Bishop’s Monthly Letter

My dear Fathers,

As we begin another year let me wish all of you and our beloved faithful including Religious a peaceful and fruitful New Year 2020.
As I already announced, the new year will be dedicated to the revival of the missionary spirit in our diocese. The new year just begun will therefore, be known as an “Year of Missionary Revival”. I shall be sending a pastoral letter during the course of this month spelling out as to how we should embark on this essential dimension of our Baptismal calling to make our diocese, mission-oriented in all our pastoral activities and transform ourselves under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit to be authentically a Missionary Church. Our universal shepherd has been constantly exhorting us of the need for a “Missionary Conversion at all levels”.
The Lord Jesus sent out not only the twelve (Luke 9) but also another seventy-two (Luke 10) to proclaim the Good News, to heal the sick and to dispel evil spirits. Before they were sent out, they had to be with the Lord to learn from Him the love of the Father and be in close contact with Himself which was the secret of their spirituality.
Therefore, it is of paramount importance that we, ourselves, as the shepherds of our flock be deeply rooted in Christ Jesus through a profound spirituality. The primary concern of the Lord Jesus, as a pre-condition to be true missionaries, is by union with the Father, through prayer and contemplation and deep love for Jesus and the poor.
In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis insists that missionary impetus has to take priority over everything else. The Second Vatican Council presented ecclesial conversion as openness to a constant selfrenewal born of fidelity to Jesus Christ.
While the parish community is a necessary structure for our shepherding task we should never confine ourselves to merely carrying out our pastoral obligations without paying attention to the need to become missionary disciples of the Lord.
Our universal shepherd says, “To make this missionary impulse ever more focused, generous and fruitful, I encourage each particular Church to undertake a resolute process of discernment, purification and reform.” EG no 30.
Therefore, we have a grave responsibility to embark on various programs during this year of missionary renewal of the local Church of Kandy. We must be aware that we can settle down to a routine with a false sense of security in our pastoral approaches Once again the Holy Father insists that “mere administration alone”, can no longer be enough. We are called upon to be in a permanent state of mission.
We  shall endeavour to achieve this missionary spirit, throughout this year by committing ourselves to the missionary  mandate of the Lord, and ensure that it is carried out with great vigour, zest and enthusiasm.

We place our trust in the living Saviour who accompanies us in this sacred task and as the Apostles and the early Church were empowered as they prayed together with our Blessed Mother, before the Pentecostal event, we too should pray very much along with our people, for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the local Church of Kandy.

Wishing all of you God’s abundant blessings this year and always,

Yours devotedly in the Lord,

ishop Vianney Fernando,

Bishop of Kandy

 

Bishop’s Engagements in January

 

07th         6.30 pm – Diocesan Finance Committee meeting Gatambe

12th        8.00 am – Feast of St. Joseph Vaz Shrine, Ampitiya

16th        5.00 pm – Feast of St. Joseph Vaz at the Cathedral,     Kandy

17th        9.00 pm – Priestly Ordination of two Somascan Deacons at Sea Street Church, Negombo

18th        9.30 am – Wedding Mass at Katugastota Church

19th  09.30 am – Feast of St. Sebastian’s Shrine at  Cholankanda, Nawalapitiya

22nd  – In Colombo

23rd  9.30 am – CBCSL special meeting

26th  8.30 am – Crusillo Annual Convention

27th – 28th   – Clergy Monthly Recollection at Lewella

 

Transfers  (Assistants) – 2019
Rev. Fr. Leonard Wijeratne   – Asst. Parish Priest – Holy Rosary Church, Ragala
Rev. Fr. Malith Prasad  – Asst. Parish Priest – St. Anthony’s Cathedral, Kandy
Rev. Fr. Harshana Miranda  – Asst. Parish Priest – St. Xavier’s Church, Nuwara Eliya
New Appointments
Rev. Fr. Anthonymuthu Nalinert  –  Asst. Parish Priest – St. Xavier’s Church, Nuwara Eliya
Rev. Fr. Ranga Chalitha Perera – Asst. Parish Priest – St. Joseph Vaz Church, Kadiyenlena
Rev. Fr. Jesiah Roninson  – Asst. Parish Priest, St. Paul the Hermit Church, Digana

