WELCOME.BENVENUTO!
Brothers and sisters, welcome to our parish. We are a Catholic Community and family gathered through faith in God, to share our gifts and celebrate life in the service of each other, while reaching out to the wider community.
Capuchin
Franciscan
Friars
Secular Franciscan Order
(OFS)
Youth & Young
Adults
Ministry
Community & Special Masses
LENT: VIA CRUCIS
The Stations of the Cross begin Friday, February 19th @ 7.30pm
Tradition tells us that our Blessed Mother daily visited the places of her son’s passion, and other Christians followed her example. After Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in the fourth century, crowds of pilgrims began walking along Christ’s road to Calvary, as St. Jerome and other early Christian writers attest.
But with the spread of Islam in the ninth century making travel to the Holy Land impossible, Christians in Europe began to replicate the Via Dolorosa, or Sorrowful Way, so that they could walk with Christ without traveling to Jerusalem. This devotion spread throughout the Catholic world, and in 1686, Pope Innocent XI offered to those praying the Stations in churches the same plenary indulgence as those who go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
By walking the Stations of the Cross, you can receive the same indulgence as if you were to actually go to Jerusalem! We should not miss any opportunity to receive such a great blessing.
“We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.”
Latest News
OFS First Gathering in 2021
Last Sunday Secular Franciscans at Newton started 2021 with a fresh outlook on fraternal life and leadership. It was wonderful to see you all after such a long break.
Lent: Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, time dedicated to prayer, fasting, and reflection in preparation for the great celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. The Church has long used ashes as an outward sign of grief, a mark of humility, mourning, penance and morality. Receiving the blessed ashes on your forehead is the sign of penance. It signifies that we ought to repent of our sins.
Youth & Young Adults Mass & Fr. John’s Farewell
27 December 2020, Feast of the Holy Family, “It was a blessing to be in Newton for the past three years. Thank you for everything. Let us continue to ‘Rebuild the Church’ beginning with our families and nurturing the faith of the little ones! Pray for them and for good and holy priests and religious.” – Fr John
Lego Christmas Nativity Scene 2020
This Year’s Lego Theme: Praying for the underground Church and persecuted Christians throughout the world. You will notice that the Lego family is celebrating Christmas privately and secretively as Christians face oppression, enslavement, torture and death for practicing their faith in some countries. The Holy Family is outside of the city … This silent night, this holy night – all is calm and all is bright… Christ the Saviour is born!
OFS Christmas Lunch
Yesterday we celebrated Christmas Lunch @ OFS Newton, 12 Stations of Christmas’ during the Holy Hour and also congratulations to Andrea for renewing her profession vows to the Secular Franciscan Order. Big Day!!! Huge thank you to all our brothers Capuchin Friars for their support and service to the Secular Franciscan Order. “May the Lord bless and keep you; may He make His Face shine upon you and be merciful to you; may He turn His Countenance toward you and give you His Peace!”
#YouthGroup Active Advent Season 2020
Active Advent Hike Talks by Catholic Collective Youth – a way to prepare spiritually for the upcoming Christmas and to unleash the stress and energy trapped in our bodies due to the recent Covid Saftey Restrictions by going out into nature with other young fellow members to rediscover the freedom and love of God.
Monday – Friday
8am Mass followed by Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament until 9.30am.
First Friday Of The Month
8am Mass followed by Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament until 5pm.
7pm Mass (Italian) followed by Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament until 9.30pm.
Fourth Friday Of The Month
YEAR OF ST JOSEPH
Pope Francis has proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” from 8th December 2020, to 8th December 2021.
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,
and defend us from every evil. Amen.
Church grants plenary indulgence for year of St. Joseph
The plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the Pope’s intentions) to Christians who, with a spirit detached from any sin, participate in the Year of St. Joseph on these occasions and manners indicated by the Apostolic Penitentiary.
