Filling the Bassinet for Twenty-Five Years

During February, St.  Charles Ladies’ Association collected gifts for young, pregnant moms and their babies. These new items were given to Villa Rosa and Crisis Pregnancy Centre. 

The first Ladies’ Association President, Verna Baccari, remembers when filling the bassinet became a St. Charles Parish tradition twenty-five years ago.  “We felt so blessed as a parish we wanted to reach out to the less fortunate”.

Project Coordinator, Anna Desilets, was impressed with the overwhelming support from parishioners.  “This week we will deliver the bounty of love you have provided for young moms and their babies. The bassinet overflowed with dozens of sleepers, onesies, blankets, sweaters, diapers, knitted goods and more as well as thoughtful personal gifts, as requested, for their moms.  In this time of limited church attendance, your generous response is overwhelming!”

Here is some information about both these worthwhile organizations.

Crisis Pregnancy Centre

Women have the legal right in Canada to seek and obtain an abortion. Women have the right to make moral choices about their own lives. At the Crisis Pregnancy Centre, they understand this and believe this makes it imperative that women also be given the right to all the available information regarding the impact that their decisions will have.

Villa Rosa

Villa Rosa provides shelter, education, support and programming for pregnant women and new mothers with babies. A pregnant woman or new mother may access their services free of charge. Services offered include shelter, breastfeeding support, medical care, on-site schooling, Aboriginal Studies, Early Literacy Programs, cooking instruction, addictions awareness, anger management, parenting programs, adoption awareness, budgeting, nutrition, and post-natal housing. 

Jesus said, “What you do for these little ones, you do for me”.

Parishioners Demonstrate a Generous Spirit

Every Sunday from September to May, the Immaculate Conception Soup Kitchen, 181 Austin St N in Winnipeg, serves a nutritious meal to hungry people.  On February 6,  it was our turn to provide the food for their Sunday meal.  

As usual, the big-hearted parishioners of St. Charles Parish demonstrated their generous spirit.  The meal consisted of homemade chili, buns, bananas, bottled  water, juice boxes and cookies. 

Steve, a volunteer at the soup kitchen,  stated because of the generous amount of food they were able to,  “serve  200 individual meals and nine family hampers.  There was lots of chili and we had enough for about half the people to get two bowls with leftovers”.

The St. Charles Ladies’ Association wishes to thank the many parishioners who helped supply the meal for the Immaculate Conception Soup Kitchen.  Thanks to those who made chili, bought groceries, donated money, baked cookies, transported food, and prayed for its success. 

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“It’s not about how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do that counts.”  Mother Teresa

The Way of the Cross

 "O Lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones. Let me find you again. Amen.” Henri Nouwen

The Way of the Cross, also known as The Stations of the Cross, is a spiritual pilgrimage through contemplation of the Passion of Christ.  It grew from imitations of the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem which is a traditional processional route representing the path Jesus walked from the house of Pontius Pilate to Golgotha, the place of Christ’s crucifixion.

Approximately twenty-five years ago, St. Charles parishioners, under the leadership of Deacon Robert Gate, presented the “Living Stations of the Cross”, tableau format, each Friday during Lent.  This continued for several years.

Lorraine Thibert, a parishioner, felt called to revive the Living Stations of the Cross at St. Charles.  She stated, “I thought it was so effective and moved so many people I wanted to bring it back”.   With COVID-19 restrictions, doing a live performance did not seem advisable, therefore it was decided to do a video to be broadcast on the St. Charles YouTube channel.

Lorraine approached former participants and new parishioners who wished to be involved.  The narrative remains the same, however, Lorraine composed new, original music.

All involved are parishioners.  Lorraine composed the music, did the photography and edited the video.  Celeste Thibert directed.  Greg Chase did the lighting and the green screen.  The voice talents were Logan Ryner, Ian Michaluk and Kathy Decle.  Eleven St. Charles parishioners were actors.

This long, complex process was a true labour of love.  After many hours of post-production work,  Lorraine has created this forty-five-minute presentation which will be launched on Ash Wednesday, March 2, 2022.

Why would these people spend so much time and energy on this project?  It is their hope that presenting this video will help Christians to re-discover and appreciate more fully the meaning and scope of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ and thus unite their own earthly suffering with His.

