Music Suggestions | Holy Week 2018

Music Suggestions for Holy Week
March 25th - March 31st 2018

Our Music Suggestions for Holy Week have now been posted to our website.
Click the link below access. 

http://www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz/liturgy/planning-music-for-liturgy/

From Conflict to Communion

An Ecumenical Service to Commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation

‘Abide in me as I abide in you’ is a phrase from the Gospel of John that was read by the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, Ross Bay, during a service presided by the Catholic Bishop of Auckland, the Most Rev Patrick Dunn, and Assistant Bishop of the Lutheran Church in New Zealand, Rev Jim Pietsch, at the Catholic Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph on 31^st October.

Carlo David

It was an ecumenical service that gathered religious leaders and lay faithful from all denominations across Auckland to commemorate 500 years since an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther wrote a list of 95 statements about contrition, repentance, divine forgiveness, indulgences and papal authority which subsequently led to the division of Western Christendom known as the Reformation. Five centuries later, after a series of wars, excommunications, and inquisitions, an Anglican Bishop was able to stand in the ambo of a Catholic Cathedral and proclaim the words of John’s Gospel that reminds the Christian family that abiding in Christ, as the true vine, is the essence of their faith. It was a significant event; one that will hopefully usher a new era of ecumenism based on mutual respect and trust. The service was not simply an appreciation of our reconciled diversity but a celebration of Jesus Christ who unites us.

The highlight of the commemoration was the commitment of Catholics and Lutherans to grow in communion guided by the Five Imperatives. Catholics and Lutherans committed themselves to:

·         Always begin from the perspective of unity and not from the point of view of division in order to strengthen what is held in common even though the differences are more easily seen and experienced.

·         Let themselves continuously be transformed by the encounter with the other and by the mutual witness of faith.

·         To seek visible unity, to elaborate together what this means in concrete steps, and to strive repeatedly toward this goal.

·         Rediscover the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ for our time.

·         Witness together to the mercy of God in proclamation and service to the world.

Although the imperatives were primarily for Catholics and Lutherans, the presence of other church leaders, like the Anglicans, Methodists, Wesleyans, Presbyterians, and Salvation Army, shows that the principles are applicable in all ecumenical dialogues.

Through ecumenical dialogues, relationships among Christian Churches had developed significantly since Luther’s 95 theses were first published in 1517 and Vatican II’s Decree on Ecumenism- Unitatis Redintegratio, set in motion the Catholic Church’s strong effort in working towards unity among the followers of Christ. The 500^th Anniversary of the Reformation affirms how far we’ve come in our ecumenical efforts but also challenges us to continue this pilgrimage towards Christian unity always filled with the light and truth of the Gospel and faith in the triune God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

DUNEDIN HAS A NEW BISHOP

Pope Francis has appointed Father Michael Dooley as the new Bishop of the Dunedin Diocese. 
Bishop-Elect Michael will be the seventh Bishop of Dunedin and succeeds Bishop Colin Campbell who has served in this role for almost 14 years.

The President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) Bishop Patrick Dunn said, “Father Michael’s affinity with the people of the Dunedin Diocese and his long service to the region of Southland and Otago make him the ideal successor for this role.”
"I congratulate Bishop-Elect Michael on his appointment and my prayers are with him as he prepares to take up leadership of the diocese,” commented Bishop Dunn.

Born in Invercargill in 1961 to parents, Joseph Dooley and Mary Hogan, Michael was educated at Heddon Bush Primary School and Central Southland College.  After completing an engineering apprenticeship as a fitter and turner, he went on to do a Bachelor of Theology at Otago University and a Master of Theology at Melbourne’s College of Divinity.

Father Michael Dooley was ordained on 13 December 1989. From 1995, he has served as a member of the Priests Council and was a Parish Priest for over 10 years in Southland and Otago.  The Bishop-Elect was a Director at the Holy Cross Formation Centre in Mosgiel and held the role of Formator and Spiritual Director at Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland,
In 2016, Bishop Colin Campbell appointed the then Father Michael to the role of Vicar General for the Dunedin Diocese.

Bishop Campbell remarked, “I know that the people of the Dunedin Diocese will warmly welcome the announcement that they now have a new bishop. I have had the pleasure of working with Michael and am delighted with his appointment – his pastoral roles and extensive experience in serving God as a parish leader, formator and spiritual guide have prepared him well for the position. May God bless him and guide him as he takes up this role.”

On the announcement, Bishop-Elect Michael said, “I have been blessed to serve in ministry as a priest in the Diocese of Dunedin and I now take on this role as a bishop very aware of my need for God’s help and thankful for the support of so many wonderful people over the years and into the future.”

Bishop Campbell will continue on in the role of Administrator of the Diocese, until the Ordination and Installation of Bishop-Elect Michael.
In recognising Bishop Campbell role as Dunedin’s Bishop for almost 14 years, Bishop Dunn commented, “he has been a compassionate and selfless leader, very much loved by his clergy and people,” he said.

“I thank him for his untiring service and long-standing commitment to all those in his diocese. We bishops have also greatly appreciated his wisdom and experience at our conference meetings.”

Gospel Reading | Thursday 22nd February 2018

+ A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew.

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

The gospel of the Lord.

Gospel Reading | Wednesday 21st February 2018

+ A reading from the holy gospel according to St. Luke.

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

The gospel of the Lord.

Gospel Reading | Tuesday 20th February 2018

+ A reading from the holy gospel according to St. Matthew.

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"This is how you are to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

"If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."

The gospel of the Lord.

Gospel reading | Monday 19th February 2018

+ A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."

The gospel of the Lord.