Serving the communities of: • St Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore

• Carmelite Monastery Chapel, Goonellabah

• St Dympna’s Church, Dunoon

PARISH OFFICE Business Manager: Paul Crouch

Office Manager: Christine Byrne

Adm. Assistant: Jenny Falls

Doyle House, 6 Leycester Street

Lismore, NSW 2480.

8.30am-4.00pm weekdays

P: 6626 0200

F: 6621 2301

E: admin@stcarthages.org.au

W: www.stcarthages.org.au

Postal Address

PO Box 2, Lismore, NSW 2480.

SCHOOL PRINCIPALS St Carthage’s Primary School Janelle Heffernan Ph: 66215529

St John’s College, Woodlawn Aaron Beach Ph: 6626 2600

Trinity Catholic College Br John Hilet FMS Ph: 6627 6600

COMMUNITY CARE St Carthage’s Community Care General Manager: Iris Ritt P: 1300 761 833 W: www.stccc.org.au

PARISH CLERGY Bishop Gregory Homeming OCD Bishop of Lismore

Fr Bing Monteagudo Administrator

Fr Alexander Munyao Assistant Priest

Fr Jim Griffin Priest in Residence

Revd Mr Graeme Davis Deacon

12 April, Easter Sunday Year A

Parish Bulletin St Carthage’s Cathedral Parish, Lismore

Dear Brothers and Sisters

In Arthurian and German legends, the search for the Holy Grail, the Chalice used by Our Lord at the Last Supper, gives a focus to many stories of chivalry and love. The knight Parsifal figures in both sets of legends. Richard Wagner takes the German version of the Parsifal story as the subject of his final opera.

The central moment of the opera takes place on Good Friday. Parsifal has been instructed in the spiritual meaning of Our Lord’s death, and after an intense experience of Our Lord’s passion, the young knight’s world changes. Painting the scene with some of the most beautiful music ever composed, Wagner invites us into the transformation which happens to Parsifal. After Good Friday he sees the world and himself in an entirely different way, he sees through the eyes of God.

This year our Good Friday and Holy Saturday have been profoundly difficult. We have experienced loss, fear of the unknown, death, emptiness, isolation and loneliness. Each of these is an authentic Good Friday or Holy Saturday experience. We are taken to places in our soul which we would normally avoid. Social distancing has forced us to spend more time alone with ourselves, suffering these experiences. I pray that like Parsifal our sensitivity and perception might undergo an Easter transformation. That we might see the hand of our loving Father in creation, in others and within our own hearts.

On the first Easter Sunday, Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, gather around the empty tomb. Mary and Peter are perplexed. John looks in, sees an empty tomb and believes that Jesus is risen. He alone amongst the disciples knows what has happened. He sees what is not visible, his vision has been transformed. Oh that we might be changed as St John was changed.

In my daily Mass I pray for you, that you, your family and friends may have God’s protection, that those working to care for the sick may be safe, and that we might soon be able to live in the freedom which we once knew.

I wish you a happy and blessed Easter. The Lord is risen, He is Truly Risen.

Most Revd Greg Homeming OCD Bishop of Lismore

BISHOP GREG’S

EASTER MESSAGE 2020

Challenging Times All Australians are experiencing hardship at this time as we seek to limit the spread of the Coronavirus. Many people are being asked to make great sacrifices: our health professionals working long hours and risking their own health; those who have lost their jobs; businesses that have had to close; parents struggling to care for their children while ‘working from home’; and so on. As Catholics, our greatest sacrifice is being unable to gather to celebrate the sacraments or even to spend time praying in a church. This is the fifth time in Australian history that the public celebration of Mass has been forbidden, the last being during the time of the Spanish flu in 1919. We make this sacrifice in solidarity with all our fellow citizens.

Easter Celebrations

You are invited to view Easter Sunday Mass from 8am live and on demand from your devices at any time afterwards. You can access the livestream by following the link from www.lismorediocese.org, or going straight to the 'Lismore Diocese' channel on YouTube, or by pointing the camera on your smart device to the digital code here. All Easter Celebrations will also be live streamed and available for you to watch on the Diocesan Website.

Good Friday Collection for Holy Places Pope Francis has agreed that this annual collection, for the support of the Holy Places and Christian Communities in the Holy Land, should be postponed to 13th September 2020.

Keeping the Faith Alive and Keeping Sunday Holy

To assist individuals, families and parishes during this difficult time a number of resources are available on line. You will find on our website under the Parish News Tab a document with links to a number of resources including online Mass, Prayers and Reflections.

Planned Giving Envelopes

Several people have asked about how they can continue using their weekly envelopes. Due to the current climate where unnecessary interaction and travel is discouraged, we would like you to consider setting up a direct debit arrangement whilst restrictions are in place. If you would like to do this please contact the front office for banking details on 66260200.

The Catholic Weekly

The Archdiocese of Sydney’s weekly newspaper, The Catholic Weekly has launched a digital edition so that its readers can still enjoy a full edition of the newspaper online while churches are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new digital edition is formatted identically to the print edition and is available for free via The Catholic Weekly website at this link:

https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/catholic-weekly-newspaper-online/

Make a Spiritual Connection

An ancient practice of the Church for those who cannot be present at Mass is to make a spiritual communion. We have a simple prayer you can pray with longing in your heart to be united to Jesus.

PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL COMMUNION My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.

Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

Please remember in your prayers; Those Who Are Sick: Judith Lehmann, Maureen Salkeld, Gerry Ebbelaar, Diane Hughes, Ann Foody, Juliet Ramirez, Veronica Geitz, Normalin Gabriel, Mary Herne, Warren Bird,

Mary Mason, Guillerma Villariasa, Leslee Hunt, John Muscat, Elsa Dumlao, Barbi Osborn, Carmel Windred, Margaret Amos, Pat Cree, Georgia Rhodes, Dawn Brohier.

Those who are Recently Deceased: Anthony Evans, Bruce Dawe, John Prine, Paul Smith, Tony McLeod, Doug Page, Marilou Marinduque, Jenni Thomson, Sr Jean Akers, Jennie Pares

Those whose Anniversaries are at this time: Fr Charles Kakumanu and Fr Steven O’Donnell, Nita Willis, Frank Willis

Other Special Intentions: All Holy Souls in Purgatory

FIRST READING Acts 10:34. 37-43 Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. Now I, and those with me, can witness to everything he did throughout the countryside of Judaea and in Jerusalem itself: and also to the fact that they killed him by hanging him on a tree, yet three days afterwards God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen, not by the whole people but only by certain witnesses God had chosen beforehand. Now we are those witnesses – we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead – and he has ordered us to proclaim this to his people and to tell them that God has appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead. It is to him that all the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name.’

The Word of the Lord. Response: Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 117:1-2. 16-17. 22-23. R. v.24 (R.) This is the day the Lord has

made; let us rejoice and be glad.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end. Let the sons of Israel say: ‘His love has no end.’ (R.)

The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; his right hand raised me up. I shall not die, I shall live and recount his deeds. (R.)

The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes. (R.)

SECOND READING Colossians 3:1-4 Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.

The Word of the Lord. Response: Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Alleluia, alleluia! Christ has become our paschal sacrifice; let us feast with joy in the Lord. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 20:1-9 It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’

So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

The Gospel of the Lord. Response: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

NEXT WEEK’S READINGS Divine Mercy Sunday Acts 2:42-47 1 Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31

PAYS 0.15% INVEST WITH PEACE OF MIND!

Head office: 10 Orion St, Lismore, 1800 802 516.

www.dif.org.au