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.)
Confirmation 2023
Dear Parents/Guardian,
As a Grade Eight student, your son/daughter will have the chance to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this year. I want to take this opportunity to explain how they will be prepared for this Sacrament.
Bishop Bergie has informed us Confirmation will be celebrated at Our Lady of the Scapular Parish on:
Tuesday, April 25 at 7:00 PM – St. John Henry Newman School
Wednesday, April 26 at 7:00 PM – St. Gabriel Lalemant and Mary Ward Schools
Thursday, April 27 at 7:00PM – Notre Dame, St. Vincent de Paul, and Public Schools
Parents will choose which date their sons or daughters will celebrate by making a reservation at the following link:
https://scapular.wufoo.com/forms/confirmation-reservation-2023/
** Your child must be registered to join the sacrament.**

Information Sessions will be held at Our Lady of Scapular Parish Hall.
• Tuesday, January 24, at 7:00 PM
• Wednesday January 25 at 7:00 PM
• Thursday, January 26 at 7:00 PM
Information Sessions will explain this process in detail. Attendance by one parent/guardian at one of these meetings is required. Under exceptional circumstances, a session may be offered to a Candidate and one parent/ guardian unable to attend an Information Session. A parent/guardian must contact a member of the Pastoral Team to do so before Tuesday, January 24, 2023. The Parish phone number is 905-358-7611.
Parental involvement with your son or daughter’s sacramental preparation is crucial. Such involvement includes taking them to Mass each Sunday, living according to Church teachings and talking with them about God. Nothing a teacher or parish priest can say or do will have a stronger influence on the growth of a child’s faith than parental involvement. The primary educators of children are their parents.
Those receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation must be a baptized Roman Catholic. For this reason, the parish must receive a copy of your son or daughter’s Baptismal Certificate with their Confirmation Registration Form before Friday, January 13, 2023. If your child was never baptized or the Baptism occurred in another Christian denomination, select option 2 on the Registration Form. A Pastoral Team member will reach out to all students who need to be baptized or received into the Church before making their Confirmation.
Candidates seeking Confirmation will be instructed by their Grade Eight teacher and the Parish Pastoral Team.
Two series of Instructional Sessions will be held on:
** Attendance at one session of each set by the Candidate is required.
The sessions will last about an hour. Under exceptional circumstances, a session may be offered to a Candidate and one parent/guardian unable to attend one. A Confirmation Rehearsal will be held at Our Lady of the Scapular Parish on the same day as your Confirmation during school.
** As part of their preparation, they will be required to write a letter (approximately 200 to 300 words) to Bishop Bergie. In the letter, they will explain their reasons for requesting the Sacrament. An outline will be provided to assist them in this task. Parents should read this letter and discuss it with their son/daughter. The letter will be read by the student in front of the class and presented to Fr. Basque or Fr. Corso.
Candidates usually have a Sponsor for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Church law requires Confirmation sponsors to be sixteen years of age. They must have received Baptism/Reception, First Eucharist and Confirmation in the Roman Catholic Church. They cannot be a Candidate’s parent (biological or adoptive). The Sponsor and Candidate do not have to be the same gender. Since the role of Confirmation Sponsor is a critical one, the person must regularly practice their faith and live according to Church teachings.
Photography is not allowed at any time during the Confirmation Mass since this is a sacred event. Following the Mass, photographs may be taken with the Bishop and/or family members, in the Church. Videos may be taken only from the pews but without the use of lights. Your cooperation in this matter is appreciated.
If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me at the parish office or telephone me at 905-358-7611. We thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Fr. Michael Basque and Fr. Daniel Corso
First Session
• Tuesday, March 21, at 7:00 PM
• Wednesday, March 22 at 7:00 PM
• Thursday, March 24, at 7:00 PM
Second Session
• Tuesday, April 18 at 7:00 PM
• Wednesday, April 19 at 7:00 PM
• Thursday, April 20 at 7:00 PM.