New Years Message from Msgr. Alexander

Dear parishioners,

New Year Greetings! I pray that in 2015 you may savour the graces that will come your way and that nothing will steal from your hearts the true peace and joy that the Christ Child brings.

I was going to express the wish, in the line above, that you will receive many graces. Then I corrected myself. Fact: We live each day, receive all that we have, through the goodness and love of God. You have lived through 2014 and see a New Year only through the grace of God, his amazing grace. So, I wish that in 2015 you and I may relish, appreciate, “taste” the goodness of God. Everything is grace.

It is not easy to explain or define grace.

Let me share with you some ways in which I have glimpsed it more recently.

I have now been in the parish a little over three months. It has been a challenging period. Uprooting oneself from one place and moving to another, as you may know, is not always easy: some will say is never easy. But then, there was my illness with its own challenges. I thank God for his healing. Thank you for your support, not least of all through your prayers. Thank you. This is God’s amazing grace.

As I stood in the sanctuary of the main church in September and took in the stately architecture and brought to mind its 200-year-old history, I knew to be here now was grace. And each week, the Lord shows me something new and amazing in its own way. One week it is the many children and young people. Another week it is the light from the stained glass window reflecting on the Divine Mercy image in the sanctuary, lighting up the rays that flow from the heart of Jesus. Last week it was the sight of several families present for Mass and the many men, of all age groups, who were there – not the usual sight in many parishes.

Here, too, is God’s grace.

As we enter a brand New Year, what will God do among us? How will his grace be most evident? I do not know, but I know his amazing grace will be given us. We will need to listen intently to his word, to be vigilant, to unite our hearts with his and one another. I find all this very exciting.

Well, don’t you?

May God bless you all.

Msgr Cuthbert Alexander

Parish Priest 

Year End Review

As we close the doors on 2014 and welcome 2015, it would only be fair to countdown the most memorable moments our parish had this year.

#5 Patronal Feast Day
Each year, our feast day is celebrated on March 19th but in 2013, then parish priest, Fr. Karol reinstated the feast day celebrations by joining with St. Michael's Parish to celebrate the Patronal Feast at the First Capital Park and in 2014, the tradition continued. Archbishop Harris served as Chief Celebrant for the special mass with Frs. Karol Wielgosz (St. Joseph) and Gerard Tang Choon (St. Michael) concelebrating.

#4 The Season of Easter

For Catholics, the biggest liturgies center around the joyful season of Easter, a time of new life and rebirth but just before this time of joy, the church undergoes the solemn season of Lent. During this time, the parish continued its usual Stations of the Cross on Calvary Hill on Fridays in Lent. As the weeks progressed in Lent, another set of preparation was taking place in the parish, seven members of the parish were preparing to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation and it all culminated at the Easter Vigil on Gloria Saturday night and at the Suburban Vicariate Mass at St. Michael's parish.

#3 Celebrating a Great Man of Faith

On Sunday, May 18th, Bishop Emeritus Sydney Charles celebrated his 60th anniversary of religious life and St. Joseph parish hosted a special mass which featured Archbishop Harris, His Excellency Archbishop Nicola Girasoli among many other bishops and priests from both the neighboring islands and parishes. 

#2 Saying Goodbye to a Special Friend

Goodbye is never an easy thing to say and on June 29th, the parish had to do so. After serving as parish priest for 3 years, the time came where Fr. Karol had to leave the parish and return to his native homeland, Poland. So many memories were created during his time with us and it was only fitting that we gave him a farewell like no other so on Sunday June 29th, the parish added on one extra mass for that weekend alone at 5PM to say goodbye to a great friend. Patrice Mahabir from St. Joseph and Brent Durham from Mt. D'or represented the parish and recalled all of Fr. Karol's great moments. The celebration continued with a sharing on the parish greens with entertainment from Nuestra Cosa.

#1 Welcoming our new Leader.

With Fr. Karol's departure taking effect as of July 1st 2014, the parish learnt that Msgr. Allan Ventour would now take up the position of the parish as the new pastoral leader. However, due to his health condition, Msgr Ventour was unable to do so. As such, Fr. Michael Mackhan filled in as the temporary parish priest during the months of July to August. It was then announced by Archbishop Harris, in an official statement which he made while celebrating mass at St. Joseph in August, that because of Msgr. Ventour's health condition, the new parish priest would now be Msgr. Cuthbert Alexander (Vicar for Communications). This took effect as of September 1st and since then, Msgr. Alexander has been our new parish priest. 

2015 promises to be another spectacular year for our parish because we will be celebrating our 200th Anniversary of the Church, as such, all our existing events will now be tailored according the bi-centennial celebrations in addition to new events which will be taking place. There are more moments to be created and we hope that you all will be part of it. God be praised

--B. Durham, 2014

Christmas Greetings

Condolences

This morning, our parish lost a great friend and a great leader. Mr. Herman Figueira passed away on December 19th, 2014 and he will forever be missed. One of the most notable roles he held was leadership of the Eucharistic Ministry among many other ministries and today, we thank him for all his services which he was able to give while serving in the vineyard of the Lord. May his soul rest in peace. 

