St.

Helen Church
4106 Mountain St.
Beamsville, ON L0R 1B7
Ph: 905-562-7427
Fax: 905-563-0003
Email: office@sthelenscatholic.ca
Opened - October 2, 1938 Est. as a Parish - January 1, 1986
Pastor: Rev. Krzysztof Szczepanik Sunday Masses:
Office Administration: Aggie Agnino Saturday: 5:00pm
Sunday: 9:00am, 11:00am
Office hours:
Tuesday to Friday 9:30am - 12:00pm Weekday Masses:
Closed on Mondays and all Statutory holidays Tuesday to Friday: 9:00am
Website: www.sthelenscatholic.ca 1st Friday of the Month:
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/sthelenscatholic Adoration after morning Mass

Sacraments Contacts
Catholic Funeral Rites:
Baptism: When a death occurs in your family, Music Ministry:
1st & 3rd Sunday at 1:00 pm. please call the Parish Office and we Anthony van Engelen
Call parish office. will assist you in making the adve1@yahoo.com
necessary liturgical arrangements.
1st Communion & Confirmation Ministry Scheduling & RFM:
Contact the Parish Office. Chronic Care Facilities: Rachel Reid ~ ministryschedul-
Pastoral visits are made monthly. ing@sthelenscatholic.ca
Reconciliation: Reception of Holy Communion is
Every Saturday 4:00pm - 4:30pm or by available to residents. Fundraising Events:
appointment with the priest. office@sthelenscatholic.ca
Homebound:
Marriage: Notify the Parish Office when serious Facility & Grounds Maintenance:
Arrangements six months in advance. illness occurs. When the sick, aged or Craig Luey
Marriage preparation is required. incapacitated are confined to home for craig.luey@gmail.com
an extended time, pastoral visit can be
RCIA & RCIC: arranged. Catholic Women's League:
Contact the Parish Office. Piera Palmieri ~ contact parish office

Anointing of the Sick: Schools Knights of Columbus:

Please let us know when someone has St. Mark School Marcel VanRuyven
a serious or prolonged illness or is to Principal: Steven Ward mgvanruijven@gmail.com
have surgery. This sacrament
celebrates the healing of mind and St. Edward School SVDP:
body and the forgiveness of sins. Acting Principal: John Romano Lorraine Martin ~ contact parish office

Kindly complete the following and place in the collection box.

