MARCH 6TH

From the Pope’s Lenten Message
 
The works of Mercy
 
God’s mercy transforms human hearts; it enables us, through the experience of a faithful love, to become merciful in turn. In an ever new miracle, divine mercy shines forth in our lives, inspiring each of us to love our neighbour and to devote ourselves to what the Church’s tradition calls the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. These works remind us that faith finds expression in concrete everyday actions meant to help our neighbours in body and spirit: by feeding, visiting, comforting and instructing them. On such things will we be judged. For this reason, I expressed my hope that “the Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; this will be a way to reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty, and to enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God’s mercy” (ibid., 15). For in the poor, the flesh of Christ ‘becomes visible in the flesh of the tortured, the crushed, the scourged, the malnourished, and the exiled… to be acknowledged, touched, and cared for by us” (ibid). It is the unprecedented and scandalous mystery of the extension in time of the suffering of the Innocent Lamb, the burning bush of gratuitous love. Before this love, we can, like Moses, take off our sandals (cf. Ex 3:5), especially when the poor are our brothers or sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith.
 
                                                                                                                 Father Sanele
 
 
HOLY CROSS CHURCH CONTINUATION OF 9AM MASS TIME
Firstly, thank you to all those who completed the survey and provided feedback. It is much appreciated. The final result was marginally in favour of continuing with the 9am Mass time however there was a strong view that Mass times should be reviewed across the Parish as a whole.
In light of this result, your Parish Council have decided to continue with the planned Parish wide review and consultation about Holy Trinity Mass times.
In the interim, Sunday Mass at Holy Cross will continue at 9am.
 

Planned Giving Envelopes
Your current set of envelopes will finish at the end of this month.
Your next set are available at the back of the Church you attended prior to the formation of Holy Trinity. If you would prefer to collect them from the office or from a different Church, contact the office.
If you would like to join the planned giving programme, or wish to change from envelopes to automatic payments please contact the Parish Office for details.
Please note: your receipts will be issued in due course.
 

St Patrick’s Day Mass
13th March at 10am
St Patrick’s Church
Come and join us and celebrate St Patrick’s Day at 10am Mass followed by shared food and a cup of tea. Bring a plate.
Does anyone have spare St Patrick’s College uniform in good condition for a Year 9 student?
If you do, can you drop it off in the St Patrick’s Church porch with “Sisters of Compassion” on it please. Thank you.

St Vinnies in Seatoun & Miramar & Kilbirnie:  The St Vinnies groups meet once a month to pray together and to decide on helping, and visits to, people in need in our community.  If you want to join the Seatoun & Miramar Conference, or for more information, contact Brendan Quirk Ph 3889708 or [email protected] (next meeting Monday 14 March).  If you want to join the Kilbirnie Conference, or for more information, contact Margaret Bearsley 021 344 356 or [email protected] (next meeting Thursday 10 March). 
This month’s News and Views parish magazine has been emailed out to everyone on our parish email list.  If you are not on the list email [email protected]  to be included.  For people without email, copies are at the back of our churches including St Patrick’s church.  We are looking for people to help distribute the magazine in the Holy Cross area, if you are interested please let Marianne in the office know.

Lent timetable Holy Trinity:
Stations of the Cross
St Patricks and Holy Cross – Friday 7pm
St Anthony’s – Friday 5.30pm
 
St Patrick’s - Weds 6 – 7pm Adoration and reconciliation followed by Mass
Lenten envelopes and calendars
available in the church foyers.

Flat urgently wanted:  responsible pensioner seeks 1 or 2 bedroom flat with small outdoor area, keen gardener.  Miramar/Broadway area. Ring Bev 388 5821.

  St. Anthony’s Preschool Playgroup: Come and join us…we meet every second Friday during term time from 1pm until 2.55pm in the Gascoigne Room, St Anthony’s Church. Bring your preschooler/s along for a play and class visits to St Anthony’s Kiwi class for our four year olds. Contact the School office 380 6971
Holy Cross Little Angels Playgroup.
Holy Cross warmly invites Parents and caregivers to come and join in the fun in Room 12 on the last Friday of the month. Contact Susie Sumner for more details 388 7189

Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat 18-20 March
A retreat weekend for those whose lives have been touched by abortion.  An opportunity for healing to any woman or man who has struggled with the emotional or spiritual pain of abortion. All enquiries are strictly confidential.   Contact Wendy Hill [email protected]  or 027 2549222 www.rachelsvineyard.org.nz
 
Futuna Chapel Open Day – 20th March
See noticeboard for details.

A cardigan was left in Holy Cross Church a couple of weeks ago. If you think it could be yours, contact the Parish Office.

