Message from the Parish Priest….

Greetings to everyone of St. Monica Parish!

Looking back to my desk calendar, April 5, Palm Sunday was when I had Mass with a small

congregation and then blessed the palms in the foyer for distribution. Since then I have been

doing the “hermit liturgy”. I pray for our parish community in each Mass.

I open the church for private prayers daily. On Sunday, there is exposition of the Blessed

Sacrament from 9am to noon. It is good to see parishioners come and spend quiet time with the

Lord. Our spiritual communion through prayers and the word of God gives us strength beyond

the present moment.

This pandemic has really disrupted our daily life. Our faith should help us to keep our eyes on

the promise in Christ’s resurrection. St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans, nothing can

separate us from the love of God. We remain vigilant and at the same time believing that the

risen Christ is with us.

On a personal note, five of my Jesuit confreres died from the attack of the enemy, Covid-19, in

our infirmary in Pickering, Ontario. Their ages were between 77 and 93. I knew them and that

made their death more bewilderment. May they be welcome into the reign of God’s kingdom.

Meanwhile, we pray for the speedy return to celebrating our faith together soon and to renew it

with joyful witness to the power of God’s love and mercy.

Sincerely in Christ the Lord,

Fr. Robert Wong SJ

Pastor

May 10, 2020

Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus, I believe that You are in the Blessed Sacrament. I

love You above all things, and I long for You in my soul.

Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at

least spiritually into my heart. As though You have already

come, I embrace You and unite myself entirely to You;

never permit me to be separated from You. Amen

PASTOR: Rev. Robert Wong, SJ

_________________ PARISH OFFICE HOURS

Monday – Friday 9:30 am – 1 pm / 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

_______________ MASS SCHEDULES

WEEKDAYS: 9:00 am

SATURDAYS: 9:30 am & 5:00 pm

SUNDAYS: 9:00 am & 11:00 am

_____________________ CONFESSION SCHEDULE

SATURDAYS: 4:30 pm – 4:55 pm

CONFESSIONS: 10 MINUTES BEFORE DAILY

MASS OR BY REQUEST AT OTHER TIMES

___________ NOVENA TO

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP

WEDNESDAYS: 7:00 pm

MASS FOLLOWED BY NOVENA

& BENEDICTION

__________ BAPTISM COURSE

EVERY 2ND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AT 6 pm

_________ BAPTISMS

4th SATURDAY AFTER 9:30 am MASS

________________ HOUSE BLESSINGS

PLEASE CALL THE PARISH OFFICE

ST. MONICA PARISH 12011 Woodhead Road, Richmond, BC V6V 1G2

Tel. 604.278.0844 Fax. 604.279.0334

Website: stmonicaparish.ca Email: parish.smon@rcav.org

May 10, 2020 5th Sunday of Easter

⁜⁜⁜

We are living stones aligned with Christ,

the cornerstone.

As people of God who had been baptized

and confirmed, we are a chosen race, a

royal priesthood and a holy nation. Thanks

be to God.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

In the first reading, the Twelve choose

seven men of good standing and serve at

table. In his letter, Peter writes that all who

have faith are to be living stones, imitating

Christ. In John’s Gospel, Jesus declares

himself the way, the truth and the life,

calling those who believe in him to do the

works he does.

⁜⁜⁜

Today’s Readings: 1st: Acts 6.1-7

Psalm: 33 2nd: 1 Peter 2.4-9

Gospel: John 14.1-12

Dear Parishioners,

Sunday sacrificial offerings….

Our church remains open for devotion and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday between 9am to noon.

We continue to depend on your sacrificial offerings. If you are still hoping to sign up for our

parish’s Pre-Approved Donation (PAD), please do not hesitate to call the parish office. Our

office remains open and parish expenses are frugal.

To make it easier for you to donate to the parish, you can drop your offering envelopes anytime

through the parish office mail slot. You can also make your donation safely online through our

Archdiocese, https://rcav.org/sunday-offering

Thank you for your on-going support to our parish. May God bless you always!

United in prayers, St. Monica, pray for us.

Fr. Robert, SJ

A Stewardship Moment

In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles we see how the first community of Christians gathered together to discern and resolve how to care for each other’s needs. As good stewards of the sisters and brothers who gathered around the Eucharistic table, the community of faith selected those among them who were to ensure that no one was neglected. How are we helping to serve the needs of our parish family? How do we ensure that those who might be perceived to be the least of our brothers and sisters are not left alone and neglected during these unsettling times?

Mass Intentions

May 10– 16, 2020

Mon, May 11 - 9am, Felina Salandanan (+)

Tue, May 12 - 9am, Annie Lai Yung Cheng (+)

Wed, May 13 - Pacita Santos (+)

Thu, May 14 - 9am, Racquel Goco (INT)

Fri, May 15 - 9am, Benjamin Aldaba (+)

Sat, May 16 - Ben & Baby Santos (INT)

Mother’s Day

A special blessing goes out to all mothers, mothers-to-be and grandmothers! Many would like to

gather in person, but the circumstances of our time have put a stop in the path. Virtual gathering

seems as the closest interaction can do for now. A prayer of gratitude is included in the Mass,

which I preside. May the blessings of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord!

⁜⁜⁜

Vocation Promotion continues to this Sunday

Our priests and seminarians need your love and support. Thanks to a generous donor, all

donations will be matched dollar for dollar in support of Vocations in Vancouver:

www.vocationsvancouver.ca/give

⁜⁜⁜

Marian Month

May, traditionally, is dedicated to our Blessed Mother Mary. Praying the rosary, seeking the

intercession of Mary to help our world and communities rid of the coronavirus, offers us the

opportunity to respond with faith. Pope Francis has provided two prayers to Our Lady to recite at

the end of the Rosary. Hopefully, you have received them mid last week. If you did not receive

them, please call the office and we are happy to send them to you.

⁜⁜⁜

RCAV Ministry to the Divorced and Separated

Fr. John Horgan, pastor of St. Pius Parish, North Vancouver, will lead this special series of online

presentations, small group discussions, and community prayer, beginning Thursday, May 14th,

7:00pm to 8:30pm. Please contact Megan Rumohr: 604.683.0281 ext. 50222 / mrumohr@rcav.org

for more info.

Marriage Anniversary Mass 2020 at HRC!

TODAY!

Celebrate your Milestone Anniversary with us!

This Mother’s Day, Archbishop Miller will be

honoring couples celebrating their 5th, 10th,

15th, 20th, 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 50th,

55th & 60th+ years of marriage. Mass this

Sunday, May 10, at 11:00am, live-streamed

on YouTube from the Holy Rosary Cathedral.

All are welcome to witness and celebrate the

milestone anniversaries of others! Register

online at rcav.org/marriage-anniversary