St. Leonard Catholic Parish
M anotick, Ont

"Celebrating 50 Years as a Catholic Community "
Monthly E-Newsletter for Jan 1, 2020
Welcome to the St. Leonard monthly E-Newsletter as we continue to celebrate the great joy of Christmas:" The  Word became flesh  and dwelt among us." John 1:14
God has literally entered the world. When we see we see Jesus, we see God! Happy New Year !
Pastor's Message for Jan 1st

New Year's Resolution

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. A special thanks to the many active disciples who supported our many Christmas celebrations. What a joyful Christmas it was here at St. Leonard!

For all of us the New Year is a chance, once again, for a fresh start or a renewed commitment to making something good happen in our lives. Might I suggest that this year we make a New Year’s resolution to take S.T.E.P.S. to grow as a disciple.

Father Garry White, author of Rebuilt, “outlines five major steps to take that clearly and consistently challenge people on the discipleship path.” He uses an acronym to illustrate the discipleship path: S.T.E.P.S. Let’s look at how we can apply these actions to grow as disciples in 2020.

S: Serve in a Ministry or Mission
My experience is that those that serve in activities that support the work of the Parish or work in outreach to the less fortunate in our community or in the world, grow closer to God and the Church. Jesus said about himself that he did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom. Service is absolutely essential to growth as a follower of Jesus Christ.

T: Tithe or Give
Sure, the Parish needs money to function. But that’s not why this is a step on the path toward spiritual development. God wants our hearts. We need to be challenged from trusting in our money to trusting in our God. I have always found it interesting that our hearts will follow our money. Thus, it makes sense for us to invest our money where we want our hearts to go. If we want to have a heart for our Parish, then start giving there. If we want to grow in charity for the poor, give there.

E: Engage in Faith Formation and Small Groups
Removing a burning log from a blazing fire will cause it to go out much quicker than it would have if it had remained in the fire. So too with our faith. Left alone to our own spiritual practices and routines our faith can cool. We need to continue to learn about Jesus and seek the fellowship of other Catholics to keep our faith burning brightly. Find a way to be in regular communion with a small group of like-minded people. This year make a point of joining a discussion group at a Faith Formation session, taking a Cursillo retreat or starting up a Bible Study Group.

P: Practice Prayer; Celebrate the Sacraments
Prayer and the celebration of the Sacraments helps us to grow in our love for God. Without them our souls grow weak. Set aside some quiet time each day where you can read Scripture or a daily devotional and reflect on what God is trying to tell you. First thing in the morning works best for me. Fully participate in the Eucharist and this year make a commitment to regularly receive God’s forgiveness through the sacrament of Confession.

S: Share Your Faith through Evangelization
Jesus told his disciples to “go and make disciples of all the nations”. “One on One” evangelization has been proven to work best. This year I challenge you to invest some time with someone in your family or in the local community, build a trusting relationship, share the blessings that you have received from your faith, and invite them to join us for Mass one Sunday. Trust me, your faith will grow as it is shared.
 
My own personal New Year’s Resolution this year is to engage more with friends, family and parishioners. It can be lonely sometimes when you live alone and I know that when I spend time with others, especially those that are on the same journey to Christ, I am much better for it. So don't be surprised if you see more of me at small group breakfasts or discussion groups. Oh, and please don't hesitate to invite me to dinner!

My best wishes to you and your family as we embark on a new decade. May this year and the entire decade be filled with the love that Jesus has for you, the love that you have for God and the love you have for your neighbour.

God bless you folks! Father Gerard
The Joy of Christmas in our Community
Lots of joyful activities occurred around the parish as St. Leonard's parishioners showed their Christmas spirit and engaged in community building activities. In the pictures below we see the children and youth who put on this years wonderful Christmas Pageant under the guidance of Elizabeth Murphy and Sue Doucet. Thanks to all who made this pageant so memorable on Gaudet (Joyful) Sunday!
Christmas Hampers for 18 Families
Just before Christmas the Amor Dei volunteers gathered to bring together 18 hampers of food, gifts and sundry items for needy families in our community. This year the Christmas Hamper program was lead by Roxy McCarthy and Norm Chapman pictured below with one of the Hamper delivery persons, Brian Fritsch. They wanted to extend a big THANK YOU to all of those that supported the program through their time, energy, food and financial resources.
Pro-Life Roast Beef Dinner
Thanks to all who supported the Pro-Life Roast Beef dinner on Dec 7th in the Parish Hall. Members of the Knights of Columbus and the Pro-Life Committee served more than 50 people and raised over $1400. The funds will go to pro-life ministries of Miriam Centre, Action Life, Campaign Life, Sisters of Life and to our parish for the showing of the movie Unplanned and to arrange for Mass intentions to pray for building a culture of life. As a parish we are blessed to serve the Lord by supporting these ministries and we look for opportunities to be a witness in the world of God's love. Being pro-life is recognizing the dignity and sacredness of every human person. Choose life! Special Thanks to Andrew and Eileen Brown for leading this community event.
Discipleship
Vocations
If you are not already a FORMED user, the Parish has a paid subscription to FORMED. To sign-up:
1.  Go to   http://formed.org/signup
2.  Select St. Leonard Parish
3.  Register with your name and email address
4.  Check that email account for a link to begin using FORMED
Personally Catholic:
Media that inspires Catholics to grow in their personal relationship with God!

Check out these great videos designed to speak to the hearts of inactive Catholics and/or those who do not yet know the love of Jesus Christ. Watch them yourself for your own spiritual growth and then share them with loved ones who might be searching for God! The Personally Catholic videos, used in outlets like CatholicTV and the Bible App , are now all available for free in one place! Use them to help Catholics discover a more personal relationship with God in the heart of the Catholic Church.
Service
St. Leonard Knights of Columbus Awarded Star Council

On Dec 11th Peter Choguette (District Deputy) presented Jim Kile (Grand Knight) and Vincent De Souza (Fraternal Counselor) with the much coveted Star Council Award. This award is given to those local Knights of Columbus Councils that meet or exceed their membership quota, their insurance coverage and their volunteer hours. Congratulations to all of the Knights who made this happen!
What's on in January?
Wed. Jan. 1 Mass 10:00 a.m.
Wed. Jan. 8 Milk Bag Mat Weaving 1:00 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 8 Pastoral Council Meeting 7:00 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 15 Knights of Columbus Meeting 7:00 p.m.
Saturday Jan. 18  CWL Meeting 2:30 p.m.
Tues. Jan. 21 Milk Bag Mat Weaving 1:00 p.m.
Tues. Jan. 21  First Reconciliation for Grade 2 children 7:00 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 22 First Reconciliation for Grade 2 children 7:00 p.m.
January 26, 5:30-7:30, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service and supper
Tues. Jan. 28 Confirmation session # 3  6:30 p.m.
After the 9 am and 11 am Sunday masses in January coffee will be served in the Parish Hall.
Parishioner Feedback: We Love Your Input!
Dear Parishioners we are very interested in your feedback. If have any comments and/or suggestions as it relates to any of our Parish activities, including the E-Newsletter, please  click here. If you would like a direct response to your suggestion, please include your email address.
St. Leonard Parish
office@stleonardsparish.ca
www.stleonardsparish.ca