Divine Mercy Sunday/2nd Sunday of Easter
This week in the Church
Please keep in your prayers Our First Holy Communicants who will be receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion next Sunday, May 1st @ 2pm
May the blessings of Christ be upon them always.
Important Updates
CWL
No CWL Coffee and Bake Sale on April 24th
Helping Refugees
The Parish is in the process of welcoming a family of 5 to North Vancouver. If you would like to help, please join the Refugee Committee by contacting the Parish Office
Blessing of the Home during Easter Season
Bless our Home and All Who Enter It is an ancient custom to bless the homes of the faithful at Easter. It is a simple blessing, not the full blessing of a new home. It may take place any time during the Fifty Days of Easter (Easter Sunday thru Pentecost Sunday) and it is an excellent opportunity for the family to come together in your homes to celebrate.
Begin with a greeting: "Peace be to this house, and to all who dwell in it." Continue with the Blessing that follows below. Then sprinkle the house and the people with some of the baptismal water that was blessed at the Easter Vigil. The service concludes with the exchange of the Sign of Peace, the greeting which the Risen Lord gave to his disciples in the Upper Room on the first Easter.
BLESSING Lord, we rejoice in the victory of your Son over death: by rising from the tomb to new life he gives us new hope and promise. Bless all the members of this household and surround them with your protection, that they may find comfort and peace in Jesus Christ, the paschal lamb, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen You may collect the Holy Water from the Church After Easter Sunday. Fr. Cannio and Fr Steny are available if you wish to bless your Home. Contact the Parish Office.
2021 Tax Receipts
Pick up from parish office this week
2022 Collection Envelopes
New sets of envelopes are in the Parish Office for you to pick up. It is important that you use this year’s envelopes to help ensure that you get credit for your donations. Please do not use envelopes from previous years.
Reflections
Have Not Seen & Yet Have Believed
Today's reading, from the Gospel of John, is proclaimed on the second Sunday of Easter in each of the three Sunday Lectionary cycles. This should alert us to the significance of the encounters with the resurrected Jesus described in this reading. This Gospel combines two scenes: Jesus' appearance to his disciples after his Resurrection and Jesus' dialogue with Thomas, the disciple who doubted.
Part of the mystery of Jesus? Resurrection is that he appeared to his disciples not as a spirit but in bodily form. We do not know exactly what this form was like. Earlier in John’s Gospel, when Mary of Magdala first encountered the risen Jesus, she did not recognize the figure standing before her until Jesus spoke her. In Luke’s Gospel, the disciples walking on the road to Emmaus did not recognize Jesus until he broke bread with them. We know from readings such as today's that in his resurrected body, Jesus was no longer bound by space; he appeared to the disciples in spite of the locked door. And yet, on this resurrected body, the disciples could still observe the marks of his Crucifixion.
In today's Gospel, Jesus greets his disciples with the gift of peace and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also commissions his disciples to continue the work that he has begun. As Jesus was sent by God, so too does Jesus send his disciples. This continuity with Jesus' own mission is an essential element of the Church. Jesus grants the means to accomplish this mission when he gives his disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit binds us together as a community of faith and strengthens us to bear witness to Jesus' Resurrection.
Jesus' words to his disciples also highlight the integral connection between the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness and reconciliation are gifts to us from Jesus. With the grace of the Holy Spirit, we can share these with others. This is another essential aspect of what it means to be Christ's Church. The Church continues Jesus? ministry of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Thomas, the disciple who doubts, represents the reality of the Church that comes after this first community of disciples. All but the first disciples of Jesus must believe without seeing. Like Thomas, we may doubt the news that Jesus, who was crucified and buried, appeared to his disciples. It is part of our human nature to seek hard evidence that the Jesus who appeared to the disciples after his death is, indeed, the same Jesus who was crucified. Thomas is given the opportunity to be our representative who obtains this evidence. He gives witness to us that the Jesus who was raised is the same Jesus who had died. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are among those who are blessed for we have not seen and yet have believed.
