My Dear Parish Family,

            Greetings in the Lord! It is an honor to address you for the first time as your new pastor. My name is Fr. Alex Joseph Saurianthadathil, but you may call me Fr. Alex. I am so happy to join this wonderful parish of St. Jerome and look forward to continuing in ministry and being blessed with the opportunity of meeting new families throughout this academic year.

            If you do not currently belong to a church community, I invite you to consider sharing with us at St. Jerome Parish. Welcome! In case you may not know, if you live within the physical boundaries of this parish, you are already an unregistered member of it. If you would like to learn more about our parish community, please check out our website at https://stjeromeparishssm.com or contact the parish office: 705-949-1072.

The past 2 years have presented many challenges; however, things are looking up! With the lifting of many Covid-19 restrictions, the comfort level to return to the public celebration of Mass is beginning to increase. With this, the church also has begun to plan and prepare for the reception of the sacraments for the year 2021-2022. The celebration of any sacrament in a person’s life is a special moment of grace and blessings poured out by God. These sacred signs are opportunities for us to come to know God’s presence in the world around us and to help us grow in a deeper relationship with Him. Above all they are vital in forming us on our faith journey.

We are so excited to introduce a new online preparation course for the Sacrament of First Reconciliation, called the Signs of Grace: You Are Forgiven. Anyone with a computer or laptop can access the program from anywhere. It is a paid program so each candidate will have to purchase a seat, at the cost of $50.00. If there is more than one candidate in a household, only one seat needs to be purchased. If this causes any financial burden for the family, please let me know.

The candidate will be given a 3-month time period to complete the course. In this way, you can do the preparation at your own convenience from your home. The course consists of 7 sessions, filled with child-friendly videos and engaging activities. It may be started at any time following the Orientation Meeting, which will be held at 7pm on November 23rd at St. Jerome Church. The course must be completed by the end of February, 2022.  In addition to online learning, there is a church participation component. Each candidate must attend at least 5 weekend masses, either on Saturday or Sunday, during the 3-month time period, to qualify for the celebration of the sacrament. Please submit the application form to St. Jerome Parish office or your attending School office by Tuesday, November 16, 2021.

The celebration date of the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be determined after the completion of the course. Those who successfully complete this course, as well as any candidates who completed the Reconciliation Program from the previous year at our Church, will be eligible to enroll for the online sacramental preparation for First Communion, after the March Break.
Please read carefully:

• These sacraments are available to those who have been baptized into the Catholic Faith.
• Candidates should be in Grade 2 or 3 (As of September 2021) or higher.
• If the applicant was not baptized at St. Jerome Parish, a copy of the candidate’s baptismal certificate is required by the Orientation Meeting.
• If you are not a registered member of St. Jerome Parish, please have a letter of permission signed by the priest of the parish you attend in order to celebrate the sacrament with us.

            I thank you in advance for taking the initiative in your child’s faith formation and I wish you the very best in this academic year as you continue to help, guide and accompany your child in their journey to knowledge and wisdom. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at 705-949-1072, or Hilda Bojko, at 705-946-2998.

May God bless you and your family!

Your Brother in Christ,

Fr. Alex Saurianthadathil
Pastor of St. Jerome Parish