December 2008

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‘to serve, not to be served’

CONTACT

Published by the Archdiocese of Toronto

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Coming Together 2008

P E A C E

H O P E

J O Y

L O V E

December 2008

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Editorial Note... Editors

Barbara Barringer Publisher & Editor

Steve Barringer Contributing Editor

Fuad Nimer-Boutros Contributing Editor

Barbara McFarland Contributing Editor

Articles, letters, and inserts are welcome, preferably by email or fax as follows (with pic-tures if possible):

Email: barbara.barringer@rogers.com

Fax: 905-822-3464 We reserve the right to edit for length and ’good flow’ al-though we promise to present your thoughts and intent as completely as possible. And, remember, the deadline is the 15th of the month for requested articles for the following month’s issue. But we will do our best to accept other material up to the last minute!

Welcome to our December issue of Contact. I’m not sure how the rest of you are feeling, but I feel as if a lifetime has passed since preparing the September issue. It has been a crowded three months, with some highs and lows.

We had the terrific high of the very successful Coming Together at Geneva Park in Septem-ber. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make it happen. We’ve had some deep lows, mainly around the three deaths in our community. First, two old friends left us in the late summer. Pauline Cassidy, widow of Vin-cent( ’75) passed away on August 2nd. Then, on August 29th, Rita Crump, wife of Deacon John Crump ( ’81) entered into rest after many years of debilitating illness. Rita and John are fondly remembered by many in our community from their years of mentoring in the Formation program. Their deaths left us with feelings of sadness and we are aware of a gap in our com-munity.

Then on the same day we celebrated our Me-morial Mass, Deacon Steve Grant was taken from us. At 52, he was one of our younger dea-cons. Up until May, he was healthy and active, still serving as a Superintendent in the Toronto Police, still working in both his parish and in ministry; he was acting as mentor to not just one group of Formation candidates but had taken on responsibility for a second group; he was as fully committed to his family as he had always been. After his diagnosis of cancer, the prayers of his family, colleagues and fellow deacons were fervent and constant, but it was not to be. After six months of struggle, Steve passed away on Saturday, November 8th. To quote Bishop Boissonneau, we ”lost a good deacon”. Funerals are never easy.

John Cannon Contributing Editor

Whether it is a quite family gathering, or a crowded formal ritual, there is pain in the hearts of those who are left. Our consolation lies in coming together as a family to support each other.

This Fall, we had a joyful happy time at Geneva Park, and sad times at the funerals. The impor-tant thing to remember is that no matter the rea-son for our coming together, the mutual love and support are a source of strength to all in our com-munity. “Wherever two or more of you are gath-ered in my name, I am there.”

Have a great Christmas, everyone!

December 2008

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Coming Together 2008

Do the Poor Bring Good News to Us?

It wasn’t the greatest weather, but no amount of rain could dampen the spirits of the approximately 240 deacons, wives and widows who gathered at the Ge-neva Centre in Orillia on the weekend of September, 28-30, 2008. There were enough breaks between the showers to allow couples to stroll around the grounds, for small groups to congregate on the outdoor patios. There was shared laughter and shared umbrellas as we moved between the auditorium where the talks and liturgies took place and the dining / lounge areas.

As we arrived on Friday afternoon, we were welcomed by a highly organised hospitality team, made up of our newly ordained deacons of 2008. Under the leadership of John and Susan Cannon (2004), the new deacons greeted everyone, handing out folders, shirts, answer-ing questions, etc., as if they had been part of our community for years. Throughout the whole weekend, they took turns to man the reception area, ready to help in any way.

The weekend proper began with Friday Evening Prayer in the auditorium, where the Liturgy Team had worked hard to create an atmosphere conducive to prayer and reflection. Steve Barringer’s beautiful ban-ners reminded us of our commitment to Liturgy, Ser-vice and Word. They illustrated for us the three major areas of service in our Archdiocese, the elderly, the sick and the imprisoned. At the front, two large ban-ners helped us connect from our last Coming Together in 2005 and this year’s theme of “Do the Poor Bring Good News to us?”

Adding to the ambience was the thanksgiving themed flower arrangement, created by Terry Cambre.

Ready to lead us in music were Ray and Barbara Del Castilho. At every liturgy, Ray and Barb’s music was well-chosen and expertly performed. Their contribution really made our liturgies especially significant. Thank you, Ray and Barb. Thanks to all the deacon couples who took leadership roles in our prayers, and to those deacons who participated in our Saturday and Sunday Eucharist. A special thanks to Deacons Bill Radigan and Dave Langley, two of our newest deacons who were Deacons of the Mass.

