Focus on the Word

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Deuteronomy 18.15-20; 1 Corinthians 7.32-35; Mark 1.21-28

Grant us, Lord our God, that we may honour you with all our mind, and love everyone in truth of heart. Amen.

Pray for the Deceased

Nehemiah Cartalla, Leonito Revil, Xavier Turiano

The 39 victims of the Boko Haram attack in Niger, Africa

[Jesus healing in Capernaum] February: principal feast days

Parish Week / Sunday, 31 January 2021 The month of February has some significant feast days.

Saturday, 30 Jan. / St. Marianne Cope, 2 Presentation of the Lord 8.00 am Mass: † Beatriz Remedios (family) 3 St. Blaise, bishop & martyr 5.00 pm Mass: † Agnes (children) - Fr. Peter Francis Corless, death anniversary (2008) SUNDAY, 31 JAN. / 4-B 5 St. Agatha, virgin & martyr ■ Homilist: Fr. Edwin Galea 6 St. Paul Miki & companions 9.00 am Mass: Int. Dolores Marques (Virginia Tabat) - the Japanese martyrs 10.30 am Mass: Int. Consorcia Maulion (Virginia Tabat) 12.00 pm Mass: Int. Lillian D’Souza (Virginia Tabat) 8 St. Josephine Bakhita, virgin

7.00 pm Mass: Pro Populo 10 St. Scholastica, virgin; and the sister of St. Benedict

Monday 1 Feb. 1 1 , the feast of the apparitions to 8.00 am Mass: † D’Mello (Lillian D’Souza) , and also the World Day of the Sick 7.00 pm Mass: Int. Cecilia Li (Virginia Tabat) 17 Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order 7.40 pm Infant Baptism Parent Godparent meeting 21 St. , bishop and doctor Tuesday, 2 Feb. / Presentation of The Lord 22 Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle 8.00 am Mass: Int. Thanksgiving for the year 2020 (Alinsug family) 23 St. , bishop and martyr 7.00 pm Wedding: Franklin Ariyanayagam & Shannon Finney

Wednesday, 3 Feb. / St. Blaise, bishop & martyr 8.00 am Mass: † Marieliese Tisseverasinghe (family) COMING UP 7003o21

Thursday, 4 Feb. 5 Feb. RCIA (7.30 pm) 6 Feb. RCIC (10.00 am) 8.00 am Mass: † Emmarie Garcia (Vinah) 7 Feb. Infant Baptism (1.30 pm)

Friday, 5 Feb. / St. Agatha, virgin& martyr 11 Feb. Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes; 8.00 am Mass: † Angela Sinclair (Parents) - World Day of the Sick 6.00 pm Holy Hour 17 Feb. Ash Wednesday

7.00 pm Mass: † Unborn (Audrey Caza) st 21 Feb. 1 Sunday in Lent 7.30 pm RCIA 28 Feb. 2nd Collection: Maintenance

16 Mar. PH500: Opening Liturgy of the 500th Anniversary of Saturday, 6 Feb. / St. Paul Miki & Companions, martyrs Christianity in the (O.L. Assumption Church) 8.00 am Mass: † Eileen Tobin (Alice Larkin) 21 Mar. ShareLife Sunday 10.00 am RCIC 28 Mar. Palm Sunday; Holy Week begins 5.00 pm Mass: † & Francis Andreas 4 Apr. Easter Sunday; Resurrection of Our Lord (Thanesh Thanarajan)

SUNDAY, 7 FEB. / 5-B

■ Homilist: Fr. Elias Chachati Website stmariagoretti.archtoronto.org

9.00 am Mass: Int. Siromi Ameresekere (friends) No Public Masses: During the current pandemic lockdown, there 10.30 am Mass: † Lydia Marquez (family) are no public Masses. Our Church is open for personal prayer 12.00 pm Mass: † Frank & Joan Deverno (Pamela) every day from 8 am to 6 pm. The Mass Intentions that were 1.30 pm Infant Baptism booked before the lockdown was imposed in November 2020, will 7.00 pm Mass: Pro Populo all be honoured by the in their private Masses.

