The Catholic Women's League is an organization rooted in Gospel values and calls all members to holiness through service to all people of God. Chartered on March 1st, 1953, for over 60 years we have been a vibrant group of women with a strong voice on contemporary issues of moral and social justice. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month- September through June. Meetings begin with Mass at 7:00 p.m.; a business meeting and social follow. During the winter months of January through March, the meetings are held at 1:00 p.m. A Prayer Service precedes these meetings. With our God given talents, we are disciples of Jesus to the world, as in the words of St. Francis of Assisi; (We) "Preach the Gospel at all times, and, when necessary, use words"
The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (D&P) was established by the Canadian Council of Bishops, Laity, Clergy and Religious in 1967 to find solution to the poverty and injustice. D&P has a twofold mandate: to educate Canadians about the Third World, now called the Fall Action Campaign and to raise funds to support projects in the Third World which is done mainly during the Share Lent Campaign held in all parishes across Canada. At the same time it also solicits donations to provide emergency relief abroad for natural disasters and other human tragedies. St. Alfred parishioners have helped to keep the beacon of D&P alive for both the Fall action and the Share Lent campaigns. Visit D&P website: www.devp.org
The Legion of Mary was founded in 1921 by the Servant of God Frank Duff in Dublin, Ireland. Today it is the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church with well over 3 million active members in the world. It has been active in Canada since 1932, and was endorsed by the Second Vatican Council. The basic unit of the Legion is called a praesidium and is established in a parish. Legionaries participate in the life of the parish through visitation of families and the sick-both in their homes and in hospitals-and through collaboration in every apostolic and missionary undertaking sponsored by the parish priest. In this way, Mary's beloved Son, Our Lord, is seen and served in our neighbours. Through these works of mercy, we honour the words of our Lord who said: "Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to Me."
The Feast of Our Lady of Grace has been celebrated in Italy since the times of Ferdinand IV. The King was so taken by the Madonna that he named Her Patron of his town and ordered a church to be built in Her honour. Immigrants from the Molise region of Italy brought the tradition to St. Alfred Parish and continue to honour the Lady of Grace on the first Sunday of June in each year. The celebration is marked by days of veneration and prayer in honour of the Madonna culminating with the annual procession around the church, Mass and social follow. The Feast of Our Lady of Grace has become and continues to be an integral part of the St. Alfred Parish community.
The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was celebrated for the first time in our City on July 19, 1936. This Feast was transferred to St. Alfred when our parish was established in 1951. The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated every year usually the Sunday closest to the 16th of July, with a Triduum of preparation. On the day of the Feast there is a procession around the Church and it culminates with the celebration of Mass in honour of Our Lady. A social will follow in the Pastoral Centre. People from other parishes join us to venerate Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
From the moment of our founding in 1882, charity has been the first principle of the Knights of Columbus.We are men of faith and men of action. Last year alone, in addition to raising and donating more than $158 million to charitable needs and projects, Knights volunteered more than 70 million hours of their time to charitable causes, assisting those in need . Moreover, in the Kof C, we approach these acts of charity together. Pope Benedict XVI calls this the "practice of love...as a community." Our charitable activities encompass an almost infinite variety of local, national and international projects. From international charitable partnerships with Wells of Hope, Special Olympics, the Global Wheelchair mission, Habitat for Humanity, Food for Families, Coats for Kids projects and other local charities. If what we do appeals to you please join us.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter is a movement of the Catholic Church to assist married couples to live out their marriage to the fullest. The Marriage Encounter weekend is for couples who basically have a good marriage, but who may be taking each other too much for granted and who want to recapture the romance of their early years together. It provides couples the means to learn to communicate at a much deeper level and to share their feelings, hopes and dreams with each other in a non-threatening way. This is not a retreat, but takes the form of a workshop or seminar. The weekend is a completely private experience, there is no group sharing. The Worldwide Marriage Encounter experience is offered in over 90 countries and every week about 40 weekends are presented worldwide. In the Niagara Peninsula it is offered twice a year. Visit their website www.wwme.org for more information and to register.
The Seniors Group at St. Alfred was formed several years ago. We meet once a week on Monday afternoons. We socialize, play games at the same time, catch up on each other’s health and concern. We celebrate birthdays and have luncheons for special occasions. We welcome new members and are always looking for spares for Euchre and Bridge. We often go to Royal Henley Retirement Residence for card games or other entertainments.
When 'Il Centro Cattolico Italiano' burned down in the year 2005, the Italian Seniors moved to St. Alfred Pastoral Centre. Our group is made up of 20-30 men. We meet every day in St. Luke Room from 1:00-4:00 p.m. to play cards. Once a year we organize a Christmas Dinner and share a meal with all the members and their families. Every Tuesday afternoon from 1:00-4:00 p.m. the Senior Ladies meet in Sts. Martha/Mary Room to play bingo.
The Society of the Holy Name is a Roman Catholic confraternity open to all Catholic adult males. The apostolate of the Society is to assist in parish ministries by doing the corporal works of mercy as to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, shelter to the homeless, tend the sick, comfort the sorrowing, pray for the living and the dead… The Holy Name Society is a mean of giving us a spiritual boost by praying
together as a body, which helps us to become better Christians. In September 1996, the Pastor sent a letter to 12 parishioners to attend a Holy Name organization meeting. We have now a group of faithful men who meet regularly on the first Tuesday of each month in the Pastoral Centre following the 7:00 p.m. Mass. An invitation is extended to all men of the parish (16 yrs and older) to become members of the Society of the Holy Name.