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Coming Together 2008—continued

Thank you also, Steve and Barbara Barringer for coordi-nating all the liturgies.

After Evening Prayer, we adjourned for a casual dinner followed by drinks, snacks and conversation, and con-versation and more conversation. Over by the TV, a group of dedicated karaoke singers enjoyed themselves hugely, while being ignored by most of the rest of us. Most of us were busy reconnecting with old friends and classmates. Thanks to Eustace and Gloria Beausoleil for organizing this evening.

On Saturday, we began with Morning Prayer, then set-tled down to listen to our featured speaker, Fr. Ron Mercier. A very special thank you has to go to Deacon Mike Walsh who acted as emcee for the weekend. He handled all the introductions and transitions with grace and humour ( lots of humour). Fr. Ron’s talks were chal-lenging and insightful. Each session, he claimed our at-tention with a brief clip form a current film, then moved immediately to the “meat” of his message. He helped deepen our understanding by making connections to specific passages from Scripture. Not only did we gain greater understanding of what it means to be poor, both in the time of Jesus and today, we were drawn to the realisation that, in order to find Jesus, we must be close to the poor. Jesus identifies Himself so closely with the poor of every nation and every generation that our best chance of encountering Him in our own lives lies in our willingness to welcome and walk with the poor. The poor do bring us good news; they bring us the bearer of good news, Jesus Himself.

Fr. Ron provided lengthy handouts which gave a com-prehensive and detailed overview of each talk. (Copies of these can be obtained through the Diacon-ate office). The morning ended with celebrating the Eucharist, with Bishop Boissonneau presiding.

Having just been ordained in May, the high-light for me was the opportunity to meet and converse for the first time with so many members of the Deacon community, all of whom I felt privileged to have met.

...Bill Radigan

As deacon's Mike Savard's widow I thor-oughly enjoyed every event but I must say my heart was moved by the warm welcome and friendship of all. I encourage all widows to attend this next event as it makes you feel that you really belong and you are not forgot-ten. … Huguette Savard

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Coming Together 2008—continued

In between each session, at lunch and coffee breaks, reconnecting was the order of the day. People browsed the Trade table, shopped at Broughton’s dis-play area and wandered the grounds. There was even a rumour going round that some deacons, hard as this is to believe, sneaked off to have a nap.

On Saturday night, we gathered in the lounge for the social highlight of the weekend. Dressed in our best “bib and tuckers”, we enjoyed pre-dinner drinks. A surprising addition to the program was the piano mu-sic of Deacon Lionel Gomes who entertained us with a selection of good, old “standards”. Thank you, Lionel. As we proceeded into dinner, we received only one instruction: “Try to sit with someone you don’t know.” Our community is so close that most people had difficulty finding a table with strangers. Actually, we like to think that in our community, there are no strangers, just people we haven’t talked to in a while. There was certainly no shortage of conversation. The noise level was such that we had difficulty hearing the announcements and acknowledgements, but it didn’t seem to bother anyone. However, we all stopped talk-ing long enough to congratulate Tom and Mary Lou Dea who were celebrating their fiftieth wedding anni-versary. The food was delicious; the centrepieces tastefully arranged, ( thanks to Gloria and Terry), and the company fantastic. After dinner, we moved into the lounge for an evening of music and dancing. It was a terrific evening!! Thank you again, Gloria and Eustace.

Sunday seemed to pass very quickly. We had Morn-ing Prayer, then celebrated Eucharist with Archbishop Collins, whose homily , as usual, was filled with in-sight, wit and significance for us as a diaconate com-munity. At the end of Mass, the Archbishop presented stoles to the 25-year deacons, Bert Cambre and Ron MacLellan.

Deacons receiving 10 year pins were Gerry Almeida, Eustace Beausoliel, Bill Burns, Des Carroll, Bill Car-son, Tom Dea, Paul Djaja, Wolfgang Engel, Brian Jeynes, and Paul McDonald. Our last session with Fr. Ron, then it was time for lunch and goodbyes.

For the group of people who worked so hard and so long in preparing for this weekend, it was hard to

For me, the highlight was seeing old friends whom I don't often see because Bill is gone and I live out of the metro area. I also met some lovely new (to me) people. … Patti Hipwell-Quansah

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Coming Together 2008—continued

believe it was over. But looking back on all the high-lights and hearing the positive comments from so many people was a good reward for that core group of workers.

Again, thanks go to Bert and Terry Cambre for their overall leadership, Thanks to Paul and Bonnie Mac-Donald for taking on the responsibility of sorting out all the room registrations: to Daniel and Carmen Gana for making dozens of phone calls, confirming registra-tions and answering queries: to John and Susan Can-non for organizing all the hospitality arrangements, including not only reception but also overseeing spe-cial accommodations, wheelchairs, medical assis-tance teams, first aid, etc. Also, John was our official photographer, and he and Susan were the official re-cord keepers, in charge of taking notes at every stage, so that we can all benefit at the next Coming Together .

