Oracle

Weekday Mass Times

Tuesday - 12 noon

Wednesday- 6:00 am

Thursday - 6:00 am

Friday - 6:00 pm

First Saturday - 6:00 am

Weekend Mass Times

Holy Cross R.C.

Saturday - 5:00 pm

Sunday - 7:00 am

Sunday - 9:00 am

(Youth mass - 4th Sunday)

St. Peter’s Chapel

Maracas Bay

Sun - 10:45 am

Office Hours

Monday to Friday 9:00 am - 2:30 pm

Clergy Office Hours

Wednesday 8:00 am - 10:00 am

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

From the Desk of your Parish Priest

FR. HASELY KING, O.CARM

Lent; a forty (40) day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, a time of preparation, an opportunity to go deeper with God and an opportunity to acknowledge our own sinfulness as we use this period of time for reflection and preparation as we contemplate what our Lord really did for us on the Cross.

It is a spiritual journey to the Cross, for us to really look at our own lives

Parishioner Database

In an effort to work together to build and create a sense of belonging and identity within our parish community. We are in the process of updating our parish database. The data collected will be used to:

• Assist in providing pastoral and holistic care to parishioners and the wider community.

• Develop ideas for sustainable programs, events and activities that will benefit our parish community.

• Create a culture of inclusion experiences for all that extends beyond participation in Holy Mass.

and just as we thoughtfully prepare for events in our individual lives, participating in Lent invites us to prepare our minds and hearts for glorifying Jesus’ life, death, and bodily resurrection. The purpose of Lent is to fully recognize our brokenness as humans and to immerse ourselves so deeply in the hope of the resurrected life that we can celebrate of the joy of Easter.

It is only through preparation and repentance, that we can truly grasp the intense significance of Jesus’ crucifixion, and through His resurrection are we shown God’s own capacity to be immediately present to us. Lent is also a time for reflecting on the love of God manifest in Jesus the Christ and for living more fully into God’s love. It is a time to be renewed by the powerful, life-giving presence of God and His love. This Lent let us live fully into that love.

Fr Hasely

• Help stay engaged with communication from the Desk of the Parish Priest; to inform you of events and activities that are happening in the Parish.

• Provide an opportunity to participate in fellowship and volunteering within the parish and throughout the community.

There are three (3) options: Forms can be found online or collected after Mass from Ms. Michelle Maxwell Williams or any Hospitality member. Scan here to access

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

Mental Health Initiative

BY TRISTON GOLLOP

On Saturday, January 14th, under its Mental Health Initiative the Office of the Suburban Vicariate held its first mental health workshop. The workshop focused on grief counseling offered to families within the Vicariate.

The workshop began with Holy Mass celebrated by the Suburban

Vicar, Fr. Hasely King, O.Carm after which families were given the opportunity to partake in a counseling sessions three (3) members of our Mental Health Team. Persons who were either waiting or had completed their session were asked to join Fr. Hasely King in Lectio Divina (lectio divina is a dialogue with God through Scripture that includes reading, listening to, responding to and resting in the Word of God).

By the end of the session, there was a bounty of emotions courageously shared by all involved which were commended by the Mental Health Team. At the conclusion of the workshop Fr. King blessed and anointed the families with oil and ended with prayer.

If you or anyone you know would like to book a session with a member of our Mental HealthTeam we encourage you to register and/or share the following link: https://bit.ly/ MentalHealth_Suburban or you can also contact us at 720-6063.

ABOVE: Fr. Hasely King, O.Carm, Vicar of the Suburban Vicariate, Triston Gollop, Executive Assistant of the Suburban Vicariate and members of the Mental Health team.

Mr. Triston Gollop is the Executive Assistant of the Suburban Vicariate

Lenten Spiritual Daily Exercise

BY GISELLE YEARWOOD

Scripture and the Church Fathers recognize fasting, prayer, and almsgiving as central to the inner conversion of Christians. When we engage in these acts of penance with genuine sorrow for our sins and a desire to please God, God’s grace enables us to overcome our sinfulness, to be reconciled to him and live in a way that is directed by God (therefore pleasing to God). In addition to these acts of penance, God has given us several gestures of reconciliation to use in our daily lives to help us achieve inner conversion, such as concern for the poor, the exercise and defence of justice and right, and admission of faults to one’s brethren among others. Also important for our inner conversion is the nourishment we receive by partaking in the Eucharist and engaging in other acts of worship and devotion such as reading Sacred Scripture, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the Our Father.

This Lenten season, as a community, let us spend more time reading Sacred Scripture, reflecting on it and listening to what the Word of God says to us. Let us allow God’s Word to direct us, challenge us and move us to a new place in our relationship with him. Below are some suggested Scripture passages we can use as we make this Lenten journey. Stay with one Scripture per week and allow it to completely saturate your mind and heart. Reflect on it, write your thoughts about it, add to it as the week goes on and allow God’s word to influence how you perceive and do things for the week.

Week 1 Matthew 11:28-30

Week 2 1 John 4:7-13

Week 3 Luke 6:36-38

Week 4 Acts 3:19-26

Week 5 John 10:27-30

Week 6 Jn 11:17-27

How is God calling you to apply his Word to your life?

Baptism

Please be advised that there will be no Baptism during Lent. The next cycle for Baptism will start in May 2023.

Confession

Confession during Lent – Every Friday at 4 pm, beginning on Friday 24th February.

Ms. Giselle Yearwood, is a lay minister at Holy Cross R.C. Church

PARISHONER’S PERSPECTIVE

What does Lent mean to you?

Lent is a very important time of the year. To me it is a time of purging and a time of reflection. Apart from almsgiving, Lent allows for serious introspection of yourself in relation to our Lord Jesus Christ, which is important. To me, it is always a time, apart from prayer, time when you have to really look at yourself, not only in the mirror, but look at how you are spiritually inclined.

We have Lenten Catholics, Christmas Catholics, Easter Catholics, but once you realize the importance of Lent, you make it an important part of your whole religious calendar. Beginning Ash Wednesday through Gloria Saturday, you

realize how much our Lord went through for us and because of this, at this point in time you have to make certain sacrifices. A sacrifice must be made in some form or the other and I think that an important sacrifice that ought to be made is the one of forgiveness. Forgiveness is an integral part in making that sacrifice, as you realize that in life, you have to be able to forgive and be humble. Humility is also an important part of Lent. When you think of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ that should bring you to a humble state.Lent encompasses that forty days to really improve your spiritual uplifting.

Mr. Leslie Joel is the President of Holy Cross R.C. Church Men’s Group

Lenten Sacrifice In Action: ‘World Youth Day 2023’

World Youth Day is a meeting of young people from all over the world with the Pope, an evangelization of the youth worldwide to take part in a festive encounter centered on Jesus. It is an opportunity for the youth, together with their peers, to deepen their faith, and through prayer and the sacraments grow closer to Christ.

This year World Youth Day will be held in Lisbon, Portugal from July 28th, to August 7th, 2023, under the theme “Mary Got Up And Went In Haste”

Supporting World Youth Day (WYD) Lisbon 2023

provides an opportunity for our Lenten sacrifice to be meaningful as we support our youth. This year World Youth Day will be held in Lisbon, Portugal from July 28th, to August 7th, 2023, under the theme “Mary Got Up And Went In Haste”

Supporting World Youth Day (WYD) Lisbon 2023 provides an opportunity for our Lenten sacrifice to be meaningful as we support our youth.

ABOVE: Holy Cross R.C. Church World Youth Day pilgrims and chaperones.

From Left: Gwen Johnson, Tricia Dukhie, Sandra Drakes, Maria Brito, Yasmine Brito, Christine Hinkson, Haleigh Jardine, Nicola Wilson (absent)

DID YOU KNOW?

Holy Cross R.C.Cemetery

BY DALE CONNELLY

Burying the dead is one of the corporal works of mercy. For residents of Santa Cruz, the Cemetery at Holy Cross R.C. Church plays a critical role in fulfilling this sacred duty. This is because there is no public Cemetery in the area and people of different religious persuasions can bury their dead in the Cemetery at Holy Cross R.C. Church. In fact, there is a section of the Cemetery dedicated to public burials! This is a prime example of the Church serving not just its faithful, but the community at large.

In 2019, under the stewardship of Fr. Hasely, the Holy Cross R.C. Church promulgated a Policy to govern the use of the Cemetery, in accordance with the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, the directions of the Archdiocese of Portof-Spain and the applicable laws and regulations of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. This Policy proved to be timely, as it provided an important framework to deal with the challenges of Covid-19 burials just one year later.

Because land is a finite resource, space at the Cemetery is running out. Additionally, there are several burial plots that were assigned decades ago that have now fallen into desuetude. The Policy establishes procedures for the allotment of burial plots and the setting of fees therefore, the creation of a digital database of all persons to whom burial plots have been allocated, the maintenance of the Cemetery and the resolution of disputes relating to burial plots. Further, the Parish plans to embark upon an exercise to review the demarcation of the six (6) Sections of the Cemetery and re-number the burial plots therein. If you require further information or wish to request a copy of the policy, please contact the Parish Office.

Mr. Dayle Connelly is the President of the Cemetery Committee for Holy Cross RC Parish

Carmelite Corner

The Caribbean Caremlite Institute

The Carmelite Institute of the English-Speaking Caribbean is still in the early stages of formation. In early 2022, the various branches of the Order in Trinidad decided to join efforts in creating this new venture. Branches of the Order represented include: The Carmelite Friars; The Corpus Christi Carmelite Sisters; The Carmelite Third Order; and the Handmaids of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Each branch has committed to send a delegate to be representative members on the Institute’s organizing committee.

The present representative members are: Fr. Brent Alexis, O.Carm; Sr. Juanita Berkeley, O.Carm; Mrs. Joan Raghunanan, TOC; and Mrs. Mary Lewis. The first meeting of the institute was held in May 2022. Going forward, a clear idea of the Institute’s mission will be articulated based on the apparent needs of the Carmelite Order in the region and how it can contribute to meeting some of those needs. Thus far, it has been discerned that activities focusing on spirituality and education in the charism of the Order are desired.

On December 3, 2022, an Advent retreat was organized by the Institute, open to all members of the Carmelite Family. It was hosted in Maracas Valley, St. Joseph and conducted by Fr. Mikhail Woodruffe, O.Carm.

Another initiative of the Institute is our newsletter, (The Caribbean Carmelite Institute Newsletter) and the logo was designed by Sr. Juanita Berkeley, O.Carm. With the inaugural issue published in December 2022.

The Institute is in the planning phase of the next Carmelite Conference of the Caribbean carded for July 2023 (14th – 16th). The topic for this Conference will be St. Titus Brandsma, the newest Carmelite Saint on our calendar. More information on the Conference will be made available soon.