The Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help - Durbanville

Weekend Mass Time:  Saturday 6.00pm
(7th Sunday of Easter cycle B)        Sunday 7.45am,10.00am & 5.00pm

Weekday Mass Times:          Wednesday  - Friday  9.00am
plus Tuesday  - Thursday 7.00pm.
           
Thursday is Ascension Day, a Holy Day of Obligation, you are therefore obligated to attend Mass. There will be a Vigil Mass On Wednesday at 7.00pm and Mass on Thursday at 9.00am and at 7.00pm

Communion Services Monday  & Tuesday  9.00am

Confession:  Saturday  5.00pm only

BAPTISM:  The sacrament of Baptism will be administered at the 10.00am Mass on Sunday 27 May. The Presentation will be on Tuesday7.00pm.  The Second Instruction for parents and godparents will take place on Thursday 24 May at 7.00pm

CHOIR:  Practice Monday 7.00pm

Sunday evening Mass will be celebrated at 5.00pm starting from Sunday 6th May.  This is to accomodate the Life Teen program.

Well over half the parish have been through Season1 of Ecclesia. Season2 begins in September 2012. There is therefore still much time for people who have not yet experienced the inspiration of Ecclesia to do so. To stream line the process DVD’s and booklets will be available in the foyer of the church from the weekend of 28/29 April. To remind us that Ecclesia is in our midst an Ecclesia display will be erected in the foyer. Ecclesia is a group based programme and therefore people are encouraged to form small groups, Husband and wife, families, friends and people in ministry groups for example. For those people uncomfortable to join or form a group, but who would still like the Ecclesia experience, are invited to do so, on their own. For further information or any queries contact the Parish Ecclesia coordinator, Bruce Walsh on 083 2694100 or at walshb@mweb.co.za

VISION
To be a community serving humanity.
We dedicate ourselves to support our brothers and sisters in Christ in building a caring, inclusive, united and collaborative community through the Holy Spirit in the power of God’s Word.

• Through regular prayer,
• A vibrant sacramental life
• An incarnational spirituality
• And embracing the Church’s doctrinal and social teaching.

We would continually seek the renewal and transformation of the society of which we are part.

MISSION
This will be done by:

Acknowledgements James O’Halloran & Fr Ray Thomas

BACKGROUND

Some of the first small faith groups (which I will refer to as “cells”) originated in Latin America where today there are estimated to be 150 000. Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Paul VI were strong supporters and encouraged the formation of such groups.
The emergence of these cells was caused mainly by a shortage of priests, a need for people to relate to each other and persecution of the church. Today we sit with the same problems and cannot be complacent in not forming a network of believers to support one another and assisting the church to carry out its work for the Lord.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A CELL

It will be pertinent at this stage to examine the characteristics of these faith groups in order to get a better understanding of what needs to be done to create such a community. It is a small community

From this year R C I A will be split into 2 groups.

1. RCIA  -  This is for those who are not Baptised, not catholic and would like to be received into full Communion with the Catholic Church.  This is not for Catholics.  Starting in early June.

2.  Know your Catholic Faith - This is for all those Baptised Catholic but who have not yet received the further Sacrament. Also for those Catholics who wish to know more about their faith. Staring late January 2012.

Moms and Tots small faith-sharing group invites moms of babies and toddlers to join on Wednesday at 9:45 in the Parish Centre. Bring your Bible and a coffee mug. We would also like to remind the parish of our offer to cook meals for moms with newborn babies or children in hospital. If you know someone who needs our help in this regard, please contact us.

The Society was founded in Paris in 1833 by Frédéric Ozanam, a French lawyer, author, and professor. He was 20 years old at the time. The Society was founded to serve impoverished people living in the slums of Paris. After two years it was decided to place it under the patronage of St Vincent de Paul , and from this humble beginning, the Society has spread and continues to grow throughout the world. The Society of St Vincent de Paul remains a Catholic lay organisation and today operates in 144 countries and has over 950 000 members. Blessed Frédéric Ozanam was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1997.