12 may 2019

Acts 13:14,43-52; Apoc. 7:9,14-17; Jn 10:27-30
The fourth Sunday of Easter is known as Good Shepherd Sunday and it is the “World Day of Prayer for Vocations.”  The scripture lessons for this Sunday are about the role of the shepherds of God’s flock in the Church. Each year, on this Sunday we reflect on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who devotedly and kindly takes care of his flock.   The title "pastor," which means shepherd who leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects—responsibilities that belong to every church leader.  The earliest Christians saw Jesus as the fulfillment of the ancient Jewish dream of a good shepherd.   They also wished to include the Gentiles as part of God’s flock.  
Today's first reading describes how Paul and Barnabas opted to listen to the voice of Jesus the Good Shepherd and follow him and how, like their master, they were rebuffed and rejected when they tried to share the good news of salvation. The second reading, from the book of Revelation, depicts Jesus as both the glorified Lamb and Shepherd.  John encourages his readers with the assurance that every person who has ever followed Christ and led others to him, and who has suffered rejection and persecution, will also know the unending joy of victory and a share in everlasting life.  The Gospel text also offers us both to comfort and great challenge.  The comforting message is that no one can snatch the sheep out of his Father’s hands.  The challenge is that pastors and lay people alike should be good shepherds to those entrusted to their care.  The need of the hour is not only to pray for the new vocations to come from the domestic church (families) as Jesus himself called for prayer but also to encourage, promote and send prospective priestly candidates from our families to work in the vineyard of the Lord.                                                                                                                          Fr Paul
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.

Frs Ephrem and Paul will be away from the 14th – 16th May.
During their absence, the weekday Mass times will be as follows.
 
Tuesday 14th May    9.30am St Patrick’s Church
Wednesday 15th May   9.30am St Patrick’s Church
Thursday 16th May  9.30am St Patrick’s Church
                                                                                                                                                 Thank you

Fr Matthew’s final Mass – St Patrick’s Church 1 June 5.30pm Vigil.
Fr Matthew will be returning to Ireland permanently in July and we are grateful he is able to celebrate a  final Mass at St Patrick’s with us. There will be a light supper in the meeting room directly after Mass. Everyone is asked to please bring a plate of food to share.  If you are available to organise this, please contact the office 388 6953 or [email protected]. If you would like to make a donation to Fr Matthew, please put an envelope in the collection. Thank you.

If God exists, it changes everything!  A final reminder that the Alpha faith course starts again this week.  There  are two sessions one starting at 4pm and the other starting at 7pm in the Holy Cross School Staffroom from Wednesday 22 May.   To enrol please call or email the parish office or text Dave Monastra on 0274477280.  Feel free to bring family members and friends.


HOLY CROSS SCHOOL 2019 Board of Trustees’ Election Nominations are invited for the election of 5 parent representatives to the board of trustees. A nomination form and a notice calling for nominations has been posted to all eligible voters. You can nominate another person to stand as a candidate, or you can nominate yourself. Both parts of the form must be signed. Additional nomination forms can be obtained from the school office. Nominations close at noon on Friday 24  May 2019 and may be accompanied by a signed candidate statement and photograph. The voting roll is open for inspection at the school and can be viewed during normal school hours. There will also be a list of candidates’ names, as they come to hand, for inspection at the school. Voting closes at noon on Friday June 2019

St Anthony's School are looking for volunteers to join our Board of Trustees. The election will be at the start of June, with nominations opened from 10 May, so please come and talk to us if you are interested. You don't need to have any particular skills or knowledge, just a passion for teaching and learning and a love of our wonderful school community. You can find out more about us at http://www.stants.school.nz/bot or email us at [email protected]

At the Anzac Day  Mass  $236.20  was collected.  The money has been delivered to the Wellington RSA office.  Thanks to all who contributed.

St Patrick’s church Liturgy Group thanks all those who attended our Easter ceremonies. In particular we thank those who carried out ministries such as our Altar servers, Welcomers, readers, musicians,  offertory carriers, Ministers of the Eucharist.  Special thanks to the children who led the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.  They read clearly and confidently and were a credit to their parents and the Parish. We were delighted that FR Frank Whitaker joined us in the ceremonies.  He is a Kilbirnie boy born and bred and it was lovely to have him celebrate with us.