The video will be launched on the St. Charles website and on the St. Charles YouTube channel on Ash Wednesday and will be left up until Good Friday. Click link The Ways of the Cross

Members from St. Charles Parish who participated in the making of “The Way of the Cross”.

Evergreen Workshop Profits to North Point Douglas Women's Centre

Thank you to Dodie Labbe for facilitating our recent Evergreen Wreath and Centrepiece Workshop.  Thank you to Chad Labbe from Shelmerdine Garden Centre for giving us the evergreen boughs free of charge. The  $360 profit was forwarded to The North Point Douglas Women’s Centre. This charitable non-profit organization is located at 221 Austin St N in Winnipeg.  Since 2002, the Centre has been working to create a safe, healthy, and vibrant community for women and their families.

A Place Where Everybody Knows Your Name

St. Charles parishioners were looking for a way to celebrate the feast of our partron St. Charles Borromeo (November 4).  Typically a very active and sociable parish, the pandemic  brought all social activities to a standstill.  

Colleen Bevan and Jamie MacDonald  organized previous St. Charles’ Dinners.  Despite  all the uncertainty and rules changing continually, they decided to take a ‘leap of faith’ and start  planning a parish social.

COVID restrictions complicated the process of selling the tickets, serving the food, setting up the hall and providing the entertainment but with faith and determination they worked through all the obstacles.

When November 6 arrived, 93 parishioners attended and 29 people got  ‘take out’ dinners.

St. Charles hall looked elegant with autumn decor, lights dimmed and centrepieces flickering on the tables.  The kitchen crew worked all day preparing a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings.  

A video production of “St. Charles - Dancing With the Stars” featured ten musical numbers starring St. Charles parishioners.

Ron Labbe was our fast-talking auctioneer at the cake auction.  Seven beautifully decorated  and delicious cakes were sold to the highest bidder.

The evening concluded with karaoke.  Who knew St. Charles Parish had such talent!

This event was not intended to be a fundraiser.  The objective was to have fun and revive the spirit of our parish after many months of social isolation with COVID restrictions.  Coming together with members of our faith community  helped to remind us that we are not alone in this world - the St. Charles Parish family is the  place where we belong.

"It is not good that man should be alone.” (Gen. 2:18)

Our New Pro-Life Banner

L - R: Jamie Macdonald, Jim Turnbull, Richard Nichol and Norbert Thibert. Taking the picture and helping out was Dan McInnis.

As with many other events this year, the 2021 Pro-Life March was cancelled. The Manitoba State Office of the Knights of Columbus, with the approval of the 3 Archbishops and in partnership with "Life's Vision", is pleased to promote this initiative by asking all Councils in Manitoba to purchase and display the new Pro-Life Banner on Parish property.

Father Allan Hall Council is participating and has erected the banner for display on the grounds of the St. Charles Parish Church.

“Life’s Vision is working to create a new narrative on what it means to be prolife. A narrative that equips individuals, communities, and businesses to support the value of life from the beginning to the end, and the years in between. ”

— lifesvision.ca

40 Cans for Lent Food Drive

Again this Lent,  Father Allan Hall Knights of Columbus invited St. Charles parishioners to help feed the hungry.  Beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing the 40 days of Lent, canned and dry goods were collected for the North Point Douglas Women’s Centre which is located in Winnipeg’s North End. 

North Point Douglas Women’s Centre

When the Lenten season finished, food donations totaled 1,854 lbs with 486 lbs coming from the students, parents, and teachers of St. Charles Catholic School.  The $695.00 in cash donations was used for most needed food items at the centre.  

Knights of Columbus Grand Knight, Jim Turnbull, wishes to thank everyone for their generous support.

Jim Turnbull Grand Knight of the Father Allan Hall Knights of Columbus at St. Charles Parish

Food Bank Use in Canada

• Over 840,000 Canadians seek help from a food bank every month.

• Almost two in five are children and youth.

• 1 in 6 households seeking help are working.

• 1 in 10 walking through the doors each month are helped for the first time.

"What a Great Meal for a Cold Day”

St. Charles Parish has made a commitment to provide two meals a year to Winnipeg’s  Immaculate Conception Soup Kitchen.  Our next date was coming up on Sunday, February 7.  With the Code Red restrictions, we were unable to request donations of Chili from parishioners as we had done in the past or gather to prepare food. 

