Our Faith - Religion - Prayer 

St Patrick's Church Walcha 

For Baptism or Marriage enquiries phone Monsignor Ted Wilkes 67784070.

Monsignor Ted Wilkes would like to invite parishioners to Sunday Mass at 10 am.

Reflection

When I was at Boggabri, the primary students that I had every Thursday and Friday were given a task that required them to state who their hero was and give a number of reasons to explain their choice. The response was overwhelming! A wide range of characters were raised with various superheroes, parents, brothers and sisters being named. All of these are great answers and the reasons the children gave indicated clearly why these individuals were their heroes. 

I know I have mentioned something like this before but this task got me thinking of actually who my hero is and I have to admit it is a hard question to answer! Like everyone, my heroes have changed over the years and I began to create a list on who has been my hero at various times in my life. I was quite shocked to find that a number of saints were on my list and also a pope. 

One who really stood out is St Rose of Lima, whose feast day is on this upcoming Tuesday. St Rose of Lima was the first person to be canonized that came from South America. The Eucharist and her deep devotion to the Virgin Mary was a pillar in her daily life. She was a great proponent of praying the Rosary saying that every Christian “should preach it to the world and have it engraved on their heart.” St Rose of Lima was not a nun; rather she was a lay tertiary, spending most of her life at her family home as she worked hard to help support the family. She was renowned for her incredible beauty, but was so devoted to her vow of chastity that she used pepper and lye to ruin her complexion so she would not be attractive. St Rose was a mystic and visionary, who received many mental and physical sufferings. She died a saintly death at the age of 31 in 1617. 

Prayer 

Glorious St Rose of Lima, you who

knew what it was to love Jesus with

such a fine generous heart. You,

whom since infancy, despised the

world’s vanities in order to embrace His Cross.

You who loved with unfailing devotion 

our Heavenly Mother and professed a 

great tender dedication to the destitute,

serving the same way Jesus did. 

Teach us to imitate your greatest virtues,

So that we, following your example,

could enjoy your glorious protection in Heaven.

For Our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever.

Amen.

Mass-Friday 26th August at 11.30am

Next Friday 26th August all of the staff and students will be celebrating Mass at St Patrick's Catholic Church at 11.30 am. Everyone is welcome to join us.

Catherine McAuley- She always remembered that if there were ten thousand rules to be observed, the greatest of these is charity.

Catherine’s spirituality was centred on the mercy of God…prayer in action…action in prayer.