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NEWS FROM THE DIOCESAN SERVICES - April 4, 2023
How I wish I could experience Easter without having to endure Good Friday!
How pleasant it would be to lose weight without dieting or exercising, to master an art without practising for hours, or to succeed in a project without devoting so much energy and resources to it! It would be wonderful to be loved without having to give of myself to another, to be forgiven without having to ask for forgiveness, to be reconciled without having to overcome my pride.
And when I think of the world around me, why so much negotiation to reach an agreement, so many struggles to achieve justice, so much effort to establish peace?
What do you want, such is life! Jesus accepted it and fully embraced this human condition of ours. He would have preferred to avoid the horror of crucifixion, but he prayed: "Father, not as I will, but as you will!" He showed the same way to his friends: "Whoever wants to be my disciple, let him take up his cross and follow me."
Easter makes us believe that it's all worth it, that beyond the trial and the sacrifice there is glory and joy. Yes, we can invest the effort because the resurrection of Jesus guarantees its fruitfulness. An old French hymn sings: "You chose to teach us, on the Cross, the way to joy!"
So let us dare to live our sombre Good Fridays because, with Jesus, we will one day know the radiant sun of Easter!
CHRISM MASS - APRIL 5 AT 7 PM
You are invited to participate in the celebration of the Chrism Mass on Holy Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at Saint Joseph's Cathedral. The Mass will be broadcast live on YouTube.
NOTICE OF DEATH OF FATHER NORMAND CARPENTIER
Father Normand Carpentier passed on March 26, 2023 in Gatineau. Read more...
JOURNEY THROUGH LENT 2023
A series of CCCB videos entitled Journeying Through Lent is available on the CCCB website. This year's Lenten meditations are given by His Eminence Gérald Cyprien Cardinal Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada.
The Divine Mercy: the Gift of Confession
Pope: Work of mercy coincides with missionary vocation of Church
Pope Francis emphasizes the importance of the Sacrament of Confession, in an address to the participants in the 33rd Course on the Internal Forum organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary.
By Christopher Wells
"There is an inseparable link between the missionary vocation of the Church and the offering of mercy to all men," Pope Francis said on Thursday.
The Holy Father was addressing participants in the annual course on the Internal Forum, organized each year by the Apostolic Penitentiary – the Vatican Dicastery "competent in all matters regarding the internal form and indulgences as expressions of divine mercy." To read more
We are happy to pass on information about the pastoral activities of the English-speaking parishes via the newsletter. We will be happy to publish your information in the newsletter every two weeks. Please send your information to André Inkel, Pastoral Worker. His e-mail address is inkela@diocesegatineau.org.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO FIND OUT ABOUT RETREATS AND ACTIVITIES IN FRENCH?
In this English version of the diocesan bulletin, we share information relevant to our English-speaking parishioners. If you want to find out about retreats and resources available in French only, you might want to also subscribe to the French Infolettre. You can sign up here.
FROM GOLF TO ARCHBISHOP'S BRUNCHES
After ten editions of the Archbishop's Golf Open, the annual fundraising event of the diocese to support community organizations is changing its formula to become the Archbishop's Brunch. After Archbishop Durocher's pastoral visits to the four corners of the diocese, the Archbishop's Brunch will be a tour of four brunches to meet with diocesan residents to experience a fraternal moment while supporting community organizations. In fact, at each of the brunches, the profits collected will be redistributed to organizations in the territory of each pastoral zone. The cost of tickets will be $25 for adults and $10 for children. Parishes will be notified as soon as ticket sales begin and there will be several points of sale. Here is the brunch schedule for each of the pastoral areas:
- 1st brunch: for parishes in the English zone, October 7 at St. Mark's Parish Hall in the Aylmer area.
- 2nd brunch: for parishes in the Eastern zone, October 22 at the St-André-Avellin municipal hall (Whissell complex).
- 3rd brunch: for parishes in the Central and Western zones, on November 5 at the Ste-Trinité parish hall, Gatineau sector.
- 4th brunch: for parishes in the Northern zone, on November 19 at the parish hall of L'Assomption-de-Marie parish in Maniwaki.
Please reserve one of these dates in your calendar. Information: diocesan bursar's office.
NEWS FROM THE PARISHES AND MOVEMENTS
OUR LADY OF THE ANNUNCIATION
Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish will hold its annual Spring Auction on Wednesday, May 3rd at the Church Centre, 189 Archambault Street, Gatineau (Hull Sector). Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for viewing, bidding starts at 6:30 p.m. Admission $2. Items to be auctioned include china, crystal, pewter, jewellery, a stamp collection and small appliances, and more. Draws will be held for door prizes throughout the evening. For additional information, tel. 819-776-4434, email ola@bellnet.ca.
ANNOUNCEMENTS/INVITATIONS TO SHARE
This section is for the sharing of announcements/invitations from parishes and movements in the diocese. If you have an activity to share or advertise, please send a note to Bozica Domitrovic on Friday before the newsletter release.
CONTACT
BOZICA DOMITROVIC, Communication technician
domitrovicb@diocesegatineau.org / Telephone: 819 771-8391, ext. 308
ADRESSE
180, boulevard du Mont-Bleu, Gatineau (Québec) J8Z 3J5
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