ARE YOU NEW TO OUR PARISH? WELCOME!
Welcome to those who want to make our parish their faith home. You may have come from other places. You may have been “away for a while”. Be assured that we love to have you among us. We would appreciate it very much if you identified yourself at Mass. It would also help if you would take the time to fill out a registration form. The next time you are with us, you may leave it in the collection basket or give it to one of the ushers or to the priest. Thank you and welcome.

40-3-50 HAS RUN ITS COURSE
The 40-3-50 that has marked our Sunday bulletin since the beginning of Lent (February 21) will no longer appear until next year. What do the numbers refer to? The numbers together make up the church’s Paschal or Easter season. The 3 is at the center as it stands for the Three Great Days starting on Holy Thursday evening, including Good Friday and Easter Saturday-Sunday. During those Three Great Days we celebrate the central mystery of the Christian faith: Christ’s being put to death and his being raised from the dead, all for our sake! It is so important that we “sit on it” for 50 days; that is the so-called 50-day Easter season which concludes today on this Pentecost (which means fiftieth) Sunday. But those 3 central days referred to earlier are also so important that they need to be prepared for properly. We do so in the 40-day Lenten season starting on Ash Wednesday. Now we are getting back to - what in church language is called - Ordinary Time. There is where the changing power of what we celebrate in the high season is being tested.

DIOCESAN LAUNCH FOR NEXT YEAR’S INTERNATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS - MONDAY, MAY 28th, 7:30 P.M. IN ST. MARK’S CHURCH IN AYLMER
A number of times we have made reference already to the International Eucharistic Congress next year, June 15th - 22nd. An event like that must be prepared in the local churches. That preparation is what our diocese, the Church of Gatineau, plans to begin with the launch of the Congress. The launch will take place on Pentecost weekend and it will consist of a celebration presided over by Archbishop Roger Ebacher in three different locations, one in Thurso (May 26, 8:00 p.m.), one in St. Joseph Cathedral in Hull (May 27, 7:30 p.m.), and one specifically designed for the English speaking Catholics of our Diocese in St. Mark’s in Aylmer: Monday, May 28, 7:30 p.m. Let us make sure we have a good representation from our parishes there.

NATIONAL COLLECTION FOR THE EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS JUNE 10th, 2007
Putting together an International Congress of any kind incurs considerable expense. That applies as well to a Eucharistic Congress. The Congress operating budget has been set at close to $10 million. To date, over $5 million has been raised by generous contributions from the Knights of Columbus, Canadian religious communities, Caisses Populaires Desjardins, the Government of Canada, the Government of Quebec and the City of Quebec. These contributions are not sufficient to cover the operating budget. That is why the Bishops of Canada have decided to have a national collection in all Catholic parish churches on June 10 of this year. That is the Sunday on which the Church celebrates the Feast of the Body and Blood of Our Lord.

Special envelopes for that collection will be attached to next Sunday’s bulletin. If you are a regular envelope user, make sure to indicate your normal envelope number in the space provided for this purpose. Then you can receive an income tax receipt for whatever you contribute. If you are not a regular envelope user and want to receive an income tax receipt, please make sure to fill in your name and address at the appropriate place.

Cheques are to be made out to our parish, and we will pass it on to the diocese.

MEETING - OUR LADY OF KNOCK SHRINE
The next meeting of OLK Shrine will be held on Thursday May 31st, at 7:30 P.M.