St. Martin de Porres Parish

4720 Castle Road

Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

The flowers in the bed in front of St. Martin's church. The flowers form a white cross against an orange background.

Mass at St. Martin's

New Directives - a letter from the Archbishop

We've received a letter from the Archbishop giving more detail about the stipulations and restrictions that parishes must operate under even as the number of people allowed at Mass is increased. Key notes are available on our COVID-19 Considerations page.

You can also watch it on YouTube, as Bishop Don's Weekly Message for June 18, 2020.

Update: Phase 3 of Saskatchewan's Re-opening, as pertains to Religious Celebrations

We are still living in a very unusual time as the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic. We are luckier in Saskatchewan than people are in other parts of the country and the world. We are now in the midst of a time where we are starting to loosen the restrictions of the last few months. As a result, our parish has started to celebrate Mass again with a limited capacity and with strict guidelines to follow. It is good to get our family together to celebrate the Eucharist.

Beginning June 8:

  1. 30 people, including the priest, will be able to attend each Mass. Masses will continue to be held Saturday at 5 p.m., Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m., and Tuesday – Friday at 8 a.m. We will no longer have sign-ups. Instead, Mass attendance will be on a first come, first served basis. When you enter the church, you will be asked to write your name down. Once 29 people have arrived, the doors will be locked.

  2. The office will be open Monday and Thursday mornings. If you need to go to the office, please practice all social distancing guidelines.

If you have any questions, Alison will be in the office Monday, June 8, in the morning, or you can email the office at st.martinsadmin@sasktel.net.

The June News in the Pews is here!

Limited Re-opening

Minutes of the Liturgy Committee meeting regarding the slow re-opening of the parish. The Minutes include a list of protocols for parishioners and others at mass, beginning May 30. The list is included on the COVID-19 Considerations page.

Also: "The dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass will remain in place during this time when numbers are restricted by government and health authorities."

More information can be found to the right under Weekly Mass Times, and on the COVID-19 Considerations page.

Helping Each Other

Please check out our new Parish Community page, an effort to keep the community together. We'll try to keep it up to date as items come in.

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Support St. Martin's Parish

Through this difficult time, St. Martin's Parish still needs your support. Please remember to continue your donations.

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During this time of social isolation, let's care for each other by connecting with others who might be lonely with a phone call. Let's spread Jesus' love as far and wide as we can.

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Father Peter encourages parishioners to call him at 306-586-0060 for spiritual guidance.

Parish Staff

  • Father Peter Pham: Pastor

  • Sarah Possberg and Alison Sander: Office Administrators

Act of Spiritual Communion


Our very own Nancy Wirges and Nolan Wirges have put this prayer to music, in a beautiful video on YouTube.

Weekly Mass Times

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(October 25, 2020)

Father Peter's sermon for this weekend

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Tuesday to Friday - 8 a.m.

Saturday - 5 p.m.

Sunday - 10 a.m.

For the month of October, we will be saying the Rosary for 15 minutes before each weekend mass.

Bulletins are back! Check the latest out here!

Reconciliation

  • 2nd and 4th Saturdays, 4 to 4:45 p.m., or

  • by appointment

Note that we can now have up to 30% capacity filled. Parishioners will be allowed inside the church on a first come, first served basis. The doors will open half an hour before mass. Parishioners will be asked to sign their names as they arrive. If we reach the maximum (30% capacity or approximately 90 - 120 parishioners well-spaced) the church doors will be closed. You can now use either entrance, but be sure to follow the guidelines below. The front washrooms will be open for emergencies.

From the Liturgical Committee:

For the safety of all parishioners, we strongly advise that face masks should be worn by all those attending mass at St. Martin’s.

Please bring your own mask, but we will have disposable masks available if you forget.

Remember that masks are mainly intended to protect other people, not the wearer, from coronavirus/Covid-19, and they are not a replacement for physical distancing and regular hand washing.

A note about seating at Mass:

Selected pews have been blocked off to ensure appropriate physical distancing.

If you choose to sit in one of the long pews, please consider sitting in the middle of the pew to allow others to sit at the end of the pew. Our weekend masses have been close to full capacity, and we want to make sure we can welcome as many people as we can to our celebration!


