May 14/15, 2022 - Sunday Bulletin
5th Sunday of Easter
This week in the Church
Project Advance-2022 – Gather Us, Lord - begins this weekend with a presentation during the Masses - donation forms are available.
During May – the Month of Mary – the Rosary will be prayed every day at
6pm in front of the Grotto for World Peace especially for Ukraine and Russia. You are invited to join in
Important Updates
Father John Barry – Our beloved former Pastor went home to our Heavenly Father on Friday the 13th of May. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. Our condolences to his family and friends. Funeral arrangements are yet to be determined.
The CWL will have their bake sale on the weekend of May 21/22 after all Masses.
On May 29th, Archbishop Michael Miller will administer the Sacrament of Confirmation at 4pm here at St. Edmund’s. Please pray for our Confirmandi as they take this next important step on their Faith Journey
Between June 28th to July 14th-there will be a Pilgrimage called Beautiful East Europe including Munich, Prague, Krakow, Budapest, Zagreb, Split & Medjugorje. Information is available from Brian Andrade (778-999-4599) or Deon Almeida (778-866-8118)
A Pilgrimage called European Splendor will take place July 29th to August 14th which will include the Passion Play experience. Information is available from Brian Andrade (778-999-4599) or Deon Almeida (778-866-8118)
A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land including Cairo, Sinai, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Petra will happen between November 7th & November 20th Information is available from Brian Andrade (778-999-4599)
A Message from St. Anthony’s Parish - Sanctuary Mental Health Course For Catholics - With all that’s going on currently in our families, our community and globally, is there any one among us who isn’t suffering or knows someone who is struggling with mental health? The Sanctuary Course for Catholics is for anyone who wants to learn about faith and mental health. It requires no previous training or expertise—just a willingness to engage in dialogue with our faith community. The course is 8 sessions long and will be held on Mondays at 7:00 to 9:00 pm from May 9th to June 27th at St Anthony’s Parish Hall. For more information and to register please contact Mary Markwick at 778-847-1426 or by email at marymarkwick@shaw.ca
A Message from Holy Trinity Parish - Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration We are grateful the Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish is open again. We thank God for His generosity and invite you to make time for a Holy Hour, especially during this time when some adorers are not able to attend to their Holy Hours due to illness, or they are away for a short period of time. The hours are as follows:
CONTACT
SUE: 604-986-0425 for SUN. 9:00am/THURS. 6:00am (for 3 mos.)
/THURS. 8:00am
MARLENE: 604-980-2034 for SUN. 3:00 pm/ WED. 1:00pm
MARGE: 604-649-4927 for SUN. 9:00pm/FRI. 9:00pm
We still need SPARES for different Holy Hours as well - your response would be greatly appreciated. Please contact the above contact nos. if you are able to help. Thank you & God bless.
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
Parking Lot Paving/Drainage Repair Update
With gratitude, we have raised $154,554 of the estimated $190,000 needed to complete these projects. Work will begin on the parking lot the first week of July.
Reflections
The Hallmark of Christianity
Today's Gospel again comes from the Gospel of John. Like last week, today we hear words spoken by Jesus before his death and Resurrection. Jesus is teaching at the Last Supper.
John's Gospel does not include an institution of the Eucharist narrative; instead, Jesus washes his disciples' feet. Immediately after, Jesus predicts his betrayal by Judas. Today's Gospel follows that prediction. It can be read as a continuing explanation of Jesus' act of washing his disciples' feet. It begins with the announcement that this is the moment when the Son of Man will be glorified. This theme continues throughout John's Passion. Jesus will be glorified in his death on the cross and in his Resurrection, and the disciples will glorify Jesus in the love they show.
John's Gospel does not present a sentimental view of love. This is a type of love that is shown in service and sacrifice. It is difficult to choose to love when faced with hatred and anger. Jesus tells the disciples that all will know that they are his disciples because of the love they show for one another. This description of the early Christian community will be repeated in the Acts of the Apostles: “See how they love one another.” Christian love is the hallmark of Christianity. We see it lived in the witness of the martyrs. We see it in the example of the lives of the saints. We see it in the holy women and men who live and love daily, making small and large sacrifices for others.
~ Loyola Press
Mass Intentions
Sunday, May 15
Spec Intention Feast of San Isidro Labrador by Maria Rojo
Repose Perla Caraig-Bernard by Maria Rojo
Spec. Intention Barbara Stuart by Elizabeth Wong
Repose Raffaele Cusano by wife Rosa
My Spec. Intentions by G.M.C.
