Saint Agnes Catholic Church
Winter 2010 Newsletter
75 Bluevale St. N, Waterloo
Phone: 885-4480 Fax: 885-6421
Email: office@saintagnescatholicchurch.org
Web: www.saintagnescatholicchurch.org
Pastor’s Message
Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Agnes Community,
I greet you, first of all, not only from my desk, but
also from our renovated St. Agnes Church. Our Feast
of St. Agnes is very close. On January 21st and
especially on January 24th we will give our
thanksgiving to God through our Patron Saint, St.
Agnes.
This past year, 2009, was and is the 40 th
Anniversary of our St. Agnes Church.
Through the special events: Gala and
Anniversary Mass on November 1st,we sang
‘Glory to God’ for God’s immeasurable
graces and gifts: Baptisms, Holy
Communions, Weddings, Confirmations,
Funerals and the many Holy Masses.
I am proud of everyone who participated
in the active life of our Parish in the arch
of the last 40 years. Every gesture of
generosity, every word of mercy and
consolation, every smile of an older
parishioner or cry of an infant or child,
have created and are creating the beauty
and uniqueness of our St. Agnes
Community. Thanks be to God for you and for
everyone!
I want to express my gratitude and thanks to all of
you who participated in our Project Overhead. Thank
you for your prayers and money. I am convinced,
your generosity is endless when you think about the
‘here and now’, and about the future of our St. Agnes
Church. Probably in the near future we have to think
about the church’s roof, and later about the painting
of our church, and still later about a new carpet, and
later yet... etc, etc.
Nevertheless, what is most important is the creating
of our Community of Faith and practicing of healthy
Christian values.
I expressed, in my last Christmas letter titled ‘The
Holy Family as a School of Faith for Today’, my
concern and preoccupation of proper and
healthy education. We are proud of our
Christian civilization. It was created on
the pillars of the literature and
architecture of ancient Greece, on the
law of the justice of Rome, and was
baptized by Christianity. I said that
practically everything we use today, we
have, thanks to our Christian heredity
and Christian Tradition – from the care of
the unborn child to the defence of the
dignity women.
Following the words of Bishop Tonnos,
shared with us at our October Gala, we
discovered the necessity of defending
Catholic education in Canada, the proper
understanding of Christian values and the right place
for the Crucifix in our churches, schools and homes.
The Holy Cross is our love and our pride.
My Friends – St. Paul said: ‘where sin increased, grace
abounded all the more’. There is a toxicity just as
dangerous as air pollution, and it is the pollution of
the spirit, which leads to gloominess and the
tendency to see persons as mere bodies. The new
year 2010 has begun with Mary who is the Mother of
PAGE 2 SAINT AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH — WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER
God — Theotokos. We can reflect on the pollution of
the air and the purity of Mary. Mary constitutes a
sweet and reassuring presence in our Church and in
the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, she recalls the
presence of a Mother who constantly watches over us
today and over the new children of our Community.
She repeats: ‘Do not be afraid, Jesus has conquered
evil. He has conquered it at the root, freeing us from
its dominion.’
Our Community is formed by each one of us. We are
all actors and, in evil as in good, our apostolate has
an influence on others. We cannot always be only
spectators, because we received the dignity given to
God’s children. We are responsible for one another on
the path to the Kingdom of Jesus and Mary. And,
Mary helps each one of us to re-discover and defend
the depth of parishioners, because in her there is
perfect transparency of the soul in the body. She is
purity personified; soul and body are in her, fully
consistent between themselves and the will of God.
