tive behaviour involving the use of pills or alcohol or drugs? It's at this point that no one can tell you what you need to do. I'm not saying that you should not ask advice from oth-ers, or seek the help of others when needed. But you yourself, after looking closely at your own life, must decide on what the first step is going to be. Are we on the stairway to heaven or the high-way to hell? May you and I receive all that God wishes to give us during this holy sea-son of Lent.

Once again we are start-ing another Lenten sea-son. In the early Church, Lent was a forty day re-treat for those adults who were preparing to receive Baptism at the Easter Vigil. In the last several years we have once again seen the re-introduction of this practice. Those who are engaged in the RCIA process are getting ready for that life-changing step of being baptized as Christians. Lent is not unlike that experience. We are in-vited during these forty days to not only pray for those who are preparing for Baptism. We are also invited to look at our own lives as followers of Christ and members of

his Body. What steps do we need to take so that when Easter comes, we will be able to celebrate just as joyfully as our newly baptized brothers and sisters? Lent is going to be dif-ferent for each person here. This is because each of us has different needs for personal spiri-tual renewal. Some of us may need to look at old destructive ways of behaviour we are still practicing. Con-stant criticism of others, swearing or the use of pornography, dishon-esty, laziness, selfishness -- are we still struggling with any of these issues? Or are we caught up in some destructive addic-

Lenten Mission Fr. Matthew Linn, SJ, will present a series of three talks on Healing Our Im-age of God: Becoming All We Are; The Most Diffi-cult Forgiveness: Forgiv-ing Oneself; Living Life Fully: Growing Into New Life. Donations wel-come. Feb. 18-21 at 7 p.m. at St. Monica's Church, Richmond. Mass in honour of Sts.

Francisco and Ja-cinta Marto Make History: This is the first time since the saints' canonization we celebrate their feast day. The Mass shall use the official Mass propers of the newly canon-ized saints. May Saints Fran-cisco and Jacinta Marto intercede for us. Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. at Sts. Joachim and Ann Church, Aldergrove.

Lenten Liturgy for De-

ceased Family and

Friends.

During this Divine Lit-urgy, we offer our prayers and devotion for our deceased family members and friends. Join us in prayer with fellowship, light food, and short presen-tation following. Friday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at St. Mary's Ukrainian Parish,

The First Step!

HOLY SPIRIT

PA R I S H N E W S L E T T E R

En Courage Group Meeting

- EnCourage is a support

group dedicated to the spiri-tual needs of parents, sib-lings, children, and relatives and friends of persons who experience same-sex attrac-tion. Join us for our next meeting Sunday, Feb. 18, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at St. Helen’s Church, Burnaby. If you would like to join En-Courage, please contact Dea-con Bruce Fraser at encour-age@rcav.org.

Men's Discernment

Night - Do you have ques-

tions about discerning God’s call for your life? Vocations in Progress for single men, aged 17 and up, is an oppor-tunity to meet priests, ask questions, and learn about their life and spirituality. The informal event will include prayer, dinner, and discus-sion at St. Patrick's, Vancou-ver, on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 7 - 10 p.m. My Voice—Advance Care

Planning—Saturday Feb-

ruary 24, 2018 , 10.00 a.m.

at Our Lady of Mercy GYM—Guest speaker Cari Borenko Hoffman, BA, BSW RSW Clini-cal Instructor Contact 604-524 –8005—Anthony Craig for more info or anthony-craig@telus.net

February 18th, 2018 Issue 6 Volume 9

Parenting Ministry: Couples Connect: A Deeper Bond This is a

workshop to help couples better understand each other and develop a deeper connection. Through teach-ing moments, demonstra-tion, and practice, this six-week workshop provides couples with a unique op-portunity to practise the skills learned and receive feedback from counsellors. Couples will learn how to manage and work through

conflict, increase sexual intimacy, fondness and admiration, feel more con-nection with their partner, and build a long-lasting relationship of love. Learn more on Wednesdays, Feb. 21, 28, and Mar. 7 at John Paul II Pastoral Centre, Vancouver, 7 - 9 p.m. Cost is $130. Register to reserve your spot. rcav.org/event/couples-connect-deeper-bond

Are we zombies? A Chris-

tian Perspective In this lecture Prof. David Baird will examine the cultural post-apocalyptic and zombies craze, offering a view on how the view of the human predica-ment these put forward signifi-cantly overlaps with a Christian view of the world. Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at Catholic Pacific College, Lang-ley. www.catholicpacific.ca

