holy family is a welcoming and vibrant faith community that brings people to jesus ... · 2019. 5....

Holy Family is a welcoming and vibrant faith community that brings people

to Jesus, forms disciples and sends them out to transform the world.

We joyfully commit to worship, grow, serve, connect, and give.

HOLY FAMILY PARISH

777 Valetta St., London, ON N6H 2Y9

♦ PH. # (519) 472 - 0057 ♦ FAX # (519) 472-4758

♦ EMAIL: [email protected]

♦ WEBSITE: www.holyfamilylondon.ca

OFFICE HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 12:00 pm & 1:00 to 4:30 pm

SUNDAY MASSES: Saturday 5:00 pm; Sunday 8:30 am 10:30 am 6:30 pm

WEEKDAY MASSES: Tuesday 6:30 pm; Wednesday to Friday 10:00 am

� A WORD FROM FR. BOB

� NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

� THE GAME PLAN

� ALPHA

♦ Next Alpha ~ September 2019

♦ Alpha Testimony by Shawna McLeod

♦ Youth Alpha Testimony by Riley Stanford

� WELCOMING NEW PARISHIONERS

♦ Barb & Dave McCutcheon

� SUMMER CAMP

� FINANCIAL REPORT

♦ Tim Firth, Business Manager

� GOD’S GARDENERS

FAMILY MATTERS – MAY 2019 2

CONTENTS May 2019

Family Matters

is a monthly publication.

A Word from Fr. Bob

Holy Family Parish, for the past 2.5 years, has been a member of the Divine Renovation Network (DRN). The DRN is a network of Catholic parishes throughout the world which have chosen a process of personal and parish transformation introduced by Fr. James Mallon, author of the book, Divine Renovation: Moving from a Maintenance to a Missional Parish. We have solid evidence that dozens, if not hundreds of lives have been touched and transformed by Jesus and the Holy Spirit through new and evolving processes initiated here at Holy Family since the fall of 2016. Many people have come to an understanding of the Divine Renovation process; many parishioners have not. Accordingly, we are pleased to announce that we have organized a Divine Renovation Open House, to take place here at Holy Family, on Wednesday, June 12, from 9:00am to 4:00pm. It is a day to gather Holy Family parishioners, and leaders of other parishes across the Diocese of London, to learn about the essence of Divine Renovation and to understand ‘why’ we here at Holy Family are ‘doing’ what we are doing. A special invitation is extended to our own parish leaders. Together, we will allow the Holy Spirit to do in us and through us more than we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). The Divine Renovation Open 1 House registration can take place only through our parish website: www.holyfamilylondon.ca.



A Word from Fr. Bob cont’d...

As a parish in the Divine Renovation Network, we have been invited to host a DR (Divine

Renovation) Open House in June as part of a global initiative..

We have been encouraged to be generous with what we have learned by asking parish

leaders and their staff, key volunteers and lay people for a day of learning and sharing.

The day will consist of two pre-recorded keynote talks by Father James Mallon and Ron

Huntley on parish renewal. Followed by workshops with the aim of building a more

missional church, raising up leaders and discussing next steps.

We encourage all parishioners to come and participate.

We are hosting this exciting day on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Please register by going to our parish website at www.holyfamilylondon.ca

We celebrate the Ascension of the Lord next weekend, June 1st and 2nd. We are asked through the Lord’s Ascension to “reflect on the power of both being a witness and experiencing the witness of others. With praise and thanksgiving, let us be grateful for the witness provided by those around you. Imagine the power of communicating the Risen Lord to others in your life.” John O’Brien. One very influential saint of this very reflection is St. Theresa of Avila. Her quote, one of many says it all...

“Christ has no body now but yours.

No hands, no feet on earth but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world.

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.

Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes,

you are his body.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

~ Teresa of Avila ~

Please find copies of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, a perfect way to prepare for the Solemnity of Pentecost, Sunday, June 9th. We, as followers of Jesus, can do nothing fruitful or worthy of praise without the Holy Spirit being at the center of who we are and what we are doing. We also invite you to participate in the Vigil of Pentecost, to take place on the Eve of Pentecost, Saturday, June 8th, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. It is a time of praise and worship, song, scripture, Eucharistic adoration, and prayer ministry. If you ‘show up’ you will find that the Holy Spirit has blessings especially for you. Come and see!