 

Annual Feast  of Saint Joseph Vaz Shrine – Ampitiya  12.01.2020 

 
06. 01.2020 4.30 pm –  Holy Rosary / Novena   5.00 pm –  Hoisting of the Flag Followed by Holy Mass (Liturgy organized by Digana & Ampitiya)   Holy Mass Presided over by  Rev. Fr. Christy Paul (Director –Diocesan Family and Laity Apostolate,  Parish Priest, Digana)

07. 01. 2020   4.30 pm –  Holy Rosary & Novena / 5.00 pm – Holy Mass      (Liturgy organized by Padiwatte & Kadugannawa) Holy Mass Presided over by Rev. Fr. Ivan Jayasundara & Rev. Fr.Camllius Jansz

08. 01. 2020  4.30 pm –  Holy Rosary & Novena / 5.00 pm – Holy Mass      (Liturgy organized by Getambe & Peradeniya) Holy Mass Presided over by Very Rev. Fr. Milroy Fonseka & Rev.Fr.Leslie Perera

09. 01. 2020  4.30 pm –  Holy Rosary & Novena / 5.00 pm – Holy Mass      (Liturgy organized by Religious Communities  Holy Mass Presided over by Rev. Fr. Justin Chawkan SSS (Superior  – Blessed Sacrament Scholasticate)

10. 01. 2020  5.30 pm –  Holy Rosary & Novena / 5.00 pm – Holy Mass      (Liturgy organized by Kandy & Katugastota)   Holy Mass Presided over by Rev.Fr.Nerio Abraham & Rev.Fr. D. Soosainathan OSB
Vespers  11. 01. 2020     5.30 pm – Holy Rosary / Novena 6.00 pm – Vespers (Liturgy organized by the National Seminary Community)   Presided over by  Very Rev. Fr. Expeditus Jayakody (Rector – The National Seminary)

Festive Mass   12. 01. 2020  7.30 am –  Holy Rosary 8.00 am –  Welcome  8.30 am –  Festive Mass  (Liturgy organized by Ampitiya Parish and the Religious)
Presided over by  Most Rev. Dr. Vianney Fernando (Bishop of Kandy)

Sent by: Rev. Fr. Alvin Peter Fernando Parish Priest  – St. Mary’s Church, Ampitiya

 

Annual Feast of St. Sebastian’s Shrine at Cholankanda, Nawalapitiya
Hoisting of the flag 12th January 2020
Vespers  18th January 2020
Festive Mass    19th January 2020

Sent by: Rev. Fr. Cecil Xavier,  Parish Priest – St. Mary’s Church,  Nawalapitiya

 

Annual Feast of St. Paul the Hermit Church, Digana
Hoisting of the flag 19th January 2020
Vespers  25th January 2020
Festive Mass    26th January 2020

Sent by: Rev. Fr. Christy Paul, Parish Priest, St. Paul the Hermit Church, Digana

 

Dates for Recollections and Annual Retreat   – 2020 (Lewella)
January  –   27th & 28th

February  –   24th & 25th

March  –    No Recollection

April   –   6th &  7th (Holy Week)

May  –    18th & 19th

June   –   29th & 30th

July   –   27th & 28th

August  –   24th – 29th   – Annual Retreat

September  –    No Recollection

October  –   26th & 27th

November  –    No Recollection

December  –   14th & 15th

 

Pope Institutes the ‘Sunday of the Word of God’ in New Motu Proprio ‘Aperuit illis’

