Acts 10: 25 - 26, 34 - 35, 44 - 48

1 John 4: 7 - 10

 John 15: 9 - 17

Our readings today call us to love as Christ loves.
 
In our Gospel, Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you.”  The ways Jesus has loved us and continues to love us are endless.
 
We are called to imitate this love.  And He tells us the greatest way to do this when He said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
 
It is difficult to live that out in our humanity.  Yet, it is made much easier when we faithfully love Christ.  The fact of the matter is, as our love for Christ increases, so too does our capacity to love others.  
 
There are countless moments when we can do just that — for instance, waking up Saturday morning to attend daily Mass instead of sleeping in, or talking to God in the car on the way to work instead of listening to music.  These are simple ways to express our love for the Lord by laying down our lives for Him.
 
The more we find ways to love the Lord, the more we will find it easier to put aside our selfishness and serve others.
 
Christ’s command to love others may seem daunting.  Yet, Christ would never ask something of us that we cannot live out.  All we need to do is take baby steps.  Ask yourself, "How can I better love Jesus right now?" for it is in loving Christ that we will better love others, and it is in loving others that we love Christ Himself.  

(©Catholic Stewardship Consultants)

Tue, May 7 @ 9:00 am          Darren Feitz (RIP)

Tue, May 7 @ 10:00 am        Mathew Samder (RIP) -  Senior Care Centre            

Tue, May 7 @ 6:30 pm          Lawrence Herb-Peta (RIP)        

Wed, May 8 @ 9:00 am         Andrew & Silipina Fernandes (INT)        

Wed, May 8 @ 6:30 pm         Pablo Yanez (RIP)    

Thu, May 9 @ 9:00 am          Jack Briell (INT)     

Thu, May 9 @ 6:30 pm          Bishop O’Byne High School Students (INT)      

Fri, May 10 @ 9:00 am          Christine Eway (INT)          

Fri, May 10 @ 6:30 pm          Thomas & Colleen Magee & family (INT)          
Sat, May 11 @ 9:00 am         Sharon Van der Sloot (INT)

Sat, May 11 @ 10:30 am       All receiving the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist         

Sat, May 11 @ 5:00 pm         Norma Terrier (RIP)        

Sun, May 12 @ 9:00 am        Walter & Elizabeth Tapuska (RIP)       

Sun, May 12 @ 11:00 am      St. Albert the Great Community (INT)

Sun, May 12 @ 5:00 pm        Carmen Vivas (INT)

Our parish has a number of pastoral care ministers that are available to bring Holy Communion to parishioners who are unable to attend Mass.  Pastoral care is a ministry of healing and presence to those parishioners who are sick, elderly, dying, home bound and bereaved.  Our ministers are available to make home visits, as well we have ministers that regularly attend the South Campus Hospital.  

If you or a loved one are a parishioner in need of a pastoral care visit at home or at the South Calgary Health Campus please contact the parish office at 403-257-6054. 

Coming Alive Camp filled up very quickly this year, and as a result the registration form has been closed.  We are currently looking for more adult volunteers so that we can open camp for more children.  If you would like to be added to the waitlist for camp or to volunteer, please email Liisa at  comingalivecamp@gmail.com. 

St. Albert the Great Parish is seeking 2 individuals to develop and manage our social media and other electronic communications.  This volunteer position is an excellent opportunity to gain practical digital communications experience while serving your Parish by connecting with and informing our faithful.  For more information, please click here .

Our parish needs six more sponsors to accompany those who are on the journey to become Catholic, through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.  Sponsors offer companionship and prayer that supports the Catechumen or Candidate through the RCIA process.  You do not need to be a teacher of the faith, just a fully initiated and practicing Catholic.  Many sponsors have said this role has helped them grow in their own faith.  The time commitment is to attend some of the weekly Wednesday evening catechesis sessions and ultimately the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.

Please contact Greg Yont at  rcia@stalbertthegreat.ca  .

The Knights of Columbus council of St. Albert the Great is proud to present in collaboration with our SATG Clergy, “We are the People of the Eucharist”, a Eucharistic Discernment given by Bishop David Motiuk, who is the Honorary State Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus of Alberta, available to all parishioners!

The KofC Family of the Month for March 2024 Press Release can be found by clicking on  this link .

"They were all together in one place."   Come prepare for the Solemnity of Pentecost with an evening of renewal and Adoration.  We will share testimonies of the Holy Spirit, and encounter the Lord in Adoration with music.  Confession and Prayer Ministry, including prayer for a renewal of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, will be available. Food and Fellowship, too!  Friday, May 17th, 7  -  9:30 pm. 

"For all the benefactors of the poor, that God may reward them with eternal life", Lord hear us.

 

Our work is not possible without the financial support of our parishioners, schools and the community at large.  We thank you all for your generosity. 

Donations can be made at svdp.satg.donations@gmail.com

     St. Albert the Great St. Vincent de Paul currently needs:

Please drop your donations in the St. Vincent de Paul box in the Narthex.  All non perishable food is appreciated.  Thank you for your support!

