St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Join us for our last Pancake Breakfast of the year on Feb. 23, after the 9 am and 10:30 am Masses. Give the happy memories of social time with friends and family at Church by continuing this tradition with your own family. Your donations contribute to the charities supported by the Knights of Columbus and are much appreciated. St. Rose students and Confirmation candidates have been dependable helpers and Parishioners really enjoy their service.

Ash Wednesday is on Feb. 26. Masses at St. John’s are at 9:15 am with Our Lady of Victories and St. Paul schools, at 12 pm (noon), and 7 pm. Our other Schools will have Liturgies of the Word and the children will receive ashes at that time.

Parish Photo Directory: Family Pictures for Your Family and the Parish Under the guidance of Father Dean, St. John the Evangelist is making a Pictorial Directory for our Parish. Your children were not even born when we last made a Directory! It will help us capture a moment in the history of this great parish and help celebrate and grow our community of believers. We plan to include pictures of our Parish schools. Families are asked to book an appointment to have family photos taken. You can do this before or after all Masses at St John the Evangelist Church on the weekends of Feb 22/23, Feb 29/March 1 and March 7/8. Photography sessions are at St. John’s, and are on March 9 (Monday) through March 13 (Friday), 2:30 to 8:30 pm, and Saturday March 14th from 10 am to 3 pm. Additional dates may be scheduled as required. This photography session is free of charge, with various poses, and each family who participates receives a free copy of the directory. Families have the option to purchase family photos for themselves at a reduced cost but this is strictly voluntary. This is an exciting time for our Parish and this Pictorial Directory will help us celebrate our faith community and contribute to the history of our parish. Please consider being part of this initiative and register at Mass on any of the weekends listed above, or contact Marie Owen at 780 863 5379 or email the Parish office at [email protected] Remember, you and your family are an important part of this Christian community and our directory will not be complete without YOU!

Devotional Candles One of our rich Catholic traditions is to light a candle when offering a prayer for someone. We now have new candle stands with special candles that are safe, clean, smoke-less and soot-less. You are invited to light a candle (they are $2 each) before or after Masses. ‘Again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ John 8.12 Christ, the Light of the World, has defeated the darkness of evil. Our candles remind us of the light he brought into the world. Lighting a candle in remembrance of a deceased loved one or in prayer of petition is an ancient Catholic tradition. Our prayers continue rising to heaven as the candle burns. To light a candle is also a small sacrifice, tangibly seen as the candle consumes itself. “By making a donation to “purchase” a votive candle, you are making a sacrifice of the fruit of your labor in the form of money. Even if the money was a gift, you are still making a sacrifice of whatever goods you might have otherwise purchased with that money. And if you donate to the church more money than the votive candle is actually worth (which is usually not very much) you have the added spiritual graces gained by offering alms to help the church in the various other ministries it performs.” wcucatholic.org/why-we-light-candles

9830 – 148 Street Edmonton, AB. T5N 3E8 780.452.3988 [email protected] www.stjohnevangelist.edm.caedm.ca www.facebook.com/stjohnevangelistedm/ Sophie Ogle, Pastoral Assistant [email protected]