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______________
 2nd Sunday of Lent - Year B
Sunday February 28, 2021
Mass Intentions
March 2 - 7, 2021
As we gather, let us remember and pray for . . .
Tues. ~ ………………………………………. Mar. 2nd
9:00 am Intn of Don & Rita Moyer
(by Nancy Winslow)
Wed. ~ ………………………………………. Mar. 3rd
9:00 am + Silvia Malvestuto
(by Yvonne MacNiven)
Thurs. ~ ………………………………………. Mar. 4th
9:00 am + Manuel da Silva Jr.
(by Manuel da Silva)
Fri. ~ ………………………………………. Mar. 5th
9:00 am Intn of Florence Zettler
(by Nancy Winslow)
Sat. ~ ………………………………………. Mar. 6th
5:00 pm + Francesco Palermo &
+ Orlando Longo
(by Virgil & Anne Marie Palermo)
Sun. ~ ………………………………………. Mar. 7th
9:00 am + Giuseppe & Rosa Compagnone
(by Lina & Giuseppe Compagnone)
11:00 am For the People of St. Helen Parish
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER ~ MARCH 5
An invitation for Christians to pause and pray together
ecumenically. This recalls our Christian responsibility
to be sensitive to the signs of the times so that we might
bring a more authentically Christian dimension to the
concerns of our world, country and community.
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.
There are 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
To receive the weekly bulletin via email, make your
request by emailing us at
office@sthelenscatholic.ca or check out our
website @ www.sthelenscatholic.ca
This week, the Sanctuary Lamp burns in
memory of:
NINA FRACCHIONI
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 in the vestibule of the
church. Check your label to ensure we
have the correct information. Please
dispose of any old envelopes . If you are
unable to come to the church to pick up your enve-
lopes and want us to hold them, please let the
office know.
PRAYER
SHAWL
MINISTRY
The Prayer Shawl
Ministry
continues to
create handcrafted
shawls for parishioners, their families and friends who
are coping with illness, loneliness, pain or trouble.
They are available to anyone who needs one. Please
call Pauline at 905-563-7441 to request a shawl or lap
blanket or if you would like to join this ministry.
St. Helen’s CWL - “VIRTUAL” General
Meeting, Tuesday March 9th, 7:00 p.m.
If you are not on the CWL email list but
would like to attend, please send your email
address to aldabiando1@gmail.com
No matter how just your
words may be,
you ruin
everything when you speak
with anger.
- St. John Chrysostom
 Second Sunday of Lent
The Sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith. (Genesis 9)
God did not withhold his own Son. (Romans 8)
This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him. (Mark 9)
The use of the Greek
word transfiguration indicates
that what the disciples saw in
Jesus on Mount Tabor was a
divinity that shone from within
him. This Lenten season is a time
for each of us to experience such
a “transfiguration” within
ourselves -- that the life of God
within us may shine forth in lives
dedicated to compassion, justice
and reconciliation.
Love that calls us beyond ourselves is transforming.
In the transforming love of Christ, the Messiah-Servant,
we can “transfigure” despair into hope, sadness into
joy, anguish into healing, estrangement into
community.
The glorious Christ of the Transfiguration will soon
become the Crucified Christ of Good Friday.
Accepting the God of blessing is easy, but when that
God becomes the God of suffering who asks us to give
readily and humbly to others and to forgive one another
without limit or condition, then we begin to insulate
ourselves from the relationship God invites us to
embrace. In risking the pain and demands of loving one
another as Christ has loved us, the divinity we
recognize in the Jesus of the Transfiguration becomes
for us the eternal life of the Jesus of Easter.
SANCTUARY LAMP
We have openings for the Sanctuary Lamp for the
weeks of March 21-27, March 28-April 3, 2021. If
you would like to book the lamp in memory of your
loved one, please contact the office asap. Cost is $35
per week.
STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE
Please continue to remember the parish
regarding financial giving as we rely on
your weekly contributions to sustain our
parish. We are extremely thankful to those
families who continue to sustain our
parish through their contributions, especially during this
difficult time.
Next session will be
Tues. March 9th,
7:00-9:00 pm - Topic:
Grief Journey.
Because of the
current province-
wide lockdown due to COVID-19, meetings will be
held virtually via the Zoom platform and pre-
registration is required for Zoom meetings by
phoning 905-356-4113 or 905-684-0154 or emailing
paratedanddivorced@saintcd.com
SOLIDARITY WITH
COMMUNITIES IN CRISES
Did you know that Development
and Peace provides humanitarian
aid to communities coping with
climate change, conflict and natural
disasters in over a dozen countries?
This week, the Share Love, Share
Lent campaign looks at how your
solidarity is meaningful for
Rohingya refugees and their host communities in
Bangladesh.
Please pray for communities affected by crises and
help us to keep supporting them by contributing to the
collection on the Fifth Sunday of Lent. For
inspiration, information and to donate, visit
devp.org/lent.
FIRST FRIDAY ADORATION
Friday March 5th, after morning Mass
You are invited to come and spend a holy
hour with Jesus.
Stations of the Cross
will be celebrated right after
9:00am Mass every Friday.
The Rosary will be recited at the conclusion of each
Mass during the week.
The Sacrament of Confession will be available by
appointment only at this time.
POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTION
FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH
Evangelization: Sacrament of Reconciliation ~ Let us
pray that we may experience the sacrament of
reconciliation with renewed depth, to taste the infinite
mercy of God. (Apostleship of Prayer).
PENANCE
The historical roots of Lent also included
the reconciliation of penitents: individuals
dressed in sackcloth and sprinkled with
ashes who dedicated themselves to penance for the
season, a practice that was constant, severe and public.
They were formally reconciled with the church by the
bishop on Holy Thursday morning so that they could
celebrate the Triduum with the community.
After the disappearance of the public penitence with the
distribution of ashes to penitents at the beginning of
Lent, Pope Urban II, in 1091, recommended it to all
Christians. Since then, all receive ashes on the first day
of Lent (Ash Wednesday).
Our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and
almsgiving are ways for us to revisit our relationship
with God, with ourselves and with our neighbour. With
the celebration of Reconciliation (in sacrament and in
Penance celebrations), they allow us to be closer to
Christ and to improve our life.
 OFFICE OF THE BISHOP