“May the Sunday of the Word of God help his people to grow in religious and intimate familiarity with the sacred Scriptures.” This is Pope Francis’ hope for this day he instituted in his Apostolic Letter published on Sept. 30, in the form of a Motu Proprio of the Holy Father Francis, “Aperuit illis”, instituting the Sunday of the Word of God. Stressing how essential it is for Catholics to familiarize themselves with Christ’s written word, Francis highlights “a day devoted to the Bible should not be seen as a yearly event but rather a yearlong event.” The Jesuit Pontiff underscores how we “urgently need to grow in our knowledge and love of the Scriptures and of the risen Lord, who continues to speak his word and to break bread in the community of believers.” “For this reason,” he says, “we need to develop a closer relationship with sacred Scripture; otherwise, our hearts will remain cold and our eyes shut, struck as we are by so many forms of blindness.” The relationship between the Risen Lord, the community of believers and Sacred Scripture, Pope Francis stated, “is essential” to our identity as Christians. “Without the Lord who opens our minds to them, it is impossible to understand the Scriptures in depth. Yet the contrary is equally true: without the Scriptures, the events of the mission of Jesus and of his Church in this world would remain incomprehensible. Hence,” the Jesuit Pontiff noted, “Saint Jerome could rightly claim: ‘Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.’” Francis expressed that with this Apostolic Letter, he wished to respond to many requests he received from the people of God that the entire Church celebrate, in unity of purpose, a Sunday of the Word of God. In point three of the letter, Pope Francis declares the day to be on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. “I hereby declare that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the word of God,” Francis said, noting: “This Sunday of the Word of God will thus be a fitting part of that time of the year when we are encouraged to strengthen our bonds with the Jewish people and to pray for Christian unity. This is more than a temporal coincidence: the celebration of the Sunday of the Word of God has ecumenical value, since the Scriptures point out, for those who listen, the path to authentic and firm unity. Francis called on the various communities to find their own ways to mark this Sunday with a certain solemnity.

“It is important, however,” he pointed out, “that in the Eucharistic celebration the sacred text be enthroned, in order to focus the attention of the assembly on the normative value of God’s word. On this Sunday, it would be particularly appropriate to highlight the proclamation of the Word of the Lord and to emphasize in the homily the honor that it is due. Bishops could celebrate the Rite of Installation of Lectors or a similar commissioning of readers, in order to bring out the importance of the proclamation of God’s word in the liturgy.”

“In this regard,” the Holy Father continued, “renewed efforts should be made to provide members of the faithful with the training needed to be genuine proclaimers of the word, as is already the practice in the case of acolytes or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.”

Francis went on to suggest that “pastors can also find ways of giving a Bible, or one of its books, to the entire assembly as a way of showing the importance of learning how to read, appreciate and pray daily with sacred Scripture, especially through the practice of lectio divina.”

Taken From : Vatican news

 

 

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE  53rd WORLD DAY OF PEACE 1 JANUARY 2020 PEACE AS A JOURNEY OF HOPE: DIALOGUE, RECONCILIATION AND ECOLOGICAL CONVERSION

1. Peace, a journey of hope in the face of obstacles and trial Peace is a great and precious value, the object of our hope and the aspiration of the entire human family. As a human attitude, our hope for peace is marked by an existential tension that makes it possible for the present, with all its difficulties, to be “lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey” Hope is thus the virtue that inspires us and keeps us moving forward, even when obstacles seem insurmountable.

Our human community bears, in its memory and its flesh, the scars of ever more devastating wars and conflicts that affect especially the poor and the vulnerable. Entire nations find it difficult to break free of the chains of exploitation and corruption that fuel hatred and violence. Even today, dignity, physical integrity, freedom, including religious freedom, communal solidarity and hope in the future are denied to great numbers of men and women, young and old. Many are the innocent victims of painful humiliation and exclusion, sorrow and injustice, to say nothing of the trauma born of systematic attacks on their people and their loved ones.

The terrible trials of internal and international conflicts, often aggravated by ruthless acts of violence, have an enduring effect on the body and soul of humanity. Every war is a form of fratricide that destroys the human family’s innate vocation to brotherhood. War, as we know, often begins with the inability to accept the diversity of others, which then fosters attitudes of aggrandizement and domination born of selfishness and pride, hatred and the desire to caricature, exclude and even destroy the other. War is fueled by a perversion of relationships, by hegemonic ambitions, by abuses of power, by fear of others and by seeing diversity as an obstacle. And these, in turn, are aggravated by the experience of war.

