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Message to Parishioners, Email 10: 2020-06-03
We are very excited to be able to celebrate Mass again in our Parish, however there is also a lot of preparation to be done, to ensure that everyone attending Mass is safe. As you have already heard, attendance for each Mass is limited to 50 people and this includes all of our Ministers and Fr Ben. The Diocese has provided us with Guidelines for Ministers at Mass, with Alberta Health Services (AHS) directives in mind. We hope to start Mass in our Parish on the following dates:
- Weekday Mass: Friday June 12 at 9:00 am
- Weekend Mass: Sunday June 21 at 11:00 am
These dates are tentative until we have our volunteer Ministers signed up and trained. We need EIGHT volunteers at EACH Mass:
- 1 Lector
- 1 Eucharistic Minister (for weekday mass, Deacon Dan will do this on Sunday)
- 2 Ushers – will be responsible for seating Parishioners, monitoring the collection basket, monitoring washroom usage, directing the Communion line and directing the exit of Parishioners after Mass
- 1 Safety Coordinator – to oversee and coordinate the Ushers, POE and sanitizing team
- 1 Point of Entry (POE) Person – will stand at the entry door and take down names and contact information for everyone entering the church for Mass
- 2 Cleaning and Sanitizing Team Members – will sanitize pews and all high contact points in the church after Mass (this has to be done after EVERY Mass)
As per the Diocesan Guidelines “Churches must not offer public mass if the parish cannot guarantee that government and diocesan regulations will be observed.” If you are able to volunteer or have more questions about volunteering, please contact the office as soon as possible. Thank you if you have already stepped forward to take on a position.
We understand that many of our Parishioners are reluctant to be part of any large gathering at this time and prefer not to attend Mass at this time. We will continue to offer the Liturgy of the Word via Zoom on Saturdays at 5 pm for the time being. Contact Deacon Dan if you wish to register for this Liturgy.
Our next email will have more information about registering for Mass and what is changed for attending the Mass.
NEW from Magda, our Bookkeeper: As of this week, it will be possible to make your Sunday donation with an Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) directly from your bank account to the Parish Bank Account. Use the email donate@stpiusx.cato do so. Indicate in your message where you want the funds to go, i.e. Sunday Collection, New Hall, etc. Check out the website for more information. Grocery Cards are still for sale through the Parish office. Contact us for more information.
Keep watching our Website for updates on Mass times, registering for Mass, and what changes to expect when you come to church.
Message to Parishioners, Email 9: 2020-05-27
We are pleased to announce the joyful news that we will soon be welcoming you back to the Parish for Mass. As soon as we have made the necessary preparations as per the Guidelines provided by the Bishop, we will advise you of Mass times and our exact date of opening. Please note that initially, attendance will be limited to 50 participants at each Mass.
To accommodate new health and safety measures, we have been preparing:
- Hand Sanitizer dispensers for every entrance to the church have been installed the Building and Maintenance Committee members. Thank you to the CWL who have covered the initial cost.
- We will need some new Ministers to assist with each Mass, specifically a Safety Coordinators, Point of Entry Team Members and Cleaning & Disinfecting Team Members. It is recommended that these Ministers are in a low risk group, i.e. under 60 and not immune-compromised. Procedures and training will be provided. . If you are interested in any of these new Ministries, or want to know about what these Ministries do, contact the office.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Mario Pacheco. The Pacheco family have been Parishioners for several years. His children Gabriela and Tiago recently received their First Communion at St Pius and his wife, Julie is the daughter of long time parishioners, John and Lucille Hendrix.
From Parish Council: For the last several years, the proceeds from our Grocery Card Program (GCP) have been divided between Parish Operations (2/3) and our New Hall (1/3). The Pandemic has prompted Parish Council to motion that all of the proceeds from the Grocery Card Program be devoted to Parish Operations for the present time.
From St Rita’s Women’s Group: Due to the Pandemic this year, there will be no pies for sale on Father’s day this year.
