My greetings to you on this weekend when we celebrate our parish’s patronal feast. While this week in July is always a significant one for our parish, there seems to have been plenty of additional reasons to celebrate in recent years. This year, it’s the celebration of World Youth Day 2008.
Today we begin our journey into WYD08 by blessing the pilgrims from our own parish during the 9:00 a.m. Mass. The prayer, drawn from the Church’s Book of Blessings, asks that God remain with our pilgrims, shelter and guide them, and bless them with safe travel.
Our other most significant liturgical celebration for our Parish Feast Day and WYD week is our Prayer Around the Cross on Wednesday 16 July from 6:00 p.m. Drawing on the prayer and music styles of the Taizé community, this is a wonderful opportunity for us to share in celebrating the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel with members of the Carmelite Family from around the world, as well as other WYD pilgrims. We want to fill the Church! So make sure you join us. The way our community gathers for reconciliation during Lent and Advent is proof of what we can achieve. Don’t forget that a BBQ follows around the parish hall.
Although it hasn’t even happened yet, this single celebration is already having a profound effect for our community. I had the pleasure of joining a good number of parish singers on Monday night for a rehearsal with Fr. Paul Gurr. The spirit of the occasion and the sound of the song will very much transform us as we pray. I thank them and Fr. Paul in advance for their remarkable ministry.
Share in Wenty’s World Youth Day experience. Follow personal reflections, photos and more on the brand new Parish WYD Blog, wydwenty.wordpress.com
Liturgy 