It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Paul Joseph O’Connor on April 25, 2020, at the age of 66.
Loving husband of Maija Asaris for 34 years. Paul will be greatly missedby his mother Mary, siblings Susan, Kevin (Lisa) and nieces & nephew Alida, Carson and Caroline.
He will always be remembered by all the people whose lives he touched as a friendly and caring person.
Paul loved his Irish heritage, a spirited Irish get together, travel, and family history.
Throughout his life, Paul shared a passion for history which included supporting Heritage Toronto, the Etobicoke Historical Society, Alderwood Historical Society and contributing a chapter to the Villages of Etobicoke.
We thank the staff of Trillium Hospital who cared for Paul during his fight with the COVID virus.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Donations can be made in Paul’s memory to St. Ambrose Catholic church or the Trillium Health Partners Foundation.
To make a donation in Paul's memory,
please click on the link below -
NOTE: You must select St. Ambrose Parish
also please indicate in the comments that your donation is in Paul's memory.
Loving husband of Maija Asaris for 34 years. Paul will be greatly missedby his mother Mary, siblings Susan, Kevin (Lisa) and nieces & nephew Alida, Carson and Caroline.
He will always be remembered by all the people whose lives he touched as a friendly and caring person.
Paul loved his Irish heritage, a spirited Irish get together, travel, and family history.
Throughout his life, Paul shared a passion for history which included supporting Heritage Toronto, the Etobicoke Historical Society, Alderwood Historical Society and contributing a chapter to the Villages of Etobicoke.
We thank the staff of Trillium Hospital who cared for Paul during his fight with the COVID virus.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Donations can be made in Paul’s memory to St. Ambrose Catholic church or the Trillium Health Partners Foundation.
To make a donation in Paul's memory,
please click on the link below -
NOTE: You must select St. Ambrose Parish
also please indicate in the comments that your donation is in Paul's memory.
GUIDELINES FOR RETURNING TO CHURCH – RESOURCE FOR THE FAITHFUL
As we prepare to re-open churches, please be aware of the following guidelines. We recognize that they may be awkward/uncomfortable and contrary to our culture of hospitality and community. In working to foster a safe environment for all, we thank you in advance for your patience and co-operation.
Before coming to church:
Please check temperature of all family members before coming to church. If any family members have a fever, please remain home for the health and safety of all. Consult your family doctor.
If you exhibit any of the following symptoms, please remain home at this time - cough, fatigue, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, muscle aches, loss of taste or smell, headache, runny nose, sore throat, chills with shakes.
Arriving at church - 30% parishioner capacity at this time
•Maintain physical distancing at all times –2 metres (6 feet) from others –in the parking lot, church entrance and in church itself.
•Upon arrival, put on mask/face covering before entering church (for all those over the age of 3)
•Parishes will likely be using one entrance only – it may not be the entrance you are familiar with. Follow direction of volunteers, signage as appropriate.
•Sanitize hands upon entry and regularly wherever possible.
•Pews and aisles will be marked to note physical distancing requirements. Families and households living at the same residence may sit together; the same 2 metre (6 ft.) distance should be maintained concerning others. Follow direction of ushers for seating.
•Pews will be emptied of prayer books, hymnals, etc. Parish bulletins will not be published at this time.
•Holy Water fonts will be empty and not in use at this time.
•If your church hall is used for overflow purposes, it will also be marked for physical distancing – same guidelines apply.
Celebration of the Eucharist
•Please listen carefully to announcements before the start of Mass. Follow direction as advised.
•Lectors will be kept to an absolute minimum during this period of time. Altar servers will not be needed at this time until further notice. Please do not enter the sacristy unless you have been asked to assist during Mass.
As we prepare to re-open churches, please be aware of the following guidelines. We recognize that they may be awkward/uncomfortable and contrary to our culture of hospitality and community. In working to foster a safe environment for all, we thank you in advance for your patience and co-operation.
Before coming to church:
Please check temperature of all family members before coming to church. If any family members have a fever, please remain home for the health and safety of all. Consult your family doctor.
If you exhibit any of the following symptoms, please remain home at this time - cough, fatigue, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, muscle aches, loss of taste or smell, headache, runny nose, sore throat, chills with shakes.
Arriving at church - 30% parishioner capacity at this time
•Maintain physical distancing at all times –2 metres (6 feet) from others –in the parking lot, church entrance and in church itself.
•Upon arrival, put on mask/face covering before entering church (for all those over the age of 3)
•Parishes will likely be using one entrance only – it may not be the entrance you are familiar with. Follow direction of volunteers, signage as appropriate.
•Sanitize hands upon entry and regularly wherever possible.
•Pews and aisles will be marked to note physical distancing requirements. Families and households living at the same residence may sit together; the same 2 metre (6 ft.) distance should be maintained concerning others. Follow direction of ushers for seating.
•Pews will be emptied of prayer books, hymnals, etc. Parish bulletins will not be published at this time.
•Holy Water fonts will be empty and not in use at this time.