Church. Presented by B.C.Catholic colum-nist Graham Osborne. Feb. 23-24 at St. Mary’s Par-ish, Vancouver. Cost: $10 (tickets sold at the door only). Drinks provided, please bring your own snacks and lunch. rcav.org/event/y-b-catholic-conference

Y B Catholic? Confer-ence: Explaining the Faith Ever wanted to share your faith, but felt shy or uncon-fident? Do you have loved ones who’ve left the Church, but you aren’t sure how to reach them? Maybe you know what the Church teaches, but not always why? This conference is designed to explain clearly and convincingly what the Church teaches and why, focusing on where we find these teachings in the Bi-ble, sacred tradition, and writings of the early

Lenten Recollection Half-day Lenten Recollec-tion – Mass, followed by

refreshments (free), before

assembly in the church for

Lent reflection, exposition

and benediction. Saturday,

Feb. 24 at 9 a.m. at Guard-

ian Angels Church, Van-

cover. rcav.org/event/lenten-

recollection-2

Parish Mission Father Sam Medley of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity and director of the Retreat Center of Our Lady of Corpus Christi in Texas will provide a series of three talks as the mission preacher at St. Patrick’s Church, Vancouver on Feb. 26, 27 and 28, from 7–9 p.m. There will be Mass each night and an opportunity for confes-sion prior to the Mass and talk. For more info, visit http://rcav.org/event/2018-parish-

mission

Friday Evenings during Lent at 6.30 p.m. We will walk the Way of the Cross, the last walk of Jesus before He gave up His life for our sinful-ness. Following the Way of the

Cross there will be Mass.

Development & Peace – Free work-

shop Development &

Peace – Caritas Canada

invites you to a

free workshop (everyone

welcome), Together for

Peace, on Saturday, Feb.

24 from 9:30 a.m. to

2:30 p.m. at St. Patrick’s

church in Vancou-

ver. To register, con

act pinky.devpeace@gm

ail.com or 604-612-9677

Page 2 P A R I S H N E W S L E T T E R

First Sunday of Lent Week-end of February 17/18, 2018 In today’s Gospel, Jesus urges his

listeners to do two things: to be-

lieve in the Good News and to

repent. The steward is called to

repent: to acquire an openness to

begin anew, to change existing

attitudes and habits, and to act

with faith in the Gospel. In this

season of Lent, now is the time to

ask ourselves whether or not we

truly believe in the Gospel; and if

we do, to what extent are we will-

ing to change our prevailing hab-

its and be more faithful to the

Gospel?

Sunday Tithing for February 11th 2018 122families tithed to the parish $2530.00 4 families gifted in Building Fund offerings $1000.00 6 Families donated to the BC Catholic Collection: 95.00

Share Lent in the name of

peace: - For this years’s Share

Lent, Development & Peace is en-couraging us to come together for peace! You will find inspiring testimo-nials in the mini –magazine distrib-uted in the church today. During this first week, our search for peace takes us to Cambodia to meet ICSO, a Development & Peace partner that works with minority Indigenous communities to elp them have their rights recognized by the government, defend their land against corporate interests, and develop sustainable economic activities that enable them to live with dignity.

Income Tax Receipts: There are still a number of 2017 Income Tax recepts for Regular and Project Ad-vance donations in the vestibule of the Church. Please make sure you pick up your copy.

Parish Mission Corpus Christi Parish invites everyone to its 2018 Parish Mission with Fr. Louis Guar-diola, CPM (Fathers of Mercy). Sunday, Feb. 25, to Thursday, March 1, at 7 p.m. each night at Cor-pus Christi Church, Vancou-ver. http://rcav.org/event/2018-parish-mission

Interior Freedom: Our

Desire, Our Need For freedom Christ has set us free (Gal 5:1). Explore the freedom we need for ourselves, with others, and

with God. A Lenten day of reflection with anticipated Mass celebrated by Archbishop Miller on Satur-day, March 3, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at JPII Pastoral Centre. Registration fee of $20 includes lunch. Open to all Catholics and sponsored by the Courage and EnCourage ministries of the Archdio-cese of Vancouver. Regis-tration link coming soon. For more info contact Dea-

con Hilmar at 778-887-5873. rcav.org/event/interior-freedom-desire-need

Communication Strategies

for Happy Families Do you ever have the desire to get to know your family mem-bers better but are not quite sure how to do that? Then this talk is for you! Intended to help families learn the skills and tech-niques required to communicate effectively a nd respectfully, this talk is designed to help families understand and practise the art of communicating in a playful and interactive setting. Saturday, March 3, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. Jude's Parish, Vancouver.

