2021-2023 Synod on Synodality

People of God throughout ​the world are invited by the Holy Father and the Bishops to examine the way the Church has carried forward her work and mission in the world. 
​In the Diocese of Calgary, you will be able to participate in the Synod through your involvement in parish committees or groups, lay associations, Catholic schools, or online.
Get involved in the Synodal Process
We are in the early stages of the local Synodal process. For more information and to sign up for updates on the Synod on Synodality in our Diocese: catholicyyc.ca/synod

2021 World Youth Day Message

This year’s World Youth Day, will be held at the diocesan level on the Solemnity of Christ the King (21 November) with the theme: “Stand up. I appoint you as a witness of what you have seen” (cf. Acts 26:16).

October - Month of the Holy Rosary

Some attribute the association between October and Mary to the devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. On October 13,1917, in Cova de Iria outside of Fatima, Portugal, the last of six monthly Marian apparitions to three shepherd children is said to have taken place. October 7 is the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary. It began as the feast of OurLady of Victory, instituted in 1571 after a Christian military victory in the Battle of Lepanto. In1573, this feast day was renamed Our Lady of the Rosary by Pope Gregory XIII, and in 1716,Our Lady of the Rosary was celebrated as a feast of the universal Church for the first time.

In October, in a special way, we remember Mary both as Mother of God and as our mother. This month includes the feasts of Our Lady of the Rosary (Oct. 7), as well as those of St. John Paul II (Oct. 22), and of a Canadian Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher (Oct. 6), both great devotees of Mary. 
​
  • Fr Mark-Mary: Praying the Rosary with St. Joseph (Ascension Press)
  • 12 ways to make the Rosary a life-saver this October (Aleteia)
  • Rosary resources, activities, and crafts For Catholic Kids (Catholic Icing)
  • Dr. Edward Sri: Praying the Rosary Like Never Before (Formed.org)
  • Rosary in songs with Harpa Dei
For couples preparing for marriage: 
Rosary for Engaged Couples in the Light of Amoris Laetitia | During this year dedicated to St. Joseph, engaged couples, even young people who are dating, are invited to pray together turning with trust and love to Mary, recreating the atmosphere of communion, love and friendship that was experienced in the family of Nazareth. Mary and Joseph were first engaged and then married, and they show us a specific tangible example of humanity and holiness, that can be achieved in our relationship with God and with those we love.  

Until December 8, 2021, engaged couples will be able to obtain the Plenary Indulgence by reciting the Holy Rosary and fulfilling the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Holy Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father: Our Father, Hail Mary). Note to Parish Staff – please share with parishioners, especially couples in marriage preparation and young adult groups.

If you have the skills, talent and inspiration to take on the challenge, we invite you to consider these exciting opportunities in the Diocese of Calgary:
  • Operations Manager - St. Michael's, Calgary
  • Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper - St. Martha's, Lethbridge
  • Administrative Assistant (Part time) - Ste. Famille, Calgary
  • Pastoral Assistant (Part time) - Ste. Famille, Calgary
For more information and job application details, please visit catholicyyc.ca/careers

Missionary Discipleship

A message from the Holy Father this month:
Jesus asks us all, and you as well, to be missionary disciples. Are you ready? It’s enough to be available to answer His call and to live united to the Lord in the most common daily things —work, meeting other people, our daily duties, the chance events of each day— allowing ourselves to be guided always by the Holy Spirit. 

If Christ moves you, if you do things because Christ is guiding you, others will notice it easily. And your testimony of life will inspire admiration, and admiration inspires others to ask themselves, “How is it possible for this person to be this way?,” “What is the source of the love with which this person treats everyone —the kindness and good humour?”  Let us remember that the mission is not proselytism; the mission is based on an encounter between people, on the testimony of men and women who say, “I know Jesus, and I’d like you to know Him too.” 

Brothers and sisters, let us pray that every baptized person may be engaged in evangelization, available to the mission, by being witnesses of a life that has the flavour of the Gospel.  ~ Pope Francis, October 2021

Like a Mighty River Conference

Calgary Catholic Charismatic Renewal Society (CCCRS) invites you to their annual Like a Mighty River Conference with speaker Fr. Mathias Thelen from the Diocese of Lansing in Michigan. Fr. Mathias is a young priest who experienced and has been gifted in charisms of the Holy Spirit especially evangelization and healing. He is the founder of Encounter ministries, bringing the Good news out into the streets with signs and wonders as Christ has commanded us. When: Friday, Nov. 19 at 7 pm to 9 pm. 
  • For general admittance: Individual rate: $35 (early bird), $40 after Oct. 31; Family rate: $70 (early bird), $80 after Oct. 31. Register here
     
  • Special track for priests. Cost: Free. Register here
Rediscover God's Love
Couples for Christ Lay Association invites single men and women age 18 - 40 to their event, "Rediscover God's Love" on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 6:30 pm at St. James Church (5504 20th St. SW, Calgary). 

To register, please contact Carlos Perez at 403-471-2729 or email coperez2000@hotmail.com

40 Days for Life

A message from 40 Days for Life:

Pray with 40 Days for Life (40 DFL), the largest pro-life organization in the world, coordinating 40-day campaigns to end the injustice of abortion through local prayers and fasting, community outreach and peaceful vigils in front of abortion businesses. Calgary has been leading these 40 DFL campaigns for more than a decade. We invite you to get involved by leading the campaign at your Parish. The fall campaign runs from Sep. 22 to Oct. 31. If you are interested, please get in touch with us.
  • The fall campaign will kick-off on Sep. 13 at 8 pm MST via videoconference with guest speaker Sue Thayer, Director of Outreach for 40 Days for Life Head Quarters. She is the founder and former director of Cornerstone for Life Pregnancy Resource Center. Sue has truly come full circle and is proof that God can save and use anyone. Videoconference will be through Zoom with meeting ID: 403 472 3905 no password required.
  • Vigil location: Abortion "Kensington Clinic" at 2431 5 Ave NW, Calgary, AB. Vigil hours 7 am to 7 pm. To join the vigil, 403-870-3905 or email 40daysforlife.calgary@gmail.com ​

Prison Ministry Lay Volunteers

We are looking for new male and female volunteers for Bible study and rosary programs for both the Remand Centre and the Calgary Correctional Centre.
 As with any volunteering opportunities, we require a Vulnerable Sector Police Information Check (VSPIC), the completion of the Praesidium Academy sexual abuse prevention training, and the agreement to the Code of Pastoral Conduct and Accountability for Volunteers. This information will be provided to you after submitting your application.
  • If you are interested in being considered for prison ministry in Calgary, please email Sr. Mariflor Jacob Mariflor.Jacob@calgarydiocese.ca for the Volunteer Information form. To complete the application, fill-out the form and return to Sr. Mariflor.  

Year Amoris Laetitia Family

The gratuitous dimension of love

Pope Francis: "Love always gives life. Spousal love is not exhausted within the couple, but generates a family. Parents’ love is the means by which God shows His love. He awaits the birth of every baby. He accepts and welcomes each child as they are".
Through a series of videos, the Holy Father, with the help of several families, invites us to journey together to rediscover the value and beauty of the family. Each video is accompanied by a guide that can be used flexibly either by families or by various ecclesial realities (dioceses, parishes, communities). 
In this video, the Holy Father speaks to us of the fruitfulness of conjugal love.
​

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
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