From St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP): “Our Ministry has continued to operate throughout the pandemic, delivering about three or four emergency food hampers a week. We have adjusted our delivery procedures for the safety of our volunteers and those that we serve. We are doing okay financially for the time being, but are anticipating that our funds this summer will be down due to the loss of revenue from football parking. If any parishioner wishes to contribute to SSVP, they can send a cheque to the office or make a donation on-line following the links on the parish web site. Please continue to keep this ministry in your prayers that we might effectively serve the needy. Thank you.”
We encourage you to check out our website regularly. It is constantly being updated and we can make changes there much faster than we can with these weekly email updates.
And thank you again, for your continued support of our Parish, both spiritually and financially. It is appreciated.
St Pius X Parish Staff
Message to Parishioners, Email 8: 2020-05-20
As we head into our third month of quarantining and social distancing, we continue to pray for all of you. June 1 is the anticipated date for some relaxation of the rules from Public Health. The Province has provided some Guidance for Places of Worship and our Alberta Bishops are developing guidelines in collaboration with Public Health.. Our Parish Council is also discussing how we can make this work for our Parish. Stay tuned for more information. For up to date information see the Calgary Diocese
POSTPONED: The Live streaming mass at St Peters on Monday, May 18th with Father Ben, was postponed. We will let you know when it is re-scheduled.
While we cannot meet in person, our on-line ‘meetings’ have been well received by the Parish. You can stay up-to-date about these ‘meetings’ and Mass Intentions at ‘This Week in the Parish’ on our website . Last weekend’s Liturgy of the Word had 40 attendees, while the Study of the Lord’s Prayer has 40 people signed up and about 25 attending. You can still ‘sign up’ for these by contacting Deacon Dan. You must be registered to attend.
The Pope’s Intention for the Month of May is appropriately for Deacons: We pray that deacons, faithful in their service to the Word and the poor, may be an invigorating symbol for the entire Church. We are very thankful for the service of our Deacon Dan.
Thank you for your on-going support of our Parish, with your prayers, your notes of encouragement and especially your financial support through your donations and grocery card purchases. We are managing to pay our bills and keep the lights on. Although our monthly revenue from Sunday donations this year has been down by 46% in March and April, Magda is happy to report that for the week of May 15th, your donations actually exceeded the amount donated last year for the same week. For more details, see the Bulletin page on our website.
From Legion of Mary: Contact the Office or Linda Shultz to participate in the following Zoom meetings:
- Divine Mercy Prayers: Daily at 1 pm
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena: Wednesdays at 7 PM, starting May 20th
From Catholic Women’s League (CWL): “Thank you to all parishioners who supported our first ever CWL social distancing flower sale. We look forward to using the proceeds for beautifying our Church with lovely flowers once this pandemic is over.” Reminder: Pick up your orders this Saturday, May 23 between 1 and 3 pm in the parking lot.
From the Diocese: Here are some resources for individuals or families celebrating Ascension (May 24th) and Pentecost (May 31st) at home.
- Various activities for the Feast of the Ascension
- Prayers between Ascension and Pentecost
- Novena Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Celebrating Pentecost at home– activities & prayers
- Pentecost Sacred Music Playlist
Message to Parishioners, Email 7: 2020-05-12
As we start to see some relaxation of isolation rules, we are praying for the day when we can all gather together as a St Pius X Parish Community once again. In the meantime, there are still lots of things happening in our community and we encourage you to participate in as many ways as possible.
From the Deacon – contact Deacon Dan to register for any of the following:
- NEW, starting this weekend, May 16/17, Deacon Dan will be celebrating the Liturgy of the Word, complete with music, led by Choir Director, Gavin Caldwell. While we cannot gather and participate in the Eucharist right now, we can join as an on-line community (via Zoom) at 5 pm on Saturday evenings to listen to the Word. Timeline is as follows:
- Zoom Meeting opens at 4:30 pm
- Teaching the music before mass begins at 4:45 pm. Why Sing at Church?
- Liturgy of the Word from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
- Join Deacon Dan daily at 6:30 pm for Universal Prayer, on-line via Zoom.
- On-line study of the Lord’s Prayer continues on Monday, May 18th via Zoom
From the Catholic Women’s League (CWL)
- Join CWL in praying the rosary, daily during May via Zoom. Contact the Parish Office to register.