Funeral date and time is still to be determined.

UPDATE: The funeral of the late Herman Paul Figueira will be held on Tuesday Morning (December 23rd) at 10AM in St. Joseph R.C. Church.

Christmas Dinner Photos

Every Year, the parish always ends its activities on a high note and this year was no exception. The Annual Parish Christmas Dinner was held at the St. Xavier's Private School Hall and many parishioners came out to support and be part of a fun-filled night which featured live entertainment from Nuestra Cosa.

HERE you can view the photos which were taken during last night's dinner. 

Christmas Mass Schedule Announced

SAVE THESE DATES

Click on Images to View Large

Celebrating the Season of Advent

Last week, we began the new Liturgical Year, Year B and the season of Advent helped us open that year. Each week, we celebrate a special virtue during this season of waiting and preparation.
Let's have a look:
ADVENT WEEK 1

ADVENT WEEK 2

ADVENT WEEK 3

ADVENT WEEK 4

Let us take this opportunity to not only prepare our physical homes but also our hearts for the coming of a King. As we use an advent wreath, the shape of the wreath symbolizes God since a circle has no beginning or end and that is exactly how God is, he too has no beginning nor end. Let God be glorified in our lives as we prepare for the coming of Jesus.

Parish Notices for the 2nd Sunday of Advent

1. It’s almost here. Our Parish Christmas Dinner is next Sunday. It will be held on the spacious grounds of St. Xavier’s Private School on Sunday 14^th December from 6pm. Come, dine then enjoy the sweet sounds of Nuestra Cosa. There are still a few tickets available.
2. A reminder of the CCSJ: St. Joseph/Mt.D’or Parish Group “Christmas Matelot Outreach” project. The group is seeking donations of non-perishable items (food, toys, books etc.) for needy families in Matelot and St. Joseph. Please give generously.
3. Catholic Almanacs are now available at the Catholic News Stand. Cost is $4.00. Please your copy early as we have limited supplies. 
4. "O Come Let Us Adore Him” is the theme of St. Joseph Girls' RC School Biennial Christmas Concert on Sunday 7th December at the Arima New Government School.  Come and enjoy the sweet sound of traditional Christmas Carols and our festive Parang group. Tickets are available at the Parish Office. 
5. You are invited to An Advent Retreat with Sr. Christina and Sr. Gail at the Dominican Wellspring Retreat House, St Joseph on Saturday December 20th from 9.30 to 2.30 pm. Call 663-1530 or talk to either of the Sisters for more details.

 Blessings to ALL our parishioners this week! 

Parish Notices for the 1st Sunday in Advent

1. During this beautiful season of Advent, let us make some time in our busy schedules to reflect on the reason for the season. It is a time of waiting, hoping and preparing for the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 
2. Time is ticking away. Our Parish Christmas Dinner is just two weeks away. It will be held on the grounds of St. Xavier’s Private School on Sunday 14^th December from 6pm. Come, dine then enjoy the sweet sounds of Nuestra Cosa. Please purchase your tickets early so we can advise the caterer how many persons we catering for on Monday 1^st December. 
3. A reminder of the CCSJ: St. Joseph/Mt.D’or Parish Group “Christmas Matelot Outreach” project. The group is seeking donations of non-perishable items (food, toys, books etc.) for needy families in Matelot and St. Joseph. Please give generously. 
4. Catholic Almanacs are now available at the Catholic News Stand. Cost is $4.00. Please your copy early as we have limited supplies. 
5. "O Come Let Us Adore Him” is the theme of St. Joseph Girls' RC School Biennial Christmas Concert on Sunday 7th December at the Arima New Government School. Past Students are asked to come and enjoy the sweet sound of traditional Christmas Carols and our festive Parang group. See flyer on notice board. Tickets are available at the Parish Office.

Blessings to ALL our parishioners this week!  

