Pray for peace on Friday

In response to the South African Government’s invitation for all sectors of society to join together to work towards “strengthening our democracy to create a better South Africa” [1.http://polity.org.za/article/government-not-impressed-with-calls-for-nationwide-shutdown-2017-04-04 and http://polity.org.za/article/gcis-government-addresses-calls-for-a-friday-shutdown-2017-04-03], the parish of Holy Trinity Catholic Church invites everybody to join our parishioners in praying for peace around the country and for the ANC and Parliament to work towards regaining the nation’s trust and confidence on Friday, 7 April 2017.

We reiterate the sentiments of Archbishop Stephen Brislin, President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC), when he says that “[i]t is essential for people to make their voices heard.” [2. https://trinityjhb.co.za/sacbc-statement-national-crisis/] We note that our parish might be affected by the various marches being contemplated by various civil society organisations and want to assure parishioners that if they feel they cannot attend our usual services and programs they should feel free to remain at home and that they are under no obligation to attend any Lenten observance on Friday under these extraordinary and mitigating circumstances.

Holy Trinity Catholic Church, however, shall endeavour to operate as normal during Friday, offering our usual works of mercy and religious services. We invite any person to join us for our Eucharistic Adoration at midday with Benediction at 13h00, Masses at 06h00 and 13h15 with the Devotion on Jesus’ Last Words from the Cross starting at 15h00, culminating in the Stations of the Cross based on those Last Words at 19h00 where we shall be praying for peace in a better South Africa.

We also invite anyone to pray in the Church which will remain open for private prayer and corporate devotion during the day.

We encourage all parishioners to wear purple as a visible apolitical sign of their desire to join in the protests and as a reminder that in Lent we are all called to conversion and that every person needs to assess their personal culpability in their co-operation with Evil. As part of this conversion process we encourage all parishioners to do everything in their power to oppose any force of evil and we support the Archbishop’s statement that corruption needs to be rooted out at every level in our country. Only then do we believe that a better South Africa, free from corruption, capture and all signs of being a kleptocracy, and rooted in our Constitutional values, will be possible.

We continue to pray for that day and in line with our government’s request, encourage everyone to work towards “strengthening our democracy to create a better South Africa”[3. http://polity.org.za/article/government-not-impressed-with-calls-for-nationwide-shutdown-2017-04-04 and http://polity.org.za/article/gcis-government-addresses-calls-for-a-friday-shutdown-2017-04-03]

Proposed programme of events

06:00 Mass
11:00 Feeding the Homeless
12:00 Exposition
13:00 Benediction
13:00 Student Lunch
13:15 Mass
13:45 Confessions
15:00 Father, Forgive Them: Fr Russell Pollitt, S.J.
15:30 With Me in Paradise: Fr Michael Lewis, S.J.
16:00 Your Son, Your Mother: Ms Frances Correia
16:30 Why Have You Abandoned Me?: Fr Anthony Egan, S.J.
17:00 I Thirst: Dr Nontando Hadebe
17:30 It is Fulfilled: Fr Matthew Charlesworth, S.J.
18:00 Into Your Hands: Fr Graham Pugin, S.J.
19:00 The Seven Last Words from the Cross: Mr Cameron Upchurch and the Trinity Schola