Directory Information

Parish Office
Secretary: Bernadette Spicer
Address: 3800 Courtice Rd. N., Courtice ON L1E 2L5
Tel: (905) 436-2126 Fax: (905) 436-9589 email: sainttherese@sprint.ca

Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
* Requesting Masses * Registering new parishioners
* Requesting prayers for the sick * General inquiry

Mass Schedule:
Saturday 4:30 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday Evening 7:30 p.m.
Weekdays 7:30 p.m. (Intentions of Masses are posted in the bulletin.)

Devotions:
Holy Hour (Exposition and Sacramental Benediction): Friday after evening Mass
Rosary: half an hour before each Mass
Devotion to Our Lady: Saturday after morning Mass
Devotion to St. Therese: every Wednesday after Mass
Fatima Nights: each month around the 13th (posted in the bulletin)

Sacramental Administration:
Baptism: Request the information form from the priest and register for a preparatory meeting
Confirmation: Contact the priest for information and preparation for children and adults
First Holy Communion: Contact the priest for information and preparation
Reconciliation: Half an hour before Mass or contact the priest for an appointment
Marriage: Meet with the priest at least one year in advance for wedding date and preparation
Holy Orders: Ask the priest about formation process, seminaries and houses of study
Anointing of the Sick: Call the priest as soon as possible, especially in emergencies

Parish Video Library:
Religious videos can be borrowed from the shelves in the vestibule of the church. Please record the video you are borrowing in the book provided.

THE CONGREGATION OF THE DAUGHTERS OF ST. MARY OF LEUCA
(Convent and Daycare Center)
The Congregation of the Daughters of St. Mary of Leuca was established at the extreme end of Italy in the shadow of a Marian shrine called “Sancta Maria de finibus terrae” (St. Mary at Earth’s End). It is commonly known as “Madonna di Leuca” (Madonna of Leuca) because the church is situated at the highest point over Cape Leuca where the Ionian and Adriatic Seas form a confluence. According to tradition, St. Peter, while sailing from Palestine to Europe, actually landed on the beach at Leuca.

Tradition tells us also the story of Our Lady of Leuca. St Luke the Evangelist painted an image of Mary holding the Child Jesus in her arms. Her face captured the essence of maternal love she felt towards the suffering humanity. The face of Jesus was full of tenderness and compassion. When the people of Leuca went to hear St. Luke preach the gospel, they admired the painting and requested him to paint one for them. They hung the painting in the main sanctuary of their church. The painting was destroyed by fires and wars and repainted several times. In 1949 the painting was installed above the main altar in Leuca during the Marian Congress. In Leuca the Feast of the Assumption (“Feast of Our Lady of Leuca”) is celebrated with great devotion and festivities.

In 1941, the bishop recognized the Congregation, conceding it diocesan jurisdiction. He requested the foundress, Mother Elisa Martinez, to take the title of St. Mary of Leuca for her daughters. Despite the ravages suffered by Europe in World War II, the Congregation remained in Italy. In 1943, it obtained recognition as having pontifical right. As soon as the War ended, expansion extended to other European countries (Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal), the USA and Canada, and then to Asia (India and the Philippines).

The Sisters of St. Mary of Leuca comprise a large family. All members have equal rights and duties. Although they come from different countries and continents, there exists a fraternity in a common vocation among them. They live in local communities, which are more or less numerous according to necessity and possibility. Some are located in large cities; others on the outskirts; some are specifically engaged in missionary work in the country or less populated areas. The Congregation fulfills its apostolate in the field of social work, with preference for the little ones mentioned in the Gospel to whom Jesus says that he was sent (Lk 4:16) so as to be one with them. “Whatever you have done to the least of my brothers, you have done to me.” (Mt 25:40)

The first group of the Daughters of St. Mary of Leuca arrived to our parish in 1993. They soon became active in almost all parish activities. By early 1995 they had built their convent. This included a daycare center. The Sisters play a vital role in the life of our parish. They look after our little ones with great care and wisdom, and they assist our priests in all possible ways. The Sisters fulfill the duties of the sacristans, decorate and beautify our church, and look after our young women’s spiritual needs by providing regular retreat days for them. Their doors, just like their hearts, are always open for us offering a smile, understanding, support, and comfort and providing a great example of loving God and neighbor above all else.

