Hello St Clare,

We welcome a new year with great hope, our New Year 2024. This is a very special year for our community as we celebrate 25 years of St. Clare of Assisi Parish!

Yes, it is hard to believe. We all look back to humble beginnings: Archbishop Adam Exner’s vision for Coquitlam and the pastoral guidance of our former pastor, Fr. Craig Scott. We realize how quickly and efficiently we managed to get where we are today!

There will be some special events during this year to reflect on the last 25 years. There will be time to celebrate the spirit of our parish community that is filled with excitement and a commitment to build the church of God.  

I also want to take a moment to thank you, dear parishioners, for all the good things that happened in 2023, your prayers and support, and all the campaigns and programs that make us stronger and better!

I also want to thank you for all the help with Christmas preparations and celebrations. There were many of you who offered your time, talent and treasure! Thank you.

Finally, Fr. Tadeusz and I received so many lovely Christmas cards with your kind words and love. We feel very blessed to serve St. Clare Parish! Thank you for all the precious gifts, signs of your appreciation. We were overloaded with so many chocolates and cookies. And since we both watch our diet, we humbly ask, "no more chocolates, cookies, or sweet stuff for us".

In the spirit of giving and sharing, below is a letter from the sisters at the Immaculate Heart of Mary orphanage in El Salvador, acknowledging your generous donations, sharing the true meaning of Christmas. The amount mentioned is in US dollars.

Fr. Maciej

SUNDAY MASSES

Saturday (Mass of Anticipation)  5:00pm

Sunday  8:30am, 11:00am and 5:00pm

        6:30pm (Spanish)

DAILY MASSES 

Monday through Saturday at 9:00am

Morning Office/Breviary at 8:30am from Monday through Saturday. Everyone is welcome to join in.

LIVESTREAMING SCHEDULE

Daily Masses Monday through Friday at 9:00am

Weekend Mass at 5:00pm on Saturdays

All of these are posted on YouTube and can be watched either live or after the livestreaming has ended. If you haven't already, please subscribe to our YouTube page and don't forget to "Like Us". This will make it easier to find us on the internet.

Food for Thought . . . and for the Soul

Well into retirement, after the intense demands of my professional life, I have happily returned to my life-long passion for serious non-fiction reading. I enjoy much of the work of contemporary writers: Bishop Robert Barron, Fr Richard Rohr OFM, Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI, but even they do not touch my heart and soul as do the works of the English Victorian St John Henry Newman.

He writes: "God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission—I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. Somehow I am necessary for His purposes, as necessary in my place as an Archangel in his—if, indeed, I fail, He can raise another, as He could make the stones children of Abraham. Yet I have a part in this great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling."

Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end, which is quite beyond us. He does nothing in vain; He may prolong my life, He may shorten it; He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends, He may throw me among strangers, He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide the future from me—still He knows what He is about."

from "Meditations on Christian Doctrine" (1848)

Parish Office Hours

Monday to Friday

9am to 12pm

1pm to 3pm

The parish office is closed on statutory holidays.

Assigning of envelopes is computerized, based on usage in 2023. Envelopes for 2024 were issued automatically to parishioners who frequently used envelopes in 2023. If you were not issued envelopes and would like them, please inform the parish office.

For those donating online through the Archdiocese or pre-authorized payment through the parish, box sets of "second collections only" envelopes are available on request.

Notice the order of events in the Magi’s visit. First, they knelt before Jesus and prayed to Him. Then they presented Him with their gifts. We, too, must take time to pray before we present our gifts to the Lord. We never know what God may be asking us to share!

Copyright © 2022 Archdiocese of St. Louis

“In Walking with Mary, Edward Sri looks at the key passages in the Bible concerning Mary and offers insight into the Blessed Mother’s faith and devotion that we can apply to our daily lives.” Books are available on Amazon.ca.



Please contact Roxanne if you have any questions and for the link to join at roxannecwl@gmail.com.

I want to thank all of our parishioners for helping me raise money for the kids that live in the orphanage, and to the family who donated money to purchase a chest freezer and a couple of other appliances for them. All the donations, including the freezer and appliances, means that we raised $7,043.37 this year! The generosity of support for this fundraiser has been a blessing in the lives of these children!

