Oracle-Advent issue 1

ADVENT ISSUE • NOVEMBER 2022

ORACLE

Quarterly Newsletter of Holy Cross Parish, Santa Cruz

Communities of Holy Cross R.C. Church, Santa Cruz, St. Peter’s Chapel, Maracas Bay and Gasparillo Served by the Carmelite Friars

FR ONT COVER PH OTO AN D ABOV E photo S by damian luk pat

Weekday Mass Times Tuesday - 12 noon Wednesday- 6:00 am Thursday - 6:00 am Friday - 6:00 pm First Saturday - 6:00 am

importance of our commitment to serve the parish community, effectively as a proactive church. If the past two years of disruption and uncertainty taught us anything, it definitely was a lesson in resilience.

Weekend Mass Times Holy Cross R.C. Saturday - 5:00 pm Sunday - 7:00 am Sunday - 9:00 am St. Peter’s Chapel Maracas Bay Sun - 10:45 am Office Hours Monday to Friday 9:00 am - 2:30 pm Clergy Office Hours Tuesday & Wednesday 8:00 am.-10:00 am Thursday & Friday 4:00 pm -6:00 pm Parish Priest Fr. Hasely King, O.Carm Parish Office Assistant Ms. Elizabeth Cooper Holy Cross R.C. Church La Pastora Road, Upper Santa Cruz t: 1 868 676 8740 (office) c: 1 868 719 1579 (mobile) e: santacruz@catholictt.org

@holycrossrcsantacruz

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From the Desk of your Parish Priest F r . H asely King, O. Carm

As we enter into the season of Advent, we at Holy Cross R.C. are excited to present our new branding and logo which marks a significant milestone in our journey. The new logo and visual elements reflect a new season of ministry and what better season is there than Advent.

Advent is a time when we prepare our hearts for a fresh discovery of God’s presence in our lives; when we learn how to recognize the hidden presence of Jesus among and around us; how to live our daily lives in faith, hope and love, how to be the living presence of Jesus in our moments with other.

The catalyst for this change evolved from the realization of the

Covid 19 fundamentally changed how we do and be church, and like a lot of institutions during the pandemic, we learned to connect with people in new and different ways using technology and mainstream social media, Facebook, YouTube and now Instagram.

At Holy Cross R.C. Church, Santa Cruz, you will find a thriving community of people who love God and each other. We are always excited to share our faith with everyone as we believe that all should have the opportunity to experience the real presence of God in their lives. It is a place where people from all walks of life are welcome to share in that experience with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. That’s why I’m proud to announce our new brand identity –an identity that reflects the warmth and love of not just Holy Cross R.C. Church but the community of Santa Cruz.

God bless you all.

Fr Hasely

A New Identity

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We are excited to introduce to you our new logo which characterizes who we are today and symbolizes a vibrant future.

The new logo will provide a visual identity that relates to the fundamental elements of Holy Cross R.C. Church. The logo, which is based on the Cross, serves as a representation of a warm and welcoming invitation for everyone to experience the love of God and the hospitality of our church.

The three lines highlight the connectivity, inclusivity and generousity of Holy Cross R.C., the Gasparillo Community and St. Peter’s Chapel.

Outstretched Arms: Hospitality Warmth Embrace

+ The Cross: A symbol of divine love + triumph of good

= 3 Communities: Holy Cross R.C. St. Peter’s chapel Gasparillo

The arms of the cross are tilted upwards resembling the arms of Christ outstretched and is symbolic of a person about to give an embrace.

The Colour red represents the passion of Jesus and His precious blood that was shed for each of us. It also refelcts the love, warmth and passion of our parishioners. The gold reflects the radiant light of God’s holiness and His divine nature and majesty.

Holy Cross R.C. - Santa Cruz

WEEK OF ADVENT

NOV 27

DEC 04

DEC 11

The candle of hope for Advent, also known as the “prophecy candle,” assures us we can have hope that God will fulfill the prophecies in the Old Testament about Jesus. Hope doesn’t disappoint us (Romans 5:5).

The candle of peace. Peace from God allows us to trust in His promises . Not only do we have the peace that comes from our assurance of salvation, but we also have the peace of mind knowing God will heal this broken world and will come again.

DEC 18

DEC 25

The design of the logo reflects the centrality of the cross in the life of the Church and what we aspire to be for our community. We hope you like this new look and feel for our Church Community.

We would also like to thank our entire Communications Team led by Mr. Geiron Mang, together with Ms. Earla Ince, both of whom worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this project.

The Candle of Love, also called the Angel candle, This final week of Advent helps us to reflect on the magnitude of love that was made manifest in Jesus who willingly gave the gift of His life for us all because of love.

The Christ Candle represents Christ and the role he plays in the Christmas story. Jesus brought light into the world through his arrival on earth as a baby. We cannot be Christians without Christ and without love. Christ connects all the Advent candles. and through him, we can have hope, peace, joy, and love.

Otherwise known as the Shepherd Candle, the candle of joy reflects the joy that comes through Jesus’ arrival. Our joy is a gift. It is the gift that God gave us that first Christmas in Jesus Christ. Our joy is encompassed in our Savior, Jesus the Christ.

