Dear friends,

This feast day of Christ the King marks the end of the Church’s year. This Sunday, we are fortunate to have Bishop Brian Finnigan with us. Bishop Brian will be receiving a number of adults into the Catholic Church and celebrating as well as Confirmations. For some months now, a number of people have been gathering weekly to explore the Catholic faith and prepared to be initiated into the Church. Some of these have not been baptised and are now called catechumens. They will be baptised and fully initiated into the Church at the Easter vigil next year. Others have been baptised in other traditions and now wish to be received into the Catholic church. We celebrate this for four members of the group on this feast day. Katrina Greenup, Maddison Marquis, Penny and Rupert Templeman will be received into the Catholic church, Confirmed and receive First Communion. Alongside Katrina, Maddison, Penny and Rupert, we will also celebrate the Confirmation of Greg Hibbett, Donna Howard, and Ming Leung who have been baptised Catholic but have missed on out being Confirmed until now. Finally, we have a group of three youngsters who will also celebrate their Confirmation – Georgia and Libby Tiffin, and Lottie Burns. Georgia and Libby will also receive First Communion. It may all sound a little confusing but I am sure that Sunday will be a joyful celebration for those involved and our whole parish community. I am very grateful to Tricia Howard from our school community for her work in preparing Georgia and Libby for today’s celebration. I’m sure that the community gathered at the 9am Mass this Sunday will joyfully welcome and celebrate with those who at taking this important step in their journey of faith.

The Feast of Christ the King is a relatively young feast. It was initiated by Pius XI in 1925 – the period between two world wars. It was really a feast which promoted peace. The way toward peace, Pius XI said, was to allow Christ to reign in our hearts and our relationships. Being the last Sunday of the Church’s year, this feast is a little like the Church’s New Year’s Eve. Next Sunday we begin a new liturgical year with the season of Advent. This last Sunday of the Church’s year is an invitation to look back over the previous twelve months, look back at our own lives and our world, at everything that has happened – the good and bad, the happy and sad – and see in everything the redeeming presence of Christ. So on this Feast Day of Christ the King, we say, “Happy New Year!”

Fr. Anthony