Our CWL members will be doing the hike on behalf of Fr. Andrew and Fr. Krys and we welcome parishioners to join us.  Pledge forms are in the narthex or pledge online at  www.calgaryprolife.com.

The Missionary Association of Mary Immaculate (MAMI) includes friends and family who have a unique relationship with the Oblates and their missionary works, especially with the Oblate Province of OMI Lacombe Canada.  We are called to be partners with the Oblates in serving the poor through our prayers, finances and participation in missionary activities.

The OBLATE KENYAN MISSION WILL CELEBRATE the 27TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR.  On the Feast of the Ascension, May 11 - 12th, we will welcome a young Kenyan Missionary Oblate, who is serving in St. Joseph the Worker Parish, in Larmudiac, Kenya, to be with us and speak at all the masses.  We will have several lay persons who are members of MAMI with us during the weekend.  At the end of the liturgy, one will be asked to share why he/she is a MAMI member and has chosen this Charity above others.

Fr. Joseph Nzioka KYULI OMI will celebrate and greet parishioners in the hall after Masses.  Lay people who have visited the Kenyan Mission recently will also share their experience through pictures and stories.  There will be an opportunity to enjoy a time together, view pictures, listen, ask questions and celebrate twenty-seven years of a great Canadian partnership with the poor of Kenya.

Read Bishop McGrattan's Easter message as we enter the Easter season.  "Easter calls us to renew the witness of our faith through the living testimony of our lives.  It calls us to move beyond the tomb of human emptiness by sharing with conviction the good news of the Resurrection."   Read now

Click on the images above to connect to Mary's Meals website.

We are excited to share with you the 2023 Impact Report of the Diocese of Calgary. As we reflect on the past year, we celebrate the growth, resilience, and profound impact of our actions.  This report highlights how, through faith and collaboration, we continue to move towards becoming true missionary disciples in our world today! 

On behalf of Bishop McGrattan, thank you for your unwavering support and generosity towards serving our community and spreading the good news of God's unconditional love!

Special thanks to photographers Bandi Szakony (St. Elizabeth Hungary, Calgary), Annie Chirka (St. Peter's, Calgary), Yuan Wang, and to SFXC and Feed the Hungry for sharing some of their photos for the Impact Report!

You belong!  Let's strengthen our family life!  Families: please sign up to receive quick, short, and easy-to-do daily prayer and suggested activities for each day of the Family & Life Week (May 13 - 19).  Together, let’s weave moments of connection, laughter, strengthen bonds, foster joy, and create cherished memories.  Who knows, maybe your family will win the mystery prize - which will be announced on May 19!  

Resources for the Family & Life Week
Celebrate the Week of Family & Life from May 13 - 19 with CCCB & the Diocese of Calgary.  Get the pastoral kit with resources like a message from Bishop McGrattan as CCCB President, official logo, catechesis, prayer intentions, daily activities, graphics, and pastoral suggestions for a Mass.  This year's theme is “Love hopes all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). 

Download Toolkit in English | French

"Getting up in the middle of the night and driving to Adoration for 3 am was an amazing experience.  While meditating on the actual presence of Christ right before my eyes, I was struck by how more acute and aware my senses and attention were at this dark hour," shares one parishioner during the 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations.  The response to this initiative has indeed been extraordinary.  Over the last month and a half, more than a thousand parishioners have come to adore Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and pray for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. 

Come and pray before the Lord | catholicyyca.ca/40hours.  Come and pray with us at the upcoming 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations: 

Read Fr. Derek's updates 

For more information about hosting 40 Hours Devotion in your parish, please contact Fr. Derek Remus at  derek.remus@calgarydiocese.ca  or  click here. 

"Fr. Cristino Bouvette, Vicar of Vocations and Young Adults, shared his delight for the 2024 Vocations Rally last week on Good Shepherd Sunday, April 21, 2024 at St. Michael's in Calgary, “It was impressive to me, first of all, how many people were in attendance.  But the follow up conversations I've been having with people all week clearly indicate that they were deeply impacted by all of the sharing they received in that brief time together!”  But this comes as no surprise.  The insights shared by each speaker, combined with the sense of community encountered at the Rally, were indeed a true renewal experience!  

In the month of May, we celebrate Catholic Education Week in Alberta, the Yukon, and Northwest Territories.  The theme for Catholic Education Week 2024, “Courage to Lead,” reminds us of our call and responsibility to live and uphold the teachings of our Catholic faith, even amidst the challenges of the world around us.

Let us celebrate Catholic Education Week (May 14 - 19) this month with the provincial theme "Courage to Lead” (c.f. Micah 4:5).  This Week also provides a special opportunity to thank each one of you for your extraordinary service to Catholic education.  May God grant us the wisdom, courage, and strength to fulfill our sacred duty with courage and love, knowing that He walks alongside us every step of the way.

