Parish News for Sunday - 09/01/2011

The Baptism of the Lord: 9th January 2011.

Baptism/Welcome: We welcome into the Community of Faith, Lucy Mary Mellon Killaculla, Tempo, who was baptised on Friday 24th December 2010 in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Tempo. May her home be filled with prayer, love, happiness, and peace?

The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan/Baptism in the Parish: One of the focal points in a Catholic Church is the Baptismal Font. We see it during the celebration of the Eucharist. It reminds us that the celebration of the Eucharist and our Baptism are intimately related. We cannot have one without the other. Because we are baptised we join the worshipping community on Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist. If we refuse that invitation from Jesus we fail in our baptism. This is why parents must be practising Catholics, or have begun to practice if they want their baby baptised in a Catholic church. This is why sponsors must also be practising Catholics. In fact the regulation for the Priest is very clear. The Church asks him not to baptise a baby if the parents are not practicing Catholics. He should defer the Baptism until he is morally certain that the Child will be brought up in the Catholic Faith. The regulation is strict for the priest. Of course it makes sense that if parents are not going to Mass themselves they would not want their children to go to Mass. But as we know life doesn’t always make sense. I remind all who have their children baptised to go to Mass themselves, and to bring their children with them. When the time for first Communion comes we follow the same logic. If we don’t we are not cooperating with God in handing on the Faith. This I consider to be the greatest sin and evil of all. This evil can never be undone for we have very few years to do it. We have become far too lax in this matter. Political correctness won’t get us to heaven.

The Pilgrim Statue/ Our Lady of Fatima/ 17th January 2011: I received a phone call from a member of the national committee who organise the visit of the Pilgrim Statue of our Lady of Fatima around all dioceses in the world. She asked me if we would like to have this Pilgrim Statue in the Parish for two weeks. I recommended that we receive the Pilgrim Statue in St Joseph’s Cradien before Mass on Monday 17th January 2011. Fr Brendan Shannon will receive the Statue, celebrate Mass, and conduct a Prayer Service for half an hour after that Mass. He will also conduct an hour of prayer and meditation on Thursday night 20th January at 7.00pm in Cradien. The Statue may be visited in the Church during that week until Friday. On Friday Evening 21st January 2011 Fr Brendan will receive the statue in the Church of the Immaculate Conception before the Evening Mass and do the same. Again he will conduct and hour of Prayer and Meditation on Thursday 27th January at 8.00pm in Tempo. I feel that this is a fitting way to begin the New Year. We have many things to pray for in our own lives, in our families, in our Parish, and in our Country, and in the Catholic Church. The statue is sent at the request of Sr Lucia, and with the blessing of the bishop of Fatima and the pope. Mary is the Queen of Peace so we pray for inner peace and harmony, for all change comes from within. Other groups may like to recite the rosary of have readings at other times during these weeks. It is good time to take some initiative ourselves.

Meeting in Old School on Tuesday Night next 11th January at 8.00pm We need to organise various times for Prayer, and visits to the Church when the Pilgrim Statue is present. We ask people to a meeting in the Old school to arrange these times. We ask everyone, and especially the various organisations and associations in the Parish- Rosary Group, The Blessed Sacrament group, the Divine mercy group, the Eucharistic Ministers, All organisations, etc