St. Paul The Apostle Maltese-Canadian Parish

He never carried an identity card. He was born in a remote village, son of a poor woman.

He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter's shop till he was thirty. Then for three years he was an itinerant preached.

He never wrote a book. He never ran an office. He never had a family or a home. He never studied in some famous college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled more than two hundred miles from the village where he was born.

He had nothing that could classify him with great people... no letters to follow his name.

At thirty-three years of age, the people turned against him. His friends disappeared and he was given in the hands of his enemies. He had to go through a trail by a jury which was more a farce than a jury.

He was hung on a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners threw lots for his clothes, his only belongings.

When he died, he was buried on a borrowed grave... the property of one who had pity for him.

Two thousand years had passed, and today... he is the main figure of the human race and its leader.

All the armies that have marched... all the battle ships that have sailed... all the sessions held in so many parliaments... all the kings and queens that have reigned... if considered together, didn't succeed in influencing the life of humanity as this MAN WITHOUT AN IDENTITY CARD.

Getting to know him and to love him calls for a lifetime... it asks for a commitment, but its worth every minute and every effort.

During these last two and a half years, I came to know a lot of you through my parish and pastoral work, also through meeting with you in the various committees and through "Outreach." For me it has been a great growing experience since I was able to serve in my spiritual role as a priest and pastor of St. Paul's Church. I could still remember the words I nervously stated during my installation 'that with God's help I will try my best to serve this community.' During this time I felt supported, welcomed and accepted. Together we have achieved a lot. The list is long to thank people individually!

Having given that preamble, I would now like to inform you that it is time for me to move on. Our Superior General has recently informed me that my services are now needed in Pakistan in my role as a "missionary." Needless to say, although I will miss being with you, I also understand that this is the commitment I have undertaken with the Missionary Society of St. Paul, namely, to serve God where I am needed most. I accept this assignment as a 'calling' to serve those people who need me at this time. So in accepting this assignment I would like to ask for your prayers and support as I face my new spiritual challenge. As members of the MSSP we are expected to be "missionaries" first. We have to honour this commitment as priests. The many good spiritual experiences I have gained in this parish will become a part of my lifelong formation as I face this new challenge. Thank you all for giving me the opportunity to work and grow among you.

The new pastor at St. Paul's will be Fr. Karm Borg who is now serving as an associate pastor in one of the parishes in the United States. Fr. Karm is looking forward to working with you, together with Fr. Dominic Cachia, who will remain here as an associate pastor. These two priests will be an excellent "team" for this community and through your collaboration they will continue the good work we have initiated. On my part I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Fr. Karm and wish him every success in his new role. Together with Fr. Dominic I will try to work for a very smooth administrative transition in this parish. Once again, we anticipate your support, kind patience and generosity as we experience a new leadership. It will be the same church, the same faith and the same objective we worked for - our journey to the Kingdom. Fr. Karm will experience a new challenge, here, as I will work in a different field in Pakistan. In our Society this is the norm. Thank you all for understanding. I will pray for you as a community, that you will continue on the same path, as you will experience a new spiritual leader. May God give you the endurance, ability and perseverance to grow as a loving and compassionate community. Fr. Karm, welcome aboard end good luck!

I realize that for some this might sound confusing since it appears that we have barely come in and already there is a change. However, if we could focus on the positive side of things. Even though it has been a short duration of time we were still able to accomplish a lot. Sometimes it is not the length of time but rather the quality that counts. These were times when the parish felt 'togetherness' in a very spiritual way: in our prayers, liturgies and even social events. Our ethnicity pervaded all these happenings. Our pride in our culture and beliefs have been progressively growing as we experienced God's presence in our lives. The faces of the 'actors' will change but the 'act' will remain the same. The scenery might change a little too, however, our objective will be to serve God and love one another as his chosen people. The gospel values will remain the same. These values have survived two thousand years of social upheaval and we still profess our Christianity. So therefore, relatively, this is only a minor cosmetic change. We are all important but none of us are indispensable. As they say 'man proposes but God disposes.'

Our role at this time is to support, love and understand each other as we allow God to work in our lives. I have seen you do this before within your families as you experienced change in good or bad times. You have learned to accept change as the 'will of God' who has other mysterious plans for us! All we have to do is to fit within God's plan and trust him with our future. The Blessed Virgin Mary is an excellent example for this as she accepted the 'will of the Lord' through the Archangel Gabriel. "May it be done unto me according to your word!" were Mary's words of acceptance. In Catholicism this is perceived to be the biggest act of faith. She trusted God before she understood His plans.

As I sign off, I would like to make a few more comments. First of all I want to take this opportunity to thank each one of you for your spirit of generosity, help and support as I performed my parish pastoral role. This was an excellent experience for me. I would also like to thank you for understanding when things where not so smooth, but we also survived. With your gracious help we 'fastened our seat belts' and we landed the 'big plane' safely on the three wheels. (God was supervising all the time!) I also would like to thank Fr. Dominic who during this administration has been a great source of support and offered words of wisdom when I needed them most. I would also like to thank my colleagues, the priests in Toronto, for their acceptance and consistent help. For ever I will feel indebted to the bishops of this diocese - specifically, Bishop Nicola De Angelis and Cardinal Aloysius Ambrosic for their understanding and spirit of cordiality. Thank you all!

By the way, I am planning to spend a few more weeks with you before I leave. So there will be some more time for us to socialize and discuss the past, the present and the future. May God bless you all!

We have recently been informed by the Social Affairs Commission through a letter signed by Archbishop Aloysius Ambrosic to bring the following to your attention.

"'The approach of a federal election presents a privileged opportunity for people of good will to prayerfully reflect on the health of our life together as a caring community. It is also an occasion to ask ourselves what kind of society we want.

The Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs offers the following reflections is the hope that they will contribute to enlighten our social consciences and to affirming the deep social values that animate us throughout our daily lives.

