HOLY WEEK 2026
HOLY WEEK - Almaguin Highlands Parish Information
Easter 2026 Trout Creek and South River
Holy Week Mass Times
Holy Thursday
7:00 pm mass, followed by Adoration in the Side Chapel
Good Friday
Stations of the Cross, 2:30 pm
Good Friday Service, 3:00 pm
Holy Saturday
Vigil, 8:00 pm
Easter Sunday
South River St. Augustine, 9 am
Trout Creek Sacred Heart, 11 am
Prayer Group Wednesday
REFLECTION ON HOLY THURSDAY 2026
Today we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s supper. In this celebration the Church recalls what happened on Holy Thursday and makes it present: the washing of feet and institution of the Holy Eucharist.
I would like us to reflect to-night on the washing of feet and Holy Eucharist.
In the Gospel Jesus poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples ‘feet and wiped them with the towel. According to Jewish culture and tradition, it is duty of a slave to washes the feet of his Master as he comes in from work. But here the reverse is the case. Jesus is the one washing their feet.
The whole life of Jesus could be summarised as a life of humble service to others. In Lk.22:27 Jesus asks his disciples who is greater, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? Is not the one who seats at the table? Yet I am among you as one who serves.
In Mat.20:28 says be like the Son of Man, who has come not to be served, but to serve and give his life to redeem many. In Jon.13:15 Jesus after washing the feet of his disciples said: I left you an example for you to follow.
By washing of their feet, Jesus establishes the ministry of service-daikonia.So we invited to consider ways we can give ourselves to the service our families,communites,and the Church. Think of the ways you can be of service to others(Pereal and Dourren playing music to those in seninor homes bi weekly]
The Holy Eucharist was instituted on the night of Last Supper due to Christ’ affection for his diciples.John tells that having loved his own till the end. Jesus wanted to be quit them something very special as his parting gift. And He gave them the gift of the holy Eucharist. Through this gift he makes himself perpetually present to them, to the Church and everyone of us.
At Last Supper, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it them and said this is My Body. He then took a cup filled with wine and gave it to them and said this is My Blood. By saying take this and eat all of you-the Lord addresses an invitation to us, urging us to receive him in the sacrament of the holy Eucharist.Jon.6 Jesus says truly I say to you unless, you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you have no life in you.
To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves.St.Paul urges us to examine our conscience. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgement upon himself. Anyone guilty of grave sin-must receive the sacrament of reconciliation before coming to communion.
Hence, the holy Eucharist is the true body and soul of Lord Jesus Christ, together with his soul and divinity under the appearances of bread and wine. The Church teaches for ages that after the words of consecration the bread is no longer bread, but the Body of Christ, the wine is no longer wine, but the Blood of Christ. This is made possible through the words of Jesus and by the invocation of the Holy Spirit.
At that precise second-a door opens between the visible and invisible, heaven touches the earth. At the moment the altar transforms into Gologotha,and the Church becomes the upper room and our souls stand before the crucucified,risen and glorified Lord.Jon.6:51 confirms this-I am the living Bread that came down from heaven.
In every Mass, Jesus descends the altar in the fullness of his Body,Blood,Soul and divinity. He is truly present, in the Eucharist.St.Padre Pio said if we only knew how God regards this sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be present at a single Mass.If people knew there will be police men at the gate of the Church to regulate access to the Church, every time holy Mass is celebrated.
C.C.C 1378: in the liturgy of the holy Mass we express our faith in the real presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine, among others ways y genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the Lord. The Church offers to the holy Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but outside of it, reverencing the consecrated hosts with utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful.
St. Pope John Paul ii said the holy Eucharist is the very centre and heart of the Church, parish and each disciple of Jesus. He encourages the bishops,priests,parishioners to be committed to the mystery of the Eucharist. He also urges the youth to gather around the table of the Eucharist which is the source of their life and enthusiasm.
Today we are challenged to make ourselves vessels of service to the Lord. Vessels to be used to bring his kindness,humility,justice,peace and joy to our world. And to make the holy Eucharist the centre of our spirituality, by attending Mass regularly with devotion and commitment .To renew and deepen our devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, by spending quality time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In His presence there is liberty, fullness of joy, healing and peace that surpasses all understanding.