Current Parish Council Members
Spiritual Director/Pastor Fr. Piotr Machnacki
Chair Randy Palach
Parish Council Secretary Rachel Trump
Pastoral Assistant Joanne Thorpe
Catholic Women’s League Marilynne Feeney
St. Agnes School Elizabeth Ingle
Representative
St. Luke School Mark Wardell
Representative
St. Matthew School Mary Scott
Representative
Pastoral Assistant Report of Joanne Thorpe
I have been a parishioner at St. Agnes Parish for
about 20 years. I have been the pastoral assistant
here for 16 years. I don’t know how to begin to
express my thankfulness for the people I have met
and the things I have been able to do over the last
two decades. I have helped prepare over 600 families
for Baptism. There is nothing like being a part of a
child’s first encounter with the sacredness of a
We want to be people with a clean spirit and we want
to eliminate any pollution because with pollution of
the spirit our faces are not smiling — even worse,
they are gloomy, which leads us to not greet or look
at one another in the face. We become, simply,
bodies without souls, and things – like objects,
without a face.
With all that has happened, great and positive in our
Parish, today and throughout the last forty years, we
are going to Mary, our Mother of the Church, with the
desire to consecrate ourselves and the future
generations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We
want to sing with Mary the joyful Magnificat: ‘With
all our hearts we praise the Lord and we are glad
because of God our Saviour. He shows mercy to
each one of us.’
Fr. Piotr Machnacki, SAC
Pastor of St. Agnes Parish
Administrative Assistant Judy Kerr
Liturgy Fr. Piotr Machnacki
Communications Margy Wardell
St. Vincent de Paul Eugene McCarthy
Finance Jim Lehman
Maintenance Chris Thorpe
Mike Van Dam
sacrament, even if they do sleep right through the
celebration. I have had the pleasure of preparing
over 1500 children in Grade 2 and 8 for First
Communion and Confirmation. Every year we have
our challenges and struggles, but the rewards are
great when celebration day arrives. I have had the
privilege of knowing countless teachers, educational
assistants, custodians, librarians, and principals at St.
SAINT AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH — WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER
Thomas, St. Agnes, St. Matthew, St. Luke and St.
David schools. For the past few years, I have
thoroughly enjoyed working with parent and youth
volunteers in our Sunday school program that has
affected the lives of over 200 children in our parish.
Spending time with those little ones is what makes
9am Holy Mass a little easier to get up for. Children’s
liturgies, Christmas pageants, feast day celebrations
and Passion Plays have offered me a unique and
fulfilling time of preparation throughout the church
year. A young woman who was very active in my first
school-based social justice team, and took on the role
of Jesus in one of my first Stations of the Cross
tableaus for Grade 8’s, is now teaching at St. Luke
School. She and her husband are expecting their first
child. Whenever I become frustrated or think I can’t
do my job anymore, God sends one of those children
to find me at a school, in the mall or in the grocery
store. Their memories and smiles are a reminder of
PAGE 3
the gifts He has given me over the years. The
community of St. Agnes Parish is very lucky to have
had consistent pastoral guidance and care during the
last 20 years — as I have only worked with three
priests during that time. Each of them offered me
support and encouragement and for that I am
grateful. I am also thankful for the parishioners at St.
Agnes who participate in our programs and
celebrations. Many of them have shared with me
their thanks, their prayers, their encouragement,
their tears and laughter. They are the heartbeat of
this community and I would not have much of a job
without them. Finally, I am thankful to God for
waiting so patiently for me to answer His call to
Parish Ministry. I hope I can continue to answer that
call for a few more years.
God Bless

