In response to the rapid rise of new cases and hospitalization for Covid-19 across the Province, as of January 14, 2021, Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical officer of Health and other Health Officials, has declared a state of emergency and a stay-at-home order. This declaration of emergency is to be in place until at least February 11, 2021. It was also pointed out that the results of the measures taken will be further evaluated to determine when it is safe to lift any restrictions or if they need to be extended. In this light, all services of the Mass in all the churches of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie are closed to the public until February 11, 2021, unless new government directives allow for an easing of the stay-at-home order and related restrictions. During this lockdown period, the weekend Masses will be livestreamed on our parish website and Facebook page. The live broadcast will take place on Saturday @ 5pm and Sunday @ 11am. We encourage everyone to adhere to the measures taken by the government officials to stop the spread of Covid-19. While this stay-at-home order is challenging, let us make use of this opportunity to improve our family bonding by remote communication, home cooked meals, family prayer, home based recreational activities or any other extra-curricular activities, house organizing, getting exercise or walking pets. Let our slogan for a month be: stay home, stay safe and save lives! May God bless us all!

With the rise of Covid-19 cases across the province of Ontario, especially in Northern Ontario, the province has extended the lockdown in Northern Ontario, for another two weeks. Due to this, our church will remain closed until at least January 23, 2021. During this lockdown period, the weekend Masses will be livestreamed on our parish website and Facebook page. The live broadcast will take place on Saturday @ 5pm and Sunday @ 11am. In the event that the lockdown is lifted on the morning of January 23, we will resume the in-person weekend Masses (Sat @5pm and Sun @ 11am). Wishing you all a safe and healthy New Year!

Dear members of the diocesan family, dear friends of all faith traditions, It gives me great pleasure to address this letter to you just a week after the inauguration of my ministry as bishop for the diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. With Christmas arriving just around the corner, one joyous occasion follows another! [To view the entire message of Bishop Dowd, please click on his picture].

Due to the increase in the number of new cases and hospitalization for COVID-19, the Premier of Ontario announced that the entire Province will move to shutdown status for at least 14 days in Northern Ontario, effective December 26, 2020. As we adhere to the directives of the government, our church will be closed from 12:01 am December 26, 2020, to January 11, 2021. During this time, we will have online masses at 5:00 pm Saturdays and 11:00 am Sundays. There will also be an online mass on New Year's Eve at 5:00 pm and New Year's Day at 11:00 am. In the event the lockdown is extended, we will continue to follow the mandate of the provincial government. ALL CHRISTMAS MASSES WILL BE CELEBRATED AS PLANNED. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

The installation of Bishop Thomas Dowd, our new shepherd, will be held at the Pro-Cathedral in North Bay on Thursday, December 17th @ 2:00pm. The ceremony will be livestreamed on the salt + light site. To follow the celebration live, please google "saltandlighttv", then click on "live" and you are there!

On October 22, 2020, Pope Francis announced the Most Reverend Thomas Dowd, the auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Montreal, as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. We warmly welcome His Excellency Thomas Dowd as our Bishop. To read the Bishop's letter to the Faithful of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, please click on his picture.

My dear parishioners,

It has been a tough journey, having been deprived of the Eucharist and public celebration of Mass for several weeks. Thank you for your patience and perseverance. We are now excited to welcome you back into your spiritual home.

When you return to the church, while many things will remain the same there will be a number of temporary changes as to how we participate and celebrate Mass.

As we prepare to return to Mass, we would like you to know that we are taking every precaution to protect the health and safety of everyone who comes into our church. However, there can be no guarantees of complete protection from infections as there will always be risks of contracting viral infections in large gatherings of people.

In light of this, the dispensation of the faithful from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place until decreed otherwise by the Bishop. While it is vital and necessary for our spiritual nourishment, no one is obliged to attend Holy Mass when this dispensation is in effect. Therefore, I encourage anyone who is not feeling well or if you fall into an at-risk category or vulnerable to the virus, to refrain from attending public celebration of Mass at this time and make use of our online Masses.

