19th March 2017

Dear brothers and sisters,
The Gospel today tells us of a Samaritan woman searching for a true water that would quench her thirst for happiness. Right out of the blue she encounters a person who tells her he can provide her with this water. The person is Christ.
 
We are all hungry and thirst for true love and happiness looking for this elusive ‘something’ that will make us happy, but like the Samaritan woman, we are looking for right things (love and happiness) in a wrong place and a wrong way. Where should we go then to quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger? The Gospel of today says only Jesus can quench our thirst, “anyone who drinks the water that I give will never by thirsty again. We have come this morning to the right place to encounter the right person, Jesus who can give us what we are looking for.
Fr Gregory
The last Friday of Lent is a day of fasting and abstinence
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.

Lenten Appeal envelopes are available at the back of each Church

Lenten Mass – 1st March – 8th April
There will be 6.30am Mass at Holy Cross Church from Monday – Saturday during Lent.
Please note: this is an additional Mass during Lent and will continue while Fr Gregory is overseas
  
Stations of the Cross – Thursdays during Lent
Every Thursday at 7pm at St Patrick’s Church through to 6th April

Fr Gregory will be away from 9th – 23rd March.
During this time, the weekday Mass timetable for the Parish will be as follows:
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN TIME AND VENUE FOR THURS 23RD MASS
St Patrick’s Church – Monday 20th 9am & Tues 21st 9.30am
St Anthony’s Church – Wednesday 22nd 9am
St Patrick’s Church - Thurs 23rd 9am
Friday 24th March – timetable reverts back to normal weekday Mass schedule

HOLY CROSS - 9.30am Mass 29th March will be held at Holy Cross School Hall
 as Fr will be baptising 3 of their children during the service. 

Holy Saturday Easter Vigil Service at St Patrick’s Church 8.30pm
We need people to volunteer to take part in the Parish Holy Saturday Easter Mass at 8pm please
From each Church Congregation we need:  2 readers
                                                                      1 offertory carrier
                                                                      3 Ministers of the Eucharist
Please email me [email protected]  or phone  934 3179  by 1st April  if you are willing  to take part. 

Is there someone with spare dark brown paint who could paint the St Patrick’s Church Cross for the procession on Good Friday? If so contact Andrew 027 438 5393 or [email protected]  to arrange.

St Vincent de Paul needs some help;
We have a need for some long sleeved shirts and pants for a size 12-14 girl attending St Pat’s primary school in Kilbirnie. With winter coming on, some other warm clothes may well be needed.
If any parishioner with knowledge of St Pat’s primary school uniform requirements can assist could please contact Paul Franken 976 8338 [email protected] or another StVdP committee member

Preparation for the sacrament of reconciliation is under way in Holy Trinity Parish. Parents/caregivers are requested to bring the children for each class. Parionshers are requested to pray for them.
St Anthony’s reconciliation will be 6.30pm Thurs 30th March at St Anthony’s Church
Holy Cross and St Patrick’s reconcilliation will be 6.30pm Thurs 6th April at Holy Cross Church

The St Catherine’s College Service Group is getting underway again, for its 3rd year and invites any parishioners to please contact Fr Ephrem 027 714 9660, the Parish office 388 6953 or St Catherine’s College 939 8988 with details of help required. We are an enthusiastic and reliable group of girls, keen to help with any task, free of charge like gardening, cleaning, shopping or helping at parish functions or working bees. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch as we’d love to come and help you. 

WELCOMING REFUGEES TO WELLINGTON March 2017
Thank you to everyone who donated household and food items for the families who arrived in Wellington  on 3 March, or contributed to set up homes and to sort and check donated goods.  We set up 14  houses for the families and also provided a pantry pack full of basic food items.  It is inspiring what we can do together. Thank you to everyone who contributed items, time and effort to make new New Zealanders welcome.
Wellington Archdiocese Catholic Social Services

St Mary’s College invites you to attend our open day Weds 31st May 8.30 – 10am or 10.45 – 12.20pm.
For further information refer to the noticeboard at the back of the Church
Engaged Encounter is a weekend experience for couples intending to be married. 
Weekends in 2017 are 18-19 March, 22-23 July and 11-12 November. Registrations close 2 weeks before.
Venue: Presbytery, 301 Karori Road, Karori, Wellington. For more details go to the website at http://www.ceewellington.org.nz  or Kate & Simon Olsen 801 6192,   [email protected]

The Annual Acies (Consecration Service) of the Legion of Mary will take place at St Joseph’s Church Mt Victoria on Sunday, 26th March at 2:00pm The celebrant will be Legion of Mary Spiritual Director Reverend Father Denis O’Connor. All Religious, active, auxiliary members and parishioners are warmly invited to attend and once again consecrate themselves to Our Blessed Lady in honour of the Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord.
40 Days for Life - More than 13,000 preborn children are aborted every year in New Zealand. That is 36 Children every single day. Women are hurt – physically, mentally and spiritually. Men regret their lost fatherhood. 40 Days of Life is a local solution where people unite in prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil outside abortion facilities in order to end abortion. Please join your local 40 Days for Life prayer vigil March 1st to April 9th. Together, with God’s grace, we will bring about an end to abortion in New Zealand. Visit fli.org.nz/40daysforlife or ph 04 237-8343.

Age Concern Volunteer Visiting Service - Can you spare a rewarding hour a week?
Age Concern Wellington is looking for volunteers who are prepared to give an hour a week to visit an older person in their own home. Often elderly people feel lonely and isolated from the community. Having a visitor can make a real difference in the health and happiness of an older person and the visitor too can gain much from their  knowledge and experience. We have a number of clients in the Miramar area who would appreciate a daytime visit. If you can help please contact Monica Robinson, Age Concern, on 04 499 6646 or email [email protected]

We cannot live in a world where we reject each other, we must build bridges’.  
Rabbi Abraham Skorka, on his friendship with Pope Francis.

If you would like to receive the newsletter by email contact the parish office [email protected] with newsletter in the subject line and you will be added to the list.
 

40 Days for Life 1 March to 9 April. Pray and fast for unborn children, abortion-vulnerable women in our community and abortion workers.  Volunteers are needed to take shifts at the Vigil outside the hospital. To sign up, please visit fli.org.nz/40daysforlife or text “40 Days” to 021 231 7954. For more information, telephone 04 237 8343 Be a Sign of Hope - Midpoint Event for 40 Days for Life. 6-7 pm Sunday 19th March Outside Wellington Hospital on Riddiford Street. Unite in prayer at the half-way mark.

Side-by-Side Mentoring Side-by-Side Mentoring is an initiative that offers training to interested church community members who want to connect with and support families with children. If you are interested in family ministry then come to the information evening  Monday 20th March 7 – 9.30pm Cardinal McKeefry School Hall, 66 Albemarle Road, Northland, Wellington Contact Chris Duthie-Jung, 04 496 1759.

New rosters available
For the Parish – Prayers of the faithful by email
For St Patrick’s -  morning tea, flowers and altar servers either by email or are at the back of the Church
For Holy Cross – Cleaning roster either by email or at the back of the Church

Come and hear Sister Gail Worcelo speak - ‘In the Spirit of Laudato Si’, the latest encyclical of Pope Francis ushering in a new ‘moment of grace’ for our world today. 21 March 4.30 - 7.30pm Te Wahanga Atawhai Mercy Centre, 15 Guildford Tce, RSVP Vaughan Smith, Sisters of Mercy 831 0300 or [email protected].  Light refreshments available.Contributions as koha on entry gratefully received.

Please remember, if you move or change any of your details, please contact the parish office so your record can be updated Thank you.