Thanks to Eustace and Gloria Beausoleil who were in charge of all the arrangements for the social events: thanks to Ray and Barb Del Castilho for the wonderful music, and to Steve and Barbara Barringer for the reverent and spirit-filled liturgies.

Finally, a very big thank you to both Archbishop Collins and our Vicar of deacons, Bishop Boisson-neau for gracing our gathering with their presence, in presiding at our Saturday Eucharist –thank you, Bishop Boissonneau - and our Sunday Eucharist –thank you, Archbishop Collins. As important as their presence is to our gathering, even more important is their support for our community.

Without the financial support from the Archdiocese, our event would be impossible; and without their spiri-tual support and constant encouragement and appre-ciation for all the work done by our deacons, our sense of community, our feeling of family would be very much poorer. Thank you to everyone who helped in any way, no matter how small. Thank you, Bert, for your leadership. Thank you, Bishop Boissonneau and Archbishop Collins for all that you do for us. God is good! Alleluia!!!

See you in 2011..

" My fondest memories and warmth that I carry in my heart, and continue to enjoy in my quieter moments are of the love, acceptance and closeness there is between the Deacon's wives. This extraordinary friendship has developed during our formative years at St Augustine's Seminary, grown through the annual "Wives Retreats", "Support Group Meetings" and "Continuing Education" Saturdays, and the 2 Coming Together events that I have attended. My "sisters" in Diaconate, as we walk alongside and share in our husband's ministries, I pray that we continue to be there for each other, in good times as well as in sad times. We have so much to offer one another as we journey through life." … Wanda Da Silva

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A Christmas Reflection: Would we still remember? By Bill Radigan In a barren strip of hilly land, whose history was obscure, A Jewish baby boy was born, to a woman young and pure. He was smuggled off to Egypt, as an infant refugee, Returning home when all was safe, He grew up a Nazarene. Since then two thousand years have passed, why is it that we care? And would we still remember, if the story ended there? When He reached his early thirties, He taught amazing things, Proclaimed Himself the Son of God, come to free us from our sins. He attracted many people, mostly poor and outcast folk, Who saw in Him a Saviour, offering mercy, love, and hope. Since then two thousand years have passed, why is it that we care? And would we still remember, if the story ended there? His words were wise and daring, He challenged the status quo, And soon was seen by those in charge as a radical and a foe. So this man who lived among us, who loved and laughed and cried, Was arrested, tortured, and nailed to a cross, Where he hung until he died. Since then two thousand years have passed, why is it that we care? And would we still remember, if the story ended there. His followers were dejected, their hopes transformed to fear, But three days later all that changed, when their master reappeared. Until that time, it was not clear, His truth too deep to see, But now that he had conquered death, they knew His victory. Since then two thousand years have passed, why is it that we care? And would we still remember, if the story ended there? In forty days he’d rise to Heaven, not an ending - but a start, For He promised to stay with us, if we made room in our hearts. He knew we couldn’t be perfect, He had seen first hand our hate, So through his Holy Spirit, to this day he sends His grace. Yes, two thousand years have passed, and do we really care? Do we still remember that message that He shared? As we celebrate His birthday, and reflect upon those days, Let’s make within ourselves some room, to house that blessed Grace. For all the fun that Christmas is, the presents and the glee, Our greatest gifts are not the ones lying wrapped beneath the tree

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The Value of Hardships Most of us suffer through hardships in our lives. I think I had my share. To begin with, I was born in the wrong time in history, 1938 -- in the wrong place Hungary -- and of the wrong religious persuasion, Jewish. This was a devastating combination. It led to the death of my mother and the breakup of our family, as they were all arrested and shipped off to concentration camps. At the age of five I was tossed into the world to fend for myself. The only blessing was that my parents decided to have me baptized at the age of three and I became a Roman Catholic. This was not because of any religious conversion, but to save my life.

Out of the hardships of the first six years of my life, came the first lesson of wisdom. And what I learned in those six years, some people do not learn in a lifetime. I learned about Hell on Earth and I made a decision, that I will do whatever is necessary for the rest of my life to stay out of it, Your Honor, here on earth, but espe-cially in eternity.

I decided to be good, to follow God's commandments, so that I can go to heaven at the end of my life. Simple, but powerful theology, don't you think? Here is the beginning of wis-dom. This basic strategy has been the foundation to my life. Of course, while fear may be a good beginning it will not sustain growth. After a while, a long while, about 40 years -- I've learned about the flip side of fear: love.

