Local Church
Southern Deanery Parish Mission
by Marvin Edward
The objectives of the Mission for the Great Jubilee 2006 are:
A moment of profound Spiritual Renewal of the entire Church and the Mission -Serious Pastoral Reform which calls for self examination to achieve greater pastoral effectiveness by opening up new opportunities for more lay involvement in the life and mission of the Church
Setting goals for each parish community and the diocese to be achieved by the year 2006
The Southern Deanery took up this mantle on the 4th - 8th January .All five days though marred by rain were a true testament of the faithful of the Deanery, who filled the seats of the National Stadium night after rainy night. Rain could not deter them for each night there were more people coming.
The topics for each night couldn’t have been better for they were all geared to those loyal Sunday goers and also to those, special effort was made through home visitation to come back to the church and back to God.
Day 1: “Baptism and Reconciliation”, by Fr. Ed Faliskie, the preacher for the night. The reading chosen was the all too familiar Prodigal Son was expounded on so clearly all could do nothing but understand He also pounded on the importance of working together as a unit so that God’s work could multiply and that no one should think that they can do it on their own. The Church belongs to everyone and not only a set few, who feel they can do all and everything. Like he said, “the eyes cannot say to the nose I don’t need you nor the nose to the hands. Each and every part has a part to play and so does each and every member of the Church community”
Day 2 “Scripture: Jesus as our Redeemer”, by Fr. Mark Owen was my favourite. Many a times we forget why we love Jesus and if there is a Jesus anyway. He reminded us of the cross, which whenever we see should remind us of Jesus love for us. He gave us five reasons why we should love Jesus based on the wounds of Jesus; -Jesus shows us how to love one another, but we should remember that it is not an easy task
* He showed us how to forgive each other
* He gives us hope; we can face tomorrow because He lives
*Jesus bleed for us; He wins us through His blood
*He shows us the reason we suffer
We remember this and we will be on our way to Christianity.
Day 3 “Healing and Anointing”, by Fr. Mike Houston called us to turn away from our sins and to give our lives to God. Be at peace with ourselves so we could be at peace with our fellow brothers and sisters. Many times these are the reasons that people stay away from the Church, because of what was done or said to them by one of us.
Day 4 “Stewardship and Eucharist” by Fr. Mark Owen, showed us the importance of coming together as a family to give thanks and praise. Giving thanks to God for all that we have, small as it may be, for there are people who don’t enjoy the things we take for granted.
Day 5 “Mary as the Mother of the Church” brought the end of these inspiring days. Deacon Bob showed us that Mary is the mother of God and Jesus gave His mother at His cross as our mother. It is right that we pay her the respect that she deserves and ask her to intercede for us. We should always be willing like Mary to do God’s bidding whenever we are called upon which is everyday.
The Mission ended with a grand Mass celebrated by his Grace Archbishop Felix who was also present for the opening.
What a way to begin a New Year as a family gathered and get to God’s work.
We wish to thank the Redemptorist Community for their hard work and all those in the Southern Deanery who made these days a success. ,:, . May God guide and bless you all and all those who were present. May they spread the word and love and may the numbers multiply and continue to grow till the end of time.
My Thoughts On The Mission
January
9th - 13th 2005
by Anthony I. Robinson
The Spirit of God through his Son Jesus Christ continues to move throughout calling on people of God to become more proactive in their faith and to demonstrate this faith by proclaiming his word, his love, his compassion, his forgiveness to our brothers and sisters who are thirsty for the Word of God and those who are heavily burdened.
The mission brought Christ to Life among his people. The preachers proclaimed word, where people were able to draw from the Springs of Eternal Life. The music ministry was able to draw the gathering into song which welcomed the Holy Spirit which brought God’s presence. Hearts, minds and hands were raised in worship persons were able to reconcile, through the Sacrament of confession with our Creator the source and summit of our lives.
Each day introduced symbols that reminded us of the many gifts Christ has left with his Church for our conversion and eventual redemption. As a deer longs for a stream of flowing waters, so our souls long for the living God, indeed the Mission allowed us to continue to draw from the well of eternal life Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The symbol of our mother Mary, introduced in the final night, crystallized our need to seek her intercession on our behalf as her love for her Son transcends all mother’s love for their sons. Mary’s Love for us will continue to point us to her Son our brother Jesus who gave his life for our redemption.
Gros Islet Parish Great Mission Soufriere
by Marcellus Cazaubon
The week of the Great Jubilee Mission in Soufriere was one of the most spectacular weeks in the Parish of Soufriere. The tremendous sense of expectation of what the mission would be like finally reached its climax on January 4th 2005 at the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady.
