News From Fr JeLo
Sunday 28th January 2018 | The 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
 Happy New Year! The Christmas season and the holidays have gone by so fast! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas celebration and that you were able to spend quality time with families and friends. Welcome back to the children and school staff who are starting school this week. I hope you all enjoyed the holidays and are ready for the exciting things that await you this new school year. This weekend, the statement of the NZ Bishops on Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide will be read at all Masses. With it, a video will be shown and handouts will be handed out for information. The Social Justice Group will give us instructions and help us on how to make submissions. The Parish Pastoral Council is organising a Parish Pilgrimage on Saturday, 24th February to the Tyburn Monastery in Ngakuru as part of our Lenten observance (Lent starts on 14 Feb). If you are keen, please write your name and contact number on the paper which will be available next weekend in the church foyer. We extend our condolences to the families of our recently departed parishioners: Winnie Hannah, Bob Odlum, Ngaere Cox and Connie Anderson. We pray for their eternal repose and consolation to the families. Blessings, Fr JeLo |
Sunday 25th June 2017 | The 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Congratulations to the 41 children who were Confirmed and had their First Holy Communion last Sunday in Morrinsville. It was a big day for everyone, including myself. We express our gratitude once again to the catechists who generously shared their time, talent and even treasures to the children in their faith-journey  through the Sacramental Programme—Em, Dolores, Joan ,Michael, Paul and Wendy. We offer our prayerful condolences to the family of Nancy Aden who passed away last weekend. May the Lord grant Nancy eternal rest, and comfort to her bereaved family. The priests of Hamilton Diocese will be having the annual Clergy School on July 3-6 July in Rotorua. So there will be no Mass on that week. Next weekend (1-2 July) is the ‘Peter’s Pence’ collection, an opportunity for us to financially support the charitable and humanitarian work of Pope Francis. The collection also supports the important pastoral offices which enable the Holy Father to carry out his work including the Pontifical Councils for Justice and Peace, Laity, Family and Life, and the promotion of Christian Unity, to name just a few. Let us be generous in supporting this annual collection and please continue to pray for Pope Francis and his intentions. Blessings, Fr JeLo |
Sunday 4th June 2017 | Pentecost Sunday
Last Sunday, I baptised two newborn babies in Morrinsville—Holland Bibby and Veronica van Leeuwen. In the Gospel reading last Sunday, the Lord Jesus  commanded the Eleven to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptise them…” [Mt 28, 19]. We pray for Holland and Veronica that they will grow into faithful disciples of Jesus Christ and that their respective parents will be good examples to their children. Our prayerful sympathy to the family of the late Monica Storey. A funeral Service was held for Monica in Te Aroha on Saturday, 3 June. May the risen Lord grant her eternal rest. Bishop Steve would like us to familiarise ourselves with the Miha Maori or the Mass in Te Reo Maori. Beginning in July, the Sign of the Cross and Final Blessing will be said in Maori. Then later on, we can learn some waiata or hymns in Maori. We’ll do this gradually. The Diocese has asked all those involved in the care of children and vulnerable adults to be police vetted—both priests and lay. So those who are involved in Children’s Liturgy, Sacramental program and those that do home Communion, please ring the office and ask for a police vetting form, if you haven't yet done so. This is to show our commitment to the protection and care of children and the vulnerable. In his letter to the clergy, Bishop Steve mentioned that Fr Fernando Alombro, MSP (who will be Parocial Vicor for Kaimai Collegial Area) is still awaiting his visa. “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth”. Blessings, Fr JeLo |
Sunday 28th May 2017 | The Ascension of The Lord
The Blessing of the new classrooms at St
Joseph’s School in Te Aroha will be held on
Friday, 2nd June at 10am. This will be presided
by Bishop Steve. All welcome  . Because of
this, there will be No 11am Mass in Morrinsville
on Friday, as I will be attending the
Blessing. Congratulations to the children who were
baptised at St Mary’s Church, Paeroa last
week. Let us pray for them that they will
come to know the Lord more deeply as they
grow and that their families will make an
effort to take these children to Mass to be
sustained and nourished spiritually.
