St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish – Hamilton

Where faith builds community | 125 Picton St. E., Hamilton, ON L8L 0C5

Category: Liturgical Celebrations

Final School Mass : Congratulations Altar Servers!

Published June 25, 2019 / by St. Lawrence Hamilton
Olivia Jolie and Cameron Jolie were recognized by the CWL for their outstanding student achievements.

Today was our final School Mass before the summer holidays. Many students participated in the various readings and prayers, and the Mass concluded with an energetic singing of “Our God is an Awesome God”. At the conclusion of the Mass, Father Peter thanked the Musicians, teachers and all the students who helped with the school Masses throughout the school year. In particular he thanked all the altar servers for their assistance at the school Masses this year and encouraged each of them to continue to serve at Mass throughout the summer at Sunday Masses. He also encouraged all the students to consider becoming an altar server.

On behalf of the Catholic Women’s League, Jean Sweeney presented two of our altar servers with awards for their faith-filled service to St. Lawrence Church. Olivia Jolie and Cameron Jolie were recognized for their dedication and leadership in their responsibilities not just at school Masses but also on Sunday where they have helped to guide and support other students to become great altar servers. Congratulations Olivia and Cameron!

Mr. DiMartino, in his closing remarks thanked Father Peter and all those who have assisted with Masses and the sacraments celebrated throughout the year, and noted the integral part that the Parish plays in the faith life of the community. He encouraged the students to continue to participate in Sunday Mass throughout the Summer. We offer Mr. DiMartino our best wishes as he leaves St. Lawrence for his new assignment at St. Michael’s.

To all the students, teachers and staff of St. Lawrence school – Have a safe happy summer and See you at Mass on Sunday!

Posted In Liturgical Celebrations | Youth

From the Pastor’s Desk : Jeremiah and St. Agatha

Published February 03, 2019 / by St. Lawrence Hamilton

Today we observe the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time. From the first reading we can hear the account of the Prophet Jeremiah’s vocation. The Lord wants him first to trust in God’s Word and to be His ambassador to foreign nations. The Lord promises to be with him. There is only one condition: being faithful to the Lord and the calling from the Lord. When we examine Jeremiah’s life it is clear that his adversities mirror our own. Rejection, misunderstanding, false accusations, unfounded opinions are all challenges we can relate to. Especially at the time of trial we should remember to remain faithful to the Lord who has loved us since the very beginning. This faithfulness can make us a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall as the first reading declares.
Pope Francis encourages the faithful throughout the Universal Church to pray in the month of February for the following intention: For a generous welcome of the victims of human trafficking, of enforced prostitution, and of violence.

This Tuesday, February 5th, we celebrate a memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr. She lived in the 3rd century in Sicily and died probably in 251. She is one of the most highly venerated virgin martyrs of Christian antiquity and her name is mentioned in the Roman Canon of the Mass (The First Eucharistic Prayer) along with the Blessed Virgin and 6 other women. According to tradition, she was tortured severely and suffered the removal of her breasts by the Roman prefect Quintianus, whose amorous advances Agatha rejected. It is said that St. Peter the Apostle appeared to her in the prison and healed her wounds. In early artwork, St. Agatha is often depicted carrying her excised breasts on a platter. Later these depictions were mistaken by some to be bread and led to the practice of blessing bread on St. Agatha’s day. She is the patron saint of rape victims, breast cancer patients, wet nurses and bell makers. She is also considered to be a powerful intercessor when people suffer from fires. In some Churches on the day of St. Agatha loaves of bread are blessed and then people put pieces of them in various places in their houses to be protected from fire.

Recently we have exchanged the lights in our church. The new bulbs give more light and make our church much brighter especially during evening Masses. Upon some requests and due to the winter conditions, from this week our morning Masses will be celebrated at 9:00 am. I hope that this change will better serve the needs of our parishioners and visitors.

God bless,
Father Peter

Posted In From the Pastor's Desk | Liturgical Celebrations | Pastoral Notes

Feast of St. Lawrence

Published July 30, 2018 / by St. Lawrence Hamilton

On Sunday the 12th of August we as a parish community will be celebrating the feast of St Lawrence. Mass will be at noon with fellowship and food in the church hall afterwards.
We are looking for volunteers and if you would like to donate food/dessert please contact the church office at 905-529-3921.

Every parish church is dedicated to the Lord by the act of consecration done by a bishop. Then the church receives a title. By the consecration a church building is separated from common and profane to a sacred use. Our parish church is dedicated to the Lord by the title of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr. As a parish community, each year we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Patron Saint on August 10th if it falls on Sunday, otherwise the celebration is transferred to the Sunday after August 10th. This year we will hold our annual solemnity on Sunday, August 12th. There will be a solemn Mass at noon followed by the Eucharistic procession and a social meal in the parish hall. To mark our annual feast, we will pray the Novena to St. Lawrence beginning from Wednesday, August 1st.

A novena is a series of public or private prayers that are said for nine days to obtain special graces, to implore special favours or to make special petitions. The word ‘novena’ comes from the Latin novem, which means ‘nine’. The nine-day prayer recalls the nine days that the Apostles along with the Blessed Virgin Mary and other women spent in prayer between the day of the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost Sunday.
The Novena to St. Lawrence will be said daily from August 1st to August 9th during the Mass. Praying the Novena we will thank God for all the graces we have received since our last annual feast and we will implore special favours for our parish community.

Posted In Liturgical Celebrations

First Saturday Devotion

Published July 30, 2018 / by St. Lawrence Hamilton

First Saturday Devotion

In the Catholic Church Saturdays traditionally are dedicated to the devotion to Our Lady. The First Saturday Devotion comes from the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. On July 13th, 1917 Our Lady told the children in Fatima: “I shall come to ask for Communion of Reparation on the first Saturdays”. Later Sister Lucia, one of the children to whom Our Lady appeared, explained the motivation for the devotion. The number of five refers to the five ways that people offend and blaspheme the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

  1.  Offences or blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception – its denial and/or ridicule.
  2. Against her perpetual virginity.
  3. Against her divine maternity, refusing to accept her as the Mother of God and mother of all mankind.
  4. Those who implant in children’s hearts, indifference, contempt and even hate against our Immaculate Mother.
  5. Insults directed against her sacred images –displays of indifference or ridicule, and the infliction of damage to them.

The essential elements of the practice of First Saturday Communions of Reparation

With the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart for these five offenses, we are asked to:
1. Go to confession.

  1. Receive Holy Communion worthily
  2. Pray five decades of the Rosary.
  3. Keep Our Lady company for 15 minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary.

The Great Promise

Our Lady promised to assist all those who will practice the devotion of the first Saturday on five consecutive months with the graces necessary for salvation at the hour of their death.

Promise not a guarantee of heaven

It would be a serious mistake to think that those who practice the devotion on five consecutive First Saturdays are guaranteed passage into heaven when the moment of their death arrives. Our cooperation with grace is always required.

A life-long devotion, not merely five First Saturdays

The promise associated with the practice of the devotion on five consecutive First Saturdays has been mistakenly construed by many to mean that, once one has completed a series of five, they have accomplished the devotion and are finished.  This was not Our Lady’s intention in making the promise, and has resulted in far fewer people practicing the devotion. Our regular practice of the First Saturdays is a sign of our devotion to the Immaculate Heart and a desire on our part to make reparation for the blasphemies against her.

Posted In Liturgical Celebrations