GOOD FRIDAY REFLECTION-2026
Today the high point of the liturgy is not the holy Mass, but the cross. The Church feels the need to dedicate a special day to the passion of Christ to show its importance and the infinite richness of that moment in which all was accomplished.
The story of the cross is indeed a profound expression of God’s love for humanity. We see the Lord pouring out the ultimate act of sacrificial love.God, through Jesus willingly endured suffering and death to reconcile humanity with Himself. This act demonstrates the depth and breath of God’s love, offering forgiveness, redemption and promise of eternal life.
For 2000 years the symbol of the cross has always be a primary identity of Christian faith. We often see it on homes,jwellery,tatoo and of course Churches. Before the death of Christ was not symbol at all. In the ancient Roman empire it was most dreadful and excruciating way of death used to punish non-Roman citizens especially criminals.
A message with a crucified person as its content would seem to have a little likelihood of success. However God’s action cannot be measured by human standards. For one who advocates human standards, the message of the cross is either scandal or folly.
The prophet Isaiah tells in the first reading that He was wounded for our sins and crushed for our wickedness, the punishment that made us whole fell on him.
Gloria describing the redemptive power of the cross said: I was standing shameful in a courtroom, surrendered by the demons on my left and angel on my right. Satan standing as my persecutor holding millions of record against me.I had no lawyer. Placed on trial for sins I have committed such;lying,cheating,stealing,unforgiving,infidelity,pride,unbelif and doubt. This was the beginning of my tribulation for there was no reason to plead innocent. For all the evidence was with Satan. Demons smile as tears roll down my check. For they knew it was the hour of my demise.
But wait for a minute, there came a light and suddenly, the demons smiles turned into frightening and a man walked into the courtroom, his name is Jesus. He pulled out a lighter and set the record against me on fire.He took the sentence’s file and erases my name and put his name. He took my hands and said daughter I will take the blame. I left the courtroom innocent for Christ handled the debt I was to pay. He became dishonoured that I might be honoured, dirty that I may be clean, guilty that I may become innocent.
As I behold Jesus on the cross, I ponder on the mystery of human suffering. We live in an ocean of suffering. We have only to visit the general hospitals to see things for ourselves. We will notice little infants just born, crying with unbearable pain. We will find teenagers struck down with suffering in the flower of their youth.
But physical suffering is just a drop in this ocean. How many suffer even more in many other ways? Think of psychological suffering of separated spouses or their children who were scattered because of broken homes. Think of the suffering of a widow whose children have abandoned in senior homes and must spend their sunset years languishing in lonliness.Think of the suffering the addicts inflict on themselves and their families. Think about a spiritual suffering of a sinner who has loss hope in himself and in God.
We are all together in this ocean of suffering. Who among us has no burdens to bear, crosses to carry, worries that weigh us down? All of us here or at home are carrying some sort of cross:physciaclly or emotionally. It may be personal or family issue.
St Chrysostom said many are offended when they see any of those who are pleasing to God suffering anything terrible....those who are offended by this do not know that those who are especially dear to God have it as their lot to endure such things,as we see in the case of Lazarus,who was alsoone of friends of Christ but was sick.
This is the mystery of Christain faith.Think of those whom we consider as called to special holiness of life.Most of them suffered terrible diseases and died.
We react in many different ways in trials and tribulations. At time we get angry with God and doubt his goodness and love. How dear you, you allow the on going war in the middle East? How dear you, you allow innocent people to suffer? We tend to make God responsible for all the evil in our world. Just like the thief on the left side of the cross. He did not recognize his sinfulness. He did not accept he was getting what he deserved.
We are meant to see on that cross not simply a violent display,but rather our own ugliness.What brought about Jesus to the cross?Stupidity,anger,mistrust.institutional injustice,betryal of a friend,unspeakable cruelty,scapegoating,fear,etc.In other words,all of our dysfunctional is revealed on that cross.
On the contrary,the thief on the right recognized that they were suffering justly . In other words, the vicissitudes and fires of life become an expiration for sin. Though it brings pain-it smooth’ the way to paradise.
