DEAR PARISHIONER FAMILY,
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Last week I included this note, which I thought I’d include again in case anyone missed it. Occasionally people have expressed curiosity about why I regularly wear a “black robe.” The “black robe” is more properly called a cassock, or sometimes from the French a soutane. I felt drawn to share some thoughts on this. As a person who believes that Jesus Christ guides the Church by the Holy Spirit, I value that the Church has much to say on this matter. Firstly, the most recent Directory for the Ministry and Life of Priests (2013) says the following:
“… For this reason the priest, like the transitory deacon, must: a) wear either the cassock “or suitable ecclesiastical dress, in accordance with the norms established by the Episcopal Conference and legitimate local customs”; when other than the cassock, attire must be different from the way laypersons dress and consonant with the dignity and sanctity of the minister; the style and the colour are to be determined by the Conference of Bishops; b) because of their incoherence with the spirit of this discipline, contrary practices are bereft of the rationality necessary for them to become legitimate customs and must be absolutely eliminated by the competent authority. Outside of specific exceptional cases, the non use of ecclesiastical attire may manifest a weak sense of one’s identity as a pastor dedicated entirely to the service of the Church.
Moreover, in its form, colour and dignity the cassock is most opportune, because it clearly distinguishes priests from laymen and makes people understand the sacred nature of their ministry, reminding the priest himself that forever and at each moment he is a priest ordained to serve, teach, guide, and sanctify souls mainly through the celebration of the Sacraments and the preaching of the Word of God. Wearing ecclesiastical attire is also a safeguard for poverty and chastity.” (bolding added)
The above norms apply to all Roman Catholic priests. This was also previously emphasized in the 1994 Directory for the Ministry and Life of Priests. Aside from the above directives, I appreciate the cassock for the fact that it is a sacramental. That is to say, like a rosary, crucifix, scapular, or other holy item, a cassock is traditionally blessed, whereas more common clerical shirts are not blessed. This makes the cassock a “spiritual shield of armor.” Many people also falsely believe that Vatican II ended priests wearing cassocks – on the contrary, not only did the council not say that, the Church has actually repeatedly called for their continued use after the council. I also appreciate therefore how the cassock is a sign of the continuity of our faith. Through the ups and downs of history, our Catholic faith remains the same in its essential teachings. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) Stability of visible signs gives perceptible manifestation of the stability of our faith. The cassock is also a beautiful public witness that I am distinctly a Catholic priest, so it is easy for people to realize a priest is there to serve them in any way I can. They know they can ask me for a Confession or other Sacraments when they see me. The cassock is typically black, a color reminding all that the priest is called to “lay down his life” in service. Black is the color of death – and priests are called to sacrificially “die to themselves” in service to God and their flock. On a somewhat humorous note, I’d also add that I find the cassock more comfortable than regular clergy shirts, so that’s a bonus. A priest remains free – he may wear a cassock or another officially approved form of clerical clothing. There you have it - if you’ve ever wondered why I wear a cassock, now you know!
In addition, here are some updates about our parish!
Our parish’s new sound system is installed and mostly calibrated. This weekend we will continue calibration while experiencing the new system!
Beginning Saturday, November 9th, and going to December 28th, The Chosen will be shown in meeting room 1 beginning at 6:15 PM. This powerful and critically acclaimed series is a moving visual meditation on the events in the New Testament that can help people draw closer to Jesus. Father Greg will watch the episode with all who wish to join, answering questions afterwards. Each session will end by 7:30 PM. For those who attend the 5 PM Mass, you can simply stay afterwards!
Our parish is currently in efforts to improve our digital media presence. Follow us on our current social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. If you want to help us, please let us know!
The next Ask Father night will take place on November 22nd in the parish hall, beginning at 7 PM. Father will give a short talk, a rap, and answer your questions about God, the Church, and our parish!