The pamphlet does not tell people how to vote. Guided by our own consciences, all of us need to make the best possible choice based on a multiplicity of issues, the program of political parties, as well as the character of the individual candidates themselves.

The Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs wishes to draw your attention to three important aspects of Church teaching:

During this election campaign the Church's social teachings aid our discernment. Politics and the economy exist for people, not the other way around. All political and economic activity must be enlightened by moral principles. Economic choices and the ensuing policies must be judged by how well life, human dignity and families are protected and promoted."

The above extract has been abridged In order to convey to all our parishioners the essential facts we should become aware of, as we approach the elections. A complete report is available at the back of the Church for those who would like to read all the details. Essentially, we are being urged to exercise our democratic right and to participate fully in 'building the Reign of God through active and thoughtful involvement in our society.' It is important for each one of us to ask questions and become actively involved in order to form an appropriate opinion based on a nature conscience according to our Catholic faith.

Good luck as you explore this important aspect of our human journey. May the Holy Spirit enlighten you, as you form an opinion. May God bless you all!

As we approach the month of November we encounter two important calendar feasts: November 1st - All Saints and November 2nd - All Souls. These two feasts help us realize our ultimate destination. They remind us of our dearly departed, who like us were a part of this earthly journey, but are now embracing eternal life in their spiritual journey. We too have to follow in this path at some point. Let us therefore keep our sights on track!

We have to understand that we are all called to sainthood. A great many of our relatives or friends who lived a good life are now saints, in spite of the fact that they may not be formally acknowledged as such. We could include in this category our dearly beloved parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents and neighbours who lived for the glory of God as good Christians. Jesus told us about his commitment to us: "In my Father’s House there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you myself, so that where I am, you will also be." (Jn 14: 2-3) It is, exactly, where our dearly beloved are being glorified, at present, because of their exemplary life. This is fully acknowledged in the Church’s teaching as sound doctrine. So we should feel encouraged about our own lives as we transform our "life of faith" into real acts of love and kindness.

On the feast of All Saints we remember those who took the final and greatest step of all, as they paased on towards the kingdom of heaven. Their passing away inspires us to follow in their path of practicality as we follow their example: a turning away from the world, and a conscious turning towards God "our very ultimate goal." Lord Jesus may we, too, enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

In reference to All Souls Day, Father W. Ciszek explains how the Russian peasants remember their dead. Every year, families gather at the cemetery as they do for a picnic at the park. Graves are kept in good order, appropriately cleaned and decorated. As the family sits down for a meal by the graveside, passersby are invited to join in and partake in this uplifting event. In this way the peasants are utterly convinced that "death" is not the "end", but rather the beginning to a new life. If this is what we believe, how well is our faith captured in St. Paul’s words: "If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." With this in mind, we should all be convinced that one day we will all be enjoying eternal life. Our faith must be strong in life, also, after death!

Traditionally, we offer masses for the dead as a way of remembering our beloved ones in our liturgical prayers. Our prayers for the souls in purgatory are as significant and appropriate as our prayers for those who are still alive. In his wisdom and fairness God accepts all of our prayers, and shares them equally with all who need them. No soul will be abandoned through human neglect! Through our prayers, God’s mercy and His redemptive powers, these souls will be helped to regain eternal lift in heaven. So as we pray for dead, we are also praying for ourselves, as we share with them the grace that God outpours on all of usl

About a year ago a small group of people from our parish joined thousands of others around Canada for a "Chain for life". It was a very quite, peaceful and prayerful protest in favour of life and in the defense of the unborn. It was very interesting that while our people were standing there at the church intersection a lot of cars and pedestrians passed by. It was really interesting also for their reactions. There were those who just passed by and did not even notice what was going on. But in that just one hour the message of pro-life was being manifested to all. In fact there were more different reactions from the people. There were those who shouted an insult or made gestures against the peaceful protesters. But on the other hand there were far more people who showed their approval by honking their car horns or shouting words of encouragement. In fact there were even those who stopped by and chatted with us for more information. In any case it was a good experience for us as we all felt that we took a stand in favour of life against abortion.

This year this will be taking place again on Sunday October 1st and I am appealing to you all to take a stand and join us to express our concern fort the unborn babies. In a very peaceful and quite way we show our belief that God created life and we are responsible for it, not to kill but to take care of this beautiful life. I know that deep down in us we are all as, Christians in favour of Life and against abortion, euthanasia or mercy killing. Not only because this is the church's teaching but also because we choose life and love life.

The Church is very straightforward in its teaching. In the teachings of the Catholic Church in article 2270ff we find:

"Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence a human being must be recognised as having the rights of a person-among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.

'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.'

'My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.'

Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:

'You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the new-born to perish.'

'God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes."

One can easily see what the church teaches. The Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes the scripture to found its teaching. This was confirmed continually throughout the years by the popes especially Pope John Paul II in his encyclical: "Familiaris Consortio" where he again expresses his concern of this anti-life mentality that is born. He says, "the Church firmly believes that human life even if it is weak and suffering, is always splendid gift of god's goodness."

This is also our belief and we are responsible to show our own concern in this anti-life mentality of this world. We may say it in words and also believe it in our hearts. This is not enough. Let us express it and manifest it in front of the world. Our belief needs action. Maybe this is one of them. St. James in this week's gospel said it is not enough to say I have faith but without action it is dead.

To pray for people, or to wish them well, is a good thing. It gives them the comfort of knowing that they not alone. But it is not enough. That is a dead faith. If our faith is alive we wi1l express our concern in action also. What we hear in church or during prayer we need to put into action. These are our way of giving witness to God and tell the people that we believe in his word.

Mrs. O'Reilly received the news that one of her neighbours was seriously ill. She said to the person who gave her the news, 'Tell her that I'll remember her in my prayers, and that I hope she'll soon be feeling better.'