~ Loyola Press
Mass Intentions
Sunday, April 24
· Repose Mr. & Mrs. D’Costa by Judy Lourenco
· Repose Giovanni & Serafina Cusano by daughter-in-law Pasqualina
· Repose John Cusanelli by wife Giovanna
· Repose Rosalina Macuroy (1st Ann.) by daughter Marilyn & family
Monday, April 25
· Spec. Intention St. Edmund Parishioners
· Spec. Intention Improved Health to better serve the Lord by Hildegard Fercho
Tuesday, April 26
· Spec. Intention Caleb Geue by Barbara Stuart
· Repose Manuel Canhoto by Ludovina Santos
Wednesday, April 27
· Spec. Intention Chowley O’Sullivan by Hildegard Fercho
· Repose Marcel Bruneau by Helene & Lorne Brooks
Thursday, April 28
· Repose Natalie Delfinado by Diane
Friday, April 29
· Spec. Intention Mona O’Sullivan by Hildegard Fercho
Repose Natalie Delfinado by Elizabeth Livingston
Saturday, April 30
Repose Sr. Margaret Mary by Elizabeth Livingston
If you need a Mass Intention, please contact the Parish Office
Events
Parish Groups
ST. Edmund's Christian Meditation Group
Re-starting "In Person" Meditation Sessions
Date: All Mondays at 7:00 PM
Participation in person:
please contact Luis Zunino - lzunino@gzarchitects.com or at 604-987-8304
Option to participate via ZOOM:
For an introductory conversation, please contact Luis Zunino - lzunino@gzarchitects.com or at 604-987-8304 – Afterwards, A ZOOM link will be provided
CWL
Catholic Women’s League meetings are now in person on the 2nd Thursday of each month @ 7pm
School
St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School
Job Posting - Bus Driver Position
STA is inviting applications for a part-time Bus Driver
position. The successful candidate will possess a Class 2 Drivers licence with a clean driver’s abstract. The position commences immediately and continues until June 15, 2022, with possible continuation thru next year. Application Deadline: May 1, 2022. Please send a cover letter and resume to the principal, John Campbell (jcampbell@aquinas.org).
Kiwanis Music Festival
The STA Concert Bands participated in the Kiwanis Concert Band Festival last week, each earning a Silver certificate for their performance and the STA Choir participated in the Kiwanis Choral Festival, earning a Gold certificate.
Sr. Girls Win the UBC Soccer Tournament
The Senior Girls Soccer Team won the UBC tournament held April 13th and 14th by winning all four of their matches and won the tournament against Charles Best, a AAA team! This was the first time a AA school has ever won this tournament.
Annual Spring Plant Sale!!
Curb side pick-up will take place on May 3rd & 4th. Please note that specific pick-up instructions will be sent closer to delivery day.
Titanic In Spoken Truths
May 16th - May 18th - It's that time again, STA!
Despite many attempts by Covid-19, the STA Theatre Company has proven itself to be "unsinkable"! We are pleased to invite you to our presentation of "Titanic in Spoken Truths".
Please join us May 16, 17 & 18 at the Kay Meek Centre in West Vancouver. Purchase your "green" e-tickets via https://www.vtixonline.com/titanic-in-spoken-truths/2460/
There will be a limited number of tickets at the door for cash purchase, based on availability. We hope to see you at the show!
Bishop Thomas J. Lobsinger, OMI Memorial Bursary Program
The annual British Columbia & Yukon Bursary program known as the Bishop Thomas J. Lobsinger, OMI Memorial Bursary Program is underway. The 2022 program is now receiving applications. We are privileged to offer fourteen bursaries of $1,000.00 each to Catholic students across BC. These bursaries are made available on a one-time only basis to young practicing Catholic students who are in post secondary education at a recognized institute of higher learning within the BC. Applications are accepted from Jan. 1, 2022 until June 30, 2022 with the bursaries being awarded in the fall. The Terms of Reference may be found on our web site (kofcbc.org) after Jan 1, 2022.