Repose Marisa Bueno, Angela Olaso & Victoria Dizon by Elisa & John Bueno
Repose Clara Alagoa by Manuel Alagoa
Monday, May 16
Spec. Intention St. Edmund Parishioners
Repose All Souls by Velflor Arandela
Tuesday, May 17
Spec. Intention Fr. Joseph Soria by Barbara Stuart
Repose Paulino & Anselma Gonzal by Ave Obejas
Wednesday, May 18
Repose Beverley Larose by Antoine Larose
Thursday, May 19
Spec. Intention Hedley Kitchen by Liz Wong
Repose Fidel Gino, Sr. & Jr. by Ave Obejas
Friday, May 20
Spec. Intention David Campbell by Liz Wong
Repose Greg Fedorak by George Fedorak
Saturday, May 21
Spec. Intention Fr. Joseph Soria by Barbara Stuart
Repose Rufino Gonzal by Ave Obejas
Repose Victoria Molina by Janilyn Costales
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 Edmunds Elementary School
Excerpts from the May Newsletter
“Walking with Hope” Walk-a-thon (May 9-13)
As we had to postpone our fall walkathon, we are excited to announce that the St. Ed’s Walkathon will take place during the week of May 9th. We are looking forward to walking around our neighbourhood community to continue promoting physical fitness and raise funds to enhance our playground area. We are calling on you, our parents, to play an essential role in this year’s Walkathon. Hard copies of the pledge forms have been sent home and you can also donate online.
Some important points to note:
• Our classes will be walking RAIN or SHINE around our neighbourhood (routes around Mahon Park and Victoria Park)
• You can send the following link for our Walkathon campaign to all your friends and family across North America: (St. Edmund’s School Walkathon) Tax receipts are emailed to you immediately for donations greater than $5 (within Canada only). This link will also be found on our school website.
Student Uniforms
Please ensure your child’s uniform meets the established requirements and that items are clean, in good condition and neatly pressed. School shoes are to be solid black with no markings. Hair accessories should be plain navy, black or the school tartan colour. Colourful hair bows and hairbands are reserved for non-uniform dress-down days and hair colour is to remain natural.
Summer uniform can now be worn. This is an option to our regular school uniform which can be worn all year. Boys have the option of wearing dress shorts and intermediate girls have the option of wearing the school skort. (Please refer to our uniform policy for further information.) Additionally, please remember that our school sweater is still required everyday at school.
School Safety & Gratitude
I would like to thank all the parents who have answered our call for extra help at our crosswalks! Your time and effort is much appreciated at morning drop-off and afterschool pick-up. You are the face to the rest of our community of the wonderful, caring school we have at St. Edmunds! We are still looking for additional crosswalk supervisors. Please sign up on our Volunteer Portal.
Thanks as well to our Garden group for keeping our playground beautiful, safe and clean. You help make our school even more inviting!
Daily Health Check Reminders
Please continue to use the K-12 Health Check app for daily assessment of symptoms. Thank you for monitoring your child’s health and keeping them home if they show any signs of ill health or signs of COVID-19. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping everyone safe and healthy.
Parish Education Committee (PEC) Elections
Notice is hereby given that elections to St. Edmund’s Parish Education Committee will take place on Sunday, May 29th, 2022
For the coming year, we need to elect (two) members from St. Edmund’s Parish for St. Edmund’s School Education Committee.
Eligible to nominate and to be nominated for election are all registered parishioners (Catholics living within our parish boundaries), over 21 years of age and Catholic non-parishioners who have been attending our parish upon written agreement of their proper canonical pastor. (Pastor Authorization Forms are available in the parish office).
Eligible to vote are:
Parishioners 19 years of age and a registered member of St. Edmund’s Parish
Your name must appear on the Parish list.
Members of registered families, whose name is not on the list, must contact the office, or register under their own name before the day of elections.
Nomination forms must be received in the parish office no later than May 16th by 4:00 p.m.
St. Edmund’s Parent Support Group (PSG)
The PSG is a necessary Parent Support Liaison Group between the school and the B.C. Gaming Commission who are responsible for application and expenditure of gaming funds that directly benefit students.
We are grateful for the efforts of Ms. Lo, Ms. Spring and Ms. Brauer in leading this group and directing funds to pay for school buses for our fieldtrips.
Sacraments:
Sacrament of Confirmation
We welcome Archbishop Michael Miller to St. Edmund’s as our Grade 7s will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation on May 29th at 4pm
Please keep our grades 2 & 7 school and PREP students and teachers in your prayers as they prepare for these blessed events
St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School
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!
Bridge Building Competition - On April 29th, STA held its first-ever Bridge Building Competition which featured 15 teams from across all of the Catholic elementary schools on the North Shore, as well as St. Helen's in Burnaby. The teams, with over 50% of girls competing, spent weeks being coached by 10 of our Grade 12s on the concepts of STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
Folks, Food and Fun Campus Ministry International Night Friday, June 3rd - This year's Campus Ministry International Night is coming up soon! Campus Ministry International Night is an excellent opportunity to meet STA families, to celebrate the cultural diversity of our school community, and help raise funds for charity.
