James 1:17

Folks, are you interested in helping out Virtual Ministry?  Are you willing to do some of our editorial work?

If so let me know James117@virtualministry.com

I wanted to include the National Post article. The one written by Fr Raymond deSouza about Fr. Bob Bedard.  I was unable to find it, and so I asked a few other folks for help. They too were unable to help. Do you have access to it? I would like to include it in next week’s VM

If you are interested in learning more about Maryvale Academy, or to spread the word to friends or family, click on the button at the bottom of this page, or go to www.maryvaleacademy.ca

Cindy Radosevich has sent in the lighterside contribution about being a “Kept Woman”.

When was the last time that you were at the SITE of the WEEK:

http://www.zenit.org/

Sue Atkinson

A NEWSLETTER SPECIAL

MARK MALLETT

SEPTEMBER 2005

Dear friends,

It was an overwhelming response... one I'd never seen before in my eleven years of ministry. As we pulled into the parking lot of Our Lady of Lourdes in Violet, Louisiana -- a town just a few miles south of New Orleans -- we were greeted by a team of orange-shirted youth ready to help us set up for the evening's concert on August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.

One youth, or so I thought, was a young black man in a bright orange t-shirt with the word "Jesus" blazoned across his chest. He was Fr. Kyle, the assistant pastor. We immediately fell in love with his passionate heart, on fire for his parishioners, on fire for Jesus. He proudly showed us the new stain glass windows behind the altar just installed that week.

About an hour and a half before the concert, pews began to fill. I was confused -- didn't they know the concert was a long way off? A short time later, I stepped outside. Two police cars with emergency lights on, were directing traffic into the gravel parking lot. Within an hour hundreds of people descended on the parish. As a Catholic musician, I'm used to crowds between 50 and 150 people on average... but the response this night was overwhelming.

I shared with them a gentle warning of the present spiritual tsunami sweeping through the world, dragging people from the safety of the Rock of Christ, his Church, into the powerful currents of moral relativism. I pleaded with them to draw near to Christ, to pray, to remain in him, to turn to Christ and hold on tight.

We left Violet with a glow in our hearts -- we had experienced and shared in the love of the body of Christ. Fr. Kyle was already planning to come and stay with our family some time in the new year.....

And then we learned today from a friend in Louisiana that Hurricane Katrina has submerged Violet in water. The homes of the parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes are likely destroyed; those stained glass windows likely blown out... and worse, some of the parishioners themselves may be lost. We headed north just days before the hurricane hit -- but our hearts were still in Violet. We cannot reach Fr. Kyle. We cannot reach anyone. We are praying, weeping, hoping....

As we head to Reynolds, ND tonight for the last concert of our two month American tour, it is with heavy hearts... and yet a sense of unbelief and hope. Was that church packed that night because God gathered as many souls as possible to himself before possibly taking some home? Was that night an evening to root his people in himself, to endure the coming storm?

A footnote to this story. Our tour bus had been overheating on our way to Violet. We had already spent at least $6000 US on repairs. The day of our concert there, I went to confession on the bus with Fr. Kyle. For my penance, he offered a baggy full of scriptures for me to choose one, and meditate on it for penance. The scripture I picked was 2 Cor 9:8: "God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work."

The next night in Pensacola, FL, a little widow approached me after the concert and handed me a cheque. "I did well on the sale of the house," she said. The cheque was for $6000.

Thank you Fr. Kyle, wherever you are, for listening to the Lord. For welcoming us to your parish, and into your hearts. We are praying for you, for your parish family. We miss you. We are waiting for you to come and be with us this winter. May Our Lady of Lourdes protect you, and be  your refuge in Christ.

Love in Christ,              Mark

----------------------------
music@markmallett.com   www.markmallett.com

Victor Carvalho

Dear Friends,

Yes, dreams do come true and life does go on.

Our two boys (Dan & Joe) have left for Belize and another (Nic) left

for the seminary.

And Marilyn and I must now continue our WALK for the CULTURE of LIFE

from where we last stopped; Bowmanville.

You can Participate (Register your support), Promote and Pray for our

mission.

Please review our website and updates.

We can be contacted by email or by cell phones 416 550 9430 and 416 557

9431.

Please pray for us all

Thanks and God Bless You!

Victor Carvalho

Victor@MoralParty.com

http://www.MoralParty.com

On Tuesday September 20 at 7:30 pm author Michael O'Brien will be giving a talk on the topic "Are We Living in Apocalyptic Times?". It will be held at St. Patrick's Basilica, Ottawa, corner of Kent and Gloucester (please use Gloucester Street entrance).  Admission is free.

Mr. O'Brien is author of several books, notably a six-volume series of novels published by Ignatius Press. The first of that series, Father Elijah, published in 1996, has been a best seller in the Catholic world and beyond.  Mr. O'Brien will be available to sign books after the talk.

Diane Naipaul

Saint Patrick's

SCRIPTURE STUDY

For

2005-2006

GENESIS 1-11

St. Patrick's Basilica (corner of Kent St. and Nepean St.) will begin its Scripture Study this year on September 14 at 7:00 P.M. in the Grotto area of the basement.  We will be reading Chapters 1-11 of Genesis.  In the first meeting we will read Chapter One.

All are invited to attend.

Bring your own Bible if you have one; some will be available for those who don't.

For further information, contact

Frank Cioppa at

746-9415

(leaving a message if no answer)

or email him at

fcioppa@yahoo.ca.

Mathias Wuhr

Hello Everyone

Hope you are all having a good summer.

Just to remind you about the next Men's Breakfast at St. Augustine's Church (next to Myers Motors at Baseline and Merivale).

Fr. Vince the pastor at St. Augustine's will be speaking at the next breakfast SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24

He will be speaking about Overcoming Obstacles to Grow in the Christian Life.  The breakfast will start at the usual time 8:00 AM.

Cost will be $4.00 at the door or only $3.00 with if you reserve a ticket. 

You can reserve a ticket by sending me a return email to tom.gleeson@sympatico.ca

Hope to see you there.  Tom Gleeson

                                    FRIIS, Suzanne Nee Millette Peacefully at home, with her family at her side, after a lengthy battle with cancer, age 60 years. Loving daughter of Dorothy and the late Omer Millette. Beloved wife of Torben. Devoted mother of Karen Jensen (Bo), Maria Matthews (Sean), Christian (Jennifer), Marlene Rios, Michael and Jennifer (Adam). Cherished "Tita" and Grandma of Hannah, Dylan, Jack and Justin. Dear sister of Ron, Deane, Mary Lou, Nadine, Rosalie, Denis and their spouses. Friends may visit at the West Chapel of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, 150 Woodroffe Avenue at Richmond Road Friday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, 100 Young Street Saturday, September 10th, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. Interment St. Patrick's Cemetery, Fallowfield. Memorial donations in memory of Suzanne to the Companions of the Cross would be appreciated.
 

September 16: Jordan Fleck will have the only birthday that VM knows about between now and the next edition