Requests for application should be addressed to:
Knights of Columbus BC & Yukon
809 Mara Drive, Coquitlam, BC V3C 5T9
Attn: Herb Yang, Bursaries Chairman
Or email: herbykofc@gmail.com
We would like to congratulate the many recipients once again over the past years and look forward to the opportunity to assist many more young people in the advancement of their education.
Religious Education
PREP
Every Thursday at 6 PM - In Person
Children's Choir Training
Every Saturday at 10 AM
Archdiocese Events
Synod
Pope Francis has decided the next world Synod of Bishops at the Vatican, which will take place in October 2022, will have the theme: "For a synodal church: Communion, participation and mission." With that in mind, there will be information cards available at the Church entrance with Topics of Conversation suggested on the reverse side and encouraging us to check for updates on the Archdiocese site www.rcav.org/synod
Marriage Anniversary Mass 2022
On Sunday May 8, 2022, the Archdiocese of Vancouver will be honouring couples celebrating milestone marriage anniversaries in 5-year increments from 5-60 years, and every year beyond 60 years at the annual Milestone Marriage Anniversary Mass.
You’re invited to register to celebrate your milestone marriage anniversary year with Mass at 2:00pm at St. Clare of Assisi Parish followed by a reception. Families and friends are welcome to witness and celebrate your milestone anniversary. Learn more and register at family.rcav.org/mam.
Project Advance 2022
The Project Advance Webpage is live, please visit projectadvance.ca
Special Gifts
Flowers
Apr. 23 – May 6
Special Intention that peace quickly returns to the Ukrainian people
Donated by Jane
Altar Candles & Sanctuary Lamp
April 2 – April 29
Special Intentions of the St. Edmunds Parishioner-Family who donated for the month of April
April 23 – April 29
Repose Giuseppe & Luigi Rota
Donated by Maria Morisseau
Bread & Wine
April 2 – April 29
Special Intentions of the St. Edmunds Parishioner-Family who donated for the month of April
Remember a loved one with a special gift
The remembrance can be for an anniversary, a birthday, in thanksgiving or to remember our deceased loved ones. Stop by the Parish Office to arrange to have the Bread and Wine, Flowers, Altar Candles and/or Sanctuary Lamp donated for someone you love. All donations are for one week.
Altar Flowers - $30
Bread & Wine - $25
Altar Candles - $20
Sanctuary Lamp - $20
Masses - $10 (per Mass)
Please contact the Parish Office
Financial Updates
Parking Lot Paving/Drainage Repair Update
With gratitude, we have raised $154,554 of the estimated $190,000 needed to complete these projects.
Remember St Edmund's in your Will
A planned gift to be realized in the future, such as the options below, may be the best approach for you and may allow you to make a larger gift than you might have thought possible.
A Gift in Your Will - This is the most common type of planned gift - a gift in your will. Arranged today, a bequest is paid to St. Edmund’s Parish through your estate, after your death. You can give a specific sum, property, or a percentage of your estate. It is important that the full name of the parish and charitable number be included in your will so that there is no confusion about your intentions. (St. Edmund’s Parish, North Vancouver # 11884 9470 RR0064)
Life Insurance - A gift of life insurance is a simple and thoughtful way to make a gift to St. Edmund’s Parish. Insurance allows you to make a modest gift now for a significant gift in the future.
RRSP and RRIF Funds - Naming St. Edmund’s Parish a beneficiary of your RRSPs and RRIFs means all or a portion of these assets can now be left directly to St. Edmund’s Parish upon your death without having to pass through your estate. This arrangement means that no probate fees are payable on these assets. In most cases, the taxes owing on your donated RRSPs or RRIFs at death are offset by the charitable tax credits generated by your donation. Donations of this type are a great way to reduce the substantial deferred tax burden that many RRSP and RRIF plans carry.
Prayer Requests and Advertisements
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 |  | Our Parish Community is asked to pray for the Special Intention of St. Edmund Parishioners |
Our Parish Community is asked to pray for the Special Intention of All Carmelite Priests |  |  |
Our Parish Community is asked to pray for the Special Intention of Father Steny & Father Cannio |  |  |