THE CATHOLIC PARISH OF NEW PLYMOUTH
TE PĀRIHI KATORIKA KI NGĀMOTU
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Office: 106 Powderham St, Box 32, Taranaki Mail Centre, New Plymouth 4340 Phone 06-757 3682
Web site: Catholicparishnp.nz Email: [email protected] Facebook: Catholic Parish of NP
Priests: Fr Simon Story (email [email protected]) Fr Craig Butler and Fr Sanjay Pradhan
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
17 APRIL 2016
Never Let Go:
One of the first things parents of a newborn learn is how
incredibly strong their baby’s grip is. Our daughter, like
most newborns, clenched onto her father’s and my
fingers immediately after birth—and she wouldn’t let
go! We called it her death grip. Yes, it’s a reflex, but it’s
one that reaches into your soul. You realize quickly what
a hold this person has on you—physically and
emotionally.
On this Good Shepherd Sunday, Jesus speaks in
the Gospel about not letting anyone take his flock out of
his hand. His hold on us is even tighter than a new-born
is, but it is certainly not a death grip. Quite the
opposite—it is a life grip. No matter how far we scatter
or how wide a path we walk, Jesus always has us in his
hands. He offers us life abundant here on earth and life
eternal in heaven
Parents of new-borns have such an emotional
response to their child’s grip because they’ve spent so
much time with this child—feeling her movements in
utero, seeing his picture in ultrasounds, preparing their
lives for this new being. There’s an intimate connection.
Sheep respond loyally to their shepherd’s voice because
they spend so much time together in the fields. The
same must be true for our relationship with our Good
Shepherd. Unless we’re committed to spending
significant time with him, we can’t expect to benefit
from his life grip. He always holds us, but we need to
offer him that same devoted attention and intimacy.
Where can we find more time in our week to behold—
and be held by—our God? †
Word From Pope Francis
For the love of Jesus Christ: never tire of being merciful!
Please! Have the ability to forgive that the Lord had, who
came not to condemn but to forgive! Be greatly merciful!
… I tell you, truly: it grieves me when I come across
people who no longer confess because they have been
beaten and scolded. They have felt as though the church
doors were being closed in their faces! Please, do not do
this: Mercy, mercy! The Good Shepherd enters through
the door, and…if you do not enter into your ministry
through the Lord’s wounds, you will not be good
shepherds.”—Homily, May 11, 2014 (Mass with Priestly
Ordinations).
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS: Rosary is prayed in the church before all weekend Masses and Tuesday to Friday at 8.45am
and Tuesday after Mass. Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed after Mass, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. ADORATION OLHC
Thursday 9.40am to 1.30pm. ST PHILOMENA’S Monday 9.00am Communion Service in St Philomena’s Office followed by Rosary.
MISSION REST HOME CHAPEL: Mass (or C/S) every day except Wednesday at 9.30am.
MARY’S CHAPEL SACRED HEART COLLEGE No Class Mass School holidays
FRANCIS DOUGLAS MEMORIAL COLLEGE No Class Mass in Chapel School Holidays
MASS TIMETABLE Monday 18 April to Sunday 24 April 2016
St Joseph’s Church New Plymouth
Sunday 8.30am, 10.30am 5.30pm
Monday 8.00am
Tuesday 8.00am C/S 12.05pm
Wednesday
12.05pm
Thursday 8.00am
12.05pm
Friday
8.00am
12.05pm
Saturday 8.30am
Our Lady Help of Christians Fitzroy
Vigil Mass (Saturday evening) 5.30pm and Sunday 9.00am
Tuesday 9.10am C/S
Wednesday 9.10am
Thursday 9.10am
Friday 9.10am
St Philomena’s Brooklands
Monday 9.00am (C/S)
Wednesday 9.00am Friday 9.00am
St Patrick’s Okato
Vigil Mass (Saturday evening) 6.00pm
Catholic Centre Bell Block
Sunday 10.30am
SCRIPTURE READINGS
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
First Reading Acts 13.1,43-52
Second Reading Revelation 7.9, 14b-17,
Gospel John 10.27-30
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Our Lady Help of Christians
Saturday 11.00am (except 1st Saturday)
Before Vigil Mass 4.45pm to 5.15pm
St Joseph’s Saturday 11.30am to 12 noon
(or by appointment)
Mass will be celebrated unless there is a Communion Service (C/S). On occasion, unavoidable changes may be
made to the Mass timetable after the printing of this newsletter. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
WE PRAY FOR OUR DECEASED FAMILY AND
FRIENDS: Rev John Butcher, Terry Carmine, Ann Bride
and deceased members of the L.Hiestand Family.
CONFIRMATION: Preparation for Confirmation for
those Year 11 and above starts Sunday 15 May. Any
candidates who wish to enrol, who are Year 11 or older
may fill in the forms available in the foyer of the
churches. We are looking for confirmed adults who
would be willing to help with delivering the
Confirmation programme to our candidates this year.
This will involve assisting the leaders and interacting
with the candidates over five Sunday evenings and
possibly over the Confirmation Camp. This will take
place in May and June this year. Contact Teresa at the
Parish Office  757-3682 for details.