And she was as good as her word. That same night as she said her customary night prayers she prayed very sincerely and fervently for her neighbour. She said to God, 'Lord, I want to commend my neighbour to you. She's very seriously ill. She needs a lot of help, a lot of support.'

When she finished her prayers, she felt better. And yet, something was bothering her. She sat down to think about it. Then she fell into a dreamlike state in which she heard God saying to her:

'I can see that you're very concerned about your neighbour.'
'Yes, Lord, I real1y am,' she replied with no little pride.
'And I understand that your neighbour is in great need of help,' said God.
'So I've been told,' said Mrs. O'Reilly.
'You know, what she most needs is someone to spend a little time with her,' said the Lord.
'You're absolutely right Lord. I was thinking the same myself,' Mrs. O'Reilly answered.
'Now when you asked me to help her, you weren't expecting me to come down from heaven to visit her, were you?'
'No, Lord, I wouldn't expect you to do that. Nor would my neighbour expect it either. In fact, I think the shock of it might kill her.'
'But she does need someone to call on her?'
'She does, Lord.'
'Who can I send?'

After a long pause, Mrs. O'Reilly said, 'Send me, Lord.' When she woke up from her dream, she knew exactly what. She had to do.

Let us then do our share and demonstrate that our faith is alive! For more information please contact our Emidio Galea, our contact person.

Because in summer we do not issue a Church Bulletin I would like to take this opportunity to share some information with you regarding forthcoming events. As you well know this is the year of the Jubilee, which for us Catholics has special significance. By now you are familiar with phrases "open our doors to Christ" and "return back to the father's house". Besides, this year our parish will be celebrating its 70^th Anniversary-another milestone on our faith journey. Another special event that is worth mentioning is that Msgr. Joseph De Piro founded the Missionary Society of St. Paul, 90 years ago. This is a special moment of "Grace" for our Society and our Community as we profit from the Charisma of our religious order in our parish.

It is, therefore, an opportune time to gather ourselves as a community and thank God for the many graces and gifts He bestowed upon us in this Year of the Jubilee. Our theme for these celebrations will be "discovering our Source!" As we journey in faith we all know that our "source" is in fact God! As pilgrims we journey to our Creator. As recent or past immigrants we also know that we originate from the Islands of Malta and Gozo. So together during the week of September 10th to September 17th we would like to ask you all to help us build this beautiful and meaningful 'theme'. Please leave this week open so you can participate freely in these events.

One of the highlights during this week will be an exhibition reflecting our "roots" as a Maltese-Canadian community. If you happen to have any old albums, photographs or any other material depicting the beginnings of our parish, or actual people who worked in this parish please give us a call. This might include special events that took place throughout the years. Thank you for sharing with us on this very memorable occasion, as we organize this exhibition. We need your help!

Also, we are looking for people who were baptized or married in this parish more than 25 years ago. We will also be contacting younger couples who got married in this parish during the last year. Please give us a call if you fit into these categories. As we merge our 'historical path' of the most "recent" with our "past" we would like to celebrate with you during this week of September 10th.

Our celebrations will come to a peak on Sunday, September 17^th. Basically, it will be a time when we will pray and celebrate our spiritual and cultural heritage together as a Maltese-Canadian community. In a few days time we will be contacting the Maltese associations and work with them our finer details. Further information will be made available at a later time.

Our Jubilee Pilgrimage this entails that we will be meeting in a designated church as advised by the Archdiocese of Toronto on this same Sunday. Ideally, pilgrims journey to Rome for this special event. Since most of us, this is not a practical option we will. Therefore, convene in a special place of worship in this city-to be announced later. The intent is to praise and thank God as a community of faith. As always please give us your support, make yourselves available and best of all pray for us!

While wishing you a relaxed and rewarding summer, I would like to ask you to keep us in mind as we organize these events. I hope to see you there. Il-vaganzi t-tajba!

Happy Father's day to all the fathers out there! To be a father, is something to be proud of. However, it is important to understand the significance of this role.

In fact, God himself takes on this role and spiritually models all parents. Jesus responds to his Father's role as a loving Son. He speaks so well of Him that you want to get to know the father. Remember the story of the prodigal son! Even as this lavish son returned home, his father ran out to embrace him in the most loving and welcoming way. It is love in 'abundance' and 'infinite' to the highest degree - very hard to emulate! Yet, this is what we are being asked to do. It is important to develop these 'caring' and 'loving' qualities that Jesus so clearly projects for us. The 'discipline' we encounter in these examples reflect more the harmony and order of life as expected in a loving relationship rather than the punitive and negative measures. Being just, merciful and compassionate leads us to an inner 'redemption', which is what Jesus ultimately did for all of us!

We also have to understand that this relationship is not a one way street. Jesus spoke well of the father in many instances. However, the Father also loved his Son and demonstrated this in the scriptures. He presents him to us as a saviour and redeemer. He gave him to us as his most 'precious gem' for our salvation - not because he did not care for him but because He wanted us to become his loving children as well. He wanted to show us his most affectionate care and attention, which in turn He also showed his Son. Often the Father expressed his paternal feelings as " this is my beloved Son, listen to him". Clearly the father shared in the triumphs and sufferings of his most beloved son. He was there for him at all times. Is this an exaggerated presentation of Fatherhood? Only if we find the challenge too hard and difficult to pursue. Harmony and order are necessary ingredients of love. Love should and ought to be unlimited-no mater what. These are the qualities of love.

In his book John Drescher eloquently illustrated his point in his book: "If I Were Starting My Family Again". He tells a story of a little boy who repeatedly tried to get his dad's attention. The little boy wanted to show his father a scratch on his finger. Impatiently, his dad put down his paper and said, "Well, what do you expect me to do about it?" The little boy looked at his dad and said, "You could at least say, 'Oh!'"

So Father's Day is not just a day for us to appreciate Dad. But also a day for Dad to appreciate what an important role he plays in the lives of those entrusted to his care. Little random caring acts counts a lot-they nurture the soul!

