Celebrating 500 Years of the Gift of Faith Filipinos Hold Sinulog Festival (Page 35)
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PUBLICATION OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH Issue 126 - Lent 2021 CELEBRATING 500 YEARS OF THE GIFT OF FAITH FILIPINOS HOLD SINULOG FESTIVAL (page 35) The fluvial procession at the Avon with the statue of the Sto. Niño at the head of the boats. CELEBRATING OUR NEWLY EMERGING PARISHES (page 10) COLLEGE STUDENT LEADERSHIP (page 20) RECALLING COVERAGE OF CANTERBURY EARTHQUAKES (page 24) GATHERING AT FOURVIÈRE (page 32) From Our Archbishop Greetings to you as we enter this Holy Week. Our time of Lenten preparation is coming to a conclusion and we are about to celebrate the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I do hope that this Lenten time has given you the opportunity to prepare your hearts and minds well for this most central of celebrations for us as Christian people. For when we truly create the time and space to reflect and pray the Holy Spirit and the grace of God can work most powerfully in us. Trusting in God familiar to us in our existing parishes. Yet amid all of this change, we have This was both a time of sadness and faith and trust that God is at work. 2020 was a challenging year for also hope for the future. We have We try to be attuned to what God is so many of us. We went through watched the Cathedral of the Blessed asking of us, try to read the signs of the Covid-19 lockdown with all Sacrament being deconstructed the time, try to see what is of God and its ramifications. Many people’s over this last year. We are sad to what is not. We hold onto our belief routines and lives were upturned see it taken down and grateful for and trust that the Holy Spirit is with by the limitations imposed upon all it meant to so many of us as the the Church and its members, guiding us, the effects on the economy, and other aspects of our lives. Yet mother church of our diocese. We us and helping us to remain open to we also experienced some of the also have the hope of a new site and possibilities while remaining faithful to joys of life being less complicated a new cathedral and precinct in the what we are called to by Scripture and and rushed. As a diocese we went heart of Christchurch city. So much in the Tradition of the Church. We also through a significant change with the our lives is a mixture of suffering and work to remain open to one another, establishment of new parishes and the blessing and that is the dynamic of the forgiving one another when we are grief of saying goodbye to what was Christian life. hurt, being charitable to one another “I want you to know that I said yes to this request in faith, but with a heart that was somewhat torn. I have spent the last three years growing to love this diocese and its people.” Archbishop Paul Martin with Cardinal John Dew, Jan 2021 2 E C I OFF “If we are going to grow in holiness ishop’s HB then we have to look at our lives C and see what we are doing in order to AR allow these things to happen.” and in the way we deal with each according to the various needs of own faith journey and the gratitude we other. This Christian life is what we both. So I will still be present but not have for knowing Christ and belonging hope to model to our world. in quite the way I was before. I do ask to his Church. for your understanding and patience I hold onto this trust that God is at in this transition but know that we will work in my own life and calling. It Diocesan Focus continue on the path that we have was a real surprise to me when the I have previously mentioned the focus begun in Our Faith, Our Future and the Nuncio rang on the fourth Sunday of for our diocese for the future in terms plans around it. This is our diocesan Advent to say that the Holy Father was of three aspects: vision for the Church here and we will appointing me Coadjutor Archbishop work hard to see that it is begun well. Growing in holiness of Wellington. I had just finished Strengthening our faith celebrating Mass at the Pro-Cathedral Easter Liturgies communities and given a homily about Mary being Proclaiming the Good News open to the call of the angel Gabriel You will remember that last year we to others to be the Mother of God. She did not were not able to celebrate the Easter know what saying “yes” would mean liturgies together because of the These are to be the framework for but she trusted in the Lord. Then here Lockdown. It was indeed a strange our parish life, in our schools and