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COVID19.govt.nz has resources translated into New Zealand Sign, Simplified Chinese, Te Reo Māori, Cook Island Māori, Fijian, Niuean, Samoan, Tongan, Tuvaluan and Tokelauan.
Let us pray for all those who are unwell especially Nesi Tan, Warren Stevenson, Eddie Wilkins, John Cairns-Cowan and Graeme Adams and for the wonderful people who are caring for the everyday needs of the sick in our Community. We also pray for the members of our Parish families who have died recently especially Jean Owen and those whose anniversaries occur around this time; Margaret Peters, Stanislawa Biskowiak and Ian Murray. We also remember our leaders and all those involved in providing essential services. Fr Ephrem is offering Mass every day from the prayer room in the presbytery at the following times Mon, Tues, Weds, Fri, Sat 9.30am Thurs 7pm Sunday 10.30am To join him live go to his Facebook page (Ephrem Tigga) If you would like Fr to offer Mass for yourself or a loved one, please contact the office by either phone or email Masses available on Television: Free to air telecast Shine TV Freeview channel 25 Sundays from 4 April – 1.35pm https://www.wn.catholic.org.nz/adw_community/resources-for-an-unusual-time/ 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. Acts 2, 42-47; 1 Pet 1, 3-9; Jn 20, 19-31 Forgiveness of sin Dear sisters and brothers, today we celebrate the second Sunday of Easter, is also called Divine Mercy Sunday by Saint pope John Paul II. And so it is the Mercy Sunday of the Lord. How does God show us His mercy? In the gospel we have the encounter of Thomas with Risen Christ. This is significance as it brings the gospel to its close. If you remember, John starts with “the Word was God” and today Thomas declares Jesus saying, “my Lord and my God”. For John, it is God who became human and thus complements the other gospels who show a man who is also God. It is with the divine authority that Jesus confers on his Church the divine power to forgive. Real forgiveness is indeed Godlike. It is not simply ‘forgive-and-forget’, but forgiveness is the knowledge that a hurt has occurred. Just as a bone, broken and merged together again, can be stronger than it was before it was broken, so forgiveness can create a real link of love on both sides, a treasured secret of divine graciousness between forgiver and forgiven. The letter of Peter is positive, full of optimism of the new Christian movement, the love, confidence and joy of looking forward to the promised inheritance. The baptism we receive is the baptism of repentance for our sins and acknowledgement of Jesus the Lord. It is a new birth into Christ brings with it a promise of an inheritance. It brings with its responsibilities and duties, and the reading mentions the trials which test us like gold in the fire. I know that I, for one, still have a lot of dross which needs to be purged away before I can confidently stand before the Lord and claim my inheritance as a son of God. After having heard John and Peter tell us, we draw our attention to Luke the evangelist. He narrates the early life of believers who followed teachings of Christ and lived their daily lives. The event is just after the Pentecost, the birth of the Church. It is a picture of peace, generosity and devotion, summed up in grateful praise of God. we have the quality of a community where the Spirit of God is given free play, an ideal to strive for. It is a community to which anyone would wish to belong, a community where love prevails, where each member is attentive to the needs of others. It is not surprising that their number was constantly on the increase. Are the pillars on which it stands the two types of prayer, in the Temple and in the Eucharist, or the resultant human goodness of generosity and joy? Perhaps, as in any community we experience, there were tensions beneath the surface, but the warmth of trust in the LORD breathes through the account and promises a solution to very problem. Dear sisters and brothers, when we have heard the word of God and been healed from our brokenness (forgiven); we create a community that lives harmoniously with one another and creation. This promises a life of peace, charity and joy and COVID-19 is helping us to build as such one. We are capable of creating a new earth order as the first followers of Jesus did, for ‘God-is-with-us’. Fr Ephrem Pray for people who are infected with COVID-19 or facing quarantine. Jesus, during Your ministry on Earth You showed Your power and caring by healing people of all ages and stations of life from physical, mental, and spiritual ailments. Be present now to people who need Your loving touch because of COVID-19. May they feel Your power of healing through the care of doctors and nurses. Take away the fear, anxiety, and feelings of isolation from people receiving treatment or under quarantine. Give them a sense of purpose in pursuing health and protecting others from exposure to the disease. Protect their families and friends and bring peace to all who