First Sunday of Advent
This week in the Church
Automatic Holy Water dispensers are placed in the church. They are sponsored by Zofia Bronowska. Thank you, Zofia for your generosity.
2023 COLLECTION ENVELOPES – they are ready to be picked up at the Church entrance and are in alphabetical order. In 2023, it is very important that you use your 2023 envelopes to help ensure that you are credited for any donations. Do not use previous year envelopes, as envelope numbers may change and, again, you may not receive credit for your donations.
FUNERAL MASS FOR QUITERIA DAPONTE is at 11am on Tuesday, Nov. 29th in St. Edmund’s. Our condolences to her family & friends. May she rest in the peace & comfort of the Lord.
FIRST FRIDAY –December 2nd – Adoration begins after 9am Mass (no 7:30am Mass that day) followed by Benediction at 6:45pm and Mass at 7pm. Sign-up sheet is at the Church entrance – it would be greatly appreciated if 2-3 people can sign up per time slot.
Important Updates
CWL Coffee Sunday & Bake Sale is after all Masses on Sunday, November 27th. Baking donations will be gratefully received prior to the Masses. Please allow the CWL to price your baked goods.
Pro-Life Christmas cards are available from the Parish Office & during the next CWL Coffee Sunday & Bake Sale in packs of 10 for $10 and 3 packs for $25
PARISH CONFESSION – will be here at St. Edmund’s on Tuesday, December 20th at 7pm
Christmas Dinner is on Saturday, Dec. 17th at 6pm – details to follow
Christmas Star Competition
Dear Children and Parents, we encourage you to partake in this Competition.
The competition is open to all the parish members. The maximum size of the star should not exceed two feet X two feet (length x breadth). Please Signup before December 10, 2022.
The last day to submit the stars 22 December 2022. The prepared stars will be displayed inside and outside of the Church. The best star will be awarded with a prize. Prizes will be distributed at the Children's Mass on 24th December 2022. Stars of all sorts made by human hands in imitation of the heavenly stars appeared at the birth of Jesus.
How to make a Star? Here are some samples!
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS UPCOMING FUNDRAISER:
Twinkling Lights on a Christmas Night – takes place beginning Dec. 3rd & concluding Dec. 17th with a dinner celebration. All proceeds will towards our parish as well as various charities.
To achieve our goals, we are asking individuals, organizations, and local business in our community to assist us by sponsoring a Christmas tree. Sponsoring a Christmas tree is $250.00 with the cheques made payable to “St. Edmund’s Parish”. For more information please contact Vlad Florescu @ 604-367-8875 or Roney George @ 604-376-7127. Or pick up flyer/letter at entrance of church.
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.
A Ukrainian Refugee is landing in Vancouver on 24th of November 2022. She is looking for accommodation for a month until she finds a job. If you know somebody who can accommodate her or if you can accommodate her, please let me know. It is only for a month. It would be a great help to her, and she would be eternally grateful.
Reflections
Be Watchful and Vigilant
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, which is also the first Sunday of a new liturgical year for the Church. The Advent season includes the four Sundays that precede Christmas. It is a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord. In this season, we recall two central elements of our faith: the final coming of the Lord in glory and the incarnation of the Lord in the birth of Jesus. Key themes of the Advent season are watchful waiting, preparation, and justice.
In this new liturgical year, the Gospel of Matthew will be the primary Gospel proclaimed. In today's Gospel, we hear Jesus speak about the need for wakefulness, for watchful waiting, for the coming of the Son of Man.
Matthew's Gospel is dated by most scholars after 70 A.D. Most believe that Matthew wrote for a primarily Jewish community, but one that was no longer centered on the Temple in Jerusalem. These were Jewish Christians trying to come to terms with their relationship to Judaism in a new situation: Judaism after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. There may have been Christians who believed that the events of the world around them gave evidence of the imminent return of the Lord in glory.
The passage from Matthew we read today is rather straightforward. No one knows the precise time of the coming of the Lord in glory, so watchful waiting and vigilance are required. The passage speaks to the uselessness of looking for signs; there will be none. As a thief sneaks in during the night, so will the Lord's coming in glory be.
The question for us as members of the Christian community, then, is how do we prepare for this? Today's passage speaks more about the manner of waiting, rather than the details of the preparation. Jesus compares the vigilance required of Christians to the vigilance of a homeowner who knows the plans of the thief. If one knows that the thief's action is imminent, one remains watchful. As Christians, we know that our Lord is coming even if we cannot know the precise timing. Jesus calls us to be watchful and vigilant, like the homeowner. If we become lax in our Christian living, we may be caught unprepared.
