Our Place / Chez Nous Christmas Party

On Sunday, December 13th, it was bitterly cold outside but warm and welcoming inside Our Place/ Chez Nous. It took a lot of effort to move all the furniture to the basement and replace it with long tables and 103 chairs. Everyone waited expectantly for the food to arrive from the caterer. A line formed at the door was getting longer, many people arriving early, afraid that they wouldn’t get in.

The main room was decked out with many Christmas decorations from red Christmas stockings to jolly snowmen. On the side of the room was a Christmas tree full of ornaments, including little knit angels with names taped on the front. I was told that every time one of the ‘regulars’ died, an angel was placed on the Our Place/Chez Nous Christmas tree to remember them. At the Christmas party, St. Charles Parish’s Deacon Robert Gate identified two men who had passed away this year. Robert asked that a friend or family member place their angel on the tree.

One couple, who volunteer at Our Place/Chez Nous, pointed out the angel in memory of their 34 year old son who died on December 3rd, 2005. Their voice broke as they talked about how they still missed him.

“Word that there is a Christmas Dinner travels pretty fast on the street”, said Larry Stuart, Executive Director of Our Place/Chez Nous. “Often we will see people who we have never seen before and we worry about getting our 60 to 70 regulars in for the Christmas dinner and to receive their gift bag. When we reach our capacity of 103 people, we have to close our doors and unfortunately last year we had to turn people away.”

Because most organizations provide turkey dinners to the homeless during the Christmas season, Our Place/Chez Nous decided to offer a non-traditional meal. Ham, meat balls, perogies, coleslaw, buns, soft drinks and a Santa cake was served to a very grateful room full of guests.

Santa Claus in his bright red suit and white beard mingled through the crowd ringing his bell and wishing people a Merry Christmas. As they were leaving, Santa gave them a gift bag which contained some basic necessities and a few treats. Each bag contained mitts, a warm hat, a scarf, deodorant, toothpaste and a tooth brush, candy, playing cards, a comb or brush and a $10 gift certificate for Giant Tiger.

St. Charles Deacon Claude Lambert, a regular volunteer at Our Place/Chez Nous, said he was blown away with the number of people who showed up this year to help. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. These people deserve this because they have so little.”

Rachelle Prawdzik, a grade 12 student at Collège Lorette Collegiate was one of the volunteers serving the meal. Her leadership class had collected over $200 to contribute to the Christmas dinner. Rachelle was accompanied by Nancy Duykers who is a school counselor at Collège Lorette Collegiate.

When I asked Nancy why she came to volunteer today, she replied, “I volunteered to help at Our Place/Chez Nous Christmas dinner because it felt like the right thing to do at Christmas time. I want for nothing and have been quite fortunate in my life. However, instead of giving to others as I originally intended, in the end, it was I, who received.

One hundred and three people gathered on a very cold winter night and waited "patiently" in the frigid temperatures until it was time to be invited in for Christmas dinner. The guests were polite, respectful and grateful. They were patient and appreciative. Many returned to the buffet line for seconds and some for thirds. Some returned to the buffet line simply to thank the volunteers for the delicious meal and to extend wishes of Merry Christmas.

I felt comfortable and relaxed in a room full of people I did not know. I felt humbled by the experience and quite emotional. It is said "it is better to give than to receive", but when we give from our hearts, we too, receive – ten-fold”.

St. Charles Parish Throws a Birthday Party for Jesus

Once again, the Children of St. Charles participated in the annual Birthday Party for Jesus. Held on Sunday, December 13th, the birthday party included lots of games, celebrating and food! Be sure to join us next year for this annual party.

St. Charles Birthday Girls

Who doesn’t like dressing up and going out to lunch? St. Charles “Birthday” Girl’s Club has been doing this for 15 years. Usually on the 3rd Tuesday of the month an average of 15 ladies meet at a local restaurant and “just have fun”. Reservations are made for 11:30 A.M. and the get-together lasts about an hour and a half. After an informal discussion a decision is made where they will have lunch the following month. Claire La Croix reads the list of ladies who are celebrating their birthday and they receive a birthday card from the group. Often someone will bring “door prizes” and a draw is made.
The December meeting was at Perkins restaurant in St. James. The birthday Girls, decked out in their Christmas red outfits, had a great lunch and lots of laughs. There is an open invitation to any members of St. Charles Parish who wish to join the group. If interested call Claire 885-2724.