As I observed during my recent Apostolic Journey to Japan, our world is paradoxically marked by “a perverse dichotomy that tries to defend and ensure stability and peace through a false sense of security sustained by a mentality of fear and mistrust, one that ends up poisoning relationships between peoples and obstructing any form of dialogue. Peace and international stability are incompatible with attempts to build upon the fear of mutual destruction or the threat of total annihilation. They can be achieved only on the basis of a global ethic of solidarity and cooperation in the service of a future shaped by interdependence and shared responsibility in the whole human family of today and tomorrow”.

Every threatening situation feeds mistrust and leads people to withdraw into their own safety zone. Mistrust and fear weaken relationships and increase the risk of violence, creating a vicious circle that can never lead to a relationship of peace. Even nuclear deterrence can only produce the illusion of security.

We cannot claim to maintain stability in the world through the fear of annihilation, in a volatile situation, suspended on the brink of a nuclear abyss and enclosed behind walls of indifference. As a result, social and economic decisions are being made that lead to tragic situations where human beings and creation itself are discarded rather than protected and preserved. How, then, do we undertake a journey of peace and mutual respect? How do we break the unhealthy mentality of threats and fear? How do we break the current dynamic of distrust?

We need to pursue a genuine fraternity based on our common origin from God and exercised in dialogue and mutual trust. The desire for peace lies deep within the human heart, and we should not resign ourselves to seeking anything less than this.

2. Peace, a journey of listening based on memory, solidarity and fraternity The Hibakusha, the survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, are among those who currently keep alive the flame of collective conscience, bearing witness to succeeding generations to the horror of what happened in August 1945 and the unspeakable sufferings that have continued to the present time. Their testimony awakens and preserves the memory of the victims, so that the conscience of humanity may rise up in the face of every desire for dominance and destruction. “We cannot allow present and future generations to lose the memory of what happened here. It is a memory that ensures and encourages the building of a more fair and fraternal future”.

Like the Hibakusha, many people in today’s world are working to ensure that future generations will preserve the memory of past events, not only in order to prevent the same errors or illusions from recurring, but also to enable memory, as the fruit of experience, to serve as the basis and inspiration for present and future decisions to promote peace. What is more, memory is the horizon of hope. Many times, in the darkness of wars and conflicts, the remembrance of even a small gesture of solidarity received can lead to courageous and even heroic decisions. It can unleash new energies and kindle new hope in individuals and communities. Setting out on a journey of peace is a challenge made all the more complex because the interests at stake in relationships between people, communities and nations, are numerous and conflicting. We must first appeal to people’s moral conscience and to personal and political will. Peace emerges from the depths of the human heart and political will must always be renewed, so that new ways can be found to reconcile and unite individuals and communities.

The world does not need empty words but convinced witnesses, peacemakers who are open to a dialogue that rejects exclusion or manipulation. In fact, we cannot truly achieve peace without a convinced dialogue between men and women who seek the truth beyond ideologies and differing opinions. Peace “must be built up continually”; it is a journey made together in constant pursuit of the common good, truthfulness and respect for law. Listening to one another can lead to mutual understanding and esteem, and even to seeing in an enemy the face of a brother or sister. The peace process thus requires enduring commitment. It is a patient effort to seek truth and justice, to honour the memory of victims and to open the way, step by step, to a shared hope stronger than the desire for vengeance. In a state based on law, democracy can be an important paradigm of this process, provided it is grounded in justice and a commitment to protect the rights of every person, especially the weak and marginalized, in a constant search for truth. This is a social undertaking, an ongoing work in which each individual makes his or her contribution responsibly, at every level of the local, national and global community.