That made learning so much easier and faster. I began to see that, with each hardship and painful experi-ence, suffering was made more bearable with prayer and the loving presence of God. The support of caring friends and family made me more experienced and connected to our heavenly Father.

At the age of 65, I've retired after 18 years of being a full-time prison chaplain. This career was a vocation, one that I was well prepared for with

all the miseries I suffered through in my life. I know I was a good chap-lain because I never judged the in-mates. I recognized that they were all victims of abuse. They had lacked the parenting, good role mod-els; they had missed developing faith and awareness of God was missing in their lives. I could have easily fol-lowed that route myself. I had all the reasons and tools, such as anger, outrage, distrust. I could have be-come just such another lost soul; but God called me out of that jungle and allowed me to go through these harsh experiences to learn from them and use them for his glory.

I have always been blessed with very good health. I had never been to a hospital. I never had an opera-tion. I had never even had the flu. In my career as a chaplain, I went 11 years without taking a sick day. I inherited this healthy body from my parents and I also take very good care of it. I have never smoked or used drugs, alcohol etc. I've worked out in the gym all my life.

So there was this one experience lacking in my life; the experience of sickness. I didn't know how a person with a life-threatening illness or a disability feels. How does it affect his or her spirit? Although I watched my wife living with pain, not being able to walk, breathe, or enjoy even the simplest pleasures of life, I per-sonally did not experience any of it. So, I said, “Lord I can't be complete in life experiences until I suffer through some ill health as well."

Perhaps cancer could teach me and I could have some part of that wis-dom I have not learned as yet. In October of 2007 I was diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph nodes. Normally this is one of the easiest cancers to treat; how-ever, my cancer has advanced into my bone marrow and is already in stage four. Stage five is the pine box.

I will not bore you with the eight months of treatment and all the side effects of the therapy. I only want to say; it taught me a lot. I had another good look at Hell and it is still awful. But what I've learned from my ex-perience was worth it. I've learned the power of prayer, as I was flying high on the wings of hundreds of your prayers and prayers from many others whom I never even met. I've learned how to recognize and accept genuine love; I've learned the power of human touch, how the spiritual energy of a hug can give you strength. I've learned that just sit-ting by a sick person's bedside pray-ing silently can give faith and peace to both. And I could go on and on as each day still brings me new revela-tions.

I love you, my Lord, for answering my prayer. I know the lesson is not over yet. This cancer has the ten-dency to go into short remissions and come back, but while it is sleep-ing in my body, I thought I'd make some use of what I've learned. I would use it by going back to the cancer clinic where I was a patient and spending some time with those who are going through their lessons of life. Maybe I can walk a few steps with them on their journey.

Because those who have been there, who have walked in the way, can say, "I understand how you feel." Our words and actions have a little more credibility.

I truly believe that hardships, pain and suffering teach us about our-selves and unite us with Christ and with our fellow brothers and sisters.

I don't advocate seeking pain or hardship simply in order to learn from it, but if and when it comes, try to take advantage of all the blessings that may be found.

Deacon Tom Pillisch

South Lake Regional Hospital Cancer Clinic

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The Entering

We enter their lives At a time of such turmoil and sadness

And are witness to the most remarkable people that ever were.

We enter their lives

And wonder what we see And are touched by their courage

and willingness to share.

We enter their lives Hoping to make a difference

in the time that is left Yet knowing all the time that in reality,

they will make Such a difference in our lives,

that we will never be the same.

We enter their lives And try to imagine how it would be

if things were reversed And we would be opening our lives

to complete strangers On a journey we did not choose to take.

The entering – a reverent time

When we offer ourselves and we connect

When we are saddened but also privileged and somewhat in awe

That we are permitted to witness the human spirit at its finest.

Author Unknown (submitted by Terry Da Silva)

