From G G Maxim D'Mello

Toronto, May 19: On April 7, 1506 Francis was born in the family castle of Xavier, near Pamplona in the Basque area of Spanish Navarre.

In commemoration of the 500th birthday of this great Jesuit saint and missionary, the Indian communities in Toronto are organizing various events and celebrations. The Jubilee Year commences on December 3, 2005 and concludes on December 3rd 2006.

There are many events being planned for the Jubilee Year but the four main ones are as follows:

1. There will be a summer outing which will be held on June 11, 2006.

The day-out will take place at Centennial Park which is located in Etobicoke and the major intersection is Rathburn Road and Renforth Drive.

Area 7 and 8 in Centennial Park will hold the day-out from 11 am to 5pm.

A Mass will be offered at 12 noon. There will also be various games and activities for people of all ages and this will serve as a wonderful opportunity for members of the Indian communities to mingle and get to know each other.

http://www.toronto.ca/parks/parks_gardens/centennial.htm

2. The second event is a parish mission made up of three parts. This mission will be held in three churches across the GTA simultaneously:

St Francis Xavier Parish
5650 Mavis Road
Mississauga, Ontario, L5V 2N6
Tel: (905) 890-5290

St Isaac Jogues Parish
1148 Finch Ave.
Pickering, Ontario, L1V 1J6
Tel: (905) 831-3353 x 223

Holy Spirit Parish
3526 Sheppard Avenue East                                              
Scarborough, Ontario, M1T 3K7
Tel: (416) 293-7974

The mission will take place on three consecutive Friday evenings. They will be held on  September 22, September 29  and October 6, 2006. This arrangement will allow people to go to a church that is conveniently located for them while the 3 priests (Fr Michael D”Cruz, OFM, Fr Michael Coutts, SJ and Fr Edwin Gonsalves) will move from one church to another on the 3 consecutive Fridays. Thus, over the 3 Fridays people will have the opportunity to hear the 3 different priests speaking on the Jubilee Year.

Finally, on December 3, 2006 there will be an event to conclude the Jubilee Year with. A Eucharistic Celebration will be held at noon. Fr Jean Marc Laporte SJ (Provincial Superior of the Upper Canada Province) will preside and South Asian priests in the GTA will be invited to concelebrate. This event will draw the Jubilee Year to an end and it will be another great opportunity for members of the various Indian communities to gather and celebrate their unity in diversity.

Please make note of the above dates and mark them in your calendar. There will be more detailed information on each of the events as the dates would draw near. Please pass on this information to other people who may be interested. If you need any further information please contact Fr Daryl Miranda SJ at 416 721-9430 or d2miranda2004@yahoo.ca

For other Jesuit Jubilee Year information please go to: www.jesuits.ca/news/anniversary.htm

The above events are being sponsored by the following Associations:
Goan Overseas Association (GOA)
St Francis Xavier Senior’s Club
The Canorient Christian Association (Canorient)                         
The Canorient Seniors Association
The Jesuit Fathers of Upper Canada
The Manglorean Association of Canada