Thanks to Cath Sweney and to Annette
McWater for helping organise the Baptisms. The Lord commands the disciples in today’s Gospel: “Go...make disciples of all
nations, baptise them…” (Mt 28:19). Let us pray that more children and families
will become disciples of the Risen Lord. Fr JeLo |
Sunday 30th April 2017 | The 3rd Sunday of Easter
 The heartbeat of the Risen Lord is granted us as a gift, a present, a new horizon. The beating heart of the Risen Lord is given to us, and we are asked to give it in turn as a transforming force, as the leaven of a new humanity. In the resurrection, Christ rolled back the stone of the tomb, but he wants also to break down all the walls that keep us locked in our sterile pessimism, in our carefully constructed ivory towers that isolate us from life, in our compulsive need for security and in boundless ambition that can make us compromise the dignity of others. When the High Priest and the religious leaders, in collusion with the Romans, believed that they could calculate everything, that the final word had been spoken and that it was up to them to apply it, God suddenly breaks in, upsets all the rules and offers new possibilities. God once more comes to meet us, to create and consolidate a new age, the age of mercy. This is the promise present from the beginning. This is God’s surprise for his faithful people. Rejoice! Hidden within your life is a seed of resurrection, an offer of life ready to be awakened. Please note Paeroa's Mass is at 6pm on Saturdays. Fr JeLo |
Sunday 23rd April 2017 | Divine Mercy Sunday
 The faces of those women mirror many other faces too, including perhaps yours and mine. Like them, we can feel driven to keep walking and not resign ourselves to the fact that things have to end this way. True, we carry within us a promise and the certainty of God’s faithfulness. But our faces also bear the mark of wounds, of so many acts of infidelity, our own and those of others, of efforts made and battles lost. In our hearts, we know that things can be different but, almost without noticing it, we can grow accustomed to living with the tomb, living with frustration. Worse, we can even convince ourselves that this is the law of life, and blunt our consciences with forms of escape that only serve to dampen the hope that God has entrusted to us. So often we walk as those women did, poised between the desire of God and bleak resignation. Not only does the Master die, but our hope dies with him. (cont. next week)
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Sunday 16th April 2017 | Easter Sunday
 “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!” sings the
psalmist. Indeed, today is a day of great rejoicing, for the Lord is risen as he
promised. With this joy brought by the good news of the
Resurrection, comes the gift of peace, for “Peace be with you” were the first
words of the Risen Christ to the disciples. I pray that you may have joy and
peace in your hearts. Full of joy, we welcome David and Sharon Nickalls and Bruce Roberts into the
Church. After journeying through the RCIA’s initial three periods, they finally
received the Easter Sacraments. Congratulations and welcome to our family of
faith! With great joy, I announce to you a good news: Bishop Steve has
appointed Fr Fernando Alombro, MSP (Missionary Society of the
Philippines) as parochial vicar for the Kaimai Collegial Area (our parishes and
the parishes of Waihi, Whangamata and Katikati), and he will reside in
Morrinsville. He will begin his ministry with us sometime in May. I thank you for the warm welcome and generosity you have extended to my
parents. They are going back to the Phillipines on Easter Monday, and I am
going with them (with great joy!!!). I will be away for just over three weeks. In
my absence, Fr Don Cowan and Fr Richard Pipe will be saying the weekend
Masses. There will be no Masses during the week, but there will be Liturgy of
the Word with Communion instead. I wish to thank those who helped me with the preparations for the Holy Week
Liturgies and those who took part in them.
I wish you all a Happy Easter and will see you when I get back. Fr JeLo |
Sunday 9th April 2017 | Palm Sunday
We begin “Holy Week” with our commemoration of the
Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem and of His Passion. The
Season of Lent ends on Holy Thursday before the  celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. The three
Liturgies that follow—Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Friday of
the Lord’s Passion and Easter Vigil—are what we call
“Easter Triduum”.I invite you to our Liturgies during this Holy Week so we
can reflect together on God’s generous act of self-giving for
our sake. Copies of our Holy Week schedule are available
in the foyer, or you can check our Parish Website As advertised by Bishop Steve in his letter to the clergy, I would like to remind you
about the Good Friday collection for the Holy Land (Terra Sancta). The financial
support we give helps in the upkeep and restoration of pilgrim sites, hospitals, schools
and in carrying out projects especially for the poor and youth. Let us be generous in our
giving I encourage you to attend the Way of the Cross conducted by different Churches on
Good Friday. This is a good way for all of us to journey together in prayer and
reflection through the Lord’s Passion. Please not that Mass times for next weekend are: Easter Vigil, Saturday 15 April, Morrinsville at 7.30pm Easter Sunday, 16 April, in Te Aroha at 9.00am and in Paeroa at 11.00am. On behalf of my parents, I wish to thank you for your kindness and generosity
(and understanding for the days I was away), for if it were not for you they would not
have come to beautiful Aotearoa. They are flying out on Easter Monday, 17 April and I
will be going with them. I will be away for just over three weeks. Once again, a big
THANK YOU. I hope and pray you all have a meaningful, prayerful and fruitful Holy Week.
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Sunday 2nd April 2017 | The 5th Sunday of Lent
Next Sunday, 9 April is the
start of Holy Week with
the celebration of Palm
Sunday. Just as we did
last year, the first part of
our liturgy, namely the
Blessing of Palms will take
place at the school for
Paeroa and Morrinsville,
and in the parish hall in
Te Aroha. We will then
have the procession going
to the Church for the Mass.  Mass times for Holy Week are now available and are handed out today with
the newsletters. I hope you can come to our Holy Week celebrations,
especially our Liturgies on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil/
Sunday, to commemorate our Lord’s Passion Death and Resurrection. I am away this week, so there will be no Masses. But there will be Liturgy
of the Word with Communion.
April 7 is the last Friday of Lent, and I invite you to take part in the Stations
of the Cross in our churches. Let us pray for the success of ‘Setfree’ and for all young people who will be
taking part in it next weekend. Fr JeLo |
Sunday 26th March 2017 | The 4th Sunday of Lent
 Tuesday, 28 March in Morrinsville at
7.00pm (Rite II—Communal)
Thursday, 30 March in Paeroa at
4.30pm (Rite I– Individual) I am taking a week off before Holy Week, so there will be NO Masses on
4-7 April. There will be a Liturgy of the Word with Communion for those
days. Reminder that every Friday during Lent, we pray the Stations of the Cross
in the church at 5.30pm Please note that DAYLIGHT SAVINGS FINISHES next Sunday, 2 April
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