Prayers
Prayer to the Shoulder Wound of Jesus
O Loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I a miserable sinner, salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of Thy Shoulder on which Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross, which so tore Thy Flesh and laid bare Thy Bones as to inflict on Thee an anguish greater than any other Wound of Thy Most Blessed Body. I adore Thee, O Jesus most sorrowful; I praise and glorify Thee and give Thee thanks for this most sacred and painful Wound, beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain and by the crushing burden of Thy heavy Cross to be merciful to me, a sinner, to forgive me all my mortal and venial sins, and to lead me on towards Heaven along the Way of Thy Cross. Amen.
Litany to the Holy Spirit
Divine Essence, one true God, Have mercy on us
Spirit of truth and wisdom, Have mercy on us
Spirit of holiness and justice, Have mercy on us
Spirit of understanding and counsel, Have mercy on us
Spirit of love and joy, Have mercy on us
Spirit of peace and patience, Have mercy on us
Spirit of longanimity and meekness, Have mercy on us (…)
Prayer of Trust by Blessed Fr. Michael Sopocko
Holy Spirit, give me the grace of unwavering trust when I think of Our Lord’s merits, and of fearful trust when I think of my own weakness. When poverty comes knocking at my door: Jesus, I Trust in You, when sickness lays me low, or injury cripples me. Jesus, I Trust in You, when the world pushes me aside, and pursues me with its hatred. Jesus, I Trust in You, when I am besmirched by calumny, and pierced through by bitterness. Jesus, I Trust in You, when my friends abandon me, and wound me by word and deed. Jesus, I Trust in You, Spirit of love and Mercy, be to me a refuge, a sweet consolation, a blessed hope, that in all the most trying circumstances of my life I may never cease to trust in You”. Amen
Novena of the Holy Face of Jesus
O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose soul was pierced through by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son, we ask your help in making a perfect Novena of reparation with Jesus, united with all His sorrows, love and total abandonment. We now implore all the Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Litany of the True Cross
The word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
The Litany of the Passion
Jesus, brought before Annas and Caiphas,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, struck in the face by a servant,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, accused by false witnesses,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, declared guilty of death,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, spat upon,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, blindfolded,
Have mercy on us.
MARY, QUEEN OF FAMILIES
“I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.”
O Immaculata, Queen of heaven and earth, our life, our sweetness, and our hope, on this day we the (Family Surname) family come before you to consecrate ourselves to you as your possession and property. We praise God because he has brought us together to give ourselves to you our Mother. We do this because Jesus said on the Cross, “Behold your Mother.” We need you, Mother Mary, to help us to be a truly Catholic family. Enter into our family life. Repeat to us the words you spoke at Cana, “Do whatever He tells you.” Help us to overlook one another’s faults, to forgive as Jesus has forgiven us, and to love one another as Our Lord has asked us to love. Please use our family to crush the head of the serpent. Ask your Spouse, St. Joseph, Protector of the universal Church, to keep us one in mind and heart with your Son’s Vicar, Pope Francis. Today you have become the Queen of our hearts and home. May our home be a “City of the Immaculata,” where the Sacred Heart of Jesus reigns forever. Amen.
by St. Maximilian Kolbe
Our Community
LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD
with all your heart’
& ‘love your neighbour as yourself.’
Divine Mercy Message
Lord Jesus, reveal to souls that Your mercy is greater than all the sins of the world. Draw us to Your Sacred Heart, so our miseries may disappear in the depths of Your mercy. Have mercy on us all.
#1485 My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of My goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I allowed Myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let My Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come, then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart. Your misery has disappeared in the depths of My mercy. Do not argue with Me about your wretchedness. You will give Me pleasure if you hand over to Me all your troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures of My grace
Prayer to Mary
by Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Give us a heart as beautiful, pure, and spotless as yours. A heart like yours, so full of love and humility. May we be able to receive Jesus as the Bread of Life, to love Him as you loved Him, to serve Him under the mistreated face of the poor. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Letter of Saint Maximilian Kolbe
From the book “Forget Not Love: The Passion of Maximilian Kolbe”