As Saint Paul VI pointed out, these “two aspirations, to equality and to participation, seek to promote a democratic society… This calls for an education to social life, involving not only the knowledge of each person’s rights, but also its necessary correlative: the recognition of his or her duties with regard to others. The sense and practice of duty are themselves conditioned by the capacity for self-mastery and by the acceptance of responsibility and of the limits placed upon the freedom of individuals or the groups”. Divisions within a society, the increase of social inequalities and the refusal to employ the means of ensuring integral human development endanger the pursuit of the common good. Yet patient efforts based on the power of the word and of truth can help foster a greater capacity for compassion and creative solidarity. In our Christian experience, we constantly remember Christ, who gave his life to reconcile us to one another (cf. Rom 5:6-11). The Church shares fully in the search for a just social order; she continues to serve the common good and to nourish the hope for peace by transmitting Christian values and moral teaching, and by her social and educational works.

3. Peace, a journey of reconciliation in fraternal communion The Bible, especially in the words of the Prophets, reminds individuals and peoples of God’s covenant with humanity, which entails renouncing our desire to dominate others and learning to see one another as persons, sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters. We should never encapsulate others in what they may have said or done, but value them for the promise that they embody. Only by choosing the path of respect can we break the spiral of vengeance and set out on the journey of hope.
We are guided by the Gospel passage that tells of the following conversation between Peter and Jesus: “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven” (Mt 18:21-22). This path of reconciliation is a summons to discover in the depths of our heart the power of forgiveness and the capacity to acknowledge one another as brothers and sisters. When we learn to live in forgiveness, we grow in our capacity to become men and women of peace.  What is true of peace in a social context is also true in the areas of politics and the economy, since peace permeates every dimension of life in common. There can be no true peace unless we show ourselves capable of developing a more just economic system. As Pope Benedict XVI said ten years ago in his Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, “in order to defeat underdevelopment, action is required not only on improving exchange-based transactions and implanting public welfare structures, but above all on graduallyincreasing openness, in a world context, to forms of economic activity marked by quotas of gratuitousness and communion” (No. 39).

4. Peace, a journey of ecological conversion “If a mistaken understanding of our own principles has at times led us to justify mistreating nature, to exercise tyranny over creation, to engage in war, injustice and acts of violence, we believers should acknowledge that by so doing we were not faithful to the treasures of wisdom which we have been called to protect and preserve”. Faced with the consequences of our hostility towards others, our lack of respect for our common home or our abusive exploitation of natural resources – seen only as a source of immediate profit, regardless of local communities, the common good and nature itself – we are in need of an ecological conversion. The recent Synod on the Pan-Amazon Region moves us to make a pressing renewed call for a peaceful relationship between communities and the land, between present and past, between experience and hope.
This journey of reconciliation also calls for listening and contemplation of the world that God has given us as a gift to make our common home. Indeed, natural resources, the many forms of life and the earth itself have been entrusted to us “to till and keep” (Gen 1:15), also for future generations, through the responsible and active participation of everyone. We need to change the way we think and see things, and to become more open to encountering others and accepting the gift of creation, which reflects the beauty and wisdom of its Creator. All this gives us deeper motivation and a new way to dwell in our common home, to accept our differences, to respect and celebrate the life that we have received and share, and to seek living conditions and models of society that favour the continued flourishing of life and the development of the common good of the entire human family. The ecological conversion for which we are appealing will lead us to a new way of looking at life, as we consider the generosity of the Creator who has given us the earth and called us to a share it in joy and moderation. This conversion must be understood in an integral way, as a transformation of how we relate to our sisters and brothers, to other living beings, to creation in all its rich variety and to the Creator who is the origin and source of all life. For Christians, it requires that “the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them”.

5. “We obtain all that we hope for”
The journey of reconciliation calls for patience and trust. Peace will not be obtained unless it is hoped for.In the first place, this means believing in the possibility of peace, believing that others need peace just as much as we do. Here we can find inspiration in the love that God has for each of us: a love that is liberating, limitless, gratuitous and tireless. Fear is frequently a source of conflict. So it is important to overcome our human fears and acknowledge that we are needy children in the eyes of the One who loves us and awaits us, like the father of the prodigal son (cf. Lk 15:11-24). The culture of fraternal encounter shatters the culture of conflict. It makes of every encounter a possibility and a gift of God’s generous love. It leads us beyond the limits of our narrow horizons and constantly encourages us to a live in a spirit of universal fraternity, as children of the one heavenly Father.

