Father's Day #CatholicYYC

Fathers are called in a special way to reflect God’s unconditional love and forgiveness. Like God, they correct us when we sin but always pick us up when we fall.  

This Father's Day we remember and give thanks for the many sacrifices fathers make for their children and families. Let us give thanks for our fathers, by birth or adoption, who love us and support us through life; our Church leaders, who take on the paternal role of guiding us through life, and God our Father, who will always teach justly and grant us boundless mercy.

Suggested petitions for Prayer of the Faithful:
  • For fathers, that they be granted strength and courage to lead their families toward a deeper love for Jesus Christ. We pray to the Lord.
  • For fathers who struggle, that society might grow supportive and encouraging to them in their challenges. We pray to the Lord.
  • For fathers who grieve and mourn, especially those who have lost a child before birth, that they find consolation in God’s promise of life. We pray to the Lord.
  • For the fatherless, that they be granted faithful and loving fatherly role models to help them grow in love for God our Heavenly Father. We pray to the Lord. 
  • For all married couples who are struggling with infertility, that the Lord grant them peace as they hope for the gift of a child. We pray to the Lord.
Tiny Tumback's Big Impact

After an infraction, young Kevin was punished by having to clean out the chicken coop, not the Tumback coop but the neighbour’s. “It was hot and stinky work,” Fr. Kevin recalled. “It was my punishment but Dad was working right there beside me the whole time.”  READ MORE

Read a bonus article for Father's Day on our Blog! Featuring Andrew (Tiny) Tumback, the father of Fr. Kevin Tumback (Pastor, All Saints Parish), written by Alice Matisz. ​

Celebrating Sacred Heart of Jesus in June

In 1673, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received a vision of Jesus’ compassionate heart, pierced by the sins of the world, which gave impetus to the devotion of Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. Margaret Mary also received private revelations from Jesus on June 16, 1675. Read more

The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost.  The term "Sacred Heart of Jesus" denotes the entire mystery of Christ, the totality of his being, and his person considered in its most intimate essential: Son of God, uncreated wisdom; infinite charity, principal of the salvation and sanctification of mankind. The "Sacred Heart" is Christ, the Word Incarnate, Saviour, intrinsically containing, in the Spirit, an infinite divine-human love for the Father and for his brothers. (Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy)

National Indigenous Peoples Day - June 21

This June 21, 2021 is the national 25th anniversary of celebrating the heritage, culture and achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. 
Resources
  • Suggested petition for Prayer of the Faithful:
    That all Canadians recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples as Canada commemorates the National Indigenous Peoples Day. We pray to the Lord.
     
  • Check out National Indigenous Peoples Day virtual activities happening in your region through Celebrate Canada  ​

Ignite AB for Teens

​Ignite AB this year is going to be a 4-day Catholic summer camp for teens (going into grade 9 through graduating grade 12) who desire to grow in holiness! This jam-packed week is filled with excellent talks, amazing people, daily Mass, epic large group activities, Reconciliation, Adoration, praise and worship, and much more! Youth will grow in the knowledge of Christ and the Church and be empowered to go forward while striving to be a modern-day saint and a light to the world!

When: August17-20, 2021 from 1:30 pm to 9 pm (Tuesday to Friday)
Where: Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish, Calgary, AB
For more information or to register, visit f2f.ca/ignite

Our Evangelical Neighbours

CCCB has published a new resource entitled: Our Evangelical Neighbours – A Catholic Reflection on Evangelical Christianity. The resource provides Catholics in Canada an introduction to Evangelical Christianity by exploring its origins, similarities and differences to Catholicism, and it was developed in close collaboration with The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC). Download resource | Letter by the President of The EFC

