Privacy

Protecting your privacy and your personal data is important to St. Joseph Church and the Diocese of Peterborough. The Diocese is the sole owner of the information collected on this site. Any personal data relating to you will only be used and recorded by us in accordance with current data protection legislation and this Privacy Policy.

Most of the information accessible on the St. Joseph Church website does not require you to identify yourself at all. You may access it anonymously. However, the Diocese does collection personal information about you when you choose to provide it. We endeavor to collect only as much personal information as is necessary to assist you in conducting your business with St. Joseph Church and the Diocese.

We collect and retain personal information for the following purposes:

• To process your requests for services or further information;
• To communicate with you regarding services or information that you have requested or received;
• To identify you if you have a query or concern about the service that you requested or received;
• To meet legal and regulatory requirements.

Compliance

Our practices have been designed to ensure compliance with the privacy provisions of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act [Ontario]. The Diocese endeavors to make its information as accessible as possible to the public; however some records contain information that is either confidential or personal in nature.

Use and Disclosure of Information

The Diocese is the sole owner of the information collected on its site. We will not sell, share, rent or otherwise disclose your personal information to any organization or individual outside the Diocese.

The St. Joseph Church web server logs visitor activity to help manage the website. Information stored in logs does not identify visitors personally. The logs store the IP address from which the site was accessed; the type of operating system and browser used; and the date and time the site was accessed.

External Links

The St. Joseph Church site has links to other sites that may collect personally identifiable information about visitors. This privacy policy does not cover third party data collection practices and the Diocese of Peterborough does not assume any responsibilities for the actions of third parties.

Step One

Step Two

Use your email address or google account to sign up

Step Three

Enter additional information as needed

Step Four

Enter, “Bowmanville”, when asked to join your parish

God knows what you need to confess. Before making a confession, take a moment in prayer to seek his guidance as you examine your conscience:

Dear Holy Spirit,
help me to make a good confession;

help me to know my sins, be truly sorry for them
and commit to never sin again.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, and forgive me.

Mary, my mother, Pray for me.  Amen.

Examination of Conscience for Adults

• Has God and the pursuit of holiness been the goal of my life?
• Have I denied my faith or placed my trust in substitutes for God?
• Have I avoided the profane use of God’s name in my speech?
• Was I inattentive at or unnecessarily late for Mass or did I leave early?
• Have I neglected prayer or missed Sunday Mass without good reason?
• Have I shown respect to all members of my family and to legitimate authorities?
• Have I been attentive to the religious formation of my children?
• Have I cared for the bodily health and safety of myself and others?
• Have I impaired my will and judgment through the abuse of drugs or alcohol?
• Have I in any way supported abortion, in vitro fertilization, “mercy killing,” or suicide?
• Am I doing all I can to overcome any habits, addictions or compulsions?
• Am I deliberately working to form my conscience by practicing good works and virtues?
• Have I been impatient, envious, proud, jealous, revengeful or lazy?
• Have I responded to anger in unloving ways?
• Have I held grudges or refused to forgive anyone?
• Have I been fair as an employer or employee?
• Have I discriminated against or unfairly judged others?
• Have I been chaste in thought and word?
• Have I used sex only within marriage while open to the gift of new life?
• Have I given myself sexual gratification or permitted impure thoughts of someone to whom I am not married?
• Have I deliberately looked at impure images, literature or other media?
• Have I stolen anything from another, from my employer, or from government?
• Have I fulfilled my contracts, promises and agreements?
• Did I rashly gamble, to the detriment of myself, my family or others?
• Have I wished ill or spoken ill of any person?
• Have I always told the truth? Have I kept secrets and confidences?
• Have I helped make my parish community stronger and holier?
• Have I contributed to the support of the Church?
• Have I abstained and fasted on obligatory days?
• Have I fasted before receiving Communion?
• Have I been mindful of the poor?
• Do I accept God’s will for me?

God knows what you need to confess. Begin by asking for his guidance as you examine your conscience:

Dear Holy Spirit,
help me to make a good confession;

help me to know my sins, be truly sorry for them
and commit to never sin again.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, and forgive me.

Mary, my mother, Pray for me.  Amen.

Examination of Conscience for High School Students

I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me

• Have I denied my faith or failed to trust in God and his love?
• Do I put school, friends, activities or possessions ahead of God?
• Have I made use of magic, horoscopes, Ouija boards or fortune telling?

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain

• Did I curse or swear or use God’s name in vain or as a curse?
• Have I participated in slander or jokes that demean God or his Church?

Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day

• Did I stay home from church when I could have gone with my family?
• Did I fail to give God time everyday in prayer?

Honour your father and your mother

• Do I honour and obey my parents, teachers and others who care for me?
• Did I fail to help at home or to spend time with my family or express love?
• Do I blame my parents for my own shortcomings?

You shall not kill

• Do I allow feelings of anger, jealousy, envy or hatred consume me?
• Have I injured someone with words or actions or encouraged abortion?
• Have I kept serious thoughts of suicide or self harm to myself?
• Have I compromised my judgment or will through the use of substances?
• Do I need to ask for forgiveness or to forgive someone who has hurt me?

You shall not commit adultery

• Did I use pornography or encourage acts that degrade someone?
• Have I forgotten to respect the bodies of others as well as my own?

You shall not steal

• Have I taken something that belongs to my workplace or to another?
• Have I “forgotten” to return something that I borrowed?
• Have I cheated on tests or homework or wasted time?
• Have I used money irresponsibly or failed to care for those in need?

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour

• Have I lied, been insincere or willingly betrayed trust?
• Have I gossiped or injured the reputation of another?

You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife

• Have I been jealous of the friends someone else has?
• Do I pretend to be someone else to win the esteem of others?

You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods

• Have I been jealous of the things that my friends have?
• Have I nagged my parents to buy things?
• Do I habitually compare myself to others?