SCHOOL OF MISSION 2016: OPENING

Excitement was in the air as the participants of the School of Mission (SOM) arrived in Wellington to embark on a 20-week journey to see what God has in store for them. Hailing from nine different nations, with varying cultures and languages they have some to make St. Gerard’s their homes for the next 5 months. Each of them having left their families, friends, careers, homes for something far greater than what this world could offer i.e. to be rooted and built up in Christ’s love for them. The theme for this year’s School of Mission being, “I Have Called You by Name” (Col 2:7).





Cardinal John Dew, the archbishop of Wellington welcomed the participants at the Opening Mass on World Mission Sunday 2016 addressing the participants with words of wisdom, encouragement and comfort. He reassured the participants saying that though things may not be comfortable at the start with having to adapt to new surroundings, at the end, this place would feel like home because of the hospitality they would receive here. He prayed that at the end of the School of Mission their hearts will be touched with the love of God and will have grown up as a people on mission.





The day continued with the Sunday congregation moving to the lawn of St Gerard’s Monastery on a beautiful sunny day for fellowship over finger food. It was as if Wellington put on its best weather to welcome our SOM participants. The celebrations continued in the evening with a formal agape meal as the staff prepared a sumptuous meal for the participants as we endeavor to live as one ICPE NZ Mission Community.









We look forward to what God will unfold in the lives of these participants in the months to come. Do keep us in your prayers too.

Opening Mass of School of Mission

23rd Oct at 10:30 am

at 75 Hawker St, Mt. Victoria, Wellington. 

Come join us as we celebrate the opening mass of the 5-month School of Mission along with participants from ten different countries who are embarking on this new journey to deepen their relationship with God. The Main celebrant will be Cardinal John Dew. 

All are welcome to attend. 

New Plymouth Outreach - 9-11 Sept 2016

The 9^th -11^th of September 2016, saw a team from ICPE Mission NZ go to New Plymouth for an outreach with the parishioners at Our Lady Help of Christians (OLHC), as well as have a day’s retreat for the Year 9 girls from Sacred Heart Girls College.

At the college, the team shared with the girls the understanding that they are God’s beloved ones. True love costs and God shows just how much we are loved when He sacrificed His son for us. Personal life stories were shared with the fundamental encouragement that the girls should not find their identity from the people around them. Instead, their truest identity is from the Lord.

At the Church of OLHC, we had the opportunity to meet some young adults and to encourage them to have a relationship with Jesus; we reflected on growing in that relationship as they were encouraged to spend more time with God through reading the scriptures and going for the sacraments.

The Friday evening session at OLHC church was a time of reaching out to the wounded of the church. To acknowledge that as wounded people we hurt others, but all are able to receive the mercy of God. With the call to be instruments of healing to others, the parishioners went through a time of  ‘Lazarus ministry’ during which individuals spent some time in silence being bound up followed then by the community calling each one out and unwrapping them. It was indeed a beautiful time of healing.

The following day, we focused more on the mercy of God, who just like the father of the prodigal son, has great compassion for His children. Our God is a just God, and by His justice, we should all go to the cross for our sins. It was not cheap grace that cost God His only Son as we have been bought with a heavy price. And just as our Heavenly Father is merciful, so must we, the Church be merciful. In the encouragement to be the fifth gospel to those around us, the spiritual and corporal works of mercy was shared and discussed among those gathered. Later in the afternoon it was time to empower the parishioners to live mercifully and reach out with the good news in the power of the Spirit. We ended with a time of adoration to empower all those who were in attendance.

 

We are truly grateful for this opportunity and continue to pray for the people of New Plymouth to rise up and grow deeper in their relationship with God.