An Invitation to an Open Evening
on the Trafficking & Exploitation of Persons
Tuesday 8 March 7- 8.30pm At Tawa Union Church 6 Elena Place Tawa Speaker: Sr Gemma Wilson, Marist Sisters, Auckland
Evening commences with prayer focussing on Saint Josephine Bakhita, a survivor of human trafficking.
Gold Coin donation would be appreciated.
Hosted by (ANZRATH)  Aotearoa NZ Religious & Friends
against the Trafficking of Humans .
 Copyright Workshop for those involved in liturgical ministry and finance. 
Archdiocesan representatives are offering a workshop for musicians, liturgy teams, PowerPoint editors and those administering payment for copyright licensing.   The presentation will explore issues associated with copyright and present an initiative that may offer all involved with parish liturgy ministry a positive option that solves the copyright nightmare and provides opportunity to access a range of resources for musicians.   
Join the team at either venue:
7:30 – 9pm Wednesday 9th March (Connolly Hall)
10 – 11:30am Saturday 9 April (Plimmerton Parish Hall). 

Our baptism grafts us onto the Body of Christ, making us all share in His Person. If Christ is priest, prophet, and king, then so are we. In order to learn more about this do join us on the Sundays of Lent to watch Bishop Robert Barron’s teaching:  Priest, Prophet, King
 Sundays of Lent (from Feb 14 to Mar 20) Time: 12:30 - 1:30pm Venue: St. Gerard’s Monastery

“Praying with Icons”:  a series of four talks in April (21 & 28) and May (5 & 12) given by Fr John Allardyce, SM.  7.30pm - 9.00pm at Pa Maria Marist Spirituality Centre, 78 Hobson Street, Thorndon.  For further information and/or to register please contact Fr Brian Cummings SM at [email protected] or phone 04 212 4691.
Update on 40 Days for Life: With just under 300 cities taking part, 206 babies are known to have been saved from abortion during the first half of the current campaign! Let's keep up the prayer and fasting: you are helping to save lives. Come and help at the vigil fli.org.nz/40daysforlife

 
WANTED: VOLUNTEERS St Patrick’s College, Kilbirnie Reader/Writers are needed for our senior students sitting internal NCEA examinations throughout the year. During the year students on our Special Assessment Registry require assistance to either read or help them with writing their exams.  If you are interested in volunteering your time for a few hours every now and then please contact [email protected] The Job of the reader:  As a reader you are the eyes of the candidate. The Job of the Writer: You are the hands of the candidate and it is your responsibility to write the answers given by candidate
 

Calling all St Pats Town & Stream Old Boys St Pats College Old Boys Association AGM (for both Town & Stream Old Boys) Annual General Meeting will be held in the staff room of St Patrick's College Wellington, Thursday 17th March 2016 at 6pm.  Mass in the Chapel at 5.30pm followed by AGM with refreshments and a chance for attendees to catch up with other Old Boys.  George Collins- President SPCOBA

The season of Lent is a favorable time to listen to God’s word and to practice the works of mercy.
Let us not waste this season of Lent!    (Pope Francis Message for Lent 2016)

Refugee Resettlement – a Collaborative Response    
Catholic Social Services wish to express their thanks to everyone in the parishes for their generous response to welcoming our new families from Syria, Afghanistan and Columbia.  We thank you for the donations of time, goods and space; for your openness to sorting goods for the households and for those who were involved in the setting up of the homes for the different families.  It was impressive.!  Red Cross and their volunteers have been very appreciative of all the church communities have given to enable the families feel welcome and cared for.  The houses looked so warm and welcoming.  Our next steps are organising, with volunteers, the surplus donations into household lots for the families who will come in late April.  Once this is done we will be in touch again.
 
Children’s Day March 6th 2016
 
Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”   (Matthew 19:14)  
 
Every year on the first Sunday of March we celebrate a Day of Prayer for Children to recognise how important children are to our communities. This year Sunday, 6 March is the day to celebrate the importance of children and pause to reflect on the way they are treated in New Zealand and around the world. Resources to celebrate this special day can be found on the Caritas website - www.caritas.org.nz
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Prayer:   On this Day of Prayer for Children and their families. Lord Jesus, we pray for all parents in supporting, protecting and loving their children. Help us to support those around us in the ups and downs of family life. Inspire us to notice the difficulties and to take the first step to act for families and children in times of need. We pray that all families feel your loving embrace.  Amen
 
3 out of 5 children living in poverty have done so for many years.  
 
24% of children live in poverty. (1 in 4 children)
 
17% of New Zealand children (180,000) live without the essentials, e.g. food, heating and shoes.