Do you have any memories/photographs/information from the early days of our 3 churches? Trisha would love to hear from you. She is compiling a history of the churches in the Eastern Suburbs in relation to the upcoming centenary for St Patrick’s Church .  lease contact her 04 934 3179 to share any information you have. Thank you in advance

HOLY CROSS CHURCH CARPARK
Please only park in the designated parks.The accessway to the presbytery at the back needs to remain clear at all times. This applies to both weekend and weekday Masses.  

 St Vincent de Paul Society Foodbank Appeal, 
Saturday 25 May 2019, at Pak ‘n Save Supermarket, Kilbirnie.  

CLEANER REQUIRED - St Catherine's College St Catherine’s College has a vacancy for a part time cleaner from 2 pm – 6 pm each day.  Start date is Wednesday 15 May 2019 or by negotiation. If this might suit you please contact Sue Kemp, Executive Officer on 939-8988 ext. 815 or[email protected]
 

Celebrating 100 years since the first school building on St Catherine’s College site. High Tea 22 June 2019 from 1.00pm – 4.45pm Mercy Hall, SCC. $15. Registration required. Contact Sister Stephanie [email protected] or 0272458859

The Catholic Bishops of NZ are urging the laity to oppose Act Leader David Seymour’s End of Life Choice (Euthanasia) Bill which will likely be voted on at its second and critical reading on Wed 22nd May. Unless we take immediate action there is a danger that this dangerous bill will pass. We urge you to immediately contact your local Electorate and List MP’s to ask them to vote against the bill. This can be done very simply using the following web address. This connects to a page on the DefendNZ website. Please visit n2as.nz or phone  0800 42 76 42. Please pray for the defeat of this evil bill. For more information please contact [email protected]

Day of Prayer for Vocations - Sunday 12 May Today is a special day of prayer for vocations to the priesthood. Please pray for our seminarians Alfred, Matthew and Kinh and all 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.
In speaking of the Gospel account of the calling of the first disciples by the sea of Galilee (Mk 1:16-20) Pope Francis says, "Do not be deaf to the Lord’s call. If he calls you to follow this path, do not pull your oars into the boat, but trust him. Do not yield to fear, which paralyzes us before the great heights to which the Lord points us. Always remember that to those who leave their nets and boat behind, and follow him, the Lord promises the joy of a new life that can fill our hearts and enliven our journey."  Contact Fr David Dowling, Vocations Director:  [email protected]

St Mary's College Open Day. June 13th 2019, 9am.
 

Joshua Catholic Men’s Fellowship Wellington invites men to come along and join us on Thursday 16th May 2019 at 7:30pm (Note: fellowship from 7:00pm for a 7:30pm start) In CONNOLLY HALL, Guildford Terrace,  (behind the closed Sacred Heart Cathedral).  Speaker: Fr John Pettit on “Serving the Aboriginal people of Central Australia” Want to know more? Ring Steve Ready 027-356-9555 or [email protected]

Missionary Sisters of St Peter Claver Ethnic Dinner with Entertainment. Saturday 25 May 6.30pm at Polish House 257 Riddiford St, Newtown. Bring your favourite dish to share. Admission: Adults $10, 5 to 10yrs $5 and under 5yrs free. All donation money sent to overseas missions. For tickets ring 383 8401

Nau mai, haere mai, you are invited… by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Committee for Interfaith Relations, to celebrate the launch of its booklet: Promoting interfaith relations in Aotearoa New Zealand
Today we are called to encounter and enter into relationship with our sisters and brothers of different faiths. This booklet offers some practical context for doing so. Saturday 19 May 11.30am St Mary of the Angels, Wellington

Christ the Compassionate Stranger. Live in Retreat, 14 to 16 June. Post Christchurch, Christ’s encounter with the Woman at the Well invites us to embrace a Spirituality of GIFT, seeing the person of Christ in our neighbours and moving towards truly inclusive communities. Join Anglican priest and theologian Dr Raymond Pelly at the Home of Compassion in reflecting upon the radical generosity of the God of our Christian tradition. Retreat fee $100.00 plus accommodation costs. Day attendance option also available. Enquiries and registration; Ph. 04 3837769 or [email protected].

Compassion Soup Kitchen Street Appeal will be on Friday 14 June 2019 around the Wellington region. We are looking for volunteers! If you can help with being a Street Collector for one to two hours on Friday 14 June, please sign up at soupkitchen.org.nz/streetappeal or call (04) 385 9299.

