Announcements!

In anticipation of cold, wintry weather, Sunday night’s Youth Group Meeting will be cancelled.

Just a few tickets left for spaghetti dinner tomorrow! Call the office today and reserve yours with e-transfer!

Happy Feast of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, and our Patroness!

This morning’s email came with a lovely surprise from Fr. Phil Reilly; a photograph of the statue of St. Agnes from Agony Church in Rome.

Thank you for thinking of us, Fr. Phil!

From a treatise On Virgins by Saint Ambrose, bishop

Too young to be punished, yet old enough for a martyr’s crown

Today is the birthday of a virgin; let us imitate her purity. It is the birthday of a martyr; let us offer ourselves in sacrifice. It is the birthday of Saint Agnes, who is said to have suffered martyrdom at the age of twelve. The cruelty that did not spare her youth shows all the more clearly the power of faith in finding one so young to bear it witness.

  There was little or no room in that small body for a wound. Though she could scarcely receive the blow, she could rise superior to it. Girls of her age cannot bear even their parents’ frowns and, pricked by a needle, weep as for a serious wound. Yet she shows no fear of the blood-stained hands of her executioners. She stands undaunted by heavy, clanking chains. She offers her whole body to be put to the sword by fierce soldiers. She is too young to know of death, yet is ready to face it. Dragged against her will to the altars, she stretches out her hands to the Lord in the midst of the flames, making the triumphant sign of Christ the victor on the altars of sacrilege. She puts her neck and hands in iron chains, but no chain can hold fast her tiny limbs.

  A new kind of martyrdom! Too young to be punished, yet old enough for a martyr’s crown; unfitted for the contest, yet effortless in victory, she shows herself a master in valour despite the handicap of youth. As a bride she would not be hastening to join her husband with the same joy she shows as a virgin on her way to punishment, crowned not with flowers but with holiness of life, adorned not with braided hair but with Christ himself.

  In the midst of tears, she sheds no tears herself. The crowds marvel at her recklessness in throwing away her life untasted, as if she had already lived life to the full. All are amazed that one not yet of legal age can give her testimony to God. So she succeeds in convincing others of her testimony about God, though her testimony in human affairs could not yet be accepted. What is beyond the power of nature, they argue, must come from its creator.

  What menaces there were from the executioner, to frighten her; what promises made, to win her over; what influential people desired her in marriage! She answered: “To hope that any other will please me does wrong to my Spouse. I will be his who first chose me for himself. Executioner, why do you delay? If eyes that I do not want can desire this body, then let it perish.” She stood still, she prayed, she offered her neck.

  You could see fear in the eyes of the executioner, as if he were the one condemned; his right hand trembled, his face grew pale as he saw the girl’s peril, while she had no fear for herself. One victim, but a twin martyrdom, to modesty and to religion; Agnes preserved her virginity, and gained a martyr’s crown.

2026 ENVELOPES Your 2026 offertory envelopes will be in the parish office for pickup. Please understand that you MAY have been assigned a new number. If you have registered a different method of offering (Canada Helps or preauthorized debit, for example) and no longer require paper envelopes, please send us an email or give us a call and we can reassign your envelope number. THANK YOU for your continued support of St. Agnes Parish!

Forgiven: The Transforming Power of Confession, explores the grace and healing offered in Confession and shows how this sacrament of mercy reveals the depth and bounty of God’s love.

Join Fr. Jeff for this series beginning Tuesday, February 17th at 7pm.

Go to our EVENTS page for what to watch for in January including:

  • NEW!!! Men’s Social Hour group
  • GENTLE EXERCISE group
  • Spaghetti Dinner
  • Crafternoon
  • Serra Club
  • NEW!!! Monthly Youth Group Meetings!

Wow! We’ve got a hopping New Year to look forward to…come join us!

Installation of the 10th Bishop of Hamilton

The Installation of His Excellency, Bishop Joseph Dabrowski, as the 10th Bishop of Hamilton will take place on Monday, February 2, at 11:00 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King in Hamilton.

This is an invitation-only liturgical celebration. For those unable to attend in person, the Mass will be livestreamed (link to come), allowing the wider diocesan community to participate prayerfully from home.

We invite the faithful of the Diocese to keep our new Bishop in prayer as he begins his episcopal ministry among us, asking that he be warmly welcomed and supported in this new chapter of service.

A few weeks following the Installation, Bishop Dabrowski will celebrate Mass with the diocesan community on the First Sunday of Lent.
Further details will be shared in the coming weeks

Hey Everybody, Jerome the Bear is back!

Read all about what happens when Jerome is here with us and how you can get a chance to take him home for a while!

The Catholic Register – a Podcast “REGISTERED”

THE CATHOLIC REGISTER, Canada’s oldest Catholic newspaper, is taking its next step into the digital age with the launch of its first podcast, REGISTERED.  It will go beyond the headlines to provide listeners with weekly insights into the stories shaping the Catholic World that were carried over all of its platforms, with a special focus on issues that matter most to Canadian Catholics. Check out the podcast here for a weekly release!