Mount Maunganui Parish, St Thomas More Catholic ...

Father’s Corner
Today I celebrated a funeral for a member of our parish family. A women, who in
the last couple of years, had come back to Mass and active involvement in our parish.
Sadly, she died suddenly last week. When her daughter entered her house, the first
thing she saw was this prayer from St Theresa of Avila lying on her kitchen table,
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things pass away.
God does not change.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing
God alone is enough.
How appropriate this prayer is for Advent, actually for life. As I sit here late at night,
getting my article completed before the deadline, I am acutely aware this is my last
Christmas with you, the good people of St Patrick’s and St Thomas More. While I am
being called to the important mission field of our national seminary and the two years
training in Rome that precedes it, I am sad to be leaving a life and people I have grown
to love. This week has exemplified what is so good about our parishes, especially your
faithfulness and generosity.
On Sunday I returned home from a vocations retreat where young men from around
the diocese gathered. Of the thirteen men who attended, 6 were from our parish and
two will be in the seminary next year - Danny Fraser-Jones and Glen Brennan. On
Wednesday I attended the Aquinas prize-giving in which two young men, who are
active attendees of our parish, were chosen as head-boy and deputy head-boy. It was
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