National Count of Attendance begins this weekend
Across Australia, Catholic parishes are preparing to gather a snapshot of participation at Mass, as the 6th National Count of Attendance gets underway.
Across Australia, Catholic parishes are preparing to gather a snapshot of participation at Mass, as the 6th National Count of Attendance gets underway.
The Pope’s funeral will be held at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Saturday at 10am local time (5.30pm ACT) and is expected to last about two and a half hours.
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Christmas lunch is either something you look forward to or something you dread. The food, the company, the conversations, the gift exchange; a lot of it hinges on both the choices you make and the people you are with. Are we gathering out of obligation or with love? How well do we know the people around the table? How could we make time with family and friends more meaningful?
Christians have always gathered together to give praise to God on Sunday, the day of the Lord’s resurrection. In this they carry out Jesus’ words at the Last Supper: “Do this in memory of me.” We know that Christ is always present when the faithful come together, and whenever we gather for Eucharist it is the whole Body of Christ that gathers, with Christ as head and us as his members.
If you’ve ever attended a Mass celebrated by the Archbishop in St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral, chances are you will recognise the face of Michelle Tie.
Why is the Mass the way it is? What do the various parts mean? Why is the Mass so important to Catholics? These are some of the questions answered in the latest edition of the Pilgrims Quest publication Making the Most of the Mass.
Our experience of celebrating Mass can vary, depending on the quality of the music and liturgy, the relevance of the homily and the participation of the congregation. It might also depend on our own mood and state of mind. But there is usually a take-home message and a spiritual nourishment that sustains us as we go about our daily lives in the week ahead.
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