A recent update from the diocese to parishes offered some thoughts from the Most Reverend Gerard Bergie, D.D., bishop of the diocese of Saint Catharines on the question of Masses at Christmas time. Here are some extracts:

The celebration of Christmas is a little over a month away.  I am sure that many of you have begun thinking about how you will celebrate this feast in the midst of a pandemic. One of the more significant issues that we will have to face is the unknown. How many people will be coming to our Christmas Masses? Will there be large or small crowds? Each parish may experience things a little differently depending on location and demographics. I would like to offer you the following considerations as you make your preparations in churches that are only at 30 percent capacity with physical distancing. 
- For parishes anticipating large crowds, it is recommended that you preregister people.
- If people are unable to attend Mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day due to lack of space or concern regarding crowds, they should be reminded that the Church in her wisdom has established the Octave of Christmas. Individuals can celebrate Christmas and attend Mass on any of the eight days.
- Another opportunity is to attend early morning Christmas Masses where, in recent times, the numbers have not been large.
- It is important to note that the general dispensation for Sunday Masses also applies to Holy Days of Obligation (Christmas and Mary Mother of God).

The latest edition of The Carmelite Review, the newsletter for the Carmelite Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, contains articles about Carmelite communities and ministries coping during the pandemic.

A  Blessing of Animals in honour of St. Francis of Assisi will be celebrated on Sunday, October 4th at 1:00 p.m. on the school playground.

Bring your pets, all creatures great and small: four- legged, two- legged, scaled, winged, finned, furred or feathered - Our Lord God made them all!

In response to the recent break-in and theft of the tabernacle in the Cathedral in St. Catharines, the Most Rev. Gerard Bergie, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Saint Catharines,  has asked the people of the diocese to offer a prayer of reparation on a daily basis for a period of one month, from Monday, September 14, the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, to Monday, October 12, Thanksgiving Day. See prayer and letter below:

O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary I beg the conversion of poor sinners. Amen.
​ 
Très Sainte Trinité, Père, Fils et Saint-Esprit, je Vous adore profondément, et je Vous offre le très précieux Corps, Sang, Âme et Divinité de Jésus-Christ, présent dans tous les Tabernacles de la terre, en réparation des outrages, sacrilèges et indifférences par lesquels Il est Lui-même offensé. Par les mérites infinis de Son très Saint Cœur et du Cœur Immaculé de Marie, je Vous demande la conversion des pauvres pécheurs . Amen.

When schools open up and when things have settled, we will be in touch with last year's Grade 2's, who still need to celebrate their First Holy Communion. We are also in the process of contacting the parents of our Grade 3 children [in schools other than St. Mary and St. Patrick] so we can celebrate First Communion with them also. We have a lot of catching up to do with our Sacraments! So please be patient.

Programming and retreats have resumed at Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre. Among this are two workshops that will take place September on life changes and caregiver burnout.