DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY

St. John’s Parish – A Covenant Community with St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

MASS INTENTIONS

Saturday, Apr. 22 DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY VIGIL 5:00 pm - Thomas & Annie Hood Sunday, Apr. 23 DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY 9:00 am - Frank Figliuzzi 11:00 am - All Parishioners Living & Deceased 12:30 am - Spanish Mass/Maria Cruz Hernandez Monday, Apr. 24 8:00 am - Oletta Mellozzi Tuesday, Apr. 25 6:30 pm - Mike Rainville, Tony Lesar, Giovanni Pizziola, Luca Ferraro, Intentions of Alice Elst, Lori Wesselink and Marinus Wesselink Wednesday, Apr. 26 8:00 am - Souls in Purgatory Thursday, Apr. 27 6:30 pm - Liberale Monico, Corrado Simeoni, Italo Bellinaso, Elisa & Andrea Basso, Souls in Purgatory Friday, Apr. 28 8:00 am - Elio Turchet Saturday, Apr. 29 THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER VIGIL 5:00 pm - Bruno Comacchio and Intentions of Maria Comacchio Sunday, Apr. 30 THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER 9:00 am - Fr. Frank Ruzza 11:00 am - All Parishioners Living & Deceased 12:30 am - Spanish Mass

READINGS OF THE WEEK

Monday, Apr. 24 St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen Acts 4:23-31; John 3:-18 Tuesday, Apr. 25 St. Mark Acts 1 Peter 5:5-14; Mark 16:15-20 Wednesday, Apr. 26 Our Lady of Good Counsel Acts 5:17-26; John 3:16-21 Thursday, Apr. 27 Acts 5:27-33; John 3:31-36 St. Louis Grignon de Montford Friday, Apr. 28 Acts 5:34-42; John 6:1-15 St. Peter Chanel Saturday, Apr. 29 St. Catherine of Siena Acts 6:1-7; John 6:16-21 Sunday, Apr. 30 Third Sunday of Easter Acts 2:14, 22-28; Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35

DIOCESAN PRAYER CALENDAR

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Msgr. Edward House Fr. William Trusz Students Fr. Luc Samba Fr. Mariusz Durbajlo Fr. David Wilhelm

Vocations

“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Will you respond to God's call to be sent as priest, deacon, sister or brother? If God is calling you, contact Fr. Michael King, 905-528-7988 email [email protected]

Very Special Thank-You

Thank you to all who shared of their time and talents to make the Lenten, Holy Week and Easter celebrations so prayerful and beautiful: the music ministers, those who decorated the church, the Altar Servers, to the Ministers of Holy Communion, the Lectors, Ushers and Gift Bearers and those who coordinate them. Your contribution to our parish is greatly appreciated!

First Communion Masses

The children from St. John’s School will receive the Sacrament on Sunday, April 30 at the 9:00 and 11:00 am Masses. Parishioners are most welcome to attend these Masses as they usually do. However, anyone who wants to avoid the larger crowd might prefer to attend the Saturday 5:00 pm Mass next weekend. Please pray for these children, their parents and family. May the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist inspire them to develop their faith.

Clergy Appointments 2017

On April 10, The Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, OMI, Bishop of Hamilton, announced the clergy appointments for 2017. The Bishop has assigned Father Juan Carlos Saenz as Associate Pastor to St. John’s Parish. The appointments are effective Wednesday, June 28, 2017. A complete list of the appointments can be found on the bulletin board in the Welcome Area.

Update on 40 Days for Life

A special 'Thank-you' for the parishioners who took up the 'cross' for the unborn and helped cover the hours of prayer and witness in front of Guelph General Hospital. I was inspired! You ask, "Why"? --The sun shone brightly that weekend. A group from our parish gathered prayerfully and with much joy on both days. A church from Elora carried many of the Saturday hours first time out! I personally was greeted with 'hugs' and 'thumbs-up'. I was also greeted by new moms and grandmothers. Interesting conversations and stories. Hours of prayer offered - how good is that! And God hears our prayers and speaks to us in those silent vigil hours. My thanks to all, Margaret Aitken

Walk with Mary to Jesus Procession

The annual Marian procession, crowning and devotion will take place this year on Sunday, May 7, at 2:30 pm. Please join us to honour Mary and ask her to intercede with her Son for our country, province and city. With the new advances of the Culture of Death, it becomes more obvious that we need to publically acknowledge our faith and pray for the establishment of the Culture of Life. Please meet at the Basilica of Our Lady at 2:15 pm and dress for the weather. Shuttle service from Sacred Heart Church back to the Basilica available for drivers only. For more information, please call Stella Mott, 519-763-9991.