love them. Through Christ our Lord. Amen NZ Catholic available online now http://www.catholic.org.nz/assets/Uploads/NZ-Catholic-Issue-587-April-19-2021.pdf THANK YOU for YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT - Planned Giving Donations: If you have envelopes during this lockdown time, if you can, please deposit your offering directly into the parish bank account: Holy Trinity Parish BNZ Bank account number 02-0536-0185031-000. Use your planned giving number as your reference so the payment can be allocated correctly. - A secure Donation box will be in each of the Church foyers for your contributions once the Churches are able to be safely opened again. - Planned Giving Receipts: Your receipts will be processed over the coming weeks. An email copy will be sent to those we have an email address for. If you do not have an email address and/or require a paper copy, receipts will be available once the lock down is over. Well done to us all ! We’ve had three weeks of our nationwide lockdown. There have been some lows and some highs but it seems that we are on track to flattening the curve. So let’s keep up the good work. This poem from Kathleen O’Meara, (pen name Grace Ramsay) an Irish poet who lived 1839-1888 is maybe as relevant for us today as it was back then. And People Stayed Home And people stayed home and read books and listened and rested and exercised and made art and played and learned new ways of being and stopped and listened deeper someone meditated someone prayed someone danced someone met their shadow and people began to think differently and people healed and in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways, dangerous, meaningless and heartless, even the earth began to heal and when the danger ended and people found each other grieved for the dead people and they made new choices and dreamed of new visions and created new ways of life and healed the earth completely just as they were healed themselves. During this time of COVID-19 lockdown, we think of and pray for those not in our bubble – family, friends, neighbours, all our essential workers, those anxious or under stress, those who are ill and suffering and those in unfortunate situations. But it is really important that each of us is also as well as can be, and looking after our own wellbeing too. THERE ARE A SIMPLE THINGS WE CAN ALL DO TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND OTHERS. Looking after ourselves, friends and whānau - suggestions for taking care of ourselves and others especially during this time. It’s important to be up to date with the latest government guidance on how to slow the spread of COVID-19. Get the latest government advice here: https://covid19.govt.nz/ (translations available in other languages) A new website dedicated to providing information for New Zealand’s Pacific communities has been launched to help stamp out COVID-19 preparepacific.nz If you need someone to talk to, call 1737 to connect with trained counsellors for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
St Vincent de Paul Holy Trinity Parish members and helpers make weekly check-in calls. If you know of any people who would appreciate a phone call or are in need of emergency food or winter bedding support, we can still include them in our phone list. Contact: Tina Quidilla SVDP 021 159 2412, email: cquidilla@xtra.co.nz). Wellington Catholic Social Services 04-385-8642 is available working by phone, text, email & Zoom. Referrals call CSS 0274055469 or emailing reception@wn.catholic.org.nz
Covid 19 - St Vincent de Paul Holy Trinity Parish. Our SVDP members and helpers continue to do weekly check-in / social calls but should you know of any other isolated people who would appreciate a check-in / social phone call or are in need of emergency food or winter bedding support, then we can still include them in our phone list. Take Care & God bless. (Contact: Tina Quidilla SVDP ph 021 159 2412, email: cquidilla@xtra.co.nz). Need Help – Offer Help’ – A COVID-19 Response: Contact details for groups within the Archdiocese of Wellington who are meeting needs and offering social services to support wellbeing during the lockdown is available on the Archdiocese of Wellington website page "Need help, offer help": https://www.wn.catholic.org.nz/adw_community/need-help-offer-help/ This webpage also includes details of how people can contribute, which is primarily through financial donations at this time, when goods are unable to be offered. Catholic social services (04-385-8642) social workers can also assist in connecting people to appropriate services. The page is regularly updated - please email l.beech@wn.catholic.org.nz with any updates. The resurrection of Christ … is the victory of love over the root of evil, a victory that does not “by-pass” suffering and death, but passes through them, opening a path in the abyss, transforming evil into good: this is the unique hallmark of the power of God. Pope Francis: Urbi et Orbi message, Easter 2020
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