All Saints & All Souls

This week we celebrate two great feasts: All Saints, and All Souls.

Below you will find the times for liturgies this week at Our Lady of Victories, Sockburn.

In preparation for the celebration of these feasts, and for the month of the Holy Souls, you might find it helpful to listen to this interview.  It was first broadcast on "Sounds Catholic."

Liturgy this week at Our Lady of Victories, Sockburn, Christchurch:

Monday 31 October

8.30am Rosary
9.00am Mass

followed by Adoration of Blessed Sacrament until... 

...10.00am Benediction
4.00pm Rosary

Tuesday 1 November ALL SAINTS

7.00am Mass
8.30am Rosary

9.00am Mass 
followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until...

...10.00am Benediction
4.00pm Rosary

7.00pm Mass

Wednesday 2 November ALL SOULS
8.30am Rosary

9.00am Mass (in Church not Mercy House)

followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until...

...10.00am Benediction
4.00pm Rosary

6.15pm - 6.45pm Reconciliation

7.00pm Mass

Thursday 3 November
8.30am Rosary

9.00am Mass  
followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until..

...10.00am Benediction
4.00pm Rosary

Friday 4 November
7.00am Mass
8.30amm Rosary

9.00am Mass
followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until...

...5.30pm Benediction
7.30pm Charismatic Mass

Saturday 5 November
9.00am Mass  

followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until..

...10.00am Benediction
9.30am - 10.00am Reconciliation
5.00pm - 5.45pm  Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
5.15pm - 5.30pm Reconciliation
6.00pm Sunday Vigil Mass


Sunday 6 November

9.00pm - 9.45pm  Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
9.15pm - 9.30pm Reconciliation
10.00am Mass
4.00pm - 4.45pm  Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
4.15pm - 4.30pm Reconciliation
5.00pm Mass

www.olv.co.nz

Cemetery Visits

Cemetery visits 

in preparation for the 

Feast of the All Souls

& to mark this month of the Holy Souls

Fr John will visit several local cemeteries to spend time with parishioners in prayer this week to mark the 

Feast of All Souls.  

He will lead a time of prayer, with blessing of individual graves, at the following cemeteries at these times and dates:

Sunday, 30 October

11.30am Waimairi Cemetery

12.00pm Avonhead Park Cemetery

12.30pm Yaldhurst Cemetery

1.00pm Shands Rd Cemetery

Sunday, 06 November

immediately following 8.30am Mass Darfield Cemetery

If you have loved ones buried in these places, 

or if you would like to walk this path of prayer with us, please meet at the above times & places

Sacred Heart Timaru 100 years

This weekend the parish of Sacred Heart Timaru celebrates the centenary of their parish church. This magnificent temple has housed the faith, prayer and worship of the Catholic community of Timaru for one hundred years.

The people of Timaru gave generously to build this church in the early years of last century. A doctoral student recently researched the building of the duomo in Milan, Italy. She titled her work: "They lived in hovels, and built Cathedrals." In the early twentieth century the Catholics of Timaru did not have a lot of money. But they made sure that God had a worthy dwelling place in their midst.

The builders, under the pastoral leadership of Dean Tubman, were guided by the artistic competence of the great NZ-born architect Francis Petre.

Yesterday I was in Sacred Heart for a funeral. While this was not my parish church, it was the church I prayed in often, both at Mass, and when I thought the day's exam could only be passed with the help of God.

My prayers were not always answered in the way that I had hoped. I now thank God for that! 

Yesterday, during the funeral, I was mindful of the thousands of people who have sought God in this sacred place. So many people have been baptised and buried, married and ordained here.