- Support the annual CWL Flower Fundraiser by ordering your flowers by May 16th. See our Parish website stpiusx.ca for order forms and more details
From the Parish Office Staff
- Join Father Ben and Deacon Dan on Monday, May 18th at 8:30 am as they celebrate mass through live streaming from St Peters Church. **UPDATE**Due to a scheduling conflict at St Peter’s, this mass with Father Ben will be held next week. New date to be determined.
- Thank you for continuing to support our Parish through this time of pandemic. We appreciate your messages and prayers as well as your generous financial support. Check out our ‘Donate’ page on our website for the many different ways that you can continue your support.
- The Grocery Card Fundraiser is still in business. For those who wanted Safeway cards, we are happy to report that we will be re-stocked next week. Please contact us about them. There are also plenty of Co-op and Superstore cards available. Social distancing rules apply, so we will only be taking credit cards at this time.
- Thank you for your continued support of our Society of St Vincent de Paul. They continue to fill the needs of those who have exhausted their visits to the Food bank. They are a ‘last resort’ for many hungry people and your donations help.
- Our congratulations, best wishes and prayers to Parishioner, Mary Zdunich who recently celebrated her 96th birthday!!
Please continue to check out our website for up-to-date information including:
- Resources for parents to help with their children’s faith formation – see Children’s Liturgy page
- Check out ‘This week in the Parish’ for times of our on-line gatherings and the Mass Intention of the day. Please note that you can still arrange to have a mass intention said (contact the office), however all masses are private and are not held in the church. You can also find the weekend’s homily on this page.
- Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page has answers to many of your questions.
- If you have missed any of our emailed messages, we have a new Pandemic Updates page which includes all of the messages sent to our Parishioners over the last few weeks.
Let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.
St Pius X Parish Staff
Message to Parishioners, Email 6: 2020-05-04
We hope that you are staying home and staying safe. We hope that you find these weekly emails useful and informative.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Karine Rietjens, a long-time Parishioner of St Pius, who passed away on May 1st.
WARNING: We understand that some people are receiving bogus emails that look like they come from St Pius X Parish. Please look carefully at the body of the message as well as the sender’s email address to make sure that it really is St Pius X Parish. If the message doesn’t make sense or asks you to click a link or reply, please delete the message and/or forward a copy to abuse@stpiusx.ca If in any doubt, send an email directly to us (DO NOT hit Reply) or forward the questionable email message and ask us about the email.
This is a reminder to all about things that are going on in our Parish, even in this time of Pandemic.
- On-line Faith Formation class: Our Father – A Study, for six weeks, starting May 11th to June 15th, on Monday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, moderated by Deacon Dan via ZOOM. REGISTRATION is required and you will be sent sign in information for the ZOOM meeting. The registration confirmation will come from meet@stpiusx.ca
- To participate in Daily Prayer with Deacon Dan at 6:30 pm via ZOOM, contact deacon@stpiusx.ca Registration confirmation will come from meet@stpiusx.ca
- Our Catholic Women’s League (CWL) is praying the rosary daily in May via Zoom. Contact the office if you are interested and we will forward your request to CWL.
- For those who would like a tutorial on how to sign up and join a ZOOM meeting, see the following YouTube video:
- Parish staff has been reduced, which will affect office hours. Voicemails and emails to the office will continue to be monitored remotely and responded to, as needed. Father Ben is monitoring the mailbox and taking in the mail daily.
- We appreciate your continued support of our Parish through your donations: mailed, dropped off, done through Pre-Authorized Donation, or through the Diocesan DONATE button.
- Grocery card sales have resumed in a limited capacity and we appreciate that you continue to support this Parish fundraiser. At this time, only credit cards are accepted for payment. Contact the office for hours for payment/pick-up.
- Check out our WEBSITE, www.stpiusx.ca We are constantly updating it with new information.
Is there something else that the Parish can offer you, even if it is remote? Please contact us and let us know.
