News and Current Issues
Holy Week and Easter Brochure
At Easter, we remember and call to mind three things:
- The Last Supper in which Jesus Christ gave his followers Holy Communion on Holy Thursday;
- The death of Jesus on the cross on Good Friday;
- Jesus risen from the dead to new life, on Easter Sunday.
This brochure allows parishes and communities to promote their local activities during Holy Week and Easter.
A hard copy of this brochure showing your local parish Christmas schedule can be printed and copied for distribution. The following steps are recommended: 1. Click on 'View the Brochure' 2. Open the file with Adobe Reader (free software). 3. Enter local details in the two locations indicated on the brochure. 4. Print the brochure.
Note: Unless you have Adobe Acrobat software you cannot save a copy of the updated document.
Lent and Easter
Ash Wednesday is on Wednesday 17 February and Easter is celebrated on Sunday 4 April in 2010.
Ash Wednesday begins the period of Lent during which we are called to prayer and penance as we prepare for the celebration of Easter.
On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday the Church asks us to observe both abstinence from meat and fasting. For Christians fasting is one of the ways of expressing penance. The other ways are prayer, self-denial and works of charity. The practice of fasting is given to us by the Church to help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart (Cathechism #2043). All who are 18 and not yet 60 are bound to fast. All who are over 14 are bound to abstain.
The three days of celebration of Easter begins with sundown on Holy Thursday evening and ends with evening prayer on Easter Sunday evening. The Triduum includes the liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday.
Baptism and Wedding brochures
The Catholic Enquiry Centre has developed several brochures for parishes to use in their outreach to those who are searching for faith. including The Sacrament of Baptism - A General Guide and The Sacrament of Marriage – A General Guide.
Baptisms and weddings are two occasions when people who have no formal connection with the Catholic Church intersect with the Church, and they are important evangelising opportunities. The brochures simply explain what will happen during the ceremony, and give a point of reference in case people would like to find out more in future.