We have an amazing community in our church, and I love that together we can make a difference in the world! 

Thank you to the CWL who kindly provided support in the fundraising collection.

I will keep all of your in my prayers. God bless you all.

Anna Magnusson

Thanks to:

• Our parishioners and friends for the generous contributions towards our Advent Tree this year. You made it possible for us to support several groups -- seniors, parents, teens, children and babies -- with gifts and grocery cards that helped them through the Christmas season.

• The Prayer Shawl ministry who provided over 350 beautiful hand-knitted and crocheted scarves, hats, mitts wraps and blankets.

• St. Clare of Assisi Knights of Columbus who generously donated winter jackets for the children and youth in the tri-city area.

We are very grateful to all our volunteers who generously gave their time to help sort and wrap gifts for our recipients!

Laudato Si’ - praise be to you. This begins the letter from Pope Francis to every person on the planet. Following his meetings with scientists, environmentalists and representatives for the poor, the Pope poured out his hopes that we could all come together and address Climate Change. That was in 2015.

This year, 8 years later he was troubled to find very little had changed. He has written another letter- Laudate Deum, Praise God - to every person this time changing his words from Climate Change to Climate Crisis. He is now pleading with all of us to come together as people of good will to care for the poor and the planet.

We will be in the church lobby on the weekend of January 20/21 to provide more information.

You are invited to attend a fraternity gathering taking place every last Saturday morning of the month at 10am (Sept - June) in the St. Clare of Assisi Parish Centre. Contact: Carmen Moorhouse at carmenmoorhouse@gmail.com for more info. 

Jesus the Christ invited people to "Come and See"; likewise you are invited to hear, read, and share...if the Spirit moves you..as we slowly journey through the Gospel of John! 

Bring your Bible, receive what is right for you in, and from, the Gospel of John. It's the last Gospel written...in a 'different' style from Matthew, Mark, Luke...but still the SAME message; JESUS IS LORD! 

Why don't you visit, at least once, and afterwards, you decide if you want or need more. 



Email or Call Matthew: 

biblemondaystc@gmail.com

6047542762

Jesus the Christ walked and talked with the Apostles and others for three and a half years, increasingly revealing Himself in 'Signs' (miracles) to the people. 

Likewise, walk with us join us...just 'drop in'...each Tuesday to 'Portage' with us in conversation as the Apostles did with Jesus. The Bible is our guide, and foundation for discussion. Listen or share as the Holy Spirit invites you to.

We are casual, sincere, friendly, and we seek more in Faith so, we invite you, "Come and See", discover more.

Email or Call Matthew:  

bibleportage@gmail.com 

6047542762

Why You Should Join the Legion of Mary...

Christ has no hands but your hands to do His work today.

He has no feet but your feet to lead men in His way.

He has no tongue but your tongue to tell men how He died.

He has no help but your help to bring men to His side.

To join the Legion of Mary, please call:

Ofelia Estrada at (604)240-9101 or Lourdes Cabael at (778)986-7516.

Everyone is invited to join us online daily at 7:30pm

Contact

maria.magnusson-cwl@shaw.ca

If you are interested in joining us or would like to know more about Mothers Prayers, please contact Thelma Rose at (604) 464-3383 or by email at glenthel@shaw.ca

For more information, please visit: www.mothersprayers.org or https://stclare.ca/parish-life/faith-formation/mothers-prayer/

A prayer shawl is a shawl that has been knitted or crocheted within our parish for someone who is facing treatment for cancer. The shawls are meant to serve as mantles of God's gentle love and blessings. Our hope is that, as the recipients wear their shawls, they will be enfolded in warmth, peace, strength and comfort.

FUNERAL MASS:

Jan Jasienczyk+

Monday, January 8 at 11am

Pamela Osorio+

Thursday, January 11 at 11am

May they rest and rejoice in the presence of God's eternal love and glory.

Please contact the parish office to make arrangements for

baptisms, weddings, funerals and other Sacraments.

ADORATION CHAPEL

The Adoration Chapel is accessible daily. Entrance to the Adoration Chapel is open between 8am and 6pm.  