CATHOLIC WOMENS LEAGUE General Meeting
Thursday 21 April, after the 12.05pm Mass in the
Supper Room St Joseph's Hall. The guest speaker is
Tricia Carter - Gender Equality. A very warm welcome is
extended to those who wish to hear Tricia. Please bring
your lunch.
ANOINTING MASS will be celebrated at, Bell Block
Catholic Centre, Thursday, 21 April, 2.00pm, followed by
afternoon tea. Anyone needing a ride, contact Barbara,
 755 2088. Everyone is most welcome at this Mass.
The address of the Catholic Centre is 138 Parklands Ave,
Bell Block. (From N.P. turn on to Bell Block ramp. Turn
left at the top of the ramp to go straight through the
roundabout on to Nugent St. At the end of Nugent St,
veer right on to Parklands Ave. The Centre (138
Parklands Ave) is on the right, next to Fred Tucker Hall.
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS Conference of the
Society of St Vincent de Paul will hold a meeting in Our
Lady Help of Christians Church House at 5.00pm
tomorrow (Monday). Anyone interested in the work of
the Conference is welcome.
SEMINARY COLLECTION: There will be a special
collection after Communion today for the Seminary
Collection. If you wish to receive a receipt, envelopes are
available in the foyer and can be put on the collection
plate or handed into the Parish Office at any time.
FOODBANK: Every week the collection baskets are in
churches for donations to Foodbank. Foodbank has
asked for donations of spreads and clean plastic bags
(supermarket bags,) or the stronger fabric type
supermarket bags. These will be gratefully received.
CATHOLIC PARISH LOGO COMPETITION: WIN $100
Centre City Voucher by designing the new logo for
the Catholic Parish of New Plymouth. This logo will be
used on stationery, letterheads, signage, certificates,
website and banners, so consideration needs to be given
to this. Entries can be sent to the Parish Office by 30
April 2016, so use the school holidays to put your design
skills to the test. Remember, this logo is for the new
“Catholic Parish of New Plymouth”, and may include the
words or any other symbols you feel appropriate.
TAX RECEIPTS: We are continuing the processing of
the tax receipts this week. Receipts will be issued
towards the end of April.
DONATIONS COLLECTION: Sunday 10 April 2016
Clergy Trust Fund $2,303
Parish $6,229.09
FACEBOOK The Catholic Parish of New Plymouth has
its own Facebook page which we encourage you to like
and follow. There will be regular postings of activities
around the parish that you may be interested in. Also,
there is a page called Taranaki Catholic Young Adults to
follow information about Youth Masses and events for
the Youth and Young Adults. Visit our new website
Catholicparishnp.nz
PLANNED GIVING ENVELOPES for Our Lady Help of
Christians and St Philomena’s communities are available
in the foyer. St Philomena’s envelopes will be at St
Joseph’s church and Our Lady Help Christian envelopes
will be there. These cover the next three months. In July
we will be issuing the new envelopes for the Catholic
Parish of New Plymouth and all those on Planned Giving
will receive envelopes then for the next 12 months.
FREDDIE BARTE’S SILVER JUBILEE: Fr Freddie is our
priest at Waitara and Inglewood. We will be celebrating
Mass with Bishop Charles on Saturday 23 April 10.30am
at Sacred Heart Parish, Inglewood acknowledging Fr
Freddies 25 years of priestly ministry. Mass will be
followed by a shared pot luck lunch at the Inglewood
Town Hall. Come, join Fr Freddie on this special day.
NEW ZEALAND CATHOLIC: The April 17-30 issue of NZ
Catholic is out now. Some headlines are: NZ ethicist likes
Pope’s call on love and the family. Petone priest did not
return from the Front. Diane Foley in coping with the
death of her journalist son, James Foley, the first
Western hostage publicly executed by ISIS militants in
2014. Fr Nolan walks 100km back to the past.
On sale in the church foyers today. $4 per copy
PROPERTY NEWS: The new St Pius X School Hall has
been approved and is all set to proceed. Because of the
loss by fire of the St Philomena’s Church, the Parish, due
to the goodwill of the St Philomena’s Community has
been able to help with funding and enable St Pius X to
get a larger hall than would otherwise have been
possible. It will be a welcome addition to our assets in
this community. Repainting is happening soon also on
the roof of St Joseph’s Church and that of the Hall. St
Patrick’s Okato is to be re-roofed before the winter. St
John Bosco School will be undergoing a major upgrade
of the school over the next 18 months. Stage one will see
the toilet block and staffroom demolished and replaced
with two classrooms, a new toilet block and cleaner and
sports storage. This will mean a temporary change in
the use of the hall and the netball courts as a temporary
toilet block is added. Safety fencing will be erected by
the builders which will further restrict parking in the
area. We ask that you all remain aware of vehicles
moving in this area and that we are considerate of
school pupils and Mass goers using the car parks,
particularly at peak times. We thank you for your
patience and understanding in these changes around
our parish throughout these upgrades.
PARISH COMMUNITY MEAL: What an amazing first
Parish Community Meal. 24 volunteers from the 2nd and
4th Thursday groups combined to produce food for 50.
20 people came for a meal so the volunteers ate with
them. No “us” and “them”, just “US”. Now for our next
meal on 28 April
Fitzroy Church Cleaning: 23 April
Group 3