FSSP Canberra Latin Mass Chaplaincy

07/09/2026

September 8.--THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
THE birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary announced joy and the near approach of salvation to the lost world. Mary was brought forth in the world not like other children of Adam, infected with the loathsome contagion of sin, but pure, holy, beautiful, and glorious, adorned with all the most precious graces which became her who was chosen to be the Mother of God. She appeared indeed in the weak state of our mortality; but in the eyes of Heaven she already transcended the highest seraph in purity, brightness, and the richest ornaments of grace. If we celebrate the birthdays of the great ones of this earth, how ought we to rejoice in that of the Virgin Mary, presenting to God the best homage of our praises and thanksgiving for the great mercies He has shown in her, and imploring her mediation with her Son in our behalf! Christ will not reject the supplications of His mother, whom He was pleased to obey whilst on earth. Her love, care, and tenderness for Him, the title and qualities which she bears, the charity and graces with which she is adorned, and the crown of glory with which she is honored, must incline Him readily to receive her recommendations and petitions.
THE FESTIVAL, ON THE SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF HER NATIVITY, OF THE HOLY NAME OF MARY.
THIS festival was appointed by Pope Innocent XI., that on it the faithful may be called upon in a particular manner to recommend to God, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, the necessities of His Church, and to return Him thanks for His gracious protection and numberless mercies. What gave occasion to the institution of this feast was a solemn thanksgiving for the relief of Vienna when it was besieged by the Turks in 1683. If we desire to deprecate the divine anger, justly provoked by our sins, with our prayers, we must join the tears of sincere compunction with a perfect conversion of our manners. The first grace we should always beg of God is that He will bring us to the disposition of condign penance. Our supplications for the divine mercies, and our thanksgivings for benefits received, will only thus be rendered acceptable. By no other means can we deserve the blessing of God, or be recommended to it by the patronage of His holy mother. To the invocation of Jesus it is a pious and wholesome practice to join our application to the Blessed Virgin, that, through her intercession, we may more easily and more abundantly obtain the effects of our petitions. In this sense devout souls pronounce, with great affection and confidence, the holy names of Jesus and Mary.

03/09/2026

3‌ Sept‌ember feast of St Pius X.

01/09/2026

Eschatology- Hell (lesson 3)

The Pain of Loss

01/09/2026

25/08/2026

Eschatology - Hell (Lesson 2)

Hell is eternal

18/08/2026

St John Eudes
St John Eudes was born in Normandy in 1601 into a
farming family. From an early age, he had a strong
devotion to Our Lady, and at the age of fourteen he
consecrated himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This
devotion would remain with him throughout his life and
eventually lead him towards the priesthood.
John joined the French Oratory and was ordained a
priest at the age of 24. His priesthood quickly became
one of extraordinary generosity. When terrible plagues
struck France in 1627 and again in 1631, he volunteered
to care for the sick. Because he was afraid of infecting
his fellow priests, he isolated himself from the
community and, according to tradition, even lived for a time in a large barrel
or cask in a field.
At the age of 32, John began preaching parish missions. He had an
extraordinary gift for preaching and hearing confessions, and during his
lifetime he preached more than one hundred missions, some lasting several
weeks or even months. Through this work, however, he became increasingly
aware of two serious problems in France: the loss of faith among ordinary
Catholics and the poor spiritual formation of many priests.
He therefore dedicated much of his life to renewing both the laity and the
clergy. For the faithful, he promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and the Holy Heart of Mary, composing Masses and Offices in their honour.
His work was so influential that Pope Pius XI later called him the father,
doctor and apostle of the liturgical devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus
and Mary.
John also understood that the renewal of the Church depended greatly
upon holy priests. If priests themselves lacked prayer, virtue and proper
formation, their people would inevitably suffer. In 1643, he founded the
Congregation of Jesus and Mary, commonly known as the Eudists, particularly
for the formation of priests and the establishment of seminaries. His
understanding of the priesthood can be seen beautifully in his own words:
“A holy priest is a saviour and another Christ, taking the Master's place on
earth, representing Him, clothed with His authority, acting in His name,
adorned with His qualifications, exercising His judgment on earth in the
tribunal of penance. He is consecrated to exercise the highest functions
Christ ever performed on earth, to continue the work of salvation. In
imitation of His Redeemer he gives himself, mind, heart, affections, strength,
time, all for God. He is ever ready to sacrifice his very blood and even life
itself to procure the salvation of souls, particularly those of his own flock.
”
His charity also extended to women trying to escape prostitution. Seeing their
desperate circumstances, he helped establish a refuge for them, from which
developed another religious community devoted to their care.
St John Eudes died in 1680 at the age of 78. Looking back, we can see how
providential his work was. A century later, France would be devastated by the
French Revolution and a terrible persecution of the Church. Before that
storm arrived, God raised up St John Eudes to strengthen priests, restore
Catholic life, and direct the faithful towards a safe refuge: the Hearts of Jesus
and Mary.

16/08/2026

Eschatology - Hell (Lesson 1)

Why do we need to believe and talk about hell? What and where is hell?