Day of Prayer for Vocations  This Sunday is a special day of prayer for vocations to the priesthood. Please pray for our seminarians Alfred, Matthew and Kinh and all 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 becoming a priest. 
"The Lord’s call is not an intrusion of God in our freedom; it is the loving initiative whereby God encounters us and invites us to be part of a great undertaking. Every vocation is a summons to follow Jesus on the path he has marked out for us, for our own happiness and for the good of those around us." Pope Francis 
Fr David Dowling, Vocations Director: [email protected]

Go you are sent to accompany one another (10) Remember that young people are part of the Mass and the community, they are not separate from it.

Protect vulnerable people: Say no to the euthanasia Bill. If you haven’t already signed your name to the petition rejecting David Seymour’s Euthanasia Bill, we ask that you consider visiting this link and providing your details to oppose this. https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/protect-vulnerable-people-say-no-to-the-euthanasia-bill.html  The euthanasia Bill is fundamentally flawed and dangerous. There are no effective safeguards that can dequately protect vulnerable people from coercion and wrongful deaths. If more than one person in your household would like to sign the petition this is allowed, but each person needs to use a different device (PC, Mac, tablet, phone, etc).

Advance notice......New Zealand Catholic Medical Association - Inaugural Meeting  Date: Sat: 25 May 2019
Time: 10am -3pm Place: St Michael’s School Hall, 6 Beatrice Road, Remuera, Auckland - Cost $25 per person. Blessing and Holy Mass from Bishop Patrick Dunn Provides an opportunity for doctors and others involved in healthcare to find pastoral care, support, encouragement and faith development. Registration is required by 20 May 2019. Details newzealandcatholicmedical.co.nz/event Contact email:[email protected]

The Christian Brothers Past Pupils’ Association, Wellington, is holding its Annual Mass on Sunday, 26 May, at the 10.30am Mass in the Chapel at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hill St, Wellington.  The celebrant is Fr James Lyons.  Mass will be followed by lunch in Connolly Hall at 11.45am.  Our guest speaker is Tony Mackle and the title of his address is “From Buckle St to the Waterfront – a brief history of the art collections at Te Papa.”  Those interested in attending please contact Kevin McCormack on 478-6792.

Compassion Soup Kitchen Street Appeal - Street Collectors Needed! Our Annual Street Appeal will be on Friday 14 June 2019 around the Wellington region. We are looking for volunteers! If you can help with being a Street Collector for one to two hours on Friday 14 June, please sign up at soupkitchen.org.nz/streetappeal or call (04) 385 9299. Come and help our biggest fundraiser of the year and increase the awareness of the services we provide to the community. Be a part of the Compassion story!   

Suzanne Aubert's Birthday Mass. 19 June, 6pm. The Sisters of Compassion and the Catholic Parish of Wellington South invite everyone to celebrate Suzanne Aubert's Birthday Mass celebrated by Cardinal John Dew. St Anne's Church, Newtown. For more details email heritagecentre@compassion.org.nz or ph (04) 282-1953.

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Committee for Interfaith Relations is launching its booklet “Promoting Interfaith Relations in Aotearoa New Zealand.” Come and get your free copy and learn about the importance of interfaith relations in our church and society today, from two committee members, Daniel Kleinsman and Christopher Longhurst. 11:30am, Saturday 18 May 2019 @ St Mary of the Angels Church, 17 Boulcott St, Wellington, 6011

Welcome to Matariki. Remembrance Miha (Māori mass) 9 June, 11 am. From 1.30pm - 3pm there will be family friendly entertainment to create warmth and celebrate togetherness and new beginnings in Aotearoa. Our Lady’s Home of Compassion, 2 Rhine Street, Island Bay. For more details: Ph: 3837769 email [email protected] and ask for Christine.

It is not always easy to discern the Good Shepherd’s voice…There is always the risk of being distracted by the din of so many other voices. Today we are invited not to let ourselves be distracted by false wisdom, but to follow Jesus, the Risen One, as the one sure guide who gives meaning to our life.    Pope Francis: Angelus, 7 May 2017

​We pray for the members of our Parish families who have died recently and those whose anniversaries occur around this time including Zofia Czochanska, Mary McKechnie, Betty-Leah Bolton and Maria Peters. Our prayers are also with those who are unwell especially John Rogers, John Cairns-Cowan and Graeme Adams and for the wonderful people who are caring for the everyday needs of the sick in our Community.