In essence we are not being asked to be 'Gods'-but to be ourselves and make the father's characteristics as ours as we grow in faith. The father in a child's life is crucial and we understand that many have accepted this responsibility well-and for this we should be thankful! Those who have accepted this responsibility well understand that caring involves both nurturing and forming the child into a loving individual. As Clarence Budington once said: "My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived and let me watch him do it". So dear fathers, together with your wives, as you continue in this great and loving role, may you be showered with abundant blessings to be shared by all.

Last week we made it a point to acknowledge the support of our sponsors and financial supporters. This week we will acknowledge all the volunteers who are working in the church while they promote various parish activities. Rather than make a list of individual names we will make reference to their groups or ministry.

Before I embark on this task I would like first of all to refer momentarily to my associate pastor, Fr. Dominic Cachia. As you all must have realized by now, he is a great asset to the parish community due to his experience, also his friendly character and his ability to perform related pastoral tasks. His family visitations had added an important dimension to our parish work. His functional proximity to my role in times of decision-making has really eased off the administration of this parish. I would also like to thank Fr. Anthony Vella who has consistently supported us through his administrative expertise and still shows up to help us. I would also like to acknowledge all those who at some time or another have offered their advice end experience as I merged into this administration. In many ways they fulfill the role of a parish council in an unofficial format.

As you might have noticed by now the church bulletin has been radically improved through the hard work of a group of dedicated people. This involves writing, editing, typing and folding. On many occasions we have received comments about the quality of this issue and personally I feel that we are doing very well. Also here I would like to acknowledge the consistent and often times tedious work performed by volunteers in the office. This involves anything from answering phones, to receiving visitors, procuring forms and general administrative work. Thank you all for your professionalism and dedication!

Meaningful and purposeful liturgical celebrations are expected by all of us. This can only happen due to the hard work of teams like the Liturgical Committee who consistently meet and plan throughout the year. The Music Ministry, also becomes an important aspect for these events. Choirs, Musicians, and Cantors meet weekly to rehearse and prepare for these celebrations. Again, our Eucharistic Ministers are very conscious of the spiritual and sacred ministry they perform in our community we find that Readers are always well prepared and communicate the Word effectively. We would also like to congratulate our Altar Servers who are increasing in number as they familiarize themselves with our liturgical rituals. Here again we have the Ushers who greet visitors and keep our pews in good order. Our Children's Liturgy Group help the youngsters understand better the Sunday Mass. Also we would like to mention those who help as 'sacristans' as they prepare for mass every day and various other liturgies. Thank you all for your dedication and respectfulness to that which is holy and sacred.

Another dynamic group within our parish life is our Social Committee. With their help and support the parish becomes activated socially. In many instances money is raised for the Church. Thank you for your interest, effort and productivity. Here too we must acknowledge our Church/Rectory Cleaners as well as Hall Management team who keep the Church, the Halls and the premises in general in good shape, receptive and extremely clean. Linked to this group we have the Maintenance Group who work very hard throughout the year to keep this building functional and intact, especially now as we undergo reroofing. The work is hard, challenging and strenuous. Well done team and thanks for your eagerness and interest!

The Finance committee performs another great job for this parish. Certainly, we are being guided by an experienced and dedicated group who are practical in their decisions as they try to achieve attainable goals. Included here we have the Money Counters who look after the collection every Sunday while they make deposit arrangements. Time, effort and commitment are of essence here. As the Maltese saying goes: "Minghajr flu 1a taghnnaq u anqas tbus" Prosit u grazzi! Way to go!

In the area of education we have a dynamic group of Catechists who do a fine job of preparing our candidates for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Our Youth Group is actively involved in parish events. This group is always ready to do more. Well done and thank you Youth Leaders! The Scout Group and Girl Guide Leaders are responsible group who is involved with the formation of both children and youths. Also, the Parish Library is well maintained by a group of people who work behind the scenes in order to maintain our library stacks. Thank you all! Keep up the good work!

Formation also becomes an important component in the following programmes. Both the RCIA and the Marriage Preparation Course have provided an opportunity for spiritual growth among our enthused candidates as they prepare to accept a maturer role in life. Both programmes were appropriately planned for and were effectively delivered. The Wedding Rehearsal Team has kept a busy schedule this year. Prospective spouses were well prepared for their wedding liturgies and advised accordingly. A special thanks to the Maltese Prayer Group and their leaders. As always the community that 'prays together stays together.' This applies to the parish as well. We should also include here the First Friday Adoration Group who are always here on the first Friday of the month to 'watch' and pray with the Lord, well done to all. The Lord be with you!

During this year we held another Outreach Programme. I strongly believe that the spiritual benefit works equally well two ways here; for the recipients and coordinators. I believe that this team worked well in preparing for the visits at the various clubs and parishes. In this area we also need to acknowledge the Organizers of our Bus Trips. These trips have provided a spiritual avenue for our parishioners, more so, in this year of the Jubilee. Well done u prosit!

A special word of thanks to the Ministry of the Sick. As they help to console, comfort and help raise hope to those in distress, they also open new spiritual paths to those in need. The Bereavement Group, yet provides another beneficial service to the community through the preparation of a Funeral Luncheon. They also create an environment of emotional support for the ones who are grieving. Our Seniors Group, as they enjoy their Golden Age, meet regularly to socialize, pray and grow spiritually. The latter group also raises money for the Church through their crafts and artwork. Well done and thank you for your top-notch organization! Prosit!

If by any chance we missed out on a group, please, do not hesitate to bring this to our attention. Chances are that most individuals are represented in more than one ministry. The list is long and this indicates two things. Number one, a high level of interest on your part. Number two that the Holy Spirit is working in our parish community. This is the Good News of the Lord and we should accept it willingly and readily! As in anything else there is always room for improvement. For example, the Children's Sunday Activity Group will be reactivated as soon as we find more leaders to run it. However, all in all, we have done very well and we feel grateful to the Lord. Fr. Dominic and I pray that we will be able to maintain this pace, and we also pray for you to continue working with this fervour and interest.