Sacramental Preparation January Wellbeing Tips for Winter Wellness

All families of the Candidates for 1st Holy Communion and Winter brings us shorter days, more time spent inside and the flu Confirmation have been eagerly waiting for news as to how the season! Our immune system has a lot to deal with during the preparation process would proceed. winter months. Not only do people tend to get more colds and

There is now an entire School Year of students who need to coughs during this time of year, but the lack of sunshine can have receive these Sacraments, and this month would usually mark the a big effect on our mood and physical health. There are a few time when the Parish would host a series of Parent Information things we can do to take extra care of our health at this time of Meetings for the present Year’s group of Candidates. year, whether by boosting our immune system or better dealing with the harsh environment. The pandemic has created a challenging situation. 1. Wash Your Hands After Schools re-opened in September 2020, meetings were held This is classic advice and now more than ever we’ve been and plans made to schedule the celebration of Sacraments that had repeatedly told of the importance of hand washing. Washing your been suspended due to the pandemic shut down in March. In hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another collaboration with the Schools, the Parish was prepared to and then throughout our community. It’s one of the easiest and administer these Sacraments in the context of small groups most effective ways to avoid getting sick. If you don’t have soap beginning in October 2020. However, the pandemic restrictions and water nearby, use anti-bacterial hand sanitizer. You don’t continued to grow, and on 23 November a lockdown was imposed, realize just how many germs you come into contact with everyday resulting in the cancellation of all the planned celebrations. and just being mindful of hand cleanliness can make a big We will continue to pray for guidance, and to monitor the situation difference. And: Try to not touch your eyes, ears, nose or mouth in order to determine what can be done to move forward on these throughout the day. The nail beds in your fingers harbour many extremely important events in the lives of our Youth. germs that can make their way into your body through open areas.

2. Eat the Rainbow Catholic Women’s League Make sure you’re filling yourself up with lots of colourful

Membership Drive, 31 January produce. Whether it’s fresh or frozen, produce is the most important health tool money can buy. Eating a variety of fruit and The Catholic Women’s League will hold a Membership Drive on vegetables will ensure you get all the essential vitamins and 31 January. The CWL is a national organization rooted in gospel minerals you need, especially in the winter when there is less values calling its members to holiness through service to the sunlight and less time outside. A healthy, nutrient dense diet is the people of God. Consider becoming a member! best defense against sickness of any kind.

If you would like to join, call: Lillian, 647-909-6425. 3. Get Outside If you are already a member and have not already renewed your Winter weather is not to everyone’s liking. However, make an membership for 2021, please drop off your renewal at the Parish effort to get outside in the light and fresh air at least once a day. Office the next time you are at Church for prayer. If you prefer, Not only is it good for replenishing your vitamin D needs (which you may also choose to e-transfer. Call Lillian for any more is a key nutrient that aids our immune system and is one that most information. Thank you for your support of this vital ministry. people lack during the winter), but it also frees you from the confinement of your home. Being cooped up indoors for too long is not good for your mind or body. During the winter, mould can The Irish build up in the home which can trigger congestion, respiratory

Be they kings or poets or farmers infections, coughing and even asthma attacks for those who have that disease. Do yourself a favour and get out of your home. They’re people of great worth.

They keep company with the angels 4. Move Your Body And bring a bit of Heaven to Earth. Exercise is important throughout the year, but even more so in the

winter when we are naturally more sedentary. A regular workout routine is a prime booster for your immunity. It reduces the risk of ☺ Your Sabbath Smile cold and flu, while improving your mood and raising your energy levels that can be so easily zapped in the winter. Not to mention

it’s an automatic heat builder; you can be your own heat source

when you work out. Along with getting outside for a walk, you can

stretch and lifting weights.

5. Stay Positive Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real thing and it can affect a lot more than just your mood. Fatigue, irritability, depression, anxiety and even physical discomfort can result from the changing of seasons. The best way to beat the winter blues is to get outside daily (as mentioned above), but also boost your diet. Incorporate nutrient dense foods and fresh herbs as often as possible. Foods “If it’s any consolation, your social media that are high in calcium and magnesium are said to improve stress makes you look absolutely thriving." levels, lift you out of SAD-related moods and overall keep you more healthy and happy.

Cecilia Pascual Farrol 20 January 1934 – 8 December 2020

Cecilia “Cely” Pascual Farrol died peacefully at Toronto’s St. Joseph’s Health Centre on Dec. 8 Her husband of 62 years, Bernardo, was by her side. She was 86. During the online funeral liturgy, due to Covid-19 restrictions, Mrs. Farrol was remembered as a woman of faith, a business woman and leader of the Filipino-Canadian community.