•If your church hall is used for overflow purposes, it will also be marked for physical distancing – same guidelines apply.
Celebration of the Eucharist
•Please listen carefully to announcements before the start of Mass. Follow direction as advised.
•Lectors will be kept to an absolute minimum during this period of time. Altar servers will not be needed at this time until further notice. Please do not enter the sacristy unless you have been asked to assist during Mass.
St. Ambrose Parish is now offering our parishioners free registration to Formed!
www.stambroseparish.formed.org
FORMED on Demand is the revolutionary digital platform that gives you unprecedented access to video-based study programs, feature films, audio presentations, and eBooks from the Church’s foremost presenters.
To register please enter www.stambroseparish.formed.org.
Do not sign up as individual.
www.stambroseparish.formed.org
FORMED on Demand is the revolutionary digital platform that gives you unprecedented access to video-based study programs, feature films, audio presentations, and eBooks from the Church’s foremost presenters.
To register please enter www.stambroseparish.formed.org.
Do not sign up as individual.
Photo Gallery Visit our Photo Gallery,
new pictures have been added!
PANCAKE TUESDAY
A Big thank you to Patti, Gemma, Theresa, Marge and also to Sara from Parent Council and other mothers for a successful pancake Tuesday!
We made about 1200 pancakes for the children at St. Ambrose Catholic School.
A Big thank you to Patti, Gemma, Theresa, Marge and also to Sara from Parent Council and other mothers for a successful pancake Tuesday!
We made about 1200 pancakes for the children at St. Ambrose Catholic School.
Anyone wishing to volunteer in any ministry here at St. Ambrose, please see Archdiocese Volunteer Screening website where you will find a list of volunteer positions and description. Click here for a list of ministries https://www.archtoronto.org/volunteer-screening/Pages/Ministry-Positions-in-English-.aspx
Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are called to share our gifts with others and with the world. Given the importance of this call from God, it is essential that we, as a community, do everything in our power to ensure that the offerings are shared fairly, at the right time and by the right people. We fulfill our mission more effectively when we do our utmost to ensure a richer, stronger more vibrant community of faith. Please see Father Donatello if you are interested in volunteering.
Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are called to share our gifts with others and with the world. Given the importance of this call from God, it is essential that we, as a community, do everything in our power to ensure that the offerings are shared fairly, at the right time and by the right people. We fulfill our mission more effectively when we do our utmost to ensure a richer, stronger more vibrant community of faith. Please see Father Donatello if you are interested in volunteering.
MASS TIMES
Weekdays (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)
8:00am
Saturday Vigil: 4:30pm
Sunday: 9:00am & 11:00am
Confessions:
Saturday 3:45-4:15pm
(or call office for appointment)
Weekdays (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)
8:00am
Saturday Vigil: 4:30pm
Sunday: 9:00am & 11:00am
Confessions:
Saturday 3:45-4:15pm
(or call office for appointment)
Matthew 25: 35 I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
Welcome to your home at St. Ambrose Parish! It is through the love of Christ that he has brought me here to St. Ambrose Parish to serve you as Pastor. It is my prayer and hope, and with the grace of God, we can build up the kingdom of our Lord with love and joy. We all have troubles and difficulties in our lives. But when we come to the Lord with a humble heart in the midst of our brothers and sisters in Christ we should all feel the warmth and mercy of God. We should encounter Jesus! Let us together welcome the hungry, the thirsty and the stranger who come to St. Ambrose Parish. Let Christ work through us to be the food of good works, the drink of mercy and the welcome that a stranger yearns for. - Father Donatello Iocco
Welcome to your home at St. Ambrose Parish! It is through the love of Christ that he has brought me here to St. Ambrose Parish to serve you as Pastor. It is my prayer and hope, and with the grace of God, we can build up the kingdom of our Lord with love and joy. We all have troubles and difficulties in our lives. But when we come to the Lord with a humble heart in the midst of our brothers and sisters in Christ we should all feel the warmth and mercy of God. We should encounter Jesus! Let us together welcome the hungry, the thirsty and the stranger who come to St. Ambrose Parish. Let Christ work through us to be the food of good works, the drink of mercy and the welcome that a stranger yearns for. - Father Donatello Iocco
FEAST DAY – December 7th
Aurelius Ambrosius, better known in English as Saint Ambrose (c. 340 – 4 April 397), was an archbishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was consular prefect of Liguria and Emilia, headquartered in Milan, before being made bishop of Milan by popular acclamation in 374. Ambrose was a staunch opponent of Arianism, and has been accused of fostering persecutions both of them and of Jews and pagans.
Traditionally, Ambrose is credited with promoting "antiphonal chant", a style of chanting in which one side of the choir responds alternately to the other, as well as with composing Veni redemptor gentium, a Christmas hymn.
