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Special Christmas Edition Our Cathedral The Newsletter of St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth, Western Australia Issue 10 - December 2014 Print Post Approved 100019724 to the World to the People on Earth A Christmas Message from the Archbishop Most Rev Timothy Costelloe SDB Archbishop of Perth Dear Friends, As many people would be aware Christmas 2014 marks the centenary of that remarkable time at the start of the First World War when the Germans and British (and French as well according to some reports) laid down their weapons and began to exchange seasonal greetings and songs with the soldiers in the opposing trenches. These soldiers walked across to talk to their opposite numbers bearing gifts, mingling, exchanging food and souvenirs, playing soccer games together, joining in carol singing and even having joint burial services. German soldiers of the 134th Saxon Regiment photographed with men of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in No Man’s Land on the Western Front during the “Christmas Truce” - 1914. This very moving story points to the extraordinary power of the Christmas story to touch people at the deepest level even in the midst of great suffering, brutality and even hatred. Christmas seems to draw out of us our real humanity and invite us to be our best selves. If it was so one hundred years ago on the battlefields of Europe it can certainly happen for us here in our own beautiful corner of the world. I do not know which Christmas carols were sung on those occasions although we can be fairly sure that one of them was “Silent Night”. The miracle of this event was A cross, left in Saint-Yvon, Warneton in Belgium in 1999, precisely that the guns fell silent and it was indeed a to celebrate the site of the Christmas Truce during the First World War in 1914 silent night, a peaceful night, punctuated only by religious The text reads: “1914 - The Khaki Chum’s Christmas Truce - 1999 - 85 Years - Lest We Forget.” songs and the cries of “Happy Christmas”. Christmas Eve Christmas Day Wednesday, 24 December 2014 Thursday, 25th December 2014 6.00pm Children’s Mass Christmas Day Masses Children are asked to bring 8.00am a gift of non-perishable food for the 9.30am needy and dress up as angels, shepherds 11.00am or other biblical figures. 5.00pm 9.00pm Vigil Mass For people wanting to celebrate a night Mass, Other Churches in the Cathedral Parish: but find Midnight Mass a little late. St Catherine’s, Bedford Avenue, Subiaco 12.00am Midnight Mass Thursday 8.30am Mass Preceded by Lessons and Carols St Francis Xavier, Windsor Street, Perth 10.30pm – 11.30pm. Thursday 9.30am Mass 2 from the Archbishop “Peace on earth, good will towards men.” “Peace on earth to people with whom God is pleased.” Perhaps some of those Christmas greetings used the phrase “Peace on earth, good will towards men”. It is a common greeting and one which seems to capture the hope of Christmas very well. None of us would argue with it. It is worth remembering, though, that what the angels are reported to have said, according to the more common translation, is “Peace on earth to people with whom God is pleased”. Both translations are important and have something to offer us. The first reminds us that with the coming of Christ among us, God offers us his gift of peace and in this way extends his good will, his loving kindness, to us. It also hints that we, in our turn, are asked to be bringers of peace and good will to others. If we want our lives and our world to be marked by peace and good will it is up to us to do something about it. While this is a task for every day, Christmas offers us a special opportunity to recommit ourselves to being people of peace. And after all who really wants to be a bringer of discord and disharmony? The second translation, “peace on earth to people with whom God is pleased”, reminds us that life is a gift from God which is also a task. The great blessing of peace will be the fruit of a life lived in openness to God and in gratitude to God for his goodness to us. St Augustine once reminded us that our hearts will always be restless until we find our rest in God. Living our lives in fidelity to God is the way to this peace which only God can give. It is my prayer for all of you that you and your loved ones really do experience this wonderful gift of peace as you gather, in your homes, in your churches, and perhaps here in the Cathedral, to celebrate once again the birth of Jesus. And as we say each time we celebrate the Eucharist: “May the