Parish Finance Report of Jim Lehman, Chair of Finance Committee

I n 2009, we have seen our weekly Sunday offerings

decrease by $12,000, which in all probability was
due to the focus on ‘Project Overhead’. Due to tight
control of expenses and Father Irek not yet being re-
placed, we hope, with your continued support for the
rest of the year, to keep the shortfall for 2009 in the
$5 - $10,000 range. This is certainly remarkable in
light of the success of ‘Project Overhead’ and the
hard economic times.
St. Agnes parishioners and friends must certainly be
commended for responding to the challenge of raising
$175,000 for Project Overhead over the past 12
months; it is even more astonishing considering the
tough economic times we are experiencing. The spirit
of the St. Agnes community came through. This
money paid for the required roof beam repairs and
placed us in a position to retire our existing debt to
the Diocese. As you are well aware, our church roof
has been a major concern for a number of years and
our maintenance committee is reviewing the situation
and plans to make a recommendation to the Finance
Committee in the new year. At this point, we will
evaluate our priorities.
Your continued support is appreciated. The chal-
lenges we face today, though different, are the same
we have faced in the past 40 years. We survived our
first 40 years and with these experiences we will sur-
vive and flourish in the 40 to come.

Once we open our hearts to holiness, it can only grow. We smile not for a reason, but because the
Lord smiles with us.
He has found joy for us, an all-encompassing joy echoing through the chambers of our souls and find-
ing Jesus there & there & there …. At each encounter He says, “Everywhere you look you will find
me, but you must never stop looking. Let my gift to you be the conviction of love.”
Rachel Trump
PAGE 4 SAINT AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH — WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER

Fundraising Committee Report by Michael Fitzgerald, Project Overhead Chair

A s our calendar is about to turn over another page,

we too are turning a page in the 40 year history
of St. Agnes Parish.
Thanks to our Brilliant Committee!
Fr. Piotr Machnacki
Randy Palach, Parish Council Chair
After an 18 month campaign, we are closing the book
Michael Fitzgerald, Fund Raising Chair
on the Project Overhead Fundraiser. Without the en-
Jim Lehman, Treasurer
thusiasm and support of our parishioners the goal of
Ann Marie Sehl
$175,000.00 could not have been achieved. The cam-
Elizabeth Ingle
paign launched in April 2008, officially ended with the
Alfie Renon
Gala Dinner held in October 2009.
Bill Weiler
Through the generosity of many, we were able to
raise the funds needed to pay for the work done on
Our committee invited as many parishioners as pos-
the beams in the church and to fulfill our financial
sible to assist in the many events. Thank you to the
obligation to the Diocesan office. Your monetary aid,
along with your enthusiasm for the events planned by individuals and families who pitched in along the
our committee, was vital to the success of this pro- way!
ject. As chair of ‘Project Overhead’, I would like to
take this time to offer my heartfelt thanks to the “Special Mention”
many dedicated volunteers who shared their time and
talents planning and carrying out the many wonderful Sandy Weiler and the many volunteers associ-
and profitable activities and events. These events not ated with the ‘dinner theatre’
only raised much needed dollars, but also brought a St. Agnes, St. Luke, and St. Matthew Schools
renewed community spirit to our Parish. Catholic Women’s League
Charity comes from the heart and in these tough eco- St. Agnes Quilting Group
nomic times we appreciate the fact that it took ‘a lot St. Vincent de Paul Society
of heart’ to commit your hard-earned dollars to this Ken Benninger & Schneider Male Chorus
campaign. We would like to thank all who supported Sweet Adelines and St. Agnes Children’s
this campaign… whether large or small, your donation Choir
was critical and much appreciated.
Judy Kerr and Joanne Thorpe
With the conclusion of this very successful fundraiser, Catherine Palach
let’s not forget the needs of our Parish. St. Agnes Susan Fitzgerald
Church will always be our spiritual refuge and will The Weber and Renon Families
continue to require our financial support. Your con-
Bill Weiler & our Bingo Volunteers
tinued weekly offering is essential in meeting the on-
going expenses of the parish, and the upkeep of the
And...The many unsung heroes of the cam-
Church building. paign quietly working behind the scenes.

*Bingo will continue to run as long as volunteers are Thank you!

available to work at it....Funds derived from Bingo
A complete financial breakdown of Project Over-
will be directed to the expenses of special projects
head can be found on the next page......
pertaining to the church building specifically*

Thank you to all who supported this effort with their

prayers and kind words of encouragement.
SAINT AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH — WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER PAGE 5

Event/ Organization Amount

Pledges
$127,775.00
Bingo
$16,000.00
Catholic Charities Lotteries Rebate $90.00

Dinner Theatre $15,000.00

Pallottine Fathers $1,000.00

St. Agnes Catholic Women’s League $4,333.00

St. Vincent de Paul Society $1,000.00

Tuesday Morning Group $85.35

Schneider Male Chorus $1,025.00

St. Agnes Quilter’s Group $1,000.00

Sweet Adelines/ St. Agnes Children’s Choir Pot Luck $616.07

Ennio’s Spaghetti Dinner $3,301.84

‘Mission Possible’ (Including Skating Party, Family Picnic, Beach Party $4,398.45
Poinsettias & Mother’s Day Flowers and the following school totals)
St. Agnes School Mission Day $689.38
St. Luke School Mission Day $300.00
St. Matthew School P.J. Day $364.00
Misc. Donations and Memoriams
$840.51
40th Anniversary Gala Dinner
$1,020.03

Grand Total $177,485.25

PAGE 6 SAINT AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH — WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER
Misson Possible Report by Elizabeth Ingle
“MISSION: POSSIBLE!” An example? The “MISSION: POS-
SIBLE!” student volunteers
Returns For Another Great Year! were out in full force “serving”
Poinsettia customers before
A s with last year, our Primary Focus is the involve-
ment of our fantastic students in fun activities
that allow them to demonstrate the many Christian
Christmas with eagerness and
enthusiasm — a wonderful dem-
values and basic positive life skills we strive to teach onstration of what is POSSIBLE
in our Homes, Schools & Churches. Through volun- when we give kids a chance to
teering their time, skills & talents in the running of get involved in service to oth-
these social events they get a chance to “live” these ers...they rise to the opportunity & spread joy!
values, serve others....and participate in creating a Thank-you to all! -
great time for all!

