Initiatives

 

Outreach Ministry (Visitation):

OUTREACH – our 5th season!

Outreach is our parish Ministry of Visitation. It was initiated because we wanted to do something in a concrete way, for our more vulnerable parishioners. Our new schedule for monthly visits to nursing homes will start in October for the visiting year 2019 - 2020. It runs 10 months, from October to October with a short break in the summer months.

We have 13 parishioner volunteers who will visit some twenty-five of our parishioners, in five different places, on behalf of St Teresa Parish. We go to Chartwell and Barnswallow Place in Elmira, we visit a parishioner in their apartment in the Foundry and we visit Heritage House in St Jacobs, along with St Jacob’s Place, which is a new place for us to visit this year.

Our schedule is set up for volunteers to work in pairs and these pairs change to give some variety. It is fun to get to know all of our fellow volunteers while we work together visiting parishioners wherever they reside. Our residents appreciate us visiting them. They are very grateful to us, they thank us for visiting and they ask us to come again. The nursing homes are extremely pleased that we visit. Aides in the halls at the nursing homes often direct nice comments our way as we go by. This ministry emits positive vibes with everyone we come in contact with. We want them all to experience the warmth of our visitations.

New parishioner volunteers are welcome to join the Outreach Ministry to help us with our visits. Do yourself a favour – share your time with others. If you or someone you know would appreciate a visit from a parish member from the Outreach Ministry, please contact the Parish Office.

 

 

Prayer Network:

If you have a prayer request, please contact the Parish Office.

 

 

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Since September 2011 members of the Prayer Shawl Ministry have made and
donated almost 500 shawls to people who are in need of the comfort of
prayer for many reasons. Some request shawls for themselves, for friends
and family who are experiencing illness, family problems, joyful events,
and losses.  Anyone who needs prayers can request a shawl.  Our shawls have
gone across Canada and to Europe.  This Ministry is available to anyone,
regardless of religious affiliation. As a group we meet annually with an
interdenominational group which shares the same Ministry in their
respective churches.

One of our newest projects is to make Baptismal shawls which are always
white and are placed on the child to represent the "white garment"
mentioned in the Baptismal rite.

Our group meets on the third Tuesday of the month in the parish library at 1:00
p.m.  All knitters and crocheters are welcome to join and help with this
Ministry.  At these meetings we pray for anyone who has received a shawl as
well as share stories about the shawls we have made.

All shawls are given at no cost to the receiver but we do accept donations
of yarn or money to purchase yarn.

Questions or requests for shawls may be directed to Danielle Pilon at
519-669-2606 or contact the Parish Office.

 

 

DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE – our Canadian Catholic organization for International development (52 years advocating for the underprivileged)
A message from our parish rep Martin Merlihan:

SHARE LENT Sun, Mar 22, 2020 This Lent, we are being asked by Development and Peace, to listen to the cry of Amazonian indigenous and traditional communities. They are awaking the whole world to the severity of the climate crisis.

 

MINI MAGAZINE – “This Lent, give from the heart!” Please check out this brochure again to be aware of the issues this year. The last two pages outline the impact of our donations.

 

Next weekend, please consider using your share Lent dollars to donate to Development and Peace. Development and Peace programs this year are supporting 149 active community development and humanitarian projects, in 36 countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. 16.8 million people will be directly impacted by these projects. 90% of every dollar donated goes directly to programs.

 

SIGNATURES In our parish, we have already secured 172 signatures on our solidarity letter to two indigenous communities of Brazil. There is another chance to sign this letter, after Mass in the narthex.

 

SUNDAY OFFERING BOX On Solidarity Sunday, March 29, the green envelope you need is found in the offering box for Sunday collections Make out your CHEQUE to St Teresa of Avila Parish. An income tax receipt will be issued by the parish, for donations of $10 and more. “GIVE AND IT WILL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU, FOR THE MEASURE THAT YOU GIVE WILL BE MEASURED BACK TO YOU” Luke 6:38