The month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family.

The special devotion which proposes the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the model of virtue of all Christian households. 

The Holy Family models for us what family life should exemplify. It is a school of virtue for both parents and children. There we find God, and learn how to connect with God and with others. The family is where love is freely given without self-interest. It is where we learn to love, to pray and to practice the gift of charity. Pope John Paul II has said, “The family, more than any other human reality, is the place in which the person is loved for himself and in which he learns to live the sincere gift of self ” (Nov. 27, 2002).

We should ask ourselves if our own families model that of the Holy Family. We need to be open to God’s grace to value the positive and to accept our mistakes and to be willing to rectify them. Parenting is a very challenging responsibility and at times errors are made despite the best intentions. Recognising this, children should trust their parents and never forget that parents want only what is best for them.

Which leads us to what may be the most important family virtue, forgiveness. Living so intimately within the family nucleus naturally gives rise to unpleasant situations where someone is apt to be offended. St. Paul knew this when he told us to “bear with and forgive one another.” The health of our family may depend on how quickly we learn to forgive without harboring feelings of resentment.

No family can thrive and grow without constant work. Even the material details that take time and effort are essential to keeping the family strong. Everyone has to pull together for the good of the family, even to the point of putting ahead of our own needs and ambitions the happiness of other family members, setting aside our own selfish desires.

It is also important to pray as a family, especially the holy rosary. Prayer will help us to intensify our closeness with each other and to learn to forgive.

In the words of His Holiness Pope Leo XIII, "Nothing truly can be more salutary or efficacious for Christian families to meditate upon than the example of this Holy Family, which embraces the perfection and completeness of all domestic virtues."

For children with incurable diseases.
Let us pray that children suffering from incurable diseases and their families receive the necessary medical care and support, never losing strength and hope.

Every Sunday during Mass, our youngest children (who have not completed First Holy Communion) are invited to take part in our special Children’s Liturgy. Led by our friendly catechists, the children gather in the parish hall for a fun, faith-filled session designed just for them.