Delegation to the Holy See #Kamloops215

The Catholic Bishops in Canada have genuinely heard the sincere invitation to engage wholeheartedly with the past and are deeply committed to take truly meaningful active steps together with Indigenous Peoples in view of a future filled with greater respect and cooperation. The recent discovery of children’s remains at a burial site of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia remind us of a tragic legacy still felt today. With the strong encouragement of Pope Francis, the Bishops of Canada have pledged true and deep commitment to renewing and strengthening relationships with Indigenous Peoples across the land. In recent years, regional and diocesan listening circles have taken place across the country in order to hear the stories from local Indigenous communities and their hopes for the future. Mutual listening is the beginning of our common efforts to bring about shared and long-lasting reconciliation, authentic healing and bridge building.
In conversation with Indigenous people and communities, both at the local and national levels, and bilaterally with the First Nations, Métis and Inuit national organizations, the Bishops, sponsors of this project, have been preparing, for over two years now, a delegation of Indigenous people to meet with the Holy Father to foster meaningful encounters of dialogue and healing. This pastoral visit will include the participation of a diverse group of Elders/Knowledge Keepers, residential school survivors and youth from across the country. The event will likewise provide Pope Francis with a unique opportunity to hear directly from Indigenous Peoples, express his heartfelt closeness, address the impact of colonization and the implication of the Church in the residential schools, so as to respond to the suffering of Indigenous Peoples and the ongoing effects of intergenerational trauma.
The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has stalled this project; however, the Bishops remain committed to moving forward with the delegation prior to the end of 2021, in compliance with international travel guidelines.
The delegation to the Holy See represents an important step on the journey of reconciliation and shared healing for Indigenous Peoples and the Church in Canada. Pope Francis, in his 6 June 2021 Angelus message, spoke about the shocking discovery of children’s remains at the former Kamloops residential school and, while conveying sorrow and solidarity, emphasized the importance of “walking side by side in dialogue and in mutual respect in the recognition of the rights and cultural values of all the sons and daughters of Canada”. It is our hope that these forthcoming encounters – and the important collaboration and partnership that has supported the planning – will lead to a shared future of peace and harmony between Indigenous Peoples and the Catholic Church in Canada.

World Day of Migrants & Refugees

The 107th World Day of Migrants and Refugees will be celebrated on Sunday, September 26, 2021. The theme of Pope Francis’ Message is “Towards an ever wider ‘we’”. In his Message, the Holy Father reminds us that “Salvation history thus has a ‘we’ in its beginning and a ‘we’ at its end, and at its centre the mystery of Christ, who died and rose so ‘that they may all be one’ (Jn 17:21). The present time, however, shows that this ‘we’ willed by God is broken and fragmented, wounded and disfigured. This becomes all the more evident in moments of great crisis, as is the case with the current pandemic. Our ‘we’, both in the wider world and within the Church, is crumbling and cracking due to myopic and aggressive forms of nationalism (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 11) and radical individualism (cf. ibid., 105). And the highest price is being paid by those who most easily become viewed as others: foreigners, migrants, the marginalized, those living on the existential peripheries.”

Webinars for Temporary Foreign Workers

Below is a list of webinars for Temporary Foreign Workers. Please contact contact Myla at Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) - 403-470-9132 or email rignacio@ccisab.ca for more information or to register.
  • ​ ​June 22, 2021, Tuesday, 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM: Emotional Wellness (Spanish) by Alberta Health Services  ​

St. Joseph's Year catechesis for youth

The CCCB has created online resources offering various prayers, devotions, catechetical resources for adults and children, as well as Church documents, all of which are dedicated to Saint Joseph.

This week we are highlighting the resources for catechetical activities for children and youth

Ethical concerns related to COVID vaccines

In case you missed it: Here is the latest note from the CCCB on ethical concerns related to currently approved COVID-19 vaccines - shared by Bishop McGrattan for all the faithful. Read note here

Feed the Hungry - 25k to go

We have raised over $142,000 in pledges, with $25,000 to go! 

Thanks to the generous support of the Bishop’s Dinner sponsors, we are well on our way to serving over 15 thousands guests this year through Feed the Hungry program. The annual Bishop's Dinner is a little different this year. With so many of our community members facing food insecurity, we have redirected our efforts to provide care packages to those in need. Feed the Hungry has been providing “curbside-pickup” care packages to around 300 guests every Sunday since the beginning of the pandemic, being unable to host the weekly sit-down dinner. 

Donations to Feed the Hungry through the Birdies for Kids website are matched up to 50%! Donate now using this link https://shawcharityclassic.com/donatenow/  
 Donate now through #Birdies4Kids
Other ways to help Feed the Hungry:   

1. Sponsor a Sunday.  Each dinner costs about $6000, and we're seeking donors to help us meet our goal of getting every Sunday covered. Reserve your Sunday(s) here
2. Provide items to cover 300 food bundles, including store-bought and individually wrapped sandwiches, fruit, snacks or bottles of water. Contact us at feedthehungry@calgarydiocese.ca  ​
​Thank you for joining Bishop McGrattan by donating to Feed the Hungry.

Elizabeth House & #Birdies4Kids

Do you want to make a bigger impact with your donation to Elizabeth House?  Donation gifted to Elizabeth House through #Birdies4Kids are matched up to 50%!  

CCCB responds to Bill C-7

Canada’s Catholic bishops have issued a forceful condemnation of the country’s new assisted suicide law, saying the possible pressures it will place on Canadians with mental illness or disabilities are “all too real, perilous, and potentially destructive.” Read review

Below is the link to CCCB's message to the faithful on euthanasia and assisted suicide. The message was prompted by and responds to the passage of Bill C-7 into law on 17 March 2021, which expands the eligibility criteria within Canada’s “MAiD” legislation.  Note that Bishop William McGrattan and Bishop Noël Simard serve as CCCB spokepersons in this matter. 
 ​

Development and Peace

Development and Peace (The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, or D&P) is the official international development organization of the Catholic Church in Canada and the Canadian member of Caritas Internationalis. Development and Peace is a membership led organization supported by parish collections, individual donations and government grants, principally from Global Affairs Canada.