On the cross of Jesus,we meet our own sin.But we also meet the divinemercy that has taken that sin upon himself in order to swallow it up.We found in that cross a way up. The cross is a traffic sign assuring us that we are on the right path toward eternal destiny. We can rest in the shadow of the cross when we are insulted,betrayaled,wounded,misunderstood,wronged,suffering and find consolation and peace.
We stand at the foot of the cross witnessing the mystery of God’s love and salavation.Today we are invited to look beyond our pains and failures and recognize God’s saving work unfolding even in the darkness moment of our lives.
Mass Times & News
Mass every day Trout Creek, is located at:
165 Main Street West, Trout Creek, Ontario
Monday 8 am Adoration, 9 am Mass
Tuesday 8 am Adoration, 9 am Mass
Wednesday 8 am Adoration, 9 am Mass
Thursday 8 am Adoration, 9 am Mass
Friday 8 am Adoration, 9 am Mass
Saturday 5 pm Mass
Sunday 11:00 am Mass
St. Augustine's Church in South River located at: 23 Isabella Street, South River.
Mass Time is Sunday at 9:00 am.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Penance (Reconciliation) is offered 20 minutes before every weekend Mass.
Office Hours this week
Wednesday 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Administrative Assistant: Erin O'Rourke
Bookkeeper: Laurie Dobbs
Parish office email contact:
office@sacredhearttroutcreek.caParish office - Pastor: Fr. Isaac Ogwu - Cell: 705-928-0167 - Email: ogwuisaac4@gmail.com - Rectory: 165 Main Street West, PO Box 25 - Trout Creek, Ontario, P0H2L0 - Phone: 705-723-5352
More information about the Parish
Organizations:
Catholic Women's League in
Trout Creek
Knights of Columbus in
Trout Creek/Powassan
Council - # 7308
The Golden Arrow
Holy Face of Jesus
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified, in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Adorable Face of Thy Beloved Son, for the honour and glory of Thy Holy Name, for the conversion of sinners and for the salvation of the dying.
www.praypraypray.ca
Almaguin Highlands in the Region of Parry Sound
W E L C O M E
Thank you for visiting us at www.praypraypray.ca
We are a Catholic family striving to ~ pray, pray, pray ~ every day. Our prayer group is open to all who want to make it a joy to pray to our Lord God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We pray for Peace ~ For the intentions of God, who has a plan for us. We need to be a part of His plan. When we show Him that we are here, then we can present Him with our "YES".
* Click on the Blog page for more information such as dates and time we meet.
* Click on the My Area page for a map you can zoom in to find us.
Our Lady has instructed us to "Pray until it becomes a joy for you" She continues to call upon her children because she is Our mother who loves us. In many messages to the world, Mary the Mother of Jesus has requested us to PRAY, PRAY, PRAY.
For more information take a peek at this website and feel free to email, call or text anytime.
Parishioners of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Trout Creek,
St. Augustine's Church in South River,
Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Burks Falls,
St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Kearney.
Please join us in regular prayer of the rosary!
Powerful Prayer
Psalm 91 & Psalm 51
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 51
Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offence.
Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me.
For I know my offence; my sin is always before me.
Against you alone have I sinned;
I have done such evil in your sight that you are just in your sentence, blameless when you condemn.
True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.
Still, you insist on sincerity of heart; in my inmost being teach me wisdom.
Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, make me whiter than snow.
Let me hear sounds of joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my guilt.
A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit.
Do not drive me from your presence, nor take from me your holy spirit.
Restore my joy in your salvation; sustain in me a willing spirit.
I will teach the wicked your ways, that sinners may return to you.
Rescue me from death, God, my saving God, that my tongue may praise your healing power.
Lord, open my lips; my mouth will proclaim your praise.
For you do not desire sacrifice; a burnt offering you would not accept.
My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit; God, do not spurn a broken, humbled heart.
Make Zion prosper in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with proper sacrifice, burnt offerings and holocausts;
then bullocks will be offered on your altar.
The first Cenacle Prayer Group
The Last Supper by Stefanie Krajinovic
Contact Me
Prayer Group Times Contact us for more information.