St. Charles Parish

The weekend of January 25/26, we spoke to you about the Extraordinary Maintenance needs that the parish has.

We take care of our Ordinary Maintenance needs through OMS, a company that we pay monthly. They clean the church, cut the grass, clear the snow and many more things like that.

This year we have some bigger Extraordinary Maintenance needs that need to be taken care of:

• The Boiler that heats the main body of the Church is near the end of its life. It has been there for the life of the Church (29 years), and needs to be replaced. ($130,000).
• The Air Handling unit in the Activity Centre needs to be replaced as well ($52,000).
• There are the other Extraordinary Maintenance Projects we mentioned in the presentation on Sunday that add up to $68,000. This allows us to get caught up in our yearly maintenance plan.

All together this comes to $250,000. This seems like a big number and it is when taken on by an an individual. But we are not just an individual, we are a community. 

Two things: One, please keep giving what you are giving now. That is the first way you can help. It keeps the parish in the black, so that every month and year, our expenses keep up with our income. Secondly, if everybody on Flocknote gave an extra $5 a week or $20 a month to the Boiler Campaign, we would raise what we need and more. Any extra we have we will put towards the general needs of the Church.

We will keep you posted on a regular basis as to where we are in terms of pledges.

A city-wide food drive is being held on September 28. You are invited to participate in one of two ways:

1. Edmonton Food Bank donation boxes will be set up in the lobby at St. Charles for food donations. You can drop off non-perishable food items from September 21-28.
2. You can also participate in the Food Drive by taking a route and delivering bags to individual homes from September 24-26 and then picking up any bags that have been set out on September 28. (Please see the Volunteer Information sheet below for more details). The deadline for signing up for a route was August 26. 

If you volunteered, the routes and bags will be available for pick up the second week of September.

FOOD DRIVE INFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERS

Food Bag Delivery (September 24-26)

• You will receive a map with your route clearly marked as well as a set of bags.
• Deliver a bag to each house on your route anytime between Tuesday September 24 and Thursday September 26. Try to secure the bag so it won’t blow away; by rolling it up and wedging it between the doorknob and door jamb, tucking it inside an outer screen door or putting it under a doormat. (Whatever works!) Don’t leave a bag if there is a “No Soliciting” sign and don’t deliver to apartment buildings. Please stay on sidewalks and avoid walking on lawns or through gardens.

Food Collection (Saturday, September 28)

• On Saturday drive along your route and pick up any bags of food that have been set out on doorsteps. You can start collecting bags after 10:30 am. Please don’t start earlier than 10:30 am.
• It works best to have one driver, and 1 or 2 people checking all doorsteps for food bags and loading the vehicle.
• Make sure you are done collection before 1:00 pm. Food collection should only take an hour or two depending on the size of your route.
• It is recommended that you drive your route again, looking for late or missed bags.

Food Loading at Collection Site

• Bring your food bags to the collection site:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 17416-115 Street NW 

(across the field from St Charles)

• Drive into the parking lot behind the church.
• Volunteers will be there to load your food bags into a semi-trailer that will be taken to the Edmonton Food Bank.
• Please check in with your designated supervisor to report that you have completed your route.

We thank you so very much for the warm welcome we as Oblates of Mary Immaculate received this past weekend at St. Charles Parish. We were happy to share how we, in partnership with you, are bringing the “Good News” to all the world. The Missionary Association of Mary Immaculate (MAMI) includes friends and family who have a unique relationship with the Oblates and their missionary works, especially with the Oblate Province of OMI Lacombe Canada. Together, we serve the poor through our prayers, finances and participation in missionary activities.  

If you were not present last week or failed to take a MAMI brochure, you are invited to follow this link to our Lacombe MAMI site for more information on our work and a path to follow if you want to join us in this great work. Remember, there are no Administration fees attached to our Charity. 100% of your donation goes to assist the poor in our mission.

Also, see our Facebook page

In gratitude

Fr. Phelix Johya OMI, Fr. Ken Forster OMI, and MAMI friends

Every week we send out emails that have one of the Sunday Readings from Tuesday to Friday. There is always a commentary on the reading and some practical suggestion on how to implement the Word of God in your life. This week, everyone in in the parish will receive the emails, so that you get a chance to check out this wonderful program in the parish. 

If this is something you want to start doing weekly, sign up below.

If you missed or would like to go in more depth into the Blessed Carlo Acutis Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition, please check out this webpage.

Thank You St. Charles

St. Charles Social Justice Ministry would like to thank all of you for your generous support of the Boot Drive for the Marian Centre.  With your donation of boots and cash (which was used to purchase additional boots), we were able to deliver 34 pairs of boots and 3 pairs of gloves to the Marian Centre.  The Centre was extremelypleased and most appreciative of these much needed items.

Because of you, a few more people will be warm and safe during these cold winter days. Thank you.

St. Charles Social Justice Ministry

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