The Mission which was preached by Fathers McLoughlin and Murray definitely touched the hearts of all in attendance. The congregation’s participation in the nightly services grew better and better and reached its pinnacle on the final night when church benches were filled to capacity and outstanding homage was paid to Our Lady the mother of the Church. It was a moment to savour and a powerful week to remember. Parish Mission 2005
Choiseul
Truly the heavens told and sang the glory and praises of God as parishioners from every nook and cranny literally flooded the parish main Church to begin the 2005 Parish Mission.
Parish priest, Rev.Fr .S. Joseph Henry MSFS and the Parish Council met to select a Parish Mission Committee to co-ordinate and work assiduously with all other subCommittees nominated (Liturgy, Maintenance, Transport. Hospitality).
Parishioners responded to the invitations of the Home Visitors, the parish priest, animators every Sunday who campaigned in the words of a well known chorus, “If you only knew the blessing that salvation brings you would never stay away Come to the feast for the doors of the Church are opened wide, there’s nothing you will have to pay so be wise and step inside do not throw your only chance away”. And so they did! .
The Missionaries assigned to Choiseul were Rev. Frs. Tim and Tom who having been introduced were welcomed in typical Choiseul style. As the clouds hovered over the parish and the down pours began, most communities deprived of pipe borne water from WASCO, sang “Praise for the rain that waters our fields and quenches our physical thirst”. However, the rain was NOT a deterrent but rather a test of faith, as the Church was quickly filled for they “Come to the Springs of Living water” to be spiritually quenched.
Throughout the week parishioners were animated, inspired by the charismatic, energetic, vibrant and even dramatic presentations of the two missionaries, and although the inclement weather continued throughout the whole week the numbers increased from about 800 persons from night 1 to about 1,500 by the close on night 5 with strong representation from the youth, children and men actively participating.
The parishioners were also graced by His Grace Archbishop Kelvin Felix for two nights, who, expressed his joy and offered words of inspiration and encouragement to the large gathering. He administered the Sacrament of Penance to our Creole speaking folks.
The Missionaries had a hectic week as they visited and lectured to all the schools in the Choiseul district and private homes for persons with special spiritual needs and counseling.
At the closing liturgy on the last night which included the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, parish priest, Fr. Henry thanked all those persons who contributed in kind and deed and their collaborative efforts, serving the same Lord, for the good of the parish, the Church and mankind.
Frs. Tim and Tom were presented with a token of appreciation each for their inspired messages. Fr. Tim, in humility, dramatically accepted his gift. They too expressed their joy and thanked the Lord for being part of the Mission to serve the Choiseul parish.
Indeed, Parish Mission 2005 was a time of grace for all those who attended, a time of growth for the large numbers of our youth and children, certainly a time of refreshment and renewal especially for those who followed the 1961 mission, a time for healing, joy and strength for all the parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes. Choiseul, with the foundation of faith built by Fr. Roger, continues to flourish in that faith, and looks forward to another Parish Mission. The Choiseul parish would like to thank the Archdiocese for giving us such a wonderful opportunity to worship and praise, as one family and to be blesses by the grace of God.
Reflection On The Parish Jubilee Mission
Parishioner Laborie parish
During the period of January 04 - 08, 2005, the collaborative efforts of the Parishes of Augier, Desruisseaux, Vieux Fort and Laborie were very much in evidence. The general consensus was that the Parish Mission was a success.
The faithful, undeterred by the inclemency of the weather throughout the week, came from every nook and cranny within their parishes determined to quench their spiritual thirsts. The Redemptorists Missionaries having been commissioned by His Grace Archbishop Kelvin Felix certainly whetted the appetite of the listeners in their presentations as follows:
Fr. Ed Faliskie -
Baptism and Reconciliation
Fr. Mark Owen -
Jesus as our Redeemer
Fr. Mike Huston -
Healing and Anointing
The Creole folks were not disappointed as the translators viz. Mr. Matthias Burt, Mrs. Agatha Jn. Panel, Mr. George Lee St. Jour, Mrs. Bibiana Auguste and Mr. Joe Inglis did a marvelous job on their Creole interpretations of the themes.
The presentations were followed by a Ritual Action focusing on the following Symbols: Water, Book of the Gospels, Oil, Cassava Bread and an Image of the Blessed Mother. The faithful were invited to participate in making the appropriate gestures.
Every evening the stadium rocked to the rhythm of the theme song: “Our Jubilee - Celebrate our Jubilee.” The Dennery choir under the direction of Mrs. Priscilla Lucien is deserving of our commendations.
