Pastoral Team
Pastor: Fr. Paul MacNeil
I was appointed as pastor of Our Lady of the Scapular parish in November 2015 and I am delighted to be here. Before that, I was pastor of St. Ann's parish in Fenwick Ontario, a small but loving community about 30 minutes from here. I was born and raised in St. Catharines and ordained to the priesthood in 1999. Currently I am Chair of the Niagara Catholic District School Board and I'm working on my PhD in Religious Studies at McMaster University. As your pastor, my first priority is just to listen, to get to know you and understand the best way for me to serve you and to bring you closer to each other and to God through Christ.
Our Lady of the Scapular Church
6557 Thorold Stone Road
Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2J 1B2
Phone: 905-358-7611 • Fax 905-358-7679
Office Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00am to 3:00pm
(We are closed from 12:00 - 1:00pm for lunch.)
Synod 2023 - Synod on Synodality
The Synod on Synodality, initiated by Pope Francis in October 2021, is a two-year, worldwide undertaking during which Catholics will be encouraged to submit feedback to their local dioceses. A synod is a meeting of bishops gathered to discuss a topic of theological or pastoral significance, in order to prepare a document of advice or counsel to the pope.
Parish listening Sessions
Parish Listening Sessions are now complete, we are compiling the information from all 46 of our parishes to send to the Ontario Catholic Bishops. I would like to thank all those who participated and especially our note-takers and facilitators.
Synod Small Group Questions
The parish listening sessions are designed to discuss one fundamental question and six core questions:
Fundamental Question: How are we journeying together?
Core question 1: Listening - How do we hear the voice of God?
Core question 2: Speaking - What enables or hinders us from speaking out?
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Core question 3: Sharing Responsibility - What hinders people from being active in our parish?
Core question 4: Discerning & Deciding - How does our parish use methods of listening and speaking to make decisions?
Core question 5: Celebration -How do prayer and celebration guide our parish?
Core question 6: Holy Spirit -Where have you heard the voice of the Holy Spirit in these listening sessions?
Synod Prayer
Adsumus Sancte Spiritus
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We stand before You, Holy Spirit,
as we gather together in Your name.
With You alone to guide us,
Make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go
and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful;
do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance
lead us down the wrong path
nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity
so that we may journey together
to eternal life
and not stray from the way of truth
and what is right.
All this we ask of You,
who are at work in every place and time,
in the communion of the Father and the Son,
forever and ever. Amen.