January 29th, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm — Fun On Friday – Drop In, Hang Out & Make New Friends!

• A place for kids Grades 6 - 8 to get together in a positive & safe environment & have some fun
hangin’ out..
• Music, movies, munchies, ping pong, chess, board games and a chill zone to just get together with
friends.....
• Supervised
Watch for more details coming soon!
February 13th — St. Agnes Family Pot Luck Dinner & Dance, Parish Hall

Bring your friends & family for dinner and a chance to hit the dance floor! JP the DJ from last year’s
hugely successful Beach Party will be back with lots of great music for all! Details to be announced
soon!

March 6th — The Skating Party returns! Albert McCormick, 4-5 pm. Stay tuned.

Would you like to help out? Please let us know! Elizabeth Ingle emk236@yahoo.ca

Catholic Women’s League Report by Marilynne Feeney, 2009/2010 Past President

T his year we celebrated the St. Agnes Church’s 40th

Anniversary. Our Council began in 1967. Our St.
Agnes Church was built in 1969. What is old is new
St. Agnes Parishioners began celebrating Holy Mass in
the St. Agnes School building until our Place of Wor-
ship was built. We had C.W.L. members read at Mass,
again. commentate and assist as Min-
isters of Communion. New
A new feeling of family then, we still have a new beams recently went up above
feeling of family with families joining our Parish, pa- our heads to secure the origi-
rishioners being married, children being Baptized, and nal beams built 40 years ago.
new Altar Servers joining the experienced. Forty C.W.L. council members con-
years ago the group was only boys, but now we have tributed towards the Elevator
boys, girls and men ranging in age from 8 to 82. Project approximately 10 ago
SAINT AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH — WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER
as well as Project Overhead this past year, and of
course, towards many smaller events along the way.
Our C.W.L. Council began 42 years ago with over 200
members. Our current membership is over 250. We
began with German Pallotine Fathers as our Spiritual
Directors. Currently we have a Polish Pallotine Father
as our Spiritual Advisor.
Our Executive members are still busy ladies with
families and careers. While our committees have
changed, we still work for God, Canada and St. Agnes
Church. Oh and our members! Our ladies do every-
thing from own their own businesses to being Stay-at-
Home Moms and Grand Moms. We may happily say
that we can count among our membership many
mothers and daughters and daughters-in-laws — from
16 year old new members, to members who have
joined over 65 years ago. We even have a member
who has been in the St. Agnes Choir since its incep-
tion. We have a member who has laundered, cleaned
and mended Altar Linens and garments for over 40
years. We also have new members who have just had
a baby. We have an adult member of 15 years who
has just gotten her first actual job outside the home.
And as well, we have members who have just retired
after years in the workforce.
So many activities are new, yet old, at our Church/
Knights of Columbus by Jamie Jewer
T he Knights of Columbus are very active in St.
Agnes parish, serving in all of the various liturgi-
cal roles – Lectors, Commentators, Ministers of Com-
munion, and in Marriage and Baptism Preparation.
The Knights also serve the St. Agnes community di-
rectly by sponsoring a monthly Holy Hour, and by our
4th Degree Honour Guard participation in Confirmation
and other special liturgical celebrations, including
honouring our deceased members with an annual Me-
morial Mass that is normally held in St. Agnes church.
Members of our council are also actively involved in
charitable activities such as our New Toys for Needy
Kids Toy Drive, which provides toys to the St. Agnes
Conference of St. Vincent de Paul. Our other fund-
raising activities allow us to regularly support the par-
ish with funds for St. Vincent de Paul, and other ac-
tivities such as the Good Shepherd Atrium and last
year’s Vacation Bible School. Our members are also
PAGE 7
Parish/Council. We have a continuing yet renewed
spirit of the Holy Spirit, with the celebration of Holy
Mass. Our Prayer Network prays for the needs of a
few particulars folks and for all members across Can-
ada. For many years we have led fellow Parishioners
in Stations of the Cross during Lent, and for three
years now we have led in the Stations of the Nativity
during Advent.
We have held Card Parties to raise funds for needs of
our Parish and Church. We have raised funds for wells
to be dug in South America — providing water for hun-
dreds. We have been donating to the Attawapiskat
Mission in Northern Ontario for over 40 years. For
many years we donated clothing and now it is best
that we donate funds, so we shall.
I am proud to say, the St. Agnes Council members
take their pledge “For God and Canada” to truly
mean here at St. Agnes Church and out into the
world, joining, leading and following “…for the glory
of God”. To all our charter members, our long-time
members and our new members, thank you and I ask
that you join me in a silent prayer, thanking God for
our St. Agnes Church, a sanctuary of hope, love and
the goodness of God.
active in the parish by provid-
ing time and money to various
parish fundraising efforts.
The Knights of Columbus,
which is thankful for our many
strong members from St. Agnes
parish, is also actively involved
in other community charitable
and pro-life activities. We provide funds to Dog
Guides Canada to sponsor dogs for children, and our
sales of pro-life roses go to raise funds for the KW
Right to Life. At this time of year, we also support
the message of Keep Christ in Christmas by sponsor-
ing a lighted nativity display at the Wonders of Win-
ter light display in Waterloo Park.
PAGE 8 SAINT AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH — WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER
Our Schools
St. Agnes
I n the role of School Representative for
St. Agnes School, I have the opportunity
to keep both the school and the parish
informed about relevant activities &
initiatives which have mutual impact.