13/08/2026

15th of August, Assumption of our lady into heaven
(holy of obligation) 7 am Low mass, 8:30 am holy Rosary- 9 am Sung mass

01/07/2026

THE FEAST OF
THE VISITATION OF OUR LADY 2 July
The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary commemorates one of the most beautiful and
joyful moments in the Gospel. After the
Annunciation, Our Lady travelled "with haste" into
the hill country to visit her elderly cousin, St
Elizabeth, who was miraculously expecting St John
the Baptist. Although Mary herself had just
conceived the Son of God, she did not think first of
herself. Instead, she set out on a long and difficult
journey to serve another. Her visit became an act of
profound charity, humility, and love. At the sound of
Mary's greeting, St John the Baptist leapt for joy in
his mother's womb, and St Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Ghost,
proclaimed the words that Catholics repeat every day in the Hail Mary:
"Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
" In
response, Our Lady sang the Magnificat, one of the Church's greatest
hymns of praise, which continues to be sung every evening at Vespers.
The feast first appeared in the late fourteenth century. It was celebrated
in Prague in 1386 at the request of Archbishop John of Jenstein, who even
composed its own Mass and Divine Office. At that time, the Church was
suffering from the Great Western Schism, during which rival claimants to
the papacy divided Christendom. Archbishop John proposed that the
feast be extended to the whole Church as a plea for the Blessed Virgin's
intercession to restore unity. Pope Urban VI approved the idea but died
before issuing the decree. His successor, Pope Boniface IX, officially
established the feast for the universal Church in 1389. Thus, from its very
beginning, the Feast of the Visitation carried a special intention: praying
for peace, unity, and the healing of divisions within the Church.
The feast was fixed on July 2 in the traditional Roman calendar, the day
after the Octave of the Nativity of St John the Baptist. Although this may
seem chronologically unusual, the placement carried rich liturgical
symbolism. It completed the celebration of St John's birth by recalling the
moment when he was sanctified in his mother's womb through the visit of
Christ hidden within Mary. Pope Boniface also gave the feast both a vigil
and an octave, reflecting its great importance, although these were later
removed in the Tridentine reforms. The July 2 date remained universal in
the Roman Rite until the calendar reform of 1969, when it was moved to
May 31 so that it would fall between the Annunciation and the Nativity of
St John the Baptist, following the chronological order of St Luke's Gospel.
Nevertheless, the traditional Roman Rite continues to celebrate the feast
on July 2.
The Visitation beautifully reveals Mary's role in salvation history. She is
the first tabernacle, carrying Christ to others. Wherever Mary goes, Jesus
goes with her. Her visit sanctified St John the Baptist before his birth and
filled St Elizabeth with the Holy Ghost. For this reason, the Visitation has
long been seen as an image of the Church's mission: to bring Christ into
the world through humble service, charity, and faithful witness. It also
reminds us that true greatness is found not in seeking honour, but in
serving others with humility.
The institution of this feast during the Great Western Schism gives it an
enduring significance. Just as Mary's visit brought peace, joy, and blessing
to Elizabeth's house, the Church continues to invoke her intercession for
unity, reconciliation, and fidelity to Christ. We ask Our Lady as the Mother
who gathers her children together and leads them always to Christ.

18/06/2026

St Juliana Falconieri 19 June
St Juliana Falconieri was born in Florence, Italy, in
1270. Her birth was regarded as an answer to prayer,
and from her earliest years she showed remarkable
signs of holiness. She came from a noble and
wealthy family, but even greater than their wealth
was their devotion to the Catholic faith. Her uncle,
St Alexis Falconieri, was one of the seven holy
founders of the Servite Order, also known as the
Servants of Mary. Under his guidance, Juliana grew
up with an extraordinary love for God and Our Lady.
Florence during Juliana's lifetime was a city torn
apart by political divisions and violence. Rival
factions fought one another, creating an atmosphere of hatred and
revenge. Yet in the midst of this turmoil, Juliana became an instrument of
peace. Her deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin, especially to her sorrows,
inspired her to dedicate her life entirely to God.
Although she was known for her beauty and came from a prominent
family, Juliana rejected all offers of marriage. At the age of fourteen she
received the habit of the Servite Order from St Philip Benizi, the Order's
General. She chose the simple religious habit over the fashionable clothing
and comforts enjoyed by many young women of her social class.
Her sanctity soon attracted other women who wished to follow her
example. These women became known as the Mantellate because of the
dark cloaks they wore in imitation of the Servite friars. Under Juliana's
guidance, they eventually formed the female branch of the Servite Order.
Although she was their founder and superior, she considered herself the
servant of all. She devoted herself to prayer, fasting, and works of charity.
Together with her companions, she cared for the poor, visited the sick,
reconciled enemies, and worked tirelessly to bring peace to a city divided
by hatred.
Juliana practised extraordinary penance and humility. Her modesty was
legendary; it is said that she never looked at her reflection in a mirror. The
very mention of sin caused her great sorrow. She often spent long hours in
prayer and was sometimes granted mystical ecstasies. Through her
prayers, many believed that the Servite Order itself was preserved during
a period when it faced the threat of suppression.
In her later years, Juliana suffered greatly from a severe stomach illness
that gradually prevented her from taking food. Eventually she could no
longer swallow even the smallest amount of nourishment. Yet she endured
her sufferings with remarkable patience and joy. Her greatest sorrow was
not her physical pain but her inability to receive Holy Communion.
As death approached in 1340, Juliana begged to see the Blessed
Sacrament one final time. Since she was unable to consume the Sacred
Host, she asked the priest to place it upon a corporal laid over her heart.
Moments later she peacefully surrendered her soul to God. When her
sisters prepared her body for burial, they discovered the image of the
Sacred Host impressed upon her chest. This Eucharistic miracle became
one of the most famous events associated with her life.
St Juliana Falconieri died in Florence in 1340 and was canonized by Pope
Clement XII in 1737. She remains a shining example of love for Our Lady,
devotion to the Holy Eucharist, humility, charity, and perseverance in suffering.