peace of the Lord be with you always”. Yours sincerely, +Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB Archbishop of Perth 3 Rev Fr Peter Whitely, Vicar General, Monsignor Michael Keating, Dean, Bishop Donald Sproxton and Emeritus Archbishop Barry Hickey at the celebration of the Ordinations of Rev Fr Christian Idri and Rev Fr Mark Baumgarten. Contents The Cathedral Diary Forthcoming activities and events at St Mary’s Cathedral. A Christmas Message from the Archbishop Pg 2 NOVEMBER Sun 30th Nov A Christmas Message from the Dean Pg 5 to Sun 7th Dec Nightly Novena to Our Lady leading up to - 7.30pm Feast of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Hosts Choristers’ 40th Anniversary Pg 6 (after Mass on weekends) Cathedral Hosts Michael Galovic DECEMBER Pg 7 Icon Exhibition Wed 3rd - 8.30am Mercedes College - Grandparents Mass Memorial Mass for Victims of Flight MH17 Pg 8 Wed 3rd - 1.30pm Department of Corrective Services Cathedral Welcomes West Australian Academy Pg 9 Fri 5th - 9.00am Mercedes College - Advent Liturgy of Performing Arts Mon 8th - 8.00am & Feast of the Immaculate Conception The Joyous ordinations of Rev Fr Christian Irdi and 12.10am Pg 10 Rev Fr Mark Baumgarten Tues 9th - 6.00pm Notre Dame Graduation Mass Cathedral Concert Series a Success Pg 12 Thurs 18th - 2.30pm Catholic Homes Carol Service Cathedral Celebrates 2000 Years of Marriage Pg 12 Fri 19th - 9.30am Irene McCormack College Staff Mass Ordinations of Redemptoris Mater Seminary Pg 13 JANUARY First Holy Communions Pg 14 Sun 11th - 2.00pm Croatian Catholic Community Thanksgiving Mass Historical Display Opens Pg 15 FEBRUARY Mon 2nd - 9.00am Mercedes College Opening Mass 25 Year Anniversary of Pg 16 St John of God Health Care Mon 2nd - 7.00pm Mass for Religious Orders 97 New Acolytes Welcomed to Service Pg 18 Wed 11th - 4.30pm Schools’ Commissioning Mass - Western Region Church Staff Called to Reflect Pg 19 Thurs 12th - 4.30pm Schools’ Commissioning Mass - Eastern Region on Gifts Given by The Lord Mon 16th - 6.00pm Mercedes College Family Mass - Yrs 8/10/11 St Marys a Standout at Heritage Day Tours Pg 20 Tues 17th - 6.00pm Mercedes College Family Mass - Yrs 7/9/12 Confirmations Celebrated at Cathedral Pg 21 Thurs 26th - 7.30pm RCIA - Rite of Election - Liturgy Archbishop’s Liturgical Launch of the Pg 22 Christmas Appeal for LifeLink MARCH Ordination of Deacons at St Mary’s Cathedral Pg 24 Tues 3rd - 8.00pm Perth International Arts Festival Concert Concert Series Final Performance - Magnificent Pg 26 Tues 17th - 10.00am St Patrick’s Day Mass We would sincerely like to thank and acknowledge the Archdiocesan Communications & Media Office for its generous assistance in providing information and/or articlesWith included grateful in this thanks… issue. Special thanks to James Parker, Communications Manager, and Jamie O’Brien, Senior Communications Officer, for all their help and support. We’d also like to express thanks to Ron Tan Photography for the beautiful images provided in this issue. A Christmas Message from the Dean Rev Monsignor Michael Keating Dean and Administrator St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth Dear Friends of the Cathedral, As you read this we are coming to the end of 2014 or already in 2015. What has 2014 been for you and yours? For the world it seems to me to have been a challenging year. From wars in Iraq and Syria and other places where fellow Christians have had a particularly hard time, to Ebola in West Africa and particularly the terrible MH17 tragedy and so on. I always feel gratitude for my faith and family, for the joy of working in our beautiful Cathedral and for the great privilege of living in Australia. I always ask myself “Am I doing enough for the homeless and needy people I see on my morning walk around the city?” What am I really sacrificingfor my sisters and brothers around our world, our Global Village? We will all one day have to account for what we have done or have not done. Thank you to the many people who come to Mass at the Cathedral or who visit it. If you are visitors, you are very welcome. A remarkable thing about our Cathedral is the number of volunteers who perform so many tasks. Some even devote a day every week to help. I have never seen this in any other parish. God bless them all. What will 2015 bring? What about our homes? Let words like: “I forgive you” – “I appreciate you” – “Please forgive me” – “Can I help” and “Thank You” be on our lips at home, at work and at study. I hope in 2015 we will all let go of anger, hatred and the past, and grow in love of God and others.