Pre-Authorized Payments

We offer a Pre-Authorized Payment (PAP) plan which you can sign up for by completing the form and returning it with a void cheque to the parish office. Pre-authorized payments are withdrawn directly from your bank account on the 1st day of the month. Click the button below to download the form.

Please remember to sign the back as it is invalid without a signature. You may seal the completed form in an envelope marked Pre-Authorized Payment and drop it in the donation box located in the church, mail it or bring it to the parish office. The form must be in the office by the 20th of the month in order for it to be effective on the following 1st of the month.

Donations at Church

Donations may be dropped in the collection basket circulated at Mass or in the box located in the church lobby. If you would like a set of Sunday Offering envelopes, please contact the parish office. Otherwise, Visitors' Envelopes are available on the brochure rack in the church lobby.

Second Collections - When there is a Second Collection, a designated collection box will be available at the back of the church.

If you wish to book a Mass Intention please email the office at stclareofassisi@shaw.ca giving the name of the person, whether it is for a living or deceased person, who it is from and if you have any preferences for the day of the week, a weekend mass or specific date. We will try to book your mass intention as close to the request as possible.  Please note that there may be unforeseen situations when your scheduled date may be changed without notice.

The suggested offering for a mass intention is $10 and can be brought to the office, mailed to 1320 Johnson Street, Coquitlam, V3B 4T5 or dropped in the collection box in the church. Enclose your offering in an envelope clearly marked with the name and date of your Mass intention. Your offering will go to the priest who says the mass, not to the church.

If you are unable to use email, mass intentions may be phoned in at 604-941-4800.

We are able to accept multiple Mass intentions on Fridays. For all other Masses, we can book one intention only.

Please pray for the sick of our Parish

Craig Barton, Marge Hogan, Jamie Willis, Siobhan Vanderkere, Bette Stirling, Helen Dougan, Bernie Perez, Noah Zanatta, Loni Cain, Brendan Pace, Gracienda Ramos, Brian Stewart, Catherine Dunne, Lucy Chase, Doreen Allyen, Tyson Ward, Nora Arroyal, Christopher Brown, Joan McDonald, Annabella Cirko, Frank Matchett, Kelly Durkin, Jason Kendall, Bill Clendinning, Chris Mah, Lydia Guzman, Angelo Visentin, June Cross, Katelyn Boudewyn, Karen Morris, Ramon Montecillo, Janice Caine, Nadine Classen, Leanne Theiss, Sierra Osborne, Sebastien Robillard, Sandra Diersch, Lori Dennis, Mazoe Kaufman, Cindy Mazerolle-Kass, Anna Figura, Ed Garcia, Viray Family, Walter Banke, Elizabeth Teixeira, Reema Ferreira, Terry McDonald, Andrew De Boda, Hari Vijay, Peggy Maas, Chad Galitzky, Al Trotter, Pat Dizy, Brett Lawrence, Norman Schuster, Brenda Haines, John Bergen, Laud Vidal, Rick Empey, Dan Arseneault, Addie Jamieson, Jean-Yves Duret, Valerie Ng and all recipients of St. Clare’s Prayer Shawls.

The Poor Clare sisters are praying for our parish and would be happy to take your personal prayer requests by mail or telephone. For vocation inquiries, send an email to callclaremissbc@telus.net

The Weekend Getaway is a marriage conference uniquely designed to enrich your relationship. For most couples, it’s a chance to reconnect, re-establish the foundation, and rekindle romance. For others, it’s a fresh start. For some, it will be the weekend that saves a marriage.

The next getaway is on the weekend of February 16-18, 2024 at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, BC. The fee is usually $299. Use promo code RCAVVIC to register for $199.

Accommodations at the Fairmont Empress Victoria for conference participants should be booked separately. Special room rate starts at $209/night before January 26; rates may vary thereafter.



The registration deadline is on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. For more information call Joyce 604-683-0281 ext. 223 or beholdvancouver.org/events

The goal of “Fiat” Women’s Online Discernment Group is to provide a prayerful environment for young women to discern their vocation, primarily the possible call to Religious Life. These women are given an opportunity to listen to and discuss certain topics about discernment and Religious life in general. Hopefully this Discernment Group will be a good preparation for women who are called to Religious Life to enter the community they are called to with peace and an adequate knowledge of what the Church is asking and desiring for Religious Life.  

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