Envelopes will be on the round table in the foyer the following weekend.
☐ New Parishioner* ☐ Change of address ☐ Moving
Name________________________ Phone_________________ E-mail___________________
Address______________________________________________ City_____________________
☐ I would like to use offertory envelopes* Postal Code______________
 Second Sunday of Advent - Year B
Sunday December 6, 2020
Mass Intentions
December 8 - December 13, 2020
As we gather, let us remember and pray for . . .
th
Tues. ~ The Immaculate Conception of the BVM Dec. 8
9:00 am + Enrico (Tony) Passero
(by Agnino Family)
Wed. ~ ………………………………………. Dec. 9th
9:00 am + Heidi Lokietek
(by Kenig Family)
Thurs. ~ ………………………………………. Dec. 10th
9:00 am + Teresa Baruzza
(by Peter & Viola Izzo)
Fri. ~ ………………………………………. Dec. 11th
9:00 am + Maria Da Encarnação Tavares
(by Furbacher Family)
Sat. ~ ………………………………………. Dec. 12th
5:00 pm Intn’s of Martina Friesen & Family
(by Olga Misek)
Sun. ~ ………………………………………. Dec. 13th
9:00 am + Jerry Hendriks
(by Frances Hendriks)
11:00 am For the People of St. Helen Parish
MEETINGS & EVENTS
At this time and until further notice, parish meetings,
bingo and other events are cancelled. It is suggested
that groups find alternate meeting places should you
wish to meet with your group.
MASS INTENTIONS 2021
If you would like to have a Mass offered for someone,
contact the parish office. The Mass stipend or offering
given is $10.00. Mass cards are $2.00.
PREAUTHORIZED DEBIT
(PAD) is offered for your donations. If you are
interested in using this convenient way to make your
offerings to the church, please contact the parish office.
Donations are processed once a month, on or about the
15th.
ANNUAL OFFENCE DECLARATIONS
All volunteers with a police clearance through St.
Helen must complete the annual offence declaration
form.
It is very easy to complete – simply print the form,
complete the top section, sign and date it. You can
either scan it to the office email or hand it in directly at
the office. If you have not yet completed one, please do
this as soon as possible since these are now due.
2021 Offertory Envelopes are available
in the vestibule of the church.
This week, the Sanctuary Lamp burns in
memory of:
+ EVA VALERIO
The Sanctuary Lamp burns to remind us of Christ’s
presence in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.
If you wish to sponsor the sanctuary lamp for one
week, the stipend is $35.00
our parish prayer
Jesus, open our hearts, enabling us to embrace
your teachings and to love one another. Holy
Spirit, lift us and lead us, deepening our desire to
serve God through serving each other. Amen.
By doing this, you will maintain the validity of your
current police check clearance moving forward. This
means we will be able to seamlessly resume activities
once restrictions for volunteering are lifted.
COVID & MENTAL HEALTH & WELL BEING
As the result of Covid 19, our community may suffer
from increased anxiety related to the uncertainties
around the pandemic. Let’s continue to pray for one
another and reach out to someone who may be isolated
or vulnerable in the ways we can safely.
There are also resources available at no cost to
Ontarians to reduce and manage stress and promote
well being. BEACON digital therapy (iCBT) is now
available free of charge to support Ontarians through
stress and mental well-being concerns during COVID-
19, funded by the Government of Ontario.
https://info.mindbeacon.com/btn542?
utm_campaign=Ontario&utm_source=google&utm_me
dium=sem&utm_content=performance&gclid=CjwKC
AiA7939BRBMEiwA-hX5J9_fYT-
8z_xsfJvAC86eLszZM2Ad6RjygwhomGDMMVBB_j
Vx1Dw4NBoCgbgQAvD_BwE
DIOCESAN SEPARATED & DIVORCED
HEALING MINISTRY SUPPORT GROUP
We meet every second and fourth Monday at Mt.
Carmel Spiritual Centre. Next session will be
Monday, December 14th @ 7:00 to 9:00 pm - Topic -
Overcoming Loneliness. (No meeting on December
28th) For more info, call 905-356-4113, or e-mail:
separatedanddivorced@saintcd.com.
Collection First Sunday of the Month!
 Second Sunday of Advent
Prepare the way of the Lord. (Isaiah 40)
We wait for new heavens and a new earth. (2 Peter 3)
Make straight the paths of the Lord. (Mark 1)
Each one of us is
called to be a
prophet of
Christ. The word
prophet comes
from the Greek
word meaning
“one who
proclaims.” Not
all prophets wear
camel skins and eat locusts – there are prophets among
us right now who proclaim in their ministries, in their
compassion and their kindness, in their courageous
commitment to what is right that Jesus the Messiah has
come.
To be a prophet of God’s justice begins with
embracing God’s vision of what the world can and
should become and then giving one’s self totally and
unreservedly to realizing that vision. In the baptismal
call to become prophets of the God who comes, we are
to do the work of transforming the wastelands around
us into harvests of justice and forgiveness, to create
highways for our God to enter and re-create our world
in charity and peace.
As an “Advent people,” we are caught (like the
Israelites returning to Jerusalem – Reading 1) between a
world that is dying and, at the same time, a world
waiting to be reborn. The work of Advent is to bring
about that rebirth: to prepare a world that is ready for
the Lord's coming.
POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTION
FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER
We pray that our personal relationship with Jesus Christ
be nourished by the Word of God and a life of prayer
(Apostleship of Prayer).
RECONCILIATION
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available Tuesday
to Friday from 8:30 to 9:00 am and Saturday from
3:30 to 4:30 pm or by appointment.
ADVENT RETREAT FOR BUSY
CATHOLIC WOMEN
Join retreat facilitator, Terri Pauco from the Family and
Youth Office, for A Virtual Advent Retreat for Busy
Catholic Women being held through ZOOM on Dec.
12, 2020 from 9:00am to 11:30am. All women are
invited to join online to pray and explore the idea of
finding peace in the seasonal preparations and busyness
of life complicated by the pandemic. Bishop Bergie will
lead a portion of this sacred time. This event is free.
Register by Dec. 9th using the link on the diocesan
website, www.saintcd.com or call 905-684-0154.
OUR CONDOLENCES
Our condolences and prayers are
extended to the family and friends
who mourn the loss of:
FRANK DITOMASSO
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
HUMILITY PREPARES THE WAY FOR CHRIST
“A voice of one crying out in the desert. ‘Prepare the
way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’”
On this, the Second Sunday of Advent, we are given
the person of St. John the Baptist to ponder. What a
gift he is! Jesus Himself stated that “among those born
of women there has been none greater than John the
Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). What a compliment!
What is it that made John so great? We can point to
two things in particular. The first has to do with his
calling and the second has to do with his virtue.
First of all, John was great because he was the
transition from the Old Testament Prophets to the New
Testament. He was the bridge that prepared for the new
life to come. His unique mission makes him truly great.
But John was great not only because of his unique
calling, he was also great because of the virtue he had
in his life. And it is this gift that is worth pondering for
our own inspiration more than any other.
The particular virtue that John had was that of
humility. He saw himself as nothing other than a
“voice of one crying out in the desert.” And the Word
he spoke was Jesus.
John acknowledged that he was not even worthy to
stoop down and untie the sandal straps of Jesus (Mark
1:7). He was praised by many and followed by many
and yet he continuously said of Jesus that “He must
increase and I must decrease” (John 3:30). John was
not in it for praise and honor; rather, his mission was to
point everyone to the Savior of the world. He could
have sought the honor and praise of many and he would
have certainly received it. They may have even made
him king. But John was more than willing to fulfill his
mission and then submit himself to the cruel sword of
his executioner. His humility was such that he was
focused only on Jesus and desired only to point to Him.
Reflect, today, upon this humility in your own
life. Do you tend to point to yourself or to Christ? Do
you seek the praise of others or do you humbly point all
praise and glory to God? Humility is the path that St.
John the Baptist took and it’s the path we must strive
for each and every day.
Lord, thank You for the gift of St. John the Baptist. May his
witness of humility inspire me in my Christian walk. Help
me, Lord, to always point others to You rather than to
myself. Jesus, I trust in You. (Source of content: mycatholic.life)
CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE
For those of you who are wondering, we will determine
the schedule in the coming weeks.
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For more info email:
office@sthelenscatholic.ca

