315 Douglas Avenue East, Regina, SK S4N 1H7; Phone: 306-757-1325

www.holycrossregina.ca Email: hc.office@holycrossregina.ca

Contact the office @ 306-757-1325 for

Sacrament of Baptism,

1st Eucharist,

Confirmation,

Reconciliation,

Marriage, Funeral,

Gerein Centre Use and

other Parish concerns.

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Sept. 13-#31/20

Parish Staff Team:

FR. RICHARD JASIAK, MSF, Pastor

pastor@holycrossregina.ca Martin Kondzielewski

Office & Pastoral Assistant

hc.office@holycrossregina.ca Rita Gareau

bookkeeper.holycross@sasktel.net

Jacob Antony, Caretaker

HC Office Hours: Monday—Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Page 2: Holy Cross News

Page 3: The Prophets Bible Study

Page 4-7: Saskatchewan Faith Leaders Issue Letter on Suicide prevention

TWENTY FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Sirach 27.30; Romans 14.7-9; Matthew 18.21-35

Donations ENVELOPES LOOSE

Sept. 12-13 Count coming

What’s Happening at Holy Cross

With the Code of Canon Law no. 87, Archbishop Donald Bolen grants to all the Catholic faithful dispensation from their Sunday obligation until further notice. You do not have to come back until you feel comfortable doing so or we return to full capacity. Follow at home from one of the many excellent broadcast or live streamed Masses available every weekday or Sunday.

WHERE TO FIND LIVESTREAMED MASSES IN THE ARCHDIOCESE

English Weekday and Sunday Masses are livestreamed at 9:00 AM daily from Christ the King Parish or

Resurrection Parish. French Sunday Masses are livestreamed from St. Jean Baptiste Parish every two weeks.

For Livestream Live: https://www.youtube.com/ArchdioceseRegina

Infant Baptism Classes—If you wish to have your child baptized this coming fall, please contact Fr. Richard Jasiak at pastor@holycrossregina.ca or call 306-757-1325 and press #3. He will want to start with an interview. Families requesting baptism must be registered as members of Holy Cross Parish.

Registration for Mass As we head into September many of our parishioners may be considering returning to Mass. We ask that before they attend Mass they should contact the office (hc.office@holycrssregina.ca) or call 306-347-0929 and let Martin know your name, number of attendees, a contact phone number, an email and which preferred Mass they would like to attend.

CALENDAR RAFFLE WINNERS

Sept. 06 Ruth Robillard

SACARAMENTAL PROGRAMING

Hello all. As we move towards September we remind you that sacramental studies will be starting again. Following proper COVID protocols, classes will be offered here at Holy Cross for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Eucharist. These are designed for children in Grade Two between the ages of 7-9. Older children and adults looking to learn more about becoming Catholic will have separate classes.

Participants and their families must be registered members of Holy Cross Parish. To register at the parish and these classes, please contact Martin at (306) 347-0929 or by email at pastotal.assistant@holycrossregina.ca.

Parents informational nights—Wed. September 23 at 7:00 p.m. OR Sat. September 26 at 10:00 a.m.—choose one and notify Martin. (306-347-0929 or pastoral.assistant@holycrossregina.ca)

Classes for Reconciliation start Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30pm in the Gerein Centre.

Classes for Confirmation and First Eucharist start Wednesday, November 18 at 6:30pm

Our Liturgical Minister Drive has been cancelled for this fall. Normally at this time Liturgy Committee would be asking Holy Cross parishioners to consider liturgical ministries within or related to the Mass. Due to COVID-19 with our limited lay participation, we are forgoing that. However, if you are interested in proclaiming, greeting or being part of the sanitizing group, please contact Pam Richaud at 306-761-1656 or alexrichaud@hotmail.com . Or the office at hc.office@holycrssregina.ca) or call 306-347-0929.

The Archdiocese of Regina Lay Formation Program

“I’d love to take this course, but I want to wait until; my kids are grown, I can slow down at work, I’m retired...”

The sad truth is, nearly 75% of young people, even those raised in religious homes, will leave the Church by the time they are 25 - well before many of us retire! Some of the most common reasons given for leaving one’s faith behind include; perceived conflicts between faith and science, Christians behaving badly, a lack of evidence for the existence of God, and difficulties with some of the Church’s teachings. Our sons and daughters need mentors who are “well-trained and animated by a sincere faith whose life has been touched by the personal and merciful love of Jesus Christ” (Pope Francis).