Celebrating Christ as King

This weekend, The Catholic Church closes its doors on another Liturgical Year (A) and we celebrate a special feast, Christ the Universal King.
This special feast day in the Catholic Calendar was coined by Pope Pius XI in 1925 where he saw secularism (the decreasing of appreciation for God and for the Faith) becoming alive. This day was to reinforce the notion to All Catholics and even non-Catholics that Jesus IS Lord and Master of our lives and that he reigns as the eternal King.
Taking today for granted and treating it like an Ordinary Sunday makes us think that Jesus is very 'Ordinary' but having the mentality that he is the King of Lives makes us appreciate him even more.
This weekend's Gospel story refers to Jesus' passion but one of the reasons why, on a Glorious day like today, we hear about Jesus' cruel death, is to remind us that even in death, Jesus still reigns as King.
Luke 23:35-43 invites us to visualize how repentance is being carried out even on the cusp of death. One of criminals hanging there abused him, 'Are you not the Christ?' he said, 'Save yourself and us as well'. But the other spoke up and rebuked him. 'Have you no fear of God at all?' he said. 'You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. 'Jesus.' he said, 'remember me when you come into your kingdom.' 'Indeed, I promise you,' he replied 'today you will be with me in paradise'. Not even death can stop Jesus from fulfilling his Glory and we all know that Jesus was capable of freeing himself from all that agony, but in order to accomplish the will of the father, he endured it for us and in the words of the soldiers that jeered at him, 'Behold, the King of the Jews' but to modify what they said, 'Behold our King!'. There is no one, no earthly force that can do what ONLY Jesus is capable of doing. He cured the leper, the healed the dumb and blind, he delivered spirits, he fasted for 40 days and nights in the desert, he endured temptations from the Prince of evil, he suffered the most inhumane death and in the end, what happened? He reigns! Not even death can keep our Lord down! That is why every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he IS Lord and even demons will flee his sight because he reigns supreme.
As such, on a significant day like today, we are reminded that even on the last few moments of Jesus' earthly life he was still able to save a soul and free us ALL from that same suffering that the same thief was heading towards. No other can do greater but Jesus! Jesus calls us to be his best friend. Think about it, we have a best friend who is a King. Isn’t that amazing!! Praise be our King and Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord!

--B. Durham, 2014

Parish Notices for Christ the King

1. The Parish Christmas Dinner will be held on the grounds of St. Xavier’s Private School on Sunday 14^th December. Tickets are now available. Please purchase your tickets early so we can advise the caterer by the end of the November.
2. A reminder of the CCSJ: St. Joseph/Mt.D’or Parish Group “Christmas Matelot Outreach” project. The group is seeking donations of non-perishable items (toys, food, books etc) for some needy families in Matelot and St. Joseph. Please give generously.
3. There will be a meeting on Monday 24^th November @ 6pm in the Church to discuss plans for the Bi-Centennial Anniversary of the St. Joseph Church Building. We expect to discuss plans and appoint a committee to organize this historical event. Members of the various parish groups and members of the parish community in general are encouraged to be present at this important meeting. 
4. The Mass for the Sick is next Saturday 29^th November @ 10am. Extra-ordinary Ministers who take communion to the sick please make a special effort to ensure that your communicants attend this Special Mass. 

Blessings to ALL our parishioners this week!  

Parish Notices for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

1. A reminder of the CCSJ: St. Joseph/Mt.D’or Parish Group “Christmas Matelot Outreach” project. The group is seeking donations of non-perishable items (toys, food, books etc) for some needy families in Matelot and St. Joseph. Please give generously. 
2. Next year 2015 is the Bi-Centennial Anniversary of the St. Joseph Church Building. We would like members of the various groups of the parish to discuss and make suggestions on what events we should have. Let our prayer and conversations include our Bi-Centennial Anniversary. 
3. The Mass for the Sick is on Saturday 29^th November @ 10am. Extra-ordinary Ministers who take communion to the sick please make a special effort to ensure that your communicants attend this Special Mass. 
4. The Parish Christmas Dinner will be held on the grounds of St. Xavier’s Private School on Sunday 14^th December. Tickets are available from this weekend.

Blessings to ALL our parishioners this week!  

Parish Christmas Dinner

CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW LARGE

Parish Notices for the Feast of the Lateran Basilica

1. The CCSJ: St. Joseph/Mt.D’or Parish Group is seeking donations of non-perishable items (toys, food, books etc) for their annual Christmas Matelot Outreach Programme and some needy families in St. Joseph. Kindly, place items in the boxes located at the main entrance of the church. Please give generously so we can to spread the Christmas cheer.
2. Next year 2015 is the Bi-Centennial Anniversary of the St. Joseph Church Building. Planning for this year long event is in progress. Input from all the ministries is important. Therefore we would like members of the various groups of the parish to discuss and make suggestions on what events we should have. Let our prayer and conversations include our Bi-Centennial Anniversary. 
3. The Mass for the Sick is on Saturday 29^th November at 10am. Extra-ordinary Ministers who take communion to the sick please make a special effort to ensure that your communicants attend this Special Mass.
4. The Parish Christmas Dinner is on Sunday 14^th December at the St. Xavier’s Private School Hall. Tickets will be available soon.
5. The Theological Faculty Annual Fund Raising Dinner is on Friday 14^th November – Friday coming. There are still some tickets available.  Please check with Isidora Mitchell or Deacon Jeffrey. 

Blessings to ALL our parishioners this week!  

