MESSAGE ON THE 4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER (YR A)
Friday 28th April 2023
My dear people,
The eighth session of Alpha started in our parish on Wednesday 26th April. There was a total of 33 participants. I invite you to please pray for them as they embark on this journey of deepening their relationship with God. Some people who had indicated their intention to participate were not able to attend the first session but will join from next week. So, it is not too late to join, if you are interested and were not able to come to the first session.
Tomorrow is the Feast Day of St Catherine of Siena, our Patron Saint. This means that it is also the Feast Day of our parish. One of the celebrations will be a dinner for us to celebrate our parish Feast Day together and this will take place on 6th May. I take this opportunity to strongly encourage you to come to the dinner to celebrate our patronal Feast Day. There is a signup sheet in the gathering space for you to indicate your intention to attend. It will be spit roast for the dinner and ticket prices are $20 for adults and $10 for children. Since this is a catered event, it is essential to indicate your intention to attend so that the catering can be organised. We will have to close the booking on Sunday 30th April.
Also, to celebrate our Patronal Feast Day, we have an event this evening starting at 7pm. There will be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament including Vespers, and finishing with Benediction. This will be followed by some refreshments in the meeting rooms. More information about vespers here:
https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgy-of-the-hours/evening-prayer.
Many of you have asked about the next parish pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I am pleased to announce that a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is being organised for our parish next year. It will leave on Monday 20th May 2024 and be back around 2nd June 2024. I am giving these dates early so that you can plan your holidays for next year and start saving, as will I. More information will be given in due course.
This Sunday is the World Day of Prayer for vocations, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. This is the day every year when we are encouraged to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Our parish has been lucky to have priests and/or seminarians since its establishment in 2006. Let us continue to pray that the Good Shepherd will inspire young men to give themselves to this wonderful life. As I often say, let us also pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life from our own parish of St Catherine of Siena. Let us ask St Catherine to intercede for us for this intention since this year, Good Shepherd Sunday coincides with her Feast Day. Also, the regional seminary is asking for donations to help with the formation of our future priests. The bulletin contains information about how to do that. Should you wish to leave some cash you may do that in the additional basket in the gathering space.
We continue turning to our patron saint and we ask for her intercession.
St Catherine of Siena, Pray for us.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Fr Richard Rosse PP