On Saturday, January 11th, we plan to host a young adults (18-39) event here titled “Jesus, AI, and you.” I will give a talk (and definitely a rap) on the topic - more information is on the way!
On Wednesday, January 22nd, at 7 PM, we will have a parish town hall (“synodal gathering”) to discern more about how we can continue to make our parish even more vibrant! Please join us!
· Thank You to Parish Volunteers: To all our amazing volunteers in the parish ministries, thank you for your time, dedication, and service. Whether you serve as ushers, altar servers, lectors, choir members, sacristans, or in any other capacity, you are the heartbeat of our parish. Your contributions help create a welcoming and vibrant community. We are truly blessed to have each of you serving our parish family!
· Mother’s Group ministries help support mothers of faith. Would you like such a ministry? If so, please let us know so we can prayerfully consider forming such a ministry!
· The Family Catechism program began again on Sunday September 22nd. “Catechism” means teaching – particularly the teachings of Jesus. This program allows families and their children of all ages to come together and enjoy fun and games as the children are separated into different age groups to play and learn more about their Catholic faith. It is a beautiful program that lets everyone enjoy time together and come closer to God at the same time. It is usually twice a month on Sundays running from 2 - 4 PM or so. After, some families stay for the 4 PM Mass. This year, most of the gatherings will take place at Immaculate Heart of Mary school. The upcoming dates are November 10th and 24th. Please invite other families or friends to join us!
We’ve recently made brown scapulars available, and ran out quickly. We may order more. Look up the brown scapular, and I encourage you strongly to prayerfully consider having one and being enrolled in the brown scapular, a powerful way to be close to Jesus and Mary. Information can be found here: https://www.sistersofcarmel.com/brown-scapular-information.php
Adam Johnstone has been accepted into the Hamilton Diocese’s permanent diaconate formation program. Please pray for him and his family as he continues to journey towards becoming a permanent deacon!
As mentioned during December, our parish’s order of daily Mass missalettes has been discontinued. The good news is that one can easily subscribe to these resources individually at www.novalis.com. We encourage you to explore the missalettes from "Living with Christ," a valuable and accessible tool for personal use. Of course, we will certainly continue to provide our Sunday missals. If you have any questions at all, please always feel welcome to contact the parish office.
Men’s Evening of Recollection, is a spiritual/religious evening aimed at providing men with an opportunity for reflection, prayer and personal growth. We are fortunate enough to have our very own group here each month The evening involves; Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Preached Meditation, Silent Adoration, Examination of conscience (Confessions available), Benediction, an additional talk, followed by a get together. Join us Monday evenings beginning at 7:15p.m. Next Dates: October 14, November 11, December 9
Two new sanctuary lamps now frame our tabernacle, helping us to honor the presence of the Risen Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. From the tabernacle, the flames of the Holy Spirit shoot out to spark our spiritual life and bring new fire to our love for God and neighbour. Regarding the tabernacle, you might be interested is this excerpt from a book called Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite by Bishop Peter Elliot, widely considered an expert on Catholic liturgical matters.
Among many things, he writes, “whatever form the tabernacle takes, it should be veiled as the primary sign of the Real Presence. The veil may be white or preferably the color of the day or season, but never black. The veil represents the holy tent of the Lord, especially in the form of the canapaeum which covers a freestanding tabernacle. It is thus a paradoxical sign of mystery, revealing by concealing the sacred Presence of Emmanuel who “tabernacles” among us. The lamp (or lamps) perpetually burning before the Eucharistic Lord should be a living flame fed by oil or wax, but obviously not a volatile fuel. A natural flame is preferable because it signifies an offering as well as light.”
He also references the 1980 instruction Inaestimabile Donum approved by St. Pope John Paul II which notes in section 25 that, “The tabernacle should be solid, unbreakable, and not transparent. The presence of the Eucharist is to be indicated by a tabernacle veil or by some other suitable means laid down by the competent authority, and a lamp must perpetually burn before it, as a sign of honor paid to the Lord.” You may find it interesting to know that the veil that is currently over our tabernacle is at least 40 years old, and has probably been here in the parish since the 1960s. It was found as we were cleaning our storage rooms and going through items kept here at the Church. May the Holy Spirit help us to honor the Risen Lord truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist!
