Tri-Parish News

Weekday and Weekend Masses have been cancelled until further notice.

Office of the Bishop

Diocese of Antigonish

168 Hawthorne Street, P.O. Box 1330

Antigonish, NS B2G 2L7

Chancery 902-863-3335; Residence 902-863-1557

E-mail: bishopkirkpatrick@dioceseofantigonish.ca

March 25, 2020 (Annunciation of the Lord)

My Dear People,

I am grateful to our Clergy, as well as our diocesan and parish staff and to all the people of

our Diocese who are working together. It is clear that our response to this coronavirus

certainly brings out the best in people. We are blessed with such dedicated people who

continue to minister to the people of our Diocese.

Following a Decree issued on March 19 by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the

Discipline of the Sacraments, Father Conrad Edwards, Chair of our Diocesan Liturgical

Commission has assisted in the preparation of an update to our Pastors concerning Holy

Week. We will postpone the Mass of Chrism but the Easter Triduum cannot be postponed.

Pastors will celebrate Holy Week privately since we still cannot offer any public Masses

and liturgies during this time.

Cathy Farrow, our Managing Director / Diocesan Financial Administrator has been in

communication with other Financial Administrators from across the Atlantic Provinces.

She has prepared a document to inform and assist our Pastors with financial impacts given

the provincial state of emergency regulations.

It is clear that we need to stay home following the directives and guidelines of the Premier

and the Nova Scotia Chief Medical Officer of Health, as well all official advisories from

our federal and provincial governments.

While respecting the law and encouraging people not to gather, we are witnessing some

novel ways to minister to people. We are so fortunate to have a Diocesan Mass for Shut

Ins, those who are homebound. CTV has been hosting this Mass for 57 years now and

currently Father Patrick O’Neil is the Director. We are likewise fortunate to participate in

the National Catholic Broadcasting Council’s Daily and Sunday Televised Mass offered

through Salt & Light which is now offered free until May 1st on all Canadian cable

networks. A number of our parishes are also celebrating Mass through social media.

Parishes are using creative ways to connect with the vulnerable to ensure that no one is

completely isolated and alone. At various times, Pope Francis has asked us to offer prayers

at the same time throughout the world.

This Season of Lent has been a world-wide time of Penance but we remain strong and

determined through our common prayer. As a people of faith with the help of the Holy

Spirit we will get through this together.

Bishop Wayne Kirkpatrick

Diocese of Antigonish

The Roman Catholic

Communities of

Immaculate Conception, Heatherton

St. Andrew, St. Andrew’s

Ste. Croix, Pomquet

29th of March 2020 5th Sunday of Lent

Contact Information

Parish Office Phone: 902-386-2810

Fax: 902-386-2183

Box 24, Heatherton 42 Summerside Road, Heatherton, B0H 1R0

Monday to Fridays 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Emails 3catholic@gmail.com

(this is for the parish office)

Fr. Andrew Gillies 902-863-4846

fr.gillies@yahoo.ca (this is for private e-mails)

Deacon Art Riley 902-870-6379

rileyryn@hotmail.com

Pat MacLean pat3catholic@gmail.com

Jolene Chisholm jolene3catholic@gmail.com

Website www.triparishgrouping.ca

Facebook Tri-Parish of Heatherton,

Pomquet and St. Andrew’s

Baptisms By appointment,

please phone Fr. Andrew

Marriages Please call Fr. Andrew at least

12 months in advance to ensure the marriage course is arranged

Sacrament of Reconciliation 15 minutes before and after

weekday Masses or by appointment

Mass Intentions

Contact the parish office to request a Mass offering

FOR THE TIME BEING, our priests no longer have access to patient lists. Please help us out: if you know someone in hospitals,

nursing homes or at home who requests a pastoral visit from Fr. Andrew, please phone, leave a message or send him an email and

he will get back to you right away.

