The Parish Community of St. Kevin

Served by the Holy Cross Fathers

303 Niagara Street
Welland, Ontario  L3C 1K5

Email
905-735-5885

May 11, 2025

 

Good Shepherd Sunday - Fourth Sunday of Easter

On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, often known as Good Shepherd Sunday, we are invited to reflect deeply on the relationship between Christ and His followers. The Gospel passage from John presents a short yet profound message: Jesus assures us that He knows His sheep intimately, they hear His voice, and nothing can snatch them from His hand.

This image of the shepherd is one of the most tender and powerful in all of Scripture. It speaks of care, protection, intimacy, and trust. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, doesn’t just lead from a distance - He calls each of us by name. In a world filled with noise, distraction, and competing voices, His is the one true voice that leads to life.

His promise is one of eternal security: “I give them eternal life… no one can take them out of my hand.” That doesn’t mean life will be free of trials, but it assures us that we are never alone. As sheep, we are called to listen, to follow, and to trust—knowing the Shepherd walks with us through every valley.

 

World Day of Prayer for Vocations

We celebrate the World Day of Prayer for Vocations on Sunday, May 11th. The Church invites us to reflect on the vital call God places on each of our lives - and especially to pray for those whom He is calling to serve as priests, deacons, and consecrated religious.

This year’s theme echoes the voice of Jesus in today’s Gospel: “My sheep hear my voice.” Christ, the Good Shepherd, continues to call men and women to follow Him in a radical way, dedicating their lives to the service of His people. Vocations are not just for a chosen few - they are the fruit of a listening and praying Church. We all have a role in encouraging, supporting, and nurturing vocations. Let us pray today for:

  • Young people discerning their path in life;

  • The courage to say “yes” to God’s call;

  • Families to be schools of faith and generosity;

And our priests, deacons, and religious - that they remain faithful, joyful witnesses of God’s love.
May the Lord of the harvest send more laborers into His vineyard, and may we, as a parish community, be a place where vocations are heard, nurtured, and celebrated.

 

Happy Mother’s Day!

We honor and pray for all mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, and mother figures who reflect God’s love through their care, sacrifice, and strength. May God bless them abundantly, and may Our Blessed Mother watch over them always.

 

Congratulations!

We joyfully congratulate the following students who received their First Holy Communion:

Saturday, May 3 (Alexander Kuska School)

Addison, Greyson, Penelope, Emma, Kylo, Samantha, Jeremy, Nathan, Isabella, Alessandro, Alexander, Eviana, Liam, Olivia, Amelia, Ellie, Marvellous, Lucia, Henry, Trystan, Theodore, Sloane, Samantha, Tia Marie, and Austin.

Sunday, May 4 (Holy Name)

Sefina, Bradley, Lillian, Rhodes, Vanellope, Davis, Lucy, Julia, Emma, Brynne, Addison, Mia, Charlotte, Ava, Mya, Lincoln, Grayson, Avery, Arley, Rowan, Emmaline, Vienna, Sophia, Benjamin, Liliana, Phoenix, Ridge, Penelope, Hendrick, and Joseph.

Saturday, May 10 (St. Kevin School)

Luna, McClaeron, Katherine, Harper, Aviania, Luca, Kailor, Brooklynn, Mannix, Sienna, Raffi, Grayson, Sarah, Lionel, David, Light, Spencer, Kinley, Elora, Mackinney, Emanuela, Gabriela, Cleber, Pedro and Iremide.

May the Body and Blood of Christ always nourish their faith, bring them peace, and draw them closer to God each day. This is a beautiful beginning of a lifelong journey with Jesus in the Eucharist. We continue to pray for them and their families.

 

Sacrament of Confirmation

The candidates will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation with their class on the following dates:

Alexander Kuska School – Tuesday, May 13 at 7:00pm
Holy Name School – Wednesday, May 14 at 7:00pm
St. Kevin School – Thursday, May 15 at 7:00pm

We ask members of the parish to please pray for these candidates and their families as they draw closer to receiving the Holy Spirit.  

 

Catholic Women's League

  • FREE Speakers’ Forum on Saturday May 31 from 10:30am-2:30pm at St. Alfred Parish. The theme is “Where Will My Sister Lay Her Head?” Listen to guest speakers who have “walked the talk” on homelessness and mental health issues - Marnie Katzman: Keynote Speaker (lived expert / public speaker / survivor), Father Gerard Power: St. Patrick Parish, Niagara Falls, and Jane La Vacca: Executive Director of Westview Centre 4 Women. This is a free event, but numbers are required as there will be a pizza lunch. See poster in foyer or call Lorrie to register – 905-734-4828 or email lmack@cogeco.ca.

  • Ladies, would you like to be involved with your CWL but not have to make a long-term commitment? We are looking for ladies to add to our calling list for an Honour Guard when one of our members pass away.  It only takes an hour of your time and only when needed.  Please call Marilyn at 905-714-5890 for more information.

 

Steubenville Youth Conference

Big Red Meats Fundraiser: This summer, several youth members of our parish will be attending a Steubenville Youth Conference in Ohio, USA, alongside other youth from our diocese. This incredible opportunity will help them deepen their faith and grow in a personal relationship with Christ. There will be a Big Red Meats Fundraiser to help cover travel costs for the conference! A variety of delicious meats—bacon, chicken fingers, hamburgers, chicken cutlets, and more—will be available for purchase. All proceeds go directly toward supporting the youth attending the conference.

Order forms will be available after all Masses on Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1. Please bring cash or cheque when placing your order. Orders can be picked up from the parish on June 12. Please see the sideboard at the foyer for the product details and pricing. Thank you for your generous support and continued prayers!

For those interested and have not yet registered for the Steubenville Youth Conference (July 11–13): $475 CAD (includes conference, campus stay, food, coach bus); $80 deposit due; full payment due in May. For further details, please contact Olivia Mete at oliviamete5@gmail.com.

 
 

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