We are currently accepting applications for our Fall intake. For more infor-mation on how to register or our COVID-19 health and safety protocols, please contact our Program Coordinator, Deacon Eric Gurash at 306-352-1651 ext. 211 or email him at egurash@archregina.sk.ca

Visitation House Supported Through Queen City Marathon 2020

In the past 20 years of this marathon, Fr. John Weckend has raised almost $160,000 in support of Visitation House, an outreach centre for women in downtown Regina, under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Regina. Although Fr. John has retired from running, he still organizes a team and continues this wonderful work. This year's marathon is virtual, but the needs of Visitation House are real.

Watch the video https://youtu.be/W1R83oR_Dws to meet the Holey Soles Team and message from Fr. John.

Ways you can donate now:

Mail cheques (payable to Visitation House) to your parish or drop off cash or cheques at your parish.

Interac e-Transfer through Archdiocese of Regina, using email address visitationhouse@archregina.sk.ca

Mail cheques to Visitation House, 900 - 11th Avenue, Regina S4N 0K7

Non-credit course at Campion: A Closer Look at the Gospel of Luke

Tuesdays from 1 to 2 pm, September 22 to November 24

Let's explore the Gospel of Luke together! We'll do a deeper dive into both the liter-ary and historical aspects. It will be done through short lectures virtually through URCourses. You should have a University of Regina email address to log in so this is ideal for both current and former UofR and Campion students. There is no charge for the course, but there is an optional resource book for $10.

For more information, contact Campion Campus Minister Kelly Bourke at kelly.bourke@uregina.ca or register at https://campioncollege.ca/gospel-of-luke-reg/

Activities within the Archdiocese of Regina

SASKATCHEWAN FAITH LEADERS ISSUE STATEMENT ON SUICIDE PREVENTION Background Information Eighteen faith leaders have attached their names to the statement released on World Suicide Prevention Day Sept. 10, calling upon the Government of Saskatchewan to establish a comprehensive and effective suicide prevention strategy. “Across all religious and theological distinctions, a shared understanding that the Creator has given us the precious gift of life establishes a global ethic that connects all people of faith,” says the interfaith statement. “Our response to the divine gift of life compels us to work for the preservation of life in all its wonder, beauty, and diversity. We share a collective responsibility to care for those who are struggling, to offer hope and sup-port, and to work for a society in which all can flourish. “ The statement indicates that the attention of the leaders has been drawn to the urgency of suicide prevention in Saskatchewan by the recent Walking with Our Angels vigil by Tristen Durocher underway at Wascana Park, Regina. Research in suicide prevention points to the need for all sectors of society to be engaged in suicide prevention, including government, faith communities, social services, health care, education, justice, and corrections, note the faith leaders. “As leaders of faith communities in Saskatchewan, we call upon our faith communities, the Government of Saskatchewan, and all sectors of our society to work together to establish a comprehensive and effective suicide prevention strategy. This could include but is not limited to legislation, policy, and programs that address common risk factors for suicide, that educate and create awareness of suicide risk, and that build local capacity to address the needs of youth, young adults, and Indigenous people within our communities.” The statement shares statistics revealing that some 144 people die by suicide every year in Saskatchewan, with suicide being the second leading cause of death for youth between 15 and 24 years and the leading cause of death in northern Saskatchewan for people between the ages of 10 and 49 years. “First Nations, Métis, and Inuit have considerably higher rates of suicide, especially among youth. Youth that identify as LGBTQ experience thoughts of suicide or suicide-related behaviour more frequently than their peers.” The faith leaders’ statement notes that the damage inflicted by suicide is extensive. “For every death by suicide, there are an additional five people hospitalized for self-inflicted injury, 25 to 30 people who attempt suicide, and seven to 10 friends, family or acquaintances who are severely affected by the loss. Survivors of suicide and those close to them are at significantly elevated risk of suicide.”

“The goals of this Interfaith Statement are to express our support for people and communities struggling with suicide, to invite our faith communities to pray and work for a solution to the epidemic of suicide among Indigenous and youth in Saskatchewan, and to call upon all sectors to work together to enact a comprehensive and long-term suicide prevention strategy. The 18 faith leaders that endorsed the statements are listed at the end of the letter.