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______________
 Third Sunday of Advent - Gaudete Sunday
Sunday December 13, 2020
Mass Intentions
December 15 - December 20, 2020
As we gather, let us remember and pray for . . .
Tues. ~ ………………………………………. Dec. 15th
9:00 am + Deanna Sampson
(by Betty & Mike Mac Adam)
Intns of Ann Miles
(Helen & Andy Hendriks)
Wed. ~ ………………………………………. Dec. 16th
9:00 am + Emmy Geczy, + Lilly Torek, &
+ Emerich Borchok
(by Alex Geczy)
Thurs. ~ ………………………………………. Dec. 17th
9:00 am + Ostelio Pavone
(by MacNiven Family)
Fri. ~ ………………………………………. Dec. 18th
9:00 am In honour of Madonna della Libera
(by Giuseppina Elia)
Sat. ~ ………………………………………. Dec. 19th
5:00 pm + Mike Borsodi
(by Borsodi Family)
Sun. ~ ………………………………………. Dec. 20th
9:00 am For the People of St. Helen Parish
11:00 am + Emanuel Correia &
+ Maria da Gloria Pereira
(by the Family)
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. If you have not yet completed one, please do this
as soon as possible since these are now due.
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.
This week, the Sanctuary Lamp burns in
memory of:
+ VITO & ANNA DELLA MANNA
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.
2021 Offertory Envelopes are available in
the vestibule of the church. Check your
label to ensure we have the correct infor-
mation. Do not use these in 2020. In January,
please dispose of any old envelopes you may have.
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!
 Third Sunday of Advent - Gaudete Sunday
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. (Isaiah 61)
May your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Thessalonians 5)
Among you stands one whom you do not know. (John 1)
Light is the central image of
today’s Gospel: John
proclaims the coming of the
Messiah as the light who will
shatter the darkness that
envelops our world, the light
who illuminates our vision with
compassion and justice.
The coming of Christ calls us to the work of making a
straight road for him, of transforming the barren deserts
around us into harvests of justice and peace, of
reflecting the light of his forgiveness and mercy in our
midst. We are all called to this kind of “prophetic”
work begun by John at the Jordan River: to use
whatever skills and resources we possess to bring hope
into prisons of despair, joy into deserts of sadness, love
into broken hearts and spirits of stone.
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.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COATS FOR KIDS
On Thursday, December 3rd, 2020 the St. Helen of the
Cross, Council 15999 presented Community Care West
Niagara (CCWN) with 48 new winter coats. The coats
were donated through the Knights of Columbus (KofC),
Coats for Kids Program. CCWN was able to order
specific sizes and styles to suit the demographic of
children in need of a coat. This partnership fulfills the
KofC virtue of charity and provides CCWN with the
needed coats which they distribute within the local
community. We congratulate our KofC for the work
they do within our local area.
POPE FRANCIS PROCLAIMS
“YEAR OF ST JOSEPH”
With the Apostolic Letter “Patris corde” (“With a
Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis recalls the 150th
anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron
of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the
Holy Father has proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph”
from today, 8 December 2020, to 8 December 2021.
Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph Tuesday
in honor of the 150th anniversary of the saint’s
proclamation as patron of the Universal Church.
The year begins Dec. 8, 2020, and concludes on Dec.
8, 2021, according to a decree authorized by the pope.
The decree said that Francis had established a Year of
St. Joseph so that “every member of the faithful,
following his example, may strengthen their life of faith
daily in the complete fulfillment of God’s will.”
It added that the pope had granted special indulgences
to mark the year.
The Dec. 8 decree was issued by the Apostolic
Penitentiary, the dicastery of the Roman Curia that
oversees indulgences, and signed by the Major
Penitentiary, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, and the Regent,
Msgr. Krzysztof Nykiel.
In addition to the decree, Francis issued an apostolic
letter Tuesday dedicated to the foster father of Jesus.
The pope explained in the letter, entitled Patris corde
(“With a father’s heart”) and dated Dec. 8, that he
wanted to share some “personal reflections” on the
spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“My desire to do so increased during these months of
pandemic,” he said, noting that many people had made
hidden sacrifices during the crisis in order to protect
others.
“Each of us can discover in Joseph -- the man who
goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence --
an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of
trouble,” he wrote.
“St. Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden
or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the
history of salvation.”
Sourced from: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-proclaims-
year-of-st-joseph-10779
THE YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH PRAYER
To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come
in our afflictions, and having implored
the help of your most holy Spouse, we
confidently invoke your patronage also.
Through that charity which bound you
to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God
and through the paternal love with which
you embraced the Child Jesus, we
humbly beg you graciously to regard the
inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his
Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in
our necessities.
O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend
the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving
father, ward off from us every contagion of error and
corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be
kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle
with the power of darkness.
CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE
With the uncertainty of the current situation, Fr. Chris
has not determined the Christmas Mass Schedule. He
will announce the Christmas Mass schedule on the
weekend of the 4th Sunday of Advent at the Masses.
 Advertise your
business or service
in this space.
For more info email:
office@sthelenscatholic.ca

Advertise your
business or service
in this space.
For more info email:
office@sthelenscatholic.ca
 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.