A Word from Fr. Bob cont’d...


The Alpha team is taking a break for the summer, but are eagerly waiting to start again this fall. Alpha is for everyone! During these last two and a half years we have had over 700 people experience ‘Alpha’. Around 1/3 of the guests have been non-church goers and 2/3 have been church-going Catholics. More than 50% have had life changing experiences and lukewarm Catholics have had their faith awakened. Parishioners who have attended our parish for years now feel at home. Thanks to Loretta Wilson and her amazing table leaders and kitchen staff for a job well done!

Shawna McLeod joined us this past Alpha and shares her experience with us.

Shawna, what made you decide to do Alpha?

Before Alpha I found myself very lonely. I am currently on mat-

leave and at home with my two children every day. I was

beginning to feel lonely and like something was missing or there

is more to life than just the “mom role”. Someone asked me if I

had ever heard of “Alpha”, I said “No, what is it?” She

explained it to me. So I thought about it for a bit and then

decided to join. Thursday evenings were my night out away

from the kids, socializing with adults and building my

relationship with God. I began to love Alpha.

How was your experience during Alpha?

My experience on the “Alpha weekend” is what did it for me. It

was all about the Holy Spirit. All I knew it was the third thing we said when signing the cross before and after

prayer. I had no clue of the power of the Holy Spirit. That Saturday, we all gathered in church and sang the song

“Holy Spirit you are welcome here”. I didn’t know the words so I had my eyes open for a few minutes. I closed

my eyes and had my arms open willing and wanting to accept the Holy Spirit, tears started streaming down my

face uncontrollably, my arms were as heavy as bricks. I couldn’t move and my legs were shaking. I felt this went

on for a good 3 minutes. After I was very shaken and had the feeling of real shock.

We were all invited, one at a time, to be prayed with. I was most comfortable with my Alpha leader, so I walked

over and had two of them pray over me. After that prayer I felt a real sense of peace. I had a permanent smile on

my face for the rest of the weekend and this peace filled my whole body.

What would you say to someone who is not sure if Alpha is for them?

I would highly recommend anyone who is suffering, feeling lonely, needs to build their relationship with God or

even needs that feeling of fulfillment, take ALPHA.


Our next Alpha starts September 18, 2019!

Our spring Alpha Youth Series is coming to an end on the last Wednesday in May, and I cannot be more grateful to the Lord for what he has been doing in the lives of the young people at Holy Family Parish. Near the end of our retreat day at the beginning of the month, after we had spent time praying with the teens, a young man named Riley Stanfield came up to me and asked me when we were doing THAT again. He was so excited to have just experienced something very special and could not wait for the next opportunity. I thought Riley, who is 14 years old and attending Notre Dame Elementary School, would be a great person to talk to get a feel for how the Alpha Youth Series is transforming lives.

Daniel: Hey Riley, so what made you decide to do Youth Alpha in the first place?

Riley: My teacher told me to. She said her son was doing it and that I would like it. I wasn’t really going to church regularly at the time, so I thought it would be alright to try out.

Daniel: Great, that’s awesome! What have you liked the most about Youth Alpha so far?

Riley: I like having conversations about faith in a safe environment where everybody’s voice is heard and opinions are valued.

Daniel: That is a really great way of putting it. How would you say your life has changed since starting Alpha?

Riley: Oh, since joining Alpha I go to the other youth group, Errant, on Thursday’s. I go to church every week now, and help take up the collection. I am also volunteering with St. Vincent de Paul Youth. I am doing everything!

Daniel: What about the Alpha retreat day? Did you have any expectations going into the retreat day?

Riley: Yeah. My teacher set my expectations quite high actually. She said how amazing it was and how I was going to find myself In God. It was pretty deep; I was like, oh shoot…

Daniel: That’s great. What did the day turn out to be like for you?

Riley: I came late; I didn’t wake up until 11:30. I was pretty disappointed by that because I was really excited for the day, but, I don’t think I missed too much. Then we did the praying over thing and I don’t know what to say. It was quite deep with the music and stuff and it was good. You know when you go to church and you just listen to the music and it doesn’t really mean much? This was different.