After prayer and discernment, the Executive of the Ladies’ Association decided to purchase Hearty Chicken Stew from the Chicken Chef (3770 Portage Ave).   Along with the Chicken Stew we purchased buns, bananas,  bottled water and juice boxes.  We made a request to St. Charles parishioners for homemade cookies and we received 68 dozen.  

The Kotowich Family also prepared and donated 20 Valentine’s gift bags for the children.  The bags contained a juice box, one chocolate pudding, one heart sucker, one granola bar, two rice crispy cereal bars and two monster cookies.  Maddy said, “When Florence asked me to make cookies for the Immaculate Conception lunch I realized it was close to Valentine’s Day.  Kids deserve something special so I asked if I could make some gift bags. With the lockdown I couldn’t get fancy bags so I decorated brown paper bags.  Kids love presents”. 

One of the soup kitchen volunteers said, “Wow, our coldest Sunday of the year and we had a great warm chicken stew compliments of St. Charles Parish.  They also provided nice crusty buns, bananas and dozens of homemade cookies plus water and juice.  What a great meal for a cold winter day!”

We were told the volunteers at the soup kitchen made 200 bags of individual servings.  They distributed 185 bags at the door with a few people getting an extra bag for a family member at home.  One volunteer remarked. “That’s down a little bit but it was cold out there and we were missing a few regulars.”   The leftover chicken stew was put in the freezer and will be used at a later date.

The Ladies’ Association wishes to thank our St. Charles parishioners for their prayers, monetary support, the baking, shopping and transporting of the food.  We received $940 in donations.  “Your generosity was overwhelming!  The money remaining after expenses will be put aside for the meal we will provide in September.” (Florence Weber, president)

Thank you to all who helped make the meal so special for those in need during these difficult COVID times.

““For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink….. Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?….. Truly I tell you whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 25:35–40
”

Staying Connected At Christmas

Christmas was coming!  At St. Charles Parish this usually would mean adults getting together for  parties and potlucks and children celebrating a  Birthday Party for Jesus with games, crafts and birthday cake.  A few days before Christmas, parishioners of all ages would have been invited to spend a few hours together decorating the church and sharing pizza.

In 2020 with COVID-19 and the necessary restrictions, everything was different.  A group of friends from St. Charles wanted to find a way to reach out to parishioners over the Christmas season.  There were limited options so they pooled their talents and produced a half-hour musical video which they posted on the St. Charles YouTube Channel.  It was called St. Charles Parish Music Ministry Christmas Carols 2020 - From Our Hearts to Yours.

It happened relatively quickly.   In early December members of the Music Ministry were invited to take part and the church was booked (in adherence with restricted numbers).  Over a two week period, the participants were recorded separately. The individual videos were merged and edited into a 29-minute presentation and posted on our YouTube Channel - St. Charles Catholic Parish Winnipeg.  During the Christmas season we had over 322 views.

Our motive for making this music video was to reach out to our St. Charles parishioners.   We endeavoured  to entertain and comfort them.  Although we couldn’t celebrate Christmas as a community in person we could share the joy of the season in spirit. 

“Having faith does not mean having no difficulties, but having the strength to face them, knowing we are not alone”.  Pope Francis

Face Mask Project Update

Here is an update on the Blog post (April 28, 2020) about the Face Mask project .

Our masks have travelled to Paulatuk , North West Territories.  Julie Clark, principal of the  town’s school contacted her mother, who lives in St. Norbert, and told her the school  had run out of disposable masks and desperately needed reusable ones for the staff and students.  The mother spoke to a CWL member (who had hear about our project) who then contacted Eva Arsenault.  A box containing 200 masks were mailed to the school the following day.

This fall, the ladies from the St. Charles Mask Project were contacted by a group called Inclusion Selkirk (formerly called Community Living).  This organization helps people with intellectual disabilities from all over Manitoba.  There are 125 clients  in 13 shared homes in Selkirk.  For various reasons,  eleven clients are unable to use  ordinary masks.  Annette Kohut and fellow parishioner Dianna Hooper designed and made 49 masks.  The knitting group from St. Charles parish knit 49 “ear savers” which were also requested.  (Ear savers are extensions used with the masks to make them more secure and comfortable.)

Merilee Mollard from Inclusion Selkirk gratefully accepts the special-order face masks and ear savers.