Message to Parishioners, Email 5: 2020-04-27
***NEW***Bishop McGrattan issued a letter on Tuesday titled ‘Bishop’s Letter to the Faithful on the Financial Plan COVID19’, see this link. The immediate impact of this Financial Plan means, that as of Friday, May 1st, all paid staff at St Pius X Parish, except for Father Ben, Magda Aguillon (bookkeeper) and Edie Jubenville (secretary) will be on temporary lay-off until the end of the year. More details on how that affects our Parish will be forthcoming.
Just as the people of Israel called out for manna in the desert, we too have been crying out for spiritual food in the desert of social isolation during this pandemic.
Join Deacon Dan as he moderates The Our Father, A short study of the Lord’s Prayer in an on-line Parish Community Session.
When asked what they should say in prayer the Lord gives his disciples the “Our Father.” This prayer is considered a gift from the Lord and one that we should especially turn to in times of crisis. This series will go line by line through the prayer highlighting what it meant to Jesus’ first century audience and what it means for us today.
Starting Monday, May 11th, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, join us via ZOOM https://zoom.us/freesignup for the following Sessions:
- Monday, May 11th, Jesus: Model and Master of Prayer
- Monday, May 18th, the address to God Our Father who art in heaven and the first petition
- Monday, May 25th, the second and third petitions, thy kingdom come and thy will be done
- Monday, June 1st, the fourth petition, Give us this day our daily bread
- Monday, June 8th, the fifth petition and forgive us our trespasses
- Monday, June 15th, the sixth and seventh petitions, Lead us not into temptation…..
To register and/or for more details, contact Deacon Dan deacon@stpiusx.ca .
Would you like to join the Universal Church in prayer?
As Christians we are encouraged to pray, the Church has had a long tradition of prayer called the Divine Office. Parishioners are invited to join Deacon Dan online in celebration and reflection through a prayerful recitation of various psalms, canticles and scripture readings each evening at 6:30 pm.Please contact Deacon Dan deacon@stpiusx.ca for details.
Stay well and stay safe. God Bless
St Pius X Parish Council and Staff
Youtube tutorial on How to sign up for Zoom and Join a meeting:
Message to Parishioners, Email 4: 2020-04-20
As we head into our fifth week of closed churches and social distancing, we are sending you our prayers that you are staying safe and staying well during this Easter Season.
We wish to remind you that our Parish website, www.stpiusx.ca is being updated regularly with:
- Weekly homilies by Father Ben or Deacon Dan
- ‘This week in the Parish’ shows our current Mass Intentions, for whom Father Ben continues to say Mass. Contact the office if you wish to have a Mass Intention said.
- How to participate in Mass via live streaming, on-line or on TV
- Access to FORMED.org which has many resources to enhance and deepen your faith
The Diocesan website also has many resources. New this week is the ‘Thank you for Having the Heart of Jesus’ campaign – giving each of us an opportunity to thank the essential workers of our society.
Unfortunately, while the church is closed, we have been receiving far fewer donations, even though our monthly bills remain relatively constant. Magda, our bookkeeper, tells us that March donations are down 46% over last year. If you are able to assist financially, we would appreciate it. How can you do this?
- Complete the Pre-authorized Debit (PAD) form to start or increase a monthly donation.
- DONATE, with a one-time or recurring donation through the Diocesan website.
- Drop off a cheque into the Parish mailbox.
- NEW: Purchase grocery cards (Superstore, Safeway, Co-op) to support our Parish. Denominations remain at $100 each. They will be available to purchase/pick up on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. Contact the Parish office for details.
Our St Vincent de Paul Society is still assisting the hungry by delivering food hampers to those who request it. If you can help them financially, please drop a cheque off at the office (made out to ‘St Vincent de Paul Society’) or go to the Society of St Vincent de Paul National website and make an on-line donation.
We understand that you too, may be hurting financially and are unable to help us. We sympathize and understand. If, however, you are able to help, we would really appreciate it.
COMING SOON! St Pius X Parish will be offering on-line Faith Formation workshops, starting in May. Stay tuned for more information.
Thank you and God Bless.
Message to Parishioners, Email 3: 2020-04-09
As the Triduum approaches, and as we continue to self-isolate, we are sending you some ways to celebrate this sacred time in your home. The Diocese has many resources to help you with praying the Holy Week and Triduum at home. The Diocese will be live-streaming the Triduum Masses (Holy Thursday, Good Friday Service and Easter) on their website, Facebook page AND will also be televised on TELUS Optik TV channel 8915.
