St Mary's Church

Our Parish Bulletin is a weekly update of news and events that are happening in our parish and Fr. Michael’s Reflections.  We usually update our bulletin weekly, on Thursday afternoons. We do not publish bulletins in the Summer months. If you would like to get the bulletin in your inbox, please subscribe below.

St. Monica and St. Augustine – August 27 th and 28 th

On August 27 th and 28 th we celebrate the feasts of St. Monica and St. Augustine of Hippo.

St. Augustine is among the greatest of the Church Fathers, honored throughout the
Christian centuries as one of the most important theologians in the history of the Church. However, it was a long and difficult journey before St. Augustine committed himself to the Christian faith, and thus became the great priest, bishop and theologian we remember him as today. Key to his conversion, above all, was the witness and prayer of his mother – St. Monica.

St. Monica was a devout Christian, though she struggled to raise her children in the faith. She particularly struggled with her eldest son Augustine, who in his early life embraced heretical religious beliefs and lived an immoral life. However, she had hope that her son would come to the Catholic faith, and she prayed and fasted for him often – never losing hope or straying far from the son she so dearly loved. Her prayers were eventually answered in a most monumental way. Through the
intercession of his mother and the preaching of St. Ambrose of Milan, Augustine turned from his sinful life and embraced Christianity. He was baptized at Easter in the year 387.

St. Augustine eventually became the bishop of Hippo in North Africa. His autobiography, titled Confessions, continues to be read as an inspiring story of conversion. His theological books, such as the City of God and On the Trinity, became foundational texts in the development of Catholic theology and philosophy.

In both these feast days – that of St. Augustine and his mother St. Monica – we are
reminded of the power of prayer and conversion. Those of us who have family members that have strayed from the faith may turn to these two saints for solace and inspiration. St. Augustine was a man of immense insight and genius that Catholics throughout the ages have looked to for inspiration. But he is also an example of the power of a mother’s prayer. It is the humble and loving example of Augustine’s mother, St. Monica, that is at the root of all of St. Augustine’s great accomplishments.

St. Gregory the Great – Sept. 3 rd :

Pope Gregory the First, now remembered as St. Gregory the Great, was one of the most pivotal and important popes in the early Church. Reigning from the years 590 to 604, he came into the papacy at a crucial time in Church history.

Gregory became a priest as a young man, and early in his vocation he showed great
administrative skill. After he inherited the land of his wealthy father, he used it to
establish several monasteries. He became a strict monastic and wrote several books on the spiritual life. By the time he was 30, he was made a prefect for the Pope in Rome. While Gregory much preferred the solitude of his monastic life, with the death of Pope Pelagius the Second, Gregory was appointed his successor and became pope.

As Pope, Gregory greatly emphasized missionary work. He was responsible for many
missions to areas of Europe that had yet to accept the faith, particularly in Britain. He also brought about several changes to the Mass, and some of these even remain today. The placement of the Our Father in our Mass today is a result of the liturgical reforms made by Pope Gregory the Great. Alongside these liturgical forms, Gregory also is said to have established “plainchant”. This melodic and monophonic form of choral music we now call Gregorian Chant in his honour. Gregorian chant became the preferred music for liturgical worship and monastic prayer for centuries to come.

Pope Gregory was also known for his great emphasis upon charity and giving to the poor. He ensured that the Church’s riches, whether money or land, were freely distributed to the poor. It is said that a priest unwilling to devote his time giving to the poor, as Pope Gregory commanded, would soon find himself removed from his office. When a famine struck the Roman Empire in the late 500s, Pope Gregory ordered that the crops grown on the two thousand square miles of farm land owned by the Church be shipped freely across Europe to ensure people remain well fed. Pope Gregory himself refused to eat until his monks returned from their travels distributing this food.

In Gregory the Great, we have a Church leader who may be honoured in vast ways. In our own lives, may we be inspired by his example – whether in our love for the liturgy, in our acceptance of roles of great responsibility or in our passion for serving the poor.