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Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (B)
Dear Brothers & Sisters, We, your pastors, wish you a Blessed and Happy New Year. We’ve begun 2021 in anxiety because of the heightened threat of Covid-19. As a result of the super spread, we have been forced to close our churches. While we are allowed to stream our Masses, we have been restricted to ten persons. Our problem is that your Parish Priest is in the vulnerable category. He should stay at home at least until 14th. January. As a result, please note that Mass is streamed at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The Masses are
I’m on the Cathedral’s roster for Mass and will offer Masses for your intentions. Please let’s continue to pray in thanksgiving for our Bishop Elect Neil and our Diocese, as we prepare for his ordination and installation on Wednesday 17th. March at the Cathedral. We will need the support of everyone for what will be an historic celebration. Sunday 10th. January is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Please make time to pray and renew your Baptism in the Lord. Where possible, have a brief ceremony in which you pray: 1. the Our Father 2. recite the Apostles Creed 3. pray this or similar prayer: I thank you Father for your love in sending Jesus your Son and the Holy Spirit into my life. I renew my baptism today, as I celebrate the Baptism of Jesus your Son. Amen. Blessings, Fr. Clement Paul. & Rev. Stephen Joseph. Parish Priest Parish Deacon SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (B)
Dear Brothers & Sisters, On Tuesday 8th December, we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since our Parish is named Our Lady of the Rosary, each year we hold a 24 Hour Rosary. This year it will be from Saturday 5th to Sunday 6th beginning with Mass at 7:00am. Please make an effort to pray at least one decade of the Rosary over the weekend and especially on Tuesday 8th. On Saturday 12th December, Seminarians Omar and Moses will be ordained to the Transitional Diaconate. It will be in Trinidad at 10:00 am and will be streamed live on the Diocesan Facebook page. Provisions are being made for us in Barbados to participate in the ceremony by joining in the ceremony at Living Water, where we will be able to receive communion. As the season of Advent unfolds, remember that this is a time to prepare for Christmas. This is a time to focus on our relationship with God who always comes to us. It is also a time for us to deepen our relationship with our family. The theme this year is FAMILY LOVE: A CALL TO HOLINESS. Over the coming months, you all will be invited to see your family as more than just people you are united to emotionally. You will be asked to see in your family a means to becoming holy. Parents, thanks for bringing the children to Mass. We notice that, they are preparing to join in in the proclamation of the Gospel on Christmas Eve. Blessings, Fr. Clement Paul. & Rev. Stephen Joseph. Parish Priest Parish Deacon FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Dear Brothers and Sisters, It’s Advent Sunday. We are into a new church year, Year B. The past year has been challenging and this year begins with us still dealing with the pandemic we call Covid-19. This season of Advent is often linked to the virtue of hope. Why? Advent means 'coming' - the coming of Jesus. We say that the first coming of the Messiah was at that first Christmas. So each year at Advent, we remember that our God comes to us at Christmas and many other occasions. Today, we also celebrate our 54th birthday as a Nation. Thank God, He who has been the guide of our parents and fore parents over the years past, is still on our side. As a result, we too, write our names on history’s page with expectations great. Our annual 24Hour Rosary is the weekend of the 5th and 6th of December. You are being invited to join in this round of prayer with Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception by registering to spend at least an hour praying the Rosary. See details online. There is a gradual growth of our families returning to Mass on Sundays, for which we are grateful. Hopefully our Sunday School will begin again in the New Year. Please note that we will be resuming Mass on Saturday mornings at 7:00am. However, on Saturday 5th, Mass will be at 8:00am to start the 24 Hour Rosary. Note as well that one of us will be in office on Saturday mornings, and Sundays after Mass. A blessed and happy Independence to all. May God bless you. Fr. Clement Paul Parish Priest. Rev. Stephen Joseph Parish Deacon. FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING (A)
The Church’s Year comes to an end on Sunday 22nd November. On that day, we celebrate the solemnity of Jesus Christ the King. We thank God that we are sisters and brothers of King Jesus. This year it is also our fifty years as Diocese. We thank God for all his blessings over the years. We also thank God for all those, who over those years, have said 'yes' to give glory to God through placing their time, talent and treasure in service of the church. The following Sunday 29th November is Advent Sunday, the beginning of a New church year, cycle B or year 2. More on this later. Last Sunday we had our children’s Mass, in which our children played leading roles. A special thanks to the families who made it possible for the children to participate and thanks to those who prepared them. We were all touched through the celebration. A reminder that Seminarian Omaris Valmond and Seminarian Moses Gikandi will be ordained as transient Deacons on 12 December this year in Trinidad. The transient means that they will be ordained priests about next year, please God. Remember them in your prayers. We are still hoping to restart our Sunday School. Sister Mercy is anxious to have them back. At our recently held Parish Pastoral Council meeting, we agreed to have our Christmas Eve Children’s Mass at 6:30 pm. We need your children to participate in spite of Covid-19. Of course, the necessary protocols will be observed. Our Reading Program held a successful Movie Night to herald the restart of the project. Some thirty young people attended. Thanks to all who made it a success. Blessings. Fr. Clement Paul. Parish Priest. Rev. Stephen Joseph. Parish Deacon. 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Brothers & Sisters, Sunday, 15th November is Children’s Mass. At this Mass, the children are invited to be part of the Liturgy in doing the Readings and the Bidding Prayers. This Sunday is also the World Day of the Poor. The theme chosen by Pope Francis this year is: "Stretch our your hand to the Poor." Let’s pray and be generous to the Poor. The weekend of the 21st and 22nd November marks the end of the Liturgical Year. Every year we celebrate Christ our Universal Lord and King at this time. To celebrate this feast, there will be a Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 5pm on Saturday 21st, and our Parish Mass at 9am on Sunday, 22nd. Please make an effort to attend either one of these Masses. We are still appealing to families to bring their children to Mass. We would like to ensure that our children are taught about Jesus and the Church, during Sunday School. This will take place during the first part of the Mass. A reminder that Seminarians Omaris Valmond and Moses Gikandi will be ordained Deacons on the 12th December 2020. Please continue to pray for the people of the United States of America, as they struggle with their present political challenge. Pray also for the appointment of a new Bishop for our Diocese. Pray this prayer: Our Father who art in heaven, we pray for the appointment of a new Bishop for our Diocese of Bridgetown. May your Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit guide those who have to make the choice. May he be a shepherd, who leads us with Wisdom, Love and Mercy. We ask this through Jesus Christ your Son. Amen Mary seat of Wisdom, Pray for us. Blessings, Fr. Clement Paul. & Rev. Stephen Joseph. Parish Priest Parish Deacon |
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