All are welcome to join Archbishop Dunn and the priests of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yamouth as we celebrate the Chrism Mass on March 31 at 12:00 noon at Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica. It is held during Holy Week in every Catholic diocese. During this Mass, the priests, deacons and representatives of the entire diocesan community gather around their Bishop, who blesses the Holy Oils for use in the coming year.
These are:
* Oil of the Sick
* Oil of Catechumens
* Sacred Chrism
Whenever the Holy Oils are used in a diocese, the ministry of the Bishop who consecrated them is symbolically present.
The Chrism Mass reminds us of our oneness in Christ through Baptism and its holy anointing, made possible by the ministry of the Bishop and his priests. The Chrism Mass is also a key moment in which the unity of the Bishop with his priests (together, they form the presbyterate) is manifested and renewed. During the liturgy, the entire assembly is called to renew its baptismal promises; deacons and priests also renew their vow of obedience to the local Bishop and their commitment to serve God’s people. At the end of the Chrism Mass, the Holy Oils are brought back to parishes of the diocese for use in the coming year.
If you’ve never been to a Chrism Mass before, come and experience this special liturgy and celebrate the beginning of Holy Week.
SATURDAY, March 28 4:00 p.m.
Shad Bay
Intentions: + Kathleen Reid by Sandra Jefferies
SUNDAY, March 29 9:00 a.m. Chester Intentions: for the Parishioners of Holy Apostles Parish
11:00 a.m. Hubbards
11:00 a.m. Upper Tantallon
TUESDAY, March 31 6:30 p.m.
Shad Bay NO MASS
WEDNESDAY, April 1 9:00 a.m. Chester NO MASS
HOLY THURSDAY April 2 - 7:00 p.m.
Chester
Shad Bay
Upper Tantallon *
*Holy Thursday Foot Washing
If you wish to have your foot washed,
please get in touch with Dinah Simmons at releducate.mbourgeoys@gmail.com.
GOOD FRIDAY April 3
10:00 a.m. Upper Tantallon
Family Service - Lay Led
3:00 p.m.
Hubbards New Ross
Shad Bay
Upper Tantallon
EASTER VIGIL April 4 - 8:00 p.m.
Upper Tantallon
EASTER SUNDAY April 5
9:00 a.m.
Chester
Shad Bay
11:00 a.m. Hubbards
Upper Tantallon
2:00 p.m. New Ross
Stations of the Cross
St. Joseph's Church will host Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings during Lent, beginning on Friday, February 20, and continuing through Friday, March 27. The Stations will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by a soup supper.
Lenten Reflections: Journeying with Lenten Gospel Characters
Mondays, March 9, 16, 30, commencing at 6:30 p.m. at St. Joseph's Church, Shad Bay
Sister Evelyn Williams will lead sessions. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Saturday Morning Bible Study
Dinah Simmons will offer a three-part Bible study using her book, Mary Magdalene, Apostle to the Apostles. Sessions will be held on Saturday morning, March 28, April 4, and April 11, from 10:00 to noon, at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys. Bible Study books are available in the foyer of St Marguerite Bourgeoys for the Mary Magdalene bible study. The books are $10.00. Participants are asked to read the first chapter for the first session. Contact Dinah Simmons for more information: dinah.simmons@gmail.com.
A Note from the Archdiocese re. Consult-Based Care
In Nova Scotia hospitals, our Roman Catholic chaplains for many years visited any
patient in the hospital who identified themselves as Roman Catholic – no referral
required. This new change from hospital administration now means that our Roman
Catholic chaplains may visit patients ONLY upon the patient's request. Catholics in
the hospital will not be automatically seen by someone from Spiritual Care.
This significantly changes our ministry in the hospitals. The change came into effect on
March 2, 2026.
We continue to work out what these changes mean for our on-site lay chaplains. At the
parish level, we ask for your help in the following way:
1. Please let parishioners know that if they are going into the hospital, they would
like to receive spiritual care (pastoral visits, communion, etc.), they or a family
member needs to request it from the nursing staff.
2. Help parishioners know that if they are going into the hospital, they can receive the
Sacrament of the Sick BEFORE they go into the hospital as a way to prayerfully and
spiritually prepare for any medical procedures. This will help to minimize the
often frantic search for a priest in an emergency or crisis situation.
Thank you for giving from the heart to Share Lent 2026!
Development and Peace — Caritas Canada thanks you for supporting the On Track for Justice campaign with your Share Lent donation. Your donation will help support our sisters and brothers in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
If you have not yet had a chance to give, you can still place your Share Lent envelope in the offertory or donate online at devp.org/give.
Thank you for continuing to pray for all those who are working to build a world of peace and justice. If you would like to volunteer with Development and Peace in our diocese, please get in touch with Adah Ogbe at adah.ogbe@devp.org or cathy.driscoll@smu.ca
Parishioners are invited to join the faith formation children for two upcoming special events: a Children's Way of the Cross on Tuesday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m., and an Easter egg hunt on Tuesday, April 7, at 6:30 p.m.. Location: Holy Apostles Parish - SMB's Church.
Time is running out to complete the Disciple Maker Index (DMI)
survey in order to strengthen Holy Apostles Parish and better prepare
us for the future! We need your perspective as a parishioner as we work
to identify our greatest strengths and opportunities. Complete the survey
today and help Holy Apostles Parish thrive!