This weekend, hundreds of people, with priests and bishops, will gather to celebrate and to give thanks to God. Sacred Heart Church Timaru, reminds us of the importance of the Church as a sacred place. A beautiful building. A worthy temple. A church that serves to raise the mind and heart to God.

the lesser-known side door

St. Joseph's Altar

This Altar of Our Lady was the Altar for all week-day
Masses through my growing-up years.

signs of hope (post-earthquakes Christchurch)

The news of the morning for Christchurch was that the Cashel Mall will open tomorrow afternoon. This is a great sign of hope for our city. Once again there are signs of business and activity in the previously active central business district of our city.

Today also we heard of the work of Gerard Smyth whose documentary film about the earthquakes and the peoples response and recovery will reach the cinemas nationwide in November. The premier of the movie will also open the Palms Mall movie complex. Another sign of hope.

You can watch the trailer for the movie on youtube - link below.

Assisi 2011: Pope & prayer for peace

Twenty five years ago today, a remarkable gathering took place in Assisi, Italy.  Pope John Paul invited religious leaders to pray together for peace. The pope pushed past official opposition to cross denomination divides. The result was an event that has entered history as a turning point in both inter-religious dialogue, and prayer for peace.

You can read Pope John Paul's reflection on this occasion at this link.

Tomorrow, twenty five years later, Pope Benedict is in Assisi. Today, at a Vigil in preparation for his Assisi visit, he gave this homily: "It is not the sword of the conqueror that builds peace, but the sword of the sufferer."

You can read the pope's full text at this link.

standing ready for God

When the roll is called at a meeting, the usual response when we hear our name, is to call “present”. When a person we respect enters a room we stand to greet them.  Combining a verbal response with a gesture of respect is a worthy gesture of respect, welcome and readiness to engage.

There is a moment in the ordination rite for both priest and deacon, when the bishop announces ‘let the one who is to be ordained come forward’. The candidate stands and clearly responds: “Present”.

This is a significant moment. I remember it well at my own ordination. For the one to be ordained, this movement to stand (while all others remained seated), announces willingness to step forward in service of God. This moment expresses desire to follow wherever God may lead.

When we move to stand in the Mass, we are physically announcing our desire to be open to God and to walk every step in every God-chosen direction with God. 

In the context of the liturgy, the simple and everyday gesture of rising to our feet proclaims our commitment to God within this Catholic worshipping community.

There are several moments when we move to our feet during the Mass. As the entrance procession begins, we rise. As the Alleluia verse heralds the proclamation of the Gospel we once again stand. We stand whenever we pray to God together.

We are familiar with the Prayer over the Offerings (refer below). Until now we stood when we had finished responding to the invitation of the priest. In the Revised Order of the Mass we will now stand before we begin to respond to the invitation of the priest.

Initially this change may be a little awkward for us. But our deepened awareness of this opportunity to bodily express our desire for God will help us to embrace this change in posture.


The priest invites us to "pray brothers and sisters that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the almighty Father." 


In one worshipping movement all present respond by rising to their feet and praying that the Lord accepts this sacrifice, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good, and for the good of all his holy church.

+++ 

Standing at the middle of the altar, 

facing the people, extending and then joining his hands, 

he (the priest) says:

Pray brothers and sisters

that my sacrifice and yours

may be acceptable to God

the almighty Father.

The people rise and reply:

May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands

for the praise and glory of his name,

for our good

and the good of all his holy Church

Then the Priest, with hands extended, 

says the Prayer over the Offerings, 

at the end of which the people acclaim:

Amen.

the morning after

At Mass here on the Chathams yesterday morning a few people suggested we pray for the All Blacks. Others thought they did not need our prayer. 

After Mass, during the day, and again last night at a 21st party I suggested that the result would be very close. Most of the locals disagreed and thought we had little to worry about.

It was a great game. I must admit that I spent much of the second half wondering what I would blog if the French won.  But we don't have to go there!

We will celebrate for a few days, and even for a few weeks. But thanks be to God our reason for personal joy, peace and meaning in life does not depend on anything as vulnerable as sporting success.  God remains with the French as much as with the victorious All Blacks.

And our personal happiness in life comes when we remember this great fact.

www.johncoconnor.blogspot.com