Lenten Spiritual Renewal

Beginning on Ash Wednesday and for each Sunday of the season of Lent, Bishop McGrattan is offering spiritual renewal reflections for individuals, families and communities in the Diocese as we prepare to celebrate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In today’s reflection, Bishop McGrattan calls for a personal renewal, for us to recognize or reimagine the deep gifts we received at our Baptism. 
This 8-part video series of Lenten Spiritual Renewal (15-25 minutes reflection) is a part of the Diocesan Spiritual Renewal “Duc in altum | Put out into the deep”.  Videos will be made available on social media and our website catholicyyc.ca (or calgarydiocese.ca) 
  • Watch Reflection #2 from the Bishop: The Primary of Grace - Youtube | Website
  • Read the Bishop's Lenten Message here​
Upcoming reflection themes:
  • Feb. 21, First Sunday of Lent: The Primacy of God’s Grace
  • Feb. 28, Second Sunday of Lent: The Call to Holiness
  • March 7, Third Sunday of Lent: Prayer
  • March 14, Fourth Sunday of Lent: Listening to the Word of God
  • March 21, Fifth Sunday of Lent: Proclaiming the Word of God
  • March 28, Palm Sunday: Reconciliation and Healing
  • April 4, Easter Sunday: The Holy Eucharist

A Guide to Lent

Together we prepare for the great Easter mysteries by committing ourselves to fulfill our baptismal call to maturity, holiness, service, and community. The Diocese of Calgary have prepared a Lent Resources page for individuals, family, children, ministries and pastoral leaders in the Diocese: catholicyyc.ca/Lent ​

Share Lent 2021

The theme of this year’s Share Lent campaign is Share Love, Share Lent. It is inspired by the message of the Holy Father’s recent encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, which is a call “for a love that transcends the barriers of geography and distance,” and “allows us to acknowledge, appreciate and love each person.” (FT,1)
  • Read letter from the President of CCCB, Archbishop Richard Gagnon re: 2021 Share Lent Campaign. ​

We want to share your great photos

Got a great photo? Whether it’s of parish life, ministry life or home life, the Diocese of Calgary is wanting to promote Catholic life in action. Through Faithfully, social media, videos, or marketing materials, we want to share your great photo and spread the joy diocesan-wide. Submit your photo by emailing communications@calgarydiocese.ca

24th Annual God Squad Men's Conference

​God Squad Canada invites men of the Diocese to join their 24th annual conference. The theme for this virtual conference is St. Joseph: Sanctifier of the Hidden Life! Leading up to the conference, God Squad also ask that participants pray the Consecration to St. Joseph. God Squad Conference this year is a truly Canadian conference, with speakers from across the country: Bishop Scott McCaig, Andre Regnier, Jake Khuym, and Fr. Cristino bouvette. 

Persecution of Uyghurs in China

Faith leaders, activist groups and governments have alleged genocide against the ethnic Uyghur Muslims in China’s remote Xinjiang region. According to many international human rights bodies, more than 1 million Uyghur Muslims are held in internment camps. Following Pope Francis’ mention in passing of the Uyghurs as persecuted in a new book, the Chinese foreign ministry said the claim is groundless. Read more
  • Two days ago, Canada's House of Commons has voted to declare China's treatment of its Uyghur minority population a genocide. Read article here
  • Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Uyghur who suffer persecution so they may be protected and strengthened. Please also pray for leaders of government to uphold religious freedom and care for the well-being of all people, especially the poor and vulnerable. ​

Called to serve as a Permanent Deacon?

If you are interested or feel that you are being called to a vocation as a Permanent Deacon, and you meet the qualifications listed in the Brochure, please join in on one of the following zoom presentations. 
  • Wednesday, April 21 at 7 pm
    Join via zoom | Meeting ID: 864 2999 8972, Passcode: 619475

  • Saturday, April 24 at 10 am
    Join via zoom | Meeting ID: 841 7267 9702, Passcode: 705724
Note that the Permanent Diaconate application deadline this year is May 31, 2021, and formation schedule will run from September 2022 to November 2026.

#CNOY21 was a success!

218 walkers participated at the Coldest Night of the Year (Calgary Downtown) hosted by HomeSpace Society & Feed The Hungry and so far they have raised over $83,000, 139% of their fundraising goal! Thank you Diocese of Calgary teams - in a year where the odds were stacked against us, you stood up, you asked boldly, you walked coldly, and you made a difference. 

We are especially thankful to our Catholic community teams: CWL Soul Sisters, Coldest Night Fathers, St. Bonaventure Snow-Ventures, Too Inspired to be Tired, St. Joseph's WalkandRoll, St. Elizabeth Seton Sting, RC Girls and more! Special shout-out for CWL Soul Sisters, ranking #1 in the fundraising chart with  $6,675 raised, followed closely by the Coldest Night Fathers at $6,345! Thank you!  
There’s still time for us to collect and submit donations. Anyone can donate (online or by mail) until March 31 - donate online by visiting: cnoy.org/location/calgarydowntown  
Save the date! #CNOY22 will take place Saturday, February 26, 2022.

​

Year Amoris Laetitia Family

To mark the fifth anniversary of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, on the 19 March 2021, Pope Francis will inaugurate a special year dedicated to the family entitled, Year “Amoris Laetitia Family”.  This special year will highlight the importance of the family within the domestic Church and encourage community ties between families through several spiritual, pastoral and cultural proposals.

In preparation for the Year “Amoris Laetitia Family”, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life has provided the attached resource brochure, in English and French, with pertinent information and suggestions for the special year, which will open on the 19 March 2021 and conclude on the 26 June 2022 at the celebration of the 10th World Meeting of Families, in Rome.

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.”

February Edition of Faithfully

​The February edition of Faithfully was released last Thursday, on Feb. 11. This month, Faithfully is featuring the Bishop's Lenten message, faith stories from those who are sick and their carers, Catholic schools advocates, and stories highlighting the month of the Holy Family.
Click here for a quick glance at formed.org

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
Bulletin

    Enter your email and we will send you our parish bulletin
Resources
The Holy See
Mount St. Francis Retreat Center
Catholic Diocese of Calgary
CCCB
Saint Gabriel School
Our Lady of Wisdom School

Office Hours

Tue - Fri:  9:00am - 4:30pm

Telephone

1(403) 455 0196

Email

office@saintgabrielparish.ca

@ Copyright St. Gabriel Parish, 2019