Introducing a new Advent journey for you and your family (click to join!)

Join us for the Road to Bethlehem, a journey that includes daily Advent reflections and enrichment from FORMED. We will be sending you handpicked videos, talks, and texts every day throughout Advent to nourish your spiritual life. Sign up today to prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus at Christmas!

NOT ON FORMED YET?!? Click here to subscribe as a parishioner (no charge!!!)

The Sisters of the Carmel of Saint Joseph
will pray for you during the
Novena to Infant Jesus,
December 16th to December 25th, 2020
Are you troubled? Do you need spiritual support?
You can participate in the Novena to Infant Jesus.
Send your prayer intention slip with your name and address to:
Carmel of Saint Joseph
1127 Carmel-Koch Road, R.R. #1
St. Agatha, ON N0B 2L0

For the Carmel’s website, click the picture.

Go to FORMED.org for a discussion of the report. If you haven’t registered: click here.

The City of Hamilton has now gone to “red” with regard to COVID-19 protocols. This does not affect our masses and other liturgies. We are still permitted 30 percent of our seating (approximately 135) for indoor worship and 100 for outdoor.

The diocese is strongly recommending that all meetings be done “virtually” — using video conferencing apps, such as ZOOM, FaceTime, etc.

Click here for details.

The parish welcomes as its new volunteer coordinator, Karen Kiely who will be the parish’s principal contact for those looking to volunteer with the parish. She is joined by Allan Veri who many of you know as one our ushers. Both are longstanding, faithful parishioners.

One of their key duties will be volunteer screening according to diocesan guidelines. Another aspect of their work will be to assist parish ministries, such as our youth group, with their volunteer needs and other other matters of due diligence when leading groups in activities both on the parish campus as abroad.

Karen and Alan will be conducting a review of our records, and if you are currently a volunteer, or a recent one, you may receive a call from them as they check that our records are correct, and up-to-date.

Karen can be contacted through the parish at volunteers@staugustinesparish.ca

To sign up click here.

Limited seating at our Sunday liturgies, and an understandable anxiety over little ones being able to sit through the whole of the Mass has meant many of our families with young children have not been attending; and those who come also have missed out on a special time with our children’s catechist, Katelyn–it’s been suspended as part of the our COVID-19 protocols.

Katelyn has responded to their need to hear and understand God’s word on their terms despite the restrictions we currently operate under as a parish ministry. So, she’s going online!

Please click this link for instructions on having your children participate in Sunday’s Children’s Liturgy of the Word via Google Classroom.

While its stores have been closed, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) has continued its valuable and life sustaining work through the whole period of the COVID -19 lockdown. While observing the necessary protocols, our parish Vincentians have done visits and provided material help to people of our community in need. That need is sure to grow as the economic impact of the pandemic and the lockdown manifests itself in lost jobs, closed businesses, etc. So please remember the society and its need for financial support through the end of the lockdown period and into the summer months. Parishioners can put a little extra in their offering, and designate it for SVP and the relief of those in need.

The parish in the past maintained a bulk subscription to several publications used for daily mass, devotional reading, and many parishioners were used to picking up a copy for personal use (for a donation).

The diocesan COVID-19 policy to minimize the distribution of printed materials within parishes means we will be reducing our bulk subscriptions. We encourage those who use these (e.g. LivingWithChrist) to subscribe directly.

LivingWithChrist – Subscriptions

the WORD among US – Subscriptions

His Excellency, Bishop Douglas Crosby is committed to seeing that all our young people desiring the sacrament of confirmation and who prepare for it, receive it despite the restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The diocese has worked out a schedule for her deaneries, assigning each a month in which the sacrament will be celebrated. St. Augustine Parish, as a member of the Hamilton Deanery, will celebrate confirmations  in February, 2021.

Confirmation dates and presiders for the parish are:

• Tues., February 16, 2021 at 7 PM     – Conferring:  Very Rev. Wayne Lobsinger, Auxiliary Bishop-elect;
• Thurs., February 18, 2021 at 7 PM    – Conferring:  Very Rev. Msgr. Murray Kroetsch, Vicar General  and Chancellor.
• Wed., February 24, 2021 at 7 PM      – Conferring:  Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, OMI

Confirmation celebrations will be without Mass, and will conform to seating restrictions under mandated COVID-19 protocols. Under these, the church can have a maximum of 18 confirmandi, with seating adequate for immediate family and a sponsor.

A parishioner was conscientious enough to forward us this link having attended one of our first masses since lockdown. Noting how people were awkward about what to do with their masks at communion, a link was sent along for our information. Please have a read and apply the lessons, not just to Mass, but everywhere.

How to wear a mask.