was I, one hour later, being asked to do time for us. I do encourage you to take other Church organisations. If we have something that I was not expecting either. part in the Easter liturgies, especially not fallen in love with Christ, desire the Holy Thursday Mass of the Last to be more like him, and want to I want you to know that I said yes to this Supper and the Easter Vigil, which are come closer to God, then we will not request in faith, but with a heart that often not as well attended as Good have the energy or interest to work was somewhat torn. I have spent the Friday. These are beautiful liturgies of in building our faith communities or last three years growing to love this the Church which are worth making proclaiming the Good News to others. diocese and its people. I have had to the extra effort to attend. The Easter The question for each of us is what make a number of difficult decisions Vigil is a particularly powerful time of do I need to do in order to grow more regarding our diocese and have prayer especially if the Elect are being holy? The temptation for us is to see worked with you to put in place a vision baptised or welcomed into the Church. this as being very pious, and that for the future for us. I was very much It is a wonderful reminder to us of our being holy is something for others, not looking forward to journeying with you to see this come to fruition. But that is not to be my calling now and I move to Wellington leaving part of myself in this diocese with a deep sense of gratitude to God and to you for this experience of being the Bishop here, even though it has turned out to be a shorter time For a complete listing of than any of us imagined. I will be moving to Wellington after Holy Week Liturgies Easter to set up an office there and also to live with Cardinal John Dew in & Easter Mass Times Viard house, which is just opposite the including the Sacrament of Reconciliation, parliament buildings in Hill Street. I will in all parishes throughout the continue to Administer the Diocese Diocese of Christchurch (Canterbury/West Coast) of Christchurch until a new bishop is appointed, and I will be dividing visit: www.chchcatholic.nz my time between the two dioceses 3 A R C H B “He is a great saint for those who are in need financially, ishop’s to those who care for others, for families, and for those preparing for a happy death” OFF (Year of St Joseph) I C E for me. But a holy person is someone Royal Commission OF THE CATHOLIC TCHURCH who communicates with God through PUBLICATION PUBLICATION OF THE CATHOLICPUBLICATION OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CHRISIssue 126 - Lent 2021 DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCHDIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH Issue 126 - Lent 2021 There is information in this issue Issue 126 - Lent 2021 prayer, who knows their need of God and his love and mercy, especially about the Royal Commission into Abuse of those in State and Faith CELEBRATING through celebration of the Sacrament 500 YEARS OCELEBRATINGF CELEBRATING 500 YEARS500 OF YEARS OF based institutions. We must face up THE GIFT OF FAITH of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, FILIPINOS HOLD THE GALIFT OTHEF FAITH GIFT OF FAITH FILIPINOS HOLD to this very painful reality. We must SINULOG FESTI(pageV 35) FILIPINOS HOLD AL SINULOG FESTIVSINULOG FESTIV and who has a desire to care for those (page 35) AL (page 35) acknowledge the mistakes made and in need and is working to bring this the harm done to those who should Good News to others. have been able to rely on good care If we are going to grow in holiness from our Catholic institutions. We The fluvial procession at the Avon with the then we have to look at our lives cannot change what happened in the statue of the Sto. Niño The fluvial procession at the head of the boats. at the Avon withThe the fluvial procession statue of the Sto. atNiño the Avon with the at the head of thestatue boats. of the Sto. Niño past but we can work to ensure that at the head of the boats. and see what we are doing in order (page 20) CELEBRATING OUR (page 32) NEWLY EMERGINGCOLLEGE PARISHES STUDENT LEADERSHIP FOURVIÈRE (page 10) (page 10) COLLEGE STUDENT LEADERSHIP(page 20) RECALLING COVERAGE OF CANTERBURY (page 10)GATHERING COLLEGE AT STUDENT LEADERSHIP (page 20) CELEBRATING OUR NEWLY EMERGING PARISHES(page 24) all people are safe in our institutions NEWLY EMERGING PARISHES EARTHQUAKES (page 24) GATHERING FOURVIÈRE AT (page 32) to allow these things to happen.