We are in the final days of the Novemdiales, the nine-day mourning period for the late Pope Francis. We continue to give thanks for the gift of his life and his love for the Church, and we commend him into the merciful hands of our loving God.
We also hold in prayer the Cardinals gathering in Rome as they prepare for the upcoming Conclave, which will commence on 7 May 2025. In a reflection delivered during their sixth General Meeting, Abbot Donato Ogliari, Abbot of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, urged the Cardinals to “let Christ be the north star and the compass of your expectations, your meetings, your dialogue, and of the choices you are called to make,” and that “their decisions would be based on a desire to ensure that the Church is truly built on and rooted in Christ.”
When the Church is rooted in Christ, it is “open, courageous, and prophetic, abhors violent words and gestures, and knows how to be a voice for the voiceless – and, if necessary, also knows how to sing from a different hymn sheet while consistently pointing out the paths of justice, fraternity, and peace.”
The Abbot invited the Cardinals to see the Sistine Chapel as a kind of Upper Room – “even though it may seem like a place locked with a key, it will actually be wide open to the whole world if there prevails the freedom of the Spirit which, when it touches hearts and minds, rejuvenates, purifies, and recreates.”
We pray for all the Cardinals who will participate in the Conclave to elect our new Pope. May we be blessed with a new Shepherd according to God’s will – not our own.
In our local community of Our Lady of Pentecost Parish, we will continue to journey together during this Jubilee Year. To help us explore the significance of this hopeful season, you are invited to participate in a series of monthly pilgrimages at Our Lady of Victories Basilica, Camberwell. These will take place on the first Saturday of each month from May to November, beginning this Saturday, 3 May with Ann Slingo sharing her transformative Ignatian Camino pilgrimage in 2023.
Each pilgrimage will begin with Adoration and individual Confession at 9.00 am, followed by Mass at the usual time of 9.30 am. A pilgrimage presentation will follow at 10.00 am, and the morning will conclude with hospitality (morning tea). Everyone is welcome.
Over the next three weekends, as a community of faith, we will begin a Parish Stewardship Renewal Program. This will not only be a celebration of our wonderful parish but also a time to reflect on its importance in our lives. We will be challenged – both as individuals and as a community – to “review and renew” our role in parish life.
Parishioners from across our communities will be speaking at all Masses. They will share their testimonies, offering reflections on the life and hope found in our parish. Their sharing will help open opportunities for all of us to renew the vision expressed by Pope Francis, who calls us to be a community of faith: “animated by a missionary spirit, where faith is communicated, and charity is seen.” I do hope you make these speakers feel welcome as they address us.
With many blessings,
Fr Sang Ho
19 Brenbeal Street, Balwyn VIC 3103
Telephone: 03 9816 9291
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours:
Tue - Fri 9:00am – 5:00pm