The hospitals have trained priests on the proper precautions and are happy to have Fr. Andrew see patients there. However, the

only way he’ll know they have been admitted, is if you let him know. The person does not have to be in danger of death to receive

the sacraments. They can receive them at anytime. Also, if you would like us to pray for anyone who is sick or who has died

recently, we will publish their names in our e-bulletin and on our Facebook page. Please email the office.

Next Sunday, 5 April, Palm Sunday, blessed palm will be made available and can be picked up at our

churches for those who wish some. These palms will be available at the following times and locations:

from 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. at the Ste. Croix Church parking lot in Pomquet

from 10:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. at the St. Andrew Church parking lot in St. Andrew’s

from 12:30 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Immaculate Conception Church parking lot in Heatherton

Deacon Art will be available during these posted times and will be distributing the palms … please note: we will be observing

local and federal laws regarding distancing.

With the increase in concern over the spread of COVID-19 and with added precautions for everyone in Nova Scotia, The Diocese

of Antigonish, with Debbie Aker, Jennifer Hatt and Art Riley’s help, has added a DONATE button to the Website. Parishioners

know that they still can donate to their parish and to Mass for Shut Ins. They or anyone can click on the tree or the word

*Donate* to the left top of the home page. http://www.antigonishdiocese.com/ The diocese will send weekly cheques to any

parishes that receive donations online.

ALSO each financial institution has available on line Direct Deposit forms. The form provides account information in place of a

void cheque and is used when arranging pre-authorized payments or direct deposits. Upon completion, you could submit the form

to the office in Heatherton. This would be a great way for our parishioners to keep up to date with contributions and the funds we

receive will pay our operating expenses immediately.

Weekday and Weekend Mass intentions: If you had requested a Mass for a particular day and it was to be held within the near

future, please contact the office if you wish to have this Mass moved to another date or if you wish Father Andrew to celebrate this

Mass privately. Contact 902-386-2810 or jolene3catholic@gmail.com to make arrangements. Thanks in advance.

Baby Bottle Campaign: Thank you very much to those of you who took bottles and to those of you who have already returned

them. We are now half way through our Lenten journey, so please remember to do your alms giving. Since there will be no

Masses for the foreseeable future, please hang on to your bottles and return them once Masses resume. The Faith, Fun and

Friendship organizers thank you. Signed, the Monsignor Hugh MacPherson Knights of Columbus

PLEASE NOTE: The Tri-Parish Office is still open, with reduced hours, but will be closed to the public until further notice. If

you need to contact the office, please phone us at 902-386-2810, email 3catholic@gmail.com (individual work emails located on

the side left panel of the bulletin) or check out our Facebook page at “Tri-Parish of Heatherton, Pomquet and St. Andrew’s).

~ St. Andrew Parish News ~

There are two men’s fur hats at the back of the church at St. Andrew’s. One is dark grey with black gloves the other is light brown

and tan. They were left after one of the funerals. If these are yours or you know someone who is missing them, please phone

902-863-4573 and we can get them.

Thank you for your support from 15 March 2020:

Regular = $900.00 Loose = $11.75 Cemetery = $250.00 Social Action = $25.00

Priest’s Pension = $5.00 Giant’s Lake regular = $55.00 Giant’s Lake Priest’s Pension = $5.00

Diocesan News Join Worldwide Marriage Encounter this spring for a weekend of meaning, rediscovery and love for husbands and wives.

June 5 – 7, 2020 Our Lady of Grace Monastery, Monastery, Nova Scotia. For information, email renewmarriage@gmail.com or

text or call 902-314-8541. Application forms are located near the bulletins if you are interested in going.

Eucharistic Congress 2020, 12 – 14 June, Membertou, Sydney: In September, 2019, following the celebration to end our

amazing 175th Anniversary year, Archbishop Dunn announced, for the diocese, a focus on the Eucharist culminating with a

Eucharistic Congress. For the next few months leading up to the Congress, the Eucharistic Congress Planning Committee has

asked to reserve this space in our bulletin to inform us of the ins and outs of what this all means for each of us.

~ Notice to all parishioners to please remember your parish in your estate planning ~