On the evening of Tuesday 15 April, clergy, religious, and the faithful from across the Diocese of Wollongong gathered at St Francis Xavier Cathedral for the annual Chrism Mass—a liturgy rich in symbolism and unity, and one of the most significant celebrations in the Church’s liturgical year.
Presided over by Bishop Brian Mascord, the Chrism Mass is a unique celebration that takes place only once a year in the Cathedral of each Diocese. It is named after the Sacred Chrism, one of three holy oils blessed or consecrated during the liturgy, alongside the Oil of the Sick and the Oil of Catechumens. These sacred oils will be used throughout the coming year across the Diocese in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick—signs of Christ’s presence and healing in the life of the Church.
The Mass is also marked by the renewal of priestly promises, as the clergy publicly reaffirm their dedication to priestly service and unity with their bishop. This profound gesture invites the faithful to join in prayer for their priests and for vocations to the priesthood.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me…” (Luke 4:18)
These words, proclaimed at the liturgy, remind us all of our baptismal call and the mission of the Church to proclaim the Gospel, anoint the broken, and bring Christ’s healing to the world.
The Cathedral was filled with a deep spirit of reverence, joy, and communion—an evening that celebrated not only the sacred oils and priestly vocation but the life and mission of the whole diocesan family.
Below are some photos that were captured from this Holy celebration.
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The Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Wollongong (the Fund) is required by law to make the following disclosure: The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. An investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). Investments in the Fund are intended to be a means for investors to support the charitable, religious and education works of the Diocese of Wollongong and for whom the consideration of profit are not of primary relevance in the investment decision. The investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act (Cth) or regulation by Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Investors may be unable to get some or all of their money back when the investor expects or at all and any investment of the Fund are not comparable to investments with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund’s identification statement may be viewed at www.cdfwollongong.org.au or by contacting the Fund. The Fund does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.
Our diocesan logo is theologically rich and very succinct. As a hand, it depicts our mission as a diocese and as individuals within the diocese, of bearing (bringing, carrying) Christ’s love to one another and to the world around us. In this, we are the hand of Jesus Christ, and we are offering ourselves to him so that he might work through us.
We can be the bearers of his love only as a response to his call and in the strength of his grace. We are reminded of this in two ways—through the symbol of the dove (the Holy Spirit) also present in the logo, and by the incorporation of the cross that segments the logo. The presence of the cross is a reminder that bearing the love of Christ will inevitably cost us if we live it authentically. However, in the way that the Cross is the portent of redemption and life—an echo of the tree of life in the book of Genesis—so becoming bearers of the love of Christ will also bring us to life.
The four fingers of the hand also represent the four regions of our diocese. The first is bluerepresenting the beautiful water of the Shoalhaven. The second is a blue and green combination representing the waters and escarpment of the Illawarra. The third is greendepicting the hills and plains of the Macarthur. The fourth is dark green illustrating the forests of the Southern Highlands.
