LIFE CHAIN

Life Chain is on Sunday, October 3, 2010 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. We will meet at 2:15 p.m. to pick up our signs. Our assigned zone is Dundas & Mavis (S/E corner). Please commit to spending one hour of prayer and witness with your fellow parishioners. Sign-up is available on the tables at both entrances of the church.

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these

…you did for me” (MATT. 25:40)


Gregorian Chant

In 1963, as they ordered a “general restoration of the liturgy itself,” the bishops of the Second Vatican Council acknowledged one musical repertoire as “specially suited to the Roman Liturgy”: Gregorian Chant. There, they said, in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, “other things being equal, chant should have pride of place in liturgical services” (SC 116).

Gregorian Chant has a lot going for it: it gives primacy to the human voice in worship; it sets texts that are, for the most part, drawn from Scripture; it is music designed to accompany ritual action; it unites us to the worship carried out by generations of our ancestors; it is music that has only been used to worship God. We use the Gregorian chant because it fits the ritual well. But at other times, the ritual itself will suggest the use of other music.

Liturgy has always been affected by local cultures, and it draws on the unique strength of those cultures - as well as on the treasure of music inherited from previous generations. What we know as Gregorian Chant, in fact, is the product of many cultures: It is similar, in some respects, to chants of the synagogue, to ancient Greek Chant and hymnody, to some early music of the Eastern Church, and to secular and religious music of the Frankish Kingdom.

Chant is meant to serve the liturgy and the text. We are invited to rediscover this treasure of music and to be invited to meditate and pray with Sacred Scripture as it is set to music. Here at St. Joseph we have two opportunities to rediscover this important part of our Tradition. On November 5th and 6th we will be hosting Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB who will lead a workshop on Chant. He is renowned for his work of translating and adapting Chant for use in English.

We are also creating a Schola - a group of people- who are interested in learning and singing Chant. Under the Direction of Ana Maria Nunes they will meet on Wednesday evenings starting on October 6th 2010.

More information on both these initiatives is available at the parish office.

Fr. Marc-André Campbell

Edge Adventure Camp

I had the privilege of accompanying 21 young people from Edge to Summer Camp last weekend. They were joined by 250 other campers from 10 other parishes and more than 50 adult volunteers. It was a fun filled week with many outdoor activities such as kayaking and ziplining! This was also a Catholic camp. The theme of the camp was: Behold the Mystery and it invited the campers to reflect on the Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of the Lord. Mass was celebrated daily, confession was offered and we had a beautiful night time procession with the Blessed Sacrament followed by Exposition and Benediction. For many this was a first experience of Eucharistic Adoration and many were touched by it. I wish to thank all those who worked so hard to make this camp possible for our young people!

Parish Mortgage paid off

Our Parish had contracted a Mortgage in order to acquire the new parish house across the street. It is with great joy that I announce that we have paid off the mortgage and that our Parish Community is now debt free. Thanks be to God and many thanks to the generosity and support of all our parishioners.

One Parish One Family Initiative

I have already mentioned the Archdiocesan Initiative called: One Parish One Family. We have been asked to help resettle and welcome into our community one refugee family from Iraq. We are hoping to sponsor the Butrus Family. More details about this project will be forthcoming. As we start making preparation let us keep them in our prayers, that through the intercession of St. Joseph who led the Holy Family to safety in Egypt that the Butrus Family may come to a safe and peaceful haven in Canada.

St. Joseph Schola

I am pleased to announce the creation of the St. Joseph Schola under the direction of Ana Maria Nunes. We have all heard Gregorian Chant, CD’s by Monks have made the top 10 lists for sometime now and many of us enjoy the peaceful and interior nature of that music. All those who are interested in exploring the world of Chant, both in English and Latin, and learning how to singing it are welcome to join the Schola. Rehearsals will be on Wednesday evening from 7.30 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. starting on October 6th 2010.

Fr. Marc-André Campbell