Church News

THE FOOD BASKETS AT SUNDAY MASS: A beautiful gesture! When we get the altar ready for Sunday Mass, we normally have the bread and wine and the collection presented. In addition to that, you also see some canned food and non-perishables presented. In the course of the week, these are brought to the Aylmer Food Bank so that the less fortunate in our wider community can benefit from it. Why do we do that? The bread and wine we bring is for the Mass itself. Once transformed by the Holy Spirit, it is for us the Body and Blood of Christ with which we are being nourished at communion time. When we are being nourished with heavenly food and drink, we cannot help but think of those in our wider community who must do without much daily food on the table. In other words, that simple gesture of bringing canned food and non-perishables to Mass makes the Mass very real….the poor are included in our Sunday Mass.

REPLACING PLASTIC BAGS WITH CLOTH BAGS... Every week, many parishioners bring non-perishables to our parish, which then become part of our weekly offerings during the Eucharistic celebrations. This is a beautiful gesture. It means that when we come to be nourished by the self-gift of Jesus Christ in the bread and wine we share we want to include in our Mass those who lack food at their tables at home. The poor are part of our world, especially when we come for Mass. After all, we come to Mass not just for ourselves, but with ‘our world’.

Most of the time these perishables are brought in plastic bags. In an effort to eliminate as much as possible the use of plastic bags, we are making cloth bags available for parishioners to bring their offerings to church. All you need to do is deposit the articles in the baskets left at the entrance of the church, take the cloth bag home again, and keep the bag with you for your next food donation. It is a project worth to try. If we run out of the cloth bags, we’ll go back to the Dollar Store and get some more.

We got this suggestion from the churches in Buckingham and Mayo. Moreover, the nicely decorated bags, with the picture of our church on the front, will be a reminder to parishioners to share their food with the less fortunate. Every week, we pass the food on to St. Vincent de Paul Society and to the Aylmer Food Bank. They are both very appreciative of the weekly donations.

WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME MORE MEMBERS ON OUR LITURGY COMMITTEE… The membership on our Liturgy Committee has become pretty thin; we need new blood. What do we do at our meetings? Really it is about more than at what time we have this or that service or who sings at what service. Yes, occasionally that may be part of it. Ideally, we try to monitor the worship life of St. Mark’s parish. Are there any criteria for that or is it all a matter of my subjective opinion? The following quotation serves as a guideline: It is the beauty of all the symbols from which the celebration is woven, including the worship space itself, that bears an unspoken invitation to the faithful to enter into God’s presence and embrace. Are our liturgical celebrations such that we get a sense of being in God’s space? Of course, that is impossible to measure, but we could all, (not only the priest) be attentive to promoting it and making sure that we avoid doing things that may get in the way of it. Any parishioners willing to help us with keeping an eye on that? Please, let us know. 

WE NEED SOME HELP FOR OUR BAPTISMS...

1. For instance, could we count on some parishioners to set up the church after the 11:00 a.m. Mass for baptism? It is a matter of making sure that everything is in place when the families come in. Then those who will be involved in the actual baptism celebration are free to welcome the families. That welcoming is so important!

2. Another group of parishioners could sign up for doing the things that make up the actual celebration of the baptisms: doing the reading(s), leading a bit of the singing, assisting the families with some details, assisting the priest. Let us face it: for practically everyone that is there, the ceremony is unfamiliar. It means a great deal when there are at least some who are familiar with how the ceremony unfolds and who can make sure that things are done properly.

3. The preparation of the parents for the baptism of the children is about more than “telling them what they should be doing or not doing”. Over the years, we have found a formula or a way of doing things that, I believe, is quite respectful of and welcoming to the parents who have asked their children to be baptized. We would like to continue that and improve on it where possible and/or necessary.

We celebrate baptism five times a year. Are there any parishioners who could give us a hand in one of the three steps or in all of the three steps mentioned here? Please, let us know.

SOME OTHER AREAS THAT NEED OUR ATTENTION…

1. Sunday School. We have one parishioner who is eager to work in this area. And it is so necessary! The schools no longer give any form of religious instruction. It is the family and the parish who have the challenge to form the faith of our children. We hardly do anything of that. And here too we cannot leave it to one parishioner. Once we have some people together, we can look at what would benefit our children most when it is a matter of being formed in the faith we cherish. May we hear from you?