Survey closes March 31, 2026!
Please take the DMI survey by clicking on the following link:
Please continue to pray for this intention and for the growth and protection of our parish.
Steubenville 2026 – “Worthy” – July 10-12, 2026 “For the battle belongs to the LORD." -1 Samuel 17:47
Calling all high schoolers! In our ever-changing world, Jesus is the answer to the longing of our hearts for meaning, fulfillment, security, and love. Join hundreds of Catholic teens at Steubenville Atlantic in Halifax from July 10-12, 2026, to be transformed by the love of Christ.
All rising grade 9s through graduating grade 12s are invited to attend this retreat with our group.
The SSVP's pantry is running low on the following non-perishables:
cans of tuna, ham, chicken
cans of soup, stews, baked beans
cans of vegetables
instant rice dinner packages
rice
cereal, oatmeal
crackers
school crackers
peanut butter
school snacks
juice
can or powdered mail
pasta and sauces
pancake mix and syrup
Food For Friends (FFF) is inviting you (men and women) to JOIN our volunteer ministry at St. Joseph’s Church in Shad Bay. Food For Friends is a ministry of outreach, and we are looking for your support with your time, talents, and/or treasure.
These 4 groups of FFF volunteers purchase, prepare, clean, and serve meals to people once every two weeks from 9:00 a.m. - 11:59 a.m., all year except for July and August. Our clients are from the Prospect area…from Hatchet Lake to Bayside. These folks do not necessarily belong to our parish. They can be from different denominations or may not have any religious affiliation. Because of health challenges, recovery from surgery, or simply advancing age, these individuals may be unable to leave their homes and may struggle to cook for themselves. For some, this may be a temporary situation, but for many it is a permanent one.
The meals are prepared every second Monday primarily in the kitchen at St. Joseph’s Church, although some meals need to be prepared at home. Presently, fourteen people work in groups of three to cook a hot meal; typically a main dish, salad, bun and dessert. There are also two members on a substitute list, as well as an individual who delivers the meals and has a friendly visit when time and conditions allow. In the past two years, we have served between 20 and 30 meals every two weeks, averaging 300 meals per year.
Over the past few years, the average meal cost has increased from $50.00 to $90.00 +. Another significant expense over the years is the cost of the “take-out” containers in which the meals are packaged for delivery. These containers flared up in price from $350.00 to $500.00+.
Should you wish to support us financially, please drop money in the box marked Food For Friends at the entrance of the church.
Please feel free to reach out to either Elizabeth (Liz) Roeding or
John (Johnny) Kilbride to learn more about joining our team and supporting this ministry.
Thank you for your continued support of our community ministry.
Holy Apostles Parish
Business Office
Request for Volunteers
Holy Apostles Parish thrives thanks to the invaluable time, talents, and treasures of our dedicated parishioners. Your unique contributions significantly enhance our church communities.
We invite you to share your gifts by volunteering with the Parish Business Office. Please click the link below for more information.
Thank you for confidently saying "YES" to ministry service!
Your commitment makes a difference!
Your generous donations help support the vital ministries, programs, and outreach efforts of our Parish. With your contributions, we can nurture spiritual growth, provide community services, and maintain a welcoming space for all. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a meaningful impact in fulfilling our Mission.
Four Ways to Give
1. Pre-Authorized Remittances (PAR)
PAR is invaluable to the Parish in these times, as these contributions still arrive even if you can’t. For the Parish, PAR provides a steadier and more predictable stream of funds. This is extremely helpful for budgeting and planning for larger projects. click here
2. E-transfer funds to holyapostlesparish16@gmail.com.
3. Place an envelope in the collection basket at Mass on Sunday. To request Parish-supplied envelopes, please get in touch with the office.
4. Donate using the link below. Your information will be securely processed by "Canada Helps". A Registered Charity & Social Enterprise, used by over 20,000 charities. Please note that when donating through Canada Helps, tax receipts will be issued by Canada Helps directly, not Holy Apostles Parish. click here
The Good Friday Collection helps to maintain the Church of the Holy Land by providing educational, pastoral, and social support of Catholic youth and families committed to living their faith in the land where Christ lived, and by maintaining the Holy Sites that are so important to the faith of Christians everywhere. At the request of the Holy See, this Pontifical Collection will be taken during the Good Friday celebration on April 3, 2026.
Those who are unable to attend the service, or who prefer to contribute online, may use Credit Cards, Interac, or Canadahelps, accessible at: www.commissariat.ca, in the “Support Us” link.
Fr. Robert Mokry, o.f.m.,
Commissary of the Holy Land in Canada
NEW
E-MAIL ADDRESS
to forward your
information for the bulletin
We live, work and play in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral, current, and unceeded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. For more information on the Peace and Friendship Treaties please click HERE.
HOLY APOSTLES PARISH
Fr. John MacPherson
Pastor
Maryann Doyle, CPHR
Manager for
Business Administration
Dale Rycroft
Coordinator for Cemeteries
Andre Edmunds
Building & Maintenance Coordinator
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Church Communities - Staff
Dinah Simmons
Coordinator of Elementary Religious Education
SMB Church Community
Jim Kemp
Janitor
SMB Church Community
All submissions for the HAP Bulletin must be submitted by Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. to HAPbulletin@gmail.com.
Late submissions may not be accepted. Thank you for your understanding.
