The light-filled Chapel at Our Lady’s Home of Compassion, Island Bay, was at capacity on the evening of 19^th June with friends and well-wishers, both local and from as far afield as Jerusalem and Kaikoura. They were there to join with the Sisters of Compassion for a Mass to commemorate the 181^st birthday of Suzanne Aubert, the inspirational woman who will be New Zealand’s first saint. The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal John Dew along with Fr Maurice Carmody and Fr Rob Devlin. Cardinal John noted how Suzanne Aubert’s example still guides us today and how it was particularly appropriate to be celebrating her birthday on the Day of Prayer for Refugees and Migrants. In her welcome, Sr Margaret Anne Mills said, “Suzanne knew the anguish of refugees as on her arrival in Rome in 1913 she was turned away from more than 40 convent doors. Suzanne also had a challenging time returning to New Zealand in 1920. It took many months for her to obtain legal papers and a passport.” Supper followed the Mass and appropriately there were three choices of soup.

The Mass was the culmination of a day of events for the Sisters of Compassion and the Catholic Parish of Wellington South, which will take the name of Suzanne Aubert upon her beatification. Birthday cards made by children from St Anne’s, St Bernard’s, St Joseph’s and St Francis de Sales, adorned the Home of Compassion bunting-style. A large birthday cake was shared at morning tea in the four churches of the Parish and Happy Birthday was sung in the many languages of parishioners.

Later in the morning, a pilgrimage walk traced Suzanne Aubert’s earliest work in Wellington, which began when she arrived in Buckle Street in 1899.  Beginning in the Suzanne Aubert Chapel at St Joseph’s Church, the pilgrimage stopped at the historic crèche in Pukeahu and finished at the Soup Kitchen in Tory Street.  Soup and scones were welcomed by the walkers as they stepped out of the southerly into the warmth of the Soup Kitchen’s Open Day. The Soup Kitchen was open to the public to markSuzanne Aubert’s birthday and 115 years of providing meals and support to those most in need in Wellington.

More photo’s on the Catholic Parish of Wellington South Facebook Page

Events Planned in the Parish

Sunday 19 June is a special day for our Parish.
Wellington South is the Parish of New Zealand’s first saint in the making and we will take Suzanne Aubert’s name upon her beatification. Suzanne Aubert did much of her work in our Parish and she is buried here.
Today the Sisters of Compassion and their coworkers continue the work at Our Lady’s Home of Compassion and the Compassion Soup Kitchen. To mark the occasion, a team of parishioners, together with the Sisters and primary schools, are planning some special events:

Make a Birthday Card for Suzanne Aubert’s 181st Birthday
All primary school aged children in the Parish are invited to make a birthday card for Suzanne Aubert.
The birthday cards will be displayed at Our Lady’s Home of Compassion on 19 June. Activity sheets and a card are available in Church foyers this weekend. Collection boxes will be in church foyers until Sunday 19th. Our three Parish schools will also be making birthday cards.

Celebration at morning Masses on 19 June
We will celebrate Suzanne Aubert’s birthday at morning Masses in our four Churches.
We will have the same Prayer’s of the Faithful, a specially prepared Children’s Liturgy and at morning tea there will be cake!

Parish Pilgrimage from the Suzanne Aubert Chapel to the Soup Kitchen, starting at 11.30am
All parishioners are invited to gather in the Suzanne Aubert Chapel at St Joseph’s AT 11:30am after morning Masses.
There will be a short time of prayer in the Chapel and we will then walk through Pukeahu, stopping at the historic crèche and continuing on to the Soup Kitchen in Tory Street for the Open Day.
Soup will be available for $5. Final details will be in next week’s newsletter.

Soup Kitchen Open Day
To celebrate Suzanne Aubert’s birthday the Soup Kitchen is hosting an Open Day on Sunday 19th June between 11am – 2pm.
You’re invited to sample soup, learn about the history of the 115 year old organisation and find out about opportunities to get involved. Please bring cash.

Mass to celebrate Suzanne Aubert’s Birthday: 5pm, 19 June
The Sisters of Compassion invite parishioners of Wellington South to a special celebration of Suzanne Aubert’s birthday.  Mass is at 5pm in the Chapel of Our Lady of Compassion, 2 Rhine Street, Island Bay and Cardinal John Dew will preside.

Support St Anne’s School Soup Kitchen for a Day
St Anne’s school is fundraising for the Soup Kitchen on 1 July with a Soup Kitchen for a Day. We will be making and selling soup for a donation, to the businesses and community in Newtown. We need cups and lids to serve the soup in. If you have a wholesale source or could donate these, it would help our cause–please get in touch at dee@st-annes.school.nz or 389 3705.

A special Mass was concelebrated on Sunday 17 April marking 50 years since the opening of the ‘new’ St Francis de Sales church in Island Bay and to thank God for the life of our faith community during the past 50 years. Cardinal John Dew led the celebrations along with Parish Priest David Dowling. Also present were Fr Paul Shannahan SM, whose first appointment was to St Francis de Sales in 1965. Fr Denis O’Hagan SM, the first priest to be ordained in the new St francis de Sales. Fr Owen Sinclair, the first Diocesan Priest appointed to the parish and Fr Kevin Mears SM.
The Italian Community were an integral part of the celebration with the Prayers of the Faithful in both Italian and English.  The Italian choir also led part of the singing during Communion

The prestigious Papal Honour, the Benemerenti Medal, was presented to Tony and Eileen Muollo during the Jubilee Mass.  The award acknowledges the example of God’s love that Eileen and Tony have demonstrated in their commitment and support to each other, family, Parish and the wider community over many years of service.