St. Charles Helps out Operation Christmas Child Once Again

Operation Christmas Child was a huge success this year at St. Charles. Both the members of St. Charles Church and the parents and children of St. Charles Catholic School collected enough items to fill 160 Christmas shoe boxes! These boxes will join over a million others to be shipped to needy children all around the world.

This charity began in 1990 when Dave and Jill Cooke in Great Britain began sending relief supplies and children's Christmas gifts to Romania. In 1993, their charity was adapted by Samaritan's Purse. So far, over 61 million boxes have been shipped to 135 countries around the world. It has grown to become the world's largest children's Christmas program.

Pictured at the St. Charles Altar surrounded by the shoe boxes are project coordinators Walter and Madelaine Kotowich and their son Luke. Missing from the photo is Jenn Bevan, the coordinator from St Charles Catholic School.

A “Praying Powerhouse” Has Moved Into the Neighbourhood

This past Summer, St. Charles was blessed with 19 new parishioners. As Father Paul announced to the Parish upon their arrival, “ A Praying Powerhouse has moved to the neighbourhood”. They are members of the Congregation of the Missionary Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart and of Mary Immaculate.

Recently the Oblate Mother House at 601 Aulneau in St. Boniface was sold to the Manitoba Catholic Health Corporation. Over the next two years, the building which previously served as the Mother House will be renovated into individual suites. When they are completed, at least 40 of these apartments have been promised to any of the Oblate Sisters who are able to live on their own. The complex will be called Villa Aulneau.

In the intervening period, some of the Sisters who prefer not to stay on their own are residing at St. Charles Convent (formerly called St. Charles Retreat Center). It will be run like an assisted living complex. It is well suited for older residents, being on one floor and having 24 hour care with a nurse and health care aids.

The Sisters who previously lived at the retreat center have moved to apartments. This is a big change for one sister who called the retreat center home for 30 years.

Presently the convent is full to capacity with 19 permanent residents and one Sister who works out of town but uses the convent as a home base. Since moving to the convent, two Sisters who were ill have passed away.

When they were younger, the Sisters had various careers – teaching, counseling and working in food services as well as various other jobs at the Mother House.

What do retired Sisters do to fill their day? They have daily Mass and especially appreciate the French Masses at the convent on Monday at 9 a.m. and Sunday at 4:15 p.m. The Sisters who are well enough enjoy going for long walks and having exercise classes five times a week. They share the daily household chores, knit and work on puzzles. Occasionally they will receive a phone call regarding a problematic situation and the Sisters are asked to pray for the people involved. They also regularly visit the 13 members of their community who are in the Tache Center Nursing Home.

I asked them how they felt about being relocated from the St. Boniface Mother House to St. Charles Parish. Many said that it felt like they were “coming home” since they have taught at St. Charles Academy during their working years. One sister said she enjoyed seeing the children from the school running around the playground. They enjoy the quiet of their new home and feel closer to nature. The Sisters have already seen some of the wild life in the neighborhood – geese, squirrels, deer and even a fox. All agreed that the parishioners have been very friendly.

To learn more about the Congregation of the Missionary Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart and of Mary Immaculate, check out their website. The site tells about how the order began in 1904 up to their latest venture in Pattaya, Thailand.

http://www.missionaryoblateSisters.ca/missionary/historical.html

Thank you to Parishioner Eva Arseneault for writing this interview.

Remembrance Day at St. Charles Parish

At 9:00am on November 11th, St. Charles parishioners gathered to remember, thank, honour and celebrate the Veterans of Canada. Parishioner Ron Labbe, who has recently retired from his job at Veteran’s Affairs, organized the morning event incorporated into our weekly Mass. We were very thankful to three young Cadets, brothers Adam and Ryan Daun as well as Tracy Walker, who helped with the Remembrance Day proceedings.

