Avon-Thames Catholic Family of Parishes
96 Huron Street N5A5S6 Stratford, ON, Canada

Although our opening school mass looked and felt a little different this year, we know that God's love for us remains the same. We will walk together on our jou...rney of faith and we will continue to be there for one another and support one another this school year. We are very blessed in Stratford to have the amazing leaderhip and support of our Pastor Father David Butler and Associate Pastor Father Chris Pietraszko. #wewalktogether #faithjourney #blessed Avon-Thames Catholic Family of Parishes See more

Our Parish’s Theology 101, will be featured in this Conference. Please check it out. There are a lot of great speakers and resources!

The Sacrament of the Sick is often a cause for some confusion. Who can receive it? What kind of healing does Christ offer here? We also briefly discuss the importance of funerals and why we should seek them out.

Worship Wednesdays - One of Pastor Fr. David’s favourite hymns is Ubi Caritas. This Latin chant, which dates back to the 9th century, translates to Where True Love and Charity are Found. The song’s lyrics remind us of how we are to love each other as the Body of Christ. The 2nd verse of the song says that when we gather as one in Christ Jesus, our love enfolds every race and every person. It tells us that envy, division and strife are to cease among us and that Christ our Lord dwells among us in every heart. This love is what we all strive for, especially as we gather together to celebrate Mass. We are called to extend love and charity to all as Christians. During these challenging times, may we continue to share that love and patience with each other! https://youtu.be/b_QEP-RHYLY #UbiCaritas #loveandcharity #gregorianchant

Angels are pure intellects according to the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas. We welcome them by opening our minds to listening to the Wisdom they want to share with us. St. Michael protects us from pride, St. Gabriel offers us a mission, and St. Raphael heals us from the lies we’ve been assaulted with. Let’s turn to these incredibly powerful beings, who work in our lives when we invite them to.

Today, we celebrated First Holy Communions with 90 children! We pray for these children and their families as they continue to receive Jesus into their lives. May they always know the love and friendship of our Risen Lord.

Welcome to Spiritual Saturday! The upcoming week is wonderfully busy as we celebrate the Feast of St. Jerome (September 30th) and St. Therese of Liseux (October 1). But today's post is going to focus on the Archangels (September 29) and our Guardian Angels (October 2) Jews and Christians have always recognized and revered angels - spiritual beings who are neither human or divine. Scripture depicts angels as messengers of God and manifestations of God's glory and power. There... are only 3 named in Scriptures - Michael, Gabriel and Raphael; each holding a special roles in salvation history as agents of God who minister to human beings. Our traditional belief assigns an angel to each person which we call our Guardian Angel. Matthew 18:10 tells of Jesus referring to these angels when He said of children, "I tell you in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven." On their Feast Day let us remember to pray the prayer many of us learned as children; Angel of God, my guardian dear, To whom God's love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side, To light, to guard, to rule, to guide. Amen. (Artwork by Kitchener/Waterloo Artist Sheila Diemart)

Check out our new Website! https://avonthamescatholic.dol.ca/ Our new website is a work in progress but we hope it is a means of communication that you will use regularly to support your journey of faith.... You will find connections to the information you need and a convenient way to contact your priests and parish family staff. There are resource links here to assist you with registering for Mass, keeping up to date on activities, links to the Diocese, the School Board and the Vatican News. We will continue to try to provide convenient access to useful information for our Avon Thames Family. Your feedback is always welcome!

Theology Thursday! Is Baptism really "necessary for salvation?" What does the Church mean by this term in regard to a relationship with God? And what are the responsibilities that come with our Baptism?

Worship Wednesdays - This week in our Family of Parishes, we will be welcoming approximately 90 children over 5 additional masses to come to the table of the Lord through the sacrament of their 1st Holy Communion. What a wonderful holy and special celebration! We know music enables us to draw closer to our God and children gravitate to song in a real tangible way. Matt Redman’s popular song 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) is a favourite of our little ones. As we listen and sing this song today, let us pray for those receiving Jesus in the Eucharist for the 1st time - that they will continue to walk in faith with our God. #worshipmusic #1stcommunion https://youtu.be/DXDGE_lRI0E

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew. As part of the Saintly/Spiritual Saturday post a few days there was an image of a painting called 'The Calling of St. Matthew' painted by Caravaggio. The following is a reflection based on the same painting.

On Monday, September 21st we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist and author of the first Gospel. The Matthew of ‘Matthew, Mark, Luke and John’! Matthew belonged to a class of people that were despised in his age a Jewish tax collector for the Romans. We can’t help but be astonished by his transformation from tax collector to Apostle and evangelist! Jesus did not neglect those who were sinners; in fact he kept company with them and came to know them. He k...new sinners needed Him the most. When Matthew made the decision to follow Jesus, his life changed direction. But the identity of who he was as a person stayed the same. Jesus knew that the qualities and abilities Matthew possessed would find a new purpose and a new source of inspiration and fulfillment. And following the call of Jesus meant Matthew, himself, would find a new and perfect love. (The Calling of St. Matthew - Caravaggio)

All Masses for this weekend are full. As more people return to Mass in-person, we will be moving to a reservation only process for Sunday Masses. Walk-in spaces are not guaranteed so please reserve each week at https://avonthames.flocknote.com/ Reservations open up on Monday mornings. If you know someone who does not have access to the internet, please ask them to call the office and leave a message at reception ext: 0.... Also, please review Fr. David's update in this week's bulletin, found on our brand new website. https://avonthamescatholic.dol.ca/bulletins Thank You for your cooperation and patience at this time.

Theology Thursday! In today's video we cover the Old Testament roots of the Eucharist, its important connection with the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and why this sacrament is crucial in our relationship with Jesus. #Eucharist #RealPresence

Worship Wednesdays The phrase Do not be afraid is written in the Bible 365 times! What a great daily reminder from our God to live every day being fearless. Now, that might sometimes be easier said than done! Comfort in a time of fear and anxiousness is something we crave. The popular Catholic hymn Be Not Afraid was written by Bob Dufford, S.J. when he was just that, afraid! Dufford was on a Jesuit retreat in 1972, preparing to be ordained and his future was unknow...n and he was scared. His spiritual director suggested he pray with the Annunciation in mind. Maybe he could relate to the Mary, who was greatly troubled when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and said she would be the Mother of the Messiah. (Luke 30) Dufford read that passage, and the angel’s words stuck with him: Do not be afraid. The Line Be Not Afraid from this beloved hymn came to Father Dufford on that retreat with the same melody it has today. There may be fear and anxiety swirling around us we navigate into strange, new waters in a pandemic but let us take God’s word to our very hearts. #benotafraid #HopeFromHome https://youtu.be/RF0DIpFOoBg See more

Happy Feast of Triumph of the Cross!

Today, by the grace of God, we celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation with 65 young people! We congratulate them and their families and thank them for their patience and flexibility. It was a different celebration than we are used to but a holy and wondrous witness as each one was sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.