30 pm

(including Good Friday)
Join us this Lenten Season as we pray and celebrate the Way of the Cross.

SHARE LIFE COLLECTION 03 APRIL

HOLY WEEK

PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD'S PASSION 17 APRIL

Effective today the 8:15 am mass time will change permanently to 8:00 am.
Regular Sunday Schedule – Palms available at all Masses
Expanded Seating in the Hall
Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday of Holy Week
Mass each day at 9:00 am

THE EASTER TRIDUUM

There is no 9:00 am Mass on Thursday-Friday-Saturday of Holy Week.

HOLY THURSDAY 21 April 7:30 pm

The Mass of the Lord's Supper
The Church will remain open for Adoration until 10:00 pm

GOOD FRIDAY 22 April 12:00 noon & 3:00 pm

Celebration of the Lord's Passion

HOLY SATURDAY 23 April 9:00 pm

The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter
There is no 5:15 pm Saturday Evening Mass

EASTER SUNDAY 24 April

Masses at 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 am, 12:30 pm
Expanded Seating in the Parish Hall

SACRAMENTS 2011
During the Sundays of the Easter Season, the children who have been preparing this year will
receive First Communion at the Sunday Eucharist . The young adults of the parish will receive
Sacrament of Confirmation on May 31 and June 2.

Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Please join us in prayer for all of our
3055 Bloor Street West candidates and catechumens who have
Toronto, Ontario been and will be received into the
M8X 1C6 church this season from Baptism
through to Christian Initiation of Adults.
Phone: (416) 231-6016
Fax: (416) 231-1924 Thank you for taking the time to read
E-mail: olosorrows@bellnet.ca our Newsletter.

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