Past parishioners from around the country had gathered for the weekend.
Following Mass there was an opportunity to catch up over morning tea at the local Bowling Club.

The St Francis de Sales community celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the Church during the weekend.  The commemorations began on Saturday morning.  Fr Paul Shannahan SM, whose first appointment was to St Francis de Sales in 1965, came from Akaroa to preside at a Memorial Mass to pray for deceased parishioners, benefactors, relatives and friends.
The Memorial book with the names of all those who have died was placed before the altar.

Parishioners were invited to come forward and light a candle in memory of family and loved ones and place it on the steps of the altar.

10am Sunday 17 April – Thanksgiving Mass, 50 years to the day the Church building was blessed and opened by Archbishop McKeefry.
Cardinal John joins us for a special Mass to thank God for the life of our faith community during the past 50 years.  We give thanks for our place of worship.
Following Mass there will be a morning tea at the Island Bay Bowling Club on The Parade.

Sacraments of initiation (Eucharist and Confirmation, and including first reconciliation) are currently being planned in our Parish.  Registration will be open after Easter (Term 1).

Forms are available here, at our churches
and through our parish schools.

• Reconciliation during Term 2
• Confirmation on 11 September (classes during Term 3)
• First Eucharist on 20 November (classes during Term 4)

Enrolments need to be in by 6th May 2016.

For enquiries please contact the Parish Office

Thank you to all those who were involved in the organisation of our beautiful Inaugural Mass for the Catholic Parish of Wellington South last Sunday. It was a memorable occasion that saw our four communities bring their histories, traditions, gifts and faith to come together as one. We were blessed with the presence of Cardinal John, of the young and old, our school communities and different ethnic groups, and some of the pastoral leaders who served in our four communities in the past. Below is an excerpt from the welcome that was given at the start of the Mass.

“Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa, Greetings and welcome to everyone. My name is Maria Noonan and together we offer a special welcome to Cardinal John who is our celebrant today, to Father David our Parish Priest, to Father Dennis and to Joe who will be commissioned as our new lay pastoral leader.

Today is a special day when our community of communities gather together for our first Mass as the Catholic Parish of Wellington South

– a Parish which is blessed with the richness of many cultures, of children and young people, of our schools, religious communities and communities of service,

– A parish which is rich in history and we warmly welcome all the priests who are with us today. A special welcome to Karen who as lay pastoral leader walked and supported us in the journey of change.

Over the last two years we have been preparing for our new Parish. Together we have named our Parish, discerned our Vision to be a community of joyful disciples growing together and sharing Christ’s message.

In a spirit of good will we came together to:
– celebrate Pentecost,
– discern in our communities our hopes and fears
– identify how we want to live out our vision,
– visit each other’s community masses,
– walk the route of Suzanne Aubert
– have fun at the Parish Picnic at the Home of Compassion
– discerned the Parish Leadership
– to prepare a welcome for the refugee families who will settle in Wellington.

Today’s Inaugural Mass, when we remember our baptism which calls each of us into a new creation of light, marks our new beginning as the Catholic Parish of Wellington South. It is the day when, full of hope, we launch our new parish, chart our course and sign on to be active crew of the Catholic Parish of Wellington South.

This coming Sunday our four Church communities will come together, bringing all our gifts, history, traditions and faith, and looking to a shared future full of hope.  If you have any questions, please contact Malia at Maria.Vito-Tupai@mbie.govt.nz or  Lucienne at 383 8625 / 934 4099
or office@wellingtonsouthcatholic.org.

Full Rehearsal

Saturday 5th March, 1:30pm at St Patrick’s College
There will be a full rehearsal for the Inaugural Mass on Saturday 5th March at 1:30pm at St Patrick’s College.   All those involved in the Mass must attend this rehearsal.

Please note there will not be any other Vigil or Sunday Masses in our Parish next weekend! Kindly advise friends or neighbours who might not hear this important announcement.  Thank you!

Transport to Inaugural Mass

Some of our parishioners will need transport to St Patrick’s College.  If you are able to offer transport please do look out for those in your community who may need a ride.

Bring a plate and a Food Basket donation

The Inaugural Mass at St Patrick’s will be followed by morning tea to celebrate our new Parish and mix and mingle with fellow parishioners from the four communties.  Kindly bring a plate of finger food that does not require heating.
There will also be a collection of non-perishable food items to be donated to the needy in our parish.

Thank you!

to all those who have offered their gifts of time and talent to help us put together this very special occasion. It will be an occasion not to be missed!

The ongoing commitment is to bring all communities from our four churches together to strengthen our one Catholic Parish of Wellington South. To support this, delegations from the different churches have been visiting each other to celebrate a Sunday Mass together and share a time for Fellowship.
On Sunday 21 February members from St Anne’s, St Bernard’s and St Joseph’s were welcomed to St Francis de Sales church by John Whiting.  After Mass there was time for morning tea, introductions and catch-ups.