Gisele Simmons read “In Flanders Fields”, one of the best known poems of World War I written by John McCrae. Parishioner Simon Lemay and Cadet Tracy Walker proclaimed “The Act of Remembrance” in English and French. The prayers of the faithful were read by parishioner Pierre Bohemier.
Larry Lagace, a Veteran of the Korea Conflict, laid a wreath in memory of the Veterans and Therese Lambert, widow of Chuck Lambert, laid a wreath in memory of the widows.

One of the highlights of the service was the haunting rendition of “The Last Post” and “Reveille” played on the trumpet by Cadet Adam Daun.

Thank you to all of our Veterans for the freedoms we enjoy here in Canada as well as many other countries in the world. We greatly appreciate your service and sacrifice.

St. Charles Night Celebration (Story & Video)

On Saturday, November 7th, approximately 150 members of St. Charles parish, along with their friends and family, celebrated the feast day of our Patron Saint St. Charles Borromeo.

The evening commenced with Mass at 4:00 p.m. followed by cocktails at 5:00 and dinner at 7:00. Thank you to Chef Gerry Ellis for overseeing a delicious roast beef dinner with all the trimmings.

The St. Charles Men’s Association has organized this event for more than fifteen years. Fundraising was not the purpose of the evening. This dinner and dance was an opportunity for parishioners to socialize and build community. This year a special effort was made to include younger members of the parish by making their tickets more affordable. Ron Chase, chairman of the St. Charles Men’s Association, wishes to thank all the volunteers who helped set up the hall, prepare the food and clean up after the dinner. Ron would especially like to thank the young people who served the food on the buffet line.

The music, provided by Amie’s Music, kept many people on the dance floor most of the evening. The youth, with their spirited dancing, encouraged and challenged older dancers to try to keep up! A fun evening was had by all!

Knights of Columbus Bursary Awards 2009/2010

Every year the Knights of Columbus of Father Allan Hall Council present two bursaries of $250 to students of St Charles Parish to continue with their post secondary education. Parish and community involvement in addition to academic performance are used to determine the bursary recipients

The first bursary was presented to a young lady who is very active with the youth program of the parish, whether it being the props manager for the youth dinner theater, helping out at various functions such as St Charles Night, St Patrick’s Day Frolic ,the Annual Fall Supper or helping at Sunday School. She is there to give a helping hand where ever it is needed. She maintained a high academic standing throughout High School and is the daughter of Denis and Rita Tully. It was with great pleasure that Father Allan Hall Council awarded this bursary to Marie Tully, who will be enrolling in commerce at the University of Manitoba, Asper School of Business.

The Second bursary was received by the daughter of a Brother Knight; she is very involved in community activities such as volunteering to help at a soup kitchen. She also puts in countless hours helping out at her high school’s athletic programs, volleyball, badminton, ultimate Frisbee and handball, all the while maintaining an excellent academic standing throughout High School and is the daughter of Marek and Grace Robak
It was with great pleasure that we awarded this bursary to Karolina Robak, who will be pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Winnipeg.

KC Rosary Night & Spaghetti Supper - Sunday, Oct 25th

Don't cook Sunday Night - Bring the Family to the St. Charles Parish Hall for this Dinner!

The Knights of Columbus Father Allan Hall Council #8604 invite you and your family to join us for a

Rosary Night & Spaghetti Supper

Sunday October 25th 6:00 pm

St Charles Parish Hall, 320 St. Charles St.

Please join us for the Rosary, Supper and Fellowship.

(Silver collection donations will be accepted)

2009 Harvest Supper (video)

Once again the St. Charles Annual Harvest Supper was a tremendous success! Thank you to the over 120 volunteers who gave generously of their time and talents to put on this great event. We served over 450 people a delicious homemade turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Take a moment to watch this video with photos from the big event!

Winnipeg in Bloom Contest Winner!

St. Charles Parishioner Doreen Pitzel was awarded first place in the Take Pride Winnipeg's 12th Annual Winnipeg in Bloom Contest. Congratulations Doreen!

Communion to the Sick and Shut-Ins

Volunteers are needed, in the St. James area, to assist residents in hospital and nursing homes (Grace Hospital, Deer Lodge Center, Oakview Extended Care Center, Golden West and Heritage Lodge) with Mass or Communion.

If you are interested in receiving the training required in this ministry, please call Annette for further information at 889-1391.

