Directory Information

PARISH OFFICE

Secretaries: Bernadette Spicer & S. Jo-Ann Faas
Address: 3800 Courtice Rd. N., Courtice ON L1E 2L5
Tel: (905) 436-2126 Fax: (905) 436-9589 email: sttherese@bellnet.ca

Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 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 7:00 p.m. Friday 9:30 a.m.
Weekdays 7:00 p.m. (Intentions of Masses are posted in the bulletin.)

Devotions:
Holy Hour (Exposition and Sacramental Benediction): First Friday after evening Mass
Rosary: half an hour before each Mass
Devotion to Our Lady: First Saturday after morning Mass
Fatima Prayer Night: every second Monday night of the month; starts one half hour before mass

Sacramental Administration:
Baptism: Request the information form from the priest and register for a preparatory meeting. Call the Parish office.
Confirmation: Contact the priest for information and preparation for children and adults
First Holy Communion: Contact the priest for information and preparation
Reconciliation: Saturdays 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. and First Fridays 8:00 - 9:00 p.m.
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.

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 and deacon, 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 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, St. Therese Church, Courtice

It was Frank Duffs vision that gave birth to the Legion of Mary in Dublin, Ireland, on 07 September 1921, the eve of the feast of Our Lady's Nativity. Just as Mary accepted the angel's message to bring Christ into the world, so did Frank Duff accept the promptings of the Holy Spirit to form a group of lay people whose work was to make Christ known to the world through His mother. He believed that Mary, led by the Holy Spirit, would make Her Son known everywhere.

The idea spread rapidly; lay faithful travelled out of Ireland, and through their works and prayers formed groups in England, Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, and the islands of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Today, the Legion can be found wherever the Catholic Church exists, in practically every diocese throughout the world. Our Praesidium, named Our Lady of Fatima, was formed on 15 October 1995, at which time the first meeting was held. We presently have a total of 365 members, 12 active and 353 auxiliaries.

So What is the Legion of Mary? The Legion of Mary is a lay Association of Catholic men and women who with the sanction of the Church and under the powerful leadership of Mary Immaculate, Mediatrix of all Graces, give service to the Church on a voluntary basis - we reach out to people in the community with the Good News of the Lord. Its object, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is the glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer and active cooperation in Mary's and the Church's work, always under ecclesial guidance.

The Legion sees as its priorities the spiritual and social welfare of each individual. We, Active members participate in the life of the parish through visitation of families, the sick, the elderlies, those confined in their homes. Retirement & Nursing Homes (we bring them the Holy Eucharist, we sit and listen to them, recite prayers with them and offer them spiritual comfort); we recite the Rosary at the funeral home for deceased members; we accompany Father or our Deacon to perform the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in the homes - a most beautiful ceremony where families make Christ King of their home and undertakings; this past year, at Easter time, we started the Pilgrim Virgin Statue Home Visitation Program where Our Blessed Lady spends one week in each home; together with the family who welcomes Our Blessed Mother in their home, we recite Welcome Prayers, and Farewell Prayers are recited when the Statue leaves that home.

Auxilary members are the praying wing-power and strength of Mary's army; your prayers are needed for the active works of the Legion. You associate yourselves with the Legion by undertaking a service of prayer to Our Lady, namely by the daily recitation of the Roasay and the Legion prayers in the Legion pamphlet which is called the Tessera.

As a projection of the Legion system into the sphere of religious education, we have the "Patricians" which is a Society established in 1955 and is controlled by the Legion. Its purpose is "to build up the religious knowledge of the people, to teach them how to explain themselves and to encourage them to apostleship." Monthly meetings are held and are open to all Legion of Mary members, parishioners and friends. A different topic is chosen for presentation and open discussion. There is no work obligation in this group, and no obligation to attend every meeting. The Spiritual Director attends and participates in every meeting. Information is available in the Parish Bulletin or you may speak to one of the active members or Father.

Our next goal is to start a Junior Praesidium, open to those 8 to 18 years of age, at which time they must join a Senior Praesidium.

There is no membership fee to join the Legion of Mary. We ask only for your prayers. To join the Legion of Mary, you may submit your name to an active member. Praesidium Functions are held throughout the year to pay tribute to Our Lady, but also to give members an opportunity to meet each other, to learn about the Legion & its works, and to foster the spirit of unity of the Legion of Mary in the parish.

"Mary, the Queen of the Legion, has the office of mothering mankind We have the privilege of helping her and she depends on that cooperation."

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.

LECTOR
(Reader)
During the Eucharistic Liturgy at the 4 Masses - 4:30 (Sat), 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. (Sunday), lectors proclaim the word of God to the congregation. At present we have 38 lectors including several children who provide this service.

We are always welcoming new lectors. Training is provided at your convenience. Children grade 3 and up are most welcome.

If God has blessed you with a clear, strong voice, why not use it to proclaim His Honour and Glory?

Because of the number of lectors we have, your involvement would be approximately one Sunday every 6 weeks. Minimal involvement for such great rewards!

For more information please phone the Parish Office at 905-436-2126. We look forward to meeting you.

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. Rehearsals are held weekly.

7:00 p.m. Youth Choir
The choir sings at the 7:00 (notice time change) Mass with piano accompaniment and occasionally with guitar as well. The choir is open to one and all - we ask that young children be able to read. Rehearsals are held weekly on Friday evenings. At Christmas time, a separate youth choir is formed with additional practices. Everyone is welcome.

CHILDREN’S LITURGY PROGRAM
A children's liturgy program is offered at St. Therese Parish in the Church hall at the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Sunday Masses. The program runs from September to June and is most appropriate for children ages 4 - 8.

The focus of the program is the gospel. Videos, stories, felts, music, pictures etc. are used to make the gospel come alive for the children. The lesson is usually followed by a hands on craft involving different media i.e. markers, paint, coloured paper etc.

At the end of the 1/2 hour program the children walk in procession, carrying their Lectionary and the offertory gifts to the altar. The special Lectionary is placed on a dais, the children receive a special blessing from the celebrant and then return to your pew for the remainder of the Eucharistic Liturgy.

There is a fee of $5.00 per child or $10.00 per family requested at the time of registration to cover the cost of materials used throughout the year. However, no child will be excluded because of non payment of fee. All children 4 - 8 are welcome.
If you require further information, please phone the Parish Office at 905-436-2126.
We look forward to seeing you and your children on Sunday morning.

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.