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WELCOMELet us try and model the compassion of ChristDear Friends and parishioners of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish: Welcome to our website! We have just begun the Season of Advent — the four weeks that take us up to Christmas, and over these next four Sundays we will sing each week the |
traditional Advent hymn with the beautiful refrain: O Come, O Come Emmanuel! The whole earth longs for the coming of "Emmanuel", the name also given — by Scripture to Jesus , and which means "God-is-with-us". Just a reminder that as far as Covid-19 precautions are concerned we are at Level 1, which is not the same as Level "None"!. That means that for the foreseeable future we do things a bit differently when we visit the Church or gather for Mass.
For example — we refrain from receiving Holy Communion from the Chalice (Cup) until it is clear it is safe to resume; that we use hand sanitizer (available at all three doors) when we enter the Church; we use our phones to "check in" using the QR Code at the doors or, if we have no phone, we check in manually by putting our details in the register at the doors. This could be very important for contact tracing purposes if needed, so it is the right thing to do to make sure we check in; at the Sign of Peace please do NOT shake hands or embrace others (unless in your own family bubble) but instead to join your hands as if in prayer and to bow to those around you; offering words of greeting and peace is a beautiful (and safe) best practice to follow; and lastly, if you have a cold or otherwise feel unwell the most charitable and sensible thing to do is to stay home that day. No-one is obliged to attend Mass if feeling unwell.
Our Christmas Mass times are as follows: Christmas Eve: Family Mass at 6.30pm (preceded by Carols from 6.00pm); Midnight Mass (preceded by Carols from 11.30pm); and on Christmas Day itself there is a Family Mass with Carols at 9.00 am. This year because of Covid-19 precautions we will NOT have Christmas Mass at Beachlands and encourage people from there to join us here in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Howick.
On Sunday 6th December at the 9.30am Mass we mark the 60th Anniversary of the Blessing and Opening of our Church by Bishop James Liston on 11 December 1960. Bishop Michael Gielen will celebrate the 9.30am Mass and at the end we will process out of the Church to bless our cemetery and our new outdoor Stone Grotto of Mother Mary. All welcome to join us for that and the parish morning tea afterwards.
On Thursday 10 December at 7.00pm we join St Mark's parish at Pakuranga in their church to celebrate the community form of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. What a beautiful way to prepare in our families for Christmas. Fr John will be leading this with the assistance of another 8-9 priests.
For example — we refrain from receiving Holy Communion from the Chalice (Cup) until it is clear it is safe to resume; that we use hand sanitizer (available at all three doors) when we enter the Church; we use our phones to "check in" using the QR Code at the doors or, if we have no phone, we check in manually by putting our details in the register at the doors. This could be very important for contact tracing purposes if needed, so it is the right thing to do to make sure we check in; at the Sign of Peace please do NOT shake hands or embrace others (unless in your own family bubble) but instead to join your hands as if in prayer and to bow to those around you; offering words of greeting and peace is a beautiful (and safe) best practice to follow; and lastly, if you have a cold or otherwise feel unwell the most charitable and sensible thing to do is to stay home that day. No-one is obliged to attend Mass if feeling unwell.
Our Christmas Mass times are as follows: Christmas Eve: Family Mass at 6.30pm (preceded by Carols from 6.00pm); Midnight Mass (preceded by Carols from 11.30pm); and on Christmas Day itself there is a Family Mass with Carols at 9.00 am. This year because of Covid-19 precautions we will NOT have Christmas Mass at Beachlands and encourage people from there to join us here in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Howick.
On Sunday 6th December at the 9.30am Mass we mark the 60th Anniversary of the Blessing and Opening of our Church by Bishop James Liston on 11 December 1960. Bishop Michael Gielen will celebrate the 9.30am Mass and at the end we will process out of the Church to bless our cemetery and our new outdoor Stone Grotto of Mother Mary. All welcome to join us for that and the parish morning tea afterwards.
On Thursday 10 December at 7.00pm we join St Mark's parish at Pakuranga in their church to celebrate the community form of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. What a beautiful way to prepare in our families for Christmas. Fr John will be leading this with the assistance of another 8-9 priests.
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Closer to Christmas we will advise of extra opportunities for the sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) before Christmas. God bless you and your family throughout these beautiful weeks of Advent.
Father John — Parish Priest |
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Worship timesWeekend Mass: Beachlands — Saturday 5 p.m. Howick — Saturday 6.30 p.m. — Sunday 8 am, 9.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. Weekday Mass: Monday: 9.15 a.m. — No Mass, but please feel free to gather for Rosary at that time. Tuesday to Friday — 9.15 a.m. Wednesday — 6 a.m. Mass is discontinued Saturday — no morning Mass Reconciliation: Saturday 8.30 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. — and after Mass on 1st Friday — or any priest at any reasonable time For seasonal timetables, like Christmas and Easter, go to the latest newsletter. See button on left. |