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Catholic Missions in Canada President Fr. David Reilander drove down the James Bay ice road to deliver a tabernacle, altar and ambo for the new parish coming to the mission community of Attawapiskat, Ont.
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Catholic Missions in Canada’s (CMIC) traditional St. Philip Neri Mass is taking place May 26 at Toronto's All Saints Parish, and is being offered online to supporters across the nation and beyond.
The annual Mass and Appreciation Luncheon is scheduled for noon to 2 p.m. EST.
Joe Gennaro, the stewardship officer for the non-profit supporting 155 mission communities across 20 dioceses, said CMIC’s philosophy is greatly influenced by the Italian Catholic priest and Congregation of the Oratory founder’s exemplary commitment to service wherever he was called. His society of apostolic life was dedicated to prayer, sharing sermons and offering the sacraments. He was also drawn to serving the poor and vulnerable within Rome.
“He wanted to leave and go elsewhere to become a missionary, but (an advisor) at that time said, ‘we need you here in our homeland,' ” said Gennaro. “He was faithful to that. We're trying to emulate his character and legacy.”
CMIC venerates its patron saint by ensuring that all donations are dedicated to furthering the development of the Canadian Catholic Church. The charitable organization has pledged over $4.5 million in grant disbursements for 2026, almost $2 million of that apportioned for missionary sustenance. Building repair and maintenance projects, seminarian subsidies, lay leadership formation and catechetical education initiatives also receive grants.
The unwavering generosity of benefactors amid a persistently challenging economic affordability landscape is much appreciated by Gennaro.
“I want to thank all the donors who have stepped up, especially over the past couple of years with high inflation,” said Gennaro. “Catholic Missions has done well, but as financial issues continue to hit us, it always hits our missions harder because of the high cost in administering the faith in those areas. Whenever the south (of Canada) gets hit with inflation, the people of the far north in mission territories get hit multiple times.”
The luncheon after the St. Philip Neri Mass represents one of the few opportunities throughout the calendar year for the CMIC team to engage in fellowship time with donors.
Regarding the Mass, CMIC president Fr. David Reilander will preside over this liturgy that will also be live-streamed. Recognizing how this Mass is also a fine time to reflect upon the blessings of the previous 12 months, Gennaro said one of the successes is the new house of worship coming to Attawapiskat, Ont.
Reilander travelled along the James Bay ice road to reach this remote Swampy Cree First Nation community late in the winter. He made the trip to deliver a new altar, ambo and tabernacle for the new parish. The work is nearly complete, and that includes the rectory, a welcome development considering the priest is presently residing in a construction site office trailer.
Finally, the Mass is an opportunity for the CMIC community to ask for prayerful interventions that address ongoing challenges.
“Vocations are always front and centre,” said Gennaro. “Getting vocations to our missions and getting them to stick around for a while in permanent rotations.”
Blessedly, this prayer is already starting to be answered. Two seminarians receiving monetary support from the CMIC were recently ordained to the transitional diaconate: Vincent Nguyen and Joseph-Martin Ngoc Hien Pham.
To view the St. Philip Neri Mass, visit CMIC’s YouTube account starting from May 26.
The annual Mass and Appreciation Luncheon is scheduled for noon to 2 p.m. EST.
Joe Gennaro, the stewardship officer for the non-profit supporting 155 mission communities across 20 dioceses, said CMIC’s philosophy is greatly influenced by the Italian Catholic priest and Congregation of the Oratory founder’s exemplary commitment to service wherever he was called. His society of apostolic life was dedicated to prayer, sharing sermons and offering the sacraments. He was also drawn to serving the poor and vulnerable within Rome.
“He wanted to leave and go elsewhere to become a missionary, but (an advisor) at that time said, ‘we need you here in our homeland,' ” said Gennaro. “He was faithful to that. We're trying to emulate his character and legacy.”
CMIC venerates its patron saint by ensuring that all donations are dedicated to furthering the development of the Canadian Catholic Church. The charitable organization has pledged over $4.5 million in grant disbursements for 2026, almost $2 million of that apportioned for missionary sustenance. Building repair and maintenance projects, seminarian subsidies, lay leadership formation and catechetical education initiatives also receive grants.
The unwavering generosity of benefactors amid a persistently challenging economic affordability landscape is much appreciated by Gennaro.
“I want to thank all the donors who have stepped up, especially over the past couple of years with high inflation,” said Gennaro. “Catholic Missions has done well, but as financial issues continue to hit us, it always hits our missions harder because of the high cost in administering the faith in those areas. Whenever the south (of Canada) gets hit with inflation, the people of the far north in mission territories get hit multiple times.”
The luncheon after the St. Philip Neri Mass represents one of the few opportunities throughout the calendar year for the CMIC team to engage in fellowship time with donors.
Regarding the Mass, CMIC president Fr. David Reilander will preside over this liturgy that will also be live-streamed. Recognizing how this Mass is also a fine time to reflect upon the blessings of the previous 12 months, Gennaro said one of the successes is the new house of worship coming to Attawapiskat, Ont.
Reilander travelled along the James Bay ice road to reach this remote Swampy Cree First Nation community late in the winter. He made the trip to deliver a new altar, ambo and tabernacle for the new parish. The work is nearly complete, and that includes the rectory, a welcome development considering the priest is presently residing in a construction site office trailer.
Finally, the Mass is an opportunity for the CMIC community to ask for prayerful interventions that address ongoing challenges.
“Vocations are always front and centre,” said Gennaro. “Getting vocations to our missions and getting them to stick around for a while in permanent rotations.”
Blessedly, this prayer is already starting to be answered. Two seminarians receiving monetary support from the CMIC were recently ordained to the transitional diaconate: Vincent Nguyen and Joseph-Martin Ngoc Hien Pham.
To view the St. Philip Neri Mass, visit CMIC’s YouTube account starting from May 26.
(Amundson is an associate editor and writer for The Catholic Register.)
A version of this story appeared in the May 24, 2026, issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "Catholic Missions In Canada follows path set by St. Philip Neri".
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Photo from The B.C. Catholic