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
Altar Servers’ Training
Every Saturday 11 - 11:30am
Archdiocese Events
National Week for Life and the Family
Friday, May 13 at 7 pm - Celebrate the CCCB National Week for Life and the Family (May 8 - 14) with an online Family Rosary (May 13 at 7 pm) and a Blessing from Archbishop Miller. Check the RCAV social media channels as they highlight the following themes: Call to Holiness in the Family, Marriage, Grandparents and the Elderly, Pro-Life, and Prayer in the Family. Learn more and register for the online rosary here
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
Project Advance 2022
A Letter from the Archbishop
Apology for the Church's Role in Coerced Adoption
Introduction
Canadian societal customs from the 1940s through the 1970s did not consider, or recognize, an unwed mother as a responsible parent. To our regret we acted on that conviction. Our participation in a system that separated a young unmarried mother from her newly born child was, we now acknowledge, a practice that caused great harm and hurt. We are truly sorry for participating in that practice.
History
In 1933, the Catholic Children’s Society in the Archdiocese of Vancouver founded the Our Lady of Mercy Home for unmarried mothers under the direction of the Superintendent of Child Welfare of the Province of British Columbia.
The home was located at the corner of 54th Avenue and Oak Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. Unwed pregnant mothers were offered a place to stay, arrangements for medical care, counselling, financial planning, and temporary foster care for those who needed time to plan their future and make decisions about the care of their child, including adoption. We now know that many of these mothers faced pressures that adoption was the only choice.
Our Apology
The Archdiocese of Vancouver apologizes for our participation in the separation of mothers and fathers from their children. Our role in any pressured and coerced adoptions created a legacy of pain and suffering. We contributed to a culture of shame, guilt and secrecy, which often led to pain and isolation.
Today, we express our regret for our part in denying mothers the support they deserved and their right to love and care for their children. We apologize to the mothers who were not informed of their rights, and consequently could not provide fully informed consent. We feel great sorrow knowing that women in these types of homes were often denied true friendships with other young women experiencing pregnancy. Sometimes they even suffered mistreatment at the hands of staff and, in many cases, their own families.
We recognize that many of these mothers have suffered long-term harm from their experiences. We have heard your stories of grief and deep loss. We have heard how you lived with the shame and stigma placed on you by society and the Church. We are truly sorry.
Some children who were adopted were not given the opportunity to know their family and community of origin. Some were misled or lied to about the circumstances of their birth. We apologize to those of you who struggle to find a sense of identity and belonging, who are torn between two families and communities, and who live with a sense of uncertainty within yourselves.
We recognize that these practices also affected fathers, excluded from their own children’s lives. We acknowledge the hurt caused to brothers and sisters, grandparents, partners, and members of extended families who have shared in the pain of their loved ones.
Moving Forward
Regretting our history, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver has, over the past three years, listened to mothers pressured into relinquishing their babies for adoption. In the hope for true healing, we have taken the following steps:
Initiated training for Catholic counselors, social workers and psychologists to increase their awareness of the complex issues related to adoption, reunion and healing.
Raised awareness about the suffering of mothers and adoptees through a series of articles and publications in The BC Catholic newspaper in 2020 and on our RCAV website.
Collaborated with mothers and adoptees to create a link on our RCAV website specifically for those impacted by adoptions: see ADOPTION: Loss and Healing.
Included, for the first time, mothers who lost their children to forced adoption in Archbishop Miller’s Mother’s Day Blessing message and video, May 2021.
Next Steps in Our Continued Commitment
We will:
Post our apology in The BC Catholic newspaper and on our website.
Through a trauma informed group of counsellors, we will offer therapy for mothers who stayed at the Our Lady of Mercy Home in Vancouver and for their children, for any related trauma.
Continue training for counsellors, social workers, priests, Church staff and other support positions to increase their awareness of the complex issues related to adoption, reunion and healing.
Working with our counsellors and the Adoption Loss and Healing Advisory Group, Archdiocesan staff will collaborate to identify and support people willing to increase their knowledge and abilities to support mothers, fathers, and adoptees.
Recommend that all parishes in the Archdiocese acknowledge this issue by sharing the Apology and finding ways to inform parishioners regarding its impact. These could include Mother’s Day acknowledgements of women who have lost children to coerced adoption and other ways to allow impacted women to share their stories.
Share this Apology with other dioceses throughout Canada and work with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to further engage mothers who have been impacted by this tragedy.
We want to thank the mothers who have allowed us to journey with them and learn more about their lived experiences. We hope that this apology and the other listed steps will contribute to their healing and allow them to share these resources with women and men involved in adoption during that era.
Special Gifts
Flowers
May 7 – May 20
Spec. Intention – Father John Barry
Dated by Lynn
Altar Candles & Sanctuary Lamp
May 7 – May 13
Repose of the Souls of Gray & Kathy Mills
Donated by Jane
Bread & Wine
May 14 – May 20
Spec. Intentions – Fr. Steny & Fr. Cannio
Donated by Zofia Bronowska
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 |  |  |