many distractions, contin-ues to be an almost lost reality for many. Join us for his talk on Keeping Families in Faith: The Domestic Church in a Global Village. Tickets are not on sale yet. More details to come at: http://rcav.org/event/cardinal-tagle

Cardinal Tagle in Vancouver: March 19 Save the date! Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the Archbishop of Manila, will be giving a public address at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, on Monday, March 19, at 6 p.m. Highlighting one of our Archdiocesan Priorities and Goals: Strengthening Marriages and Families, Cardinal Tagle will address the challenges of living the faith within family life. Family time, among today’s

Project Advance Ap-peal:

The goal for the Archdio-

cese has been raise to

$16,000.00

Parish Goal of $50,000.00

remains the same.

We are in need of a Chair-

person/Secretary for this

years appeal –Please see

Father if you are interested .

604-521- 0334 for more

details of what this entails.

Set Her Free Gala The Talitha Koum Society, whose board members include Fr. Larry Lynn and Sr. Denece Billesberger, is holding its annual Set Her Free gala fundraiser on Saturday, March 3, at 6:30 p.m. at All Saints Parish Hall, Coquitlam. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/set-her-free-gala-tickets-41987309172 All proceeds help support the society’s

World Day of Prayer

Service All are invited to the World Day of Prayer Service at St. Peter's Church, New West-minster, on Friday, March 2, at 1 p.m. Refreshments to follow. This year's theme, "All God's Creation is Very Good," provides the opportunity to learn about, pray and celebrate environ-mental issues in solidarity with the women of Suri-name in South America.

Page 3 I S S U E 3 7 V O L U M E 6

Parish Office Hours

Office is Closed on

Mondays.

Tuesday—Friday

10.00a.m. –4.30 p.m.

Sunday Mass Times

5.00 p.m. Saturday 9.00 & 11.00 a.m. Sunday.

Week Day Masses Tuesday & Friday

7.00 P.M. Wed, Thurs & Sat

9.00 a.m.

Confessions Saturday

9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. 4.00 p.m.—4.30 p.m. or by

appointment

Parish Religious Education

PREP Co-Coordinator 604-521-0334

Safe Environment Policy

Stewardship/Finance

Ms Cecilia Cartago. 604-522-9901

Fundraising

Church Cleaning Sharon Apolonio

604-540-8248

Development & Peace

Representative

Mr. Joe Vaz 604-515-8251

Mr. Jose Casas 604-521-526-6472

Knights of Columbus

Grand Knight Mr. Alfred Yano

604-526-8484

The Path of Life Lenten

Retreat - focuses on learning and understanding how to practically apply the Paschal Mystery (Jesus’ Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension) in our lives. Through personal stories, engaging movie clips, and practical examples, this one-day event will guide us into an encounter with Jesus and the happiness only he offers. Saturday, March 3, from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. at Star of the Sea School, Surrey. http://rcav.org/event/path-life-lenten

Archbishop Miller

Will be making a pastoral visit

to the parish on the following-

dates.

March 15 –18

Please see enclose flyer regard-

ing details of the planned visit.

244 Lawrence Street

New Westminster, BC

V3M5L1

Telephone: 604-521-0334 Fax: 604-521-9518. E-mail: holyspirit@shaw.ca

Please keep the following people in thoughts and prayers this week as we wish them a return to good health: Mrs Dina Battilana; Fr. Alan Boisclai.Fr. Anthony Boniface; Mrs. E. Canil; Mr. Frank Cirillo: Mrs. A. De Paoli; Fr. Glenn Dion,Mr. John McLaugh-lin; Mrs. Irma Morgan; Mrs. A. Pellizzari; Fr. Brian Reeves; Mrs. Grace Sami; Mrs. Savina Sebellin; rs. E. Scomazzon;.Fr. Michael Shier; Mrs. Isleda Zanocco; ;

Through the intercession of St. John Paul the Great , we humbly present our prayers for the needs of the sick to Our Heavenly Father.