The televised Masses will only be available from today, Thursday, April 9 to Sunday, April 12. The service can be accessed by tuning to channel 8915 on TELUS Optik. All Optik customers have that channel – it is not necessary to subscribe to it. The information in the guide will likely say ‘TELUS Live Events’.
Channel 8915 will be providing access to Easter services from a number of different churches. Use the arrow keys on the remote control to scroll through the tiles until you find the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary and press OK.
Please pass this message on to those who do not have internet access or prefer to watch it on TV.
Father Ben will continue to say a private mass on all of these days and homily from either Fr Ben or Deacon Dan are available on our website, as is our Parish Prayer, Easter Bulletin and our Flowers of Remembrance (Mass intentions for Easter Sunday masses).
The distribution of Palms last weekend was a great success. Thank you to those who came for Palms and a Blessing.
Thank you to everyone who continue to financially support our Parish during these times. You can donate through the Diocese or start/continue with a Pre-Authorized Donation or drop your Sunday Offering envelope in the Parish mailbox (please no cash, cheques only).
We continue to monitor the voicemail and email messages from home, and come into the office occasionally to process the mail.
May you have a Blessed and Peace-filled Easter.
Message to Parishioners, Email 2: 2020-03-31
Greetings to all. We hope that you are managing your isolation time with grace and courage.
This weekend brings Palm Sunday and St Pius X is offering a distribution of blessed palms in a different way. To ensure compliance with physical distancing, we are offering a drive through opportunity to obtain some palms from the Church.
On Saturday, April 4th from 2 to 4 pm and on Sunday, April 5th from 11 am to 1 pm there will be people at the church to distribute palms. Please drive into the alley from the east side of the church, remain in your cars and follow the directions at the church. This will provide each family with a sacramental reminder of the season to use in your homes.
Bishop William McGrattan describing the Diocesan plans to celebrate the Triduum, can be found on the Diocese website or click here for the Bishop’s letter. It has times and live streaming of the various Holy Week celebrations.
Each week the parish will provide a homily reflection on the readings of the week. This weekend’s homily is by Deacon Dan and will be available on our Parish website under ‘This week in the Parish’.
We have created a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to help navigate all the Parish resources available to you which can be found on the Parish website (https://stpiusx.ca/)
This prayer from St. Alphonsus of Liguori, which can also be found on the Diocesan website, (https://www.catholicyyc.ca/) can help one make an act of spiritual communion:
My Jesus,
I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Blessings on all as you prepare for our Easter Season.
Message to Parishioners, Email 1: 2020-03-25
To our members of St Pius X Parish
This is a difficult time for all of us as we change our patterns of living to accommodate the greater needs of our society in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of our usual supports are reduced or gone altogether.
As a parish we are reaching out to you at this time to assist in your spiritual and social support. We are providing you links to daily mass, and a membership in “Formed”, an online Catholic source of information, entertainment and spiritual guidance to support your faith. Information is available through the parish website. https://stpiusx.ca/
You have received this email as you provided your email address to the parish when you registered. If you no longer wish to receive notifications from St. Pius X Parish, but are still a member of the parish, please reply indicating this preference.
If you no longer are a member of the parish, please reply indicating that you wish your information to be removed from the parish database. Replies are to be sent to office@stpiusx.ca
We also will phone anyone who wishes to receive more personalized support. Because of the physical distancing mandate, many of you may be alone and/or lonely. We would like to help with this. Please let us know if you would like to hear from us. Respond to this email with a request and a telephone number where we can reach you. (Please reply to office@stpiusx.ca )
Currently daily mass is available online with St Peter’s parish at 8:30 am and with the Bishop on Sunday from St Mary’s Cathedral at 10 am.
https://www.catholicyyc.ca/ 10 am Sunday
https://st-peters.ca/ Daily except Sunday at 8:30 am
We send our prayers for you and your loved ones with this email. May this email find you safe, peaceful, and in good health and spirits.
Many Blessings,
Father Ben Marino
St. Pius X Pastoral Council