"Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.” (Lk. 2:10-11)
My dear parishioners,
Merry Christmas to all!
Hope you are all staying safe and keeping well. Auckland is in covid related restrictions almost for the past 130 days. None of us could have thought of a situation like this, even last year at Christmas, when most of the rest of the world was in lockdown. But now with the threat of Omicron looming large over us, we are slowly getting used to the new normal! In these unprecedented circumstances, we are celebrating Christmas once again. One might wonder what is there for us to celebrate in the midst of the turmoil and disruption that we undergo. But precisely it is these turmoil and disruptions that make us celebrate the Christmas of 2021 like Mary and Joseph believing all that God has promised us will be fulfilled.
In the whole Christmas event in Bethlehem, we get focussed on the glorious messages of the angels forgetting that all that joy was generated precisely because Mary and Joseph faced the turmoil of having to come away from their home town, undertaking a very difficult journey from Nazareth, not finding a place to give birth to Jesus, etc. In the midst of our present hardships, lockdowns and restrictions let us not miss the joy, peace, love and hope that the Infant born in Bethlehem gifts us with. And my wish and prayer for each of you is that may you be filled with these gifts today and all your life.
One of the blessings we experienced because of the pandemic was the presence of Fr. Tony. He initially came for two months in February 2020. Because of the lockdowns here and in India, he stayed with us for 22 months. He will be leaving us on Christmas day. We are all so very grateful to him for his presence with us. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you, especially the PPC, the Finance and Liturgy committees, and the very many other parishioners and staff who have kindly volunteered their services during these difficult times. Also, my sincere thanks to each of you for your ongoing support and cooperation. Thanks to all! May 2022 be a brighter and happier year! Once again, on behalf of Frs. Thomas, Tony and myself, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2022
With Love & Peace to You All
Fr. George Areeckal, C.Ss.R
Parish Priest
Celebrating mass under ORANGE Traffic light Framework
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Weekday masses – Tuesday to Friday (Tues – Friday 9am)
Will be celebrated without ‘Vaccine Pass’ required. There are constraints:
- Capacity is limited at 50 people (including our priest)
- Scan the QR code or sign the manual register
Saturday vigil and Sunday masses
As of 11:59 pm December 30, Auckland and other parts of the country moves to ORANGE traffic light setting. Under this framework, there will be no limit for gathering.
There are constraints:
- Vaccine Pass required
- Scan QR code or sign the manual register
Health and Safety guidelines:
- Please do not attend mass if you are UNWELL in ANY way even if you are vaccinated.
- Our local Ordinary’s dispensation from Sunday Mass obligations still applies.
- Wearing of masks (unless medical reasons prevent you from wearing one)
- Sanitize your hands on entering and leaving
- Receiving communion will only be in the hand
- There will be no holy water in fonts
- After mass, please exit church promptly so that volunteers can start church cleaning.
‘Help our teams, follow our procedures.
Remember we are all members of one great family of God’
** Weekend masses will require Vaccine pass to be sighted.
** Weekday masses under ORANGE setting will not require vaccine pass. Capacity of 50 people
Parish Priest
Rev Fr. George Areeckal CSsr
Assistant Priest
Fr Majesh (Thomas) Kurian CSsr
Parish Secretary
Lourdes Domilies
Parish Finance Administrator
Margaret Burke
Vietnamese Community
Mrs Huyen Tran
Email: tuhuyensd@yahoo.co.nz
Contact Details
Address: 66 Main Highway, Ellerslie Auckland 1051
Ph: 09 579 5458
Email: icpellerslie@gmail.com
Office hours
Mon - closed
Tues and Wed - 9am - 12 noon
Thurs and Fri - 8am - 12 noon
Hall Hire
Ph: 09 579 5458