Thank you all for making this happen. May the Lord bless you and your families as you grow in faith!

As you are all aware the feast of the Mother of the Immigrants, has now been meaningfully celebrated. We now move on to another important event in the Parish, and this is the sacrament of Confirmation. In fact, we have ten teenagers who after a period of discernment, prayer and intense preparation will be confirmed in our Parish. In effect, these young people have decided to follow Jesus and lead them by being a good example to others within our community. The commitment they are making is to give witness to Christ according to the teachings of the gospel. This therefore brings to mind the words of Jesus:

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Men do not light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket. They set it on a stand where it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, your light must shine before men so that they may see the goodness in your acts and give praise to your heavenly Father." (Matt. 5:14-16)

I believe that this must be the goal of every Catholic. As followers of Christ we need to give witness and be a light in our World. Jesus is the real light. Through Baptism He passes on this light to us in order to keep it shining. In Confirmation, we are excepted to reflect this light "to the whole world".

To those who are being confirmed I say: You now have a responsibility and a mission to accomplish. Jesus is passing on to you his Spirit in order to become witness to Him. Everything around you will remain the same including your moments of difficulties or happiness. What will change is your attitude towards real life situations and experiences. In face, you will now act in a more responsible and mature way. A part of your responsibility will be to help others in a loving and caring way.

As confirmed members of this community we too should be supportive of these young candidates. As their companions we need to lead by our example through prayers and spiritual maturity. This entails Christian love, understanding and compassion as Jesus has shown us. He is the Light and the Way.

This special event will take place on Pentecost, the feast of the Holy Spirit. Our ‘Confirmandi’ will receive this same spirit which Jesus promised us. This will enable them to become spiritually attuned to His calling. It is in this way that they will sense they are a part of this Christian community we call ‘Church’. As a community we will all become more Christ like, sharing our faith and deepening our understanding of our mission. In effect, to be followers of Christ!

Our Superior General, Fr. Joe Cremona is visiting us. It is an important event because it is his first official visit to our Parish. This will be beneficial for all us since he will be able to gain information about our work as a Missionary Society in this ‘new’ parish. This will give him the opportunity to meet with our parishioners, exchange views and communicate the Society’s goals.

The Superior General of Our Society has the obligation to visit every three years every country where the Society has established a community of faithful. The reason for this is that he has to assess the performance of the members at the spiritual, emotional as well as physical level. This will give him an opportunity to learn more about their work, the progress being made and the difficulties encountered. As members this visit is also important for us since we can discuss with our Superior our concerns as we self-evaluate. At the same time it is an opportunity for us to get to know our Superior’s expectations. It is a time of reflection and growth as members of this Society.

Fr. Joe Cremona has been superior of our Society for the last five years. Before that he served for twelve years as a missionary in Peru` where he was very well accepted. During his stay there he dealt with important issues related to justice and poverty. It is through his humility and simplicity that he has inspired us with his special charism – his missionary orientation. During these last five years, in spite of moments of tension and difficulties, our Society has flourished. Fr. Joe and his General Council decided to move to Rome where our Society became more accessible internationally. This relocation brought us closer to other Missionary Orders in the Catholic Church. Recently, our new assignments include Canada and the Philippines.

As a Society initially we might appear small in number. However, we are proud of our humble beginnings and the Charism our Founder, Mgr. Joseph De Piro. We intend to extend this Charism among this community here, as well as other parts of the world. The role of our Superior General is to see that our Society is working along these lines. Although still in our infancy as a Society, with the help of God we will continue to be of service to the Church, especially in the area of the Missions.

This is also an opportunity for each one of you to speak out with our Superior General. It is an opportunity to express your views and feelings as Parishioners of St. Paul the Apostle Church. While visiting our Superior will not only meet with the Church Authorities, but also with the various church groups, ministries and the parish council. Meeting on an individual basis can be also be arranged. Fr. Joe is hear to listen and to learn about us. This in turn can attune us to his expectations and experiences.

Let us try to give him a warm welcome and make him feel at home. In the near future we will be releasing details of his program and a special Sunday Thanksgiving Mass.

On Sunday we will be celebrating the feast of the Body of Christ. On this same day a number of our children will be celebrating the First Communion.

We celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi each year. Those of us coming from Malta remember the beautiful processions that take place there. I still remember the solemnity of these processions and the devotion shown by the people. The purpose is to honour the Eucharist, as a sign of gratitude for Christ’s gift to us. Why set aside a special day for this? Isn’t the Body of Christ honored in each celebration of the Lord’s Supper? It is the same reason that we set aside a Thanksgiving Day—because of our human tendency to take gifts for granted.

Being a Missionary I would like to share with you how an African bishop describes a two-mile-long Eucharist procession in Nigeria, held in spite of a downpour:

"The people danced and sang in the rain….It was the first time I recall the Blessed Sacrament being carried…to the sound of…cheering and clapping. Everyone was drenched. No one thought of seeking shelter…Judges, lawyers, doctors, mothers, and children stood their ground as if nothing was happening except the Eucharist. I have not seen anything like this before, here or anywhere else."

What is so unique about the sacrament of the Eucharist? Why should we celebrate this feast? We need to realize what the real message is in this sacrament. Those who stayed with Jesus began to understand that he was not just sharing about his life, but he wanted his life to be deeply rooted in them. He wanted to touch the very core of how they lived. While the disciples must have been affected by how deeply Jesus loved them, they must also have been profoundly challenged by the call to allow him to enter their lives so fully. Every time we receive the Eucharist, Jesus wants to tell us not only how much he loves us and how precious we are to him. He also asks us to let him in every part of our lives. Are we ready for this? Do we realize that Jesus is entering every part of our lives and nourishes us with his body and blood?