2.  Ministers of Hospitality/Ushers. Especially for the 11:00 a.m. Mass, but the other Masses could benefit from a few more volunteers to look after this aspect of our Masses too. If we have a few more, it facilitates making people feel at ease; things can be properly looked after; and it does not all fall on the shoulders of the one or two who are left doing it.
3. Leading the Community singing at the 9:00 a.m. Mass. There are some parts of the Mass, especially of the Sunday Mass, that need to be sung: the Entrance/Gathering Song; the Communion Song; the Psalm response; the Alleluia; the Acclamations in the Eucharistic Prayer; the Lamb of God. Whether these will be sung should not depend on the presence of a choir. These are to be sung by the congregation. But someone or some parishioners must lead the congregation or get the congregation started in that communal singing.
4. Leading the Community in Prayer. It is not healthy when the only form of parish worship or parish prayer has become the Mass. The Church’s repertoire of its official prayer is more varied. And it has the advantage that properly prepared lay-persons can lead the other forms of worship so that we do not have to be so dependent on a priest being there. Who is interested in getting the necessary formation to lead the parish in Morning and Evening Prayer, in a more extended version of the Rosary, in other types of prayer service?
5. Celebration of Funerals:  We like to celebrate Funerals with great care. A fine and reliable funeral choir is in place; funeral lunches are served. And we have two parishioners who very faithfully make sure everything is in place, do the serving, and - where necessary - do the reading and administer communion. For that latter category we would love to have a few more parishioners that we could call upon. Training will be provided. May we hear from you?
6. Coffee after Mass on the first and third Sunday of the month: It is such an enjoyable and much appreciated feature of parish life. Could we have a few more families or persons who are prepared to look after it? In that case, we could maintain it or even expand it. Yes, it takes a bit of work, but the parish greatly benefits from it.

THE PLACE FROM WHERE ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE MADE IN CHURCH… It may look as insignificant, but it does matter. It has to do with the proper use of the ambo/lectern. We are used to making announcements in church from the place that is readily available, the ambo or lectern as it is called. That practice tends to obscure what the ambo is actually for: the proclamation of the Word of God. It is important not to “clutter it up”. It is the place around which we rally for the first part of the Eucharist: the Liturgy of the Word. The reading from Scripture – whether it is the lay or ordained who does it – is done from there; the singing of the psalm is preferably led from there; and the preaching takes place from there. Non-scriptural announcements should be done at another place. It is a matter of respecting the difference between what has its origin from God’s inspiration and what is simply an announcement that pertains to church life.  It may take a bit of “getting used to”, but from now on we’ll make announcements from the other side where a microphone will be in place. It may promote our appreciation for the uniqueness of God’s Word.

A SPIN-OFF FROM FATHER JOHN’S HAVING LEFT FOR ROME One of the hats that Father John wore was being Regional Superior of the Canadian Region of the religious community that he and I belong to, the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCJ). Our Canadian Region is not very numerous: 25 of us spread out over three local communities in Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa (to which I technically belong). That position of Regional Superior needed to be filled again now that John has left for Rome. A consultation process among our membership was set in motion and the outcome of it is that the General Council of our community in Rome has appointed me as the Regional Superior of our Canadian Region for a three-year term. It is not exactly a position that I was looking for, but I could not ignore the number of confreres who had put my name forward for that position. Yes, I will remain your pastor here at St. Mark’s, but the service I am called to provide for my community will occasionally disrupt my presence here. I do not think that it has to become a matter of competing loyalties. With some effort and with your cooperation and understanding I hope to be able to manage both positions in a satisfactory manner.        ~ Bill Marrevee scj

NEWEST TARIFFS FROM THE BISHOP’S OFFICE The first one has to do with the offering for a Mass. The offering for an unannounced Mass (the intention will not be put in the bulletin) will be $6 and for an announced Mass it will be $20. Since there is an exchange of money involved, we often say “that is how much a Mass costs”. It is too bad that we use that sort of language. Strictly speaking, we do not buy a Mass. We make an offering. Whatever, it is unfortunate that there is that money business around the Mass. But it has a long tradition; who will get rid of it? Where does that money go? The $6 for the unannounced Mass goes to the priest. Of the $20 for the announced Mass $6 goes to the priest, $11 goes to the parish, $3 goes to the Diocese. When a priest says a second or third Mass on the same day, the $6 of these Masses does not go to the priest, but to the parish. Complicated enough? There are still some other tariffs:

• For marriages: $300 (that is a hefty increase).

• For funerals: $175 (remains the same)

• For baptism certificates etc. $15

These new tariffs were implemented in our Church at the beginning of 2010.