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Our Ministries

Advent

Altar Servers Ministry Centering Prayer Group Charismatic Prayer Group Events Family Life Unit

By F r. Mar lon Beharr y, O .Carm

Fr. Marlon Beharry, O.Carm is a carmelite friar and priest from Trinidad at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Middletown, NY, USA

In everyday language, when we talk about the advent of something, we mean the arrival of something on the scene which dramatically changes the course of history. In my lifetime, I have seen the advent of the World Wide Web and the advent of cell phones. These sure have changed the way I go about my life’s daily routine! Perhaps you can think of others. As Catholics, when we talk about ‘Advent’ with a capital ‘A,’ we mean the coming of a very special person – Our Lord Jesus Christ – who has changed the course of humanity. The purpose of his Advent is to change not just our daily life, but also our eternal destination, if we allow him.

The purpose of his Advent is to change not just our daily life, but also our eternal destination, if we allow him.

In the liturgical season of Advent, the Church wants us to focus on two specific ‘comings’ of Christ.

Firstly, we direct our minds and hearts on his Second Coming. This is when “he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” Secondly, we remember his coming as a baby in Bethlehem.

This was when “for us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” From the first

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Sunday of Advent until the 16th of December, we focus more on his Second Coming, and from the 17th to 24th December, the Church’s prayers at Mass begin to explicitly prepare us to celebrate his birth.

When we meditate on these two comings of Christ into the world, we allow him to come ever more fully into our hearts.

The Advent season is filled with beautiful, familiar traditions that point us to these two comings of our Lord – the colour purple, the Advent wreath, the pink colour candle and vestments of Gaudete Sunday, beautiful hymns like O Come Emmanuel and O Come Divine Messiah and many others.

One of my favourites is the set of O Antiphons. They are the seven verses before the Gospel on weekday Masses from the seventeenth to the twenty-third of December. They are ancient – the Church has been using these in the liturgy since at least the eighth century. They are biblical titles of the Messiah – O Wisdom, O Lord and Ruler, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David, O Dayspring / Rising Sun, O King of Nations, O Emmanuel.

These titles express the longing of the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah before the birth of Our Lord. And they express the longing that Christians in this world have for his Second Coming today.

They beautifully sum up the spirit of Advent. Perhaps this Advent we can get a copy of these O Antiphons and meditate on them at home each day.

Or perhaps we can make the effort to attend the weekday Masses from the seventeenth to twenty-third to pray them at Mass. How do each of them describe my heart’s longing for the coming of Jesus?

Faith Formation: Baptism First Communion Confirmation RCIA Hospitality Ministry Lectors Ministry Legion of Mary Liturgical Ministry MAT Men’s Ministry Music Ministry St. Vincent de Paul Youth Ministry

Sacraments BAPTISM: As of September, 2022, Baptisms will be held every Second Saturday. Kindly contact the Parish Office for more information.

HOLY COMMUNION, CONFIRMATION & RCIA: Please contact the Parish office for registration and information.

MARRIAGE: Couples planning to be married in the Catholic Church, are encouraged to contact the Parish office six months prior the wedding date to begin marriage preparation.

CONFESSION: Persons can walk in during clergy office hours or call the Parish Office to schedule an appointment.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK: Please contact the Parish Office Assistant.

CHRIST’S KIDS

4 ways to prepare for

CHRISTMAS

Advent Wreath

Colour the Advent wreath below

Advent is here! It’s time to begin preparing for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. Jesus came the first time long ago in Bethlehem. Now He comes to us every time we go to Mass, in Holy Communion. But we celebrate Jesus’ coming in a special way at Christmas time.

Advent is here!

Jesus is coming!

Advent is the time to get ready for Christmas. We get our houses ready by cleaning and decorating.

We get our souls ready by cleaning out our sins when we go to confession, and by learning and thinking about Jesus.

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READ A BOOK

Read a book about Advent or Christmas.

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GO TO CONFESSION

It is important that we prepare our hearts to receive Jesus.

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H O P E

L O V E

P E A C E

J O Y

LIGHT A CANDLE

Light a candle on an advent wreath when you say your prayers every day.

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C H R I S T

BE CHARITABLE

Do nice things for people.

Remember that anything you do for someone else you do for Jesus!

YOUTH CORNER We are very much in the beginning stages of our Youth Ministry. Our recently commissioned Youth Coordinators are Mrs. Michelle Espinoza-Miles and Ms.Tricia Dukhie.

YOUTH MINISTRY ACTIVITIES: Youth Group: Youth group meetings are held twice a month - (1st and 3rd Friday of every month) starting next year for all youth ages 14-17 years old.

Youth Mass: Every 4th Sunday at 9am mass.

Career Guidance: We hope to host a series of workshops and a Career Fair in January, 2023. The objective is to provide participants with the tools and mentorship that will assist them in making the right career choices.

