From the Pastor’s Desk
31 October 2012
Dear Parishioners of Holy Trinity
The year rapidly comes to an end when the feasts of All Saints and All Souls are upon us! Exam fever also permeates the air as many of our students and matrics sit, these days, for their year-end exams. We assure them of our prayers during these days of testing and hope that they reap the fruits of their labours in 2012!
This coming Friday we celebrate All Souls with a Solemn Mass at 7pm. There will be sung evening prayer at 630pm. All are welcome but we invite, most especially, all those who have lost loved ones in the last year to come as we pray with and for the faithful departed. Pious lists are available at the back of the Church for you to inscribe the names of your loves ones on. Please place the list and a donation (if you can) in the envelope provided and place them on the altar on Friday in the container provided. Throughout the month we will pray for all those whose names on inscribed on that list at all Masses celebrated at Trinity.
When you next come to the Church you will notice that there is a big white recycling station which has been placed in the car park. This is to help us to begin to do our part for creation and in so doing become the “good stewards” that we are called to be. Hopefully the station will be of service to our community but also raise awareness. Please feel free to bring any PAPER, CARDBOARD or PLASTIC to place in the centre. We cannot take glass or tin at the moment. It means a little more effort on our part to separate our waste but if we all do our part it certainly makes a contribution to our environment. It also reminds us of the responsibility that we, disciples of Christ, are called too.
This Sunday, 4 November, 7 young people from our community will be confirmed by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale OMI at St Martin’s in Orlando West at 830am. Everyone is welcome to attend this celebration! Please keep our young people in your prayers as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Pray too that they would now find ways of making a contribution to the life of our Parish as “adults” in the faith. First Confession and First Holy Communion take place later in November.
The Street Peoples Christmas party will be at the beginning of December. Details will follow shortly but we will appeal to your generosity to help us celebrate the birth of Jesus with those who live on the streets of Johannesburg. Krysia Leaser has, once again, agreed to coordinate this event and will be giving us all the nuts and bolts soon!
Advent will soon be upon us – our solemn preparation for the great Feast of the Incarnation. From the beginning of November Holy Trinity is attempting to be of assistance to other Parishes by providing a musical setting of the Psalm, week by week, for anyone who would like to use it. One of the biggest challenges of the new translation of the mass is that many of the texts are not set to music. The Psalm at Mass should always be sung. Director of Music at Trinity, Cameron Upchurch, has begun to set the Psalms to music for Mass. These will be accessible from our website and can be downloaded for use. If you know of people in Parishes who might be interested please make them aware of this free service from Holy Trinity!
On Sunday 9 December we will host an Advent Service at Trinity for all the Church’s on the Jan Smuts access. Please diarise this service, beginning at 5pm, which will be a celebration of watching and waiting for the Lord and our common Christian heritage. It would be really wonderful if as many of our own Parishioners came along to support this event.
Please be assured of my prayers for all of you who belong to our Trinity family. I ask that you keep me in your prayers.
Yours in Christ
Fr Russell Pollitt SJ
Parish Priest