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in this space.
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 DONATIONS DURING COVID-19
1. Pre-Authorized giving (monthly automatic withdrawal): contact the office

2. E-transfer: use our business email address with your

bank: donations@sthelenscatholic.ca
If you would like to use this convenient method through your bank, please follow these
instructions (some banks charge a fee):
Go online and log into your bank account. Select Interac e-transfer and select a
recipient – the first time you will have to add recipient by putting in
donations@sthelenscatholic.ca (after the first time it will then stay on your list of
recipients). Input amount to send and complete the transaction. Note in the memo area
what your donation is for; Sunday Offertory (SO), Facility Maintenance (FM) and
Building Fund (BF). (Please include your ID# in the memo - contact the office if you
do not have a parish ID.)
Example - SO $20 One transaction can be made for all three if you wish. Such a
notation could look like this: SO $xx, FM $xx, BF $xx. If your transaction does not
work the first time, please try the next day as the Diocese can only receive a set amount
of donations in a 24-hour period. If you have any questions, please email or call the
office.

3. Regular mail: send your weekly offertory envelope or cheque payable to St. Helen
Church to:
St. Helen Church
4106 Mountain St.
Beamsville, ON L0R 1B7

4. Drop off: If preferable to you, you may drop off your envelope Tuesday to Friday
mornings at the office.

5. Credit card or Paypal (Canada Helps link): https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/49448

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/119109791RR0006-st-helens-parish/
(tax receipt is issued by Canada Helps, they retain a nominal percentage as fee)

COVID 19 pandemic
Thank you for considering the financial needs of our parish during the COVID 19 pandemic. We
understand and appreciate that financial pressure on families is different today than it was even a
few months ago. We are also carefully managing the expenses at the parish and are deeply
grateful for any help you can provide. Thank you and be assured of our continued prayers and
best wishes.