Registration will begin in December.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Our Lady of Victory By david robinson

Mr. David Robinson is a faithful and loyal parishioner at Holy Cross R.C. Church, Santa Cruz

Our Lady’s powerful intercession has always been a belief of the Catholic Church. In 1571 Pope Pius V instituted “Our Lady of Victory’ as an annual feast in thanksgiving for Mary’s patronage in the victory of the Holy League over the Muslim Turks in the Battle of Lepanto.

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photo damian lukpat

Fun Fact

Holy Cross History:

to appear in the 116-year history of the Catholic News.

• 1908 - Foundation stone laid by Fr. MA O’Reilly.

The year 1908 is written beneath a carved cross.

• Senor J Modia, a spanish architect, was responsible for the frontage of the church.

• The corner stone is positioned at the northeastern corner of the cruciform church.

• In 2004 Fr. Benedict Hillaire restored the elegance of the facade and the beauty of the Church, with a colour scheme of topaz, white and blue.

• Holy Cross R.C. Santa Cruz is the first church

At Holy Cross R.C. Church it is no different. Upon entering, you will see the marble enclosure of the altar with a life sized crucifix enthroned on the back wall. On the left of the altar is the statue of the Sacred Heart and on the right you would find the statue of Our Lady of Victory, (see photo).

History of Our Lady of VictorY

PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF VICTORY Our Lady of Victory, we have unshaken confidence in your intercession before your Son, Jesus Christ. Humbly we ask your prayers for all christians in help or need. We implore you to obtain for us grace needed in our lives to make us worthy of sharing Christ’s victory. May we join with you in praise of the Father , Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is a central figure in our Catholic faith, as she is the Immaculate Virgin, chosen to be the Mother of Jesus. Therefore it is no surprise that you will find statues or images of Our Mother Mary in the Catholic Church.

In 1573 Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of this feast to “Feast of the Holy Rosary”, which was celebrated on the first Sunday of October. In 1716 Pope Clement XI extended it to the whole Church and then in 1913 Pope Pius X changed the feast date to October 7.

The name was again changed in 1960 to the “Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary.” and again in 1969 to “Our Lady of the Rosary,” and has now become a mandatory memorial.

Parishioners Perspective

What does

Advent

mean to you ?

“Advent is about Jesus and of course Mary, my Mother as she is preparing us for the coming of her son, so we have to pray a little more and do all that we have to do because Jesus is coming.”

Sheila of Pax Vale

“Advent ideally it’s the preparation for Our Lord’s coming. Families need to be cognizant of that fact and not focus on the commercial aspect. I think that the right reason for advent is being lost and as as family try to focus on the real season of Christmas.. Advent is about preparing ourselves to offer as a gift.”

Tonia of Providence Gardens

Carmelite Corner

The Carmelites—more formally known as The Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel — is a religious order of the Catholic Church.In 1996 the Province of Saint Elias New York began the foundation of the Carmelite mission in Trinidad and Tobago.

“for me it’s about giving up something that you really want and just putting it aside for the season and try to make a change in your life.”

Jeremy of St. Peter’s (Maracas Bay)

“It is a period of waiting and preparing for the coming of Christ into our hearts and lives, drawing us into a deeper spirituality where we ponder and contemplate what we are entering into for Christmas.”

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“Advent is my one favourite seasons of the year. Something about waiting and preparing for Jesus in a happy way is important to me as I believe, especially in my life, there is always something good to come.

It is that time when I don’t have to stress about what’s coming because I know what’s coming and who is coming.It is a time of hope and joyfulness before the actual arrival of Jesus.”

Kiara of Cantaro

Lynn from Sam Boucaud

“Advent is the preparation for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.”

“Advent is a time of beginning.

A time when people tend to open their hearts to new beginnings, it’s a new season in the Church It’s a season locally that we look forward to because you know right after Advent is Christmas and Christmas to us is a celebration, even if it’s hard to celebrate due to circumstances in our lives.Advent prepares of for that time when we can celebrate the birth of Christ.”

Judy of St. Peter’s (Maracas Bay).

Roxanne

The Carmelite Order (abbreviation O.Carm.) is composed of friars who profess the three solemn vows of obedience, poverty and chastity, and who share a common purpose: to live the consecrated life according to the spirit of the Order. The Carmelite Order takes particular inspiration from two Biblical figures regarded as their spiritual patrons: the prophet Elijah, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady.

Elijah and Mary are inspirational figures for all Carmelites. They play a very important part in the life and spirituality of the Order which sees

“Advent is really the start of Christmas for me and it reminds me of a son of mine, you know the song “Emmanuel, Emmanuel” Fran of Cantaro

itself as belonging to Mary and looks to Elijah as our spiritual father.

In 2018 we were fortunate to have the Carmelites appointed to the Santa Cruz parish. Fr. Hasely King, O.Carm was assigned to Holy Cross R.C. Church, Upper Santa Cruz and Fr. Gerard Tang Choon O.Carm at MIQU, Bourg Mulatresse. We were also graced by the presence of Fr. Brent Alexis O.Carm and Fr. Mikhail Woodruffe, O.Carm intermittently.

We are truly blessed and thankful to have the Carmelite family at Santa Cruz.

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A Christmas Concert: