Mailing Address: 1320 Johnson Street, Coquitlam, BC V3B 4T5

Street Address: 2888 Delahaye Drive, Coquitlam, BC

Phone: (604)941-4800

Greetings!

As we enter the month of July, many of us look forward to a well-deserved summer break from our regular routines, work, and activities. Summer offers us a wonderful opportunity to slow down, enjoy time with family and friends, build new friendships, pick up a good book, go for a hike, or simply relax and soak up the sunshine.

As you travel and spend time with loved ones, I hope you will also make time for prayer and worship. I look forward to welcoming you—and any family or friends who may be visiting you—to our parish celebrations throughout the summer.

May God bless you with safe travels, restful days. 

Fr. Maciej

MONDAY, AUGUST 3

Parish Office Closed

PROJECT ADVANCE 2026

This year’s campaign is especially exciting as the money we raise after making our diocese goal of $63,300 will be used to pay down our mortgage as well as help “build our new rectory”. So far, we have raised $68,171.56

Our target this year is $250,000 because of the new rectory project…..Remember, every gift regardless of its size make a difference. Every gift counts.

To donate you can go on-line at projectadvance.ca  or by dropping it in one of the collection boxes or at office or by calling 604-683-0281 ext. 323.

To read the letter from Archbishop Richard Smith, or to see this year’s video online please go to projectadvance.ca. 

Our way forward begins with your generosity in growing our parish and local Catholic community. We’re very grateful for your support.

Thank You & Progress Update: Our Venezuela Relief Campaign

Dear St. Clare of Assisi Parish Community,

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to our friends, our community, and everyone who generously dropped off donations at St. Clare of Assisi Parish since Saturday evening in support of the Venezuelan people affected by the earthquakes. Your kindness, compassion, and generosity will make a meaningful difference in the lives of so many families during this incredibly difficult time.

Because of your quick and incredible response, we have collected a wonderful amount of clothing, shoes, bedding, dog food and other essential supplies.

We are also deeply moved to share that a total of $5,501 CAD was collected in cash donations during the weekend Masses. We are currently using these funds to directly purchase the items that are most urgently needed like, flashlights, diapers, water, baby formula, hygiene products and non perishable food right now to maximize the impact of your support.

Progress:

• First Delivery Completed to the Distribution Centre: Thanks to your prompt support, we were already able to drop off our first major lot of donations at the distribution center last Sunday.
• Finalizing the Second Lot: We are currently sorting through the rest of the items received since the weekend began. We will be delivering this final, organized shipment to the distribution center this upcoming weekend.
• Clothing Donations: Because of the high volume of apparel received, the distribution center is now completely at capacity. For this reason, we can no longer accept any more clothing donations.
• Future Updates: Once this weekend's delivery is complete and we coordinate further with the relief team, we will send out an update to let you know if any specific physical supplies are still needed.

How to Continue Your Support:

• Venezuela Earthquake Relief Campaign (Zeffy)

This is a direct, secure fundraising platform where 100% of the financial gifts go toward acquiring and shipping immediate emergency provisions—such as clean water, food, and medical necessities—to trusted ministries serving directly in the hard-hit areas.

• Samaritan's Purse Canada

An international disaster relief organization currently responding on the ground. They have deployed emergency cargo planes to deliver shelter materials, clean water systems, and an Emergency Field Hospital to provide lifesaving medical care to the victims.

• Hogar Bambi Venezuela

A respected, long-running non-profit organization located directly in Caracas. They provide comprehensive shelter, food, and emotional care specifically to vulnerable children and infants who have been displaced or put at extreme risk by the disaster.

We are so grateful to belong to a community that lives out the principles of charity and solidarity so beautifully. We could not have done this without you. God Bless all of you.

With our deepest gratitude and blessings,

Ruth and Omar

St. Clare of Assisi Parishioners

The Archdiocese of Vancouver has just shared the following information to support the people of Venezuela who suffered from the devastating earthquakes:

Following the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, please consider donating to Development and Peace — Caritas Canada, the official international solidarity organization of the Catholic Church in Canada.

Donations will support its local partner, Caritas Venezuela, in providing urgent help to affected communities, including food, water, shelter, clothing, hygiene supplies, medication, and other emergency assistance. Every dollar donated for Venezuela until July 14 will be matched by the Government of Canada, doubling the impact of your gift.

Please give generously online at devp.org/en/make-a-don

Food for Thought . . . and for the Soul

Looking Back to Last Sunday (June 28 2026)

I was so impressed with this piece from the "My Catholic Life" website that I felt compelled to offer it, whole and entire, to all you readers. It is an essential part of my daily morning prayer session, so here it is!

"When a scribe approached Jesus and asked Him which of the commandments was the greatest, He replied: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30–31).