On Sunday, twenty-four young students will be receiving the Eucharist for the first time. It is a great day for them because Jesus will be dwelling in them and empowering them with his body and blood. It is also a special day for their families. Through the Holy Eucharist every family will be receiving the gift of love and unity. In fact, the effect of the Holy Communion is the love that Jesus as he enters the life of every family through their children as they celebrate their "First Communion". Through this Holy Communion, the family will be further united and made stronger because they have Jesus in their lives.

May Jesus bless our Children and protect them from evil. May we all give Jesus the freedom to enter our lives fully. God bless you!

Happy Feast to all of you! This weekend we are celebrating the feast of Mary, the Mother of the Immigrants. Whether you yourself are an immigrant or the descendant of immigrant parents, this is still a feast to be celebrated by all! We can all associate ourselves with Mary’s difficult times as she left the security of her home to live in a new country. Most of you have been in Canada for a long time and you have made this your adopted home. Some of you were born here so therefore Canada is your native home. However, we all left behind us somewhere an experience, a culture or a family. There is always a ‘nostalgia’ for the past – sometimes it is a question of missing our childhood experiences. Other times this could mean missing the country of origin, another province or even a different part of the city. In this event, this could be the cause of ‘pain’ and ‘suffering’ just as Mary and the Holy Family felt when they went to Egypt and experienced a different culture.

Those of us who are of Maltese ancestry will remember the devotion that our parents had for Mary. In every Church one could find a statue or a painting of her. Going around the Island one could see so many niches and statues of Our Lady. This shows how close the Maltese were to her. Coincidentally last year I was in Ireland and I observed the dedication that many parish churches exhibited towards Mary. I believe that in all the Catholic countries there is a sense of devotion to our blessed Mother. We too brought our own devotions to Canada from Malta. However I also know that in North America devotions to Mary are quite prevalent in our Catholic Communities. We all want to continue these devotions as a part of our Catholic heritage and tradition.

Also, from this corner, I would like to remind everyone of the special prayer related to Mary – the Holy Rosary. The month of May is in fact dedicated to Mary. The best way to acknowledge this is by keeping the old tradition of saying the Rosary with the whole family on a daily basis. It is a prayer that Mary our mother encouraged the children of Fatima and Lourdes to recite. With this prayer we too can become fervently oriented to a Marian way of life. This in turn will help us to improve our spiritual life and the relationship with God. As always Mary will intercede on our behalf. Please keep in mind the intentions of the Parish while saying the Rosary. We can all benefit Community.

Happy Mother’s day to all the Mothers in the Parish. God bless you and your families.

At the last Parish Council meeting, it was decided to initiate a new feast at St. Paul’s during the month of May. As already indicated in last week’s bulletin, there are three main reasons for this.

May is a special month for Catholics, a month we dedicate to our Holy Mother. There are already a lot of special feasts that are celebrated in honour of Mary, Mother of God. In our situation as emigrants, we find that it is appropriate to venerate her as our Helper and Mother. In fact, we are celebrating this special feast on the weekend of Mother’s Day. To better celebrate the occasion, we are organizing a social family evening so we can come together and honour all the mothers in our community. I hope to see you all there.

However, the most important aspect of this weekend will be the Solemn Mass celebrated the following day, Sunday May 9th. We gather as a community to pray to Our Lady of the Migrant and ask for her special protection and support. Like us, Mary experienced the necessity of leaving everything behind her and espousing a new culture. Mary had to leave her home and together with her family adapt to a new way of life in Egypt. This meant leaving behind both her culture and traditions. We all understand that this is a difficult transition, and that we all need special help from above. For this reason, we would like to venerate and honour Mary, our Mother, on this special day. As you all know, we also have a beautiful painting of Our Lady of the Migrant at St. Paul’s, which will enhance our celebration.

Why the 9th of May? May the 8th is the day dedicated to Our Lady of Pompeii. It was on this day that our founder, Monsignor Giuseppe Depiro, was inspired to change his career path, from being a Lawyer to joining the Priesthood, after special prayers to Mary. As a Missionary Society of St. Paul, we also give special reverence to Mary during this weekend. We would like to extend these festivities to you as migrants to this country and greet you in a Marian way.

May the Blessed Mother keep her eyes on our parish, and lead us all to her Son Jesus. God Bless you.

From Fr. Mark Demanuele on the occasion of his installation as
Pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Parish

March 21st, will be another landmark in my ministerial life. As many of you are aware, this is my first assignment outside Malta, and it is also my first assignment as a pastor. I have to share with you that there are times when I feel a little bit nervous. However, I strongly believe that God will be with me throughout this experience. In fact, what I am envisioning now is not a set of obstacles, but a great challenge. I pray that with your help I will be able to go through this experience with a very positive attitude, a sense of commitment and also enthusiasm. I know that God will be there for me especially as I look around me and see the experience of our Associate Pastor, Fr. Domenic, and also that of the many eager volunteers of this parish. I would venture to say that we will do very well! It already feels like a family. Thank you for accepting me and Fr. Domenic so well. It is a real pleasure to be among you.

As we go through this journey, there will be times when our vision and belief will be tested. However, because of our faith we will remain strong and aim to grow together spiritually, socially and emotionally. I feel that with the many talents and qualities we have around us, we can grow into a meaningful and loving community. I can assure you that Fr. Domenic and I are committed to make this a true vibrant living experience. Your support and understanding, Fr. Domenic's experience, and my enthusiasm should make it work. I am open to your ideas.

Dr. Domenic and I realize that when we speak about our pastoral work, we are also including all those who do not live in the immediate vicinity of our Church. We will certainly extend our work to them, and as we adjust and settle down, we will try to reach all those who moved to the Greater Toronto Area and adjacent suburbs and cities. It is our intention to make you feel part of the Maltese community centred on St. Paul's, so yes, outreach programmes will be in place even as we focus on St. Paul's as a community.