The talks from Fr. Gary Schlack’s Lenten parish Mission have been uploaded and can be accessed through my homilies podcast, which is accessible at www.frmerkley.com.
The Ex Corde Foundation has generously granted our parish a grant of $20,000 for the purposes of installing a new sound system. We are extremely grateful to the foundation, which was established by Bishop Crosby in 2011, and “provides financial assistance to parishes and other Catholic charities within the Diocese of Hamilton and across Canada” (from the Ex Corde Foundation website – www.excordefoundation.com). I recently applied to the foundation for the stated purposes of the new sound system, and what a wonderful Easter gift to have received! As Bishop Crosby told me when I spoke to him in person about the application, it is important to have a very good sound system because “the people need to hear the Word of God.” If you would like to sacrificially give specifically to covering the costs of a new sound system, please know the parish would be happy to receive your generosity towards this end. This project will be discussed in the near future at our next parish finance council meeting, and pastoral council meeting before any next steps are taken.
The CCCB have commented on a recent document signed by Pope Francis regarding blessings: “On 18 December 2023 the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released the Declaration Fiducia Supplicans, which responds to questions that had been raised regarding the possibility of offering blessings to persons living in irregular unions, including same-sex relationships. While explicitly affirming the Church’s traditional understanding of marriage, Fiducia Supplicans allows pastors to bless people who freely request a blessing, seeking divine help to live in fidelity to God’s will. The Declaration makes clear that such blessings must be directed to the persons themselves rather than their situation and that they must be spontaneously requested and are not ritual or liturgical actions.” (The underlining is added here for clarification.)
Bishop Crosby has graciously reduced our interest rate on our parish loan to 0% until November 30th, 2025. This will save us over $30, 000 a year. May God bless our Bishop!
Liturgical updates from our Diocese. To support a more full, active, and conscious participation in the sacred liturgy (which Vatican II spoke of), and to more fully align with the liturgical norms of the universal Church and of the Diocese of Hamilton, some small changes to our Sunday worship have taken place beginning this Advent. The changes are the result of direction from the Hamilton Diocese’s liturgy office, and they have been evaluated and discussed amongst our own parish’s liturgy committee. May the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Virgin Mary always guide how we worship our good and loving God.
Formed.org is a great website. I’d be so happy and I strongly encourage each person to explore www.formed.org, a fantastic resource for deepening your faith. Consider watching The Search (Season 1), Symbolon, and The Chosen.
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Mass Intentions:
I want to give you an update something that comes from our Diocesan chancery office. All parishes in the Diocese of Hamilton are asked to have only two multiple intention Masses each week. The Diocesan norms permit these Masses to be on any day other than Sundays. As a result, and myself having personally touched base with the chancery about this matter, our parish will offer multiple intention Masses on Tuesday night (7 PM) and Saturday night (5 PM) on a weekly basis. I think it is very important that as a parish we act in harmony with the mind of our diocesan bishop and with the rest of our Diocese, to create a family atmosphere of unity and love. Every Sunday we are also required to offer one Mass for the people of the parish (technically called a pro populo Mass, Latin for ‘for the people’). This means we offer Mass each Sunday for all of you, our parishioners! You are being prayed for both in that Mass, and in my personal prayers. Other Masses throughout the week will only be able to have one Mass intention as per our diocesan norms. Please be aware that, as at any Catholic parish, Mass intention dates and times are available on a first come, first served basis. I am thankful for your kind understanding in this regard. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the parish office. We are always very happy to do all we can to accommodate you in this or anything else we can do to serve you! Thank you for your continued support, and may God’s blessings be upon you all.
May God bless you!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
Fr. Greg Merkley
