Fr Richard and the community of Penrose Park would like to wish all Pilgrims a very Happy and Blessed Easter
Divine Mercy Sunday – 16th of April Mass times as usual 8 am Mass, 11 am Mass followed by the chaplet of Divine Mercy. Divine Mercy Holy Hour 2 pm – 3 pm at Divine Mercy side altar.
UPDATE ON FR GABRIEL The whole community went on Easter Tuesday to celebrate an Easter Mass with Fr Gabriel in his room. It also mark the 32nd anniversary of his Priestly Ordination. Fr Gabriel is declining rapidly. He is bed bound and is paralysed on his left side. Please keep him in your prayers as he struggles with this illness and prepares himself to be called home.
If you would like to write or visit Fr Gabriel, you can send to the following: Holy Family Retirement Village 116-132 Quakers Road Marayong NSW 2148 If you would like to phone him 02 96788200 (this is to the front desk) If you would like to visit him, please call ahead if you wish to visit.
THANK YOU A very big Thank you goes out to all who have assisted the Shrine with the Easter Triduum and especially Good Friday. There were over 3000 in attendance, and there were no hiccups.
Here are some photos from The Re-enactment of Our Lord’s Passion – The Good Friday “Passion Play” that happened last week. We had over 3000 people attend this event, and we pray they went away moved by remembering what Christ did in atonement for our sins.
We would like to thank Fr. Wojciech Śliwa, who came to be the Main Celebrant for our Fatima Day this April.
Despite the wet weather, we managed to complete our procession to the grotto to give honour to Mary and glory and praise to God.
There are no photos of the procession because Fr Joseph Maria who takes the photos was leading the rosary instead. We would love help with this in the future.
On Tuesday, the community of the Shrine of Our Lady – Penrose Park went to celebrate Mass in Fr. Gabriel’s room at the retirement home where he is now staying.
Fr. Gabriel’s health is failing fast. He has had multiple seizures, some of which have resulted in short stays in hospital. He is now also paralysed and has no feeling on his left side. God will be calling him home soon.
We thank you all for your prayers for Fr Gabriel. He wants everyone to know he is also praying for them.
If you would like to write or visit Fr Gabriel, you can send to the following:
Holy Family Retirement Village 116-132 Quakers Road Marayong NSW 2148
If you would like to phone him, call 02 96788200 (this is to the front desk).
If you would like to visit him, please call ahead if you wish to visit.
“This season of Easter is an opportunity for us to truly be grateful for the gifts that God gives us, our life, our faith, our family and our friends. Let it be an opportunity for us not to just throw away all our Lenten disciplines but allow it to be an opportunity for us to truly appreciate the gifts that God gives us every day.” – Fr. Richard’s Easter Message.
Divine Mercy Sunday – 16th of April: Mass times as usual 8 am Mass, 11 am Mass followed by the chaplet of Divine Mercy. Divine Mercy Holy Hour 2 pm – 3 pm at Divine Mercy side altar.
Easter Message of Fr. Richard Green, Prior of the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy – Penrose Park.
Forty days ago, we commenced the season of Lent with fasting, prayer and arms giving. We have struggled, we have strived, we have failed, and we have succeeded in our Lenten observances. We have now celebrated Holy Week, the Lord’s entrance triumphant into Jerusalem, his last meal with the disciples in the upper room – the institution of the Eucharist and the ordained priesthood – we walked the Way of the Cross. We stood at the foot of the cross with Mary and Saint John. At Calvary, we waited outside the front of the tomb, and now we welcome the Risen Christ, glorious triumphant, and of course, we celebrate our salvation, the forgiveness of our sins – the Ransom paid by Christ on the cross. This season of Easter is an opportunity for us to truly be grateful for the gifts that God gives us, our life, our faith, our family and our friends. Let it be an opportunity for us not to just throw away all our Lenten disciplines but allow it to be an opportunity for us to truly appreciate the gifts that God gives us every day.
There are so many things that make up our lives, and many of those things we take for granted. The whole season of Lent was to allow us to channel those energies to nourish that relationship with God and to greater appreciate those things that God gives us. This season of Easter is an opportunity for us to celebrate, and what person doesn’t like a celebration? This is the celebration of forgiveness. This is salvation. This is us being able to continue nourishing that relationship we have with God through thanksgiving and to pray for the gifts and Graces to be that witness of the Gospel in our circumstances of life. My dear friends, pilgrims, and benefactors, the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy is an oasis for the people of God and other people of different denominations to escape the rat race of life to just spend a few moments in nature, but above all in the presence of almighty God and His Blessed Mother. On behalf of the Pauline fathers here at Penrose Park, at The Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy, I would like to extend to you and your families a very happy and blessed Easter. May the Risen Lord continue to bless you in your lives, and we look forward to welcoming you here to our Shrine as we celebrate this great season of Easter. All the very best, God bless, thank you.
Next week will be our Monthly Fatima Day on Thursday, the 13th of April. Fr Wojciech Sliwa, OSPPE, Parish Preist of Merrylands, will be our Main Celebrant.
The program for the day is as follows:
10 am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
There will be no morning Mass at the Shrine (The only morning Mass on Holy Thursday is a Chrism Mass with the Bishop). Instead, there will be a Holy Hour from 11 am – 12 noon.
The Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be at St Paul’s Moss Vale at 6 pm. Adoration at the Altar of Repose 7 – 9 pm.
Over the weekend, the team behind The Re-enactment of Our Lord’s Passion – The Good Friday “Passion Play” did their dress rehearsal at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy – Penrose Park. Photos by Giovanni Portelli are below.
The re-enactment, a retelling of the Passion of the Lord, the Stations of the Cross with actors doing the parts, will be this coming Good Friday at 11 am. There will be NO limits on the numbers. Everyone can come.
At 3 pm on Good Friday, there will be the service of the Commemoration of Our Lord’s Passion ( In Shrine Church) After the beginning of the Novena to Divine Mercy and Adoration of the Cross. Church closes at 7 pm.
This Good Friday, we will begin the Novena to Divine Mercy after the 3 pm service. If you have not posted your intentions for the Novena yet, you can still do so online on our Novena to Divine Mercy page.
Also, again a reminder that there are NO restrictions on numbers that can attend either the Passion Play or the 3 pm Service. Everyone is welcome.