February 22, 2021

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We are hearing a lot more about ‘COVID fatigue’ these days. It seems that people are becoming
tired of being constantly bombarded with information about the pandemic. We have medical experts, and
many others, who are constantly sharing facts, figures, and opinions about the coronavirus. The truth is,
that what we are being told can be contradictory and misleading at times.

With so many voices, we can feel overwhelmed and confused. This is especially true when we
consider what is being said about the coronavirus vaccines. What are we to believe?

As your bishop, I would like to add one more voice that I hope will help to bring some clarity to
this situation. Since medical science is not my area of expertise, I will only speak about our Church’s
response to the ethical use of these vaccines.

From a moral perspective, there is a significant concern because all of the current vaccines have
used abortion-derived cell lines in either testing or in production. Unfortunately, there are no other ethical
vaccines available at the present time. It is hoped that in the near future, a vaccine can be produced that
has no connection to abortion. We need to be strong advocates, lobbying pharmaceutical companies, if we
want this to happen.

At the present moment, many Catholics question whether they can receive this vaccine in good
conscience. This is a serious matter, so the Church has offered some guidelines to assist in making that
decision.

You will find information concerning the COVID-19 vaccines on our Diocesan Website
(www.saintcd.com). The resource is entitled, “Directives Concerning COVID-19 Vaccines.” This brief
two-page document summarizes the essential criteria for reflection on this issue, and I hope that you will
find it helpful. It also contains links to other Church documents that you should find useful.

One of those resources is from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. I wish to highlight
one paragraph from that document that offers some important considerations regarding the COVID-19
vaccination.

P.O. Box 875, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada L2R 6Z4

905-684-0154  Fax: 905-684-7551
Email: bishop@saintcd.com
 “At the same time, practical reason makes evident that vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral
obligation and that, therefore, it must be voluntary. In any case, from the ethical point of view, the morality
of vaccination depends not only on the duty to protect one's own health, but also on the duty to pursue the
common good. In the absence of other means to stop or even prevent the epidemic, the common good may
recommend vaccination, especially to protect the weakest and most exposed. Those who, however, for
reasons of conscience, refuse vaccines produced with cell lines from aborted fetuses, must do their utmost
to avoid, by other prophylactic means and appropriate behavior, becoming vehicles for the transmission
of the infectious agent. In particular, they must avoid any risk to the health of those who cannot be
vaccinated for medical or other reasons, and who are the most vulnerable” (CDF, Note on the morality of
using some anti-Covid-19 vaccines, #5, December 17, 2020).

In summary, I wish to state that from a moral perspective, if certain conditions are met, a Catholic
can receive this COVID-19 vaccine in good conscience. Our Diocesan Directives Document helps to
explain those conditions as clearly as possible.

In her wisdom, the Church has developed moral principles that assist us when faced with
challenging personal decisions. They can assist us at this moment as we consider the use of the COVID-
19 vaccines.

We pray that the Holy Spirit will grant us wisdom and that Our Blessed Mother will lead us to
what is good, true, and beautiful. May she bring us to her Son, Jesus Christ, who will give us peace during
these trying times.

With prayerful best wishes, I remain

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Most Reverend Gerard Bergie, D.D.

Bishop of St. Catharines
 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.