Superior: Mother Speranza, Tel: 436-2308

PARISH ADVISORY BOARD
The Board is a consulting body which assists the Pastor with the overall issues of parish life through offering advice, ministry, expertise, support and prayer. The Board was established in 1996 according to the desires of the Council of Vatican II which called for “different but nevertheless complementary services within the Church”. The Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity refers to this service: “As sharers in the role of Christ the Priest, the Prophet and King, the laity have an active part to play in the life and activity of the Church”.
The Board is an advisory body which brings together lay people and religious who, together with their priests, work jointly to build the parish as a living Christian community. The Board cares about the needs of the faithful and searches for the means to respond adequately to those needs. Specifically, the Board has the following functions: coordinating parish activities, planning future parish events, making suggestions and recommendations to the individual groups of the parish, and assisting the Pastor with advice and expertise when needed.

The Board consists of the Pastor, one representative from all parish groups, and five parishioners representing the parish at large. With the exception of the Pastor, all serve for two years on the Board. The Pastor has the President’s responsibilities. The two other specific roles are the Chairperson and the Secretary, both elected by the board members. The Board meets four times a year, or more frequently if needed. The meeting minutes are posted at the back of the church, and information is included in the weekly parish bulletin The group representatives also inform their respective groups about the activities and recommendations of the Board.

THE LEGION OF MARY, OUR LADY OF FATIMA PRAESIDIUM
The purpose of the Group can be summarized in the following:
To make its members better Catholics and to mobilize the Catholic laity; To raise the spiritual level of the entire community through direct contact with and interest in every member and potential member of the Mystical Body of Christ; To accomplish this through Mary, Mother of Souls and Mediatrix of All Graces.

Members offer their services to their pastor to aid him in performing spiritual work in the parish, and to help him reach out into the community with the Good News of the Lord.

The Legion of Mary is a worldwide association of the lay apostolate, in which Catholic men and women sanctify themselves through prayer and spiritual work in union with Our Lady under the guidance of the clergy. The Legion of Mary was founded by Frank Duff in Dublin, Ireland on September 7, 1921. Today, it is to be found wherever the Catholic Church exists, in practically every diocese throughout the world. Formed on the model of the Roman Legion, it is composed of individual members, innumerable praesidia and councils. A Praesidium is a unit of the Legion, the next level of command being the Curia in Peterborough, then the Toronto Regia, and finally the Concilium in Dublin, Ireland.

Membership is open to Catholic men and women of all ages. Presently, Our Lady of Fatima Praesidium has a total of 180 active and auxiliary members. New members are always welcome. There are no dues to join or belong to the Legion. There are three types of membership: active, auxiliary, and active junior membership. Active members (18 years and over) attend the weekly meetings, pray the Rosary and the Catena (Magnificat) daily, and perform substantial assigned apostolic work every week. Auxiliary members pray the Rosary and the Legion prayers daily for the intentions of Our Blessed Mother, and thus supply the prayer power needed for the active works of the Legion. Persons of any age may be auxiliaries, if they are able to say the required prayers. Junior active members are young people between 8 and 18 years of age. To become an active member, first visit a meeting as a guest to see the Legion in action. To become an auxiliary member, submit your name, address and phone number to an active member, who will place your name on a probationary roll for three months.

Active members meet weekly, every Monday after the evening Mass. All meetings last one hour and a half. The meeting provides the members with instructions from their Spiritual Director and includes prayer, formation and assignments. Once a year all members are invited to a ceremony of consecration to Our Lady, called the “Acies”, and to a Praesidium Function.

Our Praesidium visits parish families, the elderly, the lonely, the bereaved and sick at home and in hospital. Members of the Legion recite prayers and the Rosary at the funeral home for deceased members and some of their family members. They also play a major role in the preparation for the celebration of the Jubilee Year 2000.

EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF THE EUCHARIST
The Blessed Sacrament and the celebration of Holy Mass are the center of our lives as Catholics. There is nothing more beautiful and comforting than Christ coming and living among us in the most real way. In the Holy Eucharist, Christ's body and blood are made present at Mass and are offered as heavenly food and drink to those who approach him in faith and holiness of life. Holy Communion becomes, therefore, the moment in time when we become one with our Savior in the most extraordinary of ways. This mysterious and beautiful connection between Christ the gift, and Christ the giver of all good gifts, as the liturgy reminds us, is brought out through the figure and role of the ordained minister. It is the bishop or priest ‘in the persona of Christ’ (in persona Christi) who celebrates the sacred mysteries of our salvation in Holy Mass and who therefore becomes the first and natural, in that sense, ‘ordinary’ choice in the administration and distribution of this great gift of Holy Communion.

