Events
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Start of Advent
“Advent has a two-fold nature: It prepares us for Christmas, when we recall Christ’s first coming among us, and it is also a time when we look forward to his second coming at the end of the ages. Advent is a season of joyful expectation” (GNLY, no 39). During Advent, each Sunday’s gospel focuses on a specific theme. The Old Testament readings, especially from Isaiah, prophesy about the Messiah and messianic times, while the Apostles’ writings offer exhortations and instructions related to the season (Ordo). Members are encouraged to prepare for the Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee Year and Christmas through prayer, caring and sharing.
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Our Lady of Guadalupe (Feast Day)
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12) honours the Virgin Mary’s apparitions to Juan Diego, an Indigenous convert. The Basilica in Mexico City, where his cloak with her image is preserved, is a major pilgrimage site. Pope John Paul II’s visit 25 years ago led to his apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America, calling for a new evangelization under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. Members are invited to pray the attached prayer in joyful anticipation of Christ’s birth.
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World Day of Peace
World Day of Peace, celebrated on January 1, 2025, focuses on the theme Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace, chosen by Pope Francis. Linked to the Jubilee Year, the theme emphasizes hope, forgiveness and unity. The message, inspired by Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti, calls for lasting peace through personal and global change. Pope Francis urges Catholics to be disarmed in heart, foster forgiveness, selflessness and justice, turn anxiety into hope, and build a better world and true peace beyond human compromises. Members are urged to greet the New Year by joining the Holy Father in his prayer for forgiveness and peace.
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St. Andre Bessette (Memorial)
Following the Epiphany of the Lord, Catholic Canadians memorialize St. André Bessette and his deep devotion to Saint Joseph. Known as Brother André, he was the porter at College Notre Dame in Montreal, welcoming visitors and inviting them to pray through St. Joseph’s intercession. This led to the creation of a small chapel, which later became St. Joseph’s Oratory. As the patron of family caregivers, St. André’s intercession for the sick and afflicted can be sought by praying the attached prayer.
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Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated around the world January 18-25, though the week may be observed to include two Sundays. The theme for this year is, Do you believe this? (John 11-26) in recognition that 2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the first Christian Ecumenical Council held in Nicea, Constantinople. Christians express their personal “I believe” in praying the Nicene Creed and seeking a deeper understanding of ecumenism by meeting, celebrating liturgy and praying our oneness in Christ with Christians of other denominations.