MESSAGE ON ‘THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD’ SUNDAY (YR C)
Friday 30th May 2025.
My dear people,
I would like to start this fortnightly message by sharing with you what a fantastic experience Confirmation at St Patrick’s Cathedral was for me. When Archbishop Comensoli invited priests to celebrate their parishes’ Confirmation at the cathedral, I asked our two primary school principals, and they were both happy to do so. After months of preparation, 17th May, the day of the Confirmations, arrived. A few days before, the candidates from the two parish primary schools, their teachers and I went to the cathedral not only for Mass but to visit and practice, which was great. The big day was one of the highlights of my time as the Parish Priest here. It was wonderful to see the whole cathedral packed with parishioners. Again, I would like to thank the two schools, the Society of Christian Doctrine and the cathedral staff for their great effort in making the day a success. Praise the Lord! Let us continue to pray for the newly confirmed, that the gifts of the Holy Spirit will make them be ardent yet gentile heralds of the Gospels.
Tomorrow night, 31st May, from 6:30pm, we will have one of the fundraisers for the refurbishment/extension of the church. Tickets are available from Sonny and Jenny Mallia on 0412583069 and 0413478780 respectively. We are immensely grateful to Sonny and Jenny and their team for putting the Dance Night together. I hope to see many parishioners there. Again, all for a good cause! The next fundraiser will be on 5th July. More information to follow.
The new way of publishing our financial situation started two weeks ago. This weekend’s bulletin will again include our financial situation for the first quarter of 2025. We will simply publish the income, expenditure and surplus or deficit. Subsequently, we will publish this information monthly as well as quarterly, four times a year. It will give you, the parishioners, a better indication of how we are going financially. As I mentioned many times before, you are welcome to ask me any question about the finances of the parish, and about any other aspects of the running of the parish, for that matter.
A reminder that I will be on my annual leave from 1st to 28th June. My mother is turning 70 this year. She has always wanted to go to Lourdes, Fatima and Rome and we are going to take her there, as a family. We will also visit friends and relatives in England and France. Since I will be away, there will be no fortnightly message until the 4th July 2025.
The Claretian Fathers from Deer Park and West Sunshine will look after weekday Masses etc. during my absence. Fr Camerion Forbes, Rector, Corpus Christ College and Fr Trevor Tibbertsma, Dean of Studies, Corpus Christi College will look after the Saturday evening and Sunday Masses during my absence. Please keep me and my family in our prayers as I assure you that I will do the same for you.
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