I realize we are small in number. However, with the right spirit and a positive attitude, we will be a good team. And maybe, as we approach the Millenium, we can celebrate our own uniqueness, our individuality and diversity and mould it into one common denominator - hopefully a spiritual one, and call it St. Paul's Parish. Together we can do it.

A final word to all of you on this occasion. First of all, I want to tell you that I am really looking forward to working with you. Please be patient as I grow spiritually, administratively and as a minister of God. Also, allow for a margin of error as we take off on this great venture. Like everyone else, I do have limitations, but hopefully together we will change them and turn them to strengths. I promise to laugh with you in good times and cry with you in bad. Our days together should be a meaningful experience which will get us closer together. I feel your support today, with your physical presence. Thank you for being here for this beautiful experience. I want you to be here like this throughout the whole year, if possible.

Ash Wednesday is a day of obligation for fasting and abstinence, and the beginning of the Liturgical period that prepares us for the great festivities culminating on Easter Sunday. Lent is the time during which we are called for CONVERSION, conversion in our hearts, conversion in our habits, through pious and penitential acts.

We must admit, in all honesty, that many of us Catholics have forgotten the true meaning of Lent. For many, Lent is only that rather gloomy time of preparation for the Easter celebrations without making any attempt to use this time for reflection and evaluating their spiritual life. Many continue to live their normal life, and Lent has no impact on them. Lent, however, should be the time when we turn our attention inwards, reflect on our behaviour and lifestyle and apply some remedial action where required. We are all sinners and we all have something in our lives, which, with the help of God, we can correct.

Lent, therefore, presents us with the opportunity for the spiritual growth and development - in other words, conversion - which is so necessary in our religious, family and social lives.

Let us therefore all meet this Wednesday either at 9:15 a.m. or at 7:00 p.m. to receive during Mass the ashes on our foreheads as an outward sign of our intention to observe Lent as a time of conversion, knowing that God accepts us with all our frailties and is always willing to give us His grace to assist us in our efforts.

A Word of Thanks after the Feast of St. Paul, 1999

First of all we thank God for another occasion to experience an activity of community life among the Maltese and Gozitans settled in and around Toronto.

A word of thanks to all those who cleaned, prepared and decorated the Church for these festivities; to all who animated and participated on all the Liturgical celebrations: the Music Ministry; the Readers; the Eucharistic Ministries; the Altar Servers; and the Ushers;

To the Social Committee who organized the traditional Dinner Dance and all other social moments; to those who prepared and inaugurated the Children's Recreation Ministry; to the Malta Band Club and Caroline Debono for their performance in the Concert;

To all the sponsors: Melita Travel, Mid-Med Bank, Bank of Valletta, Malta Bake Shop, Therese Muscat, Paul Tanti and the Lejla Lampuki organizers;

TO the Consul General for Malta; the Maltese Federation and all of you who attended in such good numbers.

Festa San Pawl Raffle Winners:

1st Prize: Trip to Malta, won by ticket number 504
2nd Prize: Gold Earrings, won by ticket number 921
3rd Prize: Voucher, ticket number 220 (not yet claimed)

Next weekend, as a Maltese Canadian Community, we will be celebrating the Feast of St. Paul the Apostle, the patron Saint if the Maltese Islands. We will be commemorating the great moment in our long history when Paul of Tarsus, on his way to Rome, was shipwrecked on our islands and during his stay, our forefathers received from him our Christian faith. From that moment on, the Maltese Islands never lost their Christian Identity.

Though we are far away from our native islands, we nonetheless feel the need to celebrate this great event which was fundamental to al the subsequent events in our long and troubled history. Our Catholic Faith was always a source of unity and inspiration for the Maltese and Gozitans and sustained our forefathers both recent and far , through all their sufferings.

It was not surprising therefore, that the first Maltese settlers in Canada dedicated their Maltese Community in their new Country to St. Paul, to whom we always add the title "Our Father". It was the one thing that distinguished the Maltese - a tiny community amid a larger population that did not necessarily chare our values.

It is my hope that as many of us as possible attend our Pauline Celebrations, as a means of sustaining our national identity. On Friday, during the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, we will pray for the needs of our native islands, as well as the needs of our adoptive land and the needs of our Community and families. On Saturday, we meet in celebration during the traditional Dinner Dance at the Parish Hall. On Sunday morning, we praise and thank God who in His providence sent our spiritual father to our shores, especially during the Solemn High Mass at 10:30 am. And finally we conclude our celebrations on Sunday afternoon with a musical and cultural evening at our Parish Church.

The First Holy Communion Catechism classes are beginning this Sunday after the 12:00 noon Mass. The teaching of Christian doctrine is one of the priorities of the Catholic Church. Jesus Himself gifted the Church with the responsibility of proclaiming His teachings to the whole world. "Go throughout the world and preach the gospel to all mankind" Mr./16,15. It is through her official Catechism that the Church proclaims Christ's Gospel to all mankind. The future of the Church is in our children, and that is why catechism classes form part of the most important activities in the life of the parish.

Catechism classes provide every members of the parish with a reminder of the need of their ongoing Catholic formation. Very often people seem to think that we need to learn about our Catholic beliefs only when preparing for the first time for the sacraments of Penance, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation. This is a mistaken attitude and we should do our best to change it. We must all feel the need to keep ourselves up to date in everything that concerns our Catholic Faith. Jesus Himself exhorts us to be aware of false prophets, and there are certainly many of them this day and age. Sometimes we see former Catholics we know, join some other denomination. How many of these brothers and sisters were drawn away from us because of a lack of proper formation and insufficient knowledge of Catholic Doctrine?

We have to wake up to the fact that the short time we spend during Sunday Mass listening to the Word of the Church's Doctrine, is not enough to keep us well equipped against misleading teachings from other quarters. Each one of us should feel the need to keep on learning about our beliefs. It is for this reason that Catholic Education courses are organized from time to time in the Diocese, and also in our Parish. Every Wednesday evening, for example, the Biblical Prayer Group meets in our Parish, which provides a great opportunity for learning. And beginning this week, there will be the RCIA course every Friday evening.