The Miscarriage Ministry Committee in the Diocese of Calgary is organizing an information night about its mission and vision.  We desire to be a place of support for those experiencing this unique form of loss.  Join us for an evening of learning about this ministry, assessing the community's needs, sharing best practices, and fellowship.  

The Renewal Leadership Team is gearing up for a significant milestone: the Diocesan-wide Pastoral Renewal Survey, slated for early June 2024 in all parishes. This survey allows parishioners to reflect on their spiritual journey and provide crucial feedback to help the parish and Diocese understand their needs.  It's a vital part of the parish renewal process, offering insights into strengths and growth opportunities.  

In family life, we have many opportunities to show love in action.  Each time we postpone a task to tend to the needs of another, we show ourselves to be on the path to following the example of love shown to us by Jesus.  Sometimes the sacrifices we are called upon to make for others are small.  But these small choices to love and to serve others prepare us for the larger choices and sacrifices that we may be called upon to make. 

“The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38).  Pray with us as for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life in our Diocese.  Come and pray before the Lord | catholicyyca.ca/40hours  

The next devotion:  

St. Bonaventure's Parish invites you to celebrate the Month of Mary with their parish community - every Friday at 7pm in May with Rosary prayer to honour Our Lady of Fatima.  All are welcome! 

We are fortunate to have publicly funded Catholic education, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that our faith-based education thrives.  As Catholics, whether we are Educators, Trustees, Parents, Students, Clergy, or Parishioners, we are called to honour the transformative impact of Catholic education on individuals within our community and society.  We invite you to attend the GrACE Summit - for all Catholics, in recognizing the impact of Catholic education and the transformative role of Catholic schools in both the community and society.  

When: Fri, May 10 from 8:15 am to 2 pm, at Corpus Christi Parish Hall (2707 34 St NW, Edmonton).  Please click here to Register. 

Come show a public witness for LIFE, because "Every human life is precious and valuable from conception until natural death.  " What does it mean to show respect to every person at every stage of our life?  Calgary Pro-Life will have seating for those who cannot walk and will provide entertainment throughout the morning event. When: Sat, May 11 at Prince’s Island Park, Calgary. 

More info at calgaryprolife.com  

Corpus Christi CWL invites you to donate your clean, unwanted clothing & textiles of all types for their textile drive on Saturday, May 11 to May 20, from 1 pm to 7 pm - Corpus Christi Parish Hall Parking Lot (5931 4th NW, Calgary).  Please ensure all textiles are delivered in clear secured bags.  Do not bring items that are wet, mouldy, oily or paint-covered.  Only textiles (no rags, suitcases, books or other garage sale items).

St. Mary’s University in Calgary is hosting the first annual Mary’s Festival on Saturday, June 1 from 11 am to 4 pm.  After a long winter, how does a day of fellowship, food, fun, live music, disc golf, and just community sound to you?  From food trucks to a dunk tank, a vendor marketplace to live musical entertainment - Mary’s Festival will be a joyful celebration and invite everyone to come for what will be a whole lot of fun for the whole family! 

Our Lady of Victory Camp is a week-long, overnight summer camp, owned and operated by the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton.  Our mission is to support families and youth ministry initiatives in the Archdiocese and beyond by creating a place for young people to Encounter Christ, Encounter Community, and Encounter Creation.  When: July - August 2024 - various camps for Gr. 4 - 12 - Registration is open 

Join the "Hope on the Horizon" Summer Mission from August 6 - 21, 2024 hosted by the Archdiocese of Vancouver and Catholic Street Missionaries.  This event, for young adults aged 19 - 30 in downtown Vancouver, offers an immersive experience into street missionary work.  Participants will engage in prayer, service, and outreach to the homeless, alongside training and recreational activities.  Food and accommodation included.  For details and registration, visit: catholicstreetmissionaries.org/horizon.

Great news!  The celebration of Sunday Mass has resumed at three hospitals in the City of Calgary on the First Sunday of Advent.  Patients, family members and friends, and hospital staff are now able to avail themselves of this pastoral outreach in the following facilities:  
 Sundays at 3:30 pm - Foothills Hospital Chapel
 Sundays at 3:00 pm - Peter Lougheed Hospital Chapel
 Sundays at 3:30 pm - Rockyview Hospital Chapel

Your Application package must include a completed Application of Employment Form, a resume and a cover letter describing suitability for the position. 

Your Application package must include a completed Application of Employment Form, a resume and a cover letter describing suitability for the position. 

If you haven't already, please subscribe to the  Diocesan publication Faithfully  - to keep you updated with what's happening in our Diocese.  Get a snapshot of faith at work in the lives of everyday people in our Diocese and find opportunities to spread the Good News of Christ beyond the walls of our churches.  

Subscribe at  catholicyyc.ca/faithfully 

Parish Livestream Masses in the Diocese of Calgary is available at:.catholicyyc.ca/livestreammass