1 april 2018

Solemnity of Easter celebration 1st April 2018
Alleluia, rejoice, the Lord is Risen!!!
Easter is the greatest and the most important feast in the Church. It marks the birthday of our eternal hope. We celebrate it with pride and jubilation for three reasons.
The resurrection of Christ is the basis of our Christian faith.  The Resurrection is the greatest of all the miracles. It proves that Jesus is God.  If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, then the Church is a fraud and faith is a sham. But if he really did rise from the dead, his message is true! Without the Resurrection, Jesus would have remained forever a good person who met a tragic end. All the basic doctrines of Christianity are founded on the truth of the Resurrection.  “Jesus is Lord; he is risen” (Rom 10: 9) was the central theme of the kerygma of the apostles.    
Easter is the guarantee of our own resurrection.  Jesus assured Martha at the tomb of Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me will live even though he dies” (Jn 11: 25-26).  Christ will raise us up on the last day, but it is also true, in a sense, that we have already risen with Christ.
Easter is a feast which gives us hope and encouragement in this world of pain, sorrows and tears.  It reminds us that life is worth living.  It is our belief in the real presence of the risen Jesus that gives meaning to our personal, as well as to our common, prayers.  
Wish you all Peace and happiness of our Risen, Lord Jesus Christ.
Fr Ephrem
 
Holy Trinity Parish Vision
We are a prayerful and diverse Catholic community in the Eastern suburbs of Wellington,
drawing strength from one another to grow and become fully alive as missionary disciples.
 

A big thank you
to all those involved in Easter preparations and services.
We appreaciate all your hard work.


Annointing Mass at St Patrick’s Church
11am Wednesday 11thApril.

Holy Cross Happy Hour Weds 4th April from 11am  in the Parish Centre. Come join us for bingo. Please bring a small plate of finger food to enjoy with our tea/coffee. All welcome

 ANZAC DAY SERVICE 25th April    ST PATRICK’S CHURCH 11AM
Followed by a cup of coffee and biscuits in the meeting room.
On the day, bring a photo of loved ones to place under the altar during Mass.

Vinnies-Wellington invites you…
Annual Book-Fair (22-23 April) will be hosted at St Anne’s church hall, Emmett Street, Newtown on Saturday 8am-4pm and Sunday 9am-3pm. It is a book hunt worth attending with lots of good reads. All proceeds go towards the Vinnies welfare services.

St Patrick’s Altar Servers. Could all parents of altar servers please make sure if your contact details need to be updated, you let the office know either by email holytrinity.wgtn@xtra.co.nz or 388 6953

Publications for purchase: Tui Motu $7  NZ Catholic $4

Divine Mercy Prayers St Patrick’s Church Chapel, Kilbirnie 6pm - Easter Sunday 1st April – Friday 6th April Prayers: Holy Rosary, Divine Mercy Novena, Divine Mercy Prayers,Ring Genevieve on 04 388 6024 (leave a message) or 04 806 2154

Divine Mercy Sunday You are all invited to join the Divine Mercy Celebration to be hled on Sunday 8th April, after the 10.30am Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Tawa. Taking place during the celebration are the Blessing of relivious articles, the Veneration of the Divine Mercy Image and the Chaplet of Divinge Mercy. Reconciliation will be available from 9.45am to the start of Mass at 10.30am. Refreshments will be served afte the service.

Centre For Divine Mercy According to the Diary of St Faustina 88: Jesus told St Faustina I am King of Mercy. I desire that this image be displayed in public on the first Sunday after Easter. That Sunday is the Feast of Mercy. Through the Word Incarnate, I make known the bottomless depth of My mercy. The centre for Divine Mercy is organizing the celebration of FDMS at Sacred Heart Cathedral on 8 April 2018. (2:00 - 5:00 PM)

The Southern Stroke Club is holding its Annual Stroke Awareness Day on Friday 6th April.   We are desperately seeking,in particular, assistance at Countdown (Kilbirnie), any time between 8.30am and 6pm.
If you feel you could donate an hour (0r two) please contact Robin Boldarin at 027 209 7044 (day)  388 2647 (evening) or e-mail:  robin.boldarin@xtra.co.nz

Day of Prayer for Vocations: Sunday 22 April
The 4th Sunday of Easter is a special Day of Prayer for Vocations. Please pray for our seminarians Jovanie and Alfred and those discerning the call to priesthood. Could someone you know become tomorrow's priest? Pray for this person. Invite him to consider priesthood. Affirm his gifts and qualities. Encourage him to be open to the possibility of priesthood. 
Pope Francis: "Today the Lord continues to call others to follow him. We should not wait to be perfect in order to respond with our generous “yes”, nor be fearful of our limitations and sins, but instead open our hearts to the voice of the Lord.  To listen to that voice, to discern our personal mission in the Church and the world, and at last to live it in the today that God gives us." 
Fr David Dowling, Vocations Director - email: frdavidd@gmail.com
 

Poppy Day Street Appeal - Volunteers needed for Kilbirnie/Rongotai - Poppy Day Street Appeal will be held on Friday 20th April, raising funds to assist military veterans and their families. If you can spare an hour, volunteers are needed for the Kilbirnie and Rongotai shopping areas, beginning at 7 am and ending at 2 pm.  If you can help, please call Glenda Ramsay, 3885 686 or 021 292 4094.

Many of us learnt of William Wilberforce who led to the abolition of slavery in the 19th Century.    However  Slavery today involves approximately 45 million people around the world.    It even affects New Zealand and last year the first  successful prosecution was held. What can we do? On April 26  2018  Dr. Rebecca Miller and Peter Devoy from the Ministry of Immigration will speak at St. Anne’s Hall, Emmett St.,  Newtown at 7.30pm.  Gold coin donation.
 