Daniel: What was it like for you being prayed with for the first time?

Riley: Usually my leaders are pretty silly and we joke around a lot, but, when they were praying for me it was more serious and it was really peaceful and calming.

Daniel: That’s really cool. What would you say to youth your age who are thinking about doing Youth Alpha next time?

Riley: Do it for sure! There is like bad stuff you can do and there is the good stuff. Church is the good stuff, you know?

Daniel: Yeah, for sure! Thanks Riley for sharing your story!

Alpha Youth Series Interview with Riley Stanfield by Daniel Pettipas


Joining Holy Family Parish

We, David and Barbara McCutcheon, moved to London from Regina, SK. one year ago. David had just retired and as our planned retirement home in Ancaster was rented for a year, we decided to rent a house in London for that year to be near our daughter and her family. Kathleen has two little boys who are now 2 years old, and 10 months, respectively. Our son in-law is in the military and is away from home every week from Sunday to Friday. So she needs help for sure, and for us it is pure magic to be part of their lives.

We were also looking for a parish church in London, and our daughter, who works at 3M, told us that a co-worker spoke very highly about Holy Family Parish. On April 15th, 2018, while in London searching for a house to rent, we decided to attend the 10:30 Sunday Mass and we will never forget our first experience.

David said, “Who could forget the warmth of the greeting at the door, shaking Joe’s hand, and especially Father Bob’s infectious friendliness.” We were struck with the chatter in the aisles before mass (this was a real Christian community), the quality of the choir, the gentle pace of the liturgy. One of the most powerful moments was experiencing the beautiful tradition of looking at someone that we did not know, sharing our names, and promising to pray for each other.

Each Sunday we treasure that moment. Barbara says that “even when I meet three or more people and have to write their names in my missal in order to remember them.” And as the last hymn is sung there was great warmth in everyone’s face. We went back the following Sunday and having found our temporary home gave thanks in that wonderful environment. On May 17th, 2018 we moved into our London rental home and have been part of the Holy Family community since then. We really enjoyed the excitement of the Baptisms (especially those of Cameron and Matthew, two of our grandchildren) and the First Communions; in which the feeling of community is further amplified. When Father Peter came, we relished his stories and his unique and thoughtful sermons. We will miss Father Peter’s unique wit.

We feel that our priests, deacons, and lay ministers are within our community, there is no “us and them” here; we are a family, serving God together. We like that the person who shares the body of Christ with us looks at us, and often smiles.

And what can we say about Alpha? We had no idea what to expect, but the richness of the experience and the friends that we made will stay with us forever. Alpha was like meeting a very dear friend whom we had not seen for a long time and getting to know him again. And that friend is Jesus Christ. We highly recommend the Alpha Program; it is truly a gift, and for us, it has been a wonderful route to the re-confirmation of our faith.

Barbara says “The last time I had so much exposure to Jesus was when I was preparing for Confirmation, and that was a very long time ago. She adds “One of my friends at my Alpha table asked “Do you ever feel that you were meant to be at a certain place at a certain time?” That’s how we both feel about the Holy Family community. During our Alpha program, a call went out for help with the food preparation for the Adult Program. We both signed up and were proud to serve. We have continued our service as we now lead the food service for the Youth Alpha Program.

On June 6th 2019 a little over a year since we moved here, we will commence moving permanently into our new home in London. We feel we are now full members of the community and we are proud to further serve the community of Holy Family Parish.

May God Bless You David and Barbara McCutcheon


UPDATE We still have some spots available in our Grade 1 – 6 campers, so apply through the office! We would love some additional support from adults to assist us in the day to day workings of camp. Anyone over 18 that volunteers will need a police check. Please see Deacon Tom before you get the check done (which is now done online and only costs $15 + tax).

CAMP NEEDS We love the support you have given us in the past through your material donations! This year we would appreciate monetary donations. If you would like to donate, we offer you two ways to contribute: 1. Put your donation in an envelope (with your envelope #) labeled SUMMER CAMP; or 2. give through the GivePoint machines (which will have a Summer Camp option). Each year we see parishioners lugging water bottles and shopping bags into the church and last year for the first time we asked for fresh yogurt and veggies/fruit. If we are able to purchase these items ourselves we can get them as we need them for camp rather than store them for a period of time. Again, thank you for your support and we will bring you an update, with pictures, when camp is over.