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Today we celebrate the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome on November 9th 324 AD by Pope St. Sylvester. Every Bishop has a cathedral and the Pope's cathedral is the Basilica of St. Johns Lateran, not St. Peter's Basilica. That is why, the Pope's cathedral is called, Omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater, et caput which translates to The Mother of all churches in the city and in the world and their head. Constantine, the first Christian Roman Emperor, donated the Laterani palace to the Pope and the very first church was built on that property and was later called the Basilica of the Saviour. Later on, the church was dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist and so, today it is called The Basilica of St. Johns Lateran. 

If you notice this weekend's readings talk about our bodies being the temple of Jesus Christ and so, it is important that we do not desecrate our bodies through sin. 

Another point from this weekend's readings is that we see Jesus getting upset when he saw the temple being used as a 'market place'. So it also reminds us that in every church we enter, we must treat it with absolute reverence since Jesus Christ is present. 

We thank God for a feast like today to remind us of the importance and history of our churches and be grateful that we are given these structures so that we, as faithful, can have a place to congregate in the name of Christ. To God be the Glory!

--B. Durham, 2014

Celebrating All Souls

We all have someone whom we loved and have now passed on and today, the Catholic Church gives us the opportunity to pray for them. According to church teachings, when we all die, we must enter Purgatory which is a place of cleansing before we are admitted to heaven. We are told in 2 Maccabees 12:46 that our responsibility is to "pray for the dead that they may be loosed from sins". So our duty on earth is to pray for our loved ones who have gone before us so that their time in Purgatory may fasten so that they can come face to face with Jesus in heaven. One of the most powerful ways for us to pray for the dead is by offering a mass for them. According to the doctrines of the Church, "the mass is the highest form of prayer" and the more masses we offer up for a dearly departed, the faster they are admitted to heaven. So, ideally, our prayers for the dead is for them to leave Purgatory as quickly as possible so that they can enter heaven. 

If people die in mortal sin, that is, they do not confess their sins before the death, they can be admitted to hell where, once a soul enters there, they cannot leave. That is why, it is important, as Catholics, for us to recognize the power in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

On this day of All Souls, we pray for all our loved ones who have gone before us and hope that they will see Jesus in all his Glory when they come into his presence in heaven. Eternal rest grant unto them Oh Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

--B. Durham, 2014

Celebrating All Saints

Today (November 1st), our church celebrates All Saints. Saints were once regular men and women like ourselves but their Love for God was so pure and deep that they never allowed anything or anyone to steal their joy from God and their commitment  to him. After living righteous lives here on earth, God saw them fit to be admitted in heaven and made saints. Earlier this year, our Catholic Church welcomed two new saints who were also previous popes, Pope John XXII and Pope John Paul II, now called St. John XXII and St. John Paul II through a process called Canonization. The official process of becoming a saint goes as follows:

• This process of determining a man or woman as a saint cannot begin until 5 years after their death.
• After the 5 year period has expired, the Holy See opens up the Cause to be Beatified and Canonized. 
• Once the Cause has begun, they are now called 'Servant of God'. 
• The Diocesan Tribunal gathers testimonies and writings of the 'Servant of God' and examines it. This process can take many years to complete. 
• After the documents are examined, they are now voted on by the College of Bishops who decides if the Cause lives or dies. If the Cause lives, it is then taken to the Holy Father for final judgement. 
• Once the Cause is approved by the Pope, they are now called 'Venerable Servant of God'.
• After approval from the Pope, the approval of a miracle must take place. This miracle simply means the intercessory power of the Venerable Saint of God. In order for the miracle to be accepted, it must have no natural evidence and they must be well-documented. After the scientific commission agrees that the miracle took place without any natural evidence, the theological commission must now rule it as a Miracle. The theological commission must also determine whether the miracle took place through the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God.
• After this, the cardinals are now informed via a General Meeting which is then forwarded to the Supreme Pontiff. 
• When the Holy Father approves this miracle, the Venerable Servant of God is now in line to be beatified. 
• Following the Beatification process, they are now called 'Blessed'.
• In order for the Beatified to be made Canonized, a second miracle of the same nature must take place and be documented. Once the miracle is acknowledged and accepted, the Beatified is now in line for Canonization where they are made a Saint.

We must all strive for Sainthood because is pushes us to be better Catholics through a life of prayer, self sacrifice and discipline. On this most Holy Day for our church, let us thank all of our Saints for their inspirational lives and their intercessions. May we join with them once day in rejoicing in heaven with our Lord, Jesus. God be Praised.

-- B. Durham, 2014

Wrapping the Month of the Holy Rosary

As we close a special month of the Holy Rosary, we thank God that we have such a powerful gift as Our Lady to guide us on the right path which is to her son Jesus Christ, Our Lord.

Our Lady of the Rosary, Pray for Us!