After carefully and prayerfully considering the viability, practicality and strenuous volunteerism to implement the required safety measures to reopen our church, a decision has been made that at this time there will be two public Masses on the weekend: Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 11:00 am. At this time we have adopted a policy FIRST COME FIRST SERVE. The live-streaming Mass will be held at 9:00 am on Sunday morning for those who do not wish to attend the public celebration of Mass. The live streaming of weekday Masses from Tuesday – Friday will take place at 9:30 am.

As it is so important to provide a safe environment for all worshipers, I request everyone to pay close attention to all the protocols and guidelines that have been put into place by the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. Kindly read the guidelines and protocols in its entirety before returning to the church. I encourage everyone to follow the procedures and work together to provide a safe and healthy environment for all those in attendance.

Thanking you in advance for your diligent cooperation which will allow us to celebrate safely.

Your brother in Christ!

Father Alex Saurianthadathil

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Church Reopening Process

General Guidelines

Practical Guidelines for Reopening

Self Assessment

Pope Francis appointed the Most Reverend Bishop Marcel Damphousse as Coadjutor Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall. He plans to begin his new responsibilities as coadjutor Archbishop on June 16, 2020. We congratulate Bishop Damphousse and wish him the very best!

As do many other people, I wish to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts and sacrifices being put forward by our first responders, health and spiritual care team and all other healthcare workers in our hospitals, nursing homes and home care settings...

Dear friends, During this time of quarantine, as the world is still in shock over the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis invites us to embrace the Lord in order to embrace hope. Let's come together as people of faith, hope and love...

As all Masses and church functions remain cancelled, the preparation and reception of First Holy Communion is postponed to a later date. Please look for the updates in the future communications. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Dear friends, The whole world has been devastated by this very serious crisis due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As Cardinal Thomas Collins rightly said: 'We are going through the valley of tears.' In this challenging time...

At a press conference given today, Ontario Premier Doug Ford ordered the mandatory closure of all non-essential services and workplaces, in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. These measures will come into effect on Tuesday March 24th at midnight and will be maintained for at least 14 days. This includes all parish properties: church, hall, office, rectory. The Diocesan centre will also be closed as of Tuesday, March 24th at 4:30 pm.

As the COVID-19 Pandemic continues to evolve, Bishop Marcel Damphousse urges everyone to follow all guidelines and directives provided by our governments and our public health authorities. Therefore all Sunday and weekday Masses remain cancelled until further notice. Bishop grants all the faithful of the Diocese a dispensation from their Sunday and Holy Days obligations.

As a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, following the directive of Bishop Damphousse, all Masses and church functions at St. Gerard Majella Church are cancelled until further notice.

Our success once again, depends on your support & participation. Bake Sale- we need donations of baking of all kinds. You shall be receiving a phone call concerning donations to our sale in the coming weeks. Raffles - we need prizes for our raffle table. If you can obtain a prize from a local business or are able to donate one yourself that would be greatly appreciated. Tea Sandwiches – once again we will ask parishioners to donate items to make our famous tea sandwiches. There will be a sign up poster in the entrance of the church. Your response is a great help. Thank You for your continuous and generous support!

Inviting all ladies interested in enriching their faith to join us for our bible study on PRAYER. Beginning after 7:00pm Mass on Ash Wednesday, February 26th with the following 5 weeks being held on Thursdays (March 5, 12 & 19 and April 2 & 9) in the Parish Hall from 7:00-8:30pm. (no session March 26th)

Will be available for pick up in the parish entrance starting Saturday, Feb 1, 2020 and Feb 2 and for the following weekends of Feb 8 & 9, and Feb 15 & 16. Please take a moment to pick up your receipt. INCOME TAX RECEIPTS Thank you for your generosity!!

The Donation Envelopes for 2020 will be available to pick up. Envelopes have been labelled with your name, address and phone number. If this information is not correct, please contact the office to fix it as it will be used for your income tax receipt as well. This is also a good time to use the Pre-Authorized Donation (PAD) system. If you do not have a box of envelopes and would like one, then please contact the office to receive your envelopes. Do not use 2020 envelopes before the New Year. Thank-you for your support and generous donations!

2020 CWL memberships are being accepted now. Envelopes available on back pew shelves. New members welcome!