During St. Agnes school council meetings
for example, I will present a report which
not only informs about news of possible
interest, but will strive to engage support for
programs and initiatives underway at the parish. This
Christmas for example, extra support was requested
and successfully received from the school for the St.
Vincent de Paul food needs for the hamper program.
Also in this forum, programs like “MISSION:
POSSIBLE!” are shared and participation is promoted
and encouraged.
Similarly, news and updates from the school level are
brought to Parish Council meetings. This way our
Parish stays aware and connected with the needs and
St. Matthew
A s usual St. Matthew School has had a very busy
first term. We welcomed Mary Mayer as our new
Vice Principal this September. Our Open House was
very well attended as was our first School Council
meeting. On September 21st we celebrated our
opening School Mass and the Feast of St. Matthew.
Our fall fundraiser was once again a great success,
with funds raised being used to support initiatives
such as: in-class learning
presentations, faith, art, and to
offset transportation and agenda
costs.
October and November have also
been busy with our participation
in the Thanksgiving Food Drive, Grade 4 Bible
Celebration, Advent preparations and monthly
assemblies — to name just a few.
concerns of St. Agnes School.
Our objective is to ensure that a
communication link exists between our
Parish and its’ schools. This creates
opportunity to build and grow relationships,
and to ensure that our Catholic Christian
values are being supported, nurtured,
demonstrated and expanded wherever
possible.
My husband Steve and I have two daughters attending
St. Agnes school – Sarah (11) in Grade 6, and Olivia (8)
in Grade 3. This extra level of involvement with their
school life is very rewarding to us. I personally enjoy
the opportunity to contribute my time and
perspective in ways that can have a positive impact
on their experience at St. Agnes school and their
Parish.
Elizabeth Ingle
Parish Representative
In reflecting on the theme of Thanksgiving, I would
have to say that, as serving as the Parish
Representative for St. Matthew School for the last 6
years, the most gratifying aspect of this ministry is
having the opportunity to get to know my fellow
members of Parish Council. They have continually
offered me their friendship and their support.
Being a member of St. Agnes Parish does feel like
family on so many levels. By taking the chance on
volunteering for this particular ministry it has led to
my involvement in other Parish activities. For that I
am truly grateful.
Mary Scott
Parish Representative
SAINT AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH — WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER
St. Luke
W e are in the midst of a busy school year at St.
Luke School. The Dance-a-Thon was held at the
end of October. This year the School Council decided
to collect food rather than funds for the school.
Nearly 5000 lbs of food was collected and donated to
the Food Bank in the name of the St. Agnes St.
Vincent de Paul Conference. Students from all classes
participated in donating food and in taking turns
dancing to music in the gym.
The students of St. Luke performed the play “The
Christmas Carol” on the evenings of December 15, 16,
and 17th to a packed gymnasium. Thank you to all the
students who shared their gifts and talents received
from God. Thank you to the students and staff for
their hard work and months of preparation and to
Children’s Choir Report by Carleen Van Dam
T he St. Agnes Parish Children’s
Choir was re-established in our
Parish in 2003 by Carleen and
Michael Van Dam, along with
fellow parishioner Delores
Alexander. Now in its seventh year,
the Choir has grown from a choir of three to a choir
of 20 or so children, ranging in age from seven to
fifteen. A few members have offered to become
accompanists as their skills and talents as musicians
develop, and this has definitely added a new
dimension to our Choir. Choir members are leaders of
song at our twice monthly Children’s Liturgies, as well
as our Christmas Eve Family Mass, Good Friday and
Easter morning services, and other special occasions
throughout the church year. They were invited to sing
in Concert with the Sweet Adeline’s in December
2006 as part of a Christmas fundraiser for Out of the
Cold, and hosted a Christmas Concert in our Parish,
along with special guests, the Sweet Adeline’s, in
December 2008, to help raise funds for Project
Overhead. Twice the children have been asked to sing
at weddings, a definite honour for those who were
PAGE 9
those who attended the shows.
We would like to thank Fr. Piotr and Joanne for their
support of the faith development and the sacramental
preparation programs this year, which includes many
classroom visits. We are especially grateful for the
frequent Holy Masses celebrated in the gymnasium.
Once again the School Council
will be providing transportation
for all St Luke students to the
year-end Holy Mass at the
Parish.
Mark Wardell
Parish Representative
able, and we have been able to offer retreats for our
members in the past as well. The Children’s Choir
sings on the second and last weekend of each month,
at our Parish Children’s Liturgies on Sundays at 9:00
a.m., as well as occasions such as our Feast Day and
all Parish First Communions. Schedules are provided
in advance. Children must be in grade 3 or older, and
our Choir is open to new members at any time. Join
us for practices, held every Thursday evening 6:00
p.m. to 7:00 p.m. downstairs in the library in the
Parish Centre. Come on out and join us! See what we
are all about and then make a commitment for the
school year. We do not sing during July and August.
We are very grateful to the children and their families
for their outstanding commitment to this Choir, and
hope many more children will grace us with their
presence in the years to come! For more information,
contact Carleen or Michael Van Dam at 519-886-7391
PAGE 10 SAINT AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH — WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER
Good Shepherd Atrium Report by Margaret Wardell, Catechist