It is very interesting to see the members of both the Family Ministry and the Social Committee working so hard to make this weekend a memorable one for our engaged couples. All the Parish Centre facilities are made available in preparing these young adults for their future life in the Sacrament of Marriage.

One may well ask: How necessary are these courses when nowadays everyone is bombarded by information about every topic imaginable? How effective are these courses when the couples are so occupied with all sorts of preparations for their home,their wedding day and every other aspect for their future married life?

It is precisely because of these circumstances that these Marriage preparation courses are so necessary. It is easy for a young couple, amidst the material necessities involved to prepare for married life, to forget, or not give due importance to the psychological and emotional changes they have to make in married life. And it is not an easy matter for a couple to remain faithful to each other in the midst of the difficulties they face in their daily lives. Bringing children into this world ad leading them to maturity is one of the most difficult and awesome responsibilities anyone can face.

It is not easy to live the sacrament of Marriage according to God's Law. Difficult, but not impossible.

Adequate preparation is one way of making it possible. That is why it is compulsory for those wishing to be married within the Church's blessing, to take these courses. Every Sacrament of the Church required preparation in order that we benefit the Graces bestowed by the Sacrament, and Marriage is one that requires more preparation than most. Through these courses, the new married couple learn how to cooperate with the graces this Sacrament bestows them so that their efforts bear fruit.

Prayer, of course, is the other means to ensure success in married life. It is our duty, as members of Christ's community, to pray for our young couples that they may find the true and ho;y meaning of married life.

Remembrance Day is commemorated during this time of year throughout the world. We remember all those who fought and gave up their lives during the last tow great wars for the cause of justice, freedom and democracy. This happens to be a healthy commemoration because it makes us appreciate their courage and brings in the forefront their determination to have their fellow men live in a free world. This sacrifice stands as an example of love and heroism. We are the beneficiaries of their sacrifices.

As Christians, giving up one's life for one's friends is not a new concept. As God gave up his Son for our salvation, we too must follow His example. As Jesus gave up all and enriched us with his victory over sin and death, we should be grateful that those who believe in Him can walk in His footsteps. The powers of evil are still present in our world. We too need to play our part and through our lives continue the work of redemption entrusted to us by Jesus Himself. It was through His passion and death that Jesus acquired our freedom from sin. If we follow in His footsteps, we will be sharing in His mission for liberation from the power of evil.

During these thirty days, we keep alive the memory of all those who gave up their lives for their own countries and peoples. Remembrance Day has become a milestone and an expression of thanks and gratitude. It is meant to sensitize all of us that wars are not the solution to political problems. Liberation and freedom are the product of sound judgement and understanding. All the world need to learn that peace comes from a gentle and noble heart.

Our freedom came through the Cross - and that was enough to save all of mankind.

During the month of November, the Parish is launching a campaign to involve the children of our Maltese families to take an active part in the spiritual and social life of our Parish. Out desire has always been to build up a vibrant community proud of its own heritage. Our forefathers worked tirelessly to create for themselves a Parish and community that protect and support their culture. Our effort today tends to enhance that national Heritage.

For this reason a pastoral framework for children's ministry is being studies. We are discussing which practical measures and actions should be taken to ensure the success of our endeavors. Some of the activities envisaged are drama groups, indoor activities and winter outdoor sports. Another program is also being devised for the summer. Out hope is to offer something attractive and interesting to our children.

The truth is that children are today too much involved in many different leisure activities besides attending school. Many depend on their parents to drive them to all these activities. The participation of the parents, although at times tiresome, is the only means by which the children can take part.

As Pastor I feel confident that parents do realize and appreciate this initiative on the part of the parish, and do their utmost to afford their children with the opportunity. The future and the good of our Parish depend on the will of all concerned.

Last week my reflection was about our missionary spirit as members of the Church. We all know that charity begins at home. Therefore, it behooves us to live this missionary spirit among ourselves as part of this Maltese-Canadian community. The first Maltese immigrants came to this country some sixty or perhaps seventy years ago. Later those who followed settled in different provinces and cities.

Some fifty years ago the Dundas West are started being considered as a little Malta. Many of the first comers gathered their families around their Church, St. Paul the Apostle because a Maltese speaking priest became available. Living then in the area one felt as if he was still back home walking down Dundas, as if it were Republic Street in Valletta. Social and religious activities developed and were supported by the Maltese community. Lately this changed. As the children of our first immigrants were growing up and assimilated into the Canadian culture. The parents started moving from the ghetto to greener pastures.

Considering the present conditions, one sometimes tries to foresee what will be the future of the Maltese community. The state of affairs are certainly different today. We are slowly but steadily loosing our traditional characteristics. Our younger generation is replacing the golden age one. Many families moved out to new settlements and new homes outside the city. The future of the community looks gloomier each year.

Our seniors after having worked hard and long years are now retired. Some find themselves alone because they have lost their partners. Their married children live in distant places where their jobs compelled them to. The problem, of who will take care of our seniors has been of lately a pressing one. Our families are still attached to the homes where they were brought up. The parents cannot envisage ending their lives in a Seniors' Hostel. This explains why so many opt to return to Malta to die surrounded by their relatives.

As far as the young generation is concerned, they grew up completely within the Canadian culture. They have been influenced by the mores and the habits of our present age. Unfortunately they are fast loosing the sacred traditions of their fathers. They are getting married to many other different people from different ethnic groups. The heritage within w\which these people were nurtured within their homes seems to dwindle at times, because of the necessary adjustments. Never the less, we all need to face the future with courage and hope, making the effort to keep high our faith with its traditions.

Being aware of the difficult times ahead of us regarding our Maltese community, we all need to join hands and put a serious determination and hand over the heritage we received on the knees of our parents. The future of our children, both religious and cultural, lies in our hands.