In A Portrait of Filipino Canadians in Ontario (1960- 1990), the Farrol family is featured as part of Canada’s history of trailblazing Filipino health care workers and entrepreneurs. In July 1962, Cely, then an expectant mother, and Bernardo travelled with their one-year old son, Emmanuel, in their old Ford Falcon compact car towing a In 1991, concerns over Mrs. Farrol’s health led to the scaling U-Haul from Chicago to Toronto. back of their businesses and closure of the travel agency. However, she and her husband continued to work side-by- “Both nurses, the couple had $500 in their pockets, a set of side at Bernard’s Pilipino Specialities, the family store in Encyclopedia Britannica, a sack of rice and other personal Parkdale which is renowned for “lechon,” a Filipino belongings. They had just joined the ranks of early specialty dish of roasted pork. exploring the possibility of resettling in Canada,” the book recounts. The family was among 153,303 Filipinos admitted Emmanuel Farrol, the eldest of the couple’s five children, to Canada from 1946 to 1990 as part of a huge wave of remembers his parents’ passion to help others. “They always immigration to Canada, many of them settling in Toronto. thought of their business as a service to the Filipino community,” he said. Cely’s Catholic faith was a source of Mrs. Farrol was born in Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, in northern strength, Emmanuel said. He recalls weekly family Philippines. She graduated from Central University and his mother’s example of faith through her involvement where she met the love of her life, Bernardo, while working at Parkdale’s HOLY FAMILY PARISH, the family’s spiritual at Manila Doctors Hospital. They pursued nursing careers home for 45 years. She was a member of the Catholic overseas, taking post-graduate courses in psychiatric nursing Women’s League and a pilgrimage organizer to Our Lady of in Melbourne, Australia, and at Johns Hopkins University in Fatima in Lewiston, N.Y. Baltimore, Md. They also worked at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital. “(Faith) sustained her during every period of her life, especially the time when she was incapacitated in the In 1970, the couple left their nursing careers for business wheelchair. She couldn’t do what she used to,” he said. “She pursuits within the growing Filipino community, opening the could pray for us and she continued to do so.” Fr. first Filipino store in Kensington Market. “The (family’s) Roche, who presided at her funeral, recalled Mrs. Farrol’s legacy is that they were the very first one that had a Filipino cheerfulness and generosity. “She was always very pleasant, store in Toronto. They were the first importer of Filipino never down, never discouraged. That, I think, is a result of a goods, so we didn’t feel lost because we had a couple that deep Catholic faith,” Roche said. provided us with goods that we missed from home,” said Tess Cusipag, Managing Editor of Balita, a GTA-based Fr. Paul Pearson recalls Mrs. Farrol organizing a parish Filipino newspaper. celebration for St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint. In a Filipino newspaper column entitled “THEY ARE AMONG US In 1972, the couple established the Philippine Trading — WE ARE PROUD OF THEM,” Rosalina E. Bustamante Centre Ltd. as the sole importers and traders of Filipino wrote that the couple’s greatest pride and joy were their products and handicrafts in Toronto. They later opened their children. successful and award-winning Philippine Travel Agency. In 1974, the Farrols moved their importing business to “My siblings and I are the Parkdale, next door to the “Filipino town” in the Jameson- products of their hopes and Queen Street area of downtown Toronto. Later, they opened dreams, and struggles as Queen Theatre, a 400-seat movie theatre on Queen Street immigrants to Canada,” which featured Filipino movies. It also showcased live Emmanuel said. “But we’re performances by the Fiesta Filipino Dance Troupe in the also a product of their 1980s during the Metro International Caravan, a popular prayers, especially my festival highlighting different cultural traditions of Toronto’s mother. Despite her immigrant population. entrepreneurial successes, her treasure was always her children and grandchildren.”

Farewell to Christmas

[Above:]Police Officer Brian Sicknick, rip 7 January 2021,

after being injured in the Capitol Hill riot, 6 January.

[Right:]

On 13 July 2020, Manolo Fernandez Cruz died at the age of 59 from Stage 4 Metastatic Adenocarcinoma. Best known as “Manny,” Manolo was born on 31 August 1960 in San Fernando, La Union, Philippines, to Flora Cruz and to the late Tomas Cruz. He has four siblings: Jessica Bong Cruz, Rudolph Cruz, Rowena Cruz and Lani Cruz. Manny graduated from St. Louis College in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He worked in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as an accountant for 2 years at a hospital. Manolo was a loving husband to Amy Cruz, whom he married in Manolo Cruz, 31 August 1960 – 13 July 2020 Philippines on 28 December 1985. On 16 November 1986, He loved to play guitar and was fond of watching basketball, they welcomed their daughter Mary Fatima Cruz who action movies and history. He was an active Chapter Servant became an important part of their lives. They migrated to for the Missionary Families of Christ, Scarborough Central Toronto, Canada in 2001. Manny worked for TD Canada Community, where he led groups of families in order to help Trust for over 14 years. He was a very protective and caring strengthen their faith in God, and he loved to play worship father to Mary and always wanted to give her the best. He songs when he served the Church. He definitely carried out became a kind father-in-law to Dennis Kim on 25 May 2019. God’s mission with sincerity and passion.

Parish Holy Hour, 2019.

Chrism Mass at St. Michael Cathedral Basilica, 2019.