Pastor's Corner

March 26, 2023

What an extraordinary evening last Saturday night, March 11 was! It was a St. Bede’s evening at the Cardinal's Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. I am very proud of all our honorees: Tim and Mike Smith, Siena Dancsecs, and Josie Hull. Their acceptance speeches were heartfelt, moving and funny. The MCs (parishioners Charlie and Tracy Smith) were pretty awesome, too! Thanks to all who were able to support our honorees and the event. I am very proud of our St. Bede folks.

You may have noticed that we are in the process of tearing down some of our beloved courtyard trees. The Nordic Pine in the courtyard (our 'Christmas Tree') has been in decline for several years, needing systemic treatment every year; the last storm has taken its final toll. Alarmingly, large branches have been falling from the tree and it has become a safety hazard. It needs to come down sooner rather than later due to the cracked concrete around the tree and the surfacing roots. Thanks for your understanding in this matter. Fortunately, despite the upcoming demo and construction, we have been able to save our rose bushes in the courtyard. They have been repositioned and placed alongside the SOUTH school driveway, coming from Crown Ave.

We are graced with the presence of Jen Valencia (daughter of Moira Arjani) as the temporary coordinator of our PREP program for the remainder of the parish year (until May 21). Thank you, Jen! She will be here on Sunday mornings to ensure the smooth operation of the seven remaining Sundays of PREP and the First Holy Communion ceremony. We are already taking registrations online on our parish website for next year's PREP program. In the meantime, we will be searching for a new Director of Religious Education for next year.

Our Parish Mission is coming up on Monday, March 27 and Tuesday, March 28 and takes place in the church. Fr. Darrin Merlino, CMF is the speaker. Two sessions are offered each day: one at 8:50 am and the other at 7:00 pm. Forget Hulu and Netflix for 2 nights and come on over for some Catholic inspiration!

As seen on Instagram:

“Lent, then, is a season of grace when we can rebuild our relationship with God and with others, opening our hearts in the silence of prayer and emerging from the fortress of our self-sufficiency. Lent is the favourable time when we can break the chains of our individualism and isolation, and rediscover, through encounter and listening, our companions along the journey of each day. And to learn once more to love them as brothers and sisters.” – Pope Francis (from a homily on Ash Wednesday, 22 February 2023)

Lenten Blessings,                                              
Fr. Jim Bevacqua, Pastor