Sts Peter & Paul's, South Melbourne

16/10/2025

TRAGEDY hits monastery where St. Carlo Acutis received his First Holy Communion, after being destroyed by a massive fire.

Nuns escaped unharmed, but relics and sacred art were lost.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/monastery-where-carlo-acutis-received-first-holy-communion-destroyed-by-massive-fire/?utm_source=lsncathfb

03/10/2025

St. Francis of Assisi once said: “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred,
let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope"

St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!

02/10/2025

NOVENA TO SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI
(from September 25 to October 3)
DAY 1 - READY OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S WILL

S. Francis, shortly after his conversion, when some of his companions had already joined him, was very doubtful about what he had to do: whether to devote himself totally to prayer with a contemplative life or to work for the salvation of others preaching the Gospel.
He desperately wanted to know the will of God and, since his great humility did not allow him to trust his inspirations or his prayer, I sent brothers Masseus from two holy souls: brothers Silvester and sister Clare to ask them to command the Lord, in prayer, which was the way that Jesus had paved out for him.
Brother Silvester was a man of great holiness and everything he asked God for, he received. That’s why Francesco turned to him. Brother Silvester immediately started praying and soon he received the answer. Even Clare and her companions had the same message from God: "God has not chosen you for yourself alone, but giving thanks for the health of many ("God has not filled you with favors for yourself alone, and also for the salvation of many).
As soon as Francis knew the will of Jesus, he stood up and said, "In the name of God, we go."

Proposal
- We ask God, with prayer, to enlighten us on the choices of our lives;
- let’s try to imitate Francesco’s readiness and enthusiasm in doing God’s will.
Father, Hail, Glory
S. Francis, pray for us.

02/10/2025

October 2, 2025

Feast of Holy Guardian Angels

The concept of an angel assigned to guide and nurture each human being is a development of Catholic doctrine and piety based on Scripture but not directly drawn from it. Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:10 best support the belief: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father”

Devotion to the angels began to develop with the birth of the monastic tradition. Saint Benedict (July 11) gave it impetus and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (August 20), the great 12th-century reformer, was such an eloquent spokesman for the guardian angels that angelic devotion assumed its current form in his day.

From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot
(Sermo 12 in psalmum Qui habitat, 3. 6-8: Opera omnia, Edit. Cisterc. 4 [1966], 458-462)

That they might guard you in all your ways

He has given his angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways. Let them thank the Lord for his mercy; his wonderful works are for the children of men. Let them give thanks and say among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them. O Lord, what is man that you have made yourself known to him, or why do you incline your heart to him? And you do incline your heart to him; you show him your care and your concern. Finally, you send your only Son and the grace of your Spirit, and promise him a vision of your countenance. And so, that nothing in heaven should be wanting in your concern for us, you send those blessed spirits to serve us, assigning them as our guardians and our teachers.

He has given his angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways. These words should fill you with respect, inspire devotion and instill confidence; respect for the presence of angels, devotion because of their loving service, and confidence because of their protection. And so the angels are here; they are at your side, they are with you, present on your behalf. They are here to protect you and to serve you. But even if it is God who has given them this charge, we must nonetheless be grateful to them for the great love with which they obey and come to help us in our great need.

So let us be devoted and grateful to such great protectors; let us return their love and honor them as much as we can and should. Yet all our love and honor must go to him, for it is from him that they receive all that makes them worthy of our love and respect.

We should then, my brothers, show our affection for the angels, for one day they will be our co-heirs just as here below they are our guardians and trustees appointed and set over us by the Father. We are God’s children although it does not seem so, because we are still but small children under guardians and trustees, and for the present little better than slaves.

Even though we are children and have a long, a very long and dangerous way to go, with such protectors what have we to fear? They who keep us in all our ways cannot be overpowered or led astray, much less lead us astray. They are loyal, prudent, powerful. Why then are we afraid? We have only to follow them, stay close to them, and we shall dwell under the protection of God’s heaven.

SOURCE: from the Office of the Readings

02/10/2025

MONTH OF OCTOBER | Month of the Holy Rosary

The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. According to an account by fifteenth-century Dominican, Alan de la Roch, Mary appeared to St. Dominic in 1206 after he had been praying and doing severe penances because of his lack of success in combating the Albigensian heresy. Mary praised him for his valiant fight against the heretics and then gave him the Rosary as a mighty weapon, explained its uses and efficacy, and told him to preach it to others.

"Since the prayers of the Rosary come from such excellent sources — from Our Lord Himself, from inspired Scripture, and from the Church — it is not surprising that the Rosary is so dear to our Blessed Mother and so powerful with heaven.

"If we consider the power of the Rosary as seen in its effects, we find a great abundance of proofs of its wonderful value. Many are the favors granted to private individuals through its devout recitation: there are few devoted users of the Rosary who cannot testify to experiencing its power in their own lives. If we turn to history, we see many great triumphs of the Rosary. Early tradition attributes the defeat of the Albigensians at the Battle of Muret in 1213 to the Rosary. But even those who do not accept this tradition will admit that St. Pius V attributed the great defeat of the Turkish fleet on the first Sunday of October, 1571, to the fact that at the same time the Rosary confraternities at Rome and elsewhere were holding their processions. Accordingly, he ordered a commemoration of the Rosary to be made on that day. Two years later, Gregory XIII allowed the celebration of a feast of the Rosary in churches having an altar dedicated to the Rosary. In 1671, Clement X extended the feast to all Spain. A second great victory over the Turks, who once, like the Russians, threatened the ruin of Christian civilization, occurred on August 5, 1716, when Prince Eugene defeated them at Peterwardein in Hungary. Thereupon Clement XI extended the feast of the Rosary to the whole Church.

"Today, when dangers far greater than those of the ancient Turks threaten not only Christianity but all civilization, we are urged by our Blessed Mother to turn again to the Rosary for help. If men in sufficient numbers do this, and at the same time carry out the other conditions that she has laid down, we have the greater reason for confidence that we will be delivered from our dangers." -- Mary in our Life by Fr. William G. Most

23/09/2025

Saint Padre Pio
Feast day September 23, 2025

1. **Stigmata:**
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina is known for having received the stigmata, wounds similar to those of the crucified Christ, which he bore for 50 years. These wounds were inexplicable by medical science and inspired great devotion among the faithful.

2. **Bilocation:**
Padre Pio was often reported to have the ability of bilocation, meaning he could appear in two places at the same time. There are numerous testimonies from people who claimed to have seen him in different locations simultaneously.

3. **Confessions:**
Saint Pio spent many hours each day hearing confessions from the faithful. It is said that he had the ability to read people's hearts and reveal their hidden sins, guiding them toward repentance.

4. **Visions and Spiritual Battles:**
Padre Pio had numerous visions of Christ, Mary, and other saints. He was also known for his spiritual battles with the devil, who tormented him both physically and spiritually.

23/09/2025

Happy Fiesta of St. Padre Pio, Grant Graces And Mercy Through Your Prayers

17/09/2025

TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF THE STIGMATA OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI.

17/09/2025

07/08/2025

Join us to celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Mary of the Cross Mackillop at 10am on Friday 8th August 2025

30/06/2022

Join us this Sunday for Sts Peter and Paul’s Feast Day Celebration! Everyone is welcome