T he Good Shepherd Catechesis Program had its

seed planted at St. Agnes Parish in 2001. In the
past years we have had help from Catechists from St.
field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but
when it grows up, it is the biggest of all
plants. It becomes a tree, so that birds
Louis Parish, St. Mark’s Parish, St. Teresa’s Parish in come and make their nests in its branches."
Elmira, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, and from our own Matthew 13: 31,32
Parish family. The depth of love for God and the
Their time in the atrium presents an opportunity for
Catholic Faith is evident when the families bring their
their seed of faith to sprout up. Children need time
children to the atrium once a week, sometimes twice
and space to focus on their faith development and
a week if their children are in two
friendship with Jesus — the atrium attempts to
different levels and in some cases
provide this environment and is a place free from the
three times a week when the
distractions of the world. I am thankful for the
children are in three different age
smiles on the faces of the children when they come
groups. I am thankful for the
to the atrium. I am thankful for their eagerness to
growth of the program in our
learn more about the life of Jesus. I am thankful for
Parish. When I see the children
the parents who have decided to bring their children
come to the atrium I am reminded
week after week.
of the Parable of the Mustard Seed.
Catechists and helpers in the Atrium: M. Armbruster,
"The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man
Wendy Hicknell, Maria Lambour, Margarita Varela.
takes a mustard seed and sows it in his

Baptisms In Memoriam
September October Douglas Haelzle Died September 12, 2009
Mike Hagop Noah Wyatt Paquette
Brian Stephens Died October 22, 2009
Conrad Maximilian Totzke Emileigh Bonita Docherty
Ruby Starla McKenna Saira Isabella D’Mello Peter Ancich November 30, 2009
Joseph Matthew Miller Nichole Hutchinson
Jonah Peter Takacs

