We extend a warm St. Peter’s welcome to Rev. Father Hezuk Shroff, our new Parish Pastor appointed by his grace Archbishop Marcel Damphousse.

Who is this new Pastor assigned to St. Peter’s Parish Community? To partially answer this question, allow me to share with you the broad outlines of my priestly journey:

Fr. Hezuk Shroff was born in India in 1971. His family immigrated to Canada when he was four, and he grew up in the Ottawa area. Father’s family were Parsi, which is the name given to the Indians who belonged to the Zoroastrian religion that originated in Ancient Persia. When Father left Ottawa to study at McGill University, he discovered and fell in love with the Catholic Faith. He was received into the Catholic Church in 1995.

After his conversion, Father felt called to pursue a religious vocation. After finishing his Master’s degree at McGill, he spent several years seeking the Will of God and where God was calling him. He spent a few years with the Benedictine monks (both in Quebec and in France), and with the Brothers of St. John (in Canada, the US, France, and the Philippines). While on mission in Cebu in the Philippines, Father felt God calling him to leave religious life and serve the Church as a diocesan (parish) priest. After his temporary vows expired, Father, with the permission of his superiors, returned to Canada and entered the diocesan seminary in Toronto. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Ottawa (now Ottawa-Cornwall) on May 13, 2011, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima.

Fr. Shroff has served in various parishes since his ordination. He has served as a parish priest at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Divine Infant Parish (Orleans), Holy Redeemer Parish (Kanata), Good Shepherd Parish (Blackburn Hamlet), and St. Catherine of Siena Parish (Metcalfe). He has also served as priest-chaplain to Couples for Christ, and is currently the spiritual director of the Ottawa Legion of Mary. Father also helps with formation for the Spiritual Motherhood of Priests and, until August 2024, has helped with the Marriages for Mary marriage apostolate. In 2017, exactly 22 years to the day when Father became Catholic, he received his mother into the Catholic Faith: she was baptized, confirmed, and made her first Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil that year.

Father is very happy to be here at St. Peter’s Parish, and he looks forward to getting to know the parishioners and the community over the weeks and months ahead.

St. Peter’s Church and Prince of Peace School will be undergoing this replacement project during the months of July and August.

As we all know, everything has gotten much more expensive over the past few years. We are paying more for groceries, for gasoline, for the energy to heat or cool our homes. And then, there is sometimes an unexpected expense that needs to be taken care of immediately, like a car breakdown or home repair.

Our parish finds itself facing one of those unforeseen repairs. The building, including the school, needs a new roof. The school board has contracted to have the work done; they will be paying for most of this, as the school is the largest portion of the building. However, we will need to pay for our share, which will be around $144,000.

We certainly understand that most of us have tight budgets right now. We wouldn’t want anyone to go without food or gas, or any other basic necessities. Our families and our personal economic stability are primary responsibilities. But if you can find some way to give a little extra to help cover the cost of the roof, as well as perhaps a little more in your regular weekly donation to help with the increases the parish is also experiencing in its normal operating expenses, it would be greatly, deeply appreciated.

This is our church, your church; it is our home, the home of our parish family. The parish relies on our contributions to keep the doors open, the lights on, and the roof over our heads! So please, help us to whatever level you can. And, in addition to your financial support, please pray for all those who work to keep things running here.

Donations for the roof replacement project can be made in any of the ways outlined on the Donate page. Envelopes for the roof replacement project can be found on the bulletin board shelf at the main entrance of the church.

Thank you for your generosity and support in advance.

Image credit: Cliparts Zone

His Grace Archbishop Marcel Damphousse announces the following pastoral appointments which become effective on August 1, 2024:

• Rev. Fr. Jonathan Madueke is appointed Administrator of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Metcalfe
• Rev. Fr. Hezuk Shroff is appointed Pastor of St. Peter Parish in Ottawa

Thank you to Rev. Fr. Jonathan Madueke for serving as our Interim Pastor the last few months, and we look forward to welcoming Rev. Fr. Hezuk Shroff to St. Peter’s Parish this summer.  We are keeping you both in our prayers as you prepare for your next assignments.

Please join us in praying for the specific intention as recommended by the Pope each month.

September – For the cry of the Earth
Let us pray that each of us listen with our hearts to the cry of the Earth and of the victims of environmental disasters and the climate crisis, making a personal commitment to care for the world we inhabit.

August – For political leaders
Let us pray that political leaders be at the service of their own people, working for integral human development and the common good, taking caring of those who have lost their jobs and giving priority to the poor.

July – For the pastoral care of the sick
Let us pray that the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick grant the Lord’s strength to those who receive it and to their loved ones, and that it may become for everyone an ever more visible sign of compassion and hope.

June – For those fleeing their own countries
Let us pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys fraught with danger and violence, may find welcome and new living opportunities in their host countries

May – For the formation of men and women religious, and seminarians
Let us pray that men and women religious, and seminarians, grow in their own vocational journey through human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, that leads them to be credible witnesses of the Gospel.

April – For the role of women
Let us pray that the dignity and worth of women be recognized in every culture, and for an end to the discrimination they face in various parts of the world.

March – For the martyrs of our day, witnesses to Christ
Let us pray that those who risk their lives for the Gospel in various parts of the world might imbue the Church with their courage and missionary drive.

February – For the terminally ill
Let us pray that the sick who are in the final stages of life, and their families, receive the necessary medical and human care and accompaniment.

January – For the gift of diversity in the Church
Let us pray that the Spirit help us recognize the gift of different charisms within the Christian community, and to discover the richness of different ritual traditions in the heart of the Catholic Church.

We appreciate donations to help with church operations and maintenance, and to assist in achieving our mission of promoting the love and compassion that Jesus Christ showed to all people. Thank you for your support in keeping our church operating and beautiful!

You may select one of the following options to make a donation to the church:

• You can donate online through the donation form. If you have a parish envelope number, please include it in the “Message for St. Peter’s Parish (optional)” field, to help with tracking of donations.
• Call the parish office to make a donation and drop a cheque (or post-dated cheques if you are on vacation) off in the parish mailbox in the main entrance area of the church building.
• Send a cheque (or post-dated cheques if you are on vacation) in the mail, payable to ST. PETER’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, to 1640 Heatherington Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1V 9P5.
• Enroll in pre-authorized debit.
• Register to use a weekly donation envelope box set (for the year).

Thank you for your support in keeping our church operating and beautiful!