For over 50 years, Development and Peace has supported 15,200 local initiatives in fields such as agriculture, education, community action as well as the consolidation of peace and advocacy for human rights in 70 countries. Inspired by Gospel values and in particular the preferential option for the poor, Development & Peace is to support the actions of people in the Global South so that they can take control of their destiny and educate Canadians on issues related to North-South imbalance.

Representing the Western Region in the Development and Peace National Council is Bishop William McGrattan. Read more about the National Council for Development and Peace here.

We are excited to announce that you can now give directly to Development and Peace-Caritas Canada from the Diocese of Calgary's Giving page at catholicyyc.ca/donatednp

We ask that you consider joining Development & Peace in their work for the poor and vulnerable.

Year Amoris Laetitia Family

Through a series of 10 videos, beginning with the chapters of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, the Holy Father, with the help of several families, invites us to journey together to rediscover the family as a gift, despite every problem, obstacle and challenge that families have to face today.
 
In the first video “Walking Together” Pope Francis and a family share about the beauty of being a family and how each person is called to lovingly care for the life of the family.  Never a problem, families are always a gift and, in terms of the future, they are an opportunity. Each video is accompanied by a guide that can be used either by families or by groups within the parish. The objective is to nurture reflection, dialogue and pastoral practice and, at the same time, to provide encouragement, stimulus and help to families in their spiritual and concrete daily lives. 
 
Information on the Year of Amoris Laetitia can be accessed here. ​

Year of St. Joseph


​With the Apostolic Letter Patris corde (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis recalls the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Holy Father has proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” from Dec. 8, 2020, to Dec. 8, 2021. Read more
  • Read Patris corde (With a Father's heart) here
The Apostolic Penitentiary also issued a decree granting special indulgences for the duration of the special year to celebrate the anniversary and “to perpetuate the entrustment of the whole Church to the powerful patronage of the Custodian of Jesus.” Conditions for the plenary indulgence:
  • The plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the Pope’s intentions) to Christians who, with a spirit detached from any sin, participate in the Year of St. Joseph on these occasions and manners indicated by the Apostolic Penitentiary:
  • The plenary indulgence is granted to those who will meditate for at least 30 minutes on the Lord’s Prayer, or take part in a Spiritual Retreat of at least one day that includes a meditation on St. Joseph. “St. Joseph, an authentic man of faith, invites us”, the decree reads, “to rediscover our filial relationship with the Father, to renew fidelity to prayer, to listen and correspond with profound discernment to God’s will.”
  • The indulgence can also be obtained by those who, following St. Joseph’s example, will perform a spiritual or corporal work of mercy. St. Joseph “encourages us to rediscover the value of silence, prudence and loyalty in carrying out our duties,” the decree notes.
  • The recitation of the Holy Rosary in families and among engaged couples is another way of obtaining indulgences, in order that “all Christian families may be stimulated to recreate the same atmosphere of intimate communion, love and prayer that was in the Holy Family.”
  • Everyone who entrusts their daily activity to the protection of St. Joseph, and every faithful who invokes the intercession of St. Joseph so that those seeking work can find dignifying work can also obtain the plenary indulgence. On 1 May 1955, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph “with the intent that the dignity of work be recognized by all, and that it inspires social life and laws, based on the fair distribution of rights and duties.”
  • The plenary indulgence is also granted to the faithful who will recite the Litany to St. Joseph (for the Latin tradition), or the Akathistos to St. Joseph (for the Byzantine tradition), or any other prayer to St. Joseph proper to the other liturgical traditions, for the persecuted Church ad intra and ad extra, and for the relief of all Christians suffering all forms of persecution. Because, the decree notes, “the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt shows us that God is there where man is in danger, where man suffers, where he runs away, where he experiences rejection and abandonment.”

We are the body of Christ, nourished by the Eucharist, joyfully committed to living the Gospel message, and working together to share our gifts.

316 Windermere Drive,
Chestermere, AB T1X 0B9

​Phone:  1(403) 455 0196
Fax:  1(403) 455 0335
​Email:  office@saintgabrielparish.ca
​
 Our Weekend Masses Are:

Address:   197 Invermere Drive, 
Chestermere AB T1X 1M7

Saturday:  5:00 PM
Sunday:     9:00 AM
​Sunday:     10:30AM
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Resources
The Holy See
Mount St. Francis Retreat Center
Catholic Diocese of Calgary
CCCB
Saint Gabriel School
Our Lady of Wisdom School