Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil – Saint John Paul II Pastoral Unit Bishop, Msgr. Lionel Gendron, p.s.s. - Auxiliary Bishop, Msgr. Louis Dicaire Diocesan web page: www.dsjl.org - Saint John Paul II website: http://johnpaul2.weebly.com PASTORAL BULLETIN & ANNOUNCEMENTS December 6thth, 2015 edition SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT: HOPE Isaiah and John the Baptist give a hopeful image of a world renewed by God. We believe that this is happening in our time. We are also aware that this has not yet been fully accomplished. Much of the world needs to be renewed by God. This Advent we live in hope. We wait with anticipation. We engage ourselves in prayer and good works so that this may come about. JUBILEE OF MERCY – THE BOOK OF MERCY On December 8th, Pope Francis will open the Jubilee of Mercy. As part of this Jubilee, we are all invited to engage in works of mercy. A book of mercy is in the works. This book will record your acts of mercy, not to boast, but to inspire others to do the same. Each week you will have an opportunity to record your works, and they will be added to the Book of Mercy. This book will circulate from parish to parish, and while it is in your parish, you will have an opportunity to be inspired by the good works of others. For assistance please see your parish’s “Ambassador of Mercy.” OECUMEN-REFUGE 2015 FUND-RAISING CAMPAIGN The St. Lambert Ecumenical Team would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming generosity in supporting the Ecumenical Refugee Project. So many have rallied with enthusiasm and creativity to organize events that have not only raised funds, but also raised spirits and awareness. As the end of the year approaches and with our refugee family soon to arrive, the deadline for this year’s donations is Sunday, December 13 th, 2015. Teams are already hard at work preparing to greet our family and assist them in resettling in their new country and integrating into our community, making sure they enjoy freedom and autonomy. News and up-dates will be available on the web site: www.oecumen-refuge.org FUND-RAISER FOR ECUMENICAL REFUGEE PROJECT AN 800-PIECE HAND-MADE QUILT to be presented as a traditional Canadian gift to our refugee family, and as a symbol of the Canadian mosaic & of the many different Christian denominations working together on this common project: $5/piece. Contact: Gloria Patrick at 450-672-9913 or by email to gpatrick@sympatico.ca NES -THANK YOU The New Evangelization Summit Committee would like to thank all the parishioners of the St-John Paul II Pastoral Unit (and those beyond) who supported us in our “Say-Cheese!” Fundraiser. Thanks to your love of cheese from StBenoit-du-Lac, we have exceeded our expectations, and can now enthusiastically prepare to host the summit at StMary’s Parish on April 15-16, 2016. We invite you to visit www.newevangelization.ca to learn more about this event. More details about the summit will be forthcoming in the New Year. 24 HOUR - ADORATION The Saint John Paul II Pastoral Unit's Adult faith formation program gives all the faithful the opportunity to adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar every first Friday of the month, at St. Mary's Parish (125 Grove Street, in Greenfield Park). Adoration begins on the first Friday right after the 9:30 am mass and ends at 10:00 am the following day. This prayer time is made possible thanks to parishioners who have dedicated one hour a month to serve as adorers and watchmen. Their vow grants all the faithful (of the entire Pastoral Unit and beyond) the opportunity to draw closer to Jesus. Consider joining them in this great spiritual endeavour, by committing to one hour of adoration a month, or simply by spending a few moments in prayer before our Lord whenever you can during the 24Hrs. Parishioners from St. Mary's, Holy Cross, St. Clare, St. Gabriel's who would like to become committed adorers can contact Jocelyne Naraine at ronald.naraine@sympatico.ca. Parishioners from Good Shepherd, St. Augustine, St. Francis, St. Raymond's can contact Lisa Cerulli at lisacerulli@hotmail.com. OUR HARBOUR - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Our Harbour, a community organization that provides housing for people with mental illness, is looking for volunteers to do friendly visiting for about 2 or 3 hours a week and is also looking for drivers to take the residents to activities and appointments. If you would be interested in helping please contact Catherine Gillbert at 450-672-1519 or catherine.gillbert@videotron.ca. For more information about Our Harbour visit www.ourharbour.org . CWL CHILDREN’S MOVIE NIGHT – SUPERBOOK: THE FIRST CHRISTMAS Are you ready for another time traveling adventure? The CWL of Good Shepherd is hosting a third children’s movie night on Friday, December 11th at 7:00 PM in the parish hall (7900 Naples, Brossard). The feature presented is THE BIRTH OF JESUS: Commercial Christmas mayhem is reigning supreme in the Quantum household. After Chris offhandedly remarks that the family nativity scene is just another decoration like a reindeer or Santa's elves, Superbook whisks the kids off to the hills of Bethlehem to witness the birth of Christ and learn the true meaning of Christmas. Free hot dogs, popcorn and juice will be served followed by the video presentation. Bring the whole family to celebrate the greatest gift of all time! Email reneechampagne@yahoo.com to reserve your spot. Deadline to register is December 7th or until the maximum capacity of 100 people is reached. MOVIE NIGHT – JACQUES MARITAIN (2007) DOCUMENTARY The adult faith formation program of the SAINT JOHN PAUL II PASTORAL UNIT invites you to St. Francis of Assisi Parish, (844 Notre Dame, St. Lambert) on Friday, December 11th at 7:30 pm to watch a film and, if times allows, share about it with your fellow parishioners. The viewing will take place either in the Oak Room or in the hall, depending on the numbers. This month’s featured film is JACQUES MARITAIN (2007) documentary - 52 min. (French with English subtitles). This film tells the story of Jacques Maritain, a highly respected French philosopher, teacher and writer in the 20th century, who was a principal exponent of Thomism and an influential interpreter of the thought of St Thomas Aquinas. He lived for many years in the United States, and taught at Princeton University and Columbia University. After WWII, he served as the French ambassador to the Vatican, and he also helped draft the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). GIFT OF MUSIC - MARK YOUR CALENDARS ! Our annual Christmas concert, presented by the Christian Communities of St. Lambert, will be taking place on Sunday, December 13 at Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin church (at 311 St. Thomas in Saint-Lambert). The concert will begin at 7:00 p.m. Come and experience the magic of the Christmas season. All proceeds from the freewill offering will benefit the Saint-Lambert Ecumenical Food Bank and Christmas Baskets. Be sure to visit our website for weekly updates at http://www.johnpaul2.weebly.com ______________________________________________________________________________________________ RECONCILIATION THROUGHOUT ADVENT (INDIVIDUAL CONFESSION) St. Mary’s Friday December 4th 10:30 am to 11:30 am St. Raymond’s Tuesday December 15th 10:30 am to 11:30 am Good Shepherd Tuesday December 15th 7:45 pm to 8:45 pm St. Gabriel’s Wednesday December 16th 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm St. Clare’s Saturday December 19th 3:00 pm to 3:45 pm Holy Cross Saturday December 19th 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm St. Mary’s Saturday December 19th 4:00 pm to 4:45 pm St. Francis Sunday December 20th 10:45 am to 11:45 am St. Augustine’s Wednesday December 23rd 10:15 am to 11:15 pm ______________________________________________________________________________________________