(Leah Blain photo) In response to restrictions around COVID-19, Home for Christmas community dinner hosts Ken and Erin Fraser, pictured with their children Josiah, Eilidh, Lachlan, Rowan and Miriam, are hosting an afternoon event at McGuire Lake on Christmas. COVID-19 may prevent the Fraser family from preparing a community meal this Christmas, but it isn’t stopping them from serving one. Last Christmas, Ken, wife Erin and a team of volunteers were busy in the kitchen at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, working to prepare the first Home For Christmas dinner. This was the replacement to the cancelled Friends at Christmas meal that had taken place for about 17 years. The Frasers decided to step up and fill its place with an event that offered carolers, crafts and a huge feast. With the pandemic and the related provincial health order prohibiting gatherings of more than 50, the determined Frasers came up with a different way to serve this year’s Home for Christmas meal. From noon to 2 p.m. on Dec. 25, they are welcoming people to stop by at McGuire Lake Park for a stroll, to maintain a safe distance while listening to carolers, and to enjoy a cup of cocoa, fresh baking and pizza. Salmon Arm Observer.. Lachlan Labere
HUGE SHOUT OUT & thanks to Randy & Wendy Piccini, who donated a dozen teen boys winter coats to the Knights of Columbus COATS FOR KIDS 2020 project. The gracious donation was given on behalf of Wendys 95 year old mother , who passed away recently. The coats have been given to the SAFE HOUSE, along with a dozen girls coats from your local Knights of Columbus council 7107.The SAFE house will distribute them according to need. This is part of our Knights Global Community project, (in BC it is in its 11th year.
Salmon Arm parishioner & knight , Lorne Lazzarotto volunteered his time to man the Salvation Army kettles this year! He is wearing his KofC mask, which was required. This year The “TAP TO GIVE” feature made it quick & easy for the public to give $5 
Bruce Weicker, Council 7107 Salmon Arm member. On October 28th, at St. Josephs Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario , Bruce donated one of his kidneys to a needy recipient. (The hospital was founded by the Sisters of St Joseph in 1890.) Bruce was enrolled in a PAY IT FORWARD program through the Canada Transplant Society. He had been sequestered in Salmon Arm for 14 days before heading East.( to ensure excellent health) .Due to after- surgery protocol, he was unable to fly home for 7-10 days. He drove with his son to Ottawa for convalescing and will fly home on Sunday November 8th. We would like to congratulate Bruce on his generous contribution! Bruce is appreciative of all the prayers, thoughts and wishes that have brought him through this experience. Way to go Bruce!.
For more information on the Canadian Transplant Society click on this link.https://www.cantransplant.ca/organ/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAhZT9BRDmARIsAN2E-J31NeT_8-qb7QuSorxOl2jXtaKc8V_MGAvQE9RupjO5tbf0bw93Ow4aAmWgEALw_wcB
Organizer Bruce Weicker and parishioner Cecile Traa clean up the bushes and vegetation around the perimeter of the parish property. Volunteers have been hard to find but Bruce has persevered with minimal help! The last outing had 2 helpers…..A call for help may be going out again…PLEASE HELP!
Co-ordinator Kathryn says Volunteers are still needed for weekend masses… a head usher for collection and someone to sanitize pews etc after mass( takes 10 minutes after mass)… Call Kathryn at 250-803-0103 if you can help out…it’s easy, anyone can do it!
Kathryn Weicker with her volunteer crew and Family members.(Annamarie, Kirsten, Justin )
parishioner Mike Swoboda signing in for Thursday mass (only 50 may attend) with Chris Weicker looking on.
father Dale , behind protective shield, giving communion to Roman Blain ( with baby Felix in his arms).
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On July 19th, in a special ceremony, Bechara Saab was initiated into the Knights of Columbus, along with others. He is a doctor,as is Michel, and resides in Switzerland. Michel is a past Grand Knight and currently is the Faithful Navigator for the 4th degree knights. Janet is a past president of the Catholic Womens League. Here is some personal information ,supplied by Michel.
My wife and I came to Salmon Arm 31 years ago, on July first 1989. We had 6 children and our third child had died in infancy. Our five living children are now adults and while they do not live in Salmon Arm, they periodically come for visits.
Our son in the picture initially came for a one week visit and had to stay in Salmon Arm as the COVID 19 pandemic greatly restricted international travels. His name is Bechara John Saab. Bechara means “Annunciation”. This was my father’s name as my father was born on March 25, the day of the feast of the Annunciation. (Hail Mary full of Grace…).
Janet and I met and married in Edmonton in 1970. I had to provide the Edmonton priest an official certificate from my diocese in Beirut certifying that I was Catholic, baptised, confirmed and not previously married. Janet was “Anglican” and we enrolled in the mixed denomination preparation for marriage. Following our Catholic wedding, and for the next 20 years, we would go to 2 masses on Sunday, one in a Catholic church and one in an Anglican. One day, Janet on her own accord decided to join the Catholic denomination.This took place in Salmon Arm when Monsignor Mac Intyre was our pastor. She became quite involved in our parish and participated in the Catholic education of the children. Our youngest 2 children, Bechara John and Adam, taught catechism under the supervision of their mother. Janet was also in charge of the RCIA program and I became involved in that ministry. Janet and I also served on the Parish Council to Father Peter, Father Joe, Father Jay, Father George and now, Father Dale. At one time, our parish had a program for preparation for marriage,and we both served in that ministry.We were also involved in the “Pregnancy Support Centre”, an interdenominational organisation aimed at supporting would be mothers who had chosen to keep their pregnancy and refused to have an abortion, and for its first year, we hosted the meetings in our home. Janet took a course in Calgary and came back to become the first accredited Executive Director of the Pregnancy Support Centre of Salmon Arm .
We were involved in the Parish visits of the sick and shut-in and were part of the Friday Bible study group til the COVID 19 put a halt on these two activities.
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“Art and Annette Borkent played music at the wharf on Sunday, July 5th for 2 hours to fundraise money for our local food bank. Maddie and Zoë Borkent, their granddaughters created a beautiful sign and asked passers-by for donations and also joined in by singing some of the songs. They collected $120 which they brought to the food bank the following morning.” photo by Grant Cruikshank
Alex Leible …….Alex has been a St. Joseph parishioner for 30 years and a Knight for 20 years. He and his wife Anne, (who passed away in 2006) moved here from Revelstoke. He worked at Overwaitea(Save-on) for 20 years and retired in 2010. Alex is a heart transplant recipient ( 1997) and still gets his yearly checkups in Vancouver at St. Pauls hospital. . You may know Alex as our main Head Usher at Sunday mass. He takes this ministry seriously and usually does this 3 times a month . Alex still visits his 95 year old mother in Calgary each year, as weather and road conditions permit. Thank you, Alex, for all the time you put in! …………………..printed with permission..