DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER – LENT 2023
Click Lent 2023 for more resources
Did you know that Fridays, especially Lenten Fridays, are days of abstinence? This means we are called to abstain from meat on Fridays as a special sacrifice. While it might seem trivial at first, fasting and abstinence help us develop our self-discipline, and also serves as forms of penance for our sins. Christ paid the ultimate price for our sins by his death on the cross; in return, abstaining from meat on Fridays is a small penance we can offer him out of love!
Get creative with your Friday meals! Try grilled cheese and tomato soup, fish tacos, veggie pizza, or egg salad sandwiches. If you’re not able to abstain from meat on Fridays, the Canadian Bishops have decreed that “Catholics can substitute special acts of charity or piety on this day,” meaning that you can replace abstaining from meat with another item (food, drink, or entertainment), or add a special devotion or prayer to your day. The goal is the same either way: Keeping Friday, the day Jesus died for us, holy and set apart.
Click here to see some of the CCCB’s suggestions on how to keep your Fridays holy!
Fasting and abstinence are beautiful practices of our faith that are often misunderstood. Check out this 5 minute Fr Mike Schmitz video to better understand why we’re called to fast and abstain and how it can be a gift of love to God!
On March 25th at 7:30 pm, all men are invited to The Forge, an evening of faith and fellowship hosted at Annunciation.
Come encounter Jesus. Bring a friend.
Click here to join The Forge mailing list.
Following the 9am and the 11am masses on March 26, Annunciation is hosting a parish breakfast to celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation. Come enjoy a (free) warm breakfast and take a moment to celebrate with our parish family! Click here to see the menu (and which items are gluten-free).
Our parish is big, which means it’s a big party! Can you cook, help serve the food, or help clean up? To join the breakfast volunteer team, sign up at the Info Desk or click here. We’d love your help!
PERU LENTEN DONATIONS
Once again, we are offering Lenten donations to Brother Blaise and his mission in Peru. Brother Blaise is an 85-year-old Oblate Brother who grew up in Cape Breton and has spent his life working in Peru. He and his workers continue to build houses for the destitute, as well as supply blankets for the homeless and those in overcrowded prisons.
Annunciation’s Lenten donations began 35 years ago and have continued to this day. Donations helped purchase a gravel pit where Brother Blaise and his crew of workers make cement blocks, each imprinted with a cross, to build houses for those in need. The gravel pit site has a grotto to Mary, and their working days begin with the Rosary.
Special donation envelopes will be placed in the pews this weekend, and can be returned the following weekend to be placed in the collection baskets. Cheques should be made payable to Annunciation of the Lord Parish, and the final tally will be sent to Bro Blaise via the Oblates’ office in Saskatoon. This is a wonderful way to practice almsgiving during Lent, and to support our brothers and sisters in Peru!
The 2023 Holy Week Adventure is open for registration! On March 31, step back in time and follow Jesus’ footsteps through the week leading up to his death and resurrection. Along the path, you’ll encounter people who’ve met Jesus and become part of an incredible Holy Week experience!
This family event (ideal for ages 4-10) is designed to help you re-experience the Easter story in a tangible and interactive way. Your tour experience will take about an hour in length, with tours beginning every 15 minutes starting at 6pm. The cost is $5/person, or $20/family (2 and under are free). Tickets are limited and over half are already sold; click here to get yours today!
ALTAR SERVER TRAINING
Is your child interested in altar serving? Sign up for our next training on April 1st from 12:30-2:30. A pizza lunch will be provided.
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
Holy Week is under three weeks away! Check out our schedule below:
APRIL SENIORS MASS & LUNCHEON
All seniors are invited to join us on April 19th at 12pm for mass, fellowship, and good food. There is no cost to attend, so invite a friend!
Registration closes a week before the event, to give enough time to calculate meal numbers.
Click here to register!