Our Lady of Victory / St-Malachy

FIFTH SUNDAY

LENT

Our Lady of Victory
Sunday - 9:00 A.M.

CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST

St. Malachy
Saturday - 7:00 P.M.

F O O D F O R T H O U G H T

Reading I

Jeremiah 31.31 - 34

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 22: How deep the peace, the confidence, of those whose wrongs are forgiven. How deep the peace, the confidence, of those whose hearts are healed.

Reading II

Hebrews 5. 7 - 9

Gospel

John 12. 20 - 23

Food for Thought

What the Greeks asked of Philip is what Christians have been seeking in the Gospels and in pilgrimages for two thousand years. We wish to see Jesus. When they found him, they heard those pregnant words: a grain of wheat has to die before it bears fruit.
Only in Jesus have we a person and a philosophy that makes sense of suffering and death, and that sees the life beyond them.

Pastor	Gyanprakash Topno
Rectory	490 Charles Street Gatineau, Québec J8L 2K5
Secretary	Monday and Thursday - 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday - 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Email	olv@videotron.ca
Telephone	(819) 986-3763
Fax	(819) 961-3159

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.

M A S S S C H E D U L E

WED.	Apr. 01st		NO MASS
SAT.	Apr. 04th - 07:00 p.m.	St. Malachy	Iris Doherty Butler by Elaine, Lyall & Wayne
SUN.	Apr. 05th - 09:00 a.m.	OLV	Nan Sicard (1st Ann.) by Cathy, Donna, & Dorothy Joseph Doherty (27th Ann.) by Mary & family Iris Butler by Ed & Susan Lemieux Violet Butler by Ambrose
THU.	Apr. 09th - 07:00 p.m.		Holy Thursday
FRI.	Apr. 10th - 03:00 p.m.		Good Friday
SAT.	Apr. 11th - 09:00 p.m.		Easter Vigil
SUN.	Apr. 12th - 09:00 a.m.	St. Malachy	Easter Sunday
SUN.	Apr. 12th - 11:00 a.m.	OLV	Easter Sunday

PENITENTIAL SERVICE
You will recall that the Archbishop asked all Parishes to cease the practice of community celebration with general absolution as of last Advent. While Pope Benedict reminds us that "individual absolution is the only form intended for ordinary use", his emphasis on the communal nature of sin, reconciliation and Eucharist suggests that a communal gathering to prepare to celebrate reconciliation is most appropriate. Our two parishes offered Penitential Services during Advent and have decided to offer this service again during Lent, even though only about 20 parishioners attended. Coming together as a community is an affirmation of our human weakness and being reconciled with each other is at the heart of this sacrament.

The Penitential Service will be held at OLV on Wednesday, April 1st at 7:00 p.m. Individual confessions will follow the celebration.

INDIVIDUAL CONFESSIONS
Fr. Gyan will be available for the sacrament of reconciliation, one half hour before mass (6:30 pm at St. Malachy & 8:30 am at OLV) during each of the weekends of Lent.

BAPTISM
Any parents who wish to join us in preparing for the sacrament of Baptism, please register with the parish secretary at (819)986-3763.

CONFIRMATION PREPARATION
St. Aloysius Parish in Gatineau are beginning preparation or Confirmation on March 30th. Anyone interested from OLV or St. Malachy in joining St.Aloysius Parish for Confirmation preparation may call our parish Secretary at (819) 986-3763 for further details.

FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT – March 29th 2009
Many parishes across Canada celebrate Solidarity Sunday on this day, the fifth Sunday in Lent. The Gospel reading for today reminds us that “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:20-33.

Your donations to Development and Peace, so generously given, bear much fruit as well. Your donations, through Development and Peace, support more than 200 partners in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

These local partners include a group in Burundi, Africa that helps women benefit from a more just income when selling their coffee; a group in El Salvador which trains small farmers in ecological farming; and the Philippines’ Urban Poor Associates, which has helped more than 285,000 families with housing rights issues since 1992.

These are just three of the more than 200 partner organizations your generous donations reach. Each partner organization in turn touches the lives of many thousands. Your donation allows that to happen. Give generously today so that others may live with dignity.

HUNGER MEAL
You may recall that last year, the Fifth Sunday of Lent fell on March 9th, when our two masses had to be cancelled because of the biggest storm of the year. Regardless of the storm, the organizers of the Hunger Meal went ahead with the scheduled event, at OLV, where the invited guest from the Democratic Republic of Congo presented the small audience with an enlightening presentation of the work being done by the Development and Peace partners in DRC.

On Sunday April 5th, the Catholic churches in our area are again sponsoring a Development and Peace Hunger Meal, a solidarity meal to promote awareness of the work being done by our partners in the south. The Hunger Meal will be held at the Community Center on Joseph Street, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome to share a solidarity meal (soup and bread). You will also have an opportunity to share in a memorable experience that Development and Peace volunteers undertook last November. These volunteers from our community (including Linda Cameron) will tell you about their exposure trip to Sierra Leone, Africa and their encounter with Development and Peace partners. Free-will donation to Development and Peace.

OLV EASTER FLOWERS
A basket will be at the entrance of the church for your donations towards the cost of flowers to decorate the Church for Easter. There will also be lists available if you wish to sign to donate a plant in memory of a loved one.

OUR LADY OF KNOCK SHRINE
The next committee meeting will be held on April 2nd, at 7:30 p.m.

THE FRUITS OF MEDITATION

If we are to know and follow Christ we must. be moved by his pain and helplessness; we must feel the lashes, the thorns, the insults, the neglect, the degradation.

And this should be not as mere on-lookers, but as protagonists; for it was our sins that led him to Calvary. Therefore it is good for us to try to understand better the meaning of Christ’s death. We must get beyond external appearances and clichés. We need to put ourselves really and truly into the scenes which we are re-living; to witness the sorrow of Jesus, his mother’s tears, the disciples’ flight, the courage of the holy women, the daring of those two Joseph and Nicodemus who ask Pilate for the body of Our Lord.

If it were only possible I would like to feel all that you feel. But you are perfect man and your sensitivity is so much greater than mine. At your side I see, yet again; that I don’t know how to suffer. And so l am amazed by your ability to give everything without reserve. Jesus, I must tell you just how cowardly I am. Yet seeing you nailed to the cross ‘suffering all that can be suffered, your arms spread in one gesture of an eternal priest’.

I am going to tell you something which may seem crazy; I want to imitate you, Lord. I want to give myself truly to you, once and for all, and be ready to do all that you ask of me. I know I am not nearly strong enough to be making such a request". But I know that I love you, Jesus.

Liturgy Committee

OFFICE HOURS

Monday and Thursday: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday and Wednesday: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Telephone messages are picked up on a regular basis throughout the week.

If you have any items for the bulletin, please send them to Alma at olv@videotron.ca before Wednesday afternoon.

W E E K L Y R E C E I P T S

Date	Collection	OLV	St. Malachy

Mar. 22/23	Sunday	$ 571.00	$ 359.00
Mar. 22/23	Fuel	389.00	149.00