Our Mission
St. Patrick's is a community united by God through the Gospels, the teachings of the Catholic Church and the pursuit of the greater good. Our members offer their unique gifts to God and each other. With these gifts we joyfully proclaim the Word of God, proudly celebrate the sacraments and promote living in solidarity and justice, in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church and faithfulness to the Magisterium.
Our Vision
In God we trust boldly, in the footsteps of Jesus we walk humbly and by the light of the Holy Spirit we love tenderly as we become true Christians who courageously face adversity as St. Patrick has done setting for us a perfect example.
Heartbeats from your Parish Priest Fr Eduardo
We are now halfway of the year, and might be halfway of the middle of torrential rain and strong wind and flooding. My Assistant Priest has gone last week and I am left by myself here in the parish doing pastoral care and administration. But I am okay. I have you to help and to give support, well, hopefully. Let us move forward with new vitality and creativity, fuelled by constant prayers, adoration of the Lord and good disposition to help.
Let us focus our reflection this Sunday on the Gospel of Luke 10:25-37: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour r as yourself.” This Sunday’s reading teaches us to ask NOT ONLY, “Who is my neighbour?”, but also, “Am I a neighbour? Have I’ve been so so used to seeing, either in real life or in vivid colour TV, the suffering of the victims of violence, of famine, or of injustice, or flooding, or war re: Ukraine, among others, that my hart has become so hardened that I find it DIFFICULT TO LOVE? Do I consider my religion a vertical one, containing only going up to God and God coming down to me, or a horizontal one, embracing broken humanity as well, through whom I might find God? Am like a priest in the Gospel this Sunday? Or a Levite making rational-sound excuses to relegate caring for the sick only to doctors, nurses, chaplains, and others who work in pastoral or healthcare? Or am I Good Samaritan who listen to my heart and my religion into practice? Am I repelled by those who are not beautiful and likeable? The readings for 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C show that if we keep God’s commandments in our heart, then we will love God and our neighbour. In the first reading we hear that God has already put his commandments in our hearts. The psalm reminds us to keep focused on God. The alternate psalm sing the praise of God’s law. In the second reading Paul tells us that it is through Jesus Christ that we are able to love. In the gospel Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan, who showed love for the person he found in need.
When Jesus asks the lawyer who was the neighbour in the story, the lawyer can't bring himself to say it was the Samaritan. All he says is that it was “the one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus' response was similar to that of the first discussion: “Go and do likewise.” The lawyer, and we, know what is right. The key is to do it.
II. THE PRECEPTS OF THE CHURCH
2041 The precepts of the Church are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by liturgical life. The obligatory character of these positive laws decreed by the pastoral authorities is meant to guarantee to the faithful the very necessary minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor:
2042 The first precept ("You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor") requires the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord as well as the principal liturgical feasts honoring the mysteries of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints; in the first place, by participating in the Eucharistic celebration, in which the Christian community is gathered, and by resting from those works and activities which could impede such a sanctification of these days.82
The second precept ("You shall confess your sins at least once a year") ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, which continues Baptism's work of conversion and forgiveness.83
The third precept ("You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season") guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord's Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.84
2043 The fourth precept ("You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church") ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.85
The fifth precept ("You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church") means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability.86
The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his own abilities.87
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Tue Jul 05 | · 7:30pm | |
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Dear Father, President Joe Biden of the US, who is a Catholic, has expressed publicly his support for abortion rights, yet he continues to go to Mass and receive Communion. I was surprised to hear this. Should he be allowed to receive Communion?
Dear Father, I saw the recent article in The Catholic Weekly saying that a German bishop is giving Holy Communion to Protestants who ask for it. I thought this was not allowed. My husband is Lutheran and he would like to receive Communion too. Can this be done?