~ Loyola Press
Mass Intentions
Sunday, November 27
Repose Rosa Zepedeo by Pasqualina Cusano
Repose Carmelo Lammoglia by Elisa & John Bueno
Repose Tony Diorio by Ness & Roger
Monday, November 28
Spec. Intention St. Edmund Parishioners
Spec. Intention Liz Wong by Zofia Bronowska
Tuesday, November 29
Spec. Intention Agith Kasthuri by Deepa
Repose Ambrose D’Souza by Zofia Bronowska
Wednesday, November 30
Repose Guadalupe & Werner Kenner by Fe
Thursday, December 1
Spec. Intention Vince Harriott by Barbara Stuart
Repose Felice Pistilli by daughter Maria & family
Repose Anna Michniewcz by daughter Zofia
Friday, December 2
Repose Wojtek Wasak by wife Stasia Wasak
Repose Chloe Fedorak by George Fedorak
Spec. Intention Christina Gallagher & House of Prayer by Janet Ficocelli
Saturday, December 3
Repose Raffaele Cusano by wife Rosa
If you need a Mass Intention, please contact the Parish Office
Events
Parish
Parish Groups
ST. Edmund's Christian Meditation Group
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
The Knights of Columbus general meetings are in person on the 1st Tuesday each month @7pm/executive meetings are also in person on the last Tuesday of the month @7pm
School
St. Edmund's Elementary School
St. Edmund’s Elementary School - Purdy's Fundraiser
The school is partnering with Purdys Chocolatier again, just in time for Christmas!
If you’d like to support us through purchasing some very sweet Christmas gifts for friends, family and yourself, please click below
St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School
Krispy Kremes for Basketball - Please support the STA Senior Boys Basketball team on their quest for a provincial championship. The boys are selling Krispy Kreme Doughnuts on Sunday, November 27th from 12-2pm to help defray the costs of their season. Thank you for your support.
STA Students Shine at World Scholar’s Cup Tournament of Champions Yale University
Congratulations to Grade 11 student Nick & Grade 12 student Gabe on their results from the World Scholar’s Cup Tournament of Champions at Yale University. The tournament saw 48 nations & more than 1600 students participating. The STA duo won three gold medals and four silver medals.
Gr. 9 Volleyball Girls Provincial Champs - Congratulations to the Gr 9 volleyball team who captured STA's first Provincial Championship banner for this age group as well as two of our players were named tournament All Star and MVP.
Congratulations STA Swimmers! - STA Swimmers competed at Provincials in Richmond. Grade 12 student Adam finished in 3rd place for the boys 100m breaststroke.
STA Art Exhibition and Christmas Concert - Everyone is welcome to attend the event to take place in the foyer & gym on Monday, December 5th. The Art Exhibition will start at 6pm & the concert will commence at 7pm. Refreshments will be provided.
STA School Bucks - Please consider using the Schoolbucks program to take advantage of this convenient one-stop shopping program when buying gift cards for family, friends, or co-workers for the holidays. The last order date to get orders submitted before Christmas is Thursday, Dec 1st for pickup Thursday, Dec 8th.
Religious Education
PREP
Every Wednesday at 6-7pm
Children's Choir Training
Every Saturday at 10 AM
Altar Servers’ Training
Every Saturday at 11 - 11:30am
Archdiocese Events
PRO-LIFE CHRISTMAS CARDS
North Shore Pro-life is again offering a selection of pro-life Christmas cards in packages of 10 for $10 or 3 for $25. Orders available for pickup by emailing northshoreprolife@gmail.com
They will also be available at the next Knights’ Pancake Breakfast & CWL Coffee Sunday as well as a few packages in the Parish Office.
Ukrainian Families in Need
We are looking for temporary accommodation for a Ukrainian family of 3, mother, daughter (17 years and speaks English) and son (7). If you can help, please contact Gloria Lowe at glorialowe@telus.net.
Project Advance 2022
The Project Advance Webpage is live, please visit projectadvance.ca
You can donate by scanning ↘
Special Gifts
Remember a loved one with a special gift
Bread & Wine
Financial Updates
Remember St Edmund's in your Will
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 Intentions of All Carmelite Priests |  |  |
Our Parish Community is asked to pray for the Special Intention of Father Steny & Father Cannio |  | |