For the followers of Christ, this journey is likewise sustained by the sacrament of Reconciliation, given by the Lord for the remission of sins of the baptized. This sacrament of the Church, which renews individuals and communities, bids us keep our gaze fixed on Jesus, who reconciled “all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross” (Col 1:20). It requires us to set aside every act of violence in thought, word and deed, whether against our neighbours or against God’s creation.

The grace of God our Father is bestowed as unconditional love. Having received his forgiveness in Christ, we can set out to offer that peace to the men and women of our time. Day by day, the Holy Spirit prompts in us ways of thinking and speaking that can make us artisans of justice and peace. May the God of peace bless us and come to our aid. May Mary, Mother of the Prince of Peace and Mother of all the peoples of the earth, accompany and sustain us at every step of our journey of reconciliation. And may all men and women who come into this world experience a life of peace and develop fully the promise of life and love dwelling in their heart. From the Vatican, 8 December 2019

Taken From : Vatican News

 

MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

“The Shepherds found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.” (Luke 2/16)

Though she was the Mother of the Lord, yet she desired to learn the precepts of the Lord, and she who brought forth God, yet desired to know God. (St. Ambrose)

Upon these two titles, Mary Mother of God and Mary the Mother of mankind, the whole practice of the Catholic’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is built. (Archbishop Goodier)

I fully grant that devotion towards the Blessed Virgin has increased among Catholics with the progress of centuries; I do not allow that the doctrine concerning her has undergone a growth, for I believe that it has been in substance one and the same from the beginning. (Cardinal Newman)

Every grace of Mary’s, every prerogative , every dignity she has, is hers simply because she is the Mother of Christ; and it is wholly for His sake that we honour her, nor do we give her any honour which does not in consequence redound to Him of necessity. (Abbot Chapman)

In Marian piety, the role of the Trinity and of Christ should clearly be seen as essential and intrinsic. And this because Christian worship is essentially worship of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, or as the liturgy says, worship of the Father through the son in the Holy Spirit. In the case of Mary, everything is related to Christ and everything depends on him. It was because of the part she was to play in the life of Christ that the Father chose her from all eternity as mother full of grace and adorned her with gifts of the Spirit granted to no other.. (Pope Paul VI)

At the message of the angel, the Virgin Mary received the Word of God in her heart and her body, and gave Life to the World. Hence she is acknowledged and honoured as being truly the Mother of God and Mother of the Redeemer. Redeemed in an especially sublime manner by reason of the merits of Her Son, and united to Him by a close and indissoluble tie, she is endowed the supreme office and dignity of being the Mother of the Son of God. (Second Vatican Council – The Church)

Sent by Fr. Bala Rajendram

 

Mission of the Church

Evangelization
The Catholic Church’s mission is to carry out and continue the work of Jesus Christ on Earth. The Church, and those in it, must:

 share the Word of God  help those in need   live as examples to all

Through this, missionaries aim to evangelize individuals and convert them to the Catholic faith. The sharing of the Gospel and the life of Christ started with the commissioning and sending out of the 12 apostles.

Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you Matthew 28:19-20

At this command, Jesus is sending his first disciples out to continue his work and share the Word of God with the whole of humanity. This work and tradition is continued today by missionaries travelling the world, spreading the Gospel message and evangelizing.

Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium, a papal document on evangelization, further stresses the importance of missionary work to Catholics: …we cannot forget that evangelization is first and foremost about preaching the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ or who have always rejected him.Evangelii Gaudium

The work of missionaries is not limited to any one area, culture or race. Galatians 3:28 shares the message that all of humanity are one in Christ and the work of the missionaries is to share this.

So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus.Galatians 3:28

The passage from Galatians also points to the mission of the Church with regards to equality and justice.