Exciting 2009 Program Planned for Faith Sharing

This year, The St Charles Faith Sharing Group will meet in St. Charles church hall on Wednesday morning beginning at 9:30 (following mass) and ending around 11:30.

We will complete two programs before the Christmas break. The first presentation titled "Broken But Loved” is a four week video series with Fr. Maloney. He reflects on two important facts of life - we suffer from the brokenness of nature and life, and we are immensely and uniquely loved by God.

The second program is a nine week video series called "Jesus as I Know Him" with John Powell, S.J. Some of the topics covered in this series are: 'Who is Jesus?', 'Believing in Miracles' and 'Saying Yes to Faith'.

The usual format of the morning is: attending Mass, having a cup of coffee, watching the video, discussing what we’ve heard and sharing how it applies to our lives. Our group keeps all disclosed information in complete confidence. We end the morning with a group prayer.

St. Charles Faith Sharing Group presently consists of 10 ladies and we invite anyone who is interested to come out and join us. For more information please contact Fran Blanchard at 889 -7348.

Holy Names House of Peace Firesides

Holy Names House of Peace Firesides

On Saturday, Sept 19th, Bev Goodwin will be speaking on the topic of mental health. This will take place in Marie Rose Hall at 211 Edmonton Street. Coffee is at 10am, the session will run from 10:30 - 11:45. Deepen your faith and expand your mind and heart. Please join us.

Job Opportunity - Church Maintenance Position

St. Charles Parish is seeking a permanent part-time Maintenance Person to provide maintenance and custodial care to the buildings (Church and Rectory) and surrounding grounds of St. Charles Parish. The incumbent handles mechanical and electrical maintenance, building maintenance, and grounds keeping activities.

• Ensure preventative and ongoing maintenance on all mechanical and electrical systems and equipment including air compressor, boiler, fans, water heaters and plumbing, circulating pumps, coolers and freezers, etc.
• Handle electrical maintenance including electrical repairs, burned out light bulbs and ballasts.
• Perform interior and exterior repairs including light carpentry, general repairs to fixtures, flooring, walls and equipment and painting.
• Maintain attractive grounds, performing basic functions as cutting grass, sweeping walkways, removing litter, leaves and other debris. Maintain fences, sheds and storage areas.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the Maintenance Committee or Parish Priest.

Requirements and Qualifications
• Two (2) years of building maintenance experience is preferred.
• Knowledge of basic HVAC and mechanical functions of a large non-residential building.
• Mechanically inclined and well experienced in a general building repair and maintenance.
• Demonstrated ability to work alone and with minimal direct supervision.
• Able to lift or move objects up to 100 pounds without assistance.
• Able to communicate with contractors, staff and volunteers on maintenance issues.
• Available on call for emergencies and able to work outdoors in Summer and Winter conditions.

This is a part-time, permanent position (10 hours/week & up to 10 hours/month for emergency needs). If you meet these qualifications and are interested in the position, please notify us in writing (with resume) no later than Tuesday, September 16, 2009.

St. Charles Catholic Parish
Attention: Maintenance Position
395 St. Charles Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3K 1T7
Tel: (204) 889-3248 Fax: (204) 885-1997 Email: stcharls@mts.net

Should you prefer to apply using an application form, please contact the Parish Office at 889-3248.

Harvest Supper Planned for September 27th

Plans are underway for St. Charles Church's annual Harvest Supper! Mark your calendars to join us on Sunday September 27th, 2009. We count on numerous volunteers to make this event a success every year. Please contact Anna Desilets (204) 895-2420 for more information. Tickets will be available early September - we will keep you posted!

Knight of Columbus Mixed Golf Tournament, Sunday, July 5th

This year’s Golf Tournament was an outstanding success - A good time was enjoyed by all. Your support helped us to gather for a day of fun and golf

Thanks to our sponsors and supporters, we were able to award prizes for individual golfers, winners of the putting contest and each person who attended took a prize home. The meal and fellowship were terrific and many in attendance were talking about returning next year!

Proceeds from the golf, the dinner and the many company sponsors helped us generate a total donation of $2000 for St. Charles Parish.

The Knights wish to thank everyone for their support. Planning for the 2010 tournament is underway we will keep you posted!