Ambrose was one of the four original doctors of the Church, and is the patron saint of Milan. He is notable for his influence on St. Augustine. Ambrose was born into a Roman Christian family about 340 AD and was raised in Trier.[2] His father was Aurelius Ambrosius, the praetorian prefect of Gaul his mother was a woman of intellect and piety. Ambrose's siblings, Satyrus (who is the subject of Ambrose's De excessu fratris Satyri) and Marcellina, are also venerated as saints. There is a legend that as an infant, a swarm of bees settled on his face while he lay in his cradle, leaving behind a drop of honey. His father considered this a sign of his future eloquence and honeyed tongue. For this reason, bees and beehives often appear in the saint's symbology.
After the early death of his father, Ambrose followed his father's career. He was educated in Rome, studying literature, law, and rhetoric.[6] Praetorian prefect Probus first gave him a place in the council and then in about 372 made him consular prefect or "Governor" of Liguria and Emilia, with headquarters at Milan, which was then (beside Rome) the second capital in Italy.
Ambrose was the Governor of Aemilia-Liguria in northern Italy until 374 when he became the Bishop of Milan. He was a very popular political figure, and since he was the Governor in the effective capital in the Roman West, he was a recognizable figure in the court of the Emperor Valentinian I. Ambrose never married.
Soon after acquiring the undisputed possession of the Roman empire, Theodosius died at Milan in 395, and two years later (April 4, 397) Ambrose also died. He was succeeded as bishop of Milan by Simplician. Ambrose's body may still be viewed in the church of S. Ambrogio in Milan, where it has been continuously venerated — along with the bodies identified in his time as being those of Sts. Gervase and Protase.
Many circumstances in the history of Ambrose are characteristic of the general spirit of the times. The chief causes of his victory over his opponents were his great popularity and the reverence paid to the episcopal character at that period. But it must also be noted that he used several indirect means to obtain and support his authority with the people.
He was generous to the poor; it was his custom to comment severely in his preaching on the public characters of his times; and he introduced popular reforms in the order and manner of public worship. It is alleged, too, that at a time when the influence of Ambrose required vigorous support, he was admonished in a dream to search for, and found under the pavement of the church, the remains of two martyrs, Gervasius and Protasius. The saints, although they would have had to have been hundreds of years old, looked as if they had just died. The applause of the people was mingled with the derision of the court party.
Aurelius Ambrosius, better known in English as Saint Ambrose (c. 340 – 4 April 397), was an archbishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was consular prefect of Liguria and Emilia, headquartered in Milan, before being made bishop of Milan by popular acclamation in 374. Ambrose was a staunch opponent of Arianism, and has been accused of fostering persecutions both of them and of Jews and pagans.
Traditionally, Ambrose is credited with promoting "antiphonal chant", a style of chanting in which one side of the choir responds alternately to the other, as well as with composing Veni redemptor gentium, a Christmas hymn.
Ambrose was one of the four original doctors of the Church, and is the patron saint of Milan. He is notable for his influence on St. Augustine. Ambrose was born into a Roman Christian family about 340 AD and was raised in Trier.[2] His father was Aurelius Ambrosius, the praetorian prefect of Gaul his mother was a woman of intellect and piety. Ambrose's siblings, Satyrus (who is the subject of Ambrose's De excessu fratris Satyri) and Marcellina, are also venerated as saints. There is a legend that as an infant, a swarm of bees settled on his face while he lay in his cradle, leaving behind a drop of honey. His father considered this a sign of his future eloquence and honeyed tongue. For this reason, bees and beehives often appear in the saint's symbology.
After the early death of his father, Ambrose followed his father's career. He was educated in Rome, studying literature, law, and rhetoric.[6] Praetorian prefect Probus first gave him a place in the council and then in about 372 made him consular prefect or "Governor" of Liguria and Emilia, with headquarters at Milan, which was then (beside Rome) the second capital in Italy.
Ambrose was the Governor of Aemilia-Liguria in northern Italy until 374 when he became the Bishop of Milan. He was a very popular political figure, and since he was the Governor in the effective capital in the Roman West, he was a recognizable figure in the court of the Emperor Valentinian I. Ambrose never married.
Soon after acquiring the undisputed possession of the Roman empire, Theodosius died at Milan in 395, and two years later (April 4, 397) Ambrose also died. He was succeeded as bishop of Milan by Simplician. Ambrose's body may still be viewed in the church of S. Ambrogio in Milan, where it has been continuously venerated — along with the bodies identified in his time as being those of Sts. Gervase and Protase.
Many circumstances in the history of Ambrose are characteristic of the general spirit of the times. The chief causes of his victory over his opponents were his great popularity and the reverence paid to the episcopal character at that period. But it must also be noted that he used several indirect means to obtain and support his authority with the people.
He was generous to the poor; it was his custom to comment severely in his preaching on the public characters of his times; and he introduced popular reforms in the order and manner of public worship. It is alleged, too, that at a time when the influence of Ambrose required vigorous support, he was admonished in a dream to search for, and found under the pavement of the church, the remains of two martyrs, Gervasius and Protasius. The saints, although they would have had to have been hundreds of years old, looked as if they had just died. The applause of the people was mingled with the derision of the court party.
