St. Patrick's R. C. Parish

Introduction and Welcome to Our Chrism Mass

Welcome to the historic parish of St. Patrick’s, Carbonear. My name is Gerard Butt, and on behalf of Monsignor Edward Bromley and the Parish, I want to offer a special welcome to all who have gathered here today for this special liturgy. The Mass of Chrism is always a very important celebration in the life of our Diocese, but perhaps especially this year as we celebrate our 150^th anniversary.

St. Patrick's Parish is listed among the very first parishes in Newfoundland. It’s been 180 years since the first wooden church was build in Carbonear. 165 years since we had our first resident priest, and 115 years since this church opened its doors. As well, Carbonear has the honour of having given a greater number of priests into the church than any other place in Newfoundland.

Thank you Bishop Currie for visiting us and honoring our parish by celebrating the Mass of Chrism in our community. Today we bless the oils that will be used in the coming year for the celebration of the sacraments, and today also our priests renew their priestly commitment. We welcome so many priests here today. There hasn’t been this many priests here in this church, since the ordination of Father Larry George in 1978. Many of you priests have served here in Carbonear: Fr. David Heale, Father Brendan McCarthy, Father Bill Matthews, Father William Hearn, Father Don, who spent serveral weeks with us recently, and Father Edward Brophy, who could not be with us tonight. We welcome all the priests of our diocese, as well as the priests on loan from other dioceses in Canada, Africa, and the Philippines.

We welcome all visitors. Representatives from parishes in the Diocese of Grand Falls will bring the Holy Chrism from this church to everyone of the parishes in the Diocese. We welcome the young people from our diocesan family who will receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit through the anointing with chrism in the sacrament of Confirmation during the coming months. We also welcome those who have been preparing as catechumens for the past many months for their Baptism in water and the Holy Spirit. They will be anointed with the holy oils at the coming Easter Vigil. The Holy Chrism will also be used to anoint the hands of Mr. Bill Pearce, in his priestly ordination, in his native parish, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Norris Arm, later this year.

I welcome to this Chrism Mass today all you faithful people of God from throughout our Diocese of Grand Falls.

For all of us, this liturgy is a special time of looking back and looking forward. We look back in our own lives to embrace again the grace of our own baptism and confirmation. It is also a time of looking forward in hope to continuing life and ministry within our diocese. Tonight is a time when our minds, memories and vision need to be fully engaged by the liturgy we celebrate. We pray for the strength and guidance to be the community of believers we are called to be.

I welcome and thank all of you for coming to this Mass.