Parish Events

We keep each year in St Bernadette’s the memorial of St Oliver Plunkett, a saint not included in the universal calendar but celebrated locally. An Irish saint and martyr, St Oliver studied for the priesthood in Rome before becoming Archbishop of Armagh. His tireless pastoral zeal did much to build up the church in the

On Wednesday 17th June Father Paul Pearson gave an informative and stimulating talk in St Bernadette’s parish hall, with a fascinating account of the history of the Toronto Oratory and a thought-provoking introduction to Aligheri Dante and his Divine Comedy. We are really grateful to Father Paul for encouraging us on our Oratorian pilgrimage, with the remarkable

Wednesday 24th June is the Solemnity of Nativity of St John the Baptist. At St Bernadette’s, as well as the usual 6.30am and 8.30am Masses, there is an additional Mass at 1.10pm (Extraordinary Form, Latin) and also a solemn sung Mass at 5.30pm. In preparation for this feast we reproduce teaching of Pope Benedict XVI, given at

In this month of the Sacred Heart, we find among the Church’s treasures of devotion that of the Litany of the Sacred Heart, which is regularly recited in our church after Masses on the first Friday of the month. This litany is also ideal for use in private prayer at any time of year, but

As we celebrate the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in a month dedicated to this holy devotion, we find this feast of Our Lord followed by one of Our Lady, honouring on the next day, a Saturday, Mary’s Most Immaculate Heart. In placing these two feasts next to one another the Church gives

On Wednesday 17th June at 19:15 there will be a talk on Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), the famous Italian poet, presented by Father Paul Pearson of the Oratory in Toronto in Canada. Father Paul, who will be visiting our Oratory in Port Elizabeth this month, is a well-known expert and published author on Dante, a figure

This Sunday we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, or the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This solemn celebration of the Eucharistic Mystery invites us to a renewed gratitude for this greatest of gifts, that of Jesus himself, body, blood, soul and divinity in the most sacred mystery of the

The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Our Lord, connected closely to the visions of St Mary Margaret Alacoque (1647-1690), is a celebration of the mystery of divine love which God has shown us in sending his Son into the world for our Redemption (John 3:16). This divine love, embodied in the Sacred Heart of

“This mystery of the Trinity was revealed to us by Jesus himself. He showed us the face of God as merciful Father; he presented Himself, true man, as the Son of God and Word of the Father, the Saviour who gives his life for us; and he spoke of the Holy Spirit who proceeds from

In South Africa, Thursday 4th June is celebrated as the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest. This celebration, observed on the day traditionally kept as Corpus Christi, focuses on Christ as the priest who makes sacrifice on himself on the altar of the cross and also on the ministry of those who