Contemplation is the highest form of prayer…like rain…let it happen… God does the work. Prepare the place…and your-self…and let God work in us. Find a time and place to be alone with the Alone. Our ministry flows from our mystical life. Discover God in your weakness. 3. Accept our embodiment. We are not pure spirit. Our body is an instrument to bring us to God. Being spiritual is a “body experience”. All knowledge comes to us through our senses. Use what appeals to you to come to God. 4. Practice Sacred Liturgy. This is the public worship in which our Redeemer and the whole church renders praise and glory to God. During liturgy, Jesus is always the priest and always present. We must always give liturgy our best efforts. 5. Participate in Private Prayer & Shared Prayer. Raising the mind and heart to God. God wants to hear our heart talking to Him. Prayer does not change God…but changes the way we see God and the way we see God work-ing. Change anger at God ... into wonder that we do not un-derstand God’s plan. 6. Accept Life as a pilgrimage. Life is a journey full of wonderful experiences. We are all called to perfection through our life’s journey. Trust God’s word. Faith is something that does make a difference in the “now”. Spiritual wholeness and holiness takes time and effort. 7. Veneration of Mary. Mary needs to have a place in all of our spiritual lives. Where the Mother of God is not venerated…then church does not exist Where is Mary in our lives…do we bring her out only on spe-cial occasions Where would we be without Mary as the mother of the Sav-iour? 8. Apostolic Activity. The whole purpose and reason for restoration of the diacon-ate was to allow clergy to work in the marketplace, and fill the gaps in ministry to the disenfranchised, the disadvantaged, and the disconnected, those separated from Church because of crime, poverty, age or illness. - submitted by George Newman

Eight Characteristics of Diaconal Spirituality

Times of solitude and silence are essential several times a day. 1. Embrace Divine Revelation. Scripture, Sacred tradition, Lumen Gen-tium The Bible is a real and living presence of God in our midst. When you cannot pray; just hold the Bible in your lap and wait. When you seek me…I will find you. 2. Experience Contemplation. Giving ourselves permission to waste time with God.

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Deacons Receive their Diplomas (submitted by John Grieve) The 2001 Diaconate Self Study recommended “That St. Augustine Seminary make available to the deacon candidates and their wives and the larger diaconate community, the opportunity to apply their diaconate studies toward a theology degree or diploma. A number of options were examined, including the M.Div. and a new master’s degree in Pastoral Studies. It was decided that a focus on a master’s degree while laudable would tilt the program away from the four dimensions of the diaconate in favour of the academic. Furthermore most candi-dates and their wives had job and family considerations. Many were already involved in ministry. The Diploma in Theological Studies already in the University of Toronto Calendar offered the opti-mum solution. The courses required paralleled the program in place and this was proposed to and approved by St Augustine’s Academic Council, the Board of Governors and the Toronto School of Theology. In September, 2004, the Diploma in Theology was introduced for Deacon candidates and their wives. The Class of 2008 is the first group of graduates to receive this Diploma. They are to be congratulated.

The Graduating Class of 2008

Stephen Booth John Girolami Kevin Grandy

George Juranas David Langley Shawn Panio

Richard Petsche Linda Petsche Bill Radigan

Andrew Roch Luisa Roch

Elizabeth Sirek Jan Sirek

Richard Tan Anthony Teresi

Rob Thomas Corina Thomas

Tom Vert Barry Wood Sheila Wood

Throughout the 4-years the candidates complete twelve courses, one of which is the practicum. Ten courses are needed for the Diploma. There is an opportunity to go on towards a Master’s Degree for which twenty courses are required. The courses may also be interchangeable with other degree and master’s programs. Recognition must be given to Professor Vivian Ligo, the Academic Advisor to the program who “shepherded” the candidates to their moment of glory.

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Homily delivered by Deacon Dominic Sasco at Holy Spirit Parish

on the occasion of the first Mass of Deacon Stephen Booth, June 1st, 2008.

Today’s first reading makes a powerful state-ment. Moses tells the people of Israel what the Lord their God requires of them..... “to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul”, Yesterday morning nine men lay prostrate on the floor of Saint Michael’s Cathedral as an act of submission to the will of God, an act that will see each of them serve the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul. They will serve as Permanent Deacons of the Church in the Archdiocese of Toronto. Included in that group of men who were ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacon was Stephen Booth, the first person from Holy Spirit Parish to receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders. By responding to God’s call Deacon Stephen has become a member of an Order that goes back to the very early history of the Christian Church. The Evangelist Luke records the history of the Church following the Resurrection of Jesus in the Book of Acts. In Chapter 6 we read: “the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should neglect the Word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serv-ing the Word." What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, along with six others. They had these men stand before the Apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.” Thus the first recorded Ordination in the Church was of Deacons, men from the community cho-sen to care for the physical needs of the disad-vantaged in their community, thus allowing the higher orders of Priest and Bishop to concentrate