July 29 – August 2, 2019

God’s Gardeners Help Needed! - As our gardening season begins to blossom, we are looking for extra help to keep our gardens attractive. We currently only have a few parishioners helping, and could use more help. If you have a green thumb and a few hours a week to volunteer your time and talent in the gardens, please feel free to join our team by calling Tom & Monica Bevil at (519) 472-0689.


Holy Family Parish – Financial Position

December 31, 2018 and April 30, 2019

As the final statement from last year

was not presented, we are pleased to include

it in this month’s Family Matters.

Tim Firth Business Manager

GIVEPOINT

We are

pleased to

provide you

the QR Code

below

for our

Givepoint.

Simply scan

the code

with

your phone

or

yourmobile

app and the

Givepoint

website will

be available

for you to

donate.



PARISH STAFF (OFFICE 519-472-0057; EMAIL: [email protected])

FR. BOB REMARK FR. BOB REMARK FR. BOB REMARK FR. BOB REMARK (ext’n #228)

Pastor ~ [email protected]

FR. PETER AMSZEJ FR. PETER AMSZEJ FR. PETER AMSZEJ FR. PETER AMSZEJ (ext’n #226))))

Parochial Vicar ~ [email protected]

DANIEL PETTIPAS DANIEL PETTIPAS DANIEL PETTIPAS DANIEL PETTIPAS (ext’n #258)

Coordinator of Pastoral Ministries

HEATHER CUSHINGHEATHER CUSHINGHEATHER CUSHINGHEATHER CUSHING (ext’n #260)

Pastoral Minister

LORETTA WILSONLORETTA WILSONLORETTA WILSONLORETTA WILSON (Volunteer)

Alpha Coordinator ~ [email protected]

GERTRUD HOCKE GERTRUD HOCKE GERTRUD HOCKE GERTRUD HOCKE (Volunteer)

Discipleship Groups Coordinator

[email protected]

DEACON TOM MACLEODDEACON TOM MACLEODDEACON TOM MACLEODDEACON TOM MACLEOD

[email protected]

DEACON HENRY DEACON HENRY DEACON HENRY DEACON HENRY KLING KLING KLING KLING (semi-retired)

DEACON GEORGE SEBOKDEACON GEORGE SEBOKDEACON GEORGE SEBOKDEACON GEORGE SEBOK (semi-retired)

TIM FIRTH TIM FIRTH TIM FIRTH TIM FIRTH (ext’n # 224)

Business Manager ~ [email protected]

KELLY WILSONKELLY WILSONKELLY WILSONKELLY WILSON (ext’n # 201)

Secretary/Receptionist ~ [email protected]

LISA WRIGHTLISA WRIGHTLISA WRIGHTLISA WRIGHT (ext’n # 222)

Secretary ~ [email protected]

ANNE SANDERSON ANNE SANDERSON ANNE SANDERSON ANNE SANDERSON (ext’n # 229)

Bookkeeper ~ [email protected]

STEVE BALDINELLI STEVE BALDINELLI STEVE BALDINELLI STEVE BALDINELLI (ext’n # 261)

Building & Property Coordinator

[email protected]

If you are interested in THE SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM OR MATRIMONY at Holy Family Parish,

please note that in addition to preparation, we require that you connect with us a minimum of 3

months in advance of your hoped for date of baptism and 1 year prior to your desired wedding date.

For more information about BAPTISM, contact Lisa: [email protected] or ext’n # 222.

For more information about MARRIAGE, contact Kelly: [email protected] or ext’n # 201.

For FUNERALS OR FUNERAL PRE-PLANNING, contact Heather: [email protected] or

ext’n # 260 or Kelly: [email protected] or ext’n # 201.

Do you need a PASTORAL REFERENCE LETTER? We need to know you continuously for one year

before providing one. Please contact Kelly Wilson to begin this process.

If you are NEW TO THE PARISH, please introduce yourself to one of our parish staff.

If you would like TO REGISTER, go to www.holyfamilylondon.ca

holy family is a welcoming and vibrant faith community that brings people to jesus ... · 2019. 5....

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