HOLY SPIRIT Parish

not following this norm the Catholic party/ies cannot re-ceive any of the Sacraments until they have normalized their relationship with the Church. Registrations are now neces-sary to secure a spot at all Marriage Prep courses. This can be done online or by tele-phone. Please refer all couples to our webpage for more infor-mation. Our registration webpage is :http://rcav.org/m-prep/ Validation: If your marriage was not cele-brated as a Sacrament and you wish it to be recognized by the Church, then call the parish office to make an appointment to see Father. Funerals

Please contact the office be-

fore making any arrangements

with the Funeral home.

Have you recently moved into Queensborough? Have you

Baptism By appointment within a mini-mum of two months notice (during the pregnancy) so that instructions can be given to the parents and godparents, about their duties and responsibilities in this Sacrament. The family must registered in the parish and are seen to be living their Catholic faith. The child /children should be baptized within seven days of birth or within a month of birth. Marriage A minimum of six months notices with one of the parties registered in the parish and attending mass. Marriage Preparation course is manda-tory. Please ask for the – Guidelines for the celebration of Marriage - A civil marriage is not required before a Sacra-mental Marriage in Canada. In order for the Catholic party to have a valid marriage in the Church, they must be married by a priest in the Church, by

been attending mass at Holy Spirit for a while now? Then why not join the parish family by filling out a regis-tration form today. It is important to be regis-tered in the parish where you live. And become a financially supporting parish-ioners by using a box of Sunday envelopes and returning one hours wage back in support of the parish Church each week, where you worship and give praise to God.

Registration forms are at the back of the Church. “The Catholic Church is not here to teach us to feel good. Christ estab-lished His Church to teach how to be good.” Fr. Wolfe-Sensus Fidelium

Sacramental Life of the Parish

Mass Intentions for Week of January 28th, 2018

Feb 17-9.00 a.m. Concipcion Pilola+ Nimfa Lising

Feb 17-5.00 p.m. James Hou+ Lucy Lu

Feb 18-9.00 a.m. Sherrill Weeks+ L. Vanden Hoven

Feb 18-11.00 a.m. Bruno De Paoli+ A. De Paoli

Feb 20 Maria Wai Po+ Lucy Chan

Feb 21 Maria Wai Po+ Lucy Chan

Feb 22 Maria Wai Po+ Lucy Chan

Feb 23 Maria Wai Po+ Lucy Chan

Feb 24-9.00 a.m. James Hou+ Lucy Lu

Www.holyspiritrcchurch.ca

Superintendent, CISVA The Catholic Independent Schools of Van-couver Archdiocese (CISVA) is seeking an exceptional individual for the position of Superintendent. Please submit a résumé and supporting documentation to: superin-tendentsearch@rcav.org by Feb. 28.

Campus Minister, Campion College at

the University of Regina Campion College seeks a qualified candidate to fill the position of Campus Minis-ter. Please email a PDF of cover letter and curriculum vitae as a single file to jef-frey.burwell@uregina.ca by March 13 at 12 p.m., CST. An additional three letters of reference with pertinent contact informa-tion should be emailed directly from candi-

dates’ referees to the email address above. Custodian, Our Lady of Fatima Par-

ish - is seeking a part-time Custo-dian. Please submit a résumé and a cover letter with “Parish Custodian” in the subject line to: Rev. Patrick Chisholm, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, 315 Walker street, Coquitlam, BC V3K 4C7 or send your application to pchisholm@rcav.org Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Teaching Positions Various teaching positions available on the CISVA employment page. Catholic Independent Schools of Vancouver Archdiocese is seeking individuals interested in working in the CISVA as Educational Assis-tants and as Teachers. Please visit our web-site at www.cisva.bc.ca for further informa-tion on how to apply and to view available teaching positions

Divine Liturgy for Deceased Family & Friends During this Lenten Divine Liturgy, we offer our prayers and devotion for deceased family members and friends. Join us in prayer, followed by fellowship, light food and short presentation. Friday, March 9, from 7-9 p.m. at St. Mary's Ukranian Catholic Parish, Vancouver.

Mass of Remembrance : Join us Sunday, Feb. 25, for our monthly Mass of Remem-brance as we pray together for our loved ones who have passed away this month. Mass will be held at BOTH 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in our Evangelist Chapel at Gardens of Gethsemani, Surrey. Visit rccav.org/events