On those occasions when large numbers of faithful desire to receive Holy Communion, the Church allows others besides the ordained ministers to help with distribution. These helpers are called Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Eucharist, and they are there to help, not to replace, the deacons, priests and bishops. Since this ministry is a particularly important one, the Church urges pastors to choose carefully the members of this ministry.. They should display a deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and prepare themselves through prayer and Confession for their service. Apart from those Eucharistic Ministers who help distribute Holy Communion at Mass, there are those who bring the Sacred Host to the sick. They, too, are given a particularly important and beautiful ministry, as they take Christ to those who desire him, but who are unable to come and receive him at Mass. Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Eucharist or, in short, Eucharistic Ministers, are trained for this ministry and serve regularly according to a schedule at our church on Sundays and occasionally on weekdays.

READERS
The readers undertake a most important work, an integral part of the Eucharistic celebration. Since apostolic times, the Christian community has revered the Word of God as a living voice. It is the work of the readers to announce the Scriptures in the midst of the assembly. By evident faith and joyful hope, the readers bring the written word to life, and so prepare the way for the homily. It is a noble service -- to proclaim God’s saving Word in the full assembly of the people. The work of proclaiming the Scriptures requires attention and effort. The reader must both understand the text and love its message: thus faith in the Lord and respect for his Word will be communicated to all who hear it.

To serve God’s holy assembly by announcing the Good News is among the most honored roles given to any person in the Church. Mature men and women selected to do the work must be practicing Catholics who are acceptable to the worshipping community, and who can be heard and understood by the assembly.

PARISH MUSIC

Saturday 4:30 P.M. Mass
Music at the Saturday Mass is provided by soloist, Janey Mary Loder, who accompanies herself on the guitar. Janey gives testimony as follows : “I have been involved in the music ministry in Durham Region since I sang a solo ‘Immaculate Mary’ for the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1956, at the age of 6 years, and in all those years I could not ever have imagined not singing to adore the Lord Jesus. For me, it has been a way of life and a privilege. Those who worship their Savior through music, whether from their pews or the choir loft area, do a far greater thing than rock stars and performers who earn millions of dollars and the adulation of whole populations. They sing before their Lord, their Savior, their King, and their God. What greater audience could a soul desire?”

9 A.M. Sunday Mass Choir
The choir sings at Sunday Masses from September to June, on special feast days, such as Ash Wednesday, and occasionally at weddings. The choir currently has 10 members but welcomes everyone, especially children and young people. There is one practice each week. The choir sings with guitar accompaniment.

11 A.M. Sunday Mass Choir
The choir sings at the 11 o'clock Mass, usually with organ accompaniment. The ability to read sheet music is not a requirement, and new members are most welcome. Choir practices are every Wednesday after the evening Mass for about one hour and a half.

7:30 p.m. Youth Choir

CHILDREN’S LITURGY
The purpose of the Children’s Liturgy is to initiate our children at an early age into the mysteries of the faith. Currently about 50 children of Junior Kindergarten age through Grade 2 attend the Children’s Liturgy every Sunday at the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Masses. For the first half-hour, supervised downstairs, they sing songs, say prayers, do crafts, and discuss the Gospel through pictures, stories and videos. They then return to the Mass, in procession, at the Offertory, and join their parents in the body of the church for the remainder of the Mass. Through such activities, the Children’s Liturgy helps our youngest parish members participate in a meaningful way in the Sunday liturgy.

CHURCH CLEANING COMMITTEE
The Committee is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the church including the entrance, stairway, washroom facilities and downstairs hall. Currently there are 25 members divided into smaller groups. Each group takes turns cleaning approximately every six weeks, with no group cleaning consecutively for two weeks. The church and the related facilities are cleaned once a week. Cleaning is usually done Thursday, Friday or Saturday mornings, the exact time decided by the group on duty. Church events such as weddings are taken into consideration. The group members wash the stairways, vacuum the church, dust the pews, and clean the bathrooms and the windows. When there are functions in the hall, the kitchen is cleaned. More volunteers are needed to assist in the cleaning since the present members have been involved for many years.