Sunday’s Gospel offered the teaching: "We must love God above all else—even more than father, mother, son, or daughter." By contrasting love for God with love for family, Jesus is not diminishing familial affection; rather, He is revealing that the only way to truly love others is by loving God first.

Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches: “God must be loved above all things and before all others out of charity, for He is loved as the source of happiness, whereas our neighbor is loved as one who shares in that happiness along with us” (Summa Theologiae II-II, Q.26, A.2). In other words, God must be loved first because He is the ultimate cause and source of beatitude—the only true happiness. Though we are called to love our families and our neighbors, Christian charity dictates that we love them in relation to God—as fellow recipients of divine happiness.

One reason this Gospel is challenging is that our natural affections, though good, must be transformed by divine charity. It is natural to love our parents and children—God designed us with these affections. Even animals instinctively care for their offspring. But Jesus calls us to something higher: a love that is perfected by divine charity, transcending mere emotional attachment or duty. His teaching does not negate natural love; rather, it purifies, elevates, and directs it toward the highest good—God Himself.

When Jesus speaks of loving “father or mother” or “son or daughter” more than Him, He is addressing the inner conflict we sometimes experience in our emotions. When natural affection is not transformed by spiritual charity, the love we offer another can do more harm than good. Disordered affection replaces the ultimate good—God—with the lesser good of emotional attachment and human consolation. The real danger arises when our loved ones stray from God’s will, and we, out of misguided affection, affirm them in their error, thereby confirming them in a state lacking true beatitude.

The foundation of true love is this: God alone is the source of perfect happiness, for us and for our loved ones. Our belief in God transforms the way we love others. No longer do we merely seek their earthly comfort or emotional well-being; rather, we direct them to the eternal Good—God Himself—who alone fulfills every longing.

When we love God first, all our relationships are purified. Instead of loving others with human affection alone, we love them with the very love of God, seeking their ultimate good: eternal life in Him. This purified love does not exclude human affection; rather, it elevates and directs it, ensuring that our love is not merely sentimental but truly transformative through divine charity.

Reflect today on those closest to you—those whom God calls you to love with the highest form of love. Are your affections rightly ordered, or do they sometimes compete with the charity God desires to instill in you? If so, turn your heart to God. Seek to love Him above all else. Let Him become the object of your deepest love and desire. When God is first, His love will transform you from within, enabling you to love others not just with natural affection, but with the very love of Christ, leading them to the eternal joy of union with Him.

Lord of perfect charity, Your love is pure, holy, and beyond all understanding—so vast, so encompassing, that I will never fathom its depths. Draw me into this love, O Lord, that I may love You above all things. From that love, let the charity of Your Sacred Heart flow through me to others, so that in loving them, I love You. Jesus, I trust in You."

Parish Ministries

If you are asking these questions, or questions like them, the Catholic way of life awaits you. Click here for more information.

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

Contact

maria.magnusson-cwl@shaw.ca

Please contact the parish office to make arrangements for

baptisms, weddings, funerals and other Sacraments.

If you wish to book a Mass Intention, please send your request via email 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 days, the priest can accept one intention only per day.

Please pray for the sick of our Parish

Caroline Bouvier Laprise, Crystal Phung, Allan Thiele, John Seifert, Michael and Carol Berry, Claudia Eberle, Suzanne Davies, Connie Tarling, Matthew Tarling, Valerie Ng, Melvin Anthony, Peter Adamkovics, Aldo de Loza, Mike Van Duynhoven, Bernie & Zeny Perez, Marge Hogan, Jamie Willis,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, Ramon Montecillo, Janice Caine, Nadine Classen, Leanne Theiss, Sierra Osborne, Sebastien Robillard, Lori Dennis, Mazoe Kaufman, Cindy Mazerolle-Kass, Anna Figura, Ed Garcia, Viray Family, Walter Banke, Terry McDonald,Hari Vijay, Peggy Maas, Chad Galitzky, Al Trotter, Pat Dizy, Brett Lawrence, Norman Schuster, Brenda Haines, John Bergen, Laud Vidal, Rick Empey, Addie Jamieson and all recipients of St. Clare’s Prayer Shawls.

St. Joseph’s Parish, Mission invites you to the historic Fraser River Heritage Park to celebrate the Holy Eucharist in honour of Our Lady at 1:00 PM. The principal celebrant will be the Most Rev. Richard W. Smith, Archbishop of Vancouver. Confessions will be heard on-site starting at 10:00 AM. After the Mass, there will be a procession to the Grotto where the Rosary will be prayed, followed by the Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The event will conclude with a picnic and fellowship.  Please bring your picnic baskets and chairs. Do not use charcoal briquettes, only propane can be used as per order of the Mission Parks Board. For bus information, please contact your local parish, or email: info@aquinasinstitute.ca, or call 604-831-1950.

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