on the spiritual needs of the community through prayer and spreading the Word of God. Dea-cons continued to serve Christ and His people for the next 1,000 years, ceasing to be a permanent institution somewhere around the end of the first millennium. Then it became strictly a transitional phase on the way to the ordination to the priest-hood. The modern Permanent Diaconate traces its re-newal from the rubble and horror of the Dachau Concentration Camp in World War II Germany. Over 1000 Bishops and Priests were killed at Da-chau and hundreds and hundreds more were killed in other concentration camps. After the lib-eration of Dachau, a Roman Catholic Priest, Fa-ther Wilhelm Schamoni, quietly gathered with other Priests and Bishops to discuss how the Church could be reborn out of the nightmares of World War II. How could the works of Christian charity be car-ried on by their decimated ranks? This small group looked to the restoration of the Permanent Diaconate as their response to an overwhelming need in the Church. Out of Dachau’s suffering and hopelessness, this group proclaimed the centrality of Christ’s vocation — as One who came to serve and not to be served — as the re-sponse to renew the Church. In 1967, Pope Paul VI carried out the desire of the Second Vatican Council when he re-established the Permanent Diaconate. The Council echoed the ancient image and concerns of the New Testament when it spoke of the minis-try and nature of the Diaconate: At the lower end of the hierarchy are Deacons, upon whom hands are imposed ‘not unto the Priesthood, but unto a ministry of service.’ Strengthened by Sacramental Grace, in commun-ion with the Bishop, they serve the People of God in the ministry of the Liturgy, of the Word, and of Charity. It is the duty of the Deacon to administer Baptism solemnly, to be custodian and dispenser “of the Eucharist, to witness and bless marriages in the name of the Church, to bring Viaticum to - continued

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the dying, to read the Sacred Scriptures to the faithful, to instruct and exhort the people, to pre-side at the worship and prayer of the faithful, to administer sacramentals, and to officiate at fu-neral and burial services.” To this day the Church still selects men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, to care for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised in our community. The visible aspect of Diaconate is what you see and hear when you come here to Holy Spirit Church for Mass. The aspect of Di-aconate that is not readily visible is the Deacon’s ministry of service, his ministry of charity where he follows in the footsteps of Jesus and of the seven men mentioned in the Book of Acts. Over 110 Permanent Deacons are found through-out our Archdiocese, where ever there is need. Their areas of charity are as diverse as the insti-tutions in their communities. Deacons can be found ministering to the sick in hospitals, the lonely in Senior’s homes, the inmates in prisons, the addicts and homeless on the streets of our cities, serving meals at out of the cold shelters, providing emotional and spiritual support for un-wed mothers and abused children, helping con-victs in transition; the list goes on and on. This ministry is offered to people of all faiths or no faith at all; to all people who are suffering. All this is done at no cost to the Parish or to our Archdiocese and is done in the Deacon’s “spare” time. Permanent Deacons, the vast majority of whom are married and have families, are required to provide for themselves and their families. In answering the call of God, the Permanent Dea-con, as a member of the ordained Clergy, makes a life-long commitment to his Church and to his community. The Permanent Diaconate is truly a vocation, a vocation that must be interwoven with an occupa-tion and family responsibilities. Thankfully, God is very good at giving His minis-ters the guidance and strength needed to carry out His work.

A Cat’s Favourite Christmas Carols 10. Up on the Mousetop 9. Have Yourself a Furry Little Christmas 8. Joy to the Curled 7. I Saw Mommy Hiss at Santa Claus 6. The First Meow 5. Oh, Come All Ye Fishful 4. Silent Mice 3. Fluffy, the Snowman 2. Jingle Balls 1. Wreck the Halls! A Dog’s Howl-iday Favourites 10. Bark the Herald Angels Sing! 9. I’m dreamin’ of a Yellow Christmas 8. It Yowled upon the Midnight Clear 7. Silent Night, Drooly Night 6. Marking' Around the Christmas Tree 5. Goodboy Wenceslas 4. We Three Hounds of Orient Are 3. The Twelve Treats of Christmas 2. While German Shepherds Watched Their Flocks 1. Santa Claws is Coming To Town - submitted by Steve Barringer