ATTENTION:  MINISTERS OF COMMUNION AND COMMUNICANTS! The bread we use at our Sunday Eucharist has been raised as an issue of concern at a recent meeting of ministers of Communion. We plan to address that soon in a session open to all parishioners. In the meantime, it may help to recall some basic points. Yes, there is a potential disadvantage in the use of that bread; and it is something we try to avoid as much as possible: it is the crumbs that occasionally result from the breaking and that inadvertently may fall on the ground. If you see this happen, please, do not let them lie there. Whatever has fallen, pick it up, consume it or put it back on the altar. Of course, that bread (and its pieces) must be handled with the greatest of care. After all, we profess it to be The Body of Christ that we are privileged to consume in order for us to become The Body of Christ. St. Augustine has a beautiful reflection on that: If you wish to understand the Body of Christ, listen to the Apostle as he says to the faithful ‘You are the Body of Christ, and his members’ (1 Cor 12:27). If, therefore, you are the Body of Christ and his members, your mystery has been placed on the Lord’s Table, you receive your mystery.

FAITH BOOK CLUB: As a way to promote fellowship, and to broaden our horizons regarding faith and world issues, we would like to start a “faith book club” at St. Mark’s. The reading material for discussion would be in the form of books or articles and would be suggested by members of the book club. Anyone interested in joining can contact Teresa Clarke at (819) 684-0990 or email teresa-clarke14@hotmail.com. Hope to hear from you.

IF ST MARK'S IS YOUR FAITH HOME, REGISTRATION WOULD BE APPRECIATED!  People’s bonding with their parish community is for many not as strong as it may have been in the past. It shows in the time it takes for new parishioners to register, but it also shows in parishioners having their names still in our register long after they have moved for the simple reason that we did not know they had left. Still others may be hesitant to settle for a parish and prefer the freedom to move from one church to another, very often dependent on the Mass schedule of a particular parish. The result is that our records are not as up-to-date or are not as reflective of reality as we would like them to be. It may be something we have to learn to live with. Still, we can try. If you live in Aylmer and if you consider St. Mark’s your faith home (mind you, that may for some take a bit of time), could you please fill in a registration form? Our hospitality ministers and the priest know where they are. You may leave the form with them or put it in the collection basket. 

INTERESTED IN HELPING THE SUNDAY-MASS PREACHING MOMENT ACHIEVE ITS INTENDED PURPOSE? Have you ever noticed that, if someone asks “How was Mass”? most of the comments center around the preaching and the singing/music. That is interesting. It at least indicates that, in this case, preaching is considered to be important. And rightly so! But is the importance we apparently ascribe to the preaching moment or to the homiletic moment in the Mass reflected in the care “we” give it? Who is the “we” in this case? We may be inclined to think immediately of the preacher. And that is not entirely mistaken. He/she bears a special responsibility for the preaching moment. But we should not stop there. The worshipping community bears a responsibility too. Why and how? The issue that is at stake in the preaching moment is the faith life of the worshipping community. Is the faith life of the community well or badly served by our Sunday Mass preaching? Can it be improved? Those are fair questions to ask. The question we ask is not a matter of going after the preacher. It is more serious than that. We take it for granted that the community is prepared to take the homiletic moment at Mass seriously. In that case, can we find some mechanism by which the community measures and gauges, to the extent that this is possible, the faith effectiveness of the preaching that occurs in its midst? More is called for than the well-intended “Good sermon, Father” after Mass. It is a matter of the community claiming ownership of the homiletic moment because its faith is in the balance. It presupposes that both the community and the homilist/preacher within the community see, respect and support each other as fellow believers and fellow hearers of the Word that brings salvation. Stay tuned. We may have a mechanism for that, if you are interested.

COULD YOU MAKE SANDWICHES FOR A FUNERAL LUNCH?  Newer parishioners may be somewhat surprised when they get a phone call like this. It has to do with the beautiful practice we have here at St. Mark’s. When one of the members of our parish dies we try to provide a light lunch after the funeral service in the church, if the family so desires. It is one of the best services our parish provides. In fact, it is a very concrete way of supporting-in-faith the family that mourns the death of their loved one. Even if we do not know the family ourselves, in the faith community that we are we know them as our brothers and sisters. In this case, they are in need. So as a parish we try to give them our support in a very concrete gesture. The preparation and the service of the lunch are all done by volunteers, and it depends very much on the cooperation of all parishioners.  So every so often you are contacted by phone with the question: “Could you prepare some sandwiches or squares, please?” It is true that such a request rarely comes at a convenient time. But when we keep in mind the difficult situation the bereaved family is experiencing, it may make handling our own inconvenience a little easier; in fact, it becomes a tangible and effective gesture of solidarity and support to the bereaved family. In other words, your generous response to the request is much appreciated. You preparing the sandwiches or squares could appropriately be accompanied by commending the deceased person and the bereaved family in prayer to God. Our hands become the hands of God’s compassion and love. If you are free and interested to help with serving that lunch occasionally, you can contact Agnes Laroche (819 684-6926) or Rita Danis (819 684-8445) who coordinate this parish project.