“So they set out at once” The true height and fulfillment of the Easter night lies over and beyond the world of time in the rising of the last day and the dawn of eternity. And that must be the victory of the feast for us: the unshakable certainty that we are beyond time, in eternity, that we have passed over to our home above. The pain of this time cannot reach the deep places in us any longer; it can only touch what is already dead in us. We have only to do with God, for our life is hidden in him.

April 23, 2017 Divine Mercy Sunday The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion

The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us. And, he wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy. The Divine Mercy message is one we can call to mind simply by remembering ABC: A - Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world. B - Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us. C - Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.

Walk for Life: Save the date!

Guelph & Area Right to Life's annual Walk for Life will be taking place on Saturday, May 6. There will be walkathons in both Guelph and Fergus. For details, visit www.guelphforlife.com or call 519-836-6311.

Bus to National March for Life

There will be a local bus to the National March for Life in Ottawa on Thursday, May 11. Tickets for the day trip are only $20.00. Bus will depart at 5:15 am from Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate parking lot, returning to Guelph at approximately 9:00 pm. To reserve a ticket, contact Guelph & Area Right to Life at 519-8366311 or [email protected].

Diocesan Workshops on Mental Illness

The Diocese of Hamilton is offering two workshops on mental illness on Tuesday, May 9. For information please consult the poster on the bulletin board or contact: Family Ministry Office at 905-528-7988 or register on-line: www.hamiltondiocese.com (Go to Upcoming Events on Home Page).

Kindergarten Registration

The Wellington Catholic District School Board is accepting registrations for kindergarten at your local Catholic schools. Kindergarten Eligibility: Children must be four years of age on or before December 31, 2017 to attend Year 1 of Kindergarten. The following documents are required for registration: - child’s birth certificate / a parent or child’s Baptismal certificate - child’s health card / immunization record /custody papers (if applicable) - tax support documentation (i.e. most recent tax bill) Please see the Board website (www.wellingtoncdsb.ca) or contact your school for more information about our quality educational programs. Come join our family! Our life in Christ must take its stamp from the night of Easter, then it will have its roots above; we shall not be shaken here, but hold fast and bear fruit. The celebration of this night began at the tomb. But now we know the tomb is empty. The angel has appeared, and announced the Resurrection. The offering is done. We have eaten the flesh of the Paschal lamb; we have gone across. There is only one thing left for us to do: obey the angel. We are to tell the seekers, the doubters, those who have no belief. He is not here. He is risen, as he said. Seek the things above where Christ sits at God’s right hand. Have a mind for the things that are above, not for those on earth. Sister Asemiliana Löhr, O.S.B.

St. John’s Parish Mission Statement We believe deeply that Jesus Christ is in our midst, in ourselves and in each other. In our faith journey we will be the heart, hands, feet and voice of Jesus Christ, reaching out to all.

PARISH OFFERING

Your contributions to the Parish on April 8/9 on April 15/16 Pre-Authorized Giving-March Building Fund Share Lent Good Friday Your donations to St. Vincent de Paul Thank you on behalf of the needy!

$5,441.00 $8,915.20 $1,397.00 $ 720.00 $ 363.00 $2,752.80 $2,202.00

Organ Repair—THANK YOU!!!

We have reached the fundraising goal for the repair of our magnificent pipe organ! Your generosity and your personal commitment have made it possible. Thank you for your very kind donations. Your dedication to St. John the Baptist Parish is greatly appreciated!

PARISH CALENDAR

Wednesday , April 26 6:45 pm Baptismal Preparation Meeting Thursday, April 27 Parish Office closed Secretaries’ Workshop/Hamilton Saturday, April 29 10:00 am Church yard clean-up 4:00—4:30 pm Confessions

The Fatima Centennial: The Resurrection And the Apparitions of Mary In the days following his Resurrection, Jesus in his glorified body in the garden, in the Upper Room, on the road to Emmaus, and on the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. These appearances, as we know, are to a grieving Mary Magdalen, to a faithful Peter, to a doubting Thomas, and to crestfallen disciples. In these Easter days, the post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus form the foundation for our meditating on the apparitions of Mary at Fatima, because Mary appears bodily. The children of Fatima said they saw “a woman all in white, more brilliant than the sun.” It was not just her voice or some kind of mystical experience. Mary appeared before the shepherd children as herself, as a woman and as a Mother. Because Mary enjoys “a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection” (CCC 966), her apparitions remind us of both the great truth of the Resurrection itself and the great truth of the human person, being created both body and soul. Both body and soul are resurrected on that glorious final day. Whether it is in a grotto in Lourdes, on a hill called Guadalupe, or in a field in Fatima, Mary bodily proclaims the Resurrection of her Son. Her apparitions share in the same Good News as that first Easter—to comfort grief, to build up faith, to take away doubt, and to lift up spirits. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us! Fr. James M. Sullivan