The Novena at St Joseph’s Church Blackrock Road, Cork, takes place from Monday September 23rd to Tuesday 1st of October.
Mass will be at 7.30 pm each evening with the exception of Saturday when it will begin at 7pm.
Most of us know that St. Thérèse is one of the patron saints of the missions and
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The following Choirs will participate each evening Carrigaline Singers: Mon 23rd |
missionaries. She is also patron saint of florists, probably because she saw herself as “God’s Little Flower”. In art she is often represented holding a bunch of roses. She is also a patron saint of priests (we know she prayed fervently every day for priests), the sick (especially those, like herself, suffering from tuberculosis) and those (again like herself) who have lost their parents. Quite a portfolio for a young saint who died when she was only 24.
In 1927 she was proclaimed patron saint of the foreign missions by Pope Pius XI. Some found it strange that she was given this title since, as a cloistered nun, she never even visited the missions. However, she often expressed her desire to be a missionary herself so that she could spread God’s love throughout the world. When this was not physically possible she decided she would share in this mission of the Church from inside her cloister by praying daily for missionaries and for people around the world. It was for this reason that she was proclaimed patron of the foreign missions.
We in the Society of African Missions are happy to have St. Thérèse as one of our patron saints – which is why we honour her each year with this Novena. Like St. Thérèse, many of our missionary supporters throughout Ireland have never been on the missions either, but from their homes and parishes they have become an essential part of our work of establishing the Church and spreading God’s love in Africa. their prayers and financial support enable us to continue this mission. We take the opportunity of this Novena to praise God for them and to pray God’s blessings on them and their families.
Through the intercession of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower and Patroness of the missions, may God shower His blessings on all of us during the nine days of this Novena.
Fr. Pat Kelly S
PRAYER FOR MISSIONARIES
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, who merited to be proclaimed Patroness of the Catholic Missions of the whole world, remember the very ardent desire you manifested here on earth “to plant the Cross of Jesus Christ in every land and to announce the Gospel even to the end of time”.
We beseech you, according to your desire, to help priests, missionaries and the whole Church.
Obtain for us all an increase of missionary zeal and generosity. Protect our missionaries; help them in their labours, support them in their sufferings and poverty, teach them to love Jesus more ardently and to place all their confidence in the Tabernacle and in the intercession of our Immaculate Mother, Mary.
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