The Gospel values need to be lived out, which means helping people in need. Throughout the Gospels, Christ is seen with people who have sinned, people in pain and suffering and people who are marginalised in society. Pope Francis emphasises this point in Evangelii Gaudium and outlines the role that all Catholics should undertake.

But to whom should she go first? When we read the Gospel we find a clear indication: not so much our friends and wealthy neighbours, but above all the poor and the sick, those who are usually despised and overlooked, “those who cannot repay you” (Lk 14:14).Evangelii Gaudium)

Pope Francis states that the Church should be for the poor, and the poor should be at the centre of the Church and all its actions.

Taken from : https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zcrgh39/revision/7

 

Holy Days of Obligation and Solemnities

Wednesday, January 1, 2020 – Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, Holy Day of Obligation Sunday, January 5, 2020 – Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Sunday, January 12, 2020 – The Baptism of the Lord

Wednesday, February 26, 2020 – Ash Wednesday

Thursday, March 19, 2020 – Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary Wednesday, March 25, 2020 – Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Sunday, April 5, 2020 – Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord Thursday, April 9, 2020 – Holy Thursday Friday, April 10, 2020 – Good Friday Saturday, April 11, 2020 – Holy Saturday Sunday, April 12, 2020 – Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord Sunday, April 19, 2020 – Divine Mercy Sunday

Thursday, May 21, 2020 – Ascension of the Lord  Sunday, May 31, 2020 – Pentecost

Sunday, June 7, 2020 – Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Sunday, June 14, 2020 – Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Friday, June 19, 2020 – Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Wednesday, June 24, 2020 – Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Monday, June 29, 2020 – Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

Saturday, August 15, 2020 – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Because it falls on a Saturday, the Assumption is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year

Sunday, November 1, 2020 – Solemnity of All Saints Normally a separate Holy Day of Obligation, but since All Saints Day falls on a Sunday this year, your regular Sunday Mass will fulfill the obligation Monday, November 2, 2020 – The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day) Sunday, November 22, 2020 – Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Christ the King)

Tuesday, December 8, 2020 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Day of Obligation Friday, December 25, 2020 – The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), Holy Day of Obligation

2020 Liturgical Seasons: December 1, 2019 – January 12, 2020: Advent, Christmas January 13 – February 25, 2020: Ordinary Time February 26 – May 31, 2020: Lent, Triduum, Easter June 1 – November 28, 2020: Ordinary Time November 29, 2020 – January 10, 2021: Advent, Christmas

Taken from : https://relevantradio.com/2019/10/2020-holy-days-of-obligation-and-solemnities/

 

Birthdays

02nd – Thu – Rev. Fr. Gabriel Gunasekaran

04th – Sat –  Rev. Fr. Malith Prasad

06th – Mon – Rev. Fr. Locksley Peiris

–  Rev. Fr. Jesiah Roninson

13th – Mon – Rev. Fr. Prasanna Warnakulasuriya

16th – Thu – Rev. Fr. Anton Gavaskaer  – Rev. Bro. Lionel Perera, OSB

17th – Fri – Rev. Fr. Lalith Thushara Amerasinghe

21st – Tue – Rev. Fr. Timothy Gnanapragasam

25th – Sat – Rev. Fr. B. L. D. Paul

26th – Sun – Rev. Fr. Ignatius Samarakoon

 

Ordinations

11th – Sat – Rev. Fr. D. Soosainathan, OSB

– Rev. Fr. Gabriel Gunasekaran

19th – Sun – Rev. Fr. Roy Clarence

– Rev. Fr. Christy Paul

20th – Mon – Rev. Fr. John Winston

26th – Sun – Rev. Fr. Valentine Ekanayake, OSB

 

Deaths

07th – Tue – Rev. Fr. Anselm Weerasinghe, OSB

08th – Wed – Rev. Fr. T. D. Manuel

11th – Sat – Rev. Fr. Marius Fernandez, OSB

19th – Sun – Rev. Fr. Joseph Rodrigo

20th – Mon – Rev. Fr. Gregory Pheobus, OSB

22nd – Wed – Rev. Fr. F. M. Gunatillake