The Parish Community of St. Kevin

Served by the Holy Cross Fathers

303 Niagara Street
Welland, Ontario  L3C 1K5

Email
905-735-5885

June 8, 2025

 

Pentecost Sunday

On this great feast of Pentecost, we celebrate the birth of the Church and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate and Comforter promised by Jesus. In today’s Gospel, the risen Christ enters the locked room where the disciples have hidden themselves in fear. His first words are not of judgment or disappointment — but peace.

“Peace be with you.” This is not just a greeting. It is the healing balm they need after the trauma of the crucifixion and the confusion of the resurrection. Jesus meets them in their fear, their guilt, their uncertainty — and He gives them the gift of His peace.

Then He breathes on them. This breath echoes the very breath of God at creation when Adam received life. Here, it is a new creation — the beginning of the Church. Jesus commissions them: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” He empowers them with the Holy Spirit and gives them the authority to forgive sins — an act of both reconciliation and mission.

Pentecost reminds us that we are not called to stay in our locked rooms of fear. The Holy Spirit sends us out. Just as the disciples were transformed from frightened followers into bold witnesses, we too are called to bring Christ’s peace and forgiveness into our families, communities, and the world.

 

Archbishop James MacDonald, CSC

Rest in Peace Archbishop James MacDonald, CSC
April 28, 1925 - May 30, 2025

On Saturday, June 7th, the Holy Cross Fathers celebrated the funeral Mass for their late confrere Archbishop James MacDonald, CSC, who passed away a little over a month after his 100th birthday. Many of our St. Kevin Parishioners may not recall having ever met Archbishop James, and this is because the majority of his ministry was in other Dioceses, especially in the Maritime Provinces. However, since he retired and moved to the Welland community residence in 2013, he had assisted our Parish with the Sacrament of Reconciliation for many years and had also celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation for several of our Grade 8 classes.

The Holy Cross Fathers are grateful to Archbishop James, CSC for his wonderful ministry. We ask that the members of our Parish Community keep Archbishop MacDonald, CSC in their prayers. 

 

Steubenville Youth Conference Fundraiser

Thank you to all parishioners who supported our youth conference fundraiser. A reminder that orders can be picked up from the parish on Thursday, June 12th between the hours of 4:00pm – 5:00pm. Thank you for your generous support and continued prayers! 

 

Diocesan Needs Special Collection

This weekend we begin to take up the special collection for Diocesan Needs – The Education of Seminarians and Clergy. Envelopes are available in the foyer and in the parish box of envelopes. We will keep this collection open for the next few weekends. Cheques should be made payable to St. Kevin Parish. E-transfers should be clearly labeled. We appreciate your generosity!

 

Scuba - Vacation Bible School

Catholic Women's League News

As the weather warms, thank you to all the ladies for their dedication to Mary and to the aspirations of our CWL. 

Some thoughts for you to ponder:
“Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June."
"Summertime is always the best of what might be."
"Smell the sea, and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly."

As you go forth into the summer months, mark these activities on your calendar for the fall:

    • Diocesan Meet and Greet Dinner– Friday, September 12, 6pm, St. John’s Ukrainian Church, St. Catharines
    • Diocesan Mass for the Deceased – Saturday, November 15, 2pm, St. Michael’s Parish, Fort Erie
    • Diocesan Advent Retreat – Wednesday, November 26 or Saturday, November 29, Mount Carmel, Niagara Falls
 

Please remember the Poor Box as you leave the Church.
 

Worth Repeating

The items below you may have seen before but remain here if seasonally important information

or

General information that people need to review from time to time.

 

Housekeeping Reminders

  • Please place hymn books neatly back in their spots. Please be sure to dispose of tissues, wrappers, or other debris when leaving. And don’t forget your bulletin. Please do not leave behind daily Missalettes at the end of the month – simply recycle them.

  • When entering the parking lot please do so from Niagara Street and exit via Northcote. Please drive slowly in our parking lot as well. If you are parking on the side streets for Mass, please be respectful of road signs and driveways. Please be sure to lock your car doors when you come for Mass or any other function.

  • Please also be very careful with perfumes and colognes. Some parishioners tend to go very heavy with these and it can be difficult for fellow parishioners with allergies or breathing troubles. We have had many parishioners come to us about this requesting that we ask people to not wear scents. Please refrain or use the tiniest amount possible.

  • For those who place loose bills or coins in the collection – we would like to give you proper credit for income tax purposes. Please consider using our Visitor envelopes or asking Father/our Staff for a box of envelopes.

The Vineyard, the Diocese of St. Catharines journal has gone digital.

It can be viewed at http://saintcd.com/diocesan-directory/the-vineyard

 

Safety Reminder

We wish to remind Parishioners to please lock car doors when attending Mass and please do not leave valuables in vehicles, in the parking lot or on the street. Thank you.

Catholic Marriage Tribunal

If you are considering remarriage in the Catholic Church at some point, or hoping to enter a marriage with someone previously married, please speak to a priest, or contact the Diocesan Catholic Marriage Tribunal in St. Catharines at 905-687-8817. Information Pamphlets are available through the parish.

PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Due to the privacy laws, the hospital does not list our parishioners by address or parish unless you state your religion as ST. KEVIN PARISH when you are admitted. It would help the parish visiting team if when the hospital asks religion – you respond ST. KEVIN'S PARISH. If you or a family member enter a hospital for several days please be sure to call the parish office to let us know if you wish a visit. If you wish the Anointing of the Sick before an operation, either at home or while in the hospital, be sure to inform the parish office. A priest will come as soon as possible to administer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. We also have a group of lay people from our parish who each week visit or bring communion to Catholic parishioners in the hospital. Please, we need to know that you are there!

A Review of Some Parish Policies

  1. Requests: We often receive requests for baptism or marriage, or Pastoral References for teachers, who are not members of St. Kevin's Parish. Examples would be: They might like our church and so want to get married here although they live elsewhere. Or: they were baptized here and so they would like their child to be baptized here although they live elsewhere. Or: I went to Notre Dame College School. The main point here is "they live elsewhere". Now – wherever elsewhere might be, there is a Catholic parish there. Our policy is to minister to the parishioners of St. Kevin's. We have more than 3400 families; there is a lot of ministry work for us to do here. Our focus and attention is first and foremost on our own parishioners.

  2. Parishioners should be registered: And here it is important to remember – that all of our parishioners should be registered in the parish, that is, on our books with names and phone numbers and addresses.

  3. Young Adults: There is a point when the young person must register in our Parish. It does not suffice to say my parents are members of St. Kevin's and I was confirmed at St. Kevin's when that person has been living on his or her own. The young adult should not depend on the faith and loyalty of parents or grandparents but must take ownership of his or her own faith. That means, as well, the young person should be engaged in the financial support of the Parish.

  4. Support of the Church: One of the precepts of the church – parishioners should be generous in supporting the material needs of the church. Today, we do this best by regularly using envelopes to help with the expenses of administering a very large parish such as St. Kevin's.

  5. Needing a Letter of Permission: Hospitality is a wonderful characteristic of St. Kevin's Parish. And we do want to be open and hospitable to folks who are not registered members in the parish. Yet – we must be careful to observe church laws and regulations. We will consider doing a marriage or a baptism of those folks from elsewhere. But – we must ask that the person or persons making this request of us have a "letter of permission" from elsewhere, that is, from the parish in which they are actually living - a letter from the Pastor of that parish giving us permission to do the baptism or marriage. Without such a letter of permission our policy must be to refuse to do such baptisms or marriages.

  6. Weddings: To be married in St. Kevin's, one should be registered in the parish. Please call at least six months in advance to make arrangements. If not a registered member of our parish, we must have a Letter of Permission from the Pastor in which the person(s) is registered. (See above.)

  7. Baptisms: To be baptized in St. Kevin's, one should be registered in the Parish. Please call as early as possible to arrange a baptism. If one is not registered, we must have a Letter of Permission from the Pastor in which the family is registered. (See above.)

  8. Pastoral References for Teachers: Pastoral references for teachers are given for those persons who are registered in St. Kevin's Parish. The Pastoral Reference for teachers testifies that the person practices his or her faith regularly. Sunday Eucharist is the great Christian norm for the practice of the faith. The Pastoral Reference for teachers inquires as to how active the person is in participating in different dimensions of parish or civic life.

  9. Godparents / Christian Witness for Baptism: At baptism, a Roman Catholic sponsor is called a Godparent. All Godparents for Baptism should be practicing Catholics. One of the sponsors at baptism must be a Roman Catholic, 16 years of age and already confirmed. A non-Catholic sponsor is called a "Christian Witness". (This presumes that the non- Catholic is indeed a practicing Christian and baptized in a Christian church). In choosing a Godparent for baptism, parents should keep in mind that a Godparent at baptism should also be the person's sponsor at Confirmation.

  10. Confirmation Sponsors: A Confirmation sponsor must be a practicing Roman Catholic, already confirmed and 16 years of age. We ask the sponsor at Confirmation to have a brief meeting with the Pastor of his/her Parish. Simply inform the Pastor of your desire to act as a Confirmation sponsor at St. Kevin's and kindly ask the Pastor to sign the Sponsor Form. The Sponsor Form itself presents in a clear way the expectations for a Confirmation Sponsor.

  11. Parish Pastoral Practice.
    •   If someone is seriously sick at home or in the hospital, please call the office. One of the priests will be happy to visit.
    •   If one is unable to come to Sunday Eucharist over a long period of time, please call the office and arrange for a communion visit on the part of our Eucharist Ministers.
    •   When spending time in the hospital, please indicate that you are Roman Catholic and a member of St. Kevin's.

     

REMINDER:

Are You Registered in Our Parish?

Please do not take for granted that you are registered in the parish just because you attend Mass here. If we have no record of your parish membership, it could be quite embarrassing to us, or to you or your family, when someone wishes to make wedding plans, have a baby baptized, or if you have been asked to act as a sponsor for baptism or confirmation. Please fill out a registration form. This form is on the shelf in the book stand in the foyer of the church. When you have completed the form, place in the collection basket or return it to the Parish Office