The Archdiocese has provided guidelines in a letter from Archbishop Donald Bolen. We have also assured the Saskatchewan Health Authority that we will be following these guidelines:

    • Sanitize your hands after you enter.

    • Maintain a distance of 2 metres between family groups.

    • Use bathrooms only as necessary.

    • Stay home if you are feeling unwell (fever, runny nose, cough, upset stomach, etc.)

    • Other restrictions will be in place, as can be seen on the COVID-19 Consideration page.

    • And, much like any other public place, we ask you to self-assess before entering the church. A checklist can be found on the Government of Saskatchewan website.

This is a difficult time, and we ask for your understanding as we try to work through this together. Despite all this protocol and red tape, we are very excited to invite you back to celebrate mass together, and we look forward to seeing members of our community again! We are Easter people full of hope!

Please join Father Peter spiritually in the day's Mass Intentions, whether you are able to attend Mass that day or not.

Though restricted masses will now be held, the Archbishop's dispensation is still in force:

"Further, in keeping with the Code of Canon Law no. 87, I grant to all the Catholic faithful dispensation from their Sunday obligation until further notice." - Archbishop Don Bolen

For those unable to attend mass due to scheduling or other restrictions, other mass options include:

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Find information on COVID-19 considerations in the Archdiocese on their website.

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Reconciliation

During this time of patience, reconciliation will be done only by appointment. Please contact Father Peter at 306-586-0060 to make arrangements.

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COVID-19 Precautions

Beginning immediately, no gatherings of any size are to take place at St. Martin's until further notice.

Prayers to all for well being and health.

More information, including the latest letter from the Archbishop, can be found on our COVID-19 Considerations page.


Letter from the Parish Council - April 27, 2020


Announcements

  • Digital brochure for Catholic Schools Board trustees candidates.

  • Sacrament preparation for first reconciliation, First Eucharist and Confirmation has been postponed until 2021-2022.

  • Beginning September 8, office hours will expand to Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to noon. The office will be closed for statutory holidays.

  • Register now for the Regina Catholic Schools Ukrainian Program (PDF). Changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are outlined in the letter for parents (PDF).

  • Regarding Racism in our Society and a Call for Respect and Caring, a letter from the Catholic Bishops of Saskatchewan, has been released. An article was written about this in the Catholic Saskatoon News, called Saskatchewan Catholic bishops’ letter addresses the scourge of racism.

  • The first announcement of clergy moves and appointments for the coming pastoral move has been released. Further announcements are forthcoming.

  • Because of the Covid crisis, personnel moves this year (with a couple of exceptions) will take place on Oct. 1 or as soon as possible after that date. Moves will be announced in the coming weeks.

  • We look forward to welcoming Fr. Clement Amofah to serve in the Archdiocese of Regina as of August 1, 2020. Fr. Clement comes from the Diocese of Obuasi in Ghana, and has served for the last 12 years in the Diocese of Saskatoon.

  • Roof Repairs: Earlier this year the roof over the parish office began to leak very badly to the point where the front office and photocopy room were not usable. Work to repair the roof will begin as soon as the required approval from the Archdiocese has been received. We need to have this done before the winter.

  • Finances: The Finance Council continues to keep a close eye on our financial situation. Please continue to remember our parish’s financial needs and we sincerely thank you for your continued support. Information on ways to support the parish can be found on our Donations page.

  • Request for help: The Archdiocese is looking for Good Samaritans who would be willing to run errands, as needed, for those who are ill or quarantined. More information on our COVID-19 Considerations page.

The Archdiocese and St. Martin's mourn the loss of Rev. Msgr. Michael John Hogan, P.A. 1919 - 2020. Please continue to pray for the repose of the soul of Msgr Hogan.

In his memory, we've posted a video interview he gave in 2010 for the Year for Priests.

Thinking Faith Podcast

This is a podcast brought to you by the Archdiocese of Regina where we attempt to navigate this winding road of faith in Jesus Christ so that we might know him more intimately, love him more profoundly and together serve him more deeply in our daily lives. CLICK HERE to listen to the latest episodes.

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"We, the Catholic Community of St. Martin de Porres,

centered in the Eucharist, continue to be called to live Gospel values through

love, acceptance, praise and service in keeping with our tradition of social justice."