With great sadness, I announce that today, 08/06/2023, at around 3:30pm Fr. Gabriel Taylor passed away at Holy Family Services Residental Aged Care.
Please pray for the repose of his soul, and keep the whole Pauline community in your prayers during this difficult and sorrowful time.
Details on his funeral will follow soon. They will be posted on the Shrine website, so to keep up to date on what is happening, please look there. You can also subscribe to the email list to get notifications.
Fr Richard and Fr Joseph Maria are looking for volunteers to help with the running and maintenance of the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy Penrose Park. This includes volunteers to help on days when large crowds are expected, volunteers to help with the cleaning of the church, but especially volunteers to help with the cleaning up and maintenance of the grounds.
We are looking for volunteers that would be interested in helping either on a regular bases or on occasions such as when we organise working bees. We are now looking at starting some regular working bees to tidy up the grounds, especially at the main entrance of the property and around the chapels and Grotto. This is a mammoth task! For anyone interested in helping please let us know in the comments or reach out to us via email at penrosepark@osppe.org.au.
Today, on the Feast Day of St. Joseph the Worker, we celebrate the name’s day of Fr. Joseph Maria the Subprior at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy – Penrose Park.
We pray for every blessing on him in his ministry.
Today, Friday the 28th of April, was the 11th Anniversary of the Priesthood of Fr. Richard Green, the Prior of the Monastery and Rectory of the Shrine at Our Lady of Mercy Penrose Park.
We thank him for all that he has done for the Shrine and the Pauline Community and pray that God will give him every blessing in his future ministry.
Weekly notices for the Shrine Bulletin:
UPDATE ON FR GABRIEL
Fr Gabriel is officially on Palliative care. He can still talk and interact but it is very strenuous for him. He is on heavy pain medication but not yet on morphine. Fr Richard has gone everyday and kept him company from about 10am to 7pm. The members of the community have all visited and spent time with Father. Fr Gabriel’s health is declining fast. He is paralysed in the left side of his body. Please keep him in your prayers for strength and perseverance and especially as he prepares to return home to the Father.
Fr Gabriel thanks everyone for their prayers, love and support at this time.
If you would like to write or visit Fr Gabriel, the following are his details:
Holy Family Services Retirement Village
116-132 Quakers Road, Marayong NSW 2148
If you would like to phone him (02) 9678-8200 (This is to the front desk) Please call ahead to make an appointment to visit him.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA
The Shrine Website has had a facelift and is regularly updated. Please refer to it and encourage others to check it out to find out info about and events happening in the Shrine. The Shrine also uses FaceBook and YouTube, please like, follow and subscribe for more information.
9:30am SUNDAY MASS
There has been a change to the Mass celebrated at 9:30am each Sunday which is usually celebrated in Polish. With the decline in numbers of congregants for the Polish Mass and many of the younger ones attending the English Masses, as well as no-one turning up for Easter Sunday, Fr Richard has made the following decision and change:
Commencing in May 2023
1st & 3rd Sundays of the Month, Mass will be celebrated in Polish
2nd, 4th & 5th Sundays of the Month, Mass will be celebrated in English
VOLUNTEERS NEEDS
There is still a need for helpers in the Shrine. If you would like to assist in any way or would like more information, please see Fr Richard.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Fr Joseph Maria is incharge of the Shrine photos and social media. He needs assistance as he cannot take photos when he is celebrant of the Mass or leading devotions. For anyone interested please speak to either Fr Joseph or Fr Richard.
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 (4th June).
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.
Christ has Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia.
“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.
Upcoming events:
Easter Thursday – Fatima Day – 13th of April: ( normal Fatima day schedule, Divine Mercy Novena at Devotions at grotto).
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.
Tomorrow – the 6th of April – is Holy Thursday.
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.
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.