REFLECTION STARTERS (AT THE TOP OF THE INSIDE FIRST PAGE OF EACH BULLETIN)...  Are they of any use? We have had that feature in our bulletin for the past year. Reference is made to one of the Scripture readings of that particular Sunday. And that is followed by a few lines for reflection based on that Scripture reading. These lines are taken from Sacred Space. The Prayer Book, which originates from the Jesuit Communication Centre, Ireland.

You may find some time on Sunday or during the week to go back to one of the Sunday Scripture readings and use these lines for a moment of reflection. You may even try it as a family. It is one attempt to bring the faith stuff home from the church and let it do its work in us where we really live. During the Advent Season, you may want to do that sort of reflection around the Advent Wreath.

THE MAKE-UP OF THE CHURCH'S EVENING PRAYER... As church we can pray in more than one way. It does not always have to be Mass. In fact, the Church’s repertoire of liturgical prayer is quite varied; and it would be a healthy move if we made use of that varied menu. In this case, it is good to keep in mind that as it is part of the Church’s repertoire of liturgical prayer the Church’s official Evening Prayer has certain basic components:

• The Light Service. This has its origin in a Jewish home ritual of pre-Christian times: the lighting of the lamps on Sabbath eve. For us Christians, Christ is the “light of the world”, something captured in the lighting of the Easter Candle. As daylight fades, we light the Easter Candle and sing our praise to him as the Light of the World. And we give God thanks for the gift of light, above all for Jesus Christ, our light.

• Psalmody. We have recourse to the treasure of the psalms, a real school of prayer. The preferred psalm for Evening Prayer is psalm 141 with the antiphon Let my prayer, O Lord, like incense before you, the raising of my hands like an evening sacrifice, while incense is being burnt. We trust that the evil and hurt which we have worked, wittingly or not, will not track us down in the dark, but dissipate in the light of God’s mercy. Another psalm may be added, and we read a brief passage from the Scriptures, appropriate to the day and/or season.

• The Canticle of Mary and Intercessions. We follow the lead of Mary as we sing our praises to the God we have come to know in the history of Israel and above all in Jesus Christ. We call upon the Lord and intercede for those in need in our world.

• The Lord’s Prayer and Blessing. This is the way the Prayer is concluded.

None of this is done in a hurry. Periods of silence are effective in leading us deeper into the prayer. For those    interested, the monthly Living with Christ contains a similar form of Evening Prayer which can be used with great benefit at home.   

WHAT IS THAT STRANGE DIAGRAM ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE BULLETIN ALL ABOUT? The front page of our parish bulletin indicates the times of our Sunday Masses. Of course, our Sunday Eucharist is the very center of our parish life. However important, it is only a tiny part of what parish life is all about. Yes, parish life is bigger and more comprehensive than what we come together for on Sunday, the Day of the Lord. And that is expressed in the so-called four poles of parish life: liturgy, faith formation, fellowship, service/outreach. You find the same expressed on the back page of the bulletin, albeit in a different format; it is where the parish activities and organizations are listed. A few years ago, our bishop drew attention to them in a pastoral letter entitled Becoming communities that are schools of catechesis. He referred to The Acts of the Apostles 2:42: “they remained faithful to the teachings of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.” That is the mission, the task of every parish community if it wants to be known as the Church of Jesus Christ. It will proclaim and meditate on its foundational stories (faith formation); it will celebrate its essential rites and prayers (liturgy); it will live brotherly solidarity (fellowship); it will engage in justice for the poor (service/outreach). When a parish community takes good care of these four areas then it is bearing witness to the faith it cherishes and it is also handing on that same precious treasure of faith. These four areas of activities are not neatly separated compartments where each can do its own thing. They are dependent on each other, they feed each other, they interact with each other, they need each other. And this to such an extent, that if one is neglected then the other three are not in very good shape. The four together make up the life of a parish. In some way, the above mentioned diagram could be described as the parish’s organizational chart.

SOMETHING OF INTEREST IN THE CHURCH’S READING CORNER? Did you know that our church has a reading corner? It is located in the Marrevee Room, the room behind the folding doors. Some books have been removed some more recent books have been added. You will also find some periodicals and weeklies, such as Prairie Messenger, the Tablet, the Christian Century, Celebrate. You may find something of interest. Enjoy it. Please note, it is not a “lending library”; that would make it too complicated. It operates on the honour system.

 

St. Mark the Evangelist Church is accessible to all parishioners and guests.

There is designated disabled parking as well as a ramp at front and side entrances to the Church.

There is also a dedicated elevator and a restroom for the disabled.