During the month of November there will be many November Mass Intentions for the Deceased. Each of the Mass Intentions will be distributed to various Paulist Missionaries around the world with each Intention celebrated individually and the stipends associated with those Mass Intentions used to support those Missionaries.
Please note that November Mass Intentions are different from the regular weekly Mass Intentions which will still be celebrated in the normal way.
This Sunday 17 Sept, the Paulist Missionaries celebrate the 90th Death Anniversary of their Founder Joseph De Piro. De Piro died suddenly in Hamrun Malta at the conclusion of a procession in honour of Our Lady of Sorrows. We recognise Joseph De Piro as a man of God and pray to God through his intercession. There are books about his life and his writings in the church foyer
Prayer through the intercession of the Servant of God Joseph De Piro.
Lord Jesus, let my heart be similar to yours, inflamed with your love, so that I may be your disciple and follow you wherever you go. Help me to spread in the world the fragrance of your love. Give me the gift of your Holy Spirit as my companion and guide. Through the intercession of your Servant Joseph De Piro grant me the grace I am asking … and continue to inspire and guide me so that I too may be generous and a missionary according to your heart.
Amen.
Fr John Taliana arrived last Wednesday to serve in the Parish Family of St James. He brings with him a love for the people, his experience, wisdom and a missionary heart. We welcome Fr John and keep him in our prayers as he joins us as part of the Leadership Team.
As Paulist Missionaries, religious and lay, Mary Assumed into Heaven is the Principal Patron Saint of the Society that Joseph De Piro founded.
For us missionaries, this Feast is a reminder that Jesus saved us whole, body and soul. In our ministry we have always consistently lived this great mystery. Before preaching the Word of God we have always endeavoured to reach out and try to lift those in need by helping them grow in their human life. We can only reach God when we have become fully human.
In the Chapel, in the Narthex of the Church is the Paulist portrait of Mary Assumed into Heaven.
This week we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption on Tues 15 Aug, with:
Dear Friends and parishioners,
I would like to extend to you my heartfelt appreciation for your friendship, support and well-wishing as I come to the end of my ministry at St. James. Since the day I came to this parish, in September 2019, I have been amazed by the hospitality, vibrancy and good feeling that exists within this community. It makes it what it is… a place of encounter.
Many thanks go to Fr Jude, Ms Geralyn McCarthy and the Parish Pastoral Council, the parish staff: Red, Tita, Angel and Maria, and all ministry leaders, members and participants. Last Sunday I was overcome by the love and gratitude shown to me during the farewell mass and party. Thank you all parishioners and friends for your hospitality, love and friendship.
I will be commencing my pastoral activity at St. Bernadette (North Sunshine) in August. Please keep me in your prayers that the Good Shepherd may, through the power of the Spirit, guide me as I serve his community. I will be keeping you in thoughts and prayers as well, and please do hop in when you have some time, or are in the vicinity.
God bless you all.
Fr Silvio.
This weekend marks the last weekend that Fr Silvio will be Assistant Priest at St James. This week he will go to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal and, upon his return in August, will start his new ministry as Parish Priest of St Bernadette’s, North Sunshine. Let us keep him in our prayers as he starts this next part of his ministry.
The 30th of June marks the anniversary of the Foundation Day of the Missionary Society of St. Paul. We remember the day in 1910, when our Founder, the Servant of God Joseph DePiro welcomed Joseph Caruana and John Vella into the small house he had rented to serve as the first house of his new Small Society of St Paul. It was small indeed, actually the servants’ quarters of a palace a stone’s throw from the DePiro Family palace. What humility!!
Joseph Caruana went on to become a Catechist Lay-Brother and the first missionary of this new Society. He served in modern-day Ethiopia till his death, nearly 50 years later. John Vella became the first priest of the Society. He unfortunately parted ways with the Society after his ordination, as he did not deem it his call to serve in foreign mission lands.
On this anniversary, Lay and Religious Paulist Missionaries traditionally renew their commitment to be missionary disciples and ministers, and appreciate your prayers. May the Good Lord also bless the Society with new vocations.
The Paulist Lay Missionaries have been meeting for several years. It was early last year during a zoom meeting that an invitation was extended to our group.
Our expectation was to encounter the Paulist Missionary Charism at a deeper level.
We were received with great joy and hospitality, something that our Church and our modern world needs today.
This experience has left an indelible mark over our hearts and lives empowering us to take with us the spirit of a man with a vision and a mission to enrich the Church and the world we live in. A man with a deep relationship with Christ and our Missionary Patron, Paul. This lead him to reach out expressing compassion and empathy towards needy children and those who were struggling in society. Joseph De Piro was fully present to those he encountered and was an active listener.
The experience has been very inspiring, informative and enriching. Meeting our wider Paulist family has been both affirming and giving strength to our identity. We believe our charism and the spirit we have captured has made a positive impact, motivating us to share this experience with our wider Paulist Lay community back home. This can assist in creating clearer understanding of who we are, embracing our vision and mission as we direct others to Christ.
These last two weeks have helped us to see the importance of faith in action as we immersed ourselves in the life of Joseph De Piro. Meeting members of his family and visiting the places where he lived, made him more tangible and real.
Joseph is indeed a man who responded authentically to his call. He is an example of faithful commitment and apostolic zeal who during his Gethsemane experience in Davos, embraced prayer as his only intimate companion. Like St Paul, Joseph teaches us the importance of these moments as moments of opportunity; when things are upside down and chaotic become the moment of conversion.
This pilgrimage has helped us understand that we truly belong to a wider spiritual Paulist Missionary Family, following the Charism given through Joseph De Piro. The joy, love and hospitality that has united us through our wider family has allowed us to experience that we belong to a much wider faith community. It has truly been a touch of heaven on earth.
Joseph’s love of Mary allows us to see the importance of the feminine side within the congregation and expresses the wholeness of life within Mary’s Assumption into Heaven.
Our plan is to return home carrying this rich charism. We plan to provide a faith development weekend where we can gather with the wider community and share with them different aspects, on a smaller version, some of the wealth we have received in these days.
Dear Parish Family of St James,
Greetings to you from Malta, the birth place of our Founder Joseph De Piro.
Thank you for the opportunity to gather with the wider Paulist Family from various parts of the world. The program has been both hectic, intense and exciting.
As Christians, few things can anchor us in our spiritual walk as much as learning and experiencing the depth of faith of those who have journeyed the road before us. It can b e a life-changing experience which can leave you a a part of something bigger.
We have begun tracing the Founder’s call and reaching a better understanding of the missionary spirituality which he handed down to us.
We have explored the spirituality of St Paul who greatly impacted Joseph De Piro and was the inspiration for our Missionary charism.
We are excited and encouraged with the renewed possibilities of what evangelisation offers us in the contemporary world.
Claire Kemp, our mssp Lay Australian representative stated:
“An exhilarating experience where we have been warmly welcomed, nourished spiritually and with knowledge, energised for mission”.
Go gently,
Fr Jude Pirotta and MSSP Lay Missionaries
Fr Jude is accompanying some of the MSSP Lay to Europe from Australia. This International Convention and Pilgrimage will be journeying in the Footsteps of Joseph De Piro.
During the Convention and Pilgrimage, they will be visiting many places associated with Joseph’s life and ministry.
Please keep all involved in your prayers and thoughts.
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