Marriages
Cheryl Ann Feeney and Jeffrey Beaupre - October 10, 2009

Conrad Maximilian Totzke

November December
Olivia Marie George Carlos Joshua Garcia
Johnathan Joseph Nguyen Keira Helen Prudham
Brody Richard Bonn Connor Garrett Blanchard-
Messent
Savana Ana-Rose Harris-
Blanchard
Lauren Christian Loucas
Olivia Mary Martin
SAINT AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH — WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER PAGE 11
Message from Carl Schropp – former Director of St. Agnes Sanctuary Choir
Carl Schropp has recently prepared an inspiring CD Mary’s Hospital Foundation, in support of cardiac
with his favourite hymns. It is titled, ‘Rejoice! A care.
Celebration of Life’ and has musical accompaniment
The price for the CD is $20 and may be purchased
provided by Danny McKellar – a fellow parishioner at
through the following resources:
St. Agnes Parish. The CD was created as a musician’s
‘thanksgiving to God’ for a successful quadruple heart • St. Agnes Parish Office, 75 Bluevale St. N.
bypass surgery. Carl said the nurses and doctors did Waterloo
“such a good job that I’m back again.” The word • Carl Schropp, 519-885-6315,
‘rejoice’ stuck in his head when he realized he was ccschropp@golden.net
• St. Mary's Hospital Gift Shop Kitchener
still alive following the surgery. To show his grati-
tude to the staff at St. Mary’s Hospital, Carl is donat-
ing all proceeds from the sale of this CD to the St.
PAGE 12 SAINT AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH — WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER
Our Patron Saint
extend to their churches also, and that the faithful,
[1] "might hold communion with the generous martyr
of Christ" (generoso Christi martyri communicarent).
Martyrs whose cause, so to speak, had been dis-
cussed, and the fame of whose martyrdom had been
confirmed, were known as proved (vindicati) martyrs.
In the earlier ages, therefore, this veneration of the
saints was entirely local and passed from one church
to another with the permission of their bishops. This
is clear from the fact that in none of the ancient
Christian cemeteries are there found paintings of
martyrs other than those who had suffered in that
neighborhood.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-congregation#Pre-Congregation

Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

Prayer to Saint Agnes
Born c. 291
Died c. 304 (aged 12) Let us gain courage for our own
Canonized Pre-Congregation * battle
by honoring the martyrdom of
Major shrine Church of Sant'Agnese fuori le mura
the glorious
and the Church of Sant'Agnese in
virgin Agnes.
Agone, both in Rome
St. Agnes, vessel of honor,
Feast January 21
flower of unfading fragrance,
Symbol a lamb beloved of the choirs of Angels,
Patronage Betrothed couples; chastity; Children you are an example to the
of Mary; Colegio Capranica of Rome; worth of virtue and chastity.
crops; gardeners; Girl Guides; girls; O you who wear a Martyr's palm
virgins; St. Agnes parish, Waterloo and a virgin's wreath,
pray for us that,
Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_of_Rome
though unworthy of a special
*Pre-Congregation Canonization crown,
we may have our names written
The decision as to the martyr having died for his faith
in the list of Saints.
in Christ, and the consequent permission of venera-
tion, lay originally with the bishop of the place in www.catholicdoors.com/prayers
which he had borne his testimony. The bishop in-
quired into the motive of his death and, finding he
had died a martyr, sent his name with an account of
his martyrdom to other churches, especially neighbor-
ing ones, so that, in event of approval by their re-
spective bishops, the cultus of the martyr might
SAINT AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH — WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER PAGE 13
Patron Saint of Pallotine Fathers
The hardest thing in the apostolate and in all pastoral
work is not to reach the other person, to be without
success, to be misunderstood and to be left working
alone. Pallotti carried this burden without complaint
to the Hill of the Cross.
p. 34, 35 St. Vincent Pallotti A Prophet For Our Time

Saint Vincent Pallotti

Born April 21, 1795, Rome

Against Anxiety Vincent
Died January 22, 1850 (aged 64), Rome
Pallotti often calls for
Canonized 1963, Rome by Pope John XXIII
trust:
Feast January 22
“Your greatest weakness
Buried Church of San Salvatore in Onda,
Is your lack of trust in
Rome
God.
Your miserable condition
Has its roots in your
excessive worry.
Abandon once and for all
Your destructive anxiety.
We must let a permanent
Unlimited trust in God
Rule our lives.
It will be followed by
peace.”
p.20 St. Vincent Pallotti A Prophet
For Our Time

In Pallotti’s room stood a Hill of Calvary. In front of a

painted backdrop stood the cross of Jesus. …it was
an expression of his religious attitude. In the cross he
found strength and courage. He knew that God’s love
is real. For hours and through long nights he prayed
before this sign of salvation. “The safest road”, he
wrote, “is the road of suffering.” Our Saviour came
along this road, as well as His Mother and the saints.”