Here are the announcements for the 1st Sunday in Lent, the 9th of March:
NOVENA TO ST JOSEPH
The novena to St Joseph, will be celebrated from 10th – 18th March 2025. For anyone wishing to include their intentions in the novena, forms are available on the side table of the Shrine Church as well as they can be found online via the Shrine website. St Joseph, pray for us!
WORKING BEE
The next working bee will be on Saturday 15th March 2025. Please consider coming along and helping to keep the Shrine beautiful for our local area and the pilgrims that visit. This Shrine is a treasure to the Order, Diocese and country, any help and forms of talent are always most welcome. Please speak to Fr Joseph Maria, Subprior for more information or specifics.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER LIST ANNUAL MASS OF THANKSGIVING
The Intercessory Prayer List group are members who offer prayers for the sick of the parish. There are no meetings to attend! A monthly list is sent out to the Prayer Team via email, with updates through the month. It is a very valuable asset to the Parish and many blessings have been granted through the prayers of the team. We will be having our annual thanksgiving Mass (to thank God for blessings we have received) on Sunday 16th March at 8am at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy, Penrose Park. Followed by morning tea. You are all welcome! Please consider joining our Prayer Team. Contact us on mvprayerlist@gmail.com
MORNING TEA AFTER 8AM MASS AT THE OLD MONASTERY
The next morning tea after Mass will be on Sunday 16th March 2025. All Welcome!
FIRST SATURDAY & LENTEN RETREAT
Saturday, 5th of April, the First Saturday Devotions in Honour of Our Lady, as she requested during the apparitions at Fatima will be celebrated as per usual. In addition for the Lenten Season, there will be an extended program turning the day into a full-day Lenten retreat. The retreat will start at 10am and finish at 3pm. The retreat is FREE to attend with NO BOOKINGS required. BYO lunch. Tea and coffee are provided in the Old Monastery.
PASSION PLAY
The annual reenactment of the Lord’s Passion (Passion Play) will take place in the Shrine, commencing at 11am on Good Friday 18th April 2025. Please note, this is free and open to all, no bookings need to be made. Food & drink will also be available for purchase. Good Friday is also a day of Fasting and abstinence, Pilgrims are allowed to picnic on site but we ask that NO meat is consumed or BBQed on the day. There are still some roles that need to be filled, for more information and to receive updates regarding rehearsals etc please go to: https://goodfridaypassionplay.blogspot.com/ and sign up to receive notifications.
PASCHAL PRECEPT
A reminder that all Catholics are obliged to go to Confession and Holy Communion at least once a year between Ash Wednesday and Trinity Sunday (15th June).
YEAR OF JUBILEE 2025
The Diocese of Wollongong’s celebration of the Jubilee year of the Universal Church is from Sunday 29th December 2024 – 28th December 2025. During this time the faithful are encouraged pilgrimage to the designated sites in the Diocese and in doing so can gain a plenary indulgence. Pilgrim passports have been produced for people to take to get stamped that they have visited one of the sites, these are available on the side table of the Church. Penrose Park is one of the designated Pilgrimage sites, the other 5 sites for the Diocese are as follows:
ST FRANCIS XAVIER CATHEDRAL, WOLLONGONG
36 Harbour Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, UNANDERRA
48–50 Princes Hwy, Unanderra NSW 2526
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS, ROSEMEADOW
80 Demetrius Road, Rosemeadow NSW 2560
ST MARY STAR OF THE SEA, MILTON
Lot 1 Corks Lane, Milton NSW 2538
ST JOSEPH’S, KANGAROO VALLEY
130 Moss Vale Road, Kangaroo Valley NSW 2577