Quiet Days with Suzanne Aubert. An invitation to spend time resting and reflecting on an aspect of the life and vision of Suzanne Aubert.  Join us on 12 April, 10am - 2pm, Chapel, Our Lady’s Home of Compassion, Island Bay Simple lunch included. Registration is required. Email: retreat@compassion.org or Ph. 04 383 7769
‘Spirituality of Service’ discussions. This discussion series in the weeks following Easter, focuses on our baptismal call to embrace a ‘spirituality of service’.  An ideal opportunity for people of all ages and stages of their faith to unpack the gift of the Easter mysteries and to consider the influence this might have in their life.  Dates:  Wednesdays at 7pm on  11, 18 and 25 April (ANZAC day) and 2, 9 and  16 May in the Chapel, Our Lady’s Home of Compassion. Ph. 04 383 7769.
Taizé Prayer. Join us for an hour of meditative singing – simple songs typically featuring a line or two from the Psalms. A kind of lectio divina in music, reading and spoken prayer along with periods of silence. First Friday of every month, 7pm – 8pm, Our Lady’s Home of Compassion. Ph. 04 383 7769.
Christian Meditation Group. Join us each Monday evening for an hour of Christian meditation in the ancient form of contemplative prayer.  All are welcome. 7pm, Chapel, Our Lady’s Home of Compassion, Ph. 04 383 7134 or 04 383 7769.
Compassion Easter hours:     
Good Friday: Chapel and Resting Place open 10am - 3pm
Easter Saturday: Suzanne Aubert Heritage Centre, Cloister Café and Chapel and Resting Place open 10am - 3pm
Easter Sunday: Chapel and Resting Place open 12noon - 3pm
Easter Monday: Suzanne Aubert Heritage Centre, Cloister Café and Chapel and Resting Place open 10am - 12.30pm
 

Pentecost Liturgical Workshop, Thursday April 19th  6.45pm-9.00pm at the Catholic Centre. This will be an interactive workshop, with Fr Patrick Bridgman, Archdiocesan Liturgy Advisor. Fr Patrick will help us unpack Pentecost seeking ways to be truly culturally inclusive within our liturgies and gatherings.
Workshops are open to all, being particularly relevant to members of Liturgy teams, Children’s Liturgists,
Parish Pastoral Leaders and Directors of Religious Education. Please register with Ann Williams before
Friday 13 th  April at  a.williams@wn.catholic.org.nz
 

XLT (eXaLT) Youth Worship Night Friday 13th April @ St Anne’s Hall, 7pm to 9pm.  Relevant Worship,  adoration, fellowship. Come with your friends! Open to Year 9 – 13 students and young adults.
 

Christ’s resurrection is not an event of the past; it contains a vital power which has permeated this world. Where all seems to be dead, signs of the resurrection suddenly spring up. It is an irresistible force. Often it seems that God does not exist: all around us we see persistent injustice, evil, indifference and cruelty. But it is also true that in the midst of darkness something new always springs to life and sooner or later produces fruit… However dark things are, goodness always re-emerges and spreads.        Pope Francis: Evangelii Gaudium #278
 

WelCom edition for April 2018 is out this week, for Easter Sunday 1 April.
 
Contents include:

• The Resurrection of Jesus Christ – reflections from Fr Neil Vaney sm and Joy Cowley; and a photo reflection at Jerusalem Hiruhārama.
• Cardinal John Dew – ‘Pope Francis’ five years of Remarkable Papacy’.
• Bishop Paul Martin – ordained new Bishop for Christchurch.
• A ‘prelude to Anzac Day, 25 April 2018’.
• New Zealand Catholic Education Conference, Wellington, 13-15 June 2018.
• Archdiocese of Wellington appoints Deacon Danny Karatea-Goddard as Vicar for Māori.
• NZ Anglican and Catholic Bishops meet for discussions.
• Hikoi Whakapono: Journey of Faith – a visit to St Canice Parish, Westport.
• Catholic Thinking series; ‘Aiming for  Fairer Circulation of Money’, Dr Sarah Hart.
• Stories and events from dioceses, parishes, youth and schools.

 

Inner Peace in Divine Love An Ignatian First Spiritual Exercise retreat in daily life based on a programme
developed by Australian, Michael Hanson SJ Participants meet weekly, under the guidance of trained guides, to pray and share in small groups their experience of prayer. The retreat is open to all and   will be held at St Peter and Paul Church, Johnsonville over five Thursday evenings - 12, 19, 26 April and 3 and 10 May, 7:30 - 9:30 pm To book or for information contact Sarah Dench     04 389 1038  or  021 0814 4424  sarahdench@yahoo.com

Come and Visit NZ’s only Museum of Bible times. Bibleworld Museum & Discovery Centre has recently moved to larger new premises and has even more to show what life was like in Bible times: heaps of scale models, lots of interactive activities, and some genuine artefacts from Bible times. Free Entry for everyone. 1141 Eruera Street, Rotorua. www.bibleworld.org.nz. A great outing for adults and children.

​We pray for the members of our Parish families who have died recently and those whose anniversaries occur around this time including Frederick Sparke, Mary Dillon, Frank Mansell and Francis Galvin.  Our prayers are also with those who are unwell especially John Rogers, Graeme Adams and Steve Kuzmicich and for the wonderful people who are caring for the everyday needs of the sick in our Community.