The various Parish Committee along with their Parish Priests worked tirelessly to ensure that the activities went according to plan. They too must be commended for their efforts. The parishes were appreciative of the gift presentations of icons of “Our Lady of Perpetual Help” by the Missionaries.
This activity has to a large extent laid the foundation for the Jubilee Year and left indelible impressions on the minds of participants.
Reflection On The Mission
by Loyola Devaux, St. Benedict’s Parish The wind blew, the rain fell and there was doubt but the Man of Mission got involved: Jesus Our Redeemer was our answer, faith that was questioned was restored, days of the Mission began.
We were reminded that we were people with different personalities, lifestyles, backgrounds, interests and pursuits but in fact were members of one body and dependent on each other, united by faith. If we are to become the body of Christ we need each other, recognise the gifts in each other also share the gifts so that all can benefit.
Men of faith were called in the Old Testament and the New Testament and our own Jesus is a Man of Mission and we are called to live out his mission, his love, his hope.
During the Mission I reflected on what it is to be Church and to serve each other, what it is to build community despite the preferences that still exist. What struck me is that one can choose to ignore those who hurt but the pain will not be relieved until healing is provided by reaching out.
This was a Mission of Hope, reminding of Christ’s suffering: poverty from birth, rejection, sorrows and grief, misunderstood, oppressed and man made sure his death was agonizing. Despite the torture, the suffering he taught us to love, forgive and did not forget to leave His Peace, a Peace the world cannot give and will never be able to give. He also reminds us that in the midst of the emptiness, the denial and hopelessness Grace abounds, so throughout our lives we must become mission to others.
Jesus, Our Redeemer gives us healing and anoints us for our Stewardship, with strength from The Eucharist .and may Mary as Mother of The Church be our mother, model and guide.
On A Mission for Christ
Alwin Daniel
Our Lady of the Assumption Parish
Could there have been a better way to start off the new year than in worship, prayer, thanksgiving to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ? This year’s Jubilee celebration provided exactly that, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Being a member of the mass choir was a wonderful experience I will never forget. Offering up praise, prayer and worship to God in the pleasant harmonies of song, with my brothers and sisters from the different parishes of the church, was a delightful treat.
As I stood among my peers listening and observing as the tenors, altos, bass, and sopranos excitingly pulled together their parts, it recalled to mind a lesson taught on the first day of the Jubilee by father Ed. He stressed the importance of working together and how each member involved in the work process is equally important. Father Ed made reference to the human body and its organs working in unison to make up the physical entity that is you and me. Even the “Barn-barn” no matter how dirty its job may seem, plays as significant a role as the heart, kidney, brain or any other organ in the body.
Then I thought of the choir setting the right mood in song, and the priest presenting us with the word, so that we may all be inspired to go out and be missionaries like the disciples of Jesus Christ.
I realized then that God has no favorites and that we all, no matter how big, small, rich, poor or intelligent, are all equally loved by God, and we should express his love to one another, and live in peace and harmony.
Mission
by Dorna London
We all begin our new year making resolutions to become better individuals by changing bad habits and promising to become better persons in general. But how many of us really and truly resolve to pay close attention to our relationship with our God?
The Mission held in the southern deanery was a very good opportunity or rather a call for us as Catholics to do just that. The very first night’s scripture reading “the Prodigal Son” was a call to reflect on our past transgressions in order to fully and repentantly return to our father. For those like me who felt that I had not do enough in the past year or found many reasons for avoiding to fulfill my obligations and promises to God, the choice was clearly laid out. Do I return and experience the power of god’s love and compassion or do I hold back and keep making excuses? The need to return to our Father was further emphasized when we were reminded that our faith through the sacrament of Reconciliation offers the opportunity to lay all our burdens down and receive the healing necessary to complete our new year transformation for 2005. I answered that call and once again felt free to abandon my whole being in praise and worship.
Many times in speaking and singing we are asked the question, like Peter, DO YOU LOVE JESUS? And we are quick to respond but when asked WHY? we stumble a little.Fr. Mark Owen reminded us, of the many reasons he loved Jesus, five of them based on the five wounds of Jesus on the cross, stood out. The one that keeps resounding in my head is that Jesus gives us hope. Hope that tomorrow will be a brighter day, hope that he will return and make all things new, and the hope that my New Year’s resolution can be achieved and our suffering is not all in vain. Through this mission I have the hope that through the constant guidance and mercy of God and not forgetting the perpetual help of our mother Mary I can and will have the strength to love and serve god better in 2005 thus becoming a better and more devoted Catholic Christian.
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