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Steve Grant

Extracts from a Homily for Stephen Grant - By Deacon Wayne McCulloch Stephen Grant was a special man with many talents. He loved his family first; he was a recognized leader in the Toronto Police Services who loved the family atmos-phere of the Police Services; he was a Permanent Dea-con who loved to serve people in his church and his min-istry; but most importantly, Steve clearly understood that he was loved by God and he loved God in return. And this love reminds me of a story .…..A man had a dream in which he was taken up to heaven. Jesus came along, and gave him a vision of something down here on earth. It was a church on Sun-day morning, and Mass was being celebrated. The or-ganist was playing away, but the man couldn’t hear a sound. He could see the choir, watch them open their mouths, but he could not hear a sound. He watched the priest and the people open their mouths to say all the prayers, but, once again, the man couldn’t hear a sound. He was puzzled, so he asked Jesus why the silence. Jesus replied: “You see, unless these peo-ple pray or sing with their hearts, we cannot hear them here.” But we can put our ‘hearts’ into more than just praying or singing. Each of us have received the gift of Life from our gracious God and when we live each day fully, when we put our “hearts into all that we do”, when we put our “heart” into life, we are making ourselves available to serve God. And Steve put his heart into all his life’s ac-tivities. Let me give you an example. In 1974, Stephen Grant was a young cadet with the Toronto Police Services working out of the old 52 Division. And it just so hap-pened that, Catherine Hurtubise was studying as a Res-piratory Therapist and living nearby. Steve and Cathy met through friends, began dating, fell madly in love and got engaged only a few months later in Feb 1975 and planned a fall wedding. At this time, Cathy was Roman Catholic and Steve was a Protestant. However, Steve was interested in putting his ‘heart’ into this marriage and one day while walking the beat, he knocked on the door of this church- St. Michael’s Cathe-dral and asked about joining the Roman Catholic Church. In August 1975, Steve stood here with Cathy and her parents and was confirmed and joined the Ro-man Catholic Church. Steve and Cathy were married in October 1975 and after a few years, moved to Schomberg where they became very involved in their community while raising their chil-dren. - continued

Stephen Grant as Mentor Steve made our weekly formation meetings joyous, enlightening, and a bonding experience that we will never forget. He gently guided us as we discussed the most recent weekend’s lectures and assignments devel-oping the practical skills we would need as Deacons. Steve become known to us as “Gentle Ben,” by showing care, concern, kindness, and God’s love to each of us, while occasionally dishing out his trade mark wink. Steve developed within us an acute awareness that our words and actions in ministry needed to contain hope, and reflect God’s love. “Remember, it’s the Good News,” he would say. Forever held dear in our hearts is Steve’s final lesson to his group. Knowing the finality of his illness, he spoke, “You never know how you will respond or react to a life ending situation, until it is you. Through all that has happened, up until today, not once, not even for a moment, have I doubted my faith, been angry at God, or asked why me. I just thank Him for all the days he has given me, especially the current one.” Steve helped people to develop to the top of their abili-ties. He discovered our hidden talents and capabilities, and then went to work, encouraging us to develop them for the greater good of the kingdom. We grieve and miss him, but he lives on in the Deacons he mentored because Steve became a large part of who we are. - Barry Wood

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Steve Grant Homily—continued Both in and outside work, Steve put his ‘heart’ into all that he did. At work, he received several promotions, and outside work, he was involved in many community activities. Being a Commissioned Officer of the 48th Highlanders of Canada and an Executive with the Schomberg Cougars- Junior C Hockey were just two of his many accomplishments. But his greatest satisfaction was being with Cathy and their children. When ever I met Steve, I would ask about the family and his face would light up as he briefly de-scribed each of them and the latest interests and educa-tional pursuits. In 1992, Steve and Cathy joined the Di-aconate Formation program at St. Augustine’s Seminary and Steve was one of ten of us ordained as Permanent Deacons here in St. Michael’s Cathedral in June 1996. So it seems appropriate that our first reading is from the Acts of the Apostles where we read about the appoint-ment of the seven Deacons “and they chose Stephen- a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit”. Stephen Grant was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Steve was involved in Hospital ministry-sharing his com-passion; in liturgical activities in their church in Schom-berg where he was a noted homilist; he and Cathy were mentors for other Deacon couples in training; and he also put ‘his Deacon heart” into his work. He tenaciously and tirelessly lobbied for and finally achieved the establishment of a Chapel at Police Head-quarters and became a ‘crusader’ for the Police Chap-laincy program. Today, there is a full-time chaplain and 18 volunteers in this program. In conclusion, if a goal of life is to put “our heart into all that we do” then Steve Grant has excelled, for he has given his ‘heart’ to his family at home, his family in Traf-fic Services and his family in the Church and the com-munity.

STEVE GRANT - A REFLECTION.

I first met Steve in the Diaconate program, in 1992. I was taken with the difference in our ages, because my son, Mi-chael was just a couple of years younger than Steve. This age difference was a good thing because, during our four years in the formation program, it enabled me to come and experience, through Steve, the wisdom of the younger gen-eration. The police mantra: "Give me the facts, the facts, and no more" was evident in Steve's answers to the questions re-quired at our weekly home meetings. His approach was to get to the point, and not waste time. He had a clarity and precision in putting forward his answers and ideas. Steve had a dry sense of humour. One time, during For-mation, Steve and I were responsible for ringing the bells at a Mass at St. Michael's Cathedral. Nervously, we checked with each other regarding the proper time to ring the bells. Steve made the witty comment: "You would think they would have gotten two Catholics to ring the bells." Steve and I were both converts. A memory of Steve I will always cherish is when we were sharing about our backgrounds. I made the comment that I was old enough to be his father; and he replied that he wouldn't mind me as a father. Last July 11th at our class of ‘96 annual deacon dinner, it was wonderful to see the love relationship between Cathy and Steve; it was evident that despite all the pain and suf-fering they were enduring, their faith helped them to carry on. Steve was a good man and we miss him. Bill Campbell

Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect. - Oren Arnold

A Christmas Symbol: Christmas Holly

According to legend, Christ's crown of thorns was wound with holly whose white berries turned red in sorrow after the Cruci-fixion. To early Christians in northern Europe, holly signified Mary's love for God. In France and England, this prickly plant was hung over doors to show Christ resided therein. In medie-val England, unmarried women fastened a holly sprig to their beds to avoid being turned into witches, and Germans took home the holly branches from their church decorations to use as amulets against lightning.

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Funeral for a Loyal and Faithful Servant - by Barbara Barringer The trees stand silent in the cold grey rain, Leaves blown and drifted against the black, wet fence. The horses stand silent through the cold, grey morning, Two by two, they stand, their riders rock-still and tense. The deacons stand silent by the grey stone building, White albs stirred and billowed by the breeze. Cold fingers of wind touch their necks and faces, Withdraw, then sidle through again to harry and to tease. The pall-bearers work in silence, fingers unfolding a large white square, Draping the flag on his coffin, a sign of service, love generously shared. The warm brilliant redness pulls at all our watching eyes, It boldly defies the cold white albs, the dull black coats, the grey and weeping skies.

The silence breaks: the drums begin, Loud and fast, the rapid tap-tap-tap of sticks, Startle us and stir our bones deep inside, The bass booms out, heavy, low and thick. The pipers start to play, and in our minds we see Lines of marching soldiers, dimming dusk of night. Slowly, the big black hearse starts rolling, And its flag-draped cargo is hidden from our sight. Policemen stand in silence on the long grey street, In two long rows, they stand on either side. Standing tall, grave, at attention, they salute, They honour their much loved leader on his last lonely ride. The pipes and drums cease to play, The long black car turns away. Silent and attentive, the officers wait, For a few more seconds, all in silence stay. The order is called: the silence breaks, Voices babble, footsteps pound. Engines purr, a cell phone rings, A child is laughing: life goes on with sight and sound. The trees stand silent on the grey and empty street Their dank and rotting leaves in the wet gutters lie Bare and desolate, their branches, sharp and stiff Show black against the cold grey sky.

But deep within the look-dead trunk Life still is present, hidden from our eyes The tree has sure and certain knowledge Spring will come again and new life will arise. Our brother and our friend has gone, Desolate, our hearts are stiff and sore. But we, too, have sure and certain knowledge, Life in God goes on forever. With Christ, death is no more.

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YOU ARE IN OUR PRAYERS

I spoke to Hugh Taylor about his wife BETTY TAYLOR as Betty was still in the hospital but coming home the next day. After walking on a broken hip for a year Betty had a complete hip replacement in November. After

five weeks in the hospital she is doing very well - is walking with a

walker or crutches and has no more pain. The best news possible.

KAY DU QUESNAY has "something wrong with her pancreas". Tests have been

done and she is waiting for the re-sults. The problem could be cancer so please keep Kay in your prayers for a while longer.

I had good news from MICHAEL HAYES. He is doing well - he is ahead of

schedule and nearly 100%. Michael asked me to thank everyone for their

prayers - they really worked.

As FLORENCE and BILL CARSON are neighbors I'm able to keep up to date with them. Florence has recov-ered from her stroke with no lasting

disability and is back in full swing. Bill is still battling a problem with blood clots in his lungs and chest pains. The Doctor is keeping a close eye on him but he needs to stay in our prayers.

- Barbara McFarland

Pauline Cassidy On Saturday, August 2nd, 2008, Pauline Cassidy passed away. Pauline was the widow of Deacon Vincent Cassidy of the class of 1975. Vincent passed away on January 5th, 1999. Pauline missed him very much. She, in her turn, is sorely missed by all her family and friends.

Rita Crump On Friday, August 29th, 2008, Rita Crump was called home to the Lord. Rita was the wife of Deacon John Crump, of the class of 1981. John and Rita acted as mentors in the Formation program for many years. There are many deacons who remember Rita’s cheerful and en-couraging personality. She always had time to listen not only to her and John’s own candidates, but